Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It has been this kind of a week!  While many of you are experiencing nicer weather, we, in the Great NW, are still experiencing 40 ish degrees, and lots and lots of RAIN!  We are all deficient of Vitamin D, and need a little sunshine in our lives.  Alas, I think we will have to wait until at least late June!  The upside is, it is super green here, and the kids are expert puddle jumpers!

Spring Break

Last week was spring break for my kiddos and we went down to Portland to spend time with my family and see some friends.  The kids had fun playing with my mom's daycare kids, and it was fun to spend time with my parents and catch up with some friends as well.
We went swimming at an aquatic center on Friday night, and the kids LOVED the big curly water slide.  The girls had to ride on our laps, but they all wanted to do it over and over again, even lil' Luci.  She thought she could even swim on her own and would bat at our arms to let her go.  She's so adventerous!

Here's my lil' swimmer in her new swimsuit.  A birthday gift from Grandma and Grandpa.  I love the swimming cap! 

  Saturday night we went to listen to my brother Andrew preach at one of the churches he helps at.  He did a great job, and it was so cool to see him doing what God has called him to do.  Afterwards we enjoyed an indoor picnic dinner of sorts with the church members.  It was a neat time of eating and fellowship.  It is something that I admire about small churches and their ability to be close, and part of one another's lives.
On Sunday morning we went out to breakfast at one of our favorite Portland, Alberta St.'s joints.  It was delicious.  Later we went to Jantzen Beach to let the kids ride the carousel.  They liked it so much, they talked my Dad into another ride.  The kids and I took off for home after that, and had a nice reunion with John that afternoon.  

Alive and well

Hello Friends!  Just a quick update to let you know, we are doing fine.  A few weeks ago, John went to Spain for a law school class (I know, tough place to have a class, huh?), and he took my camera with him.  So, I was left without a way to capture our highlights.  It worked out perfectly, that the week John was gone, my mom had been planning on coming to stay with us (she's made it a tradition the last several years to come up on her spring break).  My Dad was able to join us on the weekends, and my brother Andrew and his wife Karen Rose even came for a few days.  So, as much as we missed John, my family helped us pass the time quickly.  Here's what we did while he was away;

• My mom taught my sisters in law and I how to sew!  We made summer dresses for the girls, and they turned out so cute.  
• We made darling button bouquets.  (I'll have to take a picture and post it).
• We worked out at my gym together.  
• The bunk bed we ordered the girls arrived in the mail, and my brothers put it together for us.  
• Luci turned 2 years old, and we celebrated her birthday along with my Dad's. 
• We took care of sick kiddos, Gabi had been on antibiotics for an ear infection, Luci got diagnosed with one on her birthday at her well child checkup, and Emilio became very sick with strep throat later in the week.  Thank goodness for Amoxillin.  
• We made a late night Ikea run without kids (thanks to my Dad), and found some treasures for Gabi's birthday coming next month.  

It was a great time!  On Sunday, after my family had left, the kids and I made a "Welcome Home Daddy!," poster.  I had them get into their pajamas before we headed out to the airport that night to pick him up.  The kids stood their in their pj's with their poster, and waited for their Daddy to come up the escalator, and we got SO MANY SMILES from passerbyers.  It really was fun to see how they made so many people light up that evening.  We had a great reunion with Daddy too!  The kids were also really happy with their little treasures that he brought home from Spain for them.  Emilio got a red "bull" shirt, Gabi got a beautiful Flamenco fan, and Luci got castanets.  I got a tiny mosaic bull that looks great in my kitchen.  We were glad to have him home with us!