Frankly Speaking

Lin-Sane

2012-02-13T22:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a basketball fan, but this story is pretty cool. Have you joined the 'Linsanity"?

tea

2012-02-12T22:09:00.000-08:00

Productivity

2012-02-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

There are days as a "Mom-wife-photographer-babysitter-housekeeper-cook-taxi driver-etc,etc,etc" where I honestly feel like I get NOTHING done in a day. I am DOING something all the time, it just seems like if I were to sit down and actually quanitfy what got DONE the list would be pretty small. Then there are days like today where I feel like EVERYTHING got done... Yard sale shopping (it was

Cla...ire

2012-02-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

Claire writing out her Valentine's... reminds me of awhile ago when she was learning how to spell her name: See-el-a.........eye-are-eee

First Competition

2012-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

Hannah upped the ante and little this year as a dancer when she was invited to be on the Jumpstart competition team at our dance studio. This was the first year the owner/coach decided to invite 6-7 year olds onto a team, so it is a little bit of uncharted territory for all of us. :-) Last weekend was the first of three competitions for the year. The girls did a great job performing to the

Did we hibernate?

2012-02-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Winter has passed us by. As in, it never came. I am no longer afraid to say it. I don't think I am jinxing anything by saying it. I think we all were just sitting and waiting and ... nope...nothin'! I am totally fine with it. Give me 65 degrees and sunny any day... nope EVERYDAY and I could be a happy girl. Don't get me wrong... I would have loved a few days of sit-by-the-fireplace

Gymnastics!

2012-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

I had been meaning to sign Claire up for Gymnastics since soccer ended. I felt she could use another activity during the winter months and she seems to have a natural ability/desire to learn different gymnastics skills. Finally, I got in and signed her up last month and she has now had three classes. No suprise, she LOVES every second of her class and seems to be picking up right where the

So far today...

2012-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Claire has: Wiped the kitchen table Swept the kitchen floor, and then dry Swiffered Unloaded the laundry from the dryer, and folded what she knew how to fold from that load Wiped the sliding glass door in the living room, inside and out All without being asked. This has been her for the past few weeks off and on. Yet, her room is a distaster. Just now she told me she didn't want to eat her

Limes that look like Lemons

2012-02-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Want to know one of my favorite things? I LOVE being able to go out to a tree in my own backyard and pick fruit to eat right now. I LOVE that we have so random variety of limes that are actually yellow on the outside and look like lemons. I LOVE having a cup of tea every night with some honey and lime. OK- so that was three of my favorite things... but you get the idea. I'm a big fan of

Dress Shopping

2012-02-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago the girls all made the trip to Modesto to pick up my sister's wedding dress :-) I am getting so excited!! Only a few short months until she will be Mrs. Santiago!! I didn't realize Claire closed her eyes for this photo... it was a bit bright out there. Happy Wedding dress Auntie!!

February Goals

2012-02-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

Health (at least) 20 minutes of working out six days per week. More is better. Don't go overboard at Super Bowl, bring healthy foods. Incorporate/try two (healthy) new foods that you have never used at home before. Make a dinner plan/menu for each week. Shop one winter farmer's market in town. Household Clean out and organize our bathroom cabinets. <--Make them functional! Clean, fold and PUT

Hannah and the book light

2012-02-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

Chirstmas. Tons of presents, all sorts of goodies, games, you name it. The evening of Christmas, we were about to head out from my parent's house and my Dad casually asks Hannah if she would ever want a book light. She was interested and he gave her an extra one he had on hand. She has used that thing every single night since. By far her favorite gift from Christmas and a GREAT motivation

Claireism #133: Toby ate the...

2012-02-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Ahhh Claire. I have no idea how I forgot to post this, it was a forever-ago occurance. Back when Toby (the dog) was still new around here he got ahold of one of my bra's from the laundry somehow and chewed the middle portion so the bra was basically cut in half (he has never done anything like this since). Claire happened to be the one that found it and proclaimed: "Toby ate the Boobs!!!"

