The Best Week in the History of Weeks

Last week was so good for the soul.  It was the first time in a long time that I've taken proper vacation time when family has come to town and getting to just relax and spend quality time with them and my girls was just what I needed. 

We've really been feeling the "busy" lately with all the little projects around the new house, constant messes from my sweet little hooligans, and trying to get ready for our visitors.  I found myself being frustrated more often than not.  Frustrated with the messes and never ending list of to-dos.  It was almost impossible for me to just sit and play, I always had a load of dishes or laundry or one more picture to hang. I'd get frustrated at not being able to get anything done if the girls were around - frustrated with them for not giving me a single minute to concentrate, frustrated with myself for not being able to do it all, and then frustrated that I'd just wasted those precious moments with my babies being frustrated about something that really didn't matter at all.

Last week was such a good reset.  I put the chores out of my mind and just focused on having fun.  We went swimming as much as possible, ate ice cream, made cookies, and roasted marshmallows.  We went to the mall, braved the rain for donuts at the farmer's market (because going to the farmer's market for fresh veggies is overrated), and played our guts out.

I had so much fun with my family and as always felt that twinge of sadness when they left.  It makes me miss having them around more often, but I also think that these memories are even sweeter when they're more rare, so I'll hold onto that - and just hope we can make it an annual trip.  I mean, who doesn't want to visit MN every year?  ...Bueller?

- K

Sistahs

Yesterday my sisters came into town from Denver and Seattle and I couldn't be more excited.  I've been looking forward to it for a long time and can't get over the fact that we're the adults getting our kids together now.  I remember so vividly the long road trips we took as a family to California and Texas, visiting our aunts and getting together with our cousins.  It feels pretty surreal to be hosting our own family get together and I'm already loving every second.

Today us girls took all the kids to the nearest "beach".  Evie sis learned that she's obsessed with swimming and drank about a gallon of lake water.  The rest of the cousins had a blast - particularly Lyla.  She's had the very best time playing with her big kid cousins. 

It's going to be the best week ever.  :)

- K

 

Triumphant Return!

The last few months have been the blurriest blur that ever blurred.  I can barely even remember March, April or May.  Luckily, I did manage to take photos occasionally so this is what I've pieced together:



While we were in Denver to celebrate Evie's birthday we also got to meet our brand new niece, Brailyn, and celebrate her baptism.

 

We had awesome weather (especially for March) when we got back so Evie got to play at the park for the first time!  And promptly ate as many small rocks as possible.

 

 

We spent a lot of time as Princess Anna doing the tick tock scene during the song "Do you want to build a snowman?"

 

 

 And we read lots of Barney.

 

Then we had our biggest snowstorm of the year and built our own snow castle.

 

 "Somebunny" stopped by and we ate way too much chocolate.

 

 

We celebrated Dad's birthday.  The cake escaped with only one drop to the face.  Ahh, the joy of three year olds.

 

We wore underwear on our heads and Loubis to do laundry.

 

 

We rested.

 

 

And played.

 

We went to Costa Rica -

 

 

and made some new friends.

 

 

We pretended to be grown ups.

 

 

 

We played at our new neighborhood's park (oh yeah...we moved too).

 

 

We wore pigtails for the first time!

 

 

And "taught Carlos how to sit".

 

 

We turned into teenagers and spectated big sis' swim lessons.

 

We gave big sis a ride and scandalized poor Princess Anna.

 

 

We celebrated Mother's Day (aka Coronation Day according to L)

 

 

We shared juice and suddenly turned into little friends (and also enemies).

 

 

We had a new nanny no-show on her first day.  So we called it quits and went to McDonald's.

 

We broke out our Cinderella waffle maker and made waffles for the first time as a family!

 

We tried Fudgecicles for the first time and rocked on our new rocking chairs (I've always wanted white rocking chairs on my very own porch!!!)

 We went to the horse races for the first time and got rained out so we went to a video rental place (also for the first time!) and rented all the Disney movies we could get our hands on and had a family movie night.  (We apparently had lots of firsts this Spring!)

 

 

We painted our door blue!  And planted flowers and put up our American flag.  And spent a shameful amount of time at Lowe's.

 

We had a great Memorial Day and finally made it through May!

 

It feels good to have reached June - the last few months have been a crazy ride with 2 mortgage refinances, buying a new house, moving, several trips, and my fiscal year end.  I'm so excited that summer's here - I've been looking forward to these longer, warmer days for a long time!

 

- K