Happy 8th Birthday Emma!

This picture captures our 8-year-old perfectly. Emma has such a heart for animals. She takes good care of Jack and has also become a tremendous help in our home this past year. Her laugh is contagious and she reminds me of her daddy with her quick wit and knack for finding the humor in most situations. We are so proud of our fun, loving and tender-hearted girl!

Thank you for celebrating Emma's birthday with us Dani!

Last day of 2nd grade

It's hard to see, but Emma is receiving an award from her teacher, Ms. Amy. Each student was given one to highlight a special quality or accomplishment recognized during the school year.

Hooray, Emma gets to go to the same school next year...the first time in her brief career as a student!! We love the Innovation Centre:).

Memorial Day

Jonas was eager to catch up on home projects since being newly relieved of his study load, so that's what we both did most of the day. I packed a picnic dinner and we all headed to Harveston Lake that evening...Jack included. John, Beth and Abby Pleasnick were already there at the playground so we had the added pleasure of their company!

Wow, two babies looking at the camera at the same time!

American Girl Store

Emma and Lauren have been wanting to visit the American Girl store in LA for months. We finally made the drive so Emma could do her birthday shopping. It turned out to be well worth the effort. We ate at the Farmer's Market but next time I'd splurge and dine at the charming cafe located inside the store.

The girls in front of the "Nicki" case holding their Nicki dolls, with newly pierced ears (the dolls that is).

We invited Grandma Jo Anne to join us since she introduced Emma to American Girl dolls with her gift of "Samantha" when Emma was five.

Thank you Daddy!

Training Center Graduation

Congratulations "Year One" Graduates! Way to hang in there...

I'm so proud of your hard work, Jonas, and desire to study and know God's Word. I've already seen Him bless your faithfulness throughout this past year.

Jonas' weekly study group

Jonas thought the napkin would add a nice touch to the picture. You always make me laugh babe! The Training Center depends on a network of good friends who support and encourage you, such as those pictured here. We appreciate each of you!

American Idol Finale

Yes, we have been faithful American Idol watchers this season. It was the one night Jonas and I made a point to sit down and relax together during the Training Center busyness. We let the kids stay up and watch part of the finale...what a great show! Of course, they had to entertain us in the family room...oh well, we didn't want to actually hear the performances did we?

Preschool Gymnastics

Caleb gets to take a gymnastics class through preschool once a month and he LOVES it. Today, they graduated and received a ribbon. Pretty exciting stuff.

Here he is with his class. Obviously, the ribbon was a hit.

Caleb and Graceyn Lee

Gracie's the daughter of our friends, Shane and Madie. She is a sweetie and I know Caleb has really enjoyed seeing her at school each week. They were born one day apart at the same hospital!

Funny story: I was driving them home from school last week on a day they were working on a Father's Day surprise. Gracie was telling Caleb about Shane's job as a CHP and asked him what his dad did. Here's the gist of Caleb's answer: "He's a doctor or something. When people have a hole in their head he fixes it. He helps people when they break their leg."

I have to laugh because Jonas has the kind of job that is hard for adults to truly understand, let alone kids!!

Visit to Santa Clarita

We all have been missing my brother and his family since they moved to Santa Clarita a few months ago...it's not often we get to visit. My Mother's Day wish was to see them and so that was my gift! Emma and Caleb got to sleepover with their cousins while Jonas and I stayed at a nearby hotel after a fun day at the pool. We visited their new church the next morning and just had such a fun weekend. Thank you Jonas!! And thank you Emma for the loving notes you wrote me...I am so blessed!!

Mother's Day Tea at Preschool

My "Caleb flower" pot sits on my bathroom counter now. Don't you just love the darling crafts kids make as presents?

Jodi Helms is Caleb's amazing preschool teacher

My little man and I...thank you for my lovely paper corsage!

Katie's First Steps

Katelyn took her first steps at my parents while we were gone on our trip (nice timing huh?!). Oh well, at least Grandma captured them on her camera...

Katelyn at the Four Seasons Corona

While Jonas and I were at the Maui Four Seasons, Katie stayed at my parents home in Corona...what I refer to as the "Four Seasons " for babies. Mom had fun spoiling her with the warm washcloth clean-up after meals, perfectly prepared and heated meals, and oodles of love and attention.

Look at these sweet pictures Grandma Nancy took...isn't her smile too precious?

