The VM Family Footprints

Follow Us...

2009-09-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

I guess it makes sense that Blogger (or more accurately, Picasa) limits blogging/picture taking fanatics like me to a certain amount of space. What do you know? After just 2 and a half years of blogging, I've reached the end of it!

So I invite you all to follow us over to the new blog:

http://vmfamilyfootprints.blogspot.com/

It's going to look and feel very familiar, (hey, if you've got a good thing goin' why change it, right?) but it will be a brand new, space-filled blank slate for the next few years of VM Family Adventures. I'll post this new link here in the sidebar, so you can take your time to get it bookmarked. See you there!

Meanwhile, Back at Home

2009-09-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

While Dave and I were living it up on our second honeymoon in Hawaii, things were far from boring back at home. I can't emphasize enough how grateful we were to have Mom and Dad generously fly out and thoughtfully care for the girls for the week. What peace of mind we had knowing they were in such loving and capable hands! We knew it would be work to take care of them, but it was our hope that the time with their granddaughters would allow Grandpa and Grandma to get to know them that much better. This is exactly what happened! I know this because Mom keeps calling to tell us stories about the cute little things Ella and Delia did. They forgot their camera, so we gave them our older one to use and here are a few of the pictures I found on it.
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We were all a little worried about Delia. Managing her energy and willpower takes delicate balance. She's a mama's girl and she's working on that potty training. However, she could not have done better! She was never sad we were gone and warmed right up to Grandma and Grandpa.

The girls enjoyed a number of outings with Dave's parents. They went to the park and the cheese place. They went out to eat at Red Robin and the mall. And they got some more use out of the zoo membership. We know the girls enjoyed all these special trips to their favorite places because they have told us all about them. Dad was able to get out a bit too with some friends. One day he went golfing with men from our church and another day he went to Big Trees with an old family friend who drove up from SoCal for a few days.

I think I'm right to assume that the best times were the ones just had at home. Ella said her favorite part of the week was playing outside with Grandma. Mom said her favorite part was simply hearing the girls singing praise songs together. The girls jumped right into their every-day activities, like dress up and baby dolls, while Grandpa and Grandma watched and learned and participated in every detail of their lives.

Hawaii, Day 5: Pineapple Tour and Lahaina

2009-09-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

We were technically scheduled to depart Hawaii on day five, but our flight was a night one, so we still had a whole day to enjoy. It was a little tricky because we had to be packed and checked out of our hotel by noon. We spent the morning taking a mile or maybe two (who really knows when you're strolling through sand with water lapping at your feet?) walk down the stretch of beach that connected our hotel to Black Rock. We hopped in for dip, watched paddle surfers and shared our favorite memories.

We were so excited to find this Maui Gold Pineapple Tour for the afternoon of our final day. A pineapple bus picked us up and drove us out to the fields while a friendly tour guide named Carlos gave us lots of information and history about Hawaii and its pineapple exporting. We were surprised to learn that Hawaii is actually only responsible for about 7% of the world's pineapple growing. And though Maui Gold still owns half of Maui, they use only a small fraction of it to actually produce the fruit. It's much more profitable for them to make money off their land with tourism. Makes sense, I guess, but was surprising. Within a few years, the pineapple industry will be completely obsolete in Hawaii.

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We exited the bus into the fragrant fields to watch workers actually harvesting and hear giant-machete-wielding Carlos tell us more about the fruit. Pineapples are given a 1 to 5 rating based on ripeness with 1 being green and 5 being golden and most ripe. Most pineapples picked and shipped (the ones we eat from the store) are ones or twos. Carlos chopped up samples for us from each rating. By number 5 we were in pineapple heaven. Nothing has ever tasted so incredible! How will be ever go back to eating regular pineapple?!

We were told to wander around and select as many pineapples as we were able to carry home. Carlos said, "Don't pick the pineapple, let the pineapple pick you." Dave and I found 6 that jumped out at us, the perfect combo of gold and green. Sure enough, the ones we have eaten so far have been heavenly.
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Stuffed with pineapple, we headed over to Lahaina, the shopping, restaurant and gallery district. We spent the afternoon wandering around this town picking our souvenirs and eating a Hawaii classic, Shave Ice. Day 5 was perfect.
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Of course the overnight plane ride home felt long, but the time in Hawaii was just right. We were ready to say "Aloha" to our tropical paradise and "Hello!" to our girls. Ella and Delia had such a good time with Grandma and Grandpa. They didn't appear to miss us at all. We gave them their presents (these dresses and hair clips and some hula girl dolls) and told them all about Mommy and Daddy's vacation. Who knows? Maybe we'll make it back some day with the girls...but not for a long while. For now, I'll call this the trip of a lifetime.
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Hawaii, Day 4: Blowhole and Honolua Bay

2009-08-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

Day four was the day Dave picked to relive. Like all the other days, it held quite the mix of remarkable sights. We started in the morning with our second big hike, "Acid War Zone to Blowhole." This trail name sounds strange, but it pretty well sums up the landscape we walked through. Along the northern coast there is about a mile of lava rock that has become so eroded from wind and saltwater, it looks like an alien land, like an acid war was fought there. Dave said it reminded him of the Badlands in South Dakota.

We hiked through this for about an hour, astonished at the eerie shapes of weathered rocks on one side and the hungry ocean on the other.

The destination for this hike was the Nakalele Blowhole. We had no idea what to expect from this blowhole. It was awesome! Every few seconds water from the violent sea got trapped in an underwater lava cave and was forced up through a perfectly round hole. The force of it sounded like thunder and shook the ground. Depending on the wave sizes and wind, the shoot could go as high as 70 feet! From some angles we got sprayed, from others we saw the rainbow that formed each time it errupted. All around the blowhole were tide pools just teeming with life, we saw crabs and lung fish and all sorts of cool things. Again, because we got there early and were a bit off the beaten path, we had the place to ourselves for the whole morning!

Heading back, we found this too-perfect rock. It was eroded into an exact heart shape. This may be my favorite picture of the trip.

Back at the hotel, we made lunch and changed into swimsuits. An afternoon of snorkeling and beaching awaited. Our first afternoon stop was at Honolua Bay, supposedly one of the best snorkel spots in all of Hawaii. Its giant reef and marine wildlife sanctuary house and protect a whole world of underwater tropical life. Dave and I paddled around the bay, holding hands and pointing out one Finding Nemo character after the next. We swam through schools of fish, saw huge blue ones that were "this big!" and even a large spotted blow fish.

Next we drove up the road just a bit to relax at Maui's number one rated beach, the ritzy Kapalua. Here I did my tanning and reading, while Dave hopped right back into the water for more snorkeling. We had fun swimming and bobbing around in the waves too.

More than one person, as well as our all-knowing guidebook, told us we had to eat at Kimo's. What a neat restaurant! Our view was SO good, I could have jumped off our table right into the ocean. Our 6:30 reservation allowed us to see another sunset as we ate dinner. Day four was perfect.

Hawaii, Day 3: Pancakes, Sea Turtles and Hula Dancers

2009-08-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

One thing I am so happy we did was some research. We knew our time in Hawaii would fly by so we wanted to waste none of it with things our guidebook did not label as "the best." We hiked the best trails, snorkeled the best beaches and ate at the best restaurants. One of these restaurants was a little hut on the beach called Gazebo. It was hailed as having the best view and best mac nut pancakes on the island. By staying on California time (going to bed shortly after sunset and waking shortly after sunrise) we were able to get there before it opened and didn't have to wait in the long line that had already formed when we were done. Check out my plate of banana macadamia nut pancakes and pineapple! Do I even need to go into extra detail about how delicious this breakfast was or how great the view was?

After breakfast we pulled out the snorkel sets we had bought at Costo and drove to beach stop number one, Kaanapali Beach and Black Rock. This was how we did all our snorkeling-- read about the good spots, found them, parked the car and hiked to and hopped in the water. The highlight of this day was seeing 5 sea turtles swimming around with us. Dave was so close to one he could have touched it! Dave also saw an eagle ray and more colorful fish than we could even find in our "Fish of Hawaii" guide.

Dave was happy to stay in the water all day swimming with the sea life. I snorkeled for a while, but also enjoyed laying on the beach and getting through my book.

Our vacation package came with luau tickets. This night, we chose a luau at the Sheraton on Kaanapali Beach, the same one we had been swimming and snorkeling at all day. The food and drinks at the luau were excellent. The show was pretty cheesy, but exactly what we were expecting. A highlight was being invited up to the stage with all the other anniversary celebrators and honeymooners for a special serenade and slow dance.
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The main course of dinner was this pig that had been roasted in the ground all day. We were called to eat with a conch shell blow and then watched these Hawaiian men uncover our pig and get it ready for us.
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After dinner and before the show we watched our third sunset.

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This one was cool because at Black Rock a guy comes out each night to light tiki torches, toss a lei into the water, pray and then cliff dive into the ocean.

Day three was packed with good food and unusual sightings. (Sea turtles! Cliff divers! Fire dancers!) This gorgeous sunset was a great addition to it. Day three was perfect.
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Hawaii, Day 2: Road to Hana and Pipiwai Trail

2009-08-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Each day was incredible, but when Dave asked which one I would relive, I said "Day Two" without hesitation. On our second day we woke up bright and early and hit the 3 hour twisty- turny Road to Hana. The drive was through lush rain forests and had waterfall and shore stops every few mile markers.
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My favorite stop on the Road to Hana was the black sand beach. As soon as we walked up, it took our breath away-- the black sand and blue water making such a sharp contrast. Walking on the beach was so cool. We found it wasn't really sand, but more like tiny ball bearings or large poppy seeds. We then discovered a lava tube cave that let out into the crashing ocean. Indescribable!

Another great stop on the Road to Hana was the 7 Sacred Pools. Here we were able to actually swim in waterfall pools! As the name implies, a huge cliff supports enough water runoff to make a chain of seven waterfalls with seven pools ending in the ocean. The water was invigorating and I even took a fancy jump off the cliff into it.

I am a bit prone to carsickness and the Road to Hana's 600 curves were no exception for me. If the drive alone was the point of this day, it may not have been fulfilling. We actually made the drive to hike the Pipiwai Trail. I had read that this was the best hike in Maui and we sure weren't disappointed!

We hiked past too many waterfalls to count. This was my favorite spot. On top of one waterfall cliff you could stand and gaze in awe at an infinity pool only God could create!

We were totally safe, but here I sit at the ledge of another waterfall.

We went swinging in the giant Banyan Tree.

Dave's most memorable part of this hike was the bamboo forest. This was fascinating. The bamboo grows so tall and so thick that no sunlight gets in. It was dark and damp in it and a game of hide-and-seek proved he could literally hide a few feet in and not be visible. When the wind blew, all the bamboo clacked together making a cool noise.

The dead bamboo was really light. This one is probably five times my length and I can lift it easily. We broke some fallen shoots down to make walking sticks.

The conclusion of the 4 mile hike was to traverse across a stream and find Waimoku Falls tumbling down 400 feet-- the tallest waterfall we've ever seen. We had to just sit and admire it for a while before beginning the long hike and drive back. Day two was perfect.

Hawaii, Day 1: The Resort

2009-08-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

Home sweet home. Sigh. I close my eyes and I see a patch of green and blue ocean framed with black lava rocks and a blue sky with a few lazy white clouds floating around. This Hawaiian getaway has easily jumped into my "Number One Vacation of All Time" spot, and we've had some good vacations. Everything about it was completely perfect and I'm still a little mind-boggled about some of the things we saw and did! One thing perfect about it was its length. To be home and hug the girls and hear about their super fun time with Grandpa and Grandma is exactly what I want to be doing today. How to blog this week, though! How to share it? How to record these memories! It's daunting. I decided I'll write one post for each day and probably write one a day so as to not overwhelm. Some will be longer than others, but each entry, because each day, in this Hawaii journal will be spectacular, I promise!

