Big Birthdays

Our Favorite Guy turned the big 4-0 this Month!

Sweet.

I have hoarded 16 of those years.

Our kids - 13 of those years. I love this pic with Ryan. I had fun going through old pictures, and lots of "old" stuff. We had a radical party with old, and some not so old friends. I feel like I am repeating myself. Oh well, it comes with maturing or ripening. That sounds better.

Nothing like a photo shoot to bring back memories of the "good ole days".

Our favorite Nana turned the big 6-0 this month. We were lucky enough to have her at our house on her big day.

She made popcorn balls with Lindsay,

Jumprope with Alie,

And had a yummy dinner with all of us, before blowing out her candle.

We love you Nana!!

Here's to many more years to come!!

Sea World

Our trip to Sea World consisted of 9 adults and 9 kids. We made sure that everything was well fed, in honor of Thanksgiving. We observed, interacted, and communicated with all sorts of sea life. Shamu played with our emotions, as did the Beluga Whales. We walked 20 miles to see squid and an octopus. The Polar Bears slept. The penguins cleaned out our sinuses. The sea lions sunned themselves and the seals were witty. The dolphins were playful. The walruses plump. The otters were mischievious. The sharks along with many others behind the glass, floated around without a care in the world. Having our cousins to hang out with was awesome!!

Free

Veterans Day. A Free Day to use our Free pass to the beach . . . I love that it is mid November, and we can enjoy days like this at one of my favorite places. The weather was beautiful on the shores of Del Mar. . .

What a surprise to find that there were huge mountains of sand that had been bulldozed. Perfect for "sledding" on.

"The big one"

That did not keep them out of the water. They went from the "mountains" to the waves, and back again over and over again.

A bucket full of sea stars and crabs, so cool!

Digging for more creatures

I love this pic of Alie. What a great day! We missed having Ryan. He had a great free day with his two good friends. They had a sleepover, went swimming, and biking together. The Three Amigos are gaining a little bit more independence. I am so glad that they have each other. It is these small things that bring this mom some comfort. I am actually quite a stress case. In other Ryan news, he went to the mud caves with the scouts this weekend. Yes, my fears were confirmed when he fell and hit his head. His biggest worry - that I would not let him go back again. He said the caves were really cool and that the stars were amazing. Apparently so, as the fall provided even more than the sky. He is fine, bump and all.

Ten

Today Our Lindsay turned 10. This little girl brings so much joy into our lives. She is a constant reminder to me of sweetness and simplicity. She finds joy in the smallest of things.

Thank you Lindsay for being such an example to me. Your positive attitude and kind disposition radiate through your smile. Sometimes I worry about what you are "missing" as you daydream, but I am slowly learning that you have the gift to discover what we may be missing. Happy Birthday.

(Two years old)

For her birthday party, she wanted to plant snapdragons in the garden. We went to the nursery and she picked these out. She also picked out gloves for her friends.

She wanted a popcorn "cake". We made this yummy cake together. She was so cute. She sang the popcorn song from primary. This pic was taken the morning after, it was twice that big. We had her party on Friday after school.

After the girls planted, we made hot fudge sundaes in waffle cups, danced and sang, got a little giggly, and played outside until the sun set . . .

On her birthday night, we met Mimi, Papa, Jonny, and cousins for dinner at Soup Plantation. It was great to get together. The kids were trying to organize a sleepover. They really miss their cousins. We will all be getting together for Thanksgiving soon! Thanks for the yummy dinner Papa, oh, and the gigantic balloon.