Drum Circle

And this is what makes a crazy uncle GREAT!

Beach Day

Hooray for family!  We are LOVING having the Davis' with us this week!  Kristi, Jens, Viv, and Freesia endured a 26-hour road trip (through the night and with a fever-ed child), to join us in California this week.  We spent two days at the beach, so fun.  The weather was pleasant, but not real warm (75 degrees).  Jens braved the wind and cold Pacific waters and spent lots of time in the waves.  Vivian and Freesia also enjoyed splashing around.  Noelle, their warm-blooded cousin, felt the weather was not quite up to par to be one with the sea.

Two princesses

Noelle loved 'helping Freesia' at the beach, and exploring with Daddy

Does it get any cuter??

Vivian was a real beach bum.  She loved swimming, digging, and examining the tide pools.

The daddies and girls with a baby crab

Beef to the Bourguignon

Yum. Perhaps it's because it's approaching dinner time. Perhaps it's the wine I'm sipping. Perhaps it's because I miss Amy...and Paris. Or perhaps it's because it's just soooo delicious. But I am CRAVING some scrumptious 'beouf bourguignon' (that's beef bourguignon for those of us from the U. S. of A.). Joe treated me to this delicious dish on my birthday in Paris, at a lovely street side bistro. Words cannot describe.


Later my sister Amy (a.k.a. Julia Childs) prepared me her version of this traditional dish.


Masterpiece!!



Seeing as I don't plan on spending several hours making dinner tonight, and we are a LONG plane flight from that lovely bistro, I suppose I'll have to cover this craving with another. Chocolate anyone??

Dallas Zoo

After visiting good friends, and making some new ones in Dallas, TX this past weekend, we enjoyed a trip to the Dallas Zoo. We were warned that this zoo wasn't perhaps the greatest in the country, but we found that for a two-year-old's second trip ever to the zoo, it was perfect! This zoo recently put a lot of time and money into their African exhibit and we loved getting up close and personal with many of the animals.

Feeding the giraffe his "salad" was Noelle's personal highlight.


She spent a long time studying the cheetah.



May she never get this close to another lion.... at least without some VERY thick glass in between.

Despite the 95 degrees and 100% humidity we had a great day!

Green

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Thanks to the desire, research, and spunk of our good friends Brandon and Kristin, we got to enjoy a real Irish treat this St. Patty's Day.

Corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and some good ol' black and tans.

Ay laddie... it's a tradition worth repeatin'.

Post-dinner ice cream and fountain fun...

February Fun

Princess Night at Chick-Fil-A. Carriage rides, LOTS of princess dresses, and free food.

2 weeks of rain...which meant snow for the mountains out our window.

80 degree weather and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

A fire burns in my heart...and my hearth

My wonderful husband put in a gas fireplace for us this month. We love it! Noelle and I spend every morning there...she with her milk, me with my coffee, and both of us with our Bibles. It is treasured time every day. We awoke on Valentine's Day and found not only our burning fire, but two beautiful bouquets. What a man!

It's true...flowers melt a girl's heart...