Spring Fever

Last weekend was incredible.  We woke up one morning to this.  The day couldn't have started any better.

We had over 70 degree weather which woke me up from what has felt like my hibernation.  I loved that I didn't get that afternoon drag, I just felt energized all day!

There were picnics, walking by the river, brats on the grill, parks...as you can see, we all enjoyed ourselves very much.

It was such a lovely weekend to honor President Lincoln and President Washington, who both have birthdays in February.  There were lots of floral wreaths honoring both men at their memorials.  

We went to Mt. Vernon with friends and when we went through Washington's home, Caroline was looking at one of the large brick fireplaces and said amazed, "I think that the 7 dwarfs live here!"  We all had a little chuckle at that.

So with the Spring Fever comes the Spring cleaning!  My friend does a project that when she does her cleaning she has to fling 100 things.  It sounds like a lot of stuff, but once you get started, it is amazing how fast you can add up things to fling!  

I am already up to 100 items, but just need to ditch the last box that is in the hall.

And since the flinging can't just linger on forever, the date to be done by is March 20th, the first day of Spring. 

So start looking in your closets, drawers, under the bed, I am sure you will find some very special flinging treasures.  

The festivities didn't stop with the little sweetheart party.  We celebrated our holiday on Valentine's Day Eve because Adam had school late the next day.  The dine-in restaurant turned out to be a very relaxing and delicious place to eat.  

Caroline was thrilled about having the lights off and eating by candlelight.  She of course continually said, "Whoa!  This is FANCY!"  

After she had exclaimed that for the third time, she looked at Adam and I and said very seriously, "You guys look lazy."

We looked down at our comfortable clothes that we were enjoying being in.  

She did have a valid point.  We had made a beautiful dinner and were dining in our grubbies.  

She went and put on a gown, a crown, and a boa, then instructed me to put on a dress.  She had also picked out a ginormous crown for me.  Adam went to get changed next and the fancy family was complete, with sweet Olive enjoying the musical clothes game from her seat.  

Our dessert just made us happy looking at it.  Sweetheart strawberry shortcakes with whipping cream that had sour cream and vanilla in it.  I enjoy anything with vanilla in it.

Caroline and I enjoyed opening our coupon books from daddy that had little pictures drawn on each one.  Caroline begs Adam each day to cash in one or all of her coupons.  He is the sweetest daddy and I love him so much!

So if you are dining at home for a special occasion, or just want to make an ordinary meal fun, put on some heels, or a tie and it really livens up the meal.  

Thanks to the life of our party, Caroline.

{A sweetheart party}

We love an excuse for a party, so we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day and have some of Caroline's little buddies over.  

Every day she would ask, "Is today my party?"  and when the answer was no, she would smile and laugh and say, "Oh, not today!" in an embarrassed, silly voice.

Then the day finally came and here she is at 7 A.M. dressed and ready, with crown in place.  Since the party wasn't until 11, she proceeded to decorate the doorway with her rocking chair, scarves, a purse, and other sparkly things.

Here are all of the little sweethearts that came...

Liam who has his "pose face" on here.  We love Liam!

Here is sweet Ava who Caroline begs to have a playdate with everyday.  

My dear friend from highschool, Jill, came with her daughters.  Caroline idolizes Izabella and has wanted to make her a valentine card everyday.

We are so lucky to have the Gardner's here this semester from New Hampshire!  Caroline and Olive have had such a wonderful time spending time with Eden and Avi.  It's nice to be with friends who were just with the many other people that we love up in the Shire.

Caroline's cookie decorating has made leaps and bounds.  The frosting actually makes it to the cookie now!  Previous cookie parties entailed a massive heap of frosting on the knife, bypassing the cookie and going straight down the hatch.

After some healthy heart shaped snacks to even out the sugar rush, the kids made butterfly Valentine's.  We made similar ones for Caroline's preschool class that said, "You make my heart flutter."

We also read the most darling storybook that captivated all of the energetic little sweethearts.

And isn't it so true that these little ones are small but they teach me more about how to love bigger and better everyday!  

True, unadulterated L.O.V.E.

XOXO

We have talked to a lot of family members this week which is always refreshing.  I love that when I talk to my mom and talk and talk and talk...she never asks if I have had any other adult contact in the day.  I know she must wonder sometimes.  We were sad to hear that Grandma B. is having a really hard week of chemo and radiation.  It must be a really hard week because we never hear negative come out of her mouth.  She is such a fighter!!  When we asked what we could do to help from so far away she said "just keep posting pictures of the girls."  So here is a BIG dose of the most innocent and tender love you can find to help heal those burns!

Caroline wanted to talk to her "glasses buddy, Liam" which is her cousin.  As they talked she asked him if she could come to his house.  He asked in a very matter-of-fact tone, "Why"?  

Caroline simply said, "Because I love you."  These two little loves went on to talk about day to day things such as Liam's dog, Maizy Kevin (after the female bird in Up) Scott, jewel parties, and Washington D.C.

