Lia's Preschool Graduation...

Yesterday Lia graduated from her preschool at the Celebration Lutheran Church.  The three classes put on a simple program before finishing up with some cake and juice.  The children sang a few songs before walking up, one at a time, to receive their "diplomas."  The entire affair was too cute and I couldn't get over how funny Lia looked due to her paper mortarboard being placed way TOO low on her forehead.  The poor thing.  Love this little girl!  Can't believe that kindergarten is her next stop!

 

Lia getting ready to sing another song with her classmates.

 



Getting ready to follow Miss Vera's lead.

 



 

Lia greeting Pastor Paul before receiving her diploma.

 

And giving Miss Vera a hug!  Oh how we are going to miss this lady.  Lia and I just LOVE her to pieces.

 

Lia and I after the program was over.  You can tell that this picture was taken two days after our move due to the deep bags under my eyes.  I was soooo tired that day!

 



 

Lia and her beloved buddy, Kaylee.  I'm not sure who taught these girls how to smile, but clearly there is room for improvement! :-)

This Sums Up My Daughter...

Lia was asked to give a talk in church today about following our prophet.  After I had written the talk and we had practiced saying it out loud, Lia said to me, "I wish all of my talks were about under-the-sea animals and mermaids."  This comment just about sums my daughter up in a nutshell (or should I say seashell).  If she had her way, she would grow a fin today, jump in the ocean, and never be seen again.  Honestly.  She is OBSESSED with mermaids and everything about their world.  It's just a shame they really don't exist...and I don't have the heart to break it to her.  So we keep on living the under-the-sea dream over here...

Home Sweet Home

Today is a bitter sweet day.  It is the last day in our first home.  I have loved this home since the day we bought it.  I have loved so many different things about it and we have made so many wonderful memories here.  Not only is it the first house Ron and I bought, it is also where we brought out two babies home from the hospital and it is where our children took their first steps and spoke their first words.  Ron and I painted the entire exterior of this house by hand, Ron rebuilt the deck on his own, and we have made so many improvements to the yard.  This house is great for hosting parties--both inside and out.  The backyard is fabulous for children to play in.  My Christmas decorations look great in it.  The list could go on and on.  In addition, I am an extremely sentimental person and fiercely loyal and part of me is so heartbroken to be leaving this house so soon--and to renters no less.  But the economy is to blame.  Months ago, we realized that we would probably never see the low interest rates and low housing prices in our lifetime and so we decided that it be foolish to wait until we "outgrew" this home.  So we found our dream home 1.2 miles away and tomorrow we make the official move.  And so it is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to this wonderful home and move on to greener pastures.  Thank you, sweet home, for all of the memories.  I will miss you...

The First Supper

When Ron and I were newly weds and moving into our little apartment in Long Beach, California, we bought food from the taqueria down the street and ate dinner on the floor our first night there.  It is a memory that we will never forget.  As a result, we decided to duplicate this experience on our first night in our new home.  The previous owners moved out this afternoon and so we decided to stop by to just walk through the home for the first time as "our house" and eat dinner on the floor with our kiddos.  We even drove to our local taqueria (yes, it's in a bus) and bought take out Mexican food.  So, here I am sharing this first supper with Lia and Logan on the floor.  Here's to many more dinners in our new home--except we will be eating on a table!

Farewell Front Loader!

Since I refused to pay the money for a front loader washer when shopping for appliances last week for our new home, we will be going back to a top loader within a matter of days.  As a result, I will no longer have a baby who is entertained or fascinated by watching a load of clothes being washed.  I made this realization today as I put Lia's and Logan's clothes in the washer and had a to snap a picture of one of the last few times I will probably see this in my mothering years.  Such a cute thing! 

Mother's Day Tea

Yesterday Lia's preschool (that I LOVE) hosted a Mother's Day Tea for the children and their mothers.  I was able to get my mom to come down to watch Logan so that Lia and I could enjoy this special event together.  I had to laugh to myself when we walked into the church together and saw all of the moms and their little girls dressed to the nines in skirts or dresses, cute sandals, jewelry and make-up, etc.  Lia and I had barely grabbed the clothes off of our floor (no joke) and made it to preschool on time.  I can tell that I am about to move in two weeks and a little sidetracked by the endless amounts of things that I have to get done between now and then.  But I digress.  Anyways, besides not dressing quite appropriately, Lia and I had a great time together.  The students put on a small program at the beginning that included singing three songs and then stating why they love their mother (into a microphone no less)!  Lia then joined me at the table for some games and  a little brunch of muffins, fruit, and juice.  She gave me two different gifts and a beautiful card that she had made in class previously. It was a fun way to spend the morning with my firstborn! 

 

Lia and some of her classmates singing away.

 

A close-up of my baby girl.

 

Now this is a funny story.  The children were asked in advance to think of a reason why they loved their mothers.  Apparently Lia could not think of a reason (ouch!) and so she had to come up with a fake one--she loves me because I bought her a kitty cat.  As a result, my daughter lied to approximately 100 people yesterday.  Good grief.  After getting over the initial humor of it all, I got serious and had a stern talk with her about how to handle this situation if it happens again in a future class!

 

The ladies tea partying away!

