an eventful may.

Now that the weather is improving we are spending more and more time outdoors, taking full advantage of these longer days. I think all of our moods improve when we can be outside. We go for more family walks, eat dinner on the back deck, play in the backyard until bedtime and run around the cul-de-sac. It's always the perfect reset button when kids (or parents!) get a little grouchy. 

Matt and I are making more of an effort to do stay in date nights. Since babysitters are expensive and we don't have the opportunity to get out much, making a better effort to have a nice meal together after the kids go to bed is a welcome treat. It takes a little extra planning but shutting off the tv, leaving chores for the next day and just spending time together has been so nice. Plus, some delicious wine and baked brie is always a good thing.

 These classic PNW kids don't mind if it's 65 degrees or 85 degrees. If the suns out they are begging for swimsuits and water. While we haven't gotten the pool out yet the sprinkler has been turned on quite a few times!

 Matt had to go to a fancy work event a few weeks ago. While he got dressed up and enjoyed a delicious dinner and auction with co-workers I stayed home and had a movie night. At the end of the night, I think I had more fun!

 Mother's Day was spent receiving fun little gifts from the kids, a delicious steak dinner and lots of family time. Just the way I like it!

 These brothers....they definitely keep me on my toes. But there is never a dull moment!

Lucy finished another workbook last week, this time one full of sight words. She can now recognize/read over 30 words and is so excited to keep learning more. She is SO ready for kindergarten and I can't wait to see how much fun she has. I'm going to miss her terribly during the day but can't wait to see how much she keeps growing and learning.

 Our amazing sitter sends me pictures each week of the fun adventures she's doing with the kids while I'm at work. It's so fun to see them exploring and having fun, knowing they are well taken care of. We've been so blessed by wonderful moms and friends who love on our kids while I'm at work.

 One of my good friends and I signed up for a local cooking class a few weeks ago. It was the perfect girls night. We had such a good time learning how to make homemade gnocchi and eating it was amazing! Can't wait to do another class this summer.

It doesn't matter how hard the day is, having popsicles on a sunny afternoon makes everything better!

I love these people so much.

Last Sunday it was so hot we headed to one of the local beaches nearby. The kids played in the sand, swam with their clothes on and then we did a quick change before going out to dinner. Such a fun afternoon.

Only a few weeks left of school and then I get to spend the summer playing with all 3 kids. I can't wait to send more time with them checking things off our summer bucket list!

Read more...

football and futbol.

We are now halfway through the spring sports season and even though 4 days a week seems crazy (yes, it is!) it's been so much fun watching the kids learn new skills, make new friends and get more confident. 4 days a week we load up the car with water bottles, snacks, footballs and soccer balls and head over to a field somewhere around town. The siblings from the other teammates all run around and get dirty, usually scrape a knee or two and end up needing to use a honey bucket for a potty break(eewww). Matt wrangles up the teams and gets to work. And I try to watch a play or two while managing the herd of little ones running around the sidelines. 

Dinners are random, hands and feet are oh so dirty but I really do think we are all having a fun time. Matt has been such a great coach to both of these teams and I'm so glad the kids have him as a role model to look up to. 

 While it'll be nice to have some of our weeknights back in a few weeks I will definitely miss these sunny spring nights running around with friends and playing games. So glad both kids have enjoyed these sports!! Go Team Thunderhawks (Carter's football team) and Elephant Goalies (Lucy's soccer team)!

Read more...

spring has (finally) sprung.

The weather is slowly improving and we couldn't be happier around here. Playtime outside, park dates, sand boxes, eating dinner on the back deck, running dates with friends...it's all so nice!! We are taking full advantage and spending basically every waking moment outside. 

 Lucy could swing all day long and is getting more brave at jumping off. The other day she just kept going higher and higher...crazy girl! What was more impressive, though, was how she landed on her feet every single time!

 Soccer practice on sunny nights are so much more fun than windy, cold, rainy nights.

 This past weekend Lucy and I got to have a little girl time at a local cooking class. We met another good friend and her son there and made homemade bowtie pasta, salad and cookies for dessert. So fun and such a great class for kids. Now I'm inspired to make homemade pasta at home (in all my spare time!).

 Early mornings before school have shifted from playing in the playroom to coloring at the kitchen table. It's fun to watch all 3 kids sit together and get along...at least for a few minutes.

 I got ambitious the other day and convinced the kids to help me with a little project so we could surprise Matt when he came home from work. While I work really hard to keep the inside of the house clean and tidy I'm not so great on the outside. I've never enjoyed yard work, struggle with gardening and hate pulling weeds. But the front porch needed some serious cleaning so my littler helpers were up for the challenge! We scrubbed the porch over and over again, sprayed it off (while spraying each other...oops!) and then cleaned out the flower pots. After a quick trip to Costco for some new flowers we came home and planted them all just in time to get Carter off the bus.

 It looks so much better and got us all even more excited for warmer days ahead!

Read more...