I had to go pick up some incredible salsa from a friend tonight and asked if Caroline wanted to go with me.  She was in her p.j.'s and she said, "Yea, sure I will come.  I just need to bring my purse.  Oh and wait one minute, I need to bring my Hello Kitty suitcase (her lunchbox) with jewels in it, in case I want to get fancy!"

Immediately I went and grabbed the journal I write in for her and started writing that down as I was laughing. She asked what I was doing and I told her.  "Mommy," she said, "I like that you write down my words."  

Then she said with a smile, "Write that down...'I like that you write down my words.'" 

So I did just that.

This little one has a new picture pose to share with everyone, the scrunch face.  She also will blink and close her eyes even before I take a picture because she knows the dreaded flash is coming.  

She has her cute little teeth on the bottom, and four on top that we get to see when she laughs really hard.  

When she has a snack she has to have two, one to hold in each hand.  You know when she is very excited about something because her mouth makes a perfect O and she says, "Ooooo" "Oooo" with wide eyes.  

She dances in circles, she searches for her belly button (still trying to get that perfect pic), she tries to fold her chubby little arms for prayer and then mumbles while the prayer is said, she said "ruff ruff" today for a doggie sound, she sleeps on her belly with her round little bum in the air.

Here is a moment after church on a good day :)  We have church at 8 a.m. and that can produce some interesting results by the time we are home and the girls are tired and hungry.  It has been a lot better than 3 p.m. church though!

Recently we went to the Dulles Air and Space Museum.  More pics to come later, it was a very fun place to explore.  There were so many incredible planes.

We hope this love helps you heal!  We love you!!!

Over five years ago Adam and I went on our first date.  I was so nervous that I couldn't buckle my own shoe, my roommate had to help me.  It was probably only the second time I hadn't seen him in scrubs.  We went to a 40's themed dance in Park City and we danced the entire time.  He was such a gentleman.  I thought he was too good to be true....

but now after 5 years of marriage, I am still so grateful that he wasn't too good to be true :)

Adam had an invitation to a dinner up in New York to meet people he will be working with this coming summer.  He said I was coming with for a little anniversary getaway!  We took the train up and snow was dumping down the entire time.  It was beautiful to just look out the window and see how incredible the snow was making everything look.  We read, we napped, we snuggled, we laughed and we could just be because our friends had our girls.  Thanks again Brooke, Miranda, and Emilie for taking such good care of them!

We arrived with 2 minutes to get to the lottery to put our names in for Wicked tickets.  And as you can see by the picture, we didn't score Wicked tickets, but we have ALL summer to try so hopefully 3rd time is the charm.  We saw Jersey Boys which is one of the top ones we saw in reviews that was playing.

The music gave me the chills, it's the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (I had no idea who he was before the show) who sang: Big girls don't cry, Sherry, Can't take my eyes off of you.  The language however did not give me the chills.  It was horrible and I am sure if we had done more research we would have realized that.

I am glad we accidentally saw it though because now we keep jammin' to the good tunes.

Due to the weather, Adam's dinner was cancelled and so he got to come to dinner with me!  We met up with some of our favorite New Hampshire peeps who now live just outside of the city, the Stringhams.  It was refreshing to catch up with them and such a comfort to know they will be there this summer.  We ate at the Shake Shack and little Levi downed more than me, he loves his burgers!

We went to Serendipity for dessert and devoured our frozen hot chocolate and banana split.

It snowed the entire day which made New York a little less crazy and a bit more charming.  I was soaking it all in, it was beautiful.  We took a tram over to Roosevelt Island and it goes up over one of the beautiful bridges.  That was a fun local secret that Jared and Halley introduced us too.

Our plans to be up and out on the town by 8am were foiled by our extra comfy bed.  Sleeping in was glorious!  It was liberating to not know what time it was when we woke up and not care.

We went ice skating at Rockefeller Center the next day. We made friends with the workers who were showing us their moves on the ice and letting us switch up the music a little bit, it just needed a little more spunk.

We also saw where we might be living in May!  If  we do get the housing that we applied for, we will be right by Greenwich Village and Bleeker Street.  It is such a thrilling area to explore.  It was such a relief to see a clean neighborhood and such well kept buildings.  I enjoyed taking the Subway and feeling more confident that I will be able to get around with the girls.  It made me extremely excited and less apprehensive.  

Look at how much snow there is!  Cars were buried and we were out skipping and holding hands in the thick of it.

I really, really enjoyed our getaway.  It was refreshing to be just with Adam and it was strange to do whatever we pleased without pausing for naps.  I must say though, coming home to our sweet girls was one of the highlights.  They were asleep when we went to pick them up and when I scooped up Caroline, she opened her sleepy eyes and gave me the biggest, happiest grin.  Then she said with a sigh, "Hi Mommy" in her sweet little voice.  

I am so fired up to go back to New York for the summer and fill the days with endless adventure.