Remembering Zoey.

We always head out to Zoey's grave site on Memorial day. The girls got to pick out a balloon and a few items for Zoey's grave. Of course, what else but a princess balloon and a princess doll and a bird. (have not a clue about the bird.. but Eva wanted to give that to her)

They got to help clean up her stone and then decorate it. It was a beautiful morning to do this.

I was doing just fine till we decided to leave. Eva ran out to the grassy area and found two flowers to lay on her stone. Then Kiara was telling her good bye in her sweet voice over and over again as we headed out.. She kept running back to her grave and waving goodbye and telling her she loved her. Then as we drove off both girls were doing it. Very sweet, but a very teary goodbye for Mom!

We love and miss you, sweet baby girl!

Jam!!

We went out to Farmer Johns Sat. morning to pick strawberries.. I could not take paying 24 bucks a flat for berry's.. So we headed on out at 9 and had almost 18 pounds of berries by 10am. That is a lot of berries. I ended up making 5 batches of freezer jam. Last year I only made 2 batches and we were out of jam by Dec. (Todd eats spoonfulls of jam on his toast!) So hopefully this year we will make it all the way through winter with strawberry jam.

We had a lot left over. These are not so ripe. So we will use them for just eating and strawberry shortcake. The girls just can not get enough of the strawberries..

Memorial Weekend

Last night Todd decided to "start" getting the pool ready.. Well you all know me too well.. once I start something it must be finished.. So We went to work on the pool.. After about an hour of trying to get the rocks out with just half of the pool down, I decided we needed to just take the entire thing apart and turn the liner upside down to get all the rocks out.. All 50 @#$%@#$%$ pounds of it!! The 6 children will remain nameless who tossed them in.. But next time.. the kids will go in head first.... even in the dead of winter.. I will not do that again because of rocks in my pool! So todd was ready to stop there once we got the liner ontop of one of the play structures for, who else but me! to start cleaning it. No way.. I was not stopping.. I wanted it done.. So I pressure washed it and we got it back up and put together.. Then I decided,, lets just start filling it up.. So there you have it.. The pool is up and running for the summer. And just in time I might add. It looks like 80 degree weather this week. Now you might wonder why the girls are already in it.. This would be about 12:00 the next day.. we had to stop for the night with only about 4 inches in it because I did not want water running over the edge half the night. So I turned it back on to fill Sat. morning before we went strawberry picking. It was full by the time we got home about noon. And yes.. Eva was ready to hop in.. I REALLY did not think she would go all the way in.. The water was freezing. But she did. And she had a great time.

Kia on the other hand.. well she knows better!! She was not having much of the water.. I think she got down onto the second step and said.. I did it!! and that was it.. She just wanted to get her feet wet. And climb on the ladder.

What a great start to the Memorial Weekend. Grandma came over and we BBQ'd!

Then after High Tea.....

Since it was such a pretty day.. And my girls are always out even if it is 50 degrees outside.. They decided to get the suits on and go swimming. Or wading.. in the kiddy pool..

Tea Time

Eva has been dying to have her friend Kyla over for awhile. So we set up a date and decided on a tea. I made the mistake of telling eva on Monday.. And boy she could not let it go all week long.. the tea was on Thurs. Next time I will know better!! But I guess it was one way to practice her days of the week!! She was even more excited when I suprised her at school with Kyla in hand. I decided to pick Kyla up early and let her see where Eva goes to school.. Eva was so very excited to see her at school.

I dug out a pan I have not used yet.. a mini bunt pan.. It really made very cute mini bunt cakes.. Which ofcourse had to have pink sprinkles on them!

The girls did great at the tea. This time Eva drank the tea. And same as last time, Kia had her many cups of tea.

They were eyeing the Mini cakes during the whole thing.. Finally at the end, after we ate out lunch. They dug into the cakes.

Kyla was pretty shocked we were not using play china. She was pretty happy to be using the "real" thing. It was a great time for everyone..

Ballet lessons start

Yesterday was Eva's first day of Private Ballet lessons.. They start them out for 6 weeks in private then she will be placed in a class with other kids. She was very excited to get her ballerina outfit on. I did her hair all up in two buns that morning before preschool. She was a little nervous as we were getting ready but once in the studio she did great..I did not get any pics at class, mainly because the first 10 minutes she kept running over to me and her sister asking a question. It was only us in the huge open studio, so the click of the camera would have been loud and even more distracting. So we decided to take a walk around downtown till her lesson was over. It was a very good idea.. She followed direction really well after that. Then we came back when the lesson was over and there was already a bunch of other little girls getting ready for their class. We decided to stay and watch for a bit, then it was off to Serindipity's for ice cream.

