Butterfly Travels

Do I or Don't I?....That is the Question

2011-06-20T19:42:00.003+09:00

Hello Butterfly Travels. Do you remember me? I am your Mommy. The one who created you. The one who worked long and hard on you. The one who abandoned you. You ask what are my excuses? I only have one: life got away from me. Do you accept my apology?

I am sure I no longer have anyone looking at my website since I have been gone for so long. I was all excited when I got a new look for my blog, but once I got home from Moscow, Russia last summer I didn't have the energy to continue. I am not sure why. I LOVE reading my friends' blogs and even some that I have stubbled across. So, here I sit at my computer trying this blog thing out again.

Once again we find ourselves in Moscow, Russia. Cliff is still working on the same golf course here. We are living in the same Dacha (house) as last summer. So, when we arrived a few weeks ago it felt like we arrived at our summer home. Crazy. It felt very comfortable. The girls knew their rooms and the routine right away. As far as jet leg. We all adjusted so quickly. Probably the quickest ever. I am not a huge fan of jet leg, but this one was doable.

I traveled with the girls alone again. My first attempt was last summer when we left a bit early due to the heat and fires that smogged the city. It went so well that I thought I would try it again. It went very smoothly and the girls are getting to be great travelers. We had our layover in NY and then straight to Moscow from there. Our plan wasn't full on the long flight which allowed each girl to sprawl out when they slept. They slept way longer than normal. It was a nice wind down time for me. I even allowed myself to have a beer and a movie. That DOESN'T normally happen. Yeah for me! :)

Now we are into our Russia schedule. And now I hope to keep up with my blog this summer.

Please check back for our Russia adventures.

Changes

2010-11-17T02:11:00.003+09:00

Wow a lot has happened since I posted last. I just couldn't post when my blog was so messed up. It was driving me crazy!

In no particular order (because blogger frustrates me sometimes and the pictures are not the order I put them in)!

Our baby turned 4 years old in October.
Madison & MacKenzie started Kindergarten in September.
Madison lost her first tooth.
MacKenzie lost her first tooth.
I flew from Moscow to Minnesota with the girls by myself for the first time. Since we have been traveling with kids (when M&M were 3 months old) I have always had someone helping me travel. I have had some wonderful support from family to friends. But, I decided I could try it solo and it went just fine. The girls were so good. Here is a picture of them in the Amsterdam airport. They loved all of the cows in the airport.

2010-11-16T11:52:00.002+09:00

I hope you like my new blog's make over. I am excited that things are back in order and I can catch you all up on our daily lives. Check back soon!

New Look

2010-10-11T09:32:00.002+09:00

Watch for the new look coming in the next month. My blog is kind of out of sorts right now. Come back soon and check it out.

Work in Progress

2010-08-28T00:43:00.002+09:00

I am in the process of trying to change some things on my blog. That is why things are all over the place. Please check back in the near future.

Heat Wave

2010-07-30T15:46:00.002+09:00

It has been quite the month here in Moscow, Russia. We have had some seriously hot days in the 90's and even 100's. These are some of the hottest days in Russian history. The stores have been sold out of any and all fans or air conditioners. Good thing we bought ours before the heat wave started. We have not had any rain in over a month which has caused many peat moss fires. Crops and lives have been lost due to the heat. The smoke has put a blanket over the city of Moscow. The government has advised to keep windows closed and stay in doors as much as possible. The pollution levels are 10 times over the safe level. It doesn't affect us as much where we are, but when the wind blows the smoke our direction it is so strong that it seems there is a fire in the back yard. We haven't been out doors as much as normal because of this. And not having any air conditioning in our house has been a challenge as well. The upstairs gets so hot that we have all been camping out in our guest bedroom on the main level (see photo below). It has worked out well and the girls seem to sleep much better with Mommy and Daddy so close.

Because it has been so dry it has been causing MacKenzie to get bloody noses. These always seem to happen in the middle of the night. Cliff picked up a humidifer for our bedroom. We are hoping this helps the poor peanut.

