Barber Shop

Lear's first haircut, compliments of Daddy and the kitchen scissors.

Good-Byes

Moving to the other coast means lots of good-byes. Some are temporary and some are more long-term. But the deep desire to spend one last afternoon/evening/meal/laugh together is strong and sentimental.

We've been spoiled living just a 9 hour drive from Matt's family and have tried to take advantage as much as possible. What a treat when Grandma Laurie, Jenn, Jaylene, Makayla, and Emily all drove from Nor Cal for a few days of fun.

 

How blessed we were to make such happy memories with our beautiful nieces (and mom/sisters!).
A day at the beach by the Hotel Del,

 

 

and all sorts of other shenanigans. 

The McNeil/Renta crew braved our packing chaos and also trekked down from up north to spend a couple days with us.

The other person I made a point of seeing before leaving San Diego was my childhood nanny. Carol Hoffman watched Casey and I when my parents would vacation each summer from ages 7-11. She would sit for hours with me and draw the Sunday comics or bring her watercolors for me to practice painting. My artistic talent is God-given, but I credit Carol with igniting a spark in me that never faded. It was incredibly special for us to have lunch together, after not seeing each other for 13 years, and to have her meet my kids. She's physically fit, rockin' an iPhone and so stylish... at 86! Looks like she's still who I wanna be when I grow up. ;)

Thanks to ALL of you who took the time to shower us with love before we left. I didn't get photos with all the neighborhood friends, bible study gals, work pals, or family, but we appreciate just how much joy you brought to our lives in San Diego.

Mission: Photoshoot

When we got married, Matt and I decided that we would have professional family photos taken at least every 5 years. So, for our 5th wedding anniversary in 2007 we did; just him, Aspen and me in the Arizona desert.

Before we knew it, 2012 rolled around and we were staring 10 years in the face. Whoa. This time we'd exchanged the dog for two little critters of our own. What a difference 5 years makes. Lucky for us our wonderful neighbor & friend, Andrea Gallagher, is a talented photographer who took on our bunch... all for the price of hand-painted wallpaper in her dining room. (I love trading talents!!!)

Balboa Park is a distinct San Diego landmark and a place we spent a lot of time throughout our 4 years here. The perfect backdrop to document our family at this moment in time...

In addition to capturing us four, we also wanted to get a few of just Matt and I to celebrate 10 years of marriage. I think this pose will become a decennial tradition, to see how we change!

Below one might assume that here we're laughing because we're so blissfully in love...
Nope.
Just off camera Lear is in his stroller screaming bloody murder and Avery was running like a wild banshee, tripped and scraped her knee; also howling hysterically. So much for a romantic anniversary photoshoot!

This one's my fav. Mission accomplished.

Avery's Antics 4.1

Dinner prayer:
"Lord Jesus, thank you for the sun and our food. Please make Mommy more helpful. Amen."

"Why is that guy holding a sign?"
"He's asking for money."
"Why?"
"Because he probably doesn't have a job."
"Why does he look dirty?"
"He might not have a home or a shower, so he can't get clean every day or shave his face." 
"Well, if he doesn't have a home, WE could ADOPT him!"
(Avery recently learned about kids who are adopted) ;)

"I know that you're my real Mom."
"Oh yeah? How do you know I'm not a witch that stole you?"
"Because I have farkles."
"Huh?"
"FAR - KULLS. You have them too. We both have them and that's how I know you're my real Mom."
"Ah yes, freckles!"

A friend of ours recently delivered her baby via c-section. Avery overheard me telling Matt that they would be headed home just as soon as the doctor removed her staples...
"What are staples?"
"Staples are little pieces of metal that hold things together. The doctor had to cut Ms. Wallis' tummy in order to get baby Oliver out. So then they had to use staples to close her tummy back up while it heals."
"Oh! I know what staples are! Mary and Joseph had baby Jesus in a staple."

"Hey Avery, did you know that Ms. Rebecca is gonna have another baby?"
"I was wondering why her tummy is so big."
"That's why! She has a little baby sister for Maddie growing in there."
"You still have a little bit of a big tummy from when Lear grew in there."
( Gotta love how easy the truth flows from little mouths! ha! )