Little Sister Turns 2

Is it spring that got so busy and full that made Georgia's birthday sneak up on me?  At least she's only 2, right?  The princess had a great time with cake, balloons, and presents.

The fingers hardly came out of her mouth even for chocolate cake.

Christian bought her fake pearls on an elastic that she loves.

Feeding the tiny dog a bottle.  My boys wouldn't have done anything that careful and tiny.

So careful with her fairy stickers.  Fairy stickers?!  We really do have a girl in our house.  I'm still kind of amazed at that, but I'm still really enjoying it.

A Medal! (Finally)

Jack has gotten to be a great soccer player.  Of course there are kids better than him, but we're pretty proud of our boy.  We have, along with Jack, decided not to play soccer games on Sundays so that we can keep the Sabbath day holy and do things that help us to keep a good spirit with us all day.  That means Jack often has to miss the last day of weekend tournaments and that also means he doesn't get his medal.  Not this time!  The tournament was all day Saturday and he played his heart out.  It was really fun to watch and he was ecstatic to get that medal.  My hat goes off to him because he's so obedient and not at all resentful about it.  His coach was supportive of this from the very beginning, but he told me, "One day Jack is not going to like missing these Sunday games.  We can talk later when this happens."  I just smiled and knew that if the time comes for that I won't have to worry about what Jack will choose.  He's an example to me.

I had a donut cake!

On Charles' 4th birthday we had a very, very busy weekend.  However, we managed to get a few presents together, take the family to see an IMAX about animals - Charles' favorite thing in the whole wide world - and have a donut cake.  Christian was brilliant.  Since Dunkin' Donuts just opened up in town he took Charles alone to pick them out.  Long after the "party" he would tell people "I had a donut cake!" as proud as any kid could be.  I don't even think he remembers the gifts we gave him.

More Emerald Coast

Clean...for a moment.

Christian's dad and sister came for a couple days (his mom had to work) and the kids had such a good time with them.  I'm not completely sure they got the relaxing beach vacation that I did, but the kids loved having extra adults around to dote on them.

I'm hoping that there are other women in the world that look like me - no make up and wild hair - while at the beach for several days.  I think this is the first beach trip that I haven't painted my toe nails.  I guess that just shows how much I just wanted to sit and do nothing.

This was Georgia's first beach trip where she could actually play and she loved the sand.  

Just a little glimpse of the houses around Seaside and Seagrove Beach.  So charming.

There were lots of brackish lakes nearby and we got the kids a net to try their hand at catching fish and crabs.  Winfield was so determined that he would march off for the little inlet at the end of a long day.

Building sand castles

I walked out our back door and to the steps off of our deck to take this picture.  Isn't it remarkable that at 11 am during spring break that "our" beach was this empty?!  I LOVED it.

Happy kids.  Happy parents.  

Goodbye to Seaside, at least for another year.  We are definitely coming back!

Emerald Coast

Just looking at this picture makes me yearn to go back to Florida.  We found the most fabulous house right on the beach and enjoyed every minute of our spring break trip to Seagrove Beach, FL.  I highly recommend it to anyone, unless you're going for the surf.  There is none.  I floated on our boogie board like I was in a swimming pool, gliding along with the little rock of the tiny waves.  The kids swam like they were in the shallow end of a pool.  I could even take Georgia out on the raft, although she was a little frightened.  The downside was that gorgeous emerald water also showed any shadow of any fish or - gasp - shark that swam by.  Jack and Christian swore they saw one when they took the sea kayak out, but right or wrong, by day two the boys were out of the water at the simplest shadow of anything.

The boys found handfuls of tiny crab/clams/unidentified animals that would burrow down in the sand after a wave.  We brought some of them home and what a shocker - they smell terrible!  I threw them all away while the kids were at school.  

Easter in ATL

We had a lovely time in the lovely weather of Atlanta in the lovely care of my in-laws.  Janet put on a delicious dinner - always - and had an entire table of treats, toys, bunnies, and all things easter (plus a few guns) for the kids.  She made this precious smocked dress for Georgia so as usual I had the best dressed baby at church when she wears a Gammy dress.  By the end of the day she had gotten cheetos on the front of it, but handy Janet washed it out immediately.  Could I just move in please?  She cooks, she sews, she launders.  

Aunt Jessica helping Georgia find a few eggs before the boys get to them.  What's inside?  A dollar.

And what happened to be inside Winfield's plastic egg?  A picture of Mark from the 1970's.  I wonder who planned the egg hunt?  

Mark found a kindred spirit in Georgia at the drawing table.

After the Easter program at the ward in Atlanta (it was so impressive, I might add).

Do I have to wear this?

Daddy's girl.

Janet figured she'd wear her extremely high heels for Easter Sunday.  Little did she know she'd have to keep up with Georgia in the hallway during Sacrament Meeting.  These shoes are not made for babysitting (but can I add that to her list and can I please, please move in?).

Sailing Season Already?!

Every spring Christian gets a little, well, spring in his step as the air gets a tiny bit warmer and sailing season approaches.  Inevitably some grey saturday he'll lower his Laser from the garage rafters onto his little 2-door car and proudly drive off to the yacht club to lovingly unload, spray down, and prep his sailboat for the season.  I think it looks so funny, I just had to take a picture of it.  He races every Tuesday night through the summer and this year because of the unseasonably warm weather the yacht club got going a month early.  Yet, his Memorial Day regatta (where they throw a beer to each sailor at the end of the race - the beer I found in his trunk before I knew about this tradition, but that's another story!) it was blowing 30 knots and the wreckage was so bad out on the lake that they called off the regatta.  So much for mild weather!  Still, this sailor is undaunted and even more excited for a long 4 months of time on the lake.  On my end, after a good sail I can get Christian to do just about anything for me, so I support this hobby!

Mardi Gras

I threw a Mardi Gras party (ah jambalaya we love you) and went all out with the masks this year.  Charles was a very willing model.  Just had to snap a shot of this hilarity.  

Fun in the Cold

We decided to see what Harrington Beach looked like this spring, but it was a lot colder than we expected.  Georgia has on about 4 layers - clearly not all of them fit her.

I love my three boys.  It's a miracle I got a shot of all three at the same place at the same time.

Everyone of us loves Georgia.  Jack calls her Georgie or "Georgie Girl"

Happy, albeit cold, family.