May, Before You Slip Away

We've had so many good things filling our days lately: happy, healthy kids, mountain biking, renovation awards, funny things kids say, a Cora-initiated haircut, celebrating 60 years of MSI with my parents, and extended family birthday parties (celebrating 12 birthdays in April and May). My brain would rather sleep now than think of creative things to say about all of these blessings, so, may these pictures speak millions of words to you.

Travis, Adam, Aaron, Josh and Nate heading north for a bike-packing trip

Sisterly love while Lou poses with her newly pierced ears

Cora gave me no choice but to finish her bang trim

Date night at the Historic Preservation Awards

Bird watching on the MKE river

Fun selfie on Nancy & Carol's balcony (at the family birthday party)

Congratulations to my amazing parents for leading MSI to such success and through a beautiful renovation!

Dirtying the glass and leaving poopy diapers in the ladies' room...likely the last party this guy will be invited to! 

37 year of our favorite guy, Nate. We celebrated with margaritas and key lime pie!

And because photos can't capture specific things kids say, two Cora quotes from the week:

Chasing [trying to catch] swallows in the field next to Nate's spring league game, Cora cries out "I just want to see you!"

Seeing 4 extra potatoes on the baking sheet at dinner, Louisa states that they are hers. Cora grumbles, saying "they are everyone's. No, actually, they are Jesus' "

Long Lost April

I don't put too much pressure on myself to blog regularly, but it does feel a little bit odd to miss a whole month. I'll blame it on too many parties, since April brought two birthdays, so we now have a four and a six year old. I'm excited because now I can say that my kids are six, four and two, which prompts less of a pity look than saying that my kids are five, three and two. We celebrated Cora's birthday three times: once with our immediate family, once to share the celebration with Aunt Georgia, and a third time with my parents and Cora's besties, Emmett and Cordelia. Cora is a friendly, creative little lady, who loves Moana, Elsa, pajamas and 2nd and 3rd breakfasts. We do our best to appreciate her persistence/stubbornness/passion that I'm told means she will be very successful someday. Bean, stubborn or not, we love you!

Party #2 - white cake with lemon curd and whipped cream

Cora got her very own yoga mat, so here they are, doing Cosmic Kids yoga on Easter Eve

Holding the letter "Y" to spell "We Love You" for Belle Mere's birthday

Pure joy

For Louisa's birthday, we were lucky enough to spend a long weekend with my parents on Coronado, an island near San Diego. We had a wonderful time seeing Grandma Joanie, walking to the beach, seeing my brother and his family, and celebrating the golden birthdays (60 years and 6 years on 4/29) of Louisa and my mom, Belle Mere. Louisa had high hopes for a birthday party with her entire Kindergarten class, but she graciously accepted the fact that we couldn't have a friend party and go to CA to celebrate with her grandma. Lou seems to be getting more and more "happy-go-lucky" the older she gets. She loves school, her friends, and piano lessons. She reflected the other day, saying, "I think the last time I had a time out was when I was three, in the rental house." It's true, she doesn't often need time outs, but I think she must have had a least one in her fourth year and one in her fifth.

Dress rehearsal of Moana Live!

Reminding myself that in Campbell, we couldn't walk to the beach, made it easier accept the fact that we left CA

Crafting with Grandma Joanie

The birthday girls