feeling MUCH better!

whew... we're all better! we had our bout of strep throat... flu... colds... fevers... all in about 5 days... but I am so glad it's over! nothing like being sick to really make you appreciate HEALTH!!! I even joined the gym! yoga tomorrow morning! ha!





my mom's homemade chicken noodle soup always helps! I love making fresh noodles/pasta... it's so fun... sticky... gooey... love popping the egg yolks! always has been my favorite! luckily Isabelle... our oldest...loves to do the cracking of the eggs... and lets me pop the yolks! we're a good team! :-)





can you imagine how good this smells..... the more garlic the BETTER!





a bunch of fresh herbs from our garden... mmmmm!



putter putter... mmmmm....



thanks Mama for this treat!

wash day...

so nice with a little wash day... we have one day every week which is our wash day... sweep... vacuum... mop mop mop... dust.. sometimes even a little "switch-a-roo"

it feels so nice when the new linens are on beds... out with all the old.. a bit of laundry... the reward of a clean tidy home is simple but to me... HUGE! it's so calming and I am loving how our girls really enjoy cleaning as well.... maybe just all the sloshing around in the mop bucket...perhaps?





it's sweet to see the concentration of kids working on something... they feel so proud when they are finished... they get upset when things don't go as they expect... they fix it... and move on... and hold up their token with such a smile... and show it to all that want to see... and those will too smile...

a day on the farm.....

this day was such a treat.... we went out to the countryside with some special friends to see where milk comes from!



the kids learned so much... the cows were so beautiful and the milk was so delicious! it was quite a chilly day which was fun... and it was just before Christmas so there was a little skip in everyone's step... thoughts of Santa's visit... just being with friends together.... was lovely!







it's so beautiful how children are so gentle with animals and it's even sweeter how the animals are so gentle with the children... there is no fear really... just love.



the children take in nature... like it's so easy... they love the animals so much it's almost like they could hug the sweet creatures.. it was really fantastic how this farm really focused on teaching the children about the milk... nowadays kids really think that milk comes from the market... strawberries come from the little crate in the produce stand... but if we teach our kids where our food starts from... from the farm ... from nature... to the table... it's pretty much the most beautiful thing to me. it's quite a circle... teaching children about the lovely rhythms of life... of nature...



making fresh butter... a real treat





we then came home and shook shook shook some more butter...mmmm!

what a day though... the drive from the beach to the countryside is just so peaceful... me and the girls... the windows down... singing... cool breezes blowing our hair carefree.... a fun memory.

Welcome to the BIG TOP!!!

We had quite a fun party for Cecilia's 2nd Birthday!!! Circus Party!!! what a fun time it was!

the girls worked on the cake together...









Circus games!



we're silly!!!!!!






my brother was the face painter! what a hit!



Sweet BuNnY!



awe!



Cecilia and her Pal Dalton!



Circus PoPcoRn!!!



blow out the candles!



we put together a "fotobooth" and my gosh was that ever fun! it hit us a week or so duhh we're photographers... let's do a fun fotobooth! how cute! the kids had a blast! silly noses... mustaches!



My favorite part of the day was just squatting down with the birthday girl and hugging her tight and looking at all of the fun and seeing the fun she was having .... her smiles were so sweet! xoxo

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Our littlest just turned 2!! Her Birthday is a bit before Christmas Day and is oh so special! I love this time of year so why not throw in a birthday! We make it very special for her ... I never want her to be one to say.. "oh I hated having my birthday at Christmas.." nope it's not going to happen! From the moment she woke until she closed her eyes at night... the day was ALL about HER!!!



we sang songs to her and brought her breakfast in bed (blueberries in bed... very special) and we gave her, her presents....



this "Rody" pony is a hit!!! she loves it! we thought and thought of what to get her and then we came across this and I am so glad she gets so happy on her present!



she's two... and she's sweet as can be! I remember when she was born... we didn't know what we were having... the bliss I felt when Pappa said, "She's a GIRL... WE HAVE ANOTHER GIRL!" tears were in his eyes... and I screamed with JOY... "I LOVE HER!!! I LOVE HER!!!" what a crazy birthing high!!! She makes me so happy... she's just this little bundle of love and I want to squeeze her to pieces and give her a million kisses!



we took her to one of her favorite places... Selby Botanical Gardens... it was a gorgeous day!







our girls love the Coi fish... these fish are amazing! they come right up to your hand and say hello... I once had to help one back in the water as he jumped a little too far out... gorgeous creatures...



We feel lucky to have this piece of tropical beauty close by... we love to visit...









birthday dinner...



Pappa and Isabelle made this decadent French Chocolate Flourless Torte! it was delicious!

Happy Birthday our Beautiful Cecilia!!! We wish you another year full of adventure, wonder, and lots and lots of giggles!!! You're amazing!