Girls weekend in Olympia

I had the pleasure of spending a weekend away with my mom and sister (and her baby) on the beautiful waterfront of Olympia. My mom rented a place for us to stay, and we just enjoyed eating, sleeping, hiking, playing Scrabble and chatting. So thankful for these moments together! There were a couple funny things about the property, so of course I am posting those too :)

Happy Mothers Day!

This year I missed my opportunity to a get a pic of me and my babies on Mothers Day... Shoot! So instead I'll put up a pic of Marin's class project... I've typed it out below, love my sweet kids. And I love that necklace she drew, can I get that in real life?

My Mom by Marin

My Mom is good at  making cookies and once-upon-a-time stories and coloring in pictures and making pictures for me.

My mom loves me.

She looks like a queen.

She is very nice.

My mom is great.

The girls fundraisers

The girls both had big school fundraisers on the same day this year. Maddie had a bike-a-thon through her preschool to raise money for St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Marin had a jog-a-thon to raise money for her elementary school! Thankfully Kyle had the day already scheduled off, so I was able to go to both events and cheer on my girls. I have literally never seen Marin exert herself so much, she was running so hard and it reminded me of my soccer days when you really give it your all. Maddie was very content on her little red tricycle, and continued pedaling fast with a huge smile until the sound of the whistle. Such strong girls, and I love seeing them work hard for the benefit of others!

Baby showers!

It's baby season in my neck of the woods :) There are about a dozen or so women having babies in a few months of each other, and I had the pleasure of helping with a couple of my special friends' baby showers.  Here are some highlights from Laura and Jenn's special celebrations!

First from Laura's shower:

Then from Jenn's shower:

Growing up

Max is a shadow of his Dad... Here they are mowing the lawn together! Only a few more years and Dad can hand off this duty entirely :)

Squirrel Trap

You may have recalled earlier, I posted about Marin's home-made creation of a squirrel trap... She used a tupperware bowl, stick, and handful of almonds to try and lure a squirrel. It didn't quite work, but her creative little mind got her Daddy's wheels turning, and he set off on an adventure to build a legit live trap with the kids. It took research, materials and lots of planning (if you know Kyle, it was planned to the detail). The final product has SO FAR caught us two squirrels, who we gaped at for a few minutes, then let go free. Our friends got a kick out of it too, when they stopped by to see the spectacle of a grouchy squirrel who didn't like his new home. (Don't worry little buddy, I'll make sure they treat you nice.) I have a feeling the draw to our home, with our kids' friends, is going to be these kinds of funny nature-related adventures that Marin talks her Daddy into!

Things

Just for the history records, little Max IS afraid of lawnmowers (however he still chases after them, just doesn't like the loud roar), but is NOT afraid of bubble guns or dirtbikes :)

Happy Easter - He is risen!

We arrived home from Palm Springs right before Easter... In addition to all that my parents did in taking care of our darling kids that week we were gone, my dear mom also did tons of Easter preparations (decorating, cooking, shopping, etc...) so we could have a nice holiday together on Sunday. Bless her! We had a nice time together at church, and had a festive meal at our house, joined also by our friends the Paynes. Who can resist a little redhead with an easter hat?!?! Who I say?!? The kids also had fun easter egg hunting, and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. What a blessing to celebrate our risen Lord together!

Palm Springs Babymoon

We had the most delightful trip to Palm Springs (no kids!) for five days, a little babymoon before our life "resets" with a new baby in tow. It was the perfect combination of sun, swimming, exploring, riding the aerial tram up to 8000 feet, hiking, eating, sleeping, shopping, people watching, reading, relaxing... It was perfection, and all that we were hoping for. God Bless my parents a million times over for coming to our house and taking care of our three little rascals, with a full blown school and activity schedule! I think they left our house happy and tired... I wonder how many days it took to recover? :) It's extra hard work when you aren't used to taking care of that active bunch every day!

What a refreshing time for Kyle and to enjoy eachother and our surroundings. We sure needed it! 

This picture needs no words...

oh my word... :)