Boating with the MacMillans

After Swainsboro we ended our Spring Break trip with a visit with the MacMillans in Jacksonville, FL. Nancy took us down to the airport and Julie picked us up. We met Chris on base and they took us out on their boat. What an amazing time we had. The kids were squealing when Chris went fast and was jumping the waves. All the girls can talk about now is whether daddy will buy them a boat when he gets home. Chris also watched the girls and Liam that night so Julie and I could go out. What a good husband. We spent Saturday at the pool after my long run. The water was freezing, but the girls finally made their way into the water.

Do they look like boaters or what?

It is so nice to hang out with good friends.

Allie was helping navigate the boat.

Kendall and Lauren have known each other since birth. They haven't seen each other in a year, but they picked right back up where they left off.

Swainsboro Fun

Well you know we are at Grandma and Papa's house when there are lots of treats to be had. Here Allie is enjoying the Dora cupcakes that Grandma bought from Wal-mart. We ate, we played, the girls learned how to be country girls. The drove Papa's truck, took Reno swimming and had too much fun. We did another celebration of Lauren's birthday with a shopping trip and movie. Boy was this fun!

Reno is currently retired in Swainsboro, GA where she will enjoy walks, swimming in the pond and lots of raw-hides.

The girls were thrilled to see Reno and her swim skills.

Sisters are so good aren't they?

Snuggling up with Grandma.

The Easter Bunny Came

We had a very happy Easter in TN. The Easter Bunny was able to find us and we remembered their baskets. After checking out all the goodies we got ready for church. Mom was singing and so was Tori. As a matter of fact, Allie decided she wanted to get up there and sing with Tori as well. That was pretty funny. After church we went over to Tim's family's house for an Easter dinner and egg hunt. The girls had a blast searching for eggs in Nana Carol's big yard. Lauren found the golden egg with a $10.00 bill in it with help from Uncle Tim.

Cousins at the Park

We spent Lauren and Allie's spring break back on the East Coast. We had our first stop in TN to celebrate Lauren's birthday and Easter with Mom, Kim and her whole family. The girls were outstanding on the flight out. One of our fun outings was to the park where the cousins enjoyed playing together.

For Lauren's birthday we grilled out ribs, had corn and potatoes. I made Lauren's cake before I left San Diego and froze it and then packed it in the suitcase. Not a crumb was messed up and she was able to have her Tuxedo Chocolate Birthday Cake.

On Saturday, Mom took us all out to lunch at this amazing restaurant. We had a great time enjoying the warm weather while we ate outside.

The Luau

We celebrated Lauren's birthday luau today. She had about 14 kids at her party right after school from 2-4. We had hula skirts and leis for all the kids along with snacks in their very own buckets. We had the party on the beach up at North Island. There is a very fun playground which provided all the entertainment.

Here is a shot of the group while playing on the jungle gym. I though it would have been a good idea to have the moms sign waivers. I was a little nervous with them climbing at the very top.

Here is Lauren and her good friend Zoe (Susan Hunt's daughter).

Lauren stopped briefly to pose for a shot with me.

Condra, Me and Susan. I could not have put this party on without all of their help and ideas.

Now it is time to limbo. Estelle and Brynn were the master limbo-ers. Lauren had a blast and told me that was the best party ever. The only bad part she said was that daddy wasn't there. So I have promised upon his return we will have a recreated luau so that he didn't miss out.

Clara turns 3!

Saturday night we went up to the Winkel's House to celebrate Clara's third birthday. She had a Panda Party. The food was so yummy with mini burgers, broccoli salad, potato salad and homemade chocolate panda bear cake. After eating the cake we all had black teeth and lips.

There was a table for four with Lauren, Clara, Caitlyn and Luke. Allie had no problem sitting at the other table by herself. We said a very tearful goodbye to Hugh who is leaving on deployment Thursday for six months. We will be gone (August) by the time he returns home (October).

Rancho Santa Fe

I have heard of this awesome vegetable stand/farm in Rancho Santa Fe (a very prestigious community in San Diego) called Chino Farm. Susan Fisher, Kristen Hunt and I went up there to check it out. They had the most amazing selection of vegetables and the best strawberries I have ever tasted. There were pink, purple and yellow carrots. I bought some kohlrabi to try and ended up roasting it that night (very delicious). After getting our loot we drove into the town and had lunch and did some shopping. Allie had a good time on Susan's lap during lunch eating her gourmet quesadilla.

Jog-a-thon

Lauren had a jog-a-thon at school for a fundraiser. They had been practicing for this in P.E. All the kids ran for 30 minutes while we kept tally of how many laps they ran. It was a beautiful day out and they all had so much fun. Maybe my running bug will rub off on Lauren.

Here she is with her friend Estelle getting some water after the run.

Old Town

We took Nana to Old Town. We explored and had a great time learning about the history of San Diego