January Goal Reflection

2012-01-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

Health: Take specific steps to become a healthier person and family. MOVE at least 15 minutes everyday and get your heart rate up. More is better. Moved MOST days, I would say six out of seven days on average for the month. Most days were a full workout instead of just fifteen minutes. As the budget allows, choose real food to bring into the house and actually cook with it I have purchased more

Real Life... It sometimes sucks.

2012-01-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

Sucks. It is seriously a yucky word. Granted, it is much better than other choice words, I still don't really want my kids walking around telling everyone that "(fill-in-the-blank) sucks". But, this situation really does... suck. If you don't live around here, or if you do but have been hibernating under a rock for the past four days, a teacher was arrested on Friday from our school for

Hannah and the Toothpaste

2012-01-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

My kids are toothpaste snobs. Wait. No. They are toothpaste wimps. Maybe your kids are the same way, but mine only like the sweet-bubble-gum-tastes-like-you-are-brushing-your-teeth-with-sugar stuff. In an affort to break them of this habit, and move them toward a normal minty-fresh mouth I found a 'junior' toothpaste a few months ago. In my opinion, not quite as minty as adult stuff,

Claire-ism #132: Brake vs. Brain Check

2012-01-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

We were driving home the other night and Toby was in the back of our car. He was whining and putting his head over the seat to bug the girls so John made the offhand comment that he should brake-check him if he didn't sit down. (Yes, very mean, I know) Of course this led to the discussion/questions of brake checking. A few minutes later Toby must have done it again becasue Claire announces.

January Goals

2012-01-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

I have been hesitating to actually write down goals for 2012. For starters, I don't feel like I did so well last year and I don't want to put it out there if I am not willing to put in the effort to follow through. Sad, but true. Secondly, I have been tossing around the idea of having monthly goals. Like a monthly check-up to see where I am and keep myself in check. On this flip side, this

Smiling and Bubbles

2012-01-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

Claire is tough to get a genuine smile from. A few weeks ago I grabbed the camera during bathtime and somehow captured this. It is my favorite right now.

Confusion

2012-01-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Healthy Eating. What does that mean? To some, it means fewer calories. Others, it means whole, real foods. I am sure to many, it is a combination of those and many other factors. I joined Weight Watchers again. I am now a fourth-time offender. (I do have a good excuse for stopping two of the three times I stopped... pregnancy kind of omits you from being allowed on the program.) This

Nurse Call

2012-01-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

First call from the school nurse today. Poor Hannah had an ear infection. Thankful for a few things about this situation: The nurse at my kid's doctor's office is awesome and got us in right away, resulting in minimal wait time and minimal stress. The fact that my kids are now old enough to tell me what is wrong, what hurts, and a built-in sense of something being 'off'.

Wind-1, Outdoor Furniture-0

2012-01-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Remember that wind we had a month (or so) ago? Well, this is what it did to our perfectly stacked outdoor table and chairs. (Chairs were stacked upside down on the table) The culprit? See that umbrella in the back left of the photo? It was left open. Not because we forgot, but because it was stuck. The wind managed to un-stick the umbrella and completely toss the heavy wood table and six

Move Everyday

2012-01-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

I still haven't managed to write out all of my goals for 2012, but I just wanted to share one of them is to move everyday for at least 15 minutes! So far, so good.

Sleep Over

2012-01-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

The girls have been so sweet to each other all day. Not that being sweet is a blogworthy event. It's just that they decided on their own to have a sleep over in one room tonight. I love when they get along so well. Seriously makes my heart smile ;-)

Newest Netflix Obsession...

2012-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

I love a good spy show, but for some reason John and I had put off watching this one. Ok- to be honest- I thought I didn't care for the main guy... (^^^see above ^^^)... Jeffrey Donovan. He was a creeper in the movie 'Hitch' and I thought I wouldn't care for him in this show either... couldn't have been more wrong! Most of the story lines revolve around creative ways to get the 'bad guys'

Family

2012-01-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I closed my computer and spent as much time as I could with these guys... I am just feeling SO, so blessed lately. Thankfully, John is able to have the week between Christmas and New Year's off every year without dipping into his vacation time! It was so nice to have him home everyday... and, even though we didn't get to as many projects as we would have liked, we did

