School's out!

Can you believe it? She’s graduated pre-k, on to kindergarten in just 3 short months. Oh how she can't wait, constantly counting down the days and asking for confirmation that Cash will NOT be going to kindergarten with her. She had a blast at her graduation yesterday. She received a diploma, a picture of her graduating class, a bouquet of pink daisies from her momma, a huge hug from both me and Chris and her teachers and maybe her most favorite part of all....a cupcake.  All while wearing her pink polka dot rain boots…silly rascal.

Now for a summer of fun before her first year of school  


A little song and dance they did, couldn't stop the giggles.

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday to my Mom on this day. Who was just here visiting us in Texas! On her Birthday I ask her these questions and she Answers

Mom whats your favorite color? Orange


And your favorite time of the year? Fall


What's one habit you could never break? My love of sweets(don't worry mom I am shoving cookies in my face as I type this...you passed it on to me and Madi too)




Mom, what is your favorite quote? "Your mind is like a parachute...it only works when it's open!"






Where do you see yourself in ten years? Surrounded by family in houston

Well what's your best quality? My youthful state of mind!

And last but not least, what is your birthday wish for this year?  GOOD HEALTH!

Happy birthday ma, hope you have a wonderful birthday and a week or month or even a whole year filled with goodies and being spoiled by your friends and family.

Love,
Us

mothers day weekend

My mom(grandmami) came into town this past weekend with her friend Steve who has never been to Houston. So I had the pleasure of taking them out. On Thursday we went to a free concert in the park, Steve is into photography so we were able to walk around and find him a few good shots here and there. On Saturday we went to the 25th annual Art Car Parade. Houston has the first and largest art car parade in the world so I thought it was worth showing off. Here are a few photos Steve took while we were out.

After the parade we went to The Hobbit and The Chocolate Bar and as we waited for seating, Steve snapped away. 

Great pictures, and great food I am thankful for it all. We need more family pictures on our walls.

Thanks Steve!

This is why we can't have nice things

I am awful about family photos...getting them done that is, but even worse is trying to get my sisters together for photos. And this is why...try as I might to have a nice photo...I am still the youngest.

Steve took a few shots for our family on Mothers day so we could frame them proudly in our houses....Which one should I use?

And this is the best I could do.
Not very successful for just sisters, it does depict us well though

We did better as a group

I hope you all had a happy mothers day!

Happy Double Digits to Madison

Remember your double digits birthday? Turning 10? I do. Turning 10 is a major milestone and my oldest niece is celebrating that one today. Hard to believe, I remember when she would wake up from nap time everyday with her hair sticking straight up from the bows my sister would put right on the top of her head like cindy loo who.
Yesterday we were able to spend the day with them on mothers day and tonight a dinner celebration.

most of us!

Madi's favorite thing to do is swim and her favorite color is blue

Her favorite dessert is cookies

When asked who is nicer mom or dad she replies "both" (smart girl)

Her favorite movie is twilight

And her one wish for this summer is a phone.

Happy Birthday Madi, we can't wait to celebrate with you tonight. And we hope your one summer wish comes true.

All our love!

Yum

Peppers, peas, beans, tomatoes,  cucumbers, blueberries and herbs, this is what we have been able to harvest so far this growing season. I think our late season broccoli is about to burst from the seams while only three of "momma's precious carrots" survived. I will have to plant more in a week or so. The pumpkin is about 25 ft long right now. The kids are just in love with fresh picked peas and blueberries.

baby bell pepper

baby jalapeno

cucumber

snap peas and Lima beans

baby tomato

Why are Momma's carrots so precious?

 Keith dubbed them this because I was okay with just throwing any old seed in the dirt with the rest of our veggies. I was not however okay with treating my carrots this way. I love carrots, well anything orange really, carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. But when we planted the carrots I would go out there everyday and tenderly remove every little leaf  that could be blocking my precious carrots from receiving the sun they needed and I would watch them....yes watch them. They were the first things I looked at everyday to see the progress our little carrot patch. But apparently a watched pot doesn't boil...or so I've been told. So now it's time for a redo.

Concert in the park tonight, who's going?

Dirt and other things

This week is teacher appreciation week at school

On Monday we were supposed to make them cards....but forgot! 

On Tuesday we were supposed to bring their favorite fruit...but we don't play by the rules so we bought them odwalla. 

Strawberry juice for Miss L who's favorite fruit is a strawberry. 

And Cmonster for Miss A who's favorite fruit is an orange

They also colored them pictures of their favorite fruits so they would never go bad. Thankfully Cash's was the orange which he did well and Yuliya did awesome at her strawberry.

For Wednesday we were supposed to bring them flowers...but potted is superior to fresh cut. So last night we spent a good chunk of time picking out flowers which we then took home and transplanted into small container gardens.

By the time we made it home it was bath time but Cash insisted on overseeing the flower transplanting process so I had this really great idea to do it in the bathroom while he bathed......

except it wasn't a great idea.

Dirt everywhere!

First I found as many tubs as I could, poked holes in the bottom and wrapped them in foil to make them look a little prettier. Then I took the freshly bought plants and ripped them all apart into separate plants instead of 3 to a pot and reorganized them into multiple varieties per plant.

For Miss L and Miss A, Yuliya and Cash's main teachers we gave them a little extra ornamental peppers in theirs.

See the one on the far left at the bottom? That's for Eedi, Cash's one true love. 

She has been going there a while, (Cash just started a few weeks ago) he has missed one day since starting and I was told Eedi was NOT happy, refusing to sit at meals without her "flashlight" as she calls him. They wrap their arms around each other's shoulders as they eat at breakfast lunch and snacks and spend all day side by side. Every day when I pick them up Cash tells me "That's my Eedi, I like eedi" So of course when we went to pick out flowers for our teachers Cash had a very special request.

That we get pink and purple ones for his eedi.

Such a thoughtful little boy.

Sorry ladies, it looks like this little man is off the market.

Just so you know

Yuliya is now practicing writing more and of course loves to color. So friends and family please expect things in the mail from her. We are letter writing almost daily for the next few months around these parts. And if you would like a letter from her but are not sure we have your address please feel free to email it to me. She would love to color pictures for all of you.

The first one goes out today! Also she might enjoy pictures of you with your mail. 