Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone lots of hugs and giggles...

Good-Bye Hudson

Our sweet dog, Hudson, passed away Saturday around noon. I won't be able to write much because it is hard to see through the tears. I was really fine today until I started to look for pictures to post. Hudson was the best dog with the girls and the poor thing put up with lots of hugs even when he just wanted to be left alone. Doug and Hudson shared a special bond and I have never seen a more devoted dog to his master. We will miss him terribly and poor Murphy is really missing her brother right now.

Thank You

Lisa asked me to post this on my blog...I also added a photo of Jetty and Anna at Anna's birthday party last month. The girls had so much fun!

Dear Friends,
We are overwhelmed by your generosity at Mel's Open House. Thank you so much for your support. We are so thankful for all of you. God is going to turn our difficult days into joy. Anna and I are going to get through our chemo and be healthy. I have no doubt God will hear our prayers. What an awesome testimony we will have to tell the world! Thank you again for being so wonderful. Have a wonderful Christmas!!

Lisa, Vern, Aimee, and Anna Harris

2 years ago today...

We were in Chongqing, China and became a family of four when Little Ella was placed in our arms. I can't even put into words how much she has changed. Our once sick and anxious baby has turned into a determined, funny, sweet and very affectionate little toddler. She still sleeps holding my hand most of the night but she won't want to do that when she is in College so I will take advantage now.

I look back at pictures of Ella and she had that constant worried brow. I remember when she was in my sling just gently rubbing between her eyes and reassuring her that she was safe and loved. That little furrowed brow didn't go away for about six months and still visits occasionally.

It is so neat to see the little girl she is becoming. She is a little collector and every bag the girls have is always filled with her treasures. She also likes to fill our pockets with special rocks that she finds. My favorite is when she collects stickers and places them on my bottom but I don't realize it until Doug mentions it to me later. This is usually after I have been to the grocery store or at an appointment,etc...

I can't imagine our life, our family, without this sweet little girl. We are so blessed and lucky to have her as our daughter. I love the picture of Ella with Daddy on the bus in China. She had been with us for two days and I just love the look on Jetty's face as Daddy was making Ella laugh. Those are the things that are priceless.

Little Hostess

Jetty was so excited about the open house that as soon as she got home from school she asked "Can I be the hostess?". I told her that would be lovely and she could greet people. Distracted with getting food ready I didn't notice what she was doing at the art table. A little later she ran up to me with a handful of "tickets". She had wrote "welcome" about 20 times and cut them out to hand to people. That was the sweetest thing and so cute.

It was such a wonderful night and thanks to everyone who came out to support me and help raise some money for the Harris family. At the end of the night I was straightening up and Ella placed some clay pendants on the floor in a design. I love the way these girls think.

The Winner is....and more give-aways

Well actually there are two winners. The first name the girls drew will be getting the dream catcher and instead of not giving away the necklace because there was no link on the blog I decided to draw an additional name to win the necklace.

The dream catcher goes to...Arah, who also commented with "just adorable, I love birds. Pick me..please. "

The necklace goes to...Suburban Farm, who commented with "Pretty Pretty things!!"

Please stop by again and look for the new give-aways. I am touched by the sweet comments and as I told some friends at my studio open house Friday night "I love when people 'get' my stuff ".

Update

Comments close at midnight tonight. The winner will be announced in the morning. Thank you all for such nice comments. This was so much fun I plan on doing a give-away once a month.

Give-Away

A little bird needs new home and I would love to send him on his way. He is very similar to one of the two birds that will be featured in the new Somerset studios publication "Stuffed:A Gathering of Softies". This sweet bird is meant to be used as a dream catcher with a little extra flair. It is hard to tell from the photos but the copper leaves are stamped with the words "Sweet Dreams". Have I told you how honored and excited I am about the new publication?

Just leave a comment and one of my little ones will pick a number randomly to choose the winner. If you also post a link from your blog I will add a handmade earthenware clay necklace of a majestic tree with vintage bead dangle.

I will post the winner on the 8th. Good luck and have fun with all the great give-aways.

Studio Mess

I told myself that I would have all my projects done and this week would be just setting up for the open house. The truth is I still have many projects to finish, including another kiln firing, and my studio is a mess. It could possibly be called a disaster. I am being reminded of my days in school and how I use to tell myself that I work better under pressure. I think it is really more of a focus issue then procrastinating. Lately I am not able to focus on one project and it is wearing me down. I am not sure if I should blame age or being a Mom.