The kids have been such troopers and have not complained about the heat or the smoke. They have been having such a fun summer filled with so many things. To help remember the summer I listed some of the fun things we have done:

1. pool fun
2. bubbles
3. bike rides
4. playground
5. side walk chalk
6. sprinkler
7. watching tad poles turn into frogs
8. catching frogs and toads
9. catching butterflys
10. picking strawberries and raspberries from our back yard
11. growing potatoes (thanks to Grandpa)
12. outdoor picnics
13. coloring
14. stickers
15. eating ice cream
16. painting
17. going to Red Square
18. picking out and playing with nesting kittens
19. playdoh
20. getting new toys/coloring books that Mommy brought from home
21. new movies
22. 4th of July celebration in Moscow
23. exploring big house
24. playing with toys that came with the house
25. reading books that came with the house
26. bath in a huge tub
27. play Russian game with kids at playground
28. learning Russian words

These are ones that came to mind. Like I said, the kids have had a fun summer so far.

Hit-n-Miss

2010-07-27T00:58:00.002+09:00

Because our internet here in Moscow is unpredictable I am not sure how often I will be able to post. Most days it won't even let me sign into my blog account. I will do the best I can at keeping you all up to date on our summer adventures.

Really?

2010-07-15T18:20:00.002+09:00

Two things that have surprised me today:

1st: The girls are eating lunch and I step out of the room for 5 seconds and come back and Kira is eating a handful of butter. Really?

2nd: I am out watering flowers and hear pounding across the street. I look up to see two guys working on the neighbors house in their skivvies. Really?

I wonder what the afternoon will bring?

Photo Shoot

2010-07-15T15:15:00.003+09:00

We are finally back online. We have had problems with our internet and were offline for almost a week. It made me realize how much I look forward to my time with my computer while the kids play. And being so far from home I NEED the connection to my MN world. Even with the internet I can feel so disconnected from my family and friends, but without internet it was even worse! The kids and I went about our regular routine though -- play, eat, play, eat, play, eat, etc. Such a rough summer, right? Actually, it has been such a relaxing summer for me. We have this beautiful home with an amazing yard and I don't have to clean any of it. We have a cleaning lady that comes once a week. Let me tell you, this is such a treat for me! All I have to worry about is 1 husband, 3 kids, cooking, washing clothes and relaxing a bit. When I get home next month it will be hard to readjust to my normal chores. Until then I am going to ENJOY!

Love the flowers on the vines. This is in our yard.
Kira with her camera. She likes to take pictures of flowers.
MacKenzie and Madison looking for that perfect shot. They have had these cameras for two years now and still love to play with them.
A little kiss in the pool. Madison kissing MacKenzie.
Madison, MacKenzie & Kira

Matryoshka Nesting Dolls (or Kittens)

2010-07-10T05:00:00.001+09:00

When we went to see Red Square with Cliff's parents we let the girls pick out their own matryoshka doll. First Diana and I took look and had some in mind for them. I knew that if it was overwhelming for me it was going to be twice that bad for them. I had the kitten picked out for Kira and once I showed it to them they all decided on a kitten. I told them they had to pick different ones so they could keep track of their own. Each kitten has 5 pieces. I didn't want anymore than that for choking reason and for keeping track of reasons. So far they have been very responsible and have not lost any pieces. I still want to go back and pick a doll out for myself to help me remember our time in Moscow.

I did a little research as to the history of the matryoshka dolls and here is what I found:

"Russian wooden dolls within smaller dolls were called matryoshka. In old Russian among peasants the name Matryona or Matriosha was a very popular female name. Scholars says this name has a Latin root "mater" and means "Mother". This name was associated with the image of of a mother of a big peasant family who was very healthy and had a portly figure.
Subsequently, it became a symbolic name and was used specially to image brightly painted wooden figurines made in a such way that they could taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside one another." http://russian-crafts.com/nesting-dolls/history.html

The girls with their matryoshkas. Kira picked out the grey kitten, Madison chose the white kitten and MacKenzie decided on the orange kitten. They did good job of deciding. Once Kira decided on a kitten the other two followed suit.

Kira and her "wooden kitty."
Madison and her Kitten.
MacKenzie and her kitten.
This was the matryoshka that Diana (mother-in-law) picked out for herself. There are 10 pieces. Pretty impressive how intricate they are with such small pieces.
It can be overwhelming when trying to decide on what style, size and design to choose, but once you get it home you are happy with your choice.

Daddy and His Girls

2010-07-08T05:00:00.002+09:00

I didn't grow up with my Dad in my life. At times I really felt like I missing out on something so special. Something that only a Father and Daughter can experience. My Mom was a great Mom (and still is) and did her best to fill that ache that I had. Now that I have children of my own I see how important that bond really is between a Daddy and his Daughter. Cliff and all three girls have such a speical bond and relationship. Their faces light up whenever he arrives home or wants to play with them. Why doesn't the SAHM get the same reaction? I am not jealous of their relationship...I am in awe. They truly have him wrapped around their little fingers. He loves and adores each girl for who they are. And they view him as their Hero. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life who has become the #1 Daddy.