Goal Reflection from 2011, Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

I will just go ahead and say it. 2011 (kinda, sorta) kicked my butt! It seems like the last few months were a whirlwind that I thought I had planned for, and was (at least somewhat) prepared for. While it wasn’t quite as crazy as it could have been had I not planned for it, it was pretty crazy! What a year!! So many good things have come out of the chaos of our life, though. So many things I

Claireism #131: Another Language

2011-12-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I started watching a sweet little seven-month old baby girl. It was clear from the begining that my sweet four-year-old has never really been around babies... or just never really payed attention to the few that she has been around. It was a day full of LOTS of questions to say the least. Starting with the car ride to preschool... Baby Girl: (sweet babbling baby noises) "

Cafe Au Lait

2011-12-03T22:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T05:08:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! We had a great day, with two wonderful meals, surrounded by family and friends. It was a great day to sit back and realize all that we truly have to be thankful for. So, from our family to yours, and with a very thankful heart I would like to say Happy Thankgiving!! (Super cute Turkey shirts made by Kristin at A Hint of Whimsy)

Fashion Designer

2011-11-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

Claire takes great pride in choosing her clothing for the next day. She carefully picks out the entire outfit from head to toe and lays it out on the floor exactly as it will look when she is going to wear it. (Note to self: get a photo of her next outfit!) Most of the time she even includes her accessories. Last week, she chose this hat several times. John told her that she should be a

Coming to Save the World!

2011-10-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from two SUPER girls!

We're Goin' to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

2011-10-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Friday was the first field trip for the year for Miss Claire. She was so excited all week and sang her special song every day leading up to the trip. "We're Goin' to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...How about You, You, You?..." This year, the preschool opted for a fall zoo trip instead of a pumpkin patch trip. Many of the kids were at the school last year when we went to the pumpkin patch, so they

Goofball

2011-10-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Toby: One Month Later

2011-10-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

We are a full-on dog family now. Toby has sure changed things around here. Funny how that can happen. Here are some things over the past month... It seems like he was either ignored, neglected, or just not included in much in his previous situation because we have had to teach him how to do many things that 'normal' dogs do. Examples would include playing fetch, laying near us to be a part

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-10-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

Photo found on Food.com, recipe #3564 It's getting to be that time of year!! (Don't let the 90 degree weather fool you!) Time for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins :-) Recipe can be found here... and they are pretty darn fabulous! (Also, check out the 'Lite' version found on the same site)

See-sters

2011-10-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

These two have just been the sweetest to each other lately. I am so thankful for that. I pray all that time that they will grow up close and be each others very best friend and confidant.

Claire = Elmyra

2011-10-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time - in the 90's - there lived a cartoon TV show called Animaniacs. Do you remember it? I hadn't really thought much about it until recently when I was trying to describe my daughter's relationship with our new dog. You see, on Animaniacs there was a character named Elmyra... Elmyra loved animals. She loved them so much that she would hug them and squeeze them as hard as she

Storyland and Playland with Friends

2011-09-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

Storyland and Playland are a few of the older attractions here in Fresno. I remember Storyland from when I was a kid. The girls and I went with our friends Kelly, Justus, and Haven in July while we were still having the abnormally mild weather. We pulled up to the park on (of course) the day that there were police cars EVERYWHERE. I guess there had been gun shots fired nearby much earlier in

Introducing Toby

2011-09-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that we have added a new friend to the Frank household. Toby is a yellow lab (and we think golden retriever) mix and is seriously as sweet as can be. We had been thinking about adding a dog to our family for a number of years, but just in the past few months decided that it was really time to start looking for one that was a good fit. Enter the Labridor Retriever

Claire-ism #130: Drooling: a form of dribbling

2011-09-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Claire: "Dad, I figured out what drooling is. It's when you kick the ball and run after it." John: "You mean dribbling?" Claire: "Oh, yeah...dribbling!" :-) Claire has started soccer.

