Family Picture

Sometime last year we bought a new camera because our old one bit the dust. We dutifully snapped pictures and loaded up the card and uploaded the pictures to the computer. Also, I blogged some with said pictures. At some point the settings on the camera got changed (likely because small fingers played with the shiny buttons) and we could not figure out how to delete all the pictures from the card unless we went one by one through the 600 or so files. (Seriously, there is a lot of education in this house. Its a camera. We win the smartness game.) So every time we needed to take a picture without the use of an iphone we had to scroll through and delete three or four that we didn't need anymore. This went on for about six months. Finally I remembered there is this amazing thing called "the internet" and I "googled" "how do I get the freaking pictures deleted off my card? " And three minutes later we had a functional camera again.


















It even has a timer! Who knew? Helpful for taking a required family picture of all four of us for Jilli's family picture day.

Feed the Pigs

Over the weekend of the 4th we loaded our little family into a plane (two actually) and flew west. We had been looking forward to seeing Josh, Erin, Hazel and Mabel for months, pretty much since the last time we (tearfully) said good bye to them before they left for their new home. Austin was fun and delicious. Who knew there were so many options for ordering food from an airstream? Also, people who talk about Texas brisket...I now know what you are talking about. Best in the universe. I feel that I have achieved some sort of life accomplishment that I did not even know was on the list. Anyway, we hiked to the top of Mount Bunnell and ate barbecue for dinner and ate breakfast tacos and walked around UT














(Here they are admiring a roly poly on campus. It had long horns.)

We swam in frigidly cold and slippery springs and ate crepes for lunch and Erin and I saw Eclipse and ate queso green chili fries and the next day we went to a perfect lake where we picnicked and the boys went in the icy water and we ate some more. (I feel that our family vacations with the Levy's have a strong food theme, lets all remember beach week 09.) Jeff had to leave Monday evening but the girls and I stayed for two more days and had an amazing time.















We went to the zoo. Rory was not amused by the big girls attempts to eat the goats' food.

Interesting things I learned on the trip:

1. When you put three girls in a room to "sleep" and then spy on them using the video monitor you will hear hilarious conversation topics such as , "Where were you born? I was born in North Carolina too!" "How old are you? I am 4 and 39 quarters." We laughed and laughed, until Jilli jumped on the bed and slammed her head into the window sill and created a knot roughly the size of my fist.
2. Texas is delicious. Did I mention that already?
3. When traveling alone on a plane with two young girls and needing to use the bathroom because, "Its an emergency, Mommy," one should not fear what one will do in the approximately 2 square feet of space that is available in the plane's bathroom. Put the 4 year old on the toilet. Assure her that it is not as dirty as it appears after thoroughly wiping down the seat. Place the two year old on the shelf that appears to be for holding purses. She will think it is hilarious and say, "I sit on shelf? Hahaha." Wedge yourself between the four year old and the door and hope that there are no major bumps.

We hope to see them again very very soon.

Unbelieveably Blessed

The last six weeks around here have been rough, for a lot of reasons, but we are emerging on the other side. Friday afternoon I picked the girls up and went to Jilli's Mother's Day Snack. She has been so excited for weeks about the special surprise her class was working on for moms. She couldn't tell me the secret-- and to her credit she never did-- though she did explain that it started with a "f" and then had a "l" sound. Turns out they planted sunflower seeds in homemade pots, and they made cards. My eyes got a little blurry when I read, "I love you. You are the dest mom evelr. Jillian." I opened Rory's present when I got home, a hand painted picture frame with a picture of my hand holding hers and another picture of Ror with her hands over her heart. Surely Mother's Days get a little less sweet? They can't go on like this forever. Jeff played the part of perfect partner- telling me last night to stay in bed the entire day if I wanted to, bringing up breakfast and buying simple gifts that really showed he was thinking about me.

We ran a few errands later in the morning, at which point the girls became grumpy little monsters, but they slept it off at home after lunch which meant Jeff and I snuck in a nap, I went for a (slow) run (walk) and I made dinner while Jeff took the girls to a park.

I feel like there is so much that has gone documented in the last few months. Hopefully I'll start writing and taking more pictures, but for right now I'd like to bottle up this weekend and carry it with me.

2(!)

T minus 2

Only two days until Ror turns two. She is fast on her way to potty training herself. She decided about a week ago that she sits on the (big) potty now, goes there regularly, and actually uses it. A few days at home with some panties and I think we may be done. So last night I thought I would see if she could sleep without her pacifier. She has only used it at night and at nap time for about a year, and 2 has always been our estimated cut off date. So I put her in bed, and when she said, "Where paci?" I told her she is a big girl now and big girls don't use pacis. Pacis all went bye bye. She said, "Ok, pacis went bye bye" And that was that.

And this morning as I was driving to work I got weepy because I realized I just got rid of one of the last vestiges of her babyhood.

7

Making cupcakes for Makenna's birthday... That means it's been seven years that we have loved this feisty, smart, beautiful girl. We can't wait to wish her a happy birthday in person tonight.

Couch Surfing

It's been a long sad week here. Gram passed away Monday night and the world seems emptier. These girls always made her smile and they keep me laughing now too (even though Gram would most certainly dissapprove of the couch surfing.)