4th of July Weekend. (Madison front)

Moscow 4th of July Festival. Getting ready to watch the Fireworks. Kira the kitty, Madison the butterfly and MacKenzie the flower child (R).

Looking for frogs in our little pond. Kira, Madison & MacKenzie (R).
Red Square (MacKenzie, Kira & Madison (R)).
What a nice greeting from his girls upon arriving home from work. MacKenzie, Kira & Madison (R).
Visiting the Military Park. Madison (L), MacKenzie & Kira.
Climbing on tanks. Madison, MacKenzie & Kira

Homesick

2010-07-05T16:03:00.007+09:00

Why is it that everytime there is a Holiday it makes me homesick? Maybe it's just knowing that family and friends are all getting together and we aren't there to join in the fun. No matter where we are we always try and make every Holiday special for the girls. They are too young to realize what they are missing at home on that day, so they are just get excited to be celebrating anything. This year being in Moscow I didn't expect to celebrate too much. I did bring a few fun 4th items from home to help us feel the spirit, but other than that I thought it would be a quiet day. Earlier in the week our landlord (another American) told us about the annual 4th celebration that is thrown for expats. He gave us the information and we decided to try and find the place and join in the fun. It was at Kuskovo Park & Mansion. This estate dates back to 1743. It was the perfect place for a party. They had tons of fun things for all ages. Baseball, flag football, & volleyball tournaments earlier in the day. Lots of blow up bouncy/slide thingys for the kids. Face painting. Sexy dancers on a stage. Tons of vendors selling food and drink and just beautiful grounds to wander around. Then we sat near a man made lake to watch the fireworks. This is where Count Sheremetev used to have mock sea battles to entertain Moscow society. A lot of history in the spot we were sitting.

The girls were excited to see the fireworks. I wasn't sure if they would be scared of the loud noise, but they did great. The only bad part of staying for the fireworks was keeping the kids up so late. It doesn't get dark until close to 11pm. It was a treat for them and they did very well. As soon as we got in the car they all passed out. We all slept in Sunday and just enjoyed the 4th in our back yard and the pool.

Sexy girls dancing to a DJ.

Girls enjoying the music and getting their groove on.

Madison, Kira & MacKenzie (R)

Madison

MacKenzie

Kira

I loved seeing our flag at the Festival.

MacKenzie, Kira & Madison (R)

Firework time.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-03T19:08:00.002+09:00

We are feeling patriot this weekend. Even though we are a million miles away from our awesome country, we still celebrate our independence. Happy 4th of July to you all. Be thankful and be safe!

**Please bear with me. I am experimenting with my photo program and still have a lot to learn.

Silly

2010-07-01T20:27:00.003+09:00

Our last trip to the store let the girls pick out some swimming goggles and snorkels. Surprisingly, they each picked out something different. You wonder why this is suprising? Well, when three girls can fight over one toy when there are 2 others that are exactly the same it always surprises me when they branch out and pick something different than their sisters. It is a relief in a way. This way they can't fight over them because they each picked out their own "special" pair.

Madison (L), MacKenzie & Kira

They were being so silly and funny. Madison thought it was gut busting funny that she had her undies on her head. And MacKenzie thought her capris on her head was the funniest thing she has ever seen. And then Kira (who was already dressed) decided if she put her kitty on her head she would be part of the fun.
Kira with froggy goggles.
Cliff and I couldn't stop laughing at her. She has the biggest eyes and through the goggles they really stand out. Makes me laugh just looking at the picture.

MacKenzie with orange glittery goggles.

MacKenzie has been pretty good at putting her face in the water. She thinks it is great to be able to see. The whole snorkel thing is still a work in progress.

Madison with Tweety Bird goggles.

Madison likes to wear her goggles and let one of her sisters pour water over her head or squirt her in her eyes.

My beautiful family. Madison, Kira & MacKenzie (R)

Featured Blogger!