. Obviously, day one included our flight out. Fun on this day was running into good friends Sara and Arend at the airport! (They snapped the picture.) What an exciting time to connect. Not fun on this day was the 2 hour delay we waited while mechanics fixed the hydraulics on our plane. I didn't care about the wait, I was sans kids and had a 500 page book and ipod I'd been dreaming about spending time with. I did care about flying an apparently broken airplane 5 hours across the Pacific Ocean. All was fine, however.

We picked up our rental car and some groceries and checked into our hotel-- the Kaanapali Shores. This hotel went waaaay above my expectations. Our ocean view condo with full kitchen, living room and lanai was awesome! The grounds were tropically landscaped, the beach was steps away, the 2 pools and hot tubs were refreshing. We even found a bottle of wine in our condo as a congrats for our anniversary. We would completely recommend this place to anyone looking for a beautiful but reasonable place to stay in Maui.

Part of our package was $100 to spend in the resort's ocean front restaurant. We ate a gourmet meal, watched the sun set (this picture is taken from and shows the view from our lanai) and headed off to bed early. Day one was perfect.

Enter Grandpa and Grandma...Exit Mommy and Daddy

2009-08-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

I just said goodbye to my girls. Surprisingly, I am not weeping. At 4:00 am tomorrow morning we will begin our journey to Hawaii. As happy-- no, more like thrilled and ecstatic-- as I am about this anniversary getaway, right now the gift I am most thankful for is the one Mom and Dad are giving us with their childcare. This weekend has already been wonderful. The girls are so excited to have them here. Even Delia, who's normally a bit of a clinger, keeps asking, "Where Grandma go?" whenever she can't see her or being a super-cuddle bug with Grandpa. Neither girl had any trouble saying goodbye to me tonight! So after giving a weekend crash-course in "Ella and Delia 101" and witnessing proof that Delia will, in fact, be just fine with out Mommy and Daddy, we feel all ready to go! See you next weekend with tons of pictures and stories!

Here We Go Again!

2009-08-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

New shoes. Check

New folder. Check

New backpack. Check

Share bag labeled and filled. Check.

A dusted off and set-for-the-first-time-all-summer alarm clock. Check.

Fun first day of school snack. Check.

One excited little Star. Check!

Members' Nite

2009-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last night we felt special and exclusive. We took Oakland Zoo up on their Members' Nite invite and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes peek at our zoo for 2 hours with other zoo members. It was a fantastic night with many highlights. One thing we all appreciated was the bay area's nice cool nighttime temps. Because of this we think the animals were much more active-- lions were roaring, monkeys were frolicking and the bats were awake and going crazy. As much as we do love seeing the animals in their habitats, this trip to the zoo was awesome for giving us a different look.

There were a few stations where we could interact and get up close and personal with the animals. We stared at an owl perched on a zookeeper's arm, petted a ferret and a snake (!) and even chased a tortoise around.

Every half hour were special animal feedings. Here we observe the alligators gobble up their rat dinner. This is something that is always exciting to watch.

Some of the animal homes had open houses that let us walk through and see what the zookeepers see on the other side of the cages. At the tiger exhibit, we got to go in the night house and actually walk around in the tiger cages (don't worry the tigers were safely locked in the outdoor enclosure, obviously). We saw the balls they chew on, the brushes they scratch up against and even climbed around in their bed. Who can say they've been in a tiger's cage and put their fingers in holes that tigers have gnawed and clawed? Us now!

The veterinary clinic was open for tours and I found this completely fascinating. The vets showed us the x-ray equipment, dentist tools, shots for administering anesthesia and drugs, surgical suite and trachea tubes of various sizes (the elephant one was HUGE!). We saw the giant scales and nets for catching animals and pictures of animals being taken care of. It changes constantly, but once again, Ella has declared her intent to become a vet when she grows up.

Summer's Swan Song

2009-08-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer. Not just for us, but for all our Swim Day friends. So while yesterday's Swim Day was only the second of the summer, it was also, sadly, the last one of the summer. And it was as splash-tastic, snack-stuffed and fellowship-with-friends-full as it always is. Delia was having the most fun going down the "wee slide!" over and over and over.

Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the traditional Last Swim Day of Summer All VM Dinner because Ella had a back-to-school night last night. This reunion with Ella's teachers and friends at her preschool was neat too. She saw where her seat will be in the Star classroom and found her cubbie and played hard on the playground with school buddies Anna and Avery.

Is summer really almost over?! With just one last grand finale-- Mom and Dad arrive in exactly one week and Dave and I make our romantic escape to Hawaii-- our crazy summer sure flew by!

Bye-Bye Butterflies

2009-08-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today was the day we agreed to let our butterflies have their freedom. The excitement to set them free actually tempered any sadness the girls had about saying goodbye to them. We let them fly at the home of Gys, a sweet, Dutch-brogued, older gentlemen from our church. He has a major green thumb and grows extensive flower gardens all over his front and back yards. We thought our butterflies would like having a whole rainbow of flowers to choose from at his house. Hopefully they'll multiply and give Gys and his wife Pia even more beauty in their abundant flower beds.

. We opened the lid, but the butterflies did not exactly seize the opportunity to be free.

We had to gently scoop them out and help them see that there was a great, big, beautiful world outside their mesh home.

This guy didn't want to leave us!

For a good 20 minutes we watched our butterflies float all around the yard and hop from flower to flower. The girls pointed at them, chased them and left happy knowing that we were giving our butterflies a good home.

Like Mother Like Daughter?

2009-08-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Lately Ella has been playing school. Perhaps it's because she goes back to preschool next week Tuesday. She sets up her desk with the apple on it and some books. Then she lines up all the stuffed animals to be her class. She reads them stories and writes letters on the white board to teach her class the alphabet. Sometimes mischievous Delia will snag an animal and run away laughing. In turn, Ella yells, "My students! Delia's stealing my students!" It's very cute and very funny and makes her Mommy proud.

Pumped

2009-08-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

And then again today we got to spend more time with Amy, Jonathan and Grace when they invited us on a MOPS outing with them. We went to Pump It Up, which is one of those inflatable bouncy house places. Ella went crazy on the 6 giant inflatables. She ran through obstacle courses, played basketball and king-of-the-mountain. She went down a giant slide about 100 times, climbed blow-up and rock walls and loved trying to scale this slope to grab flags. Delia was more leery of the humongous, noisy, brightly colored jump things, but still had fun watching all the other kids. She also got into climbing and dancing on the smaller playgrounds and driving the little cars around.
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With its reasonable price, hour and half time limits and weekday morning Preschool Play, we're pretty pumped about Pump It Up and will definitely have to check this place out again!

Play Date

2009-08-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few cute pictures of a play date we had last week. Amy came with Jonathan and Grace and Heidi came with Anika, Andrew and Kathryn. It was fun to watch the kids divide up and play their favorite games. Ella and Anika put on one fashion show after the next. Jonathan and Andrew set up train tracks. Gracie took a little nap. Kathryn toddled around exploring and Delia just jumped in whenever something looked fun. A craft was made and even some time outside was spent. Pretty typical play date-- kids tore through the house having fun, moms sat and sipped tea. Love it!
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Madeline and Tinkerbell. There was also a bride show, ballerina show, Cinderella and 50's Girl show, flower show...you get the idea?
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The kids even had their own tea party outside in the little house.

A Post a Month in the Making

2009-08-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

It all started this spring when we found a fuzzy green caterpillar in one of our flower beds. I put him in a mason jar with some leaves and sticks and got the kids all pumped about watching our caterpillar go through his big change. We spent hours watching him, feeding him, "helping" him climb the sticks and carrying his jar home around. Delia was especially into the caterpillar and gave him lots of love. Alas, we killed him.
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Seeing her interest, though, sparked the idea for Delia's birthday present-- a couple caterpillar and butterfly books and this Butterfly Garden. (Here's a bit of a product recommendation. We ordered it off Amazon and LOVE IT!! If you're looking for a gift that will teach, engage and amaze this would be perfect!)
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The Butterfly Garden came with a certificate for mail-order caterpillars. From Insect Lore we received 5 little black caterpillars in a jar with thorough instructions and food. For a week we watched them eat and eat and eat so much they more than quadrupled their original size and had to shed their skins multiple times. Then, amazingly, all 5 caterpillars crawled to the top of the jar and hung upside down in a little hook shape. We knew from the instructions that in the next few hours they'd harden up and make their chrysalides. Sure enough that is exactly what happened!
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Once the caterpillars were safely dangling in their chrysalides, we could gently hang the disk they latched on to in the Butterfly Garden and wait for them to emerge as butterflies. Even in their cocoons they were fascinating. They vigorously vibrated from time to time as a natural instinct to ward off predators.
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In our house we were just blown away by the opportunity to witness this process. The caterpillars did exactly what all our books said they'd do. Dave and I even found ourselves watching what was going on in that little jar at night when the kids went to bed. Ella's been inspired and has been creating all sorts of butterfly artwork and journal pictures of the changes she watched the caterpillars go through.
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Just ten days later and we are the proud parents of 5 beautiful Painted Lady Butterflies. We'll watch them for a few days and feed them watermelon slices and flowers from the garden and then set them free. What an experience this has been for all of us! What a creator our God is!
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More Firsts

2009-08-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

This week the girls took their first boat ride and Ella rode in the tube for the first time. This weekend we decided to have a go at another first for the girls-- backyard camping. We yearn to take advantage of all our amazing California camping destinations, but I just can't get past my fears about camping with kids. Will they be wild around the fire? Will they sleep at all? Will everyone wake up grumpy? We set up our tent in the yard to test it out and we had a very positive experience! Delia ran into our room early this morning yelling, "I go camping! I go nigh-nigh with Daddy!" Ella loved it so much, she thinks she's sleeping out there again tonight. Next summer's family vacation will be a camping one indeed!

Another campfire, more marshmallows, more s'mores. This is feeling very familiar this summer!

I let Dave bond with the girls in the tent while I slept in the bed in the house. They had a ton of fun and actually slept okay. They stayed up late, but not crazy late.

To make it really authentic and put their crabbiness to the true test, we spent the day hiking at Big Trees. This is a day trip we've been wanting to make since we heard Gov. Schwarzenegger is proposing the closing of our state parks to help get our state out of deficit. When we left the park, we hoped it was not the last time we ever got to visit this favorite spot.

Ella was a happy hiker, gleaning all sorts of new information about the giant redwoods and how they grew and survived. Delia was unfortunately showing the effects of a less-than-normal night of sleep.

As soon as we got Delia down to the river and let her dip her toes (okay, whole body) in the refreshing (okay, icy) water, she was her joyful self. She kept singing, "I've got peace like a river..."

And just because this post is about firsts, here's a fun fact: we realized it was probably close to exactly 6 years ago TODAY that we visited Big Trees for the first time with Nick and Amy after they helped move us across the country!

It's a Tough Job...

2009-08-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

...but on perfect days like today, I'm sure glad my youth pastor husband is the someone who's gotta do it! Today we tagged along while Dave was "hard at work" participating in his summer water sports day on the reservoir with his high school youth group. With 4 borrowed speed boats and several truck beds full of water skis, wake boards, knee boards, tubes and torpedoes, the people who attended had some of everything to choose from. Dave impressed us with his awesome kneeboarding abilities and fearless tubing skills. Honestly, the girls and I went for a morning of boat rides (they have never been on one) and a little beach play and ended up staying the whole 8 hours and doing things we never dreamed we would. You'll see...

.Delia was immediately a fan of the fast boat rides. She was squealing and laughing with every spray and bump. Ella was pretty scared at first.

Considering the reservoir is composed of essentially snow melt from the spring, it was a lovely warm temperature today. Most of our group went swimming at least once.

The boats carted us over to a sandy island in the middle of the lake where we unloaded shelters, chairs, coolers and bags of snacks and set up camp. This was a great place for the girls when we weren't riding. Whenever Ella gets around the high school gals, she thinks she's one of them. She tells me, "Mommy I'm going to go sit by my new friends. They're so kind!" Ella was entertaining everyone by collecting "treasures" (they were clams) and then proudly showing off her cup of "slams."

