WOW! I-Spy quilt keepsake from Cheri

We received a very mysterious box in the mail from Aunt Cheri today, which contained, we were thrilled and excited to discover, a gorgeous I-Spy quilt! WOW WOW WOW! It is spectacular! Look at this!

Julia would hardly let me look at it, she was so excited ("I want to put it on my bed!" Give it to me!")

As the very cute accompanying letter explained, the quilt is full of activities and entertainment. You can play a number of hunt-and-find games with the quilt, or build creative stories out of pictures found on the quilt. Look how every fabric is unique and features a different picture.


Or you can flip it over and talk about the map on the other side. (Where did you find this very-cool idea for the back?!)

Being an occasional quilter myself, I can quite clearly see that this quilt was painstakingly crafted with hours and hours of detailed work and love. Each fabric is darling, and so carefully cut to showcase the featured picture. Look at this detail:

What a fun, beautiful, entertaining and personal gift. Thank you so much to Cheri for this treasure!

Portraits at swim class

Susan and Paul have been staying with us this week to watch the kids while our Nanny is on vacation. They have been taking the kids all over the place, keeping up with all their activities. Paul has been putting his camera to good use, and captured these two darling shots of the kids at swim class.
Many, many thanks to Susan and Paul for watching the kids this week! What a lifesaver for Jeff and me, as well as a precious opportunity for Julia and Andrew to spend some quality time with their Nana and Grumps. Thank you!!!

Melissa and Malcolm's wedding

This weekend we headed to Oakhurst for Jeff's cousin Melissa's wedding. It was a spectacular wedding. Everybody, including the kids, had a ball! Here are a few pictures:

Melissa and Malcolm, just after exchanging vows:
Steve and Sarah toasting their daughter and new son-in-law:
Melissa and Malcolm:
The Griffith cousins Kevin, Melissa, Mark, and Colin, goofing off:
Julia and Nana enjoying the reception:

Playing with neighbor Katie

Katie is Ann & Dan's daughter and lives on the corner. She and her mommy come over to play sometimes. Julia loves to push her in our backyard swing. She is a couple of months younger than Andrew. What a cutie!

The funny things kids say

Today Julia had the look of a little girl who needs to go potty, if you know what I mean. I asked her if she needed to go, and she replied: "No, I'm just holding myself so the wind doesn't blow my bottom away." To give her credit, there was a breeze blowing through...

Also, she informed me today that her name is JoJo. She's been referring to herself as JoJo all afternoon.

We're BACK! And it was wonderful!

We had such a nice time at Ventana! What a special place. Our time was spent sleeping in, drinking coffee on the balcony looking out over forested canyons, strolling the grounds, enjoying spa treatments, lounging in a hammock, eating delicious meals, playing games, reading, hanging out at the pool.... sounds like we were busy, doesn't it? Actually it was quite relaxing.

MANY many many thanks to Mom & Dad for taking up residence in our house to watch the kids for the weekend. We are grateful every day that we have my parents so close by. We know how lucky we are! Thank you!!!!

We're.... LEAVING!

Well, this doesn't exactly measure up to a trip to Italy or even Canada, but I'm thrilled to report Jeff and I are getting out of town for the weekend -- the first time away from the kids since well before Andrew was born. We are headed to Ventana in Big Sur. My amazing, wonderful, ever helpful parents are staying with Julia and Andrew. Thank you Benne and Grandpa! We anticipate a lot of uninterrupted sleeping, conversation, reading, playing games, etc. Not to mention a spa treatment or two... We'll report back when we return! Have a good weekend everybody!

Big sister, big helper!

The travel bug

I think it all started when I read Eat Pray Love, a new bestseller by Elizibeth Gilbert. If you haven't read it, you really must. She writes about her year-long journey through Italy, India, then Indonesia, during which she heals and finds herself. It's funny, thoroughly entertaining, touching and inspiring, all at once. This book made me want to take up yoga and meditation, be bolder about welcoming new people and experiences into my life, take a leave of absence from my job, and start writing a book of my own.

But mostly, it made me want to travel. Anywhere. Just get out and see the world, turn my life on its head for a while and be somebody new. This isn't exactly a good time for me to take off on delicious adventures, so perhaps the impossibility of it is what makes it so tantalizing.

So, when Andrea and I started talking about planning a spa weekend getaway to celebrate having accomplished the first year of motherhood for our seconds, it's not surprising perhaps that I started looking farther afield than the usual places around here. And that's when I came across the Wickanninsh Inn in Tofino Canada. Three minutes on their web site, and suddenly I'm obsessed with the place. Click on the name to visit their website. Doesn't it look fabulous! I had to reluctantly agree with Andrea that it's probably not realistic for our 48 hour getaway in July, but boy do I wish it was. I'm telling you, I'm going there one day. Anybody want to come with me?

I know what you're thinking, that heading to a luxury spa in Canada isn't exactly an adventure that measures up in any way to the kinds of adventures Liz Gilbert had in her book, but hey, it would be farther from home than I've been in years. I think I could find myself there... and you know what, the spa offers yoga!