I got a few pics of her at home after class.. Don't ask what she is doing.. a month ago when we went into the studio to check it out, we stayed and watch the pro's practice and they did a warm up kinda like this.. So Eva has done it ever since then.

Beach Day!

We took off to Pacific city yesterday to play at the coast.. It was beautiful. It took forever to get there. There was a bicycle thing going on and they were on the same back road we were to get the Pacific city.. I was not happy.. Then we get there and the usual place to park was all blocked off because that was the end for the riders.. There was nowhere to park!! I was ready to run a few bikers over by that point. Sorry you bikers out there, but they were NOT following the rules and almost cause a wreck on the way over.. damn lady in the hot pink tank.. you know who you are!! She decided she needed the entire road on a curve with anther truck coming at us head on! Anyway.. because we could not park at the normal place we took off and decided to find another beach.. Well a few feet outside of town I looked down and saw a truck on the beach.. and took the first road, that was unmarked.. but decided what the hell.. And once committed to the road... that was it.. a little scary, but the truck made it down (others use the road, if you want to call it that, too) and we ended up on the beach. Didn't even have to put it in 4 wheel drive.. parked by those rocks you see in the background. It was perfect. There is a little stream coming down and the girls had a blast playing in that.. Then we hit the tide pools.. (poor Todd, he is such an Idahoian.. Had no clue what tide pools were) They were deep enough for the girls to swim around in. Some where up to Kia's chest. And they were warm..

They had to inspect Todd's find of a sand crab.. Those thing can move when they want away from kids! LOL

We did not want to leave, but around 2:30 a bunch more cars showed up and started playing loud music.. very annoying to say the least. This will become our new beach getaway.. We plan on going back in a few weeks.. this time, bring more towels.. more towels.. more towels.. and more food. We could have stayed all day had we not eaten all the snacks and drinks we brought.

Yikes!! Help please.

We have about 75 more days to go.. I know the sign to the right says 80 but the I have a date already selected for the c-section.. either July 29th or July 31.. Not sure yet.. I am going to ask for the 31, just because that is a Friday and will work better for Todd.. that is if David will do it then! Anyway.. I am going to have to come up with a new blog name.. so I need your help..
Of course dragonfly must be in the name... I was thinking.. Dragonfly's... three sisters and a brother... or just Dragonfly's... don't care for Dragonfly family.. hmmm... Leave a comment on your idea's for a new blog name.. :) hopefully before the boy comes I will have chosen one!!
Thx

sleeping beauty

Ok.. so below you will see the tea we had on this day.. this is after 5 cups of tea.. Maybe the tea did not have as much Caffeine as I thought it did.!! She was out!!

Tea for 3

Well since the girls saw all the tea stuff at the church.. (they were there for set up and break down) they were beging to have their own tea party.. So on Monday we had one. I had left over goodies from the high tea. (thank goodness, cause I did not want to make anything else)

They stayed outside till I had everything ready.. Then I called them in and they were totally excited..

yes I used the good china!! They took their time with the cups and did great.. No breakage or spillage!!

Eva was not sure about the tea.. but Kia had 5 cups of it.. after the 5th cup I realized this tea must have caffeine in it!?! So much for no caffeine for the girls.. ok.. so I can handle a little caffeine in tea!!

This will become a regular event for the house.. The girls really loved the time.

High Tea

Again this year we had a high tea for a fundraiser for MOPS.. this was my table.. (See Mac.. I do use Jan's China :) And actually a lot of people love her pattern. It was handed down to Todd and I from his mom Jan. We had a fun time at the tea.. Got to try more tea's.. KC decided she liked tea with milk in it.. Now she is hooked.. My favorite tea so far is Plum Monkey.. Yup that is the name..

I mad little boxes from my cricut and put in them my cake pops and some new Peanut butter truffles.. Really they are just my Peanut butter cups in a truffle form.. They were a pain to make, but I think it was just because I had never made them in a mold before and, well,,,, I need practice!!

this year we held it in the gym.. next year though.. I think we will try and move it back to room 112 like last year..

And dont worry, KC and I did not wear those hats for the tea.. This is the picture corner we have.. you dont see them, but the girls were having a blast trying on all of Amy's tea clothes..

Ohhh.. till next year!! I can rest for the summer!

Really?!?

Ok.. so when I said I was torturing myself again this year.. I should have said I was torturing my plants.. Can you just hear the Silencing of the lambs with these tomatoe plants.. They are screaming at night to be taken to Jenny's house.. Poor plants.. I just do not know what to do with them.. But I am not giving up.. I have faith that this weekend they might like the sun..

but.. my lettuce actually sprouted!! now that is something atleast!