The big surprise and delight of the day came in the afternoon when Ella announced she was ready to try the tube, as long as Mr. Phil drove real slow. First she hopped in with Dave. I found this simply amazing since her first exposure to tubing was on "Reckless Ron's" boat where the goal was to knock the riding kids off in most spectacular ways!

Delia watched her from the boat waving and yelling, "Yook at you, Ella! Yook at you!"

When it was my turn to ride with Ella she realized that going faster and hitting bumps made for an even better ride. Phil saw her reaction to this and obliged. I was getting nervous for her and tried to hold on to her, but she said, "No Mommy, don't hold me. Hold your handle."

An hour later and she wouldn't surrender the tube! Other people wanting a turn had to take it with Ella. Cassidy and Morgan gave her the wildest ride, actually venturing out of the wake. Next year I predict Ella will be riding backwards and tube leapfrogging like the big boys!

The 50 Pound Difference

2009-08-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

It may have started this spring when, for the first time, we got into the show The Biggest Looser. Dave listened as a contestant said to the audience, "I was you! I was sitting on the couch watching this show with my bowl of ice cream. If I can do it, you can." He looked down at his bowl of ice cream and put his mind to a weight loss goal. Just a few months later and Dave's 50 pounds lighter! He's lookin' so good, even the bank teller asked, "Are you loosing weight?" today! This weekend we had to hit the sales to replace most of Dave's now-too-big wardrobe (the downside to weight loss being the closet full of pants, shorts and suits that are now 3 to 4 sizes off).
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Dave says that, for him, it was more that he was maintaining a heavy weight by making poor decisions and simply rethinking his food choices made a big difference. That may be the secret to his success, if you want to call it that. The social nature of his job was constantly presenting him with tempting options. But now, no more desserts at council, no more baked goods at senior game days, no more biscuits and gravy at morning breakfast meetings, no more high-calorie Starbucks drinks, no more late night snacking. There's a handful of recipes I've eliminated from our family's dinner rotation-- casseroles and high-fat dishes. And as a whole family, we've also been working on substitution. Turkey everything instead of pork anything, olive oil mayo instead of the original, yogurt and fruit instead of ice cream, etc. Many things we actually continue to do the same. With such great access to them, we've always been fruit and veggie lovers. Our beef is cut the leanest it can be. We've never had a pantry full of junk food.
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Another key to Dave's success has been daily use of the Wii Fit to monitor his BMI and set goals. I'm so proud of him and while I've always found my hubbie attractive, how can I not love his hot new body? I feel good about the pretty simple changes we've made to ensure better health for all of us as well.
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It's been a while since I've shared a favorite recipe. In the sidebar is one of Dave's famous dishes-- Hawaiian Sausage. He invented the recipe years ago and has tweaked it as of late to make it even better for you!

Surviving the Summer Sizzle

2009-08-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

For the 3rd time in 2 days, we've heard the cool weather reports from our Midwest family and friends. So while I'm inclined to say, "Al Gore and his Global Warming can suck it," I do admit that we are just as toasty warm as ever this July (guess it's August now) in California. Highs in the hundreds are common, rain or any type of cloud or cooling down is not. A new daily routine has been established and we've had it in place for 2 whole weeks now. We wake up and immediately put on the sunscreen and swimming suits to get outside before it gets so hot the ground burns the skin right off the bottoms of your feet. We haul the little potty and sometimes even breakfast out there with us.

We swim. Our old pool took a beating and ripping at Delia's birthday party, so we replaced it with this bigger one complete with slide in the middle (much like the popular pool we borrowed). We use it often 3 times a day-- first thing in the morning, after naps and again after dinner, though by this time it feels more like a hot tub. Ella and Delia have so much fun in it, I love watching them play all sorts of imaginative things for hours together.

We splash in the new water table from Auntie Karen and family. It was sent for Delia's birthday. We love it!

We tend to the thriving garden and pick stuff almost every day.

The girls play while I pull weeds and prune flowers. Often I join in the play, but there was just no more room on the trike or in the playhouse peep-hole!

After 6 years of summer in the Central Valley, this may be the first year I'm not surprised by or complaining about the heat. It's just a part of where we live and we can and will acclimate.

Crazy Sleepers!

2009-07-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

Ella actually needs the guard rail more than Delia. She is ALL over the place when she sleeps-- backwards and sideways in the bed and even dangling from it. Sleeping with Ella is like sleeping with a boa constrictor too, she's a fierce cuddler (like her daddy) and will use all parts of her bed buddy as a pillow.

Delia picks a spot and stays in it for 11-12 hours straight. She falls asleep and stays asleep on her tummy every single night. She curls up and won't budge or really cuddle (like her mommy).

Good luck future husbands! :)

Love that Michael's Coupon!

2009-07-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

When Ella asked Dave, "Daddy do you have tools? Can I put them on my head? I want to be a bride!" we were admittedly stumped. A bit of pondering led us to the light, though: "Oh she means tulle!" She got this vocabulary from a hand-me-down princess craft book from my friend Penny. So we used this week's Michael's coupon on a package of tulle and made bridal veils. Getting some more use out of the flower girl dress too, you can see.

Ella has her daddy so wrapped around her girlie little finger that when she requested a groom, he even put on his black suit and dug his old prom bow tie out of my memory box!
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As I thought it might, the new office has turned into a bit of a craft room. We spend at least an hour each day hauling out the now-accessable supplies and making stuff. Besides tulle, we also loaded up on $1 projects at Michael's-- make-your-own puzzles, princess finger puppets, tiaras you can jewel and scratch-off-black-paint crafts (like the fish at Delia's party).

I Think It's Officially Safe to Boast

2009-07-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to even try until this winter. I still have a closet full of diapers and a keen awareness of Delia's strong will. But, last week when she said, "I go pee potty" after watching her sister and then effortlessly did so three different times, I thought, "Okay we'll try potty training." One week later and this girl is trained! I will not take any credit for this, though I will proudly brag and remind you that Delia turned two just two weeks ago. This was all her doing. I simply made the potty available and took away diapers as options. She's had multiple successes every day and has even started waking up dry and going at places other than home-- like church. Dave and I are absolutely amazed and tickled that it was this easy-- no long hours waiting on the potty, no pleading, no elaborate bribery nor even any frustrating accidents. We acknowledge that Delia will do anything to, one, imitate her big sister and, two, get a nummie!

My big girl in undies. To use Delia's own words, "I not bee-bee, I big girl!" So long crib AND diapers! (Not feeling as nostalgic about this goodbye, though!)

Pity the Tennis Racket...

2009-07-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

...now that its life as a pretend guitar is over, it's the one who will be banished back to the sporting goods tub, forgotten in the closet for another 10 years. The yard sale we walked by today is to blame.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2009-07-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my good friend Teri and her kids Beth, Allie and Nathan were in town. We got to spend the morning with them at Jetta's house. Swimming, chatting, lunching and watching the kids play were the day's scheduled events. It was a great morning packed with a few of the things and friends I love most. We started in the pool, then moved to snack time just outside it. We all got drippy and sticky munching watermelon slices in our swimsuits. The kids rolled around in the sand, jumped on the trampoline, rode bikes and then were herded in for lunch. Jetta's homemade bread with aged cheese slices was the main course, along with some salads and home-canned peaches. I multi tasked-- eating while improving my tan in their porch swing while telling stories and laughing with the adults. Dave and Phil were able to join our crowd for lunch.

Watching Ella in the pool is such a joy. She's gotten so independent and adventurous. She and Delia even jumped off the diving board towards the end of the day! (With life jackets on, holding on to Dave's hand, but still!) Teri's kids are strong swimmers and my girls loved splashing around with them.

I get such a kick out of Delia and the twins. Their "Buddies Since Birth" bond deepens all the time. Now they call each other by name ("Pee-duh and Gore-uh") and interact in their funny toddler way. At Jetta's house, Delia is called "Peter's Girlfriend." Who knows? IF they do get married some day, a name change wouldn't be necessary! :)

Phil just finished building this awesome sandbox next to their pool-- it was like going to the beach. The kids were burying each other and digging up treasures with shovels and making sandcastles and everything.

Ella and Nathan always connect. Here they jump together, they also spent a good amount of time riding bikes around the wrap-around porch. I got to talk to Nathan a bit and he cracked me up!

Teri and the kids had to take off and head home, but the party lingered a while longer. We hopped in the pool one last time and had some ice cream sandwiches before exhaustion hit the kids and an exit became necessary. All this pleasure in the middle of a weekday-- I LOVE my stay-at-home-mom job!!

Nostalgia

2009-07-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

I promise this will be the last post affected by Delia's move to the bunk bed and my office makeover. Lately I've been remembering. As I wash nursery curtains and bedding to pack away or as I see the crib that kept my sleeping babies safe for 4 years in pieces like this waiting to move to the attic, I can't help feeling a little sad and a little longing for the days of the past. I love where we are in life right now and both Dave and I feel very comfortable and peaceful saying our family is complete, but it's still hard to pack away those memories.

I can hardly bear to think about selling all the things that got us through the past few baby years at a garage sale. Yet, I guess I just need to keep in mind that my memories of Ella and Delia's infancy are not physically attached to these particular beams of wood or to this starry night fabric. My memories are in my heart. As long as I can still see each of my girls joyfully greeting me in a pulled up stand after nap time, I have lost nothing. I feel full and content as long as I can still feel the excitement of opening that bag of bedding from Heather in our empty nursery with my belly growing and my arms eager to set up a cozy room for the baby we didn't know yet. And if the eyes of my mind ever grow fuzzy on these details, I'll always have the pictures to keep the memory alive!
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SO excited about this important element of decor to our starry night baby room.
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Ella

Delia

Sweet times together. So long, crib!

Makeover

2009-07-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

I love her to pieces and will do anything for her. The year and a half Delia's makeshift nursery took over our office was just a small inconvenience, but it sure is fun to get this room back! I warned Dave that I'd be feeling ambitious with our office when he returned from the service trip and has he ever been sweet about it. After he disassembled the crib and worked with me to get caught up on almost 2 years worth the bill and document shredding and filing, he took a morning off for a family trip to Ikea in Sacramento. Just a few new things really helped spruce the office up-- curtains, some artwork, a toy storage center, a new desk lamp and these magnetic boards for the kids' artwork. I was going for a "whimsical" feel in our new and improved office. I'm not sure I achieved it, but I do like how colorful and kid friendly it seems. After the past year of mismatched baby and office furniture and the past 10 years of wedding present decor and old college remnants, the change feels fabulous and will definitely enhance my creativity when it comes to blog writing! :) And if you're looking for a birthday present idea for me, I love this clock off our amazon wish list...
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We heart Ikea!

Our overflowing bookshelves and 10 ton desk had to stay, so we just made over the space around them.

I love how these magnetic boards fill what was a wasted space between the closets. As soon as they went up, Ella said, "I better start working on some new artwork!"

A few views of the rest of the office.

Is It Me?

2009-07-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

Or does she look like such a big girl? Enjoy Delia's 2 year old pictures.

A Sunday Shower

2009-07-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight when we walked out of the evening church service, we found the sprinklers running on our church's lawn. My kids and Jetta's were dancing through them before the "Now, wait..." could even escape our lips. With effort, we did manage to keep the girls in their dresses. I'm not sure a naked sprinkler party is very church-appropriate. :) As I watched the kids in their Sunday best gleefully get soaked and the crowd of delighted church attendees around them grow, I too couldn't resist laughing at the pure fun of it.

Of course, our church services may be the one place I don't carry my camera, so here's a soggy, but very happy, Ella at home.

Daddy's Home!

2009-07-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

And look what he brought us from New Orleans!

More stories about Dave's mission trip to the south to possibly follow...

Is Your Mama a Llama?

