Kate's favorite place to hang out while Amy was here....on her lap, bossing her around. = ) Isn't Amy gorgeous? I realize she's my sister, so of course I'm going to think she's pretty, but she's amazingly beautiful. How can you look like that after having cancer for 7 years and just finishing up chemo 4 months earlier? Unbelievable.
Shad's birthday. 34 years. We had cake at 7:30am in the morning because the kids were begging Shad to blow out the candles and sing before he went to work. He's such a softie.
Later in the day Kate and I brought cupcakes to him at work.
Rebecca also turned 34 while she was here.
My two adorable nieces, Anna (age 8) and Aliese (age 12) holding sweet baby Elle.
Our 10 year Anniversary....technically a month ago, but we waited to celebrate it until Rebecca got here to watch our kids for us. She's quite the trooper watching Tanner and Kate, considering they are letter of the law when it comes to "early to bed, early to rise". 5:30am to be exact. Rebecca's girls sleep in. So it was a real service watching our little ones.
This was our weekend "away", which was technically right here in town. We headed over to the La Quinta Resort and Spa for 3 nights. Shad happened to find the banana trees on all 54 acres of property and went back often to check on them. On a weekly basis I hear, "Liz, I think we should just move to Kauai and grow bananas."
Elle was as good as she could be on the trip. I'd been eating dairy, so she was up 2 nights miserable, before we pretty much went vegan for the rest of the weekend. She's a dream baby as long as I don't eat dairy...you'd think I'd learn. In one day we had to head to Henry's to pick up her special diapers for her bum rash, then to Harvest Health Foods so I could get some dairy-free coconut ice cream and lastly a dinner out at Native Foods...a vegan restaurant in town. At the end of the day, Shad said, "I feel like a freaking tree-hugger Liz." Well, that's what you get for marrying an Oregonian Shad (by the way he ate 3/4 of the coconut ice cream and cleaned his plate of meatless/soy tacos for dinner. It sounds gross, but they have incredible food...all meatless and dairy-free. You gotta try it to believe me). So we slept, ate out, laid by the pool and watched our Desperate Housewives, via Netflix all weekend. It was fun, but the first vacation we'd ever taken with a baby in toe, and now I can see why. Kind of changes things.
Isn't he hot? Can you see how it hasn't been too difficult being married to THIS for the last 10 years?? I love you so much Shad.
Fabric for a quilt I'm making. This quilt to be specific. Saw it. Fell in love. Deep in love. Couldn't stop thinking about it. Emailed Miss Anna Maria Horner and she emailed me back the exact pattern and fabrics she used. Amy cut out all of the pieces for the quilt and I'm about half way through sewing it up. Then there's the actual quilting part of it. I really want to do it with embroidery floss, by hand, like this, but I'm probably crazy for trying it on my first quilt. We'll see....
Headbands I made for baby Elle.
Carseat cover my Mom made me, that I never blogged about. Isn't it hip? I love it. Thank you Mom.
There's more, but Rebecca is out on a date, so I'm watching 6 kids total and this has taken me 4 hours to finish, between getting food and water for little ones, helping Kate go potty, nursing, etc. Mom, how did you do it with 6 kids? I am still in awe of you.