The girls and I did a benefit 4 mile run/walk this morning which was fun. The girls did great in the stroller. I don't have a double jog stroller so I had to pull them on the bike in the bike trailer then convert the trailer to a stroller for the run/walk since the bike trailer won't fit in my car. We didn't break any records (no running for my knee ever again) but we weren't last (almost).

Published...soon...and a Give-Away

I am so excited to say that two of my birds will be featured in the premiere of the new Somerset Studio Magazine. The new publication is called Stuffed: A Gathering of Softies. It should be out in January and I am so excited I can't put it into words. I was contacted a few months ago and was told that two of my birds will be in the featured gallery. I feel privileged to be included. I am amazed at the talented softie artists and their creations with such personality. I wasn't going to post about the publication until it comes out because I really won't believe it until I see the photos but I decided to join the Give-Away day.

On Dec. 3rd I will post about the give-away and which little bird will find a new happy home.

Studio Open House and Sale

It is that time of year again....

Studio Open House and Sale


This years sale will help to benefit the Harris family. They are a local adoptive family whose daughter was diagnosed with cancer in August. They now have a new battle to fight because Lisa, Anna's Mom, was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Please keep them in your prayers and I know they will win this battle. If you are in Central Florida and would like to join us just let me know.

Ocean and Moon Studio
Friday Dec. 5th 4-8pm

Come enjoy good company, a glass of wine and do a little Christmas shopping.
Lots of unique handmade items all priced below retail for this once a year sale.
Items starting at $3.
20% of ALL sales to benefit the Harris family. Raffle with all proceeds
benefiting the Harris family.To learn more about the Harris family please visit...http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annaharris

End of Summer

Summer feels like it is coming to an end. We have been enjoying the cool air and dinner outside. Hopefully we will make it to the beach a few more times this year. Tomorrow we will be enjoying a reunion with our wonderful adoption agency in Orlando. I can't wait to see all those cute little kids.

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Oh! How I would love to win this gown. I don't know what I would have to do to bribe my little tom boy to wear it but it is just beautiful!

Feeling Loved

I am so touched by all the offers from family and friends to help me when Doug isn't home. The girls have loved all the extra attention from family members visiting and helping Mama. My knee is feeling pretty good today since I took it easy yesterday plus I broke down and took 1/2 a pain pill last night. I am having the strangest dreams because of the medication and last night my dream had to do with David Hasselhoff being a monster and eating gross things, very strange and I am a little concerned my brain can even come up with such a scenario.

Ella has been doing a lot of sewing on the couch with Mama and I love that she is enjoying her creations. I am hoping to make some Christmas gifts with Jetty and Ella's embroideries.

Bum Knee

I had surgery on my knee last week and I am out of commission for a few days. Who am I kidding... I vacuumed the house the day after my knee surgery. Pain killers are a bad thing. I thought I was super women on them and I really couldn't think straight. No more pain meds for me so maybe I won't overdue anything for just a few more days.

The mark on my right thigh is a YES stamp. They were very thorough with making sure they operated on the correct leg, which I very much appreciated.

10 years

Last weekend Doug and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. It was such a lovely time and we spent our first night away from the girls. I forgot how nice it is to be able to talk to your husband over dinner:) We went to the spa together and stayed at a really quaint old Florida style hotel just 2 miles from our house. Just the right distance away for an emergency but it seemed like a world away. The girls were lucky enough to have Grandma stay the night and they had a great time.

I thought I would get a great night sleep without a girl on each side but I surprisingly kept waking up. Since we got Ella (almost 2 years ago) she sleeps holding my hand all night. I guess I am use to her little hand in mine and I missed it in the middle of the night.

This photo was my gift to Doug. I realized I didn't have any photos with the girls and I except the adoption dossier photos. Happy anniversary sweetie!

"Sentence Me"

Daddy snapped this photo of Jetty the other day when they were working on sentences. She proceeded to cover herself in the post-it note words and looked at her Daddy and said "Sentence Me". She cracks us up.

