Buddies

Well, we are now back at home in Encinitas, and getting back into the swing of things. It was a
great time for all of us... nobody got sick (except for me - a little cold), and the kids got along really well together (most of the time).
I felt very bad the morning we were leaving when Bella said, "Nona, I don't want to go home," but I'm glad to know that we'll be back again in September for my cousin Eric's wedding!
We are thankful that Luca is doing much better on the plane (with a little Benedryl and a lot of prayer!) and won't dread the next flight as much!

Growing Up

Well, these two sure have been keeping us busy.

Bella outgrew the seat adjustment on her bike, so she and daddy "fixed it." Now her knees won't hit her chest anymore when she pedals (no, not really.)

Little Luca has an obsession with the telephone. If you've ever tried to have a conversation with me while he's awake, you know what I mean.

However, I found the most awesome toy phone today. I don't know why it took a genius to figure out that even toddlers know that real phones don't come in primary colors, have huge buttons, and bear the likes of Elmo, Strawberry Shortcake, or Shimmer from Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends (to name a few that we have tried to fool him with) on them.

This one looks just like Keith's cell phone - it's gray, has working buttons and a screen with display! I was so excited that I bought two. Hopefully, this great find at Gepetto's will help to make the big plane trip on Saturday a little more bearable.

Yes, we're headed back east again to visit home and swim with Jilli and Noah!

Zoo Fun

Keith was off on Wednesday, so we decided to put off getting their 1 and 3 year portraits to go to the zoo! It ended up being an atypical day here in San Diego - HOT! Despite the heat, the kids had fun petting the animals, playing on fake gorillas, and seeing the "big animals." The favorites were the elephants and giraffes. It was a lazy day for the two of them as they relaxed in their double stroller as mommy and daddy pushed them up and down the hills!

I Insist!

These days, Luca insists on feeding himself - which always ends up in a picture like this...
In other news, he's getting his 8th tooth, and has two speeds: sleep and full speed ahead. This child literally RUNS everywhere and all of the time. It's his only means of transportation right now and this need for speed really keeps us on our toes!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

R & R

This is how Luca spent much of Memorial Day... we hope yours was full of rest and relaxation, too!
I've been slacking on the blog... sorry. There will much more to come on what's been keeping us so busy!
Have a great week - it's a short one!

New Look

Ever since spring sprung this year, we've been going crazy with house projects... one of which was having the exterior painted.
The white had become somewhat "dingy" and all of our fence was showing damage from the moisture - mainly the marine layer that hangs out here in the morning.
So here's what we did. We wanted to make it appear "warmer." Also, we changed all of the exterior light fixtures, but you can't see them too well on the photo.
On the interior, Keith changed all of the hinges and door knobs while we were visiting my parents. What a saint!
We are proud of what we've done so far (and except for the paint, we did it ourselves!)
We're just about done with projects - for now. I'm sure it won't be long before we find something else to keep us busy!

A couple of firsts

We came back from visiting my parents last Sunday, and after getting over a horrific plane trip and 3 colds, we are getting back into the swing of things here at home in Encinitas!

The kids really had a nice visit with our family - at least until they got sick (which seems to happen every visit!)

Luca had a very tranquilizing first tractor ride with pappy. Cutting your own grass (more than .1 acre) is something we take for granted here!

After hearing that Jilli had her tooth fixed by pappy, Bella was chomping (get it?) at the bit to go the the dentist, too! She had her first cleaning (yes, the recommended age is 1 year, not 3... she gets good dental care at home) by Sherri, and Uncle Chad did her exam. She was a GREAT patient. I didn't even go in with her... I only snuck in at the end to get a picture. She was very cooperative, agreeable and had no cavities! Thank goodness.