9/11-Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I was reluctant to write a post about the attacks on our country 10 years ago mainly becauseI don't necessarily feel like I have any sort of unique perspective. My life was touched, affected, and changed exactly as most other American's were that day. However, I realized that I have never written down my memories. My parents love to retell the stories of where they were when {fill in the

Claire's First Day of Preschool: 2011

2011-09-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

The first day is always so exciting, even if you are going to the same school, with the same teacher, and many of the same students as the previous year. Claire was beyond ready for school to start again this year. She was ready to wear her first day outfit and take her photo with the chalkboard. We stopped on the way in a took a photo too :-) She chose painting as her first activity. I

Hipsta Love: Bowling with Claire

2011-09-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

I decided that Claire needed a little special-ness to go with Hannah's first day of school. So, I decided I would take her bowling! We were pretty much the only people in the bowling ally and played two games... it really was a lot of fun, but she was done after the two games. I need to remember to take her on a few more Mom and Claire dates before she starts Kindergarten next year. :-)

Happy 31st Birthday, John!

2011-09-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

Happy 31st Birthday to a WONDERFUL Husband and Daddy! Love You Babe!!

More Hipsta-Love (Tahoe)

2011-09-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

iPhone Hipstamatic Photos from our little area of Tahoe.

Hipsta-love

2011-09-04T14:16:00.001-07:00

A few random photos from John's iPhone over the summer....

Visiting with Family: Little Miss Camden

2011-09-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Katie, and her daughter, Camden, came to town to celebrate my Grandma's 90th birthday and we had a chance to hang out with them for the evening. Well, I kind of stole Camden for a little while and we took some photos :-) I just love this sweet little girl, and wish we could see her more often. Regan, Camden, Katie, Whitney John and Camden Little Miss and her 'Aunt Whitney' I am so

90 Years Young

2011-09-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

The year was 1921... yes you read that right NINETEEN TWENTY ONE. That means that when my Grandmother was my age, it was 1951. I can only pray that the longevity gene was passed to me, becuase today my dear Grandma Mardette turns 90 years young. She has had a wonderful, long life full of love, and laughter, and I am sure a few tears. She and my Grandpa were married 65 (Carrie, if I am wrong

Claire-ism #129: Literally

2011-09-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Yup, my sweet daughter just used the word "literally" in the proper context... {we were on a walk and someone's sprinklers were hitting the sidewalk} "Dad, you can't walk there because you will get wet... you will LITERALLY get wet!" :-)

My Favorite

2011-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE this photo... John's iPhone

Hot August Nights - 2011

2011-08-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

While in Tahoe, my Dad, John, Hannah, and Brian spent some time at the Hot August Nights car show. Hannah actually chose to do this over shopping with the girls ;-)... I am wondering if she chooses to do the same thing next year. This is another one of those fun traditions we do each year, always fun for the guys (an apparently Hannah!).

Tahoe with the Fam, Part 5... Tradtion

2011-08-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a few posts back that we ahve a tradition of getting a photo of the girls in the hammock. Well, we also have a tradition of getting a group photo in front of our old family cabin. It sure would be fun to try an compile a book of all the photos over the years. Someday. :-)

Tahoe with the Fam, Part 4... Beach Day

2011-08-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why in the world we thought this was a good idea. While it was fun when all was said and done... the execution of our little beach plan was really terrible. First of all, we decided to go to the beach in Tahoe on a Saturday in early August. Let's just say everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Secondly, we decided to stop to get sandwiches before heading to the beach

Tahoe with the Fam, Part3...Photos at the Beach

2011-08-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

One of the main things we wanted to do this trip was see the place that Brian asked Regan to marry him :-)!!!! So, he took us to a the wonderful little spot he had found off a very nice golf course and we spent a little time skipping stones and taking photos... it was such a beautiful spot. Well done Bri-bri! THE exact spot ;-)... returning to the scene of the crime

Thoughts for the week

2011-08-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday, which means we have made it through a week of Hannah's school. Getting up early regularly has been much easier this year than it was last year. She seems a lot happier being in First grade than she was in Kindergarten. I asked her why, and she said Kinder was too easy. I am hoping she starts moving a little more out of her comfort zone in meeting some of the kids in her class

{balance}

2011-08-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

There was something eerily beautiful about this garden of balancing rocks. I spent several minutes just sitting and staring at them. It was a situation where a photo could not do them justice.