I am happy to say that her skin virus is all gone and she is enjoying school once more. We ended up having a conference with her teacher and things are much better. Jetty told us she was bored. The teacher wanted to have her tested for gifted but we suggested they wait a year. After all she just turned 5. When the reading assessment came back she is almost at 2nd grade level. No wonder she was bored. The teacher now sends home more advanced books on her level and they have her doing a 1st grade reading program at the library. I can't say enough good things about her teacher. She has been very accommodating and we really appreciate the great job she is doing. It is so nice to have Jetty wake up in the morning excited about school.

By the way...after that spell check I just performed on this post I don't think I am much more advanced then Jetty, hehe. Maybe it is because there is a little Ella helping me type or it is just Mommy brain. I think I remember the days when I had complete thoughts and I could spell :)

New Haircut

Tie-Dye How To

Since I was an art teacher in a private life I know how much fun kids have with tie-dye. I even tie-dyed with 5 fifth grade classes. Let me clarify that, the wonderful art teacher (Dana) that I taught with made the suggestion and I probably looked at her like she had 5 heads. She is the most amazing art teacher I could have worked with an so laid back. It turned out to be a great project and the kids LOVED the outcome. I don't know why it took me so long to finally try it with my girls.

I suggest buying a kit because it contains everything you need. I found it important to use either Procion Dyes or other pigments but not Rit dye. This is a great place to buy all the supplies Dharma Trading Co. or just go to your local craft store and buy one of the kids kits. It will contain 3 dyes in bottles, soda ash, and rubber bands. Soak the fabric in water with Soda Ash. This is important to allow the fabric to really soak up the color. I then let the girls twist in bundle the fabric however they want. When they are ready I twist the rubber band around their little bundles. There are all fancy ways to fold the fabric but for it to really be the girls artwork I let them experiment. I showed them a few twists and then told them to make about 5 that we could rubber band. I then put the t-shirts on a cookie tray and let them squirt away. The bottles work great for kids because the mess can be a little contained. When you are all done with the t-shirts place them in a Ziploc bag for about 24 hours and then wash.

Speaking of crafts... this is an easy self-hardening clay recipe the girls love. I know I have a kiln but the girls sometimes like the instant gratification of sculpting with color clay that will be hard the next day. Warning: Do not leave out around dogs. I found this out the hard way when I thought the dining room was flooding. No it wasn't flooding, it was Hudson and his body reacting to eating so much salt. He still didn't learn and we have to watch him like a hawk when the girls are creating. I can't imagine that it tastes good:)

4 cups flour

1tsp alum

1 1/2 Cups salt

1 1/2 cups water

You can either paint it when hard (about 2 days) or we like to add food coloring and then build. Have Fun!

Tie-Dye

The girls love tie-dye and we created our first tie-dye shirts together. It wasn't as messy as I expected and the girls loved the outcome. We will definitely be making some more fun designs.

Jetty turns 5

On August 23rd Jetty turned 5. I seems like last year that she was placed in our arms in China when she was 10 months old. Her face looks like a little girls now but sometimes she still has that serious look and wise eyes. Happy Birthday my sweet!

School

Jetty has not been wanting to go to school the last few days. It just breaks my heart. I guess there is a computer game that has noises that makes her nervous. She has always been sensitive to noises. The teacher and I now have her not wearing the earphones but rather hanging them around her neck. We also have her raise her hand when it comes to that game and the teacher will change the screen. I don't know what else to do.

She was so sad this morning and it is really stressing out her eczema and not helping with the skin virus we have been fighting for two weeks. Poor Jetty had bumps under her armpit and it was originally thought to be a reaction to the chicken pox vaccine but when I took her to the dermatologist she knew right away that it is Molluscum. I love how the websites say it is common and no one I have talked to has heard about this virus. Has anyone had an experience with this virus? Some Doctors choose not to treat it but with Jetty's eczema it is not an option. She scratches so bad some days and it is opening herself to lots more infections. The Dr. treated her bumps last week with beetle juice and put a little piece of medical tape on each spot which I (Daddy was working) had to remove 4 hours later. There was 27 pieces of medical tape, not fun. Each spot turned into a blister and I thought we would be in the clear. Well, 4 days later she has 27 scabs and over 25 new spots. Doug and I decided to try a prescription immunology drug which made me nervous because of her allergies but she is handling it well. I pray that it works and doesn't get more out- of-control. She has to wear long sleeve shirts to school which is great in 94 degree weather.