2009-07-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

You know she loves Shamu, but did you know Delia's other favorite animal is the llama? Books like Is Your Mama a Llama? and Llama Llama Red Pajama and our frequent trips to the cheese place to feed the llama have fueled this interest. When my church friend, Yvonna, told me about her alpacas and their new batch of babies, I knew I had to take the girls over to visit. What a morning! We got up close to these fluffy-headed, long-lashed gals and learned so much from Yvonna. Not only did Ella and Delia get to feel the super soft mama and baby alpacas, they also collected eggs from the chickens, patted the bristly potbelly pig, watched the horses eat apples, fed the goats leaves and chased the geese around the yard. I asked Yvonna where she kept the giraffe, because our visit today was just as fun as a visit to the zoo!

Sisters are for Splashing and Sharing

2009-07-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Can you believe an entire week has passed and these are the only 2 pictures I have to show for it?! What could possibly have caused this pause in the every day blogging or break from the paparazzi-like hounding of my girls for good photos, you wonder? The answer: a very busy schedule from VBS and Dave's absence on a mission trip to Mississippi with his Young Adult group. Today I can say we not only survived the week, but were tremendously blessed by it. I was able to once again be the Bible Leader for Vacation Bible School and I had a great time bringing the stories of Moses to life for the rotations of students that came through my room. We gathered around a burning bush, plagued Pharaoh, painted blood on doorposts, ate a Passover meal and crossed the Red Sea. And as exciting as this all sounds, it was nothing compared to seeing Delia sing her heart out and do the motions to the songs surprisingly well during each day's closing Swamp Stomp. She kept exclaiming, "I singing! I dancing! I clapping! I spinning!" Ella was able to join a kindergarten class and also had a fantastic week making crafts, playing games and riding around on her crew leader's back.

Tonight we celebrated the finale of a tiring, but happy week with a trip to our town's new little frozen yogurt place. Dave returns tomorrow night and we can't wait to see him!

Successfully Transitioned!

2009-07-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

I type this blog at 1:22 pm Pacific Time-- a time that for the past year and a half has been a no-computer, no-internet time for me because of naps. While Delia slept in her crib in our study, we made sacrifices. Upon returning from our weeks of vacation, however, I am happy to report that Delia has had one whole successful week in the bunk bed in her sister's room! It took some bribery to get her to stay in that bed (a "nummie" upon waking) and two times now she has not earned that reward, but overall she is doing great! We had just one bad night where she couldn't fall asleep and didn't know how to handle the freedom. I'll take that for the rest of the week's solid naps and nights of sleep, though. I am still getting used to seeing her tiny little self curled up in this giant bed, but I can acknowledge and celebrate that my baby is growing up. Next up: potty training!

Our Delia

2009-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

I feel I need to spend a moment reflecting on Delia as she turns 2 today. I can't believe I've had this wonderful little blessing in my life for 2 whole years now! Sometimes I just look at her and wonder where in the world she came from. I understand so much about my sweet, girlie Ella and how she thinks and acts. Delia's combination of stinker and lover is more of a mystery to me.

Delia is the reason I have no ripe tomatoes in my garden. When I ask her, "Did you eat Mommy's tomatoes?" she'll reply "no" with her face full of red juice and seeds. This is also the girl who gave me 3 from-behind, for-no-reason hugs in nursery yesterday and told me 2 times "I ove oo Mommy" on the walk home. I kiss her goodnight and she says, "Hugga?" and then wraps her whole little monkey body around me. This is minutes after I ask her to help clean up toys and she runs away, climbs in the top bunk and yells, "No thank you!" And if these descriptions aren't doing a good enough job, here's an image that sums her up pretty well:

This was on Friday morning, while I was outside getting things for her party ready. Did she gratefully watch me out the window? Did she quietly sit with Ella and watch the movie I put on? No! She found the markers and added "Give Delia a Bath" to my already long list of things to do before guests arrived.

I love her so much and, when not releasing sighs of exasperation, thank God for the ways she surprises me every single day.

More Party Pics

2009-07-11T10:49:00.001-07:00

(Warning: This has sound.)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Splashing in Delia's 2nd Birthday

2009-07-10T15:40:00.001-07:00

I may have been a little out of my mind to plan a birthday party for Delia just 2 days after returning from our big vacation, however everything came together perfectly and the party was a huge success. It was obvious the theme had to be water and Shamu. This was really fun to put together. We did black and white tables and place settings, a Shamu cake and whole front yard full of splish-slashin' fun. We had a big borrowed pool with a slide, two wacky sprinklers, a slip 'n slide, a bubble station and even a kiddie pool filled with bubble bath. A little fish craft for the kids was prepared. And we served a taco and nacho bar lunch with fresh fruit to the 25 friends who came. As I watched Delia run up and play with each of her buddies and exclaim, "Mommy! Minnie poo!" (swimming pool) over and over I knew the work was worth it to make our 2 year old baby feel so special!
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Going down the slide-- this bigger, borrowed pool was the hit of the party!

The bubble bath pool was a blast too. We liked loading our hands up with suds and trying to catch bubbles being blown from the nearby bubble station.

Peter and Cora try some big bubbles.

Delia and Anika slip down the slide.

Waiting in the slip 'n slide line.

This craft was really cool. The kids used wooden sticks to scratch designs in a top layer of black paint on these fish, revealing a rainbow of colors underneath.

The Shamu cake-- don't be too impressed, it was really easy to make and I'm giving you the slightly blurry shot to mask the flaws!

Black icing, nice.

Diving into those presents. Delia received books, an outfit, a Mr. Potato Head set and a bunch of outside toys like a sprinkling can and sidewalk paint.

A Good-Looking Bunch, I Must Say

2009-07-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

For Mom and Dad's Christmas present, we and Dave's siblings hired a professional photographer to take our family's portraits at our vacation beach this summer. We're pretty pleased with how they turned out!

Pop Quiz

2009-07-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you:

a.) Give your zucchini steroids

b.) Talk dirty to your zucchini

c.) Go on vacation for 2 weeks and leave your garden untended

VM Vacation 2009

2009-07-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we embarked on a journey east that we've been looking forward to all year-- The VM Family Vacation. For 7 days we rented a huge cottage on Lake Michigan in South Haven, Michigan. And though currently exhausted, I must say all high expectations of what this time together would be were met and exceeded. Our family of 15 is so remarkable in so many ways. For one thing we are all best friends. For another, each person brings such unique gifts and character traits to the bunch. There is no group of people that I laugh harder with, nor any group of people I feel more comfortable being vulnerable with. I think of the tears I shed during this week-- some from laughing so hard over things so filthy the FCC would shut my blog down if I repeated them, some from our deep book discussion of The Shack and some from our family time of worship and devotion we kicked the week off with. Here are just a few of the highs...

We were so excited to meet and spend time with Baby Cole. This kid is the new star of the family. What a charmer! He never stopped smiling the whole week!

The cousins had a complete blast together. Though ranging in age from 7 to 1, they all got along perfectly and became such good buddies that yesterday's goodbyes were pretty heartbreaking.

Much of the fun happened right in our cottage, playing games, sharing fabulous meals and joking around or romping around on our beach. We made several outings as well, though. One highlight was our Ladies Lunch. Heather was able to join Mom, Karen, Kris, Ella and I for a meal in a nice restaurant followed by some browsing in the adorable little shops of downtown South Haven. Ooh la la, check out these fancy mochas!

We hit the beach every day. The kids jumped waves and flew kites and built sandcastles. Rocks were skipped, walks were taken, kiddos were burried, beach treasures were collected, a football was thrown. It was the very picture of summer vacation. The scent of sunscreen and bug spray and a good amount of sand still lingers in our suitcases.

One day we skipped over to the nearby town of Saugatuk to walk around the marina and do a little window shopping.

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Hope you've enjoyed my two week blog silence and are hungry to know what we've been up to because today and tomorrow I will dump all my favorite pictures and memories into a long series of posts. Put the kids down for a nap, get a snack and enjoy! :)

A Day Downtown

2009-07-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

We were more than pleased that it worked out best for us to pick up Kyle from his downtown Chicago home and shuttle him to the VM Vacation cottage in Michigan. The day downtown with Kyle was a real treat-- to see him and the city I haven't visited in 6 years!
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We spent time wandering around Millennium Park first, then strolled by the lake shore and ended our time at the Taste of Chicago. Millennium Park was all new to me, but the lake, Buckingham Fountain and The Taste were memories straight from my youth. Ella and Delia really loved riding the bus to and from Uncle Kyle's apartment.
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The Face Fountain

The Bean

The footbridge over Lake Shore Drive

The bandshell/amplitheatre

The Taste. One thing we choose to taste was Lou Menotti's pizza. We couldn't get enough good Chicago pizza on this trip!

Our country home has won our hearts for now, but we'll always reserve a place for you in it, Chicago!

Sherman's Ice Cream with a Side of Lighthouse

2009-07-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

As I feel myself about to type, "Another favorite night..." I realize I should just take Ella's approach to this vacation and say, "It was ALL my favorite!" On this particular favorite night we went to famous Sherman's Ice Cream for an after-dinner treat.
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This may have been the most delicious single scoop (yes, that's just a single!) of peanut butter ice cream my taste buds have ever encountered. Sherman's is actually a big factory that churns its own ice cream.

We let our hopped-up-on-sugar kids run off the ice-cream high on the public beach. They chased sea gulls and went crazy on the playground.

A wander down the pier to the lighthouse at the end completed the evening.

Birthday Babies

2009-07-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

On July 13 Delia will turn 2 and on July 15 Cole will turn 1. We got our pointy party hats on and celebrated these two milestones with some brownies, presents and singing. It's a rare occasion that we get to celebrate birthdays while actually being together. To watch our nephew open his gift or have Delia's birthday song actually sung to her not via the phone. This was a special little party.
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Birthday Babies and their mamas.

The Children's Museum

2009-07-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

A little inclement weather tried, but couldn't stop our fun. For the few days it was rainy and 60 degrees, we sought out other entertainment. Karen and I had a great time when we took our kids to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. This place was an incredible playground of stimulation. And the range of activities was quite impressive.

Calvin puts sentences together on the giant word wall.

An excellent farming exhibit kept the kids attention forever. Here Ella and Delia collect eggs from the chickens.

Ella serves Auntie Karen some food at the pretend restaurant.

Aidan and Theoren stack at the domino table.

The VM Family Players. This music station was cool and no one else made the drums go louder than Aidan!

We learned about bees and saw a real hive in action. Delia dressed up as a beekeeper.

The girls loved building towers.

Kaleidoscope Ella

Nick and Amy...and Benjamin!

2009-07-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

We have pictures of us in every state between Michigan and California. Pictures of us camping and hiking and playing in snow. Pictures of us at Sleeping Bear Dunes, the zoo, Yosemite, Big Trees and Knight's Ferry. Pictures of us just hanging out and being silly. But this picture is a brand new one-- us with our beloved friends Nick and Amy and our children. Yet another treat of this trip was the opportunity to meet little Benjamin. Nick and Amy were headed to Wisconsin from their Michigan home and were literally driving right by our cottage. We loved that they stopped in and visited with us for a few hours.

Last Night in the Cottage :(

2009-07-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

How do you end an incredible week? How do you bring closure to 7 days of late nights, laughter, lake play and luscious meals? We did it with a whole family outing to a pizza restaurant and then a campfire on our beach.
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Ella and Uncle Chris were BFFs at this dinner. I loved seeing how happy both my girls were to play with and laugh with their wonderful uncles-- Kyle, Eric, Chris and Dan.
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Well, of course, we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores! The senses of this night were so ideal: the pink sky, the blue lake, the colors of our beach, the warmth of the fire, the laughter and ooey gooey taste of the perfectly roasted marshmallow.
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Christopher even treated us to our own July 3 fireworks show. He bought a whole load of fireworks on the ride up and launched them on the beach for our viewing pleasure. Sitting on a big rock by the lake listening to big booms, the kids' screams and the waves lap was better than any show we could have driven to and will remain a favorite 4th of July memory for us!

Dan and Heather

2009-07-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

A definite perk to this VM Family Vacation was its close proximity to my sister's house in West Michigan. She was able to come hang out with us at the cottage on several occasions and then we were able to spend a few extra days at her and Dan's home when our vacation was over.