15 Months Old Today!

Our baby Logan turned fifteen months old today!  He is such a little boy these days and into everything and busy going everywhere!  He has L.O.V.E.D the warm weather the last few weeks and jumps at the opportunity to be outside at every chance he gets.  He love the garage, the driveway, the street, the deck, the grass, and the flower beds.  Logan can usually be found wandering in one of these areas with his toy broom or mop in hand.  He has also discovered the outside spigot and enjoys turning it on and off and getting soaked (see picture below).  It's just the cutest thing!  In addition to all of Logan's outdoor shenanigans, he has continued to learn and do lots of new things.  He learned how to blow kisses when saying goodbye (thanks to his grandma), can point to his eyes (or sometimes his hair) when you ask him where his eyes are, and points to everything he's interested in and says, "Oooooooh!"  Logan also now throws fabulous tantrums whenever toys are taken from him.  These tantrums usually involve throwing his body down on the floor or against a wall and screaming and crying with much dramatic flair.  I'm not sure where he picked this one up, but it is sure impressive.  He continues to walk to the fridge and scream whenever he wants milk and will now walk to the recliner chair in his bedroom each night when it's time to read bedtime stories.  Such a smart boy.  He has also popped four of his molars--two on the top and two on the bottom without making a peep.  Thank heavens for that!  We love you, Logan!

 

Logan playing in the water today and getting soaked!

 

After soaking himself, Logan turned on Lia and started soaking her.  It was so funny to see that this little guy could do such a thing.  Luckily, since it was warm outside, Lia was up for such water games.  The fun continued for a minute or two until it ended in tears when Lia grabbed the hose and doused Logan right in the face.  Oh dear.  

37th Birthday!

Somehow another birthday snuck up on me yesterday.  Not sure how this keeps on happening as I still feel twenty in so many ways.  Regardless, Mother Nature gave me some beautiful weather as her gift so we decided to celebrate outside!  For the second year in a row, my mom offered to pack a picnic for my kiddos and me and take us to the park that we love with a view of the Sound next to the Pt. Defiance Zoo.  This year my dad actually agreed to go which is a rare treat!  On my actual birthday, Ron did something he has never done before--he made me dinner!  How fun is that?  I was treated to an Indian curry dish out on the back deck with red velvet cupcakes for dessert.  Ron and I decided months ago to forgo all gifts to each other this year (for birthdays, anniversary, Mother's and Father's Day, and Christmas) due to the two, big "gifts" that we are giving each other--our trip to Japan and our new home.  So I was surprised to find a bouquet of tulips and a bag of my favorite candies waiting for me when I woke up!  I am so grateful for the special people in my life who made me feel special on "my" day.

Lia and Logan getting ready to help me blow out my candle during our picnic.

 



 

A successful "blow out!"

Grandpa feeding Logan some strawberry shortcake.

 



 

The children enjoyed some time playing at the playground after lunch. 

 

Lia heading down the slide.

 

 

Logan deciding which way to go.  This boy is crazy about playgrounds now!

 

I just love this picture!  If you know my dad, you would know that he works wherever he goes.  He cleans and fixes things whenever he sees a need.  So, he decided to clean out the grooves in between the boards of the playset after seeing that they were full of debris.  Logan was so fascinated by this that he just stopped to watch grandpa with awe.  So cute!

 

My little poser!

 

 

Lia helping me to open up my birthday gift from grandma and grandpa.

 

A group photo with grandma.

 

 

Here we are eating curry out on the deck on my actual birthday!

Ron got me one of those funny, birthday cards that sings when you open it up.  This particular card sings Gloria Gaynor's, "I Will Survive."  Logan loved it so much that he would just open it up over and over again and listen and dance to the song.  It was so funny to watch that he just made me laugh so hard! 

 



Lia then decided to join in on the disco party and we started dancing to the song!  Here are a few funny pics of Lia's incredible dance moves and dance faces.

 



 

Here's another...

And another...

 



 

And one more!

 

The children helping me blow out my candle!



Back to the River!

We have been blessed with some unbelievably beautiful weather this first week in May and we are loving it!  I made the goal to try to get out at last once a day with the kiddos while this warm weather lasts.  So, this past Friday, Lia and I decided to go back down to the "beach" off of the Carbon River that we found a few years ago.  We invited Megan and her girls to join us and headed off for the afternoon.  It felt so good to be out in that sunshine and so fun to play in the river again.  Here's to many more days like today!

 

Lia filling up her watering can.

 

Lia and Emma searching for rocks.

 

The three girls stopping for a pic in between rock throws.

 

Logan hung out very patiently in the backpack carrier for a good half hour or so before I took him out and introduced him to the river.

 

He got such a kick out of throwing rocks that he laughed every time he threw one.  It was so cute!

 



Mama and her brood before heading back to the car.

 



 

Best buddies crossing the bridge on our way back to the car!

Water Play

It has been so fun to watch Logan exploring the outdoors since the warm weather has appeared for the first time since he learned how to walk.  He loves touching and getting into everything!  This past week, he discovered the spigot and just laughed and laughed and laughed every time he turned it on and off.  He of course ended up sopping wet by the end of our time outside, but I just couldn't stop him in the middle of it because he was having so much fun!

 

Logan having the time of his life!

 

I love this picture because it captured a face that Logan makes all of the time now whenever he gets excited and says the word, "Ooooooh!"