Birth

5 weeks ago I was privileged enough to be the birthing coach to one of my sweet best friends. Actually, Cindy is my oldest childhood friend. I have know her since I was 7 and I cherish our friendship. I have been blessed to have some wonderful childhood friends whom are still very close. Those special relationships that you may not see each other for a few months but it never feels that way. Cindy and I have gone through times in our lives when we were on different paths but we always stayed close. Now we are both on the same path of parenthood. Cindy always wanted to be a Mom and made the decision to become a single parent. I was lucky enough to be with her from her first appointment and was privileged when she asked me to be her birth partner.

After the first Lamaze class, Doug asked if it would upset me and would I long for my own birth experience. It would have bothered me before our girls but I was really okay with the situation. Heck, I was more then okay. I had no burning desire to have that experience anymore and I was so grateful to experience it through my friend. Thank you Cindy for letting me be part of the birth of your family, beautiful Emerson Cole, you are going to be an amazing Mom.

Another Storm

I hope Hanna takes a hard right and stays far away from land. There are some areas that don't need anymore rain. We have lakes and a river that have yet to crest from the last storm. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with the flooding water. Hopefully the storm will stay far enough off shore and school won't be canceled. North Carolina is sounding so nice right now:)

First Week of School

It is actually the 2nd week of school but the first week was pretty non-existent because of Fay. School was canceled for 4 days so this really feels like the first week. Jetty is LOVING school and really missed not having school this weekend. I heard all weekend about how she was so excited to go to school on Tuesday. This is encouraging me that we made the right choice to send her to school. She is my social butterfly and really loves meeting people. My little girl is growing up!

On the other hand, she can now list off the characters from Sponge Bob Square pants. All my friends that know me are now smiling because they know how we are about those type of influences. The girls have never even seen a movie. No full length Disney cartoons or Pixar movies. Yeah they do watch TV some days, Charlie and Lola, Zoboomafoo, Winnie-the-Pooh and Jack's Big Music Show. Heck, that electronic babysitter is great when I need to make dinner and it often keeps me sane. I also know that lots of the shows can be very educational but we are very selective. I am a visual person and the girls are sensitive so being selective has just been the right choice for our family. I know that she is going to learn all sorts of things in school even some things that I don't want her to learn. Hopefully she won't come home one day singing Hannah Montana songs, my head might explode.

A Special Little Girl

There are so many posts that I need to catch up on. So many things have happened in the last few weeks but nothing is as important as some dear friends who need our prayers right now. A sweet friend of Jetty's is in the hospital right now and any prayers sent her family's way would be much appreciated. Anna is such a sweet joyful child and a strong fighter. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annaharris

Come on

I thought it was a joke this morning when I woke up and turned on the news. I was fully expecting this storm to be long gone but instead she choose to hang out on top of us all night. It was overcast but not very rainy or windy and I even contemplated taking the girls for a bike ride. After talking to my brother on the phone I decided it was best to stay home. The eye of the storm was over us so that was why it was so calm and the storm hadn't moved in six hours. It was a good decision because the storm started moving and the winds picked up and they haven't stopped all day neither has the rain. We are told to expect more tomorrow and school has been canceled yet again.

As any Mom (or Dad) knows it is hard being stuck inside all day. Today was the third day and I finally busted out a Winnie-the-Pooh video and popcorn. As soon as I got the girls settled on the couch and put the video in the power went out! Go figure, I don't know how to set up the generator and Daddy was in Orlando at a Bike Race (International Firefighter and Police Games). Crazy cyclist racing in the wind and the rain. The girls and I ended up putting headlamps on and reading which was so much fun and the quietness with the rain was very magical.

By the way, Daddy won both of his races today and we are very proud of him!

Wet Day

We are dealing with tropical storm Fay and unfortunately it looks like we might be dealing with her a little longer. The county below us is really getting the most damage and I hope everyone makes it safely through the night. It is actually beautiful outside with the occasional rain. I just sat on the front porch with Murphy and a glass of wine while watched the trees blowing around. It feels like fall and makes me long for cooler weather. You would think it was just a thunder storm but we are under a flood watch and tornado watch. It is those tornadoes from the feeder bands that really scare me.

