Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts

Saturday, April 21, 2012

 
The local Earth Festival has become an annual tradition despite Samuel's pro-carbon footprint tendancies!  We love the fun exhibits, quirky food samples, and of course, the animal show is always a hit!  Plus we scored four more fabric grocery sacks so I'm one happy eco-friendly lady!
 














Friday, April 20, 2012

Cousins


We are so fortunate to date-swap
with my brother and sister-in-law,
and for the kids,
it's a win-win getting in some extra play time!

Only thing is,
when they all get together,
things can get kind of loopy...

Especially when you throw in lots and lots
of marshmallows!









We love you, guys!

Can't wait for you to bring your new baby sister over!

Brooklyn,
are you sure your ready to join this rag-tag bunch?

{smile}

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Lazy Park Days







Love, love, love
lazy days!

And the piece de resistance?

Playing to the very last coin...

and winning!

Go, mom!

{Sorry, Bella!}


Friday, April 6, 2012

The Classic Easter Egg Hunt

We love visiting the Wyllie Home
for their annual Easter Egg Hunt!

The wide open spaces,
the green grass...
it beckons:

"Hide your eggs here!"

And hide them we do!

The kids go nuts,
the adults relax,
we all puzzle over that last
missing egg...

It's wonderful!

HAPPY EASTER!




It's nearly time...


Anxiously waiting...


And their off!


My beautiful girls!


Owen


Gabriel


Strategizing...


Sometimes things don't go your way...


But we ended on smiles.

Thanks, Dad!

...

And thanks to the Wyllie Family!



A replay of the action...


Thursday, April 5, 2012

83 years!

Happy 83rd Birthday, Grandma Lopez!

We loved celebrating with you!









Beautiful!


I couldn't NOT include my monster shot.

This was in frustration to the seemingly
endless amount of photos we had to take in which
everyone was still or almost smiling!

Love this crazy bunch!


Thursday, March 29, 2012

Happy Birthday, Samuel!



The big 3 - 3 finally came for Samuel and
all I can say is,

"Good grief!  Thank goodness it's here!"

As much as I love celebrating how many wonderful
years he has graced this earth...
every...single...year
(because I'm older by two weeks),
he gloats about how he's a whole year younger than me!

Do your math, buddy!

Even if I have to say I'm 33
and you get to say your 32
-I'm still only two weeks older!

Anyway...
his birthday wouldn't be the same without this
annual back and forth,
and truly,

"Happy Birthday, Samuel!"

I love you, hon!

This year was a bit unconventional for us
in that I was away for the big day in Bakersfield, California.

My grandma's nephew passed away and
I drove her and my little sister down for the funeral.
It was a wonderful opporunity to visit
family that I haven't seen since I was a little girl,
and to be able to spend time with my grandma and sister
was priceless!

What to do about the homefront though?

Well the day before I left,
I baked my buns off and 
gave the girls the secret mission of carrying
on the festivities without momma!

I am so proud of those girls!

They put the finishing touches on a 
hearty lasagna dinner,
wrapped dad's gifts,
AND
served Samuel's favorite chocolate cake for dessert! 

They are wondeful little momma's!

And the boys,
they played their part well too!
Keeping daddy busy with their escapades so
the girls could finish up!
...

When I got home the next day,
there was nothing but hugs and kisses
from all but one...
Gabriel!

He refused to look at me,
or let me hold him!

He was so, so upset with me for leaving!

I apologized and
told him I was home now,
and only then did he crawl into my arms!

What a sweetie! 

I love my brood!


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Madness



But it's our madness...

And we wouldn't trade it for the world!

Love,
Mom & Dad


Friday, March 2, 2012

Neighborhood Bocce Ball

One of our all-time favorite scores
at D.I....

Our bocce ball set!

There's a new park just down the way,
and it's a great pastime.

Before you know,
you have all kinds of people checking out the game
and wanting to play.

Talk about a great way to meet people!



This time,
it seemed like we attracted half the students
at the girls former elementary school.
It was great catch-up time with so many familiar faces,
and since I had a huge bag
of candy they all stuck around awhile.


I kind of felt like the crazy lady that lures
kids into keeping her company by offering lollipops!

{smile}


Monday, February 20, 2012

El Día de Los Presidentes!

To celebrate President's Day,
the girls school hosted a
President's Day Festival.
And since Samuel had the day off,
we were both able to help out!

Our booth?

President's Trivia!

Sounds less exciting compared to
the "Cake Walk" or "Race to The White House",
but being the loudmouths that we are
we cajoled, encouraged, and challenged
kids to come our way!

By the days end,
and with throats soar,
we,
and hopefully the kids,
had learned some amazing facts about our Presidents!

For instance,
do you know who
"The Sage of Mount Vernon" is?

...


The following Monday,
with the kids out of school,
and Samuel home from work,
we made our every-other-year-trek
up to the snow!

We went higher up then normal,
a natural consequence of the
non-winter weather we've been having thus far,
and brought up
ol' fashioned baking sheet pans
for sledding.

Note:

The pans don't work very well...
that is,
unless you like spinning uncontrollable
and inevitable falling off halfway down!

I,
personally,
loved it!

No one else would try!

...

No trip is complete without a picnic!

Spicy Thai Chicken, Zucchini, & Potato Soup
Chocolate Banana Muffins
&
Hot Chocolate & Marshies

We were famished!



















Happy
El Dia de Los Presidentes
to you too!