Claire-ism #128... Lame

2011-08-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Claire's word of the week is 'lame'. *** Claire: Mom, I'm going to work on my workbook and whatever Hannah decides to do will be lame. *** Me: Claire, you can't do that... Claire: that's lame. *** Me: Claire, what does lame even mean...? Claire: I have no idea The funniest part of kids saying funny things is when they use them in the completely correct context. Moral of the story...

More from the first day of school

2011-08-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos from the fabulous first day of first grade! Notes for next year...(this is what worked from this year) Get up and shower before you even think of getting kids out of bed Get kids up at least a half hour before you normally would in order to leave plenty of time for photos and figuring out where to go at school Use the chalkboard again... this will help me in five

First Grade

2011-08-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, in her words, "It was great!" Actually it was more like... "...Mom I'm hot... I need a drink... Can I have a snack?... Wait, what did you guys do while I was at school?... Hrmpf... It's really hot..." Then after about 20 minutes in the air conditioned house and a nice big glass of water and a few minutes to relax... "It was great!" I got more details as the evening went on, but she

School Eve

2011-08-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well... I'm still not ready for summer to be over. I like the freedom to do as we please and the little responsibility. I like the time I have had to get some projects done or at least started. I like sleeping in. But the reality has set in. We have packed the lunch, picked the clothes and set them out, packed the supplies and filled out the paperwork, summer books have been read and

Time?

2011-08-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

Where -O-where did the time go? Feeling a little nostalgic about my soon-to-be first grader growing up.

Tahoe with the Fam, Part 2... Hammock Time

2011-08-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Spending time in Tahoe every summer means that there are some things you ALWAYS do. For my family, one of those things is relax in the hammock in the front yard. Ever since Hannah was a baby we have made a point of getting a photo of her (and Claire when she came along) with my Dad in the hammock... (need to get Dad's camera with photos of him for this post) Apparently the girls had already

Can you meet me at the corner of...

2011-08-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

ok, how cool is this?!?! Sure, 'Hanna' is missing an 'H' at the end, but who cares? Thank you random morning in Corcoran, CA, having to park about four blocks from our actual destination, and John for trying to remember the cross streets where he parked :-)

Claire-ism #127

2011-08-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Last night Claire was asking if she could have a different learning game system than the one she currently has. (i.e. she wanted the Vtech version of the Leapster Explorer) I asked her why she wanted the Vtech she said, "It has a Dora game that is fun!" Ok, fair enough, I thought. So I asked her, "What if the Leapster had a Dora game to go in it?" *Long pause* Claire: "I would FREAK out!" (

Blue Eyes and Warm Summer Light

2011-08-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

The simple things that make me happy this summer. Love this sweet girl.

Love=sweet girls+field+summer light

2011-08-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

July|2011

Tahoe with the Fam, Part One... Rubicon Trail

2011-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Tahoe is a family tradition that dates back well before I was born. My Grandma and Dad have an old cabin that they like to try to spend some time at a few weeks durring the summer. This year, the whole family was able to go... and by whole, I mean us, my sister and Brian, my Mom, Dad, and Grandma! (No, we all couldn't sleep at the cabin) I think it was the first day of our trip, we decided

Yosemite with the Addington's...part two, Yosemite Falls

2011-08-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

...after the Happy Isles trail, we headed back to the car and ate our lunch and took a moment to decide what to do next. We read the park materials and weighed our options given the time we wanted to try to leave. That's when we realized there was a {insert singing angels here} TRAM! The tram was (a.) FREE, and (b.) a great way to see a lot of the area and get where we wanted to without hiking

Yosemite with the Addington's... part one, Happy Isles

2011-08-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Sometime last month, Alice came up with the idea of taking a few little day trips before the kids started back to school again. We wanted to come up with a few things to do that were fairly inexpensive, could be done in one day to avoid hotels, and would be fun/educational for the kids. Since we purchased a Yosemite pass earlier, we felt that it was a perfect option for our first little

Six months ago...

2011-08-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

... I took these photos and sort of forgot that I had wanted to post them. These were from a little Valentine's inspired session I did with the girls. How was Valentines Day six months ago?

