I Gotta Rock

Today Luke turned to me and said, "Mom, could you get me Dad's guitar, cuz I gotta rock!"

Love Learning

First day of Kindergarten.  Watch out world! 

My son is gettin' edumacated.

Almost ready to go Luke?

The little champ just marched right into class, grabbed a book, and we are now chopped liver.  I love you, Isaac!  And it is my prayer that you love learning.  Go get 'em!

Bullfrogs and Butterflies

Ah, camping.  Chris took the boys camping with his parents at Palomar Mountain State Park.  I am not in these photos not because I am the one taking the pictures but because I am at home, feeling warm, clean, relaxed, and smart.

Makeshift fishing line for...

...this bullfrog!

Luke, our self-proclaimed "worker guy" insisted on wearing this pack of Grandpa's on the whole mile or so hike.  I don't think there's actually anything in it, but then again, what do I know?  I'm at home feeling warm, clean, relaxed, and smart.

Oh boy, Luke!  Did you fall in the pond?

Good times were had by all!  Let me know when the RV arrives...

Take a Running Leap

"I advise you to say your dream is possible and then overcome all inconveniences, ignore all the hassles and take a running leap through the hoop, even if it is in flames." ~ Les Brown

Birthday Star

Our sweet Luke has turned 3!  On his birthday I asked him what he wanted for dinner.  He said "birthday stars."  OK.  How about birthday quesadilla stars.

This is how every birthday boy dresses for dinner, right?

We had a nice little party for our birthday boy.  We love inviting over our friends, the Zuelsdorfs, because with one invitation comes eight kids!  There's your party!  We love you guys.

Our goddaughter, Askale Anne. 

Those Smarties are all for you, Sweetheart.

Happy Birthday, Dear Luke!  May God grant you many, many years!

What Lies Before Us

In June, Isaac graduated from Pre-Kindergarten with flying colors.  His teachers put on a nice party...with do-it-yourself facepaint.

Wonderful.

This will make a nice graduation photo.

In all honesty, I loved his teachers and am so so grateful for them.  The care and energy they poured into the children was remarkable.  Give me what they're drinking.

Congratulations Isaac! You did it!  I am so proud of you.  Everyday I am impressed with the boy you are becoming.  You have brains, but you also have a lot of heart, my dear boy, and I love you.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Big D

In June we traveled to Dallas to be with our dear friends, the Gaspards for the baptism of our goddaughter Victoria Margaret.  May God grant her many years!  But first...we cheered on the Sharks #1 ballplayer, James!

Then to St Seraphim's Orthodox Cathedral, which is simply a sight to behold, for Miss Tori's baptism.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but Dallas is Hot with a capital H!  Clay and Katie took us to their friend's pool.  Let's just say it's not a ground level pool.

Now for doing what we did a lot...lounging around the house.  I could have easily taken a thousand more pictures, but alas, this is the best of the best of what I took.  Here Tori is discovering for the first time that she has hands!

Luke, you're getting huge, my boy.

My kids first viewing of Star Wars. 

Luke, I am your father.

Goodbye for now, Darlings.  We love each one of you dearly.  May the Lord bless you and keep you.

My Volcano

I love love love this drawing from Isaac.  His teacher at Pre-K asked him to draw a picture, and then she wrote out what he dictated.  Chris, Isaac, Luke and I are the figures on the left.  The diet soda bottles are in black in the middle.  The one on the left has the launcher and mentos and is exploding.  The feeling you get inside when you see your child's imagination expanding, when you see them able to convert images in their heads onto paper, it makes it worth all those tantrums.  This is a keeper, Isaac!



Wedded Well

If there was ever any question that I wedded well, that I married one of the most fun-loving, full-of-life, altruistic men around, here is a little more proof.  Hands down, he is way more fun than me.  Regularly Isaac will say that I can go out for some time off and that Dad will stay home and watch them.  This is why...

No question where he gets it from, Chris' Dad, Grandpa Alan on board for some fun.

Uncle Chris and Noah, training for the doubles skeleton.

“Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other -- it doesn't matter who it is -- and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other." ~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta