MAY all your dreams come true

The family at a winery :)

Whew. What a whirlwind! But who could expect anything less from a month packed to the brim with birthdays, mother's day, vacation, Disneyland, travel town, wine tasting, friends and family! It has been wonderful and each day brings more laughter and love.

Jumping

golfing at Uncle Darrell's- good form huh?

running

Seriously, these two boys are at some of the cutest ages! Samuel, almost 2 and a 1/2 is constantly echoing what we say AND coming up with some random hilarity of his own! Plus his activity level is ever increasing. He loves to "color on paper". He colors, "ABCDE" and "circle" and "motorcycle".. which are all scribbles to the untrained eye. Samuel, is a running, jumping, climbing boy! He loves to "get the mail" with Daddy which usually includes a trip to the pond or stream where he "throw rocks in da water!" This is very high on his list of fun. In fact he really enjoys playing in water. He plays in the sink with cups and bowls; gets out pots and pans and transfers water from container to container. Some of his latest gems have been:

• "Mommy, no phone. Make food!" ( Yes sir!)

• "Trash truck! Diapers in there." ( Diapers make up about 90 percent of our trash these days)

• "Brennan! Be patient"

• "Where Grampa's weenie?" (Oh- randomly whilst eating dinner at my parents house.)

• "Brennan! Whatchyou doin' Brennan? I miss you!" ( In a super high pitched sing-songy voice, you know, how you talk to babies.)

little mover

so big

Brennan is 9 months old and he is our little scooter. He is army crawling all OVER the house! He is a super bouncy, smiley, chatty, inquisitive boy (grabby might be a better word). He loves to splash in the bathtub with his brother, whom he just cannot get enough of. He babbles and squeals, bounces and giggles and just gives you the most adorable grin that draws a straight line across his face, not showing any of his 8(!) teeth. He has cat-like reflexes grabbing on to random object with a super-speed swipe or, most often, slapping his food right off the spoon onto his lap. Sometimes he even gets a hold of the entire container. So fun for mommy to clean up.

Splashing in the sink!

In line for the roller coaster- Samuels review: "That fun!"

Disney land was a blast! The boys both did great. Samuel took a nap like a champ in the stroller and Brennan basically hung out all day. NO meltdowns. And Samuel even got some special stickers. You can only get these stickers if you get lost at the Happiest Place on Earth! Not such a happy moment for everyone else, but he seemed just fine.

checking out his "special stickers"

pajama time!

Oh yeah, I turned 30. Joyously opened a gift for 30 days leading up to the bid day. All things from, soap, lotion, chap stick, shirt, headband, nail polish, cd's, i-tunes gift card, bracelet, framed photo and on Day 0 a sweet framed list of 30 things my family loves about me! Some randoms were:

1. Her hair always looks good. (What they hay, let's start off good. I can promise you, NOT all the time. But thanks)
2. Her outspokenness, you never have to wonder if she has an opinion on something. (Umm thanks? I'll work on that)
3. She is willing to take risks ( My trust is in my God!)
4. I remember roller skating in the kitchen when we were kids. ( Where are those roller skates? I could get things done a lot faster if I was rollin!)
5. Her laugh, I love when you laugh, and when you smile, or when I've made you happy even in the smallest way. (thanks my love .. tear.)

So I guess I'll start using anti-aging cream now.



 We spent 10 days in California, celebrating lots of birthdays and mother's day and just filling our tank with family time! It was sooo good to refresh, yet so sad to see the boys looove their families only to take them "away" again. Soon we will be back, soon.

water dancing!

Grandad and Brennan

Gram and Samuel

Cousins (2nd)

Coopers

Uncle Jared and Miss Rachel!

Cappocchi birthdays at San Antonio Winery

travel town

Brennan videos. Apparently we like to video while he sits at the table. Probably because he is sitting still.

Wanted: one vacation from vacation

He is the cutest thing ever- I am saying so

"Oh Canada...... You're above the United States"... Or so goes the song from my childhood memory ;) Oh and there was nice weather. Other than that ( I will try to keep it brief):

• We were NOT staying in Vancouver, but 20 minutes outside.
• In a very "business-y" hotel
• On a main road with no sidewalks, and nothing to walk to should one decide to brave the stroller in the street technique
• David was working and had to be at his show every afternoon to late in the evening

• No Wi-fi meant no words with friends AAaak!
• Two kids sleeping in one hotel room = a lot of sitting in the dark for mommy
• Samuel had a terrible stomach flu the whole time
• My cell phone was on "international roaming" so I was basically cut off from life!

