120/365 No Racing

It's one of the rules because someone looses and gets upset or someone gets hurt (or both). I tell them "No Racing!" but they vehemently claim they aren't racing,  they are taking turns with who gets to go first. Its just that sometimes they forget whose turn it is to go first.

119/365 Construction Zone

The cement trucks finally arrived to pour the foundation walls of the new build next door. Hopefully by Friday they will backfill and the gaping holes in the ground beside our driveway and garage door will be gone. I was quite excited and explained the whole fascinating process of how they create the forms and then fill them with cement then remove the forms etc......
Obviously Grandma is the only one around here that finds it fascinating... they watched for 5 seconds before asking to head out on their scooters. Oh well.

118/365 My Girls

Just another shot from our trip to the Forestry Farm on Friday. I have about 30 keepers.....

117/365 Forestry Farm

We were checking out some cool spots at the Forestry Farm today.

116/365 Grandpa's Office

Grandpa forgot to take a lunch today so we surprised him with a picnic lunch in his office. This is the first time the girls have seen Grandpa's office so it was quite an adventure.

115/365 Supper and a Sleepover

Since Daddy and Grandpa were working this evening the girls all decided supper at Pink Cadillac Cafe was in order..... and a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's (for Eva and Norah). Mommy was there too but no photos of her and Grandma.
I started reading The Secret Garden to the girls in Palm Springs and they were eager to hear a few more chapters this evening. We are quite enjoying this story. They also learned how to play Crazy Eights. Should have taught them that game long ago. The result of this fun evening is they were up pretty late. So here's hoping they sleep in tomorrow.

114/365 Wild One

I insist on the helmets and they always wear them.

113/365 Artist

The lily in my Easter bouquet is blooming so Eva sketched it. I am amazed at this girls artistic talent.

112/365 Cool

Grandma had trouble staying out of this shot of Eva with her very cool shades.

111/365 Family

Easter Sunday which means a family photo which was quickly sandwiched in-between the easter egg hunt and opening the gifts from G&G.

Feeling blessed to have family here to celebrate Easter day.

110/365 The Rock

It was a last minute decision to put this large rock in the front yard and the landscaper wasn't too sure it was a good idea but I insisted.... and the girls never walk past it without climbing on it. :)

109/365 Prairie Crocus

There is new life in the swale.
Blessings to all this Good Friday.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; 
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, 
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:5-6

108/365 Castor canadensis or Ondatra zibethicus

I went walking in the swale looking for signs of spring today. For the first 20 minutes all I found was plenty of deer droppings. Then I noticed some beautiful prairie crocus peaking through the ground, a few pairs of geese, some ducks and when I sat quietly at the pond long enough, a beaver or perhaps a large muskrat. I am not sure which it is since he wouldn't reveal his tail.  This is the first time I have seen a beaver or muskrat in the swale ponds. I must bring the girls back.

107/365 Princes, Sleeping princesses, Witches and Games

It's Wednesday so that means I pick up the girls from school and we drop Eva at piano lessons and Norah and I have fun for about 35-40 minutes. During the winter our favorite place to go was Dutch Growers. Its close to piano, lots of fun stuff to look at and they sell fudge - a great selling feature for Norah. But the weather is quite decent today so we decided to play in the piano teacher's back yard. She has a climbing structure and Norah loves to play make-believe. Grandma did double duty as both the wicked witch who put a spell on the princess putting her to sleep for many years and also the prince who travelled from far away lands by horse (clop clop) to find the princess at the top of the tower (yeah  I had to climb to the top of the climbing structure) and kiss the princess to wake her and then carry her down the tower and escape on his horse to safety. Whew!

Then we played hide and seek.....and Grandma had to hide 5/6 times. Good thing I am wearing my Lulu lemons today. :)  Staying young!

106/365 Sunbeam

My Mom gave me this Sunbeam mixer when we were just a family of four with two babies. Thirty Six years later Mom has left us but this little mixer continues to whip up our mashed potatoes and cream. Thinking of Mom and missing her today as I make shepherds pie for the grands along with her famous custard recipe that she used to make for my kids.

105/365 Our Home

They are finally building on the lot next door so I thought I had better getup there and take a photo of the house while it still looks like we are on the expanse of the NE Swale.
Love our new home. Thank you Westbury Homes.

104/365 Family

These are precious times and we want to make the most of them.

103/365 The Whitehawk Cannonball

...and Daddy's back survived. 

102/365 Cannonball

 There were a lot of cannonballs happening this week! I have over 600 pool shots....most on burst mode to catch the action. I have a lot of culling to do. But this photo pretty much says it all. This is what the girls did non stop.... as well as diving for little toys and hanging onto Daddy's back as he pulled them thru the water. They gained more confidence in swimming then a years worth of lessons.

101/365 Best Dad

He spent countless hours in the pool with all of them.

100/365 Poser

And what a beautiful place to relax on the edge of the hot tub surrounded by Palm Trees.

99/365 Soaring

 Here is one photo that brings me great joy. What a blessing to see this precious little one LOVE the water, kick her feet, try so hard to swim and not mind water in her face. Isla was soaring....

98/365 Three Happy Girls

I took a similar photo of the three girls in the same spot last year. 

Perhaps this will become an annual tradition. 

97/365 Zebra

Are you looking at my butt?

96/365 Petting Zoo

Isla thought the goats were pretty cool.

95/365 The Palm Springs Living Desert Zoo

Lots of fun in this 5 hr day at the zoo.

94/365 Overall Matchies at the Living Desert Zoo.

Title by Eva and Norah

93/365 Nonstop Smiles

The fun only stops when they fall asleep at 8:30..... heading to the Living Desert Zoo is next on the list.

92/365 The Grands Have Arrived!

After 10 hours of travel including three planes, the kids have arrived. Let the fun begin.....

91/365 Canada Geese

Ran into a couple of Canadians....