Sadie is learning to swim. I sit motionless, in awe for 30 minutes each Wednesday and watch her. She's so dang cute. Don't you just love the goggles? 

California Budget Cuts? No problem!

Knowing what Ron does for a living, Rosie's teacher approached him last week and asked if he might be willing to volunteer and teach a P.E class for her K-1 class. 

Oh, yes. 

Take that, Jerry Brown!

Kindergarten!

How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

                                                               - A.A Milne

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Summer vacation in our house is kind of a joke. Ron's busiest time is during the summer months... when I am off of work. 

Yes- it's tricky. 

Naturally, we try to get away for a family vacation at the end of August as Ron wraps up and is relaxed and ready for vacation; and just as my anxiety level is at its peak because school is starting and I am back to work! Stress and all, we had an amazing week away together in the Monterey area. We had many adventures, played, discovered new things, visited friends (and even made some new ones!)

First stop: Carmel Beach. We basically opened the car door and let the girls jump out and run. They were tired of being in the car.

Picnic at Point Pinos Lighthouse

Santa Cruz and Big Sur

Monterey and the Aquarium

This is a park where I used to play as a kid. It still had some of same toys!

Can you say, tourist?

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

(the girls had such a great time here)

Fun times with Laura and Mike Robinson-Harbert

Bass Lake 2012

At the beginning of August we took our annual trip up to Bass Lake with the Hunts. As always, it was an amazing time together. We basically played, swam and ate all day long. It was great. We did visit the Pizza Factory a few times and even took a hike to Nelder Grove in which Erin and I got totally lost, were almost trampled by a herd of cattle and then Erin got stung by a Yellow Jacket... but man, those trees are huge! Unfortunately, I hardly took any pictures. 3 of the 4 pictures that I did take involve some kind of eating. That's how we roll. I keep waiting for my sister to update her blog so that I can steal some of hers :)

Update: Erin did update her blog with Bass Lake pictures, as promised. Take a look!!

http://lucychristine.blogspot.com/

A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Rosie's 5th birthday party was last week 

8 little girl friends (and Henry Hunt)

jammies

lots of giggling

tiaras

Grandma Eckert's handmade bed

fancy nails and princess tattoos
a court jester with an edible juggling routine

twinkle lights and tulle 

popcorn and fairy treats

tiny sandwiches shaped like glass slippers 

Cinderella under the stars

 rainbow "pollyanna" and Cinderella cakes (thanks mom and erin)

pure joy

happy birthday, rosie girl