Ever since Ella learned what a convertible was and that Auntie owned one, she has been so excited for a ride. Heather took the girls out for a couple spins around the neighborhood in her Mustang. Ella thought she was the coolest thing in the world.

Dan and Heather were excellent hosts-- patiently enduring our invasion of kid messes in their home, cooking delicious meals and taking us on some adventures. On the 4th of July we played at Timbertown, an excellent wooden park. Then we stopped in at the Dutch Village so Ella could see how the "klompies" (wooden shoes) that Heather gave her and Delia for their birthdays were made.

A kind gentleman showed Ella each of the steps to carving a wooden shoe and even let her take home a block that was partially formed. And Delia's Dutch initiation was complete when she posed in the infamous giant wooden shoe.

Another campfire was built that night and the girls lit sparklers and dressed up in glow-necklaces for our country's birthday. After they went to bed we busted out the graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows and peanut butter (Haven't had peanut butter on a s'more? TRY IT and thank me later!!) and played a couple rounds of bean bag toss.

One of my requests was a walk around Calvin College. It has changed so much in the few (okay ten) years since I was there. I have effectively brainwashed Ella into thinking she's going to Calvin College and I found myself telling her things like, "When I went here we had to run across the Beltline!" or "Back in my day, Kalsbeek Huizenga was not Kalsbeek-Huizenga-van Reken!" or "This humongous new field house has me feeling disoriented! Where am I on campus?!"

Our last day with Dan and Heather was a fun one at the John Ball Zoo. A fun and interactive zoo for the kids, we especially enjoyed the Madagascar exhibit where we were practically in the wombat enclosure. We watched in awe at something I've never seen-- a baby in its mother's pouch. We observed him climbing in and out. It was so cool!

First and Last

2009-07-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

So, as you're probably piecing together our time was all divided up. Thirteen days gone, 7 at the cottage, 3 with Heather and Dan, leaving two days at the beginning and one at the end of the trip to just hang in Chicago. Our first day was such a lovely taste of the happy ones to follow. We spent it with one of my all time favorite people, Dave's Grandma and Karen, Kris and the boys. Grandma invited us all over to her pool and jumped right in to splash around with her great grandchildren. She served us lunch and popsicles. A couple of Dave's other aunts and uncles even stopped by, unable to resist a good pool party.

Another fun time was had at Karen's house the second day where we ordered pizza and took the kids to the awesome splash pad practically in their backyard. The cousins were so quick to bond and play together. Seeing their interaction and conversations was one of the best parts of the trip for me.

Our last day was spent soaking in some last-minute quality time with Karen, Kyle, Kris and the kids. We went to the Morton Arboretum and took in the breathtaking landscaping and creative play areas.

Uncle Dave catches and shows Cole his first frog.

The tree house

We love Uncle Kyle!

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Sigh, thus ends my record of this memorable trip. Already pumped for VM Family Vacation 2010! How 'bout it guys?

My Favorite Nephews

2009-07-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Oh how we're going to miss these guys!

Baby Cole-- 1 year

Aidan-- 5 years

Calvin-- 7 years

Theoren-- 3 years

Daddy

2009-06-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

This is the message Ella dictated to me for Dave's Father's Day card:

"I love you, Daddy! I love you because you are kind and loving to me. You are good at letting me not be scared and playing blocks with me. You love Jesus and always put a band aid on my owies."

So, to paraphrase Ella, Dave:
-loves his daughter unconditionally
-has a kind heart
-keeps and makes his daughter feel safe
-has a relationship with and interacts with his daughter
-loves Jesus
-mends and ministers to his daughter when she is sad and hurt

Limited and small, I acknowledge, but a pretty good glimpse of our Heavenly Father, don't ya think? :)

Mt. Hermon 2009

2009-06-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Just this morning I sat in our little cabin the woods cradling and praying with my sobbing 4-year old. We all just completed what, after 2 years of attending now, I am going to call our "Best Week of the Year" at Mt. Hermon and Ella did not want to leave. "Why can't we live at Mt. Hermon?" she stuttered.

The week was so full of amazing highs I am overwhelmed at the task of recording it on the blog for our memories. The best way I could think to describe it is like a wonderful buffet of delicious foods. We packed as much onto our plates as was possible for where we are in this stage of life and had the time of our lives feasting. I long to describe each little entree we sampled, and even the ones we just couldn't, but that post would go on virtually forever.

So instead, here is just a quick peek at some of the dishes we sampled in the 7 days we lived in the redwood forest of Mt. Hermon with our most beloved church family members. What we indulged in left us feeling warm and full.

.Here's our little cabin. It holds fantastic memories for us this year since we did excellent with sleeping and napping in it. It's built over the creek with a sweet back porch, so I sat out there and ate up a whole book while the girls napped.

Last year we started going to Mt. Hermon to escape a week without Dave, since he's up the hill counseling for HiCamp. We quickly learned this Christian Family Camp is so much more than just distraction, though. It turns out a built-in bonus is that we DO get to spend time with Dave. We went to visit HiCamp one day. He came down to visit us another and we met up with him and his high school group at the Santa Cruz beach a third day.

One joy this summer was witnessing the maturity just one year brought. I had so much fun with my girls! We'd end each night cuddling, singing, reading and praying in our big bed. The girls played together great and I so enjoyed watching them interacting with each other and their friends. Here they study one of Mt. Hermon's infamous Banana Slugs.

This S'mores night may have been Delia's favorite of the whole week. Besides her first experience with this classic camp treat, she also love, love, LOVED the "Meadow Dancing" (line and square dancing) that went on in the field until dark.

On the day Dave visited, we spent the afternoon partaking of some family activities. First we took a row boat out on the river, then we went to the craft room. Both were hits (as was a little more quality time with Daddy)!

Yesterday we "creeched." This is a Mt. Hermon term for play on the sandy beach by the shallow and bubbling creek. In future years the girls can climb the waterfall and travel along the rocky shores some more. Just wading, splashing and tossing rocks was great fun for this year. And last night's final program for all the kid campers was just as adorable and high-energy as ever.
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My greatest pleasure this year was simply experiencing love. God's love was constantly evident in the glorious creation around us and the songs my girls came out of Day Camp singing each night. His love was woven into our morning and evening messages and worship. Mostly, His love was poured out on us by the church family we attend this week with. With long hugs from my sisters and arms linked for warmth, we shared a time of worship and communion in the outdoor sanctuary, Victory Circle. This service was a highlight of the week for me.

Boardwalkin'

2009-06-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Since it was perfectly fun last year, we played the treat that is Santa Cruz Day exactly the same. Taking the hour long, open air train ride down the mountain to the coast. Enjoying a morning of kiddie rides and the sights, sounds and smells of the Boardwalk. Spending the day with our good friends the Girards. Eating our lunch and napping on the soothing train ride back up to camp. Ella said this was her favorite day.

Beach Bums

2009-06-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Snapshots of our day by the ocean:

Packing up and enthusiastically answering my "Hey guys, where are we going?" question.

Gal pals-- Julie and Char. Love them!

Delia digs in (above) and embraces her inner diva (below).

Ella gets buried (above) by Daddy and Mikaela and chased (below) by waves.

A special find.

Probably a Good Idea for This One

2009-06-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Perhaps a helmet as well!

Christian Education-- A Good Investment

2009-06-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Dave and I grew up in a Christian School. I have always taught in Christian Schools. We've sat in committee meetings and interviews and tossed around terms like "Christian Worldview" or "3-Legged-Stool" or "Faith Based Education." I think it was around Easter when my preschooler asked me, "Mommy did you know that if we don't sing 'Hallelujah' to Jesus then the stones are going to have to sing it?" that I really got it, though. This is something I had never mentioned to her and when asked where she heard it, she simply replied, "School." The Bible is jam-packed with commands to "instruct" and "bring up" and "impress upon" our children the way of the Lord. What a daunting challenge! As a parent, I discovered that Christian education is the necessary supplement to what we teach our girls at home. How could I alone possibly teach Ella and Delia everything about the Bible? Children in Worship and Awanas and Christian School teach our kids the things we are sure to miss. What a blessing that we are not in this alone and can rely on these resources!

Having said all that, last night we celebrated the completion of Ella's first year of Christian Preschool with her Kid's Praise Program. At the end of this year we see so much growth and maturity in Ella. She can cut beautifully and draw people with all their attributes. She is strong and can balance, do jumping jacks, climb and hang upside-down. She can say and recognize all her letter sounds and numbers and write them. She can tell us all about Jesus and heaven. She is confident, helpful and has a heart full of love for God. It's been a great year and she's so excited to go back and be a "Star" (in the 4 year old class) in the fall.

These are Ella's two best school friends. The other night she got a little teary when she thought about not seeing them all summer. Above, Avery. Below, Anna.

PROUD Daddy and Mommy. Once again, the program was adorable and we couldn't take our eyes off of Ella standing so still, hands clasped, singing her heart out!

Guess What Movie We've Been Watching...

2009-06-09T08:03:00.001-07:00

Here are a few hints. Each night before bed, Delia curls up on the floor and says in her little Delia language, "The sun has gone to bed and so must I. Goodbye!" She waves and makes me carry her to bed like a "bee-bee."

Ella spreads her arms and spins around the living room singing, "The hills are alive!" Then she puts on her new dress-up dress, the one with like 5 layers of swirly petticoats, and dances around singing, "I am sixteen going on seventeen." Our favorite is Ella's request of Captain Von Trap at the party: "I'd like to stay and taste my first adult drink. Yes?" Delia always shoots her down with an intentional, "NO!" And, of course, she gets her "banjo" out of the sporting goods tub and sits on her stool for this performance...

Weeks ago, The Sound of Music was on TV. The little part my girls watched with me was enough to make them fall in love. We actually own this movie and discovered that one of our DVD's special features was a play list of just the songs. We've been in Fraulein Maria imagination world almost every day. We even dragged out the old VHS of Dave as Frederick from when our high school performed this musical!

Delia Translator

2009-06-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

I remember writing this post when Ella was in that beginning stage of talking. Since this blog has morphed into my personal scrapbook, I thought I jot down some of my favorite Delia expressions too.

"Eee ennn!"

Translation: "The end!"

Whenever we read a story, Delia relishes her role of giving us closure-- shutting the back cover and declaring the end.

"No goot-goo."

Translation: "No thank you."

It's worth noting that Delia is SO polite. Without having to be reminded, she naturally says "pees" and "goot-goo" for everything she wants and is given and even the things she does not want. Of course, I love this about her vocabulary.

"Daddy hummmm!"

Translation: "Daddy's home!"

Delia's the second one in the house to alert me to this each day. Lily, with her high-bark and dash outside, is the first.

"A-hugga-me?"

Translation: "Will you hug me?"

This is the sweetest thing! She asks this several times a day and you know I will drop whatever I'm doing to oblige.

"All done nigh-nigh!"

Translation: "I'm awake, come get me!"

Yes, this is what I hear rattling off my walls each morning and afternoon.

"Hi Gramma!"

Translation: "Hello virtually any woman older than my mom!"

It's adorable when she wanders around greeting the ladies at church this way, I dread when it's spoken to someone no where near being grandma-aged at the grocery store.

"I SEE NOW!"

Translation: "I may be small, but I fully expect to enjoy whatever you big people are doing!"

To use the cliche-- I'd be rich if I had a nickle for each time I heard this one. From the animals at the zoo, to the spider I've squished, to the garbage truck to whatever we are reading/cooking/crafting, Delia thinks she must be part of the viewing action.

And it's not me overusing it, by the way, Delia always speaks with an exclamation point! :)

Beautiful Big Girl

2009-06-03T16:13:00.001-07:00

The Big Birthday Outing

2009-06-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today completed our celebration of Ella's birthday with a family outing to our Oakland Zoo. I am happy to report 3 things. One, we all had an awesome time-- one of the best zoo outings ever. Two, no one broke any bones (Ella made us each promise we wouldn't as we were walking in). And three, in terms of the membership fee (but not in terms of the ER deductible) we paid last time we went, after just 2 months, our membership has paid for itself! Yay!

