Before we left

I'm going to admit something I don't want to admit. We were very homesick our first couple of weeks here in Sierra Leone, and we spent a lot of time daydreaming about what it would be like to live back in California. It is not that we didn't like it here, it's just that the time before we left was packed full of family, friends, and so much love. I keep having to remind myself that weddings and baby showers and friend reunions are special and rare occasions that will not be happening every weekend while we are gone. If they did, I'm pretty sure I would have been incapable of leaving.

College roommate reunion

Sister's perfect weddingLaughy family

Beautiful pregnant sister Beautiful pregnant best friend (who is now past due!) High school friend reunion

I am glad to be in Sierra Leone, I really am.... Just so long as all you people agree not to have any fun until we get back. Deal?

G-pa and G-ma

How precious are my grandparents? (The twins they are holding aren't bad either. Wink wink.) They have been married for 64 years and still going strong. Yes, I said 64 years! That pic of them dancing was from this past weekend at my sister's wedding (more on that later). When you watch them you can tell they have been dancing together for decades. They move as one piece.

Sister/Mom weekend

Had so much fun with my sissies and mom (or "oldest sister" as she likes to say) this weekend. Favorite part: playing games while eating candy and listening to a thunder storm. Our apartment feels so lonely without them....

Christmas break #3: Chico

Still going on Christmas break pics! I am technically on break until Monday, so this is allowed.

(Lovely Christmas dinner at my dad's house.)

(Thanks a lot, Leslie and Scott. They got David the Mischief Maker's Manual.)

(Hedo, named after Hedo Turkoglu, watched the festivities from the couch.)

(Jay-Mo thought 45 degrees was perfect swimming weather.)

Christmas break #2: Fresno

Christmas break #1

This Christmas David had the brilliant idea of wrapping presents in fake gift boxes. A toaster that plugs into your computer and makes up to 4 slices of toast in 30 minutes! A Visorganizor so you can carry up to 7 pounds on your hat! The iFeast portable mp3 player/feeding station for your dog or cat!

My brother, mom and dad tried to act excited about their gifts, but their faces didn't lie.

The birthday people

Happy birthday to all of us. I wouldn't want to share with anyone else.

Jay-Mo

I miss this little guy! While my sis and her family visited last week, Jay kept forgetting my name. Instead of asking over and over, he chose to call me "the one I love." When he woke up in the morning, he'd asked his mom, "Where's the one I love?" A part of me hopes he never remembers and I keep this name forever.

Oh, and Jay said something not so sweet to David: "You're a girl because your tummy's fat." Huh?

Happy birthday Mama Loo

I love you and I wish I could have been there to celebrate. I'm excited to swim and eat and relax with you in July!

P.S. Look at my brother, the little pterodactyl. He's the cutest.
P.P.S. Yes, I had to look up how to spell pterodactyl, and the ridiculousness of it almost made me choose a different word. Almost.

Sweet words

(Found here)

(Found here)

Mama's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mamas out there. Especially mine. She raised 2 babies at once, with 3 teenagers already at home. And let me tell you, 2 babies is hard (or so I hear). Especially when one's a crier, whiner, and trouble-maker. I'll let you guess who from the picture.

When I was little I'd tell her, "I love you more than you could ever hope to imagine." I think I still do.

We'll miss you, Hannah

Sweet Hannah was put to rest today. She was an excellent pup, and dalmatians were better for having her around. Jen brought her into our family as a baby, and she quickly bloomed into a mature, patient, and loving dog who always seemed ready to give a listening ear. She will be missed.

Avery

I stumbled upon these pictures from last year's Red Bluff weekend, and my heart made me post them. Can you beat that sweet little face? Or that outfit?! You can't see it, but she's wearing red Crocs with socks. Clearly, Avery is one of the best things David brought into this marriage.

Weekend in the country

Last weekend we had an honest-to-goodness redneck experience, and I say that with nothing but love. Skeet shooting, 20 person four wheeler adventures, bulls and horses, sleeping in a camper, tri tip and beer...you get the picture. And to be honest with you, I loved it. David's dad jokes that I'm a city girl and he's trying to turn me into a hill billy, which is especially funny when you realize that this place is less than an hour from where I grew up. 

There's something to be said for a life spent outdoors with a view of the mountains. 

(The old abandoned barn on David's grandpa's land.)

(First time shooting a shotgun. I decided to shoot the clay pigeons at the exact same time as my partner, so no one would know who actually hit it. Good idea, right?)

(David's beautiful  little cousin.)

(David's sweet dad.)