Happy Valentine's Day...

So last week was Valentine's Day (as we all know) and I just wanted to share a few pictures from our weekend. On Thursday Lizzie's class had a party at school. I had such great intentions of making cards for her class, but my little monkey wanted Littlest Pet Shop ones (of course) and we just so happened to run into some one afternoon while wandering around Target... she absolutely fell in loved with them, so they came home with us.

Lizzie's valentine's all personally autographed

Sorting out all of her goodies from the party

Abby wanted to claim some for herself too!

We even decorated our huge bulletin board we have in the kitchen with hearts and the valentines from Lizzie's class... complete with special gifts for everyone to enjoy on Sunday morning. Yes, yes my name is no where on the table, but trust me I got spoiled this weekend (the roses are mine though)... a really nice dinner at home on Saturday night, a wonderful bottle of wine, I cried my eyes out while watching the Notebook and Ben is working on transforming our ugly, unused media nook in our living room into an office area for me, which I am more than super excited about! You'll get to see it when it's all said and done... I promise. Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!


The girls loved getting stuff in the mail (you're all so much better at that stuff than we are)... thank you!!!

A Hike in the Rain...

It's been raining a lot for down here lately (off and on for 3 whole weeks, crazy I know... it's back to normal again already though), needless to say the change in weather has been most welcome and we have thoroughly enjoyed getting the opportunity to use our fireplace before the crazy summer heat starts soon... oh, San Francisco how I miss you sometimes! Despite the rain we ventured outside for a hike. We decided on the waterfall trail over in Placertia Canyon, hoping since it was raining there would actually be a waterfall and there was... teeny tiny, but still there! The girls loved it. All the running around in the mud, the splashing in puddles and collecting of acorns. Of course there was hardly anybody there. Who in their right mind would actually go on a hike in the pouring rain besides us?! It was pretty magical actually... listening to the rain trickle through the trees, finding the birds and squirrels all huddled in their nests and watching dusk come over the hills and into the valley. It's something I'll remember us doing for a long time.

A lot of the trees had massive amounts of fire damage from the fires over the last couple of years. It was crazy to see pitch black charcoal trunks and then new buds sprouting up on the same tree.

Looking at a woodpecker up in the tree

Sorry no pictures of the waterfall... they're all really blurry since we arrived there when it was dusk and it was tucked back under a bunch of trees. It was really there I promise!

Just Being Abby...

My Little Abby... she's quite the little character. To most she comes across as quiet and shy, but this is truly the real Abby... slightly crazy, more than a little messy, absolutely hilarious and a total ham.

Only Abby could rock this look!

Attack of the yogurt turned joker...

Weekend Fun...

These are from 3 weekends ago when we played animal rescue, before our two weeks of rain started. Ben was the "bad guy" who kidnapped the animals and us girls, fully equipped with shields, nerf guns and a speedy get-away car, had to find his secret hide out and rescue the poor, frightened pets. Lizzie was crazy and loved it... so did Ben. He'll go for any excuse to play outside and shoot nerf guns at the girls and I! ;)