Wild Waters Firsts

2011-08-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

We purchased season passes again to Wild Water Adventures this year. Truth be told, we have really hardly used them. I was feeling a little bad for the lack of use this morning, so I asked the girls to get on the swimsuits and grab some towels and we headed out for a few hours. Since we weren't with friends (and subsequently, I didn't have anyone to sit and chat with) I decided to try

Faces of Four

2011-08-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

I took five photos in a matter of 20 seconds and got all of these different facial expressions. Four, so far, has been much better than three.

Finals in Corcoran

2011-08-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

One Saturday morning last month, we all got up at the crack of dawn to make our way to Corcoran for Hannah's very first swimming finals. Her relay team qualified and we thought it was a great opportunity for her to see the magnitude of an event like swimming finals. There were 25 swim teams represented from all over the Central Valley. It was HUGE!! Once we found the Sanger team, it was time

35 Years!

2011-08-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! 35 years of marriage is quite a milestone and I am so happy that we were able to share this day with you in Tahoe!

The Frank's

2011-08-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

We were so fortunate to be able to see these guys last month! John has a pretty sad family story, both of his parent's passed away when he was young, so it makes it that much sweeter when we are able to keep in touch with his extended family. Uncle Marc is John's Dad's brother and Kathy is his wonderful wife. They reside in Ohio and were in the San Jose area for a business meeting. They

Technology...

2011-08-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Is this the way your family bonds as well?

Trophy Time

2011-08-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

In continuing with the swimming posts, Hannah received her end of the season trophy. I love that in swimming, they give you a different sized trophy based on the number of years you have been swimming. Since this was Hannah's fist year, her swimmer was standing directly on the bottom of the trophy. Those with multiple years under their belt had a subsequently large platform between the

Time Trials 2011

2011-08-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

When you are on the swim team, the goal is to get a fast enough time in any given event in one of the six meets to qualify for Time Trials. Basically, there are 24 teams throughout the Central Valley that compete and they have three different Time Trials with 8 teams each. The top 24 times in each event then move forward to Finals. Hannah qualified for Time Trials this year in Backstroke and

Warm Up

2011-08-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Fun times warming up at a swim meet!

Well Hello August.

2011-08-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here we are. August. I am ten posts behind and trying to catch up. How is it that I get behind in the summer when I have nothing much going on? I can say with a very happy heart that I have been taking days off from the computer at a time and enjoying my family. It brings tears to my eyes to see how truly fast the girls are growing and changing. Not just physically growing, but totally

Claire Turns Four - Fishy Style!

2011-07-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Claire's fourth birthday was the day after the dance recital this year... Phew! What a crazy week/weekend that was! I was so glad that I had planned her party out and gotten most everything ready ahead of time. We had enjoyed having a swim party at my parent's house last year for Claire's third birthday, so it followed suit to do the same again this year. I had the idea of doing a

Dance Recital 2011: Part Three, My Boyfriend's Back!

2011-07-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! The third and final installment of this year's dance recital. Hannah's second class was a Hip Hop/Jazz combination class. They did their recital dance to My Boyfriend's Back! It was a really fun dance that got the audience excited and they looked like they were having a fun time performing! Hannah and her two bestest dance friends!Nanny with the girls after the recital...

Dance Recital 2011: Part Two, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

2011-07-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Claire started her first year of dance class this year. She took a tap/ballet class that ended up being the same class as a few of my friend's daughters. It was actually a nice break and chatting session for us Mommys as well as a fun class for our girls. Her recital was a tap dance to Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah! Here is Claire in her Hot Stix for the first time. :-) And here she is all ready to go

The Fred Factor {a book review and personal insight}

2011-07-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I checked my email to see that a few books I had posted on PaperBackSwap .com had been requested. This is a regular occurance considering we have been majorly overhauling our "STUFF" and trying to declutter. John had gone through the books awhile ago and I had finally posted them online to be traded. So, I grabbed the books and gave them a glace to see what they were. Many of

Dance Recital 2011: Part One, Shake Your Tail Feather

2011-07-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

This year, Hannah took two dance classes. One was a tap/ballet combo class. This was her fourth year in this type of class. Her recital for this class was to the song, Shake Your Tail Feather, from the movie Chicken Little. We tried Hot Stix or bender curlers for the first time... I need some practice with these... Hannah and her friend Avery... aren't their feather so cute?!?!

