Special Time

I have very much enjoyed the past few days with two kiddos at home. Madeline feels special to be the oldest child in the house. She feels so grown up to be able to go on outings with me while "the other guys" are at school. Although I was sad to see B & A start school and be away from me, I find that I am cherishing the time I have to spend with the littler ones. Here is my attempt to capture some of our fun moments:

First day of school

How bittersweet to see my little ones growing up. We had a fun morning preparing for the day that's been talked about for months. How strange it seems for me to have a second grader AND a kindergartner. Looking forward to a great year!

Summer comes to a close

Next week marks our last week of summer before the school schedule begins again. What a relaxing, joyful summer we've had. We've spent our last days of summer with some good old fashioned fun...

Caleb loved playing in the laundry basket:

He also tried his hand at the piano:

Brendan enjoyed many weeks of good reading. Here are his favorites from the summer:

While sorting through some of our stuffed toys we discovered Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. We read the accompanying stories and reminisced about my days as a little girl playing with these dolls. I am surprised and delighted to find that my children enjoy playing with them as much as I did.

Favorite Cookbook

I use this cookbook several times a week and so many of our staple meals come from it that I thought it deserved a post of its own:


The authors of the book tested hundreds of varied recipes for the same dish and after significant taste-testing, display their list of the very best. Our favorite recipes therein: homemade pizza dough, banana bread, Indian crock pot curry, beef stroganoff, quick cinnamon rolls, philly cheese steaks, bake sale brownies, pasta carbonara, and on and on.

Madeline Turns 3

Our Maddie Kate is 3!! She's been waiting for this day for a full year now. Her only request was "pink puh-cakes", which we enjoyed with her after dinner on the big day. Here was her face on birthday morning after realizing she would have to wait until after dinner before enjoying her cupcake feast:

Here was the pink bounty she craved:



Madeline is such a special and spunky little girl. She brings so much life and energy into our daily routine! She's constantly on the go and ready to help with all of the hard jobs around the house. Her favorite chore is always vacuuming so she was tickled to receive this:

A junior sized vacuum/dustbuster that claims to actually pick up things (I'm still not so sure about this). She asks me every day which room we will vacuum together. She will surely keep a clean house in years to come.

We love you MK!

Puerto Rico

Michael and I just returned from a little getaway to Puerto Rico! The water was warm and crystal clear, the company was great (we met my sister and her husband there), and we even got adventurous and ventured around the island tasting authentic local cuisine. Michael's kind mother was willing to fly out and stay with the little Lewises so we could have some time away.

We relaxed most of the time with walks along the beach and visited local restaurants to sample Puerto Rican favorites... mofongo and passion fruit juice were our top finds. We also took a trip to El Yunque, a tropical rainforest. We hiked through the rainforest amid lush tropical greenery. We also visited the city of Old San Jan, where many a battle was fought for control of the gorgeous little island. The city was surprisingly clean, quaint, picturesque, and loaded with history. My kind of place.

Here are pictures... I apologize in advance for the large quantity of photos:

In front of the hotel pool:

My sister Shannon makes a rare appearance on the blog.
I thought it important to include this one:

Fun on the beach (ultra soft sand)...

Hotel at night:

El Yunque Rainforest:

We hiked through the rainforest to this waterfall:

El Morro Fort in Old San Juan:

Building facades were gorgeous in Old San Jan. Bright colors and well kept entrances were so inviting. The mix of Spanish, Italian, and Latin influences proved a delightful mix for us tourists, both in food and architecture.

We had a great time and toward the end of the trip we were anxious and excited to return home. There really is nothing better than spending time with our kids and we realize this more and more as each year passes. Perhaps next time we'll venture somewhere with everyone!?! Well... let's give it a few more years (like 10).

;)

Sea World

Here are a few shots from our recent trip to San Antonio. We spent the first day at shows and rides, and the following day at the water park. Thank goodness for splash zones at the shows or we may not have survived the mid summer heat! As long as we stayed wet, we were comfortable.

Michael and kids on the Texas Splashdown:

Our favorite show at the park, entitled "Viva!"

We brought a mini spray bottle with water...

This turned out to be quite the coveted item.

Who wouldn't want a cool mist on a hot day?