We did a few things to make this trip to the zoo a little more special for our birthday girl. First we named her the "Boss for the Day" and let her decide what we'd see and in what order. Of course, this meant we started at and spent most of the time in the children's zoo. Also, we got Ella a little key that she could use to unlock boxes of narration and information at each animal we visited. Dave and I found this fascinating and learned all sorts of new things. Did you know, for example, that lemurs have scent glands in their wrists and use them to lubricate their long tails with smell and then confront each other to have stink wars?

(Open this picture bigger to see someone hiding over Delia's left shoulder.)

A cool and overcast school day really kept the crowds down.

The girls love this meercat viewing area. They need to climb through a tunnel to get to it.

Ella's special surprise today was an introduction to a rather extensive ride area. Yes, in previous visits Dave and I did engage in an evil parenting plot to keep this whole side of the zoo a secret from her. Our membership gave us 14 free rides, though, and today we took some of them on the carousel, little cars and train. Ella said this was the best part of the day. When we asked what her favorite animal was, she even answered, "The rides!"

If you want to see all the pictures of the zoo, present opening and cake double click on the Picasa slide show in the sidebar.

Happy 4th Birthday, Ella!

2009-05-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

I was bummed, at first, that Ella's birthday fell on a Sunday this year-- it

prevented us from doing anything (like a party or outing) on the actual day. However, Ella cleverly made her announcement about it being the "last day to be three" at Dave's Mission Trip Fundraising Dinner last night, so today about 500 people made a huge fuss over her. She got hugs, cards, candy, "Happy Birthdays!", a serenade in Children and Worship and even a few presents. All the attention has been one of many little special things about today.

Following tradition, we opened the presents we've been collecting from the mail first thing in the morning. Thanks everyone!! What swelled my heart this year was Ella's huge hug and exclamation, "THANK you! I love it!" before even opening the present she was exclaiming over! Each gift was perfect for Ella and you demonstrated once again how well you know and love her with your birthday presents and cards.

Ella said she wanted a Fancy Nancy cake after her favorite book character, who I suspect she thinks she is from time to time. I made this lavender purse cake and it was met with wide-eyed wonder. We sang and ate it after serving Ella's lunch of choice-- breakfast (cheesy omlets and waffles with strawberries).

I post this video for the 10+ people who contributed to the singing and present she's talking about in it. What fun!

Today has been good times trying out all the new presents. We've read the stories, tried on the necklace and dress-up clothes, watched Jana Alayra, put together the Fancy Nancy puzzle, stomped moles and jump-roped on Wii's Outdoor Challenge, made melty bead crafts and played Princess Yahtzee. Tonight I'll bring ice cream sandwiches to church and Ella can hand out a birthday treat to all her friends. PM church nursery is always like a giant party anyway, so it works out perfectly! Tomorrow we have a special family outing planned.

The Last Day of Being 3

2009-05-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ella's been announcing to everyone that "today is my last day to be three!" On the eve of her 4th birthday, I thought I'd take you on a little scroll down memory lane...

. The day my first daughter was born-- May 31, 2005. Ella entered this world easily: a week early and with a pefect labor. She continues to bless us with ease and kindness, obedience, intelligence and independence.

Ella's first birthday. We threw a party at the park. The kids painted and potted plants that had "Thanks for helping me celebrate how much I've GROWN this year" labels on them. Ella dove into her first piece of chocolate cake and a wild circle of little buddies helped her dive into her presents.

Second birthday. Ella had a small bug-themed birthday party. The kids dotted spots on ladybug pictures, ate watermelon butterflies and played Elefun. For the first time Ella knew the song and completely delighted in a crowd singing it to her! Her favorite presents from the birthday continue to be the princess roller skates, dress-up gowns and pink lawn mower.

The big 0-3. Since Grandpa and Grandma were visiting, we decided (instead of a party) that would be the birthday treat. Ella chose a princess cake and opened all the presents in her jammies right upon waking. We went to Red Robin for dinner where the serenade and ice cream sundae put her right into birthday heaven.

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And what will the 4th birthday hold? Stay tuned tomorrow and Monday for details!

Feeling Special

2009-05-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ella's birthday was celebrated at preschool. And, boy, do they know how to do birthdays! Here's a list of the special extras Ella enjoyed because she was the birthday girl:

--The birthday flag flying for her.
--Sharing a birthday treat. She picked ice cream sandwiches.
--Handing out birthday party favors to her classmates (supposedly to learn that it's just as fun to give as to get presents on your birthday). Ella and I chose palm tree summer goodie bags with sunglasses and tropical fruit snacks.
--Being sung to.
--Wearing the birthday crown and badge.
--Receiving a present from her teachers.
--Bringing her baby book of pictures from when she was born so the "Story of Ella" could be told at carpet time.
--Being allowed to wear whatever she wanted. (This is HUGE.) Of course, she picked a dress.
--Walking to school as a whole family.
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10 Happy Years

2009-05-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago tonight I was wearing white-- a gown that met every one of my "Wedding Dress Requirements." I was escorted down the aisle by my grandpa to Trumpet Voluntary. I was flanked by my periwinkle-dressed sisters and best friends and they witnessed me vow to love my perfect man forever. We listened to Pastor Bert give a meditation on Romans 12:9-13. Then everyone tossed rose petals at us and it was off to party. We ate roast beef and peach melba. We danced. We mingled with our 200 closest friends and family members. Then we scooted off in my flower-filled Saturn to a gorgeous hotel. The next day we opened gifts with our family then jetted to Jamaica for a sublime week of relaxation after the frenzy of Trinity Graduation, Calvin Graduation and Wedding in sequential weekends.

Here we are ten happy years and 200,000 miles on that old Saturn later. My perfect man has taken me on amazing ride already-- through a variety of different jobs, homes, ministries and friends. Seven years ago we were moving back to Grand Rapids after 3 homes in 3 states in 3 years. Six years ago we trusted God's call and moved to California when details came together and it became perfectly clear that was what we were supposed to do. We rejoiced over permission to lay down roots for the first time. Four years ago we started our family. These 10 years have certainly not been without change, yet through it all Dave has consistently and increasingly remained my best friend and other half. We've truly been partners-- making big decisions and somehow staying on the exact same page.

To celebrate all the exciting twists and turns of 10 years, we decided to take a big trip. Mom and Dad are flying out to watch the girls for the last week of August. For the first time ever, I'll leave them. Hopefully Maui and my husband will be enough to distract me! :) Since we anticipate lots of romantic dinners for two on this vacation, we chose to celebrate the actual date of this marital milestone as a family. We all got dressed up and went to a fancy (but family friendly) restaurant where we feasted on prime rib and crab and chocolate dipped strawberries. Ella captured this memory of the night and I think it is just the perfect reflection of where we are 10 years later!
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Delia's 6-Week Sleep Plan

2009-05-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Two times now I've found Delia done with her nap with a leg slung over the side of her crib. It is definitely time to get this little monkey out of a bed she, I have no doubt, will find a way to climb out of. So Dave and I developed the "Six Week Sleep Plan." (Because we parent in such an organized fashion! Ha!)

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Step One: Take advantage of Memorial Day mattress sales (why do mattresses go on sale on this particular holiday???) and buy the remaining piece for the bunk bed.

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Step Two: Set up the bunk bed for 3 weeks, so by the time Delia is ready to move into it, some of the novelty may be worn off.

Step Three: Allow her to try and take occasional naps in it for 3 weeks. Ella will move her nap time, which is more like book-reading, quiet-activity rest time, to our bed.

Step Four: Use the 3 straight weeks of schedule upheaval from Mt. Hermon followed by VM Family Vacation to our benefit. When we return in mid-July from all our vacations, Delia won't know where or what she's supposed to be sleeping in. It's the ideal time to introduce a new sleeping arrangement.

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Step Five: Reclaim our office and enjoy round-the-clock computer access. Then watch our girls love (almost) every moment of being roommates!

This "reaching for the stars" actually won't be allowed (and we're hiding the ladder to the upper bed for the first 3 weeks), but since the girls will sleep in these beds until they move out, we thought a picture of them little enough to do this would be cute!

For those who have seen the girls' room, here is the major change-- we flip-flopped the play side with the sleeping side. Even though a major piece of furniture has moved in, this arrangement actually opens the room up considerably!

A Memorable Memorial

2009-05-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

A goose wing. Our shivering, but unswayed, little swimmers in an unheated pool. Big kid/little kid trampoline turn-taking. A smorgasbord of food from the fruit stand: cherries, strawberries, watermelon, corn on the cob, avocado salad, dried mangos and burgers from our cow. A dozen kiddos lined up to eat drippy popsicles. Laughing about cacti and rocks turned into dolls and the confusion Peter, Delia and Cora are going to cause in school. These are some of the memories of our super-fun Memorial Day pool party and BBQ at Phil and Jetta's.

It was everything the first day of summer should be!

Happiness Is...

2009-05-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Planting the Peach Tree

2009-05-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

With his youth groups done, it's been bliss to have Dave home more-- especially at night. To celebrate the first free Wednesday night of the summer, we walked to the ice cream restaurant yesterday after dinner then rented a movie. Also, Dave's been able to cross some things off that honey-do list, play with the girls more and help me out at bedtime. Right now he's even making dinner! Aren't I spoiled?

A Day by the Bay

2009-05-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

When good friend and now acclaimed children's book author, Dorina, invited us to her book signing in the Bay Area, we did what we do best and made a day trip out of it. Yesterday we spent the morning in San Francisco at Pier 39 and then the afternoon in Stanford to meet up with Dorina and her family.

On Pier 39 your senses go into overload. There is loud, live music, street performers, protesters and, of course, the seals barking. There are the smells of salt and fish, hot dogs and fried things. People, random rides and attractions, a farmer's market and a myriad of tourist shops make a rainbow of colors. To just stroll down the pier is an experience. Ella really really loved it.

(Ella is asking what the seals are singing. She came to the conclusion that it was "Jesus Loves Me" and proceeded to bark out the song with them-- didn't get that in the video, though.)

Delia loved standing at the end of pier to watch the sailboats and motorboats cruising in the bay.

At Books Inc., Dorina and her book were celebrated with a presentation and signing. We got to hear her read Cora Cooks Pancit and interact with her audience, showing us a real bag of Pancit noodles and even sampling some Pancit she made for the occasion. Delia was on a personal mission to collect every copy of the now-familiar book that the store had on display. Ella was delighted to have Dorina write a special message in her book. Ella and Meilani also enjoyed some story time with Ericlee.

I was just happy to see my friend. Once the signing concluded, we got a little chance to chat as our families walked around the Stanford campus together.

Pregnant!

2009-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Did I get your attention? :) It's not me who's expecting-- it's Ella! But don't worry, like all the other babies she grows in her tummy (which is about one every other day), she's planning on "giving this baby to be adopted."

Another Year of YPS in the Books

2009-05-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Dave's weekly commitment to youth group came to an end last night, though he still anticipates a season busy with graduations and graduation parties, then HiCamp and a week-long service trip to Mississippi this summer. The end of the year party was as fun as always-- and maybe even more so because a certain pastor's wife and her daughters crashed the party this year! Since Phil is a leader and Phil and Jetta opened their brand new pool this winter, they hosted the party. Some brave souls actually swam (while all our girls watched on the fence). Most played volleyball in the front yard or Frisbee golf in the pasture. The part of the party everyone looks forward to is the excellent DVD our expert photographer/videographer Jeremy edits together. This year the video helped us farewell the seniors and laugh over clips of people wiping out on the Winter Retreat tubing run.

In a Cleaning Mood

2009-05-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

Today Ella caught a cleaning bug. On her own, she decided to wash her bike. When she was done she asked, "What can I wash now? My scooter?" I had another idea...