Yosemite: Part Seven (& and last) - {iPhone style}

2011-07-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here we (finally!) are. The last of the Yosemite posts. It was just too hard for me to choose just a few photos to post, so you got most of them :-) John was having fun with the various apps he has on his iPhone, I think he had as many photos as I did. It was a fun and beautiful day in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and it is less than an hour from our house. Why haven't

Yosemite: Part six {Stuck}

2011-07-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

Once we were done with the falls we decided to head down to Yosemite Valley to see some of the major sights... El Capitan and Half Dome. BIG Mistake. It was such a busy weekend and apparently there is only one way in and one way out, so we sat in deadlock traffic for a good three hours. Kind of a bummer, except that it was a little like being on a tram... move a little then take in the

A good way to feel really, really small...

2011-07-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Yosemite: Part Five {Bridalveil Fall}

2011-07-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

With all the rain and snow that we have gotten this year it was a wonderful summer to get up to see some of the watherfalls in Yosemite. Our next stop on our little trip was to Bridalveil Fall(s). The water rushing down was so strong, but there was a little spot you could sneek into where it was safe to snap a few photos and enjoy the scenery. John and Claire ended up going up to the falls

Yosemite: Part Four {Lunch at the Wawona Hotel}

2011-07-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

We should have brought a picnic lunch when we went to Yosemite for the day, but we didn't. We did drive past the Wawona hotel around lunchtime and decided to stop. It was a perfect place to stop! We ate lunch out on the terrace/patio and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and tasty food, then took a few photos on the way out.

Yosemite: Part Three {Trees}

2011-07-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know how exciting it is to see posts with photos of trees, but I fell in love with these and really wanted to post them somewhere. These were all taken on our little hike in Mariposa Grove.

Yosemite: Part Two {Walking Sticks}

2011-07-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

Just a quick word and a few more photos from our little hike in the Mariposa Grave in Yosemite! John wins the prize for the best idea in hiking with kids... WALKING STICKS!! He found a few sticks, each just the right height for each girl, and I have to say they were a major hit. The girls hardly complained on our little hike and were genuinely excited to have a stick and be real hikers!

Yosemite: Part One {Mariposa Grove and the Giant Sequoias}

2011-07-18T22:57:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that last month we took a day trip to Yosemite to celebrate our 7th Anniversary and Father's Day... of course I took so many photos that I need to break up the posts! The first part of our little trip took us to Mariposa Grove and the Giant Sequoias. We took a short little hike with the girls up to see the 'Grizzly Giant'. I was trying so hard to capture the grandure of the trees

A Birthday Party for Gracie (the dog)

2011-07-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight we celebrated my sister and Brian's dog Gracie's first birthday! I didn't take any photos but I did want to remember a few of the random ideas for the little impromptu celebration my family had. Vanilla birthday cake (dogs can't have chocolate) with paw prints and balloons as the frosting decor Quesadillas cut into dog bone shapes Presents including: a new leash, a dog tricks book, and a

Funny Friends!

2011-07-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

This sounds so silly....

2011-07-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

...but I am kind of bugged by the lack of TV this summer. We aren't really into anything realtiy-based, so we focus our TV watching attention mainly on a few select shows that we have (for all intents and purposes) become obsessed with. So, I am eagerly awaiting the return of... *Psych - October *Mad Men - Sometime in early 2012 *Dexter - *hopefully* September and their might be a few

High Dive Hannah

2011-07-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Have you met my daughter Hannah? She is, and has ALWAYS been, super cautious. When she first started walking she wouldn't go from one surface (like concrete) to another surface (like grass). She would just stay where she was. She is not big on jumping down from places still today. Even jumping from a few fee to the ground is an issue. Well, apparently it is only an issue on dry land

Stung By a Bee

2011-07-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Today Hannah was stung by a bee for the first time. *knocking on wood* I haven't ever had a bee sting. I wasn't actually there when it happened, but I guess she was super tough about it and didn't even cry. Poor girl. At least we now know she isn't allergic...

A Family Affair

2011-07-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

The whole family made it out to cheer on Hannah this year for swimming! My Mom was a swimmer, I was a swimmer, and now my girls are swimmers :-)