2010-06-29T15:30:00.005+09:00

Our blog was featured at "Multiples...and More! Check it out.

http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/

Frogs and Shades

2010-06-28T16:57:00.003+09:00

Every day the girls seem to find something to entertain them. On this particular day it was a huge toad. I can always tell by the excitment in their voices when they are calling out, "MOMMY!" I know there isn't anyone hurt. I just know that they found something that will probably make my skin crawl. Some kind of creepy crawly creature. Frogs don't bother me, but big toads are kind of gross. But no need to worry on my part. I don't have to even touch the thing because all three girls are taking turns playing with it. And at one point I look over and Kira is pretty much making out with the thing. Eeeeewwwwwhhhhh! I had to give all three the lecture about germs and getting sick from kissing toads or any bugs for that matter!

Madison holding the toad.

Kira's turn to squish -- I mean hold the toad.

Kira looking adorable in Daddy's hat.

MacKenzie, Madison & Kira sportin their shades.

More pictures of our Russian Dacha and Neighborhood

2010-06-24T20:42:00.008+09:00

Every mornig I wake up and look out the window and am amazed at how pretty our yard and house are. Usually when we live abroad we are in an apartment in the city. I feel so lucky to get to spend the summer in such a beautiful place with my family.

Our yard.

Every morning there is a new flower open. So breath taking.

This house is around the block from us and I just love their mailbox.

My Mother-in-law calls these flowers Hen and Chicks. She said her Mother called them that as well. I think they are such a unique flower. Love them.

Bike riding route.

Our yard.

Neighbors house.

Landscaping in our yard.

Our lawn.

Our "Dacha."

MacKenzie (L), Madison and Kira with Grandma and Grandpa.

One of the many beautiful homes in our neighborhood.

Another home I like.

First Day of Summer

2010-06-22T15:19:00.002+09:00

Bike rides
Pool time
Picnic time

What a great way to begin a summer! Last week was so chilly, cloudy and rainy that we are so excited to have some real summer weather. I hope it continues.

Happy Summer to you all!

Father's Day

2010-06-21T19:40:00.005+09:00

Sunday was a relaxing day. Actually, both Cliff and I forgot it was Father's Day until after lunch. Not sure what was going on in my mind. I had the girls make cards for him earlier in the week and I had a gift from them as well. But, once we remembered we celebrated and gave Daddy lots of love.

It was a beautifully sunny day. The kids played in the pool a lot and just ran around outside all day. They helped Cliff wash his car along with their bikes. They must not have wanted it to end becuase when they had their bikes all clean they decided they would rub mud on them so they could wash them again and again and again. Funny stuff.

As a family we went for a bike ride around our neighborhood and made a stop at the playground. There were other kids there that we have seen before. The girls made a new friend named Dasha. She is probably 4 years old. The kids all played a Russian game where you have to wake the sleeping bear. Once the bear is awake it has to catch someone who then is the new sleeping bear. It was fun to hear the chanting rhyme in Russian (wish I could remember) and to see our kids playing along. Then it was home for baths and bedtime. Because it stays light here until 11pm I sometimes lose track of time in the evening. Before I know it it's 11pm and I am just crawling into bed knowing I will be tired in the morning. I guess that is what coffee is for. I just need that wind down time at night.

I think Cliff had a nice day. And we all enjoyed our family time

Madison

MacKenzie

Kira

Girls helping Daddy wash his car.

Daddy snuggling with his baby girl.

Wedding Anniversary

2010-06-17T14:26:00.005+09:00

Yesterday my husband, Cliff, and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. I met my husband when I was just 16 years old. I went to visit my cousin Jessi for the weekend. Her and Kris Hamilton (Cliff's cousin) took me to Brainerd to watch a movie. While waiting to get in she noticed that her crazy cousin, Cliff, was there with some friends. This was our first encounter. It is so crazy to think that our lives were destined to be together. I remember he came up to us gave us all hugs. He was so full of life and mischief. I was intreged, but didn't give it much thought since I lived 2 hours away. Little did I know that I would be moving in the next few months and going to school with Jessi, Kris and yes, my future husband. We began dating 2 years later. And it has been a rollercoaster ever since

While reading one of the blogs I follow I saw a post she had made about the 10 things she loves about her husband (this week). Thanks for the great idea. So, here goes:

Top Ten Things I Love about my Husband (this week):

1. He loves me for who I am.
2. He is a wonderful Father to our 3 beautiful girls.
3. He makes me laugh.
4. He is supportive.
5. He is one the of nicest people I have ever met.
6. He never complains about my cooking. I am not the best cook.
7. He works hard.
8. He is a great provider.
9. He is game for pretty much anything.
10. He is HOT!