Seven Reasons My Mother's Day was Marvelous

2009-05-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

1. Ella asking me, "Is today Mother's Day? Yes? Oh, I need to tell you how much I love you then!" on the walk to church.

2. Ella then saying, "I do love you so much! And I love Jesus."

3. Pool party and BBQ with my surrogate family.

4. Tri-tip, watermelon and strawberry shortcake.

5. Watching Delia try to figure out how to get in the pen with the cows to hug, kiss and pet them.

6. Amazing Race Finale!

7. The opportunity to reflect on the host of moms, sisters and friends who have taught me countless things about mothering. If you're reading this, you're probably one of them, so thanks! Happy Mother's Day!

More Fun Without Daddy

2009-05-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

Though I never played any sport on any team, a while ago I taught Ella and Delia how to stack our hands up and pump them shouting, "1-2-3 GO TEAM!" We do this cheer regularly for random reasons. Today as we sat by the lake munching strawberries Ella said, "Mommy can we make a hand sandwich and yell 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!'?" That is the best way to describe the wonderful day I had with my 2 best girl friends.

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Again, escaping a day with no Daddy, we took off to take advantage of a zoo membership perk-- free admission to almost all other zoos in the country. The little zoo we explored today is that super small one I feel funny even calling a "zoo." Under construction, the good animals-- seals, alligator and snow leopard-- weren't even on exhibit. Good thing we didn't have to pay the $5 to get in! :) The girls got a real kick out of the noisy monkeys and birds, though, and a highlight was definitely the new and interactive lorikeet habitat. Ella made it clear she did not want to feed the birds this time, but that didn't stop them from landing on us! Delia continues to talk about the "birdie head, birdie hat, me." Both girls laughed manically while we were in the bird enclosure (wonder and delight mixed with fear, I think.)

The little zoo is actually one of many attractions at a large park. After an hour of monkeys, we put on the swim suits and hit the water play area. Each year Ella gets braver and braver in the fountains. I was surprised we had the whole place to ourselves on a Saturday.

A picnic by a quaint lake and some slides and swings at the playground completed the day. My girls are getting to an age where it's just fun to hang out with them. They bring me so much joy. Going on an adventure with them is truly like spending time with friends.

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Oh, and do you notice what Delia is not wearing in these pictures? Yesterday marked 3 weeks since her break and the brace came off!

What's Growin' On? (Part 2)

2009-05-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, Dave is gone this week. He's in Chicago preparing to do his cousin's wedding on Saturday. I've said before that my best strategy for dealing with Dave-less-ness is distraction. We take road trips, we go on outings and, this time, we do big projects. The project we tackled was getting our vegetable garden ready for summer. Anyone who visited us this winter and had to stroll by the jungle of weeds to get to their guest house can testify what a big project this was. But, after a few days of weed-butt-kicking, we were ready for the fun stuff.

Don't let this picture fool you. Ella and Delia were, unfortunately, not that helpful in the weed removal department. They were great at making dirt birthday cakes and adopting slugs as pets (ugh, my girls are SO tenderhearted!)

For the days of back-breaking work that weed-pulling and dirt hoeing is, we rewarded ourselves with a trip to the nursery to pick out this year's veggies.

And here's the fertilized, mulched, labeled and finished product-- our modest garden. On the menu for this summer are cherry and beefstake tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini, basil and cucumbers.

Ella's Open House-- For You, Hun

2009-05-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight (and until Monday) Dave is far away, so he sadly had to miss Ella's Preschool Open House. I wanted to post right upon returning, so he could feel like he was there! :)
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After hugging her teachers, Ella showed me where she sat on the rug and at the table and then paged through each of her books with me-- Alphabet, Counting and Bible stories.

When I told Ella that Daddy wouldn't be able to come, I asked if she wanted to invite anyone else. She replied, "Gramma Jean!" and asked her on Sunday. Ella showed her adopted Grandma all around too-- pointing out her favorite toys and books. We were surprised when Julie and Mikaela also stopped by for Ella!

This is the All-About-Ella sign that was on a special bulletin board. As you can read, her favorite outdoor toy is the jungle gym...

Friends! (Above, Jacob and Bailey. Below, Mikaela)

The girls thought getting a cookie and balloon was pretty awesome and danced with their tied-on balloons the whole walk home! After my first day of single-parenting, I loved the 45 minute opportunity to converse with fellow parent friends.

What's Growin' On? (Part 1)

2009-05-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

I love our home in the spring. The lawn is lush from a winter of rain, the hydrangea is getting ready for its June explosion, the roses are more than thriving and all my flower beds and wine barrels are bursting with color. It won't be long until we enter the long, hot, dry season and, trust me, the things I grow just don't have the strength to battle it! (Or maybe it's me who lacks the strength.) So we enjoy it now. Wanna take a spring tour with me?
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These California poppies came up wild in my garden this year.

The snapdragons I planted in January are still going strong.

Ella and Delia sometimes pick bouquets on the sly. If they didn't so thoughtfully give them to me as a present, I would be more mad. (These are actually all weeds Ella is holding-- pick away!)

Ah, I'm crazy about my roses!

For Mother's Day, Dave and the girls gave me two fruit trees, which was actually Ella's idea! Here Delia and Dave plant the orange tree. The peach tree will go in soon.

We can't wait for fresh oranges and peaches!

Beyonce and Shamu

2009-05-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

A Plug

2009-05-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

For any mama who has ever stood in a kitchen with a little one on a step stool beside you asking to help, I have the perfect book! We just received our copy of Cora Cooks Pancit and it has already been read multiple times and labeled our new favorite book. My favorite thing about this book? It's written by my talented college roomie, Dorina Lazo Gilmore! This is the 3rd children's book Dorina has published. It is stellar. The story sings with her personal touch-- from the noodle dance party to the retorts of the Mama character to the stories of grandparents who've immigrated from a far-away country. Ella and I have logged hours cooking and baking together so we both connected with the base story of a mom and daughter spending quality time together in the kitchen. I'm so proud of Dorina and so pleased to add this adorable, colorful and tasty book to our bookshelf!

Bad Hair Day

2009-05-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Kid-Tested Recipes

2009-04-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

A recent search for our grill's manual, led me to a whole stack of kiddie cookbooks and recipes on file I'd kind of forgotten about. Lately I've been letting Ella pick one recipe each week that she wants to try (we usually make it on Friday). Here are some of the favorites we'd recommend:

(This one's purely for fun-- ain't nothing healthy about it!)

Haystacks or Birds Nests

1 2/3 cup peanut butter chips

1 Tbs. shortening (not butter, oil or margarine)

3 cups chow mein noodles

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and zap (on high) 1 minute. Stir. If necessary, keep microwaving in 15 second intervals until mixture is melted and smooth when stirred. Immediately mix in chow mein noodles. Drop mixture by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared tray. Let stand until firm-- use fridge to speed progress. Store in covered container.

(Admittedly, I was not a fan of the overripe, mashed bananas in this one, but my girls gobbled it up!)

Monkey Mash

1 or 2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

sliced apples

Peel bananas and mash. Mix in peanut butter, raisins and cinnamon. Spread on or dip in apple slices.

(These chewy cookies were such a hit, Delia continues to ask, "Honey?" each time we start baking something!)

Honey Bee Cookies

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, honey and egg on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Leave enough space between them, they'll spread! Bake until set and light brown around the edges, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cookies stand 3 to 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet. We sprinkled our cookies with a little cinnamon/sugar (2 Tbs. sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon) as soon as they came out the oven.

(This is actually a recipe from Teri that we make regularly. TRY IT!! It makes a bunch and lasts much longer than the stuff you buy. It's cheap and safe if you have a play dough eaters. And there is just nothing like playing with soft, warm play dough!)

Homemade Play Dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

4 Tbs. oil

4 tsp. cream of tartar

food coloring

Mix dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients, including food coloring. Stir in a large sauce pan over medium heat. When mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a ball, remove from heat. Turn mixture on counter and knead 10-15 times.

Sending Traffic Your Way, Kris! :)

2009-04-30T09:07:00.001-07:00

If you want to read the beautiful story of my nephew Cole, straight from his mother, click here. My hilarious sister-in-law Kris has recently started her own blog. Her link is over to the right, if you ever just need a good laugh!

Two Places

2009-04-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

As a friend of mine says, last night I had to put on my super hero cape and figure out how to be in two places at the same time. Ella concluded her year of Awanas last night with a brief program and awards ceremony. Dave organized a much anticipated Council vs. Youth Group softball game. Both events went from 6:30 to 8:00.

I decided, obviously, Ella was the priority. So first stop was for her. It was cute to watch her and her Awanas buddies in their blue vests running around the sanctuary. Then we all sat down to do pledges and hear each age group stand on stage and sing a song/recite a verse. Ella received a certificate and a book. Since her group, the Cubbies, is the youngest, they got to go first and we were able to slip out early.

Half the fun of Awanas for Ella was the carpool she shared with her buddy Jared each Wednesday night. Experiencing "Cubbies" together each week bonded them even more. Jared cried when we snuck out early.

Then off to the ball field, just minutes away (small town geography helped immensely in my Super Mom duties last night!) Dave's youth group plays softball against another CRC's youth group every year. The rivalry was getting a tad unhealthy, though, so Dave came up with this new plan to give everyone a much more fun time. The competition was fierce-- and it began last Sunday when Pastor Bruce, from the pulpit, invited the congregation "to come witness our high schoolers learn a lesson in humility and prowess!" Many of the students' dads are Elders and Deacons so the family rivalry was running high. It was awesome to see a huge crowd from the church come out the ball field to cheer on their favorite side. As it turns out, the youth group did have to taste defeat, but we were all winners for sharing a night of laughter and fellowship!

Delia was SO into the game. She never took her eyes off Dave and waved at him exclaiming, "Daddy throw ball!" each time he was in the field. Dave was the pitcher for his youth group.

It was a chilly night, we giggled with Jetta's girls over how many VMs we could get to fit under my one blankie (I think we had 8 at one point!).
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I'm bragging about my powers in getting us to hit two events in an hour and a half, but really it's my family I'm so proud of. Dave planned a phenomenal event that someone told us was "great for our church" and Ella completed a whole year of lessons and verse memorizing and can tell us all about sin and Jesus and heaven.

Get Injured, Get Presents

2009-04-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you were so quick to send Delia (and Ella) presents when she broke her collar bone. I wanted to write this post to show you how much the girls have been enjoying your thoughtfulness!

Grandpa and Grandma were cute in sending a Target gift card with instructions to pick out a "nice, quiet toy, like a book or stickers..." We got the girls this Play-Doh set where they can make crazy creatures by pushing eyes, limbs and hats into the dough. This is a perfect activity for Delia!

The Garden of Whales story arrived from Uncle Kyle. Delia loves to page through and pick out the killer whales in the beautiful illustrations. As she gets older, she'll appreciate the story about protecting and saving endangered whales.

The princess tattoos came from Auntie Kris. These had to be applied pretty much the second they were opened and an epic battle for the Cinderella one ensued.

Auntie Karen and family sent Delia a box of Shamu goodies. While she was clear that the cuddly Shamu puppet was for Ella too (to entertain Delia with), Ella adopted that Shumu as just hers and now sleeps with it every night. Delia is down with this. It's fun how they each have one now. A sure way to solicit giggles from Delia is to make puppet Shamu eat her nose.

We play with the Little People plane every day and it will be useful in teaching Delia about what's going to happen as we embark on our Midwest all-VM-family vacation in July. Her sweet daddy really wanted to get her a new toy after she got injured.

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So, thanks everyone for turning our trip to the ER into another Christmas! :)

At Least She's Listening

2009-04-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a conversation I had with Ella while she helped me with the laundry:

Ella: Hey! Our dryer has a light in it! Isn't that neat?

Mom: Why do you think we have a light in our dryer? Are the clothes afraid of the dark?

Ella: I don't know Mommy. I guess that's just the way God made our dryer.

Her response cracked me up because this is something she hears from me constantly. Some of the most recent questions it answered were, "Why do flamingos stand on one leg?" and "Why do bats hang upside-down?" and "Why can't whales smell?" and "Why do bees have stingers?" It works well when I have no clue what the answer to her question is!