I think most Floridans are prepared for hurricanes these days. We stocked up on fuel for the generator and I went to the grocery last night and I couldn't believe the empty shelves. The early bird does get the worm and shopping the night before a tropical storm is a little late.

This storm had us reminiscing about our first summer home with Jetty. We had three hurricanes and it seemed like our house was boarded up forever. I found this picture of Jetty during one of the storms and she was so mad. She wanted to go outside to play with Daddy in the middle of a hurricane. Daddy is riding his bike trainer on the back porch during the storm (you can see him in the sliding glass door). Poor little Jetty just didn't understand why Daddy could go outside and we had to stay in. I tried to explain that Daddy had life insurance and we didn't and that I would prefer not to be listed on the Darwin awards, hehehe.

On another note, Jetty's first day of school went smooth. She was very upset in the morning and I ended up carrying her into school. She ended up having a great day and was smiling when we picked her up. Unfortunately, school has been canceled for two days because of the storm. Hopefully this won't throw the kids off too much.

Catching Up

This summer has just flown by and I have many posts that I will try to catch up with in the next few days. Here are a few pictures of Jetty jumping to the couch. I left the girls while I was doing laundry in the garage and I came into the house hearing "cannonball" being yelled over and over by Jetty. I turned the corner to see this...

By the way, my little girl starts Kindergarten on Monday. I am really not sure how I feel about this transition.

Just Like Mama

Jetty has taken over my favorite little mug. I don't mind and I think it is adorable. I found the mug at a thrift shop and it reminds me of all the Owls and Mushrooms that decorated our house in the 70's. Oh, how I loved those Owls and when I found this mug it reminded me of my lovely Mom. Jetty likes to pretend she is lounging and drinking coffee just like Mama. Mornings are our lounging time when we sit on the couch for about 20-30 minutes and the girls cuddle with Mama and Daddy. I know we won't have this luxury when she starts school in a few weeks so I will cherish it while it lasts.

Birthday Party for Bear

We seem to have a birthday party for Bear at least once a week. Jetty made special crowns for the Bears to wear and we sing "Happy Birthday". The best part is that the birthday cake is always sliced bananas with two candles stuck in the top. I wonder how long I will be able to get away with the fruit instead of cake?

Labeling

Jetty has been enjoying writing out labels. She writes words on paper, cuts them out, and tapes them on the proper item. She was apparently tired of waiting for her slacker Mom(Me) to label items around the house to help with reading.

Notice the label on the hat.

A visit with new friends

Jetty and Ana Claire playing at the beach.

Two weeks ago we were lucky enough to meet another family that was on vacation in our little beach town. I actually met the other Mommy through her blog. They have two lovely teenager boys, Jetty was very smitten with the oldest, and a beautiful daughter from China. It is so nice when you have a instant connection such as adoption but even better when that connection goes even deeper. Lisa is one of those women that I know I would be friends with even without the adoption connection and I am grateful that link brought us together. The girls and I were able to meet them at the beach twice and they were able to come to our house for a bit. Lisa, we can't wait for your next visit to see your family:)

The girls had a wonderful time and Jetty keeps asking for sweet Ana Claire. Unfortunately, Doug was not able to join us because he was out of commission. I mean really out of commission...Doug's back went out at work Sunday and he was sent home. The girls and I went to a baby shower and left Daddy resting safely on the couch. Well a couple hours later I get a call from Doug saying he can't get off the garage floor and he had been there an hour. I raced home and his brother was there and we couldn't get him off the floor. I ended up having to call 911 and they rolled him on a scoop and off to the hospital. After being in the emergency room for 6 hours and putting a load of drugs in him I was able to take him home. By the time we left his respiration's were 10 and his blood pressure 89/45. I mean a LOAD of drugs. He was not able to even sit up for 3 days. I am happy to say he was cleared for work last week and is even back on his bike.

Jetty

4 years ago today

Four years ago today our lives were changed forever. Jetty was placed in our arms at the Lottery Hotel in Nanning, Guangxi, China. It was amazing... she looked right into our eyes and it was like we knew each other forever. She always wakes up happy in the morning, loves telling jokes and acting very silly. We are celebrating tonight by watching her video, reading her toddler lifebook, eating at a Chinese restaurant and giving her a gift that we bought for her in China. Last night I pulled out all the gifts and Doug and I decided which would be best to give her this year. We decided on a children's porcelain Chinese tea set in a pretty brocade box.

