Wednesday, April 7, 2010

B+W Wednesday ~ Blowing Bubbles

Trying out one of the gifts in her Easter basket.





For other amazing photos, pop on over to Lisa's blog:


the long road





Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter


After an early morning Easter Egg hunt around the house,
Isabel learned in the note from the Easter Bunny
about yet another surprise.
She closed her eyes and waited on the couch to see what it was...




It hardly seems possible that this is our fourth Easter together.
How time has flown.

Easter 2010
(Age 4)


Easter 2009
(Age 3)


Easter 2008
(Age 2)


Easter 2007
(Age 1)

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May the Joy of Easter be yours this year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Spring Cleaning


Well, I am on spring break. YAY!!!! It is the one time of year that I can get a ton of things done around the house. While I am pretty handy and love to do things myself, with the time constraints, I decided to forego doing the pressure washing myself and have it done professionally.

I must say... my faith in hard-working men has been renewed. The fellow doing the work arrived promptly at 9:00 this morning and has done an amazing, truly transformative job on the back and side of the house. I can't believe how much mold had grown on the house, concrete walkway, deck and pergola. It was like being in Ireland!

He is taking a much-needed break right now and then will return to do the driveway, porch and front of the house. I can't believe the difference it has made. The house looks like it has been freshly painted. So glad I decided against doing all of it myself.

And I still have a whole week of vacation ahead of me! Woo hoo!

Here are some Before and After pictures:








Wednesday, March 31, 2010

B+W Wednesday

An unexpected invitation to an Easter Egg Hunt
made for a fun-filled Saturday morning.











the long road

Monday, March 29, 2010

I Heart Faces

Dramatic Black and White


Chinese New Year Acrobat


Saturday, March 27, 2010

Saturday Sights

First Easter Egg Hunt of the Season







Followed by feeding the Ducks,




A Random Macaw Appearance,


And a Trip to the Gourmet Cupcake Store


Yum!
Indeed!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Into the Swing of Spring





Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sunshine On My Shoulder Makes Me Happy

We woke up Saturday morning to the most glorious weather.

The sun was beaming through the window sheers, bathing the whole house with much needed sunshine and inviting us to spend the day outdoors. We accepted the invitation and decided to head on over to our local arts market in the morning, and then make a detour to the library, before ending with a relaxing visit to the park.

As I was getting everything organized, I started wondering what was taking Isabel so long. After calling her a couple of times (and hearing muffled replies as answers) I entered her bedroom to discover a tableau of stuffed animals arranged in a curious manner. [Think Gulliver's Travels meets The Queen Mother.] When I asked her what was going on with Lulu, she patiently explained that Lulu (the chair, as opposed to - thankfully - the cat) was now all ready for her wedding. (Huh???) Apparently, unbeknownst to me, Isabel has been preoccupied with the upcoming wedding we will be attending this Saturday. (It will be Isabel's first.)

BTW, I love the attentive attendants, as well as how she has the chair dressed in satin blankets and burbing cloths for a gown and veil.

Well, we finally made it out the door and arrived at the market. The walk to this place is incredible; the energy palpable. After a two month winter break, the market was packed and as exciting as ever... soulful live music, fresh breezes blowing in across the river, people of all ages mingling alongside pottery, herbs, fresh bread, magicians, belly dancers, animal adoptions and freshly harvested produce. I tell you... this place is a total sensory experience. We bought strawberries, listened to music, pet dogs, talked to friends and enjoyed not being constained by time.


Arranging monogrammed pocket mirrors to spell her name




After an hour or so, we swung by the library to drop off some books and get some others and then drove on over to the park. I must say... this park is a hidden jewel. It is situated on the river, adjacent to an old drawbridge. It has a swing/slide area, beautiful expanses of grass (just perfect for laying a blanket on and reading), sail boats, docks, ducks, and even a small beach area.

It was the perfect end...


... to a perfect day.

For more photos from people far more talented at photography than me,
pop on over to Lisa's blog at:

the long road


Happy St. Patrick's Day

Sunday, March 14, 2010