Some Giggles to Brighten Your Day

2009-04-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

Perfectly timed with my complaining in yesterday's post, my friend Penny dropped off 4 bulging bags of toys and clothes her daughters had outgrown. My girls are finding the There's a Wocket In My Pocket story utterly hilarious on their new Leap Frog toy.

Delia Distracted

2009-04-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am currently involved in one my hardest parenting challenges yet: getting a very active toddler to take it easy and shun her monkey ways for a whole week (at least). Delia's injury requires that she be calm and safe and as still as possible. To prevent the constant "NO!" rebuke, Dave and I have always parented Delia with a "pick-your-battles" philosophy. Dancing on the coffee table: okay. Scaling the entertainment center shelves: not okay. Everything she is used to doing to burn off energy, from wrestling with Lily, to riding the scooter around the patio, to jumping on the couch is now off limits. The way I handle this is with non-stop supervision. I learned quickly that if I take even 5 minutes to answer the phone or put the laundry in the dryer, Delia will be on top of something (like the bathroom counter). And while I do love to play with my girls, ceaseless Little People, puzzles, baby doll, etc. are exhausting! The key is distraction-- for both of us. Today we took a nice long time baking some blueberry muffins (and Delia involved in the eating of our product is what is allowing me to type this now!). I do write this lightheartedly, I AM so thankful she seems to feel just like her normal self and have no pain at all.

What We've Been Playing

2009-04-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

After Friday's experience, Ella has a whole slew of new words to add to her vocabulary: collar bone (she calls it "the bone on your collar"), x-ray, hospital bracelet, triage, etc. We've been playing lots of "Emergency Room." We've had to make Ella her own bracelet, pretend x-ray her and wrap her make-believe broken wrist dozens of times. I know she's feeling a little left out because today in Children and Worship she requested prayer for the ouchie on her elbow. Hey, whatever she needs to cope with this! Both girls are doing great.

First the Happy Post

2009-04-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

Get ready for lots of zoo posts because yesterday we became members of the Oakland Zoo! If you regularly read this blog, you know a few things about us. One, we are always on the lookout for a good outing or day trip. Two, we love, love, LOVE the zoo. The bulk of Delia's vocabulary is animal names and sounds. She can spot any dog, cat or bird that comes anywhere within the vicinity of our house and points out every cow we pass while driving. I call Ella "Fern" (from Charlotte's Web) because she and anything furry seem drawn to each other. She talks about becoming a veterinarian or pet shop owner when she grows up. Our girls are such animal fanatics, Dave and I regularly lament the fact that they will not grow up experiencing a world-class zoo right next door, as we did. We really like the about-an-hour-away Oakland Zoo and thought this was a good idea. Come visit us and we'll take you too!

Now the Sad Post

2009-04-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, while we were at the zoo, Delia had a minor accident. She broke her collar bone when she fell off the back of our Sit-n-Stand stroller. She was holding onto a cooler that slipped and she went down with it, landing squarely on her shoulder. We instantly knew something was really wrong when she was inconsolable and wouldn't let us touch her. She's normally totally resilient-- laughing off even the biggest falls. We decided to head home right away. Though it was Delia with the broken bone, Ella was the one who cried for most of the drive home. Nope, not because she was sad for her sister, because she did not want to leave the zoo! We called her doctor and were told to head to the hospital. The 5 hour wait in the ER was killer-- especially when Dave and Delia had to turn around and go right back at 9:30 pm. Delia traded her incorrectly-given sling for a clavicle strap and all is okay now. She slept straight through the night and is showing decent mobility today and doing just a bit of whining. Dave kept using the world "brave" over and over to describe how she handled this entire process. Delia will rest, wear the strap constantly (wish us luck with that!) and be as good as new in a couple weeks. Of course, we feel terrible for our sore little honey, but really this was inevitable. Delia got those, um, active genes from her father. I suspect this is a girl who will have lots of "scar stories!"
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Strawberries!

2009-04-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

A stop at the newly-opened strawberry stand was on our list of errands today. LOVE this time of year!

Free

2009-04-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

The other day I was driving with the girls when the Newsboys song "I Am Free" came on KLOVE. Ella heard the words and exclaimed, "I LOVE this song! This is MY song!" As she continued to listen she peppered me with questions like, "Why do they have to be free to dance?" or "Are the people who sing this free?" I tried to give her an understandable-to-a-3-year-old explanation of what it means to find freedom in Christ. I was so impressed at how into this song she was getting! After a while, though, she came out with, "I won't be free for long, soon I'll be four."

Of course, what could I do but bust out laughing? We're still working on those "th's." :)

Click here to watch a video, if you're unfamiliar with this song.

Love Affair with a Whale

2009-04-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of Delia trivia you may be unaware of: she is completely, unequivocally and obsessively in love with Shamu. This started before our San Diego vacation in our efforts to expose the girls to and educate them on what they'd be seeing. The actual meeting of "Ah-moo!" completed this crush. The best $10 we ever spent on this girl was the purchase of a stuffed Shamu from Sea World, which she cuddles with each night and carries around much of the day. The killer whale is her favorite rubber bath toy, favorite page in the Baby Beluga story and favorite piece in the ocean toy set we got from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At the library a few weeks ago, Delia's Shamu radar went off and she came running up to me with some random National Geographic movie about Orcas she somehow located on the VHS shelf. So, of course, in her Easter basket was the This Is the Day book-- which we've already read 100 times. And yes, I am starting to brainstorm ideas for the Shamu-themed 2nd birthday party!

Egg Hunt

2009-04-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

We were so pleased to, once again, be invited to share Easter with our CA VM Family. This is such a lovely day, we just drive home sighing happy sighs. The fun begins around 4:00, so we all are able to do our own dinner (Dave rotisserie grilled a marinated turkey-- yum, yum, yum!) and get naps in. The day consists of afternoon tea, dessert, walks through the cows, fellowship, a giant egg hunt then a ham bun supper. This year was breezy and beautiful so we also got out the kites and watched the kids whack around the wiffle ball. Ella even got two good hits!

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The highlight is most definitely the eggs, though. With waaaay more eggs to find than kids to find them, the hunters go home with shopping bags loaded with loot. The eggs contain everything from candy to loose change to peanuts. Since our host had a massive, field-like backyard we just scattered most of the eggs in the grass. To see this through Delia's eyes was hilarious. She wandered around a bit confused, picking up the eggs we pointed out to her. She would shake it and excitedly exclaim, "Nummies!" She then sat down, opened it and ate what was inside. Her haul was not as abundant for this time wasting strategy, but what heaven that must have been for her!

While Ella was looking forward to getting her Easter basket, wearing her new dress to church and hunting for eggs with her friends, she impressed us by always reserving the most excitement for "Jesus rose from the grave! He was dead on Friday and now he is alive!" I loved how she not only understood the meaning of Easter, but was genuinely happy about it.

*****

All in all, it was another perfect Easter to remember and file away with all the other perfect Easters we've had in our country home.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

"Oh praise the one who paid my debt, who raised this life up from the dead!"

"Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow!"

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Happy Easter, friends and family!

Spring Break (Number 1)

2009-04-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ella and Dave had a bit of a spring break clash this year. Ella is off this week. Dave (or his students and thus his youth groups and classes) is off next week. It ended up being impossible for us to escape anywhere even for just a few days over our contradictory spring breaks. We decided to instead enjoy the week off from Awanas and preschool with one intentionally special activity each day.

Monday we visited Meilani.

Tuesday we dyed Easter eggs.

Wednesday night we went to Cold Stone (FYI "nummies" equal M&M's, a term the kids got from Pastor Bruce. His bribery is so effective, in fact, that Delia thinks his name is "Pa-Boo-Nummies." That's what she calls him.)

Thursday we fed the goats and llama, played at the wooden park and checked on the baby chicks at the feed store.

Friday my grand outdoor plans were cancelled when the unseasonably late rain and cold front moved in (watch for them next week over Dave's spring break...). Instead we stayed inside and had a game tournament. I think Ella may soon be ready for Trains! :) And of course, church tonight-- that's always a treat we look forward to.

Beauty Shop

2009-04-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's taken this girl 18 long months, but Delia finally has just enough hair to participate in the game of Beauty Shop with Ella. And what drenched-from-the-squirt-bottle, more-tangled-than-when-we-began, barrette-decorated beauties we are when Ella is done with us!

"Little Us"

2009-04-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

My college roommate and I have officially multiplied to six. Today we took a day trip to meet the newest member of our Girl Party-- Baby Giada. Dorina was a gracious one-armed host with an Easter egg dying project for the girls, even in the midst of nursing, carrying snoozing baby in the sling and changing teeny-tiny diapers. She has always been the multitasking master of keeping all those balls in the air. We tried to help a bit by bringing Dorina, who has been exposing me to different foods the entire time I've known her, an authentic Dutch lunch-- Dutch soup, thick bread and almond bars.
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Ella was very excited to play with her good friend Meilani, but also enjoyed gently holding, kissing and cuddling Baby Giada.

A sleeping angel! Giada graced me some of her new and giant gummy smiles while I held her. Though she's grown considerably in her 7 weeks of life, she still felt pretty small and fragile in my arms.

We spent the afternoon at a really neat park by their house. As we watched Ella, with her short blond bob, and Meilani, with her dark flowing locks, run around squealing, Dorina exclaimed, "It's little us!" It's so special to watch our daughters share friendship too! I expect Delia and Giada will bring us the same sentiments as we watch them play in the future.

New Shoes

2009-04-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Unless it's a gift, Delia does not usually get new clothes. Her size and season matches up with Ella's perfectly, making hand-me-downs such a blessing. She was having a little trouble with the shoes Ella wore the summer she was 18 months though, so last night I took Delia shoe shopping.

Dave thought this was such an indication of how Delia is growing up in personality and communication and got such a kick out of the story, he told me I had to blog it. I plucked about 7 pairs that I thought were appropriate off the shelf and starting trying them on her. After each pair she would shake her head vehemently and say, "No, no, no..." No to the strappy, butterfly sandals. No to the flowered, canvas gym shoes. No to the purple, waterproof sandals. No to the pink, velcro shoes. When we got to this last pair, her eyes lit up and she said "Yeah!!" She thrust her foot out for me to put it on and wouldn't take the shoes off, wearing them home. Of course this was the most expensive pair, but even Dave said, "How could you resist that?"

As you can imagine, we are very used to Ella having quite an opinion about what she will and will not wear, but this is Delia's first display of it!

Swimming in March

2009-03-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Yep, high of 77 today!

Golden Gate Park

2009-03-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because Dave has been working so hard and was feeling a bit burned out. Maybe it's because we heard all these great stories about Kyle and his exciting life in downtown Chicago. Maybe it's because of all the trips we've been making to the bay area as an airport shuttle without stopping for any other adventures. Or maybe it's because our little country-raised daughter asked, "What's a city?" For whatever reason, this morning we up and decided to seize the Saturday and head to San Francisco. Our goal was to explore new areas. We spent the day at the Golden Gate Park and took a new little hiking path along the coast that ended with a spectacular view of the bridge.

Golden Gate Park is always something to see-- packed with a variety of active people and an eclectic mix of attractions. Today we saw a flower conservatory, bison roaming around a field, street performers on crazy jumping stilts and people flying stunt kites on the beach. Our favorite find was this terrific play area for the girls (we've never been to the park with kids before). Ella loved all parts of this unique playground, but especially digging in the sand made wet from little creeks and waterfalls.

Delia climbed sea life statues and waves in a different ocean themed sand area.

Both girls were brave enough to tackle the giant spider web. Delia cracked us up with her determination to just dangle.

Racing down this looong cement slide on a cardboard box lid was thrilling for Ella. The girls regularly read a story about San Francisco that has a picture of children flying down this exact slide.

I'm happy whenever I get to see the ocean!

One last stop at the Dutch tulip gardens and Queen Wilhimena windmill-- San Fran is nothing if not ethnically diverse!

A Little Honey

2009-03-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Look who was sampling my honey while I made the granola this morning!