I found this letter I wrote on our 1 year family day or gotcha day...

One year ago today……
One year ago today our lives changed forever. Our sweet daughter that we had dreamed and prayed for was placed into our arms.
We began the day finishing up paperwork before being united with the babies in the afternoon. It seemed so surreal that the baby we had longed for was finally going to be placed into our arms. As we walked through the lobby of the Majesty Hotel in Nanning to board our bus it was full of other adoptive families with their babies. What a beautiful site to see all of those forever families together. We boarded the bus with the eight other families to journey to the Lottery Hotel to pick up the babies. I think the ride was about fifteen minutes to the hotel but it seemed like an eternity. I felt like I could have jumped out of my skin.
When we reached the hotel and we were boarding the elevator there were other families leaving the floor with their new babies. There was lots of crying, both of babies and new parents. We were told to sit in the seats against the wall as a government official spoke to us from a podium. I never heard a word she said because I was looking at the doorways trying to get a glimpse of the nannies and babies in the hallway.
Finally, the babies were brought in by the nannies and we had to wait for our names to be called. There she was, our little Jin Jie Li. We knew her right away. I had stared at that photo for eight weeks and knew her face by heart. As she was held in her nanny’s arms she was mesmerized by the lights on the ceiling and kept sticking out her little tongue. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and she was our daughter! When our name was called and she was handed to us I felt a sudden calm that I never expected. Our journey was finally coming to an end. Jetty never cried but just looked at us as if to say, “ What took you so long?”. We had our daughter and it felt so perfect.
On the ride back on the bus Jetty Jie Li fell asleep. We just stared at her and I fought the incredible urge to wake her up. At the hotel we placed her in the little metal crib that we had been preparing for her in the room. We all sat around watching her sleep. She woke up a short time later and we all laid on the ground playing with her. Grandma was the first to get a good belly laugh from her that night and Grandpa took lots of pictures.
Now I can’t imagine our life without that laugh and smile. Jetty fills our heart with laughter and we are better people because of her. Each time I walk out in the backyard and find seashells in her familiar hiding places or crayons in the dishwasher I think of her and smile. She has us laughing and smiling more then I ever could have imagined and it feels so good. Jetty Jie Li has turned into a loving, adventurous, curious and joyful toddler. There is no doubt that God chose Jetty to be our daughter and we are so blessed.

Worn out

We took the girls to the Springs the other day and it was beautiful and refreshing. Jetty's snorkeling is amazing and cute little Ella insisted on wearing a mask even though she wouldn't put her face in the water. Ella was wiped out on the way home and fell asleep in the mist of eating her sandwich. You can see the sandwich hanging out of her mouth in the picture. What made it even funnier was that when she woke up 40 minutes later she finished chewing and picked up right were she left off.

Our Little Graduate

Jetty graduated from VPK a couple of weeks ago. I always found the whole cap and gown thing for little kids a little cheesy. When it is your own child it is the cutest thing ever. Jetty was lucky enough to have both Grandmas and Grnadpa there to help celebrate.

I can't believe our little girl is going to start Kindergarten. I was really nervous about the start of Kindergarten and I was contemplating home schooling. Before becoming a parent I thought that we would home school. It turns out that Jetty LOVES school and her friends. It also turns out that Mommy would like the little break and Ella will enjoy the one-on-one time with Daddy and Mommy. The kindergarten orientation was wonderful. It turns out they have the highest reading scores in the county and the fifth highest in the state. I am not for the standardized test and the way schools are rated in this state... I could go on and on. But there was so much excitement about reading in the school and the love the teachers have for the students and making it positive was wonderful. Jetty loves reading and I think it will be a great fit for her first year of Elementary school. It is also nice that we live right behind the school and we are welcome to join her for lunch everyday.

Since Jetty has no school this summer we plan on going to the beach, sailing, kayaking, and spending lots of time with friends.

Here are some photos from her graduation. Sweet little Jetty wants so bad to be tall but as you can tell she is a little peanut.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Sweetie! You are such a wonderful father! The love and patience you show for our girls gives me the warm fuzzies inside. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this journey with me.

Daddy and the girls at the museum and one of the many cardboard creations engineered by Daddy.

The Beach

Well it is really the inlet, where the river meets the ocean. It is our favorite little beach.