Spring Break AZ style part dos

On Sunday we went to Uncle Sam and Aunt Jyll's house. It was an idyllic afternoon.

This was one of our favorite trips to AZ.

Each day with visited with a different brother/sister and had such a blast.

We love you AZ Babbitts!!

Rolling in a pipe....nice

Ice cream in a swing.

I love how you just took off and we didn't really hear from you for about 3 hours Lucas. Way to be social!

John and his sister Angie (and our Wills) This is John's "smolder" muhahaha

Love this pic

John attempts to run on this pipe with his nieces and nephews. He ATE it shortly before this.

Wills with the ladies. Cousin ladies that is

Wills cousins Trevor and Isabel

 a

Yes. Wills is bigger. And 8 months younger. haha

Spring Break part uno

Dear children,

We had such an amazing vacation at Chateau Jen (aka Aunt Jen). She made us our favorite coffee drinks, cooked for us, chaffered us, acted as tour guide, took us to an amazing candy store and boutique and was in general her usual amazing hostess self. 

This series of pics was from my fav children's museum

Phoenix Children's Museum

Something about the orange on orange just got me.

And the hunk of burning love sitting on it.

Here the kids are racing PVC pipe & skateboard wheel cars down a track.

Everything about this museum is made from recycled goods - or so is their goal.

Aunt Jen, cousin Carter, and an epileptic looking ?? husband of mine

Cousin Ava playing the wrench xylophone

Our cousins playing in the "car wash" 

Amazing how this museum entertained 4-13 year olds

Ellie - how I love your eyes. And you. 

Check out the CDs hanging in the background. It was about 3 stories high and so so pretty

 This wall was covered in plastic pipes with suction running through it. 

You placed a scarf inside and it would climb the wall and shoot it out in one of the many openings. The children could have stayed here for hours.

Jen wanted pictorial proof that you had a good time Carter. Muuuhahaha. We caught you.

Thank you Babbitt children for giving up your rooms, time, toys, and space for us. We love you guys.

Aunt Jen, you are as John would say "the rockinest bomb."

xo

Lukisms

"I like birthday parties, Christmas and Easter more than anything" - Lucas

St. Patty's Day Eve

I decided to host a St. Patty's Day dinner. I didn't seem to have all my marbles together when planning and thought it was today, Wednesday, a day early. So for the record is was a St. Patty's Day Eve dinner.

Menu

Kirstie Alley's Green Soup

Green Salad

Shepherd's Pie (very Irish)

Green Jello with Green Sprinkles

 :)

Grammy is serving the restless children their green Jello

The Estrada ladies

My lovely girl 

My darling son 

(who nose got mangled in a skateboarding accident)

The Willsie bear. Who just had sweet potatoes for the first time

Jess and her new man Bill. We like Bill. I also just like saying "Bill".

 It's so soothly and easy to say. Why? I am not sure.

Bill Bill Bill

My Vi girl showing off the jello pre serving.

Might I just add that it had been way too long since having jello. While kinda low class it was so surprisingly yummy. This does not say good things about me, I am sure.

It's never a party without the silly

Tres loco sisters

This would be the ideal blackmail shot if only I wasn't in it. Hmmm

Regardless, we're just keeping it real.

I love my sister mucho. She made the yummiest shepherd's pie

greetings from the floor

 Every time I leave the room upon entering again this is what greets me.

This was not the case with your brother & sisters, they would cry when I left & frantically wave their hands when I returned

And if you're facing the other way when I come back, you still smile

I love this shot, I think you're saying

"awww shucks mom"

I want to smooch that face off!!!!

Catching up with his buds

From left to right we have Wills and I, 

Johanna (Guerin) Petersen and Jack, Lauren (Kutner) Dohring and Owen.

Whenever Johanna is in town from Salt Lake we try to all get together with the babies. I have known Johanna since we were 4 years old. I know that say that every time I post about her but, it's worth posting....over and over.

Lauren and I have been friends since high school. I LOVE that we all have baby boys.

 Wills, Jack, Owen.

Jack is wondering why on earth these babies can't sit up and why on earth they keep playing with his shoes. 

This was Jack's first birthday. We love you Jack. 

Awwww, Wills and Owen. Buds for life (or so Lauren and I hope)

irresistibly cute

We love to visit Descanso Gardens - a beautiful, huge botanical garden in a nice neighborhood nearby. When the kids were younger we were there at least twice a month. It's the perfect place to explore, tromp around in the woods, get wet in the ponds, feed the fish, but still have bathrooms close by :) A mothers dream. 

It's been a while since we visited and as Charlotte pointed out this trip was William's first (she's good like that). As we were walking around William fell asleep and Charlotte decorated him with some fallen camellias she found. 

Irresistible

Descanso

Here's a few pics from Will's first trip to Descanso

I love my men

 Luke, you are an AMAZING brother. You love to hold William, help him walk, and play with him. He is lucky to have you.

 Will, you are discovering grass here, and you don't seem so sure about it.

 Typical....Char making a silly face, Luke moving to put bunny ears on John and John kissing his baby girl.

 See Luke's fingers? And that smile? 

The dude has plans for mischief. Bunny ear mischief.

Thanks for taking this picture Luke. Your dad and I stood in this garden 81/2 years ago taking pictures for our first Christmas card together as a couple. Awwwww :)