Laughing and Laughing

As I am loading this on the computer, the boys are still laughing downstairs!

San Diego

We got to San Diego on Sunday afternoon, so we got to go to OHI's open house and see Camie and take a tour of the facility. It really is beautiful and peaceful.

The next morning we went down to the harbor and rode a ferry out to Coronado Island. The kids loved being out on the water, and they got their first taste of the beach. For lunch we had fish and chips right on the waterfront. So good.

After lunch we met C&T and G and went to the dog beach. That was our favorite thing in San Diego! It was cloudy and cool, but the sun did peak out every now and then.

Tommy and Nina went on a long walk and ventured way out into the surf. Nina loved it. Satchel was more tentative--he would run and squeal whenever the waves came. The baby sat on a blanket and was enthralled by it all.

After the beach we went and had dinner at a vegan co-op where Camie can actually eat the food. It was delicious! The kale salad was to die for (I still need that recipe, Cam), and Matt was impressed with the mock chicken salad. There was also garlic potatoes, cashew salad, and delicious soups. And some amazing chocolate pudding. Long live the People's Co-Op of Ocean Beach!

The next day we took the kids to the zoo. What a place. We were there for 6 hours and saw about half of it. They have a bus that takes a quick trip around the whole zoo and shows the highlights, so we did do that. Nina took about 100 pictures with her kiddie camera. Her favorite animal was the African fox. Satchel liked the lion. I liked the baby gorilla and the baby hippo. (Anything baby is precious.) Matt says his favorite part was the walking conveyor belt.

After the zoo we met up at the swimming pool near OHI. It was so cold. Matt and the kids swam, and I worried they might have a heart attack every time they jumped in the water. They spent most of their time in the hot tub. :)

Before we left we had to have one last get-together. G was very patient as he was adored by Nina and Satch. It was a fun trip. We loved seeing Camie and Tommy! Thanks for having us!

Sweet Nina

I love this picture of Nina. She had been writing and drawing on her doodle pad, and she said, "Look Mom, I made a message for the family." I had to take a picture to remember. In her phonetic spelling it said, "I [heart] u ol bekus you r so swet. xoxo" Then she drew a smiley face and a heart.

Some of Jude's Favorite Things

What is Jude loving these days?

1. Being outside (which hasn't happened today because it has been snowing ALL day).

2. Taking everything out of kitchen cupboards and drawers and playing, playing, playing. (He just kneels up and pulls on the handle to open the cupboards himself.)

3. Knocking over towers! (which he does very slowly in this clip--probably because he knew I was filming him.) He also loves to go up the stairs, and today he finally learned how to go down. Yay!

Bunny Buns

Nina knows that the Friend has a recipe every month, and when she saw April's recipe she was excited! Bunny Buns. We made them last Saturday for a conference activity.

You make a simple orange-flavored bread dough and twist it up to look like bunny ears.

After baking, you add frosting and candy eyes.

The kids had fun, but the recipe isn't anything great. Maybe we'll try Bunny Buns again with some other bread recipe. Easter, here we come!

kids for Camie

Hopefully this will make you smile, Cam!