A girls weekend!

My dear friend Jennifer is getting married in a month! I'm one of her honored bridesmaids, and her wish was to have a weekend at the beach with all of us. One chica couldn't make it but the other 2 gals along with Jennifer and me met down at Myrtle Beach for a weekend in February. We had some lovely martinis (thanks Prentiss!) and played fun games the first night...

The next day we made Jennifer (who made us SWEAR not to do anything crazy or embarrassing) wear a Bachelorette crown all day long- eating, shopping...)

We didn't hang on the beach too long, because it was a bit chilly...but we had to get some good shots!

It was a fun and very relaxing weekend!

Elias making a tool box

Lowe's here has a kids workshop activity every other Saturday, and we happened to be there when one was going on, so Elias got to make his very own tool box. He was thrilled, as you can see here! He got to put the nails, hammer them in, put on the stickers, and make the whole thing, while wearing his cool apron and goggles (a large part of the fun!)

Bella and the Chocolate Bar...

Visiting Eufemia and Saba in Charlotte!

My 2 best friends in Ecuador are Emerita and Juanita. Juanita's sister Eufemia is married to an ex-Peace Corps Volunteer Ernest. They work in international development work, and have adopted a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia named Saba. They recently bought a house in Charlotte, NC and also accepted a new contract in the Middle East. In order to see them and their new place before they left, the kids and I headed up to Charlotte to spend the day with them.



Isabella and Saba are only about 6 weeks apart in age. No, we didn't coordinate the purple shirts. :-)


Isabella was quite bossy and pushy that day- I guess skills she's learned to fend off her older (and pushier) brother. Here Saba has one of Bella's shoes and all looks well- until about a minute later when she started trying to push her over to get it back! I totally had to use the "she's not always like that" line that we mothers pull out of the hat when necessary!

Elias' many faces

In the span of a week, Elias got not one but TWO new bibis (cobija in Spanish is blanket- and bibi is the shortened version...both my kids use it to refer to their "blankies"). His favorite is now basically a knot of yarn, so the new bibis are to replace it...NOT. He will only sleep with the new bibis if the old bibi is tucked underneath...see picture.

Home renovations!!!

We got 2 sets of french doors put up in the entrances to our upstairs living room, which makes the area more elegant and private...eventually they'll be stained to match the hardwoods. I'm starting to like this remodeling thing...especially when I don't actually have to DO the work myself. :-) Maybe I just like the design part...hmmm.

Our house has a garage attached to the house and it had no door from the garage into the house. Things that make you go hmmmm... We would have to walk out the back door, and into the door on the deck, making you wonder "what's the point of the garage then?" Our point exactly- hence, we got a door cut from the garage into the dining room and we love it! It's much easier to get in and out with the kids, especially in the rain or cold, AND to get to the laundry room (which is also in the garage).

Elias' part in remodeling...

Bella being the remodeling cover girl...

Play date fun

David and Elias are buddies from church... Here they are in our play room (BEFORE I spent 2 hours organizing it this past weekend). They found new meaning in "toy box", the box is actually the toy I suppose.

Here's David's mom Mitzi and her little one, Noah...