Good Girlfriends.

Oh man, sitting here editing these photos is making me sad.

Can't believe I'm going to have to leave these girls and these kids. I met them in August (thank you Suz), and now here we are, all the babies have turned one, and we have been through thick and thin together.

Irreplaceable.
Lace, Kel, and Stace, I love you.

And the best part? We took the kids to Mexican Riviera afterward for dinner. What brave women we are. 4 mama, 4 highchairs. The busboys earned their large tip.

(Thanks for taking our pictures, honey.)

Three of a kind.

The fabulous Love family hosted a BBQ for all of their daughter's friends today (Katie tells me she's beginning a blog - insert evil laugh here - so if she had it going now I would link her here), a good excuse to get all the kiddies in the pool for a fun swim. Kelsea, Jamie, and Alla all got the same swimsuit from Old Navy, check them out!

Hope you are all having a lovely Memorial Day!

And just so you all know how wonderful my husband is, when we got to the BBQ today, I realized that I'd forgotten my camera. He went home to get it. What an angel.

Good thing cause he had to take all the pictures since I was in the water with Al.

Flashback Friday: One year ago today

One year ago today, Catie and Randy were here visiting our new little person. And now they are about to have their own little person.

One year ago today, we indulged Randy and went to the Sou-plantation, after having Alla weighed for her one-month birthday (11 pounds 3 ounces, thank you very much).

And then we came home and propped her up and I snapped a gazillion pictures and this is her, my one month beauty.

Today she is 13 months old. Somehow.

Today we celebrated Ron's birthday with pizza and a few friends stopped by, so Alla got to play with friends. I have to say this is the hardest part about leaving. Alla recognizes Mazie and Jamie, even tries to say their names, and she really loves them. I'm certain that once Kelsea can fend for herself on the floor, Alla will have similar feelings. I hate to take Alla away from this in a few short weeks. Sigh.

Lastly, we have Ron's birthday one year ago, followed by this birthday. What a difference a year makes. One year he's holding his newborn daughter, who'd already grown out of her hospital swaddling blanket, and the next she's standing on her own, helping him unwrap gifts. Geez.

A Couple Favorites.

I am considerably swamped today due to being in HAWAII for the past 6 days, oh poor me, but I thought I would share a couple favorites from our trip to visit the amazing Hotel Derenzo. (If Catie had a blog, I would insert link *here* but she doesn't. YET. Just wait til that baby comes.)

Alla is a sexy baby in her swimsuit, isn't she?

And here are her crazy parents jumping off Derenzo Pier into the blue blue ocean. Ah. More to come...

She was loved: Dorothy Rees, 1916-2006.

My grandma, Nanny as she was always known, passed away on Sunday. She was surrounded by her daughter, her granddaughter, and her great-granddaughter, which, despite the sad occasion, was powerful. I know that in her last moments she felt that and knew that Life carries on with her spirit a part of all of us, forever.

She was a strong woman.
She did not drive.
She got regular permanents.
She kept every single card and letter ever sent to her.
She kept a record of what she responded to each of those cards and letters.
She put everyone else first.
She said of my daughter, "Sweet li'l Alla."
She lived 15 years past the death of her husband.
She was 90 years old.

And amongst her papers we found this:

Three women were sitting on a bench when a flasher wearing a trench coat approached them, walked right up and opened his coat.

The first woman had a stroke.

The second woman had a stroke.

The third had arthritis and couldn't reach that far!!

We all love and miss you, Nanny.

Strips.

I think we mothers should get together and write a book about how to get our kids to eat certain foods. For example, there would be a whole chapter on veggies and what magic tricks we pulled out of our hats to get them to eat the greens and reds and oranges and yellows.

My magic trick of late is to cut everything into strips. Everything. Red pepper, pizza, cucumber, string cheese (well that one's already kind of done for you), even bananas. Strawberries are out nowadays, because they are bite-sized. Pretzels are in, because she can hold them in her hands and take bites. Especially good when dip-dipped (thanks Mazie) in almond butter.

If you haven't tried this trick, let me know how it works for you, and by all means, let me know YOUR tricks. Because I'm still a newbie.

And, a cool link pointed out by my friend Susan, who I am going to live near in less than two months, by the way:

Scrapbooks Etc.

You just scroll down a little way and then you should see some of my little chubba five month old.

Trader Joe, I *heart* you.

When we visited Minnesota last month to look for our house, we did a LOT of driving around. And I said to Ron, "They have everything but Trader Joe's here."

Today I went to the TJ's website just to see where else in the country they are located.

I about did ten backflips when I saw this, a TJ's only 18 miles from our new house that is coming soon. You better believe that will be the first place to which I learn directions when it's built. 18 miles in the snow for Two-Buck Chuck, Vanana yogurt, Organic Three Cheese Pizza from Italy, honey pretzels, pound-plus dark chocolate, and daffy's in March? No problem. It's all about what motivates you.

Thanks, TJ's, really, you have sealed the deal.

Chicken Dance Elmo.

Yup, it's a clickable link here. And sooooo worth your 10 seconds. Total viewing pleasure.

Flashback Friday: Last year.

Last year on this sunny Friday, with weather just like we're having today, the three of us drove down to Fort Mac for Alla's 10-day check up. On all those bumps and curves around the coast I held my belly, still so sore from my cesarean. And she was back to birth weight, 9 pounds 5 ounces.

Today we headed down there for her 12 month appointment, and 4 shots this little baby had to endure.

Alla's one-year-old stats:

23 pounds 1 ounce (she's lost some weight due to the horrible rotavirus that attacked her last week)

31 inches tall (she's grown 2 inches in 3 months!)

head circumference 46 cm

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! Have a happy weekend!

New Destination at Scraps Ahoy.

Go check out the new creations at Scraps Ahoy today! Lots of new creations uploaded on the first of the month. I especially LOVE the mini album by my friend Tara!