I am so lucky to have found such a wonderful man. I love you baby!

Red Square

2010-06-14T14:33:00.007+09:00

Saturday morning we got in the car around 8:30am to try and beat the traffic. We were off to explore Red Square. The night before Cliff took his parents into Red Square to see it all lit up at night. The girls and I would have gone with but it doesn't get dark here until after 11! So, I stayed home with the sleeping babies. From the looks of Diana's photos it is amazing at night too. Even though Harold and Diana had just made the trip we talked them into coming with for a day view of Red Square. I don't think they were dissapointed. The only bad part was the square was blocked off because it is a Holiday weekend here. Their indepence day is today (Monday), so they had a big stage set up for entertainment. This also meant that St. Basil's Cathedral was closed along with Lennon's tomb. We were hoping to see both. I guess we will have to head back and take lots of photos to share with Harold and Diana.

When first seeing St. Basil's Cathedral it all seems so unreal. It looks like an attraction at Walt Disney World or something. It is hard to really wrap your mind around the fact that you are actually standing in such a famous place. Growing up during the Cold War it is a place that I never imagined I would see in person. I know the girls don't grasp all of this, but some day they are going to look at the pictures and say, "Wow, I really got to see something amazing and so famous." I wonder if all of this early traveling will put the travel bug into them when they are adults.

It was such a hot day. Around 86. The girls were so good and didn't complain about all of the walking we did. They really are becoming such big girls and great travelers. By the time we all sat down for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe we were ready for something cold to drink and some food in our tummys. Cliff, myself and Diana all had an ice cold beer. It tasted so good. Harold opted for a Pepsi. Cliff's co-worker, Butch (a fellow American), also joined us for a beer.

On the walk back to our car we came across a little food market. Diana and I picked up some strawberrys and cherries. Not speaking (or understanding) any Russian it was kind of funny. But, we managed to walk away with our fruit and it didn't cost us an arm and a leg (we don't think) LOL They tasted great with dinner that night too.

When we got home the owner, Walter (another fellow American), was mowing the lawn. We visited with him a bit and even invited him to have some dinner. He seems like a nice man.

After dinner we just sat around and visited. We were all so tired, but knowing it was our last night we all sat around as long as we could. You know you never want that last night to end. We did watch the Americans vs. England in the World Cup. The commentary was in Russian, but that was okay. It adds to the atmosphere. :)

The next morning started at the crack of dawn -- okay that would be at like 4am since it gets light then -- but it did start early. Cliff wanted to leave pleanty early to take his parents to the airport. The traffic here can be horrendous and he didn't want to be stuck in hours of traffic. As it turns out traffic was not an issue. But, it was sad to see them go. They are such a big part of our everyday life and it is hard not to see them on a daily basis. But, Skype helps with that.

Today is our first day with just the girls and I. Grandma and Grandpa made it home to Minnesota and Cliff is working. The first day is usually the toughest, but so far so good. The girls are playing and letting me type this post. And our cleaning lady should be here soon (I know... rough, huh.)

Da svidanya (Goodbye).

Pool and Hot Cocoa

2010-06-10T20:07:00.009+09:00

Today started out sunny and a perfect temperature. The girls and I went for a bike ride before lunch. We had talked about them going for a swim in the pool Cliff put in the back yard. I told them after lunch would be a great time. Wouldn't you know it after lunch the clouds started to roll in and the temps dropped. But, the big girls were still up for a swim. Kira on the other hand opted to watch while covered up. They actually played longer than I thought they would. After getting dried and dressed I made us all some hot cocoa. The girls curled up for a cartoon and something warm to drink along with lots of marshmellows.

Back yard with pond (not full yet) and our blue swimming pool.

Madison, Kira & MacKenzie (R)

Kira relaxing in our hammock.

Madison picking a strawberry.

Kira, MacKenzie and Madison checking to see how big the tadpoles are in our pond.

Another fun day in Moscow.