And who did she want when Grandma brought her home?...Daddy! She kept wanting him to hold her. Very cute. But I was getting a little impatient:).

Adventures in Encinitas

There is a great park just up from Moonlight Beach on Encinitas Blvd. where Jonas was able to join us after work, the same day as our field trip. A boy had brought his pet bird and let us hold it for a long time. The bird was such a crack up!

This was quite a day for us in Encinitas...when we were still on Moonlight Beach, a stranded sea lion was just down the shore a ways. Since my sister, Alaina, is an Animal Care Specialist at Sea World, and has assisted with many a beach rescue, I gave her a call. Unfortunately, it was her day off, but otherwise she may have been the one to come up and get the sea lion back to the rehab area of Sea World. I've been back there with the kids...it's a section of the park that the "general" population doesn't get to see so I always think I'm big stuff when we're back there. As Jane Austen would say, it's most agreeable having such "connections". But I digress...

Anyway, another pair from Sea World came and after seeing what they have to do to lasso up one of these creatures, I definitely would pay money to see my sister do it...Alaina said it was an adult female who was pregnant. The baby didn't make it, which is sad but typical, however, the mother is recovering.

The best part of the "field trip" turned out to be everything that happened after we left the butterfly place!!

Moonlight Beach

The K-2nd graders ate pizza here after the butterfly exhibit before heading home, but we stayed at Moonlight for the rest of the afternoon. Here is Emma with her dear friend, Lauren, who is a 1st grader at the Innovation Centre.

Mr. Muscles just minutes before colliding with another boy on the playground. Caleb had the largest goose egg on his forehead afterwards...poor guy, I felt so bad for him. He was running around the beach an hour later though :).

This was our "pre-summer" day Tracy...it was a perfectly warm, sunny day and it really was the summer kick-off for us. Joey Snow joined us with her boys, since Jakob is now at the Innovation Centre as well (yeah!), and my mom kindly watched Katelyn for the day so we could enjoy ourselves in Encinitas.

I love this place...We've camped at nearby San Elijo beach every summer since I was about 11 and it's just the classic Southern Calif. surf town. I'll definitely be bringing the kids back to Moonlight Beach this summer.

Butterfly Field Trip

Emma's wonderful teacher, Ms. Amy, and classmates at the Monarch Butterfly Program near Encinitas.

The kids used watermelon slices to attract the butterflies...

From here we headed down the street to Moonlight Beach...

Katelyn & Dani

This picture is just so sweet, I wanted to post it. Dani shares Emma's love for animals and is a natural with babies. I'm glad you liked the spaghetti Dani:)!

Paws to Read

This is a program through the library where kids can read to therapy dogs. I signed Emma up because she loves reading aloud and she loves dogs. So for 15 minutes on Saturday she read to Jeffrey...a very large, black poodle, while I attempted to keep Katelyn occupied so she wouldn't be a distraction in the room. My cell phone is always a sure bet~I think she called my dad a couple times and hung up him. Sorry Grandpa!

Caleb the Bike Master

After months and months of practicing with Caleb, encouraging him not to be afraid, and wondering just when he would start enjoying it, Caleb is now a bike rider!

Caleb was so excited to show us that he could handle the ride down this hill in our neighborhood. I'm holding Katelyn, who is fussing, while trying to keep the camera on Caleb! Jonas and I were laughing about his near wipe-out. He doesn't even flinch, but that could have been bad!

Wild Animal Park

Emma's class went on a field trip to the Wild Animal Park and we hung out with Joey and Jakob Snow for the short time that we stayed. Thank you for your help Joey!

Maui Getaway

Jonas was awarded a week long vacation for two to Maui in April through his company. We had such a great time getting to know other couples, being pampered and doing fun activities. The weather could have been warmer and sunnier, but hey, I'm not complaining!

I thought we'd get plastic leis when we arrived and was surprised by the real flowers on the ones they gave us! It was royal treatment from then on...

Dave and Lisa Woods (center) and JR and Rachel Gates (right) love the Lord and were such a blessing to spend time talking and hanging out with. We're making plans to visit the Woods in Idaho this summer and I sure would like to experience Alaska, someday, where the Gates call home.

Every night I got to go on a dinner date with my hot hubby...no cooking for seven days was the highlight!

Don't be fooled...I was pretty freaked out for most of the dive. Breathing underwater took some getting used to!

The ocean views from the courses we golfed on were incredible.

As much as we loved getting away for rest and refreshment, it is always great to be back home!