finally…… weekend catch up

This past weekend we were able to get away to Palm Springs. Josh’s grandparents have been so generous in letting us use their condo and it is something we look forward to with great anticipation. Now Josh and I are both people who enjoy making the most of vacations. This time we went and just did…….. NOTHING! It was fantastic! The weather was heaven-like. We swam in the pool (for hours and hours), ate easy ready-made meals from Costco (which Mommy liked), colored, read, watched movies, baked cookies and had one nice meal out. IT WAS PERFECT! Exactly what our little family needed. We were almost too relaxed to come home. :)

The girls loved the pool. Both of them NEVER tire of the water!

Bekah with a “pose- and- jump” shot.

Anna tends to just fall into the water.

The girls in their matching dresses before dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants.

  I found these little “vintage” slates at Cost Plus World Market for just 59 cents in the clearance bin. The girls had a great time with them. I,however, forgot how much I HATE chalk and the sounds of chalkboards. I had to leave the room.

And here is Miss Rebekah admiring the 500 piece puzzle Mommy put together. I had hopes that we would do it together. But once we got to the condo she was much more interested in swimming, watching movies and playing with play-doh to bother with puzzles. But once I was done she of course said….”Hey! I wanted to help put the puzzle together.”

Happy Nelsons in the sun! 

To little lovelies relaxin in the pool. Should have brought the sunglasses.

Such a great few days away.If only every weekend was that relaxing.

Worth showing….

This little sundress of Rebekah’s is one of my favorites. I purchased it on the clearance rack at Gymboree last December and it was a bargain at $7.00. When washing it this last week I was saddened to discover a hole. Just about the size of someone’s pointer finger. I am sure the hole didn’t start out this size, as I am guessing it had a little help. Nonetheless I was bummed. Until I went to Michael's (for another reason entirely.) While browsing their dollar bins I just happened upon these little appliqué's and ta-da! I had an idea!

So a $3.00 fix for a $7.00 dress. A little pricey, but I was excited to see that the dress has a new life and I think I might even like it more than before. :)

For Nate:

My brother Nathan is in Florida working at Disneyworld right now. The girls have something to tell Uncle Nate….

Love you Nate!

Alleluia!!!

(Due to technical difficulties my Easter post has been delayed.)

He is Risen! What better reason do we have to celebrate!?

basket time!

The best we could get….

Getting a little color…

Saturday after a long and eventful day we finally colored Easter eggs. Of course the girls loved it and were not content with the dozen eggs I had for them. I did learn one lesson though, DON’T wait until the night before Easter to dye the eggs. Colored fingers don’t always go with Easter outfits the next morning.

Easter Brunch

Saturday was our fellowship group’s Easter brunch. What a wonderful time with friends.

Anna found the stash….

MOPS HUNT

Well, I am feeling a slight case of déjà-vu. How quickly the year has passed and as we hit each annual tradition and event I begin to think…..”wasn’t I just here?!”

So our annual MOPS Easter Egg Hunt came again and as always the girls had a blast!

 

Believe it or not this is the group shot for just the 2 and under category! :)

I ALWAYS love my mom, but especially thank the Lord for her assistance on days like these. Having her extra set of hands and eyes helps me breathe sighs of relief. 

I feel like I always need to apologize for my youngest  child’s lack of hair do’s. I’m telling ya folks, I TRY! Her hair was all tied up nice and neat, complete with bows. But her pigtails were history before we ever pulled into the parking lot. :( But just in case you are wondering if I ever brush Anna’s hair, I do!

Here grandma is on egg count. Due to the number of children participating we only had 12 eggs per child. Anna, not really knowing how to actually count, and also not really being one to slow down, quickly exceeded the egg maximum. My mom was great at discretely re-hiding eggs for fellow (not-as- bold) egg hunters.

And here is the five and up category! Not as many as the two’s but still the competition was fierce!

Why is it kids love this so much?

 

And here is Anna in her “end-of –the–egg-hunt” glory! Runny nose, dirty face,tangled hair, as happy as can be. :)

As always a fabulous time with our MOPS friends.

American Girl

This past Monday the girls and I were treated to a day at American Girl Place in Los Angeles.

My cousin was in town and my Aunt Becky invited us for a girls day out. I don’t know if I can fully describe this place, so I don’t think I’ll try.

We had a wonderful day with my mom, aunt and cousin! Here are a few pictures of our day.

Anna’s ( and Bekah’s, for that matter) favorite part of the store was collecting all the “wish list” tags they had there. They have these little tags that show items you can order. My girls were collecting them with diligence. One of the girls that worked there noticed their mass of tickets and gave them a bag to collect them. I think that is what they thought the point of going to the store was. They loved it and had NO clue that each ticket they collected, if purchased, could have easily equaled a mortgage payment. I loved that they were enjoying collecting the only free thing in the place! ;)

After browsing the store my Aunt treated us all to an unforgettable lunch. In addition to fun food and delightful presentation, the restaurant provides chairs and dishes for the dolls and even dolls to borrow in case you don’t have one. :) Rebekah and her doll Kirsten. 

Anna and her (borrowed)doll Emily.

Cousin Aleetha and Aunt Becky

My mom and aunt showing off their hair bows ( a.k.a. napkin ties).

HEY THERE IS CHOCOLATE UNDER THIS FLOWER!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alee and Rebekah with dessert.

And this look pretty much captures my girls attitude towards the day. I think they were kind of awestruck over the whole experience.

Thanks Grandma and Aunt Becky for a fun day out with the girls and for all the special treats!:)

Primping

Can it be considered vanity when your “vanity” is a toilet?

This is how I found Rebekah when I walked into the bathroom on Friday. The pictures were taken totally unbeknownst to her. She was focused on something else. Oh the girliness of girls.

This is your early morning wake up call….

What do you do when your kids walk in at 6:01 am? I break out the camera. :)

 Anna sporting the 80’s bangs. :)

 

How do they wake up with so much energy!?

Early naps today.:)