Moscow, Russia

2010-06-09T19:06:00.009+09:00

Where do I begin? Let's start from the day we left home for the hotel without our passports. No, we did not leave them at home. They were still some place over the US trying to get to us before we left for Moscow. We had sent our passports away to get the required Visa stamp inside and it was down to the wire and we only had hours before our flight left. We were to pick them up at a Fed-Ex drop off ramp at 8am the day our flight was to leave (10:10am). This was really cutting it close, but we thought we could do it since the Fed-Ex ramp was only 5 miles from the airport. We arrived at the airport plenty early to unload our 10 large suitcases, 6 carry-ons, one stroller, 3 children and 3 adults. I then ran to find a taxi with directions and tracking number in hand. I arrived there in time and was feeling pretty good.....until.....the 2 people behind the desk looked at me like I was an alien. "Package, what package?" Long story short. The passports were sitting on an airplane in Tennessee with maintenance problems. We had no choice but to change our tickets ($1800!!), rent another hotel room and pray that our passports arrived in time for our morning flight. The Fed-Ex people were very nice and called me at 6:30am to inform me that our passports had arrived. It was very stressful and we all let out a sigh of relief when we got on that first flight. But, part way into the second flight I felt that bit of stress again when I realized I had left our portable DVD player with some new movies on the first airplane. Gggggrrrrr

Well, we have made it safely and are about settled into our new place here in Moscow, Russia. It was quite stressful to say the least getting here, but that is behind us and we are excited to spend the summer with Cliff and enjoy this mansion we are living in. I always knew I would enjoy a "real" house with lots of room for all of us to spread our wings, but I didn't realize just how much until we arrived at our Russian "Dacha" or country home (oh and it comes with a housekeeper too).

We have a gated in house/yard with lots of room to run and play. The yard is all landscaped with a variety of flowers, bushes, trees all around, strawberry patch, etc. I think we will get to enjoy a lot of different blooms throughout the summer. We also are in a gated community that is very safe and easy to roam around in. The owner of the home is an American man who was married to a Russian woman. They have a little girl together who is now 9. This means the house came stocked with lots of goodies for the girls. There are tons of books -- a lot in English, toys, bike with training wheels, etc. Cliff did purchase two more bikes and there happens to be 2 adult bikes here also. So, we have all gone for bike rides together. The girls think that is pretty cool. There is a little playground not far from our house too.

Harold and Diana have been helping out a lot with the kids, unpacking, weeding the strawberries, gathering wood for our fireplace, cooking, etc. Some vacation, huh?! We did head to a Military Park this past weekend. They have army tanks that you can climb all over. We all had to try it out. Poor Diana was climbing off a tank and caught it on her capris and ripped a huge hole in them from about her knee to her hip. We were all trying so hard not to laugh, but didn't succeed. We had barely arrived at the park, so she had to wrap her hoodie around her waist and try to enjoy the rest of the day. It is a very beautiful park with walking trails, benches to take a break and lots of grass to sit and have a picnic in. There are also some pretty amazing statues and water fountains throughout the park. We all enjoyed our walk and time together exploring a tiny part of Moscow.

This was a very moving monument of the concentration camps. It just makes your stomach feel sick.

Since Harold and Diana leave on Sunday we are planning a trip to Red Square on Saturday. It is supposed to be 80 and partly sunny. So, a beautiful day to see such a famous place. We are going to pack snacks and drinks for the kids and hope to find something interesting to eat for the adults.

Here are some inside photos of our house:

Loft where the kids play a lot.

Steps to the Loft.

Diningroom and Livingroom.

Entryway

Kira's room.

MacKenzie and Madison's room.

Catching Up

2010-05-21T23:06:00.007+09:00

I figured I better post and catch you all up before we being another new adventure (details to come in another post).

I did get a new computer and so far am loving it. I decided to get the Dell Studio. I had some recommendations, so I ran with it. I am in the process of getting used to it and all that it can do. And it is even pink! LOVE IT! :)

MOTHER'S DAY:

We went to brunch at Izaty's Golf and Yacht Club. It was most of the Hamilton gang. The girls did a great job and even let me enjoy my food. Then we headed home and spent the day just hanging out.

Grandpa and Grandma with most of the grandkids. We are missing Dustin, Lacey, Dianne and Summer.

MY BIRTHDAY:

I got to spend the day shopping without kids. I had a lot of things to get for our new adventure, so I spent a full day crossing off items on my lists. The girls went to see their cousin, Dustin, play baseball with Grandma and Grandpa along with their cousins, Dianne and Summer. I think they had a great day too. My husband surprised me with a heart shaped diamond necklace. It is beautiful!

That pretty much covers the main events since my computer crashed.

Back!

2010-05-19T01:52:00.002+09:00

Just a quick note to let you know I have my new computer and will be blogging again soon......