Gettin' ready
We're California bound in just a few days! Hence the blog being set to private. I love having new people to meet through this blog, but I hate to post about long trips away, not knowing who's reading it. Sorry if the private setting is annoying to any of you - I will open it back up in July... I think :)
Its been 1 whole year since we've gone for a visit to California, so we're quite due for a visit.
Visits back "home" are hard because there's a million people we desperately want to see and yet even the amount of time we're going for isn't quite enough. Plus, if gas prices stay where they're at, our trip cost will double {thanks to gas costs} from last year. Scary. I noticed today the prices around here at least are dropping, so I'm hopeful that they'll keep doing that and it won't be AS bad.
So if you miss seeing us and wonder if it means we don't care about you, know that we do, very much, its just impossible to fit all our families AND all our friends into one visit.
This past week has been filled with lots of cleaning, laundry, packing, shopping for travel food and stuff we'll need on the road, visiting with some out of town friends here {see pics below} and wrapping up school for Ethan, sending in his end-of-the-year tests and also wrapping up with some last minute social activities.
We'll host our last Community Group here {until we get back} and then we take off Friday morning, bright and early! I actually love packing. I'm odd and its my favorite thing.
Packing for trips, not packing up a whole house :)
I know its so cliche to say this, but... can you believe its JUNE already?! I can't. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the first 5 months of this year. Wow.
I had so much planned for the summer and now I feel like its going to fly by quicker than the first 5 months of this year have. Especially since Ethan and Rachel start school in September.
But, ahhhh, the lazy days of summer, with no schedule to live by. No rhyme or reason to day-to-day life, visits with out of town friends/family, days spent at the beach, park play, swimming in our new pool {at the new house}, lots of evening walks, and more -- I'm anxiously awaiting it :)
Did I mention we move the week before school starts? I think that's why I'm going to soak up and suck up every moment of summer bliss that I can. Packing and moving from this house begins in mid-August and then the actual move will be just before September 1st. I'm convinced life will absolutely never slow down. I hope it does, but I don't think it will.
Alright. Pictures. Its been a while since I've posted any pictures. Sorry... I know how much I love pictures on blogs, so I do apologize. Our friend Jason Bliss has a younger sister, Jennie, who has been my friend since we were... 16? Wow. Anyway, she and her husband and 2 girls came up to visit this past weekend and we had them and Jason and Katie over for dinner on Sunday night. It was so fun to visit with them and to see their beautiful girls in person! I get so used to seeing friends via blogs, its amazing to see people face-to-face :) My sister and {soon-to-be} brother-in-law came as well! They got engaged on Saturday and we couldn't be happier for them. I'm going to try and take a few pics before we leave for California and after she gets her beautiful ring back from being resized.
Now for some not-so-recent pictures....
A couple weeks ago the girls wore their dress-up dresses all day long. Even to Target. They were beyond thrilled. Rachel wanted to send Nana a picture of our flowers in bloom and I forgot to get it off the camera and send it! So Mom, this one's for you :)
Its been 1 whole year since we've gone for a visit to California, so we're quite due for a visit.
Visits back "home" are hard because there's a million people we desperately want to see and yet even the amount of time we're going for isn't quite enough. Plus, if gas prices stay where they're at, our trip cost will double {thanks to gas costs} from last year. Scary. I noticed today the prices around here at least are dropping, so I'm hopeful that they'll keep doing that and it won't be AS bad.
So if you miss seeing us and wonder if it means we don't care about you, know that we do, very much, its just impossible to fit all our families AND all our friends into one visit.
This past week has been filled with lots of cleaning, laundry, packing, shopping for travel food and stuff we'll need on the road, visiting with some out of town friends here {see pics below} and wrapping up school for Ethan, sending in his end-of-the-year tests and also wrapping up with some last minute social activities.
We'll host our last Community Group here {until we get back} and then we take off Friday morning, bright and early! I actually love packing. I'm odd and its my favorite thing.
Packing for trips, not packing up a whole house :)
I know its so cliche to say this, but... can you believe its JUNE already?! I can't. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the first 5 months of this year. Wow.
I had so much planned for the summer and now I feel like its going to fly by quicker than the first 5 months of this year have. Especially since Ethan and Rachel start school in September.
But, ahhhh, the lazy days of summer, with no schedule to live by. No rhyme or reason to day-to-day life, visits with out of town friends/family, days spent at the beach, park play, swimming in our new pool {at the new house}, lots of evening walks, and more -- I'm anxiously awaiting it :)
Did I mention we move the week before school starts? I think that's why I'm going to soak up and suck up every moment of summer bliss that I can. Packing and moving from this house begins in mid-August and then the actual move will be just before September 1st. I'm convinced life will absolutely never slow down. I hope it does, but I don't think it will.
Alright. Pictures. Its been a while since I've posted any pictures. Sorry... I know how much I love pictures on blogs, so I do apologize. Our friend Jason Bliss has a younger sister, Jennie, who has been my friend since we were... 16? Wow. Anyway, she and her husband and 2 girls came up to visit this past weekend and we had them and Jason and Katie over for dinner on Sunday night. It was so fun to visit with them and to see their beautiful girls in person! I get so used to seeing friends via blogs, its amazing to see people face-to-face :) My sister and {soon-to-be} brother-in-law came as well! They got engaged on Saturday and we couldn't be happier for them. I'm going to try and take a few pics before we leave for California and after she gets her beautiful ring back from being resized.
So this is Ana. Isn't she adorable?!
She gave me some pretty cute smiles
when she saw me with the camera...
and I took full advantage.
playing with Kara
the boys.
Ethan, Elliott, Ash
the girls.
Rachel, Kara, Juliet, Audrey, Ana.
{seriously, about 15 takes and this is the best I could find}
the moms + Emily :)
oh, we decided to act like our kids do, when we're trying to get a good picture of them. I think we nailed it.
Rachel was completely thrilled that Ana was smiling at her :D
A couple weeks ago the girls wore their dress-up dresses all day long. Even to Target. They were beyond thrilled. Rachel wanted to send Nana a picture of our flowers in bloom and I forgot to get it off the camera and send it! So Mom, this one's for you :)
Aside from the beyond wacky weather we've been having, I've been enjoying this Spring season. Finally seeing all the full trees lining the streets, the flowers in full bloom, the air all crisp and cool, with temps beginning to warm up and the sun making its appearance more often than not {except for this past week, ugh}
Its all signs that summer is on its way and as I said above, I'm looking forward to it!
Kara, talking on Skype with Nana, while she eats her dinner.
It was fun for her and felt more like we had a visit with Nana.
there's Nana!
she still lets me cuddle her before bed <3
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