And we learned some invaluable lessons about trying to make a business trip a family vacation! Don't. The End. New story- We stopped on our way..err.. somewhere..(see above) in Mt.Vernon, WA for the Skagit Valley Tulip festival! Now, tulips happen to be my favorite flower. I am not obsessive about my favorites but. this stop at least reminded me why I have a favorite. It was a beautiful day. We stopped to pick up lunch at a great Co-op with tons of fresh food, healthy, organic, local ingredients. Ate in the park- here it was pretty cold- and played on the playground, then headed for the fields. It was a crowded Saturday. But we loved taking pictures of the beautiful scenery, and Samuel, he loved the puddles!

I took a Sewing 101 class last night through a great company a friend started calledARMOMMY. If I am being honest, I think I really am more of a sewing 102 level. But, it's always good to get back to basics. I ended the night of laughing and pinning and sewing with fun women, with a gorgeous new pillow and lots of revitalized creativity. I think I may need some new curtains and other pillows and then I might move on to clothes. At least I have great intentions.

Brennan boy- playing with his mouth sounds

Brennan and #28

I realized that i didn't include any pictures or really mention Brennan in my last post. Maybe I have been subconsciously trying to block him from my mind because he has been teething and waking me up all night long and fussing all day long. Thankfully one big nasty tooth broke through on Easter and another a few days later. We'll see if there are more to come. Anyway, he is doing great and getting so big.

Today is #28. I went to open a cute card with a pretty flower on it with much excitement.

The last two days I have opened a 'spring OPI nail polish kit' (!) and a box of Giada Di Laurentis' pasta and bamboo spoon- from he new line, she is one of my favorite chefs. So today I opened two cards, neither one from Anna. They were from two of my dearest friends whom I mess tons (Kala&Lindy Lou!)! Their cards touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes (and flowing down my cheeks). It reminded me of how special my friends are, and how blessed I have been to walk the last few years with these amazing women. Oooh! I miss them so. Just a gentle reminder. Then I thought, "maybe this whole gift is a sneaky ploy to get me to move back to California, by showing me what I am missing!" That would be sneaky. So on the third day I have cried over my gift (Which was a handmade tea towel courtesy of miss Lindy). I am afraid this gift may turn out to be a lot more than what I expected-

30 days....

Thirty days left. In thirty days I will be thirty. Thirty. T H I R T Y. weird word. anywho, my lovely sister Anna was just here for a visit for her birthday ( I will not say her age) :) and while she was here a big box arrived addressed to me from her! Oh my! We get boxes often here. Gifts for the boys from far away family who cannot control themselves. But for me? Not unless I ordered it myself. Well this was even better than something I ordered. Inside the box was a sweet card and 30 little gifts all wrapped and numbered! One to open each day until I turn ... thirty. I love this game! I am super in to opening a gift everyday- especially one from Anna who has great taste, thus gives great gifts! I love surprised and gifts and spreading them out for a month! I am not super excited about turning 30. I sort of already feel like I am there. Most of my friends are 30+ and David turned 30 last year, so thanks for making the transition easier for me everyone who is older than me! :)

But back to Anna's visit: She and I went out to a fun and fancy dinner in the "city". We are not afraid of trying much of anything especially at a clean, fabulous restaurant- not off of a truck. So, our delicious dinner consisted of: the confit lamb heart horseradish cream, miners lettuce, preserved meyer lemon; fresh ricotta gnudi artichoke relish, lemon oil, sweet salt; thundering hooves beef tongue black lentils, cherry-mustard compote, spring onions and a special steamed mussel dish with lots of garlic, butter and fennel. Yummmy! Actually, the lamb heart was my least favorite as it was the last one we ate, was served cold and I was pretty full, plus is has a game-y taste and spongey texture. But it was not anywhere near bad. My favorite was the tongue for sure! So good! The cherry mustard compote was sweet and the tongue had a nice crisp outside and tender inside. I realize I am totally grossing some of you out by this- :) It really was great- It's not like there were tastebuds on it or anything, it was just like a piece of beef. We had fun and were so full we couldn't eat dessert. Poo! We did scarf down the tiny chocolate cookie they bring you anyway.

The Tongue

It was unfortunate weather during most of Anna's visit, including Easter, but we had fun anyway. We shopped, and bowled and got pedicures! I am a lucky girl to have had her here on her birthday. ( I am no fool, I know Samuel and Brennan had a little something to do with why she came)

~

It was also Easter this week- which is always one of my favorite holidays. There is nothing I would rather celebrate than the resurrection! Jesus' death fills me full of emotion like nothing else. But He rose again that we may live! Thank you Jesus for Resurrection day! I love going to church and celebrating with others who are thankful like me, and praise Him from their toes. I love the Easter egg hunt in the yard; the sunny weather, the See's suckers that the adults always run around the yard plucking out of the flower beds; and I always love being with family. So, this Easter was a little different. Sadly, it was lacking in most of these areas. It still held all of the meaning, hope, emotion and joy but it just wasn't the same. I missed my church, my family, and the sun!