Happy Fourth

We could’ve just hung out around the house.  Some weekends we do that, and those weekends are cool in their own way.  This weekend, we did just the opposite.  We were very much celebrating this amazing country that we so often take for granted, but we were also just celebrating life and family and friends and good and simple things.  In a roundabout way, I guess, that’s the same thing as celebrating America too.

We went camping for two days with some friends and some family, and I’ll do more on that later.

We went to a barbeque swim party at our friends’ house, and it was a blast.  Food —  great.  New friends – greater.  Bella decided “no more floaties” for her after watching all the other kids kick around under the water with bulging eyes and gasping mouths.  Something about that scene appealed to her, and she wanted a part of it.  So, we’ll be floaty-free except for with the babysitter.  We partied through regular nap-time, so they went down for naps at the amended hour of 5 pm and woke up at 7:30, just in time for fireworks.

Goran and Leah invited us to the Microsoft party up on the 12th story of the Hayden Ferry building, which if you don’t know, is the big blue building overlooking Tempe Town Lake.  Best seats ever.  It felt like you could reach out and touch them at times.  Most amazing fireworks show of my life hands-down. I haven’t figured out how to take good photos in low light with my nikon d90.  Any tips are welcome.  These nighttime photos are from my sister’s boyfriend’s IPhone.

Looking down at our seats from the year before.

Objects are closer than they appear.

 

My kids were amazed.  I mean, we all were, but the display managed to hold their attention for the entire hour show.

Thanks Goran and Leah!  I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend.

 

weekend for daddy

Daddy’s birthday and Father’s day usually fall on or around the same time.  This year, they were spaced two days apart and over the weekend.  Needless to say, it was a weekend all about him. 

Words can’t begin to express how grateful I am to have Jacob in my life. 

Most people can pretty much count on one hand the people and situations in this life that consistently make them a happier, better person.  He is number one on my list.  And I know three other people who feel the same way.

We brought him Sprinkles cupcakes to the office, and we spent the weekend eating what was left of the dozen.  We sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to daddy quite a few times, because eating a cupcake is just more fun if you sing that song first.

We also celebrated with a little grown-up get-together for dinner at Blanco, because he’s so worth it.  And because there’s simply no excuse not to have a date night whenever the opportunity presents itself. 

I love this man.

      

Little Hula People

Grammy and Papa took a trip to Hawaii and came back with arms full of souvenirs, including these exotic get-ups.  The kids really got into it, if you couldn’t tell.

     

Splash Day

Our weeks have been very full with birthday parties, swimming, therapies, and play dates, but you wouldn’t know it by reading my blog, because school has completely usurped all my free time lately.  On a side note, I only have two more classes and my internship left before I finally graduate from my Masters program!  As of the end of July, you can make that one less class.  I am so excited!

Back to the music.  We escaped to the zoo splash pad with some friends one weekend about a month ago.  We have annual zoo passes, because going to the zoo here is a “just right” kind of diversion.  When it’s beautiful out (most days), the animals are active and we wander around feeling like we could be somewhere much more exotic than Phoenix.  When it’s not feeling so beautiful… in other words, over 100 degrees, the kids can still romp around in the splash caverns and then traipse about the zoo for the next twenty minutes while our once-soaking wet swimsuits create wearable swamp coolers for our bodies while they dry (and yes, this only takes twenty minutes… tops).

     

Gabe was fretting over a spider web on the ceiling of the caverns.

  

Ari wants her face in the water all the time.  As with last year, people still think she’s drowning, because it’s hard to fathom that a girl who doesn’t have much muscle control would have the most herculean breath control imaginable.  She rarely comes up for air – kind of like a dolphin.  And, the milk inside her cereal bowl is no exception to the incessant face dunking/bubble blowing.

Ari isn’t afraid of animals anymore (for now, *fingers crossed*), which is awesome timing because she is scheduled to begin Hippotherapy (horseback riding therapy) in November!

 

An exceptional bonding moment was witnessed here briefly.  It could have gone on much longer, but Jake was hungry and impatient and he didn’t realize about the bonding moment until I told him later.  Isabella and the mama Orangutan (forgive me, she has a name but I forgot it) locked eyes and truly connected.  Mama orangutan didn’t come close to the window until she saw Bella standing there.  Then she scooted right up to the glass and they both stared at each other without distraction.  It was really special to watch them together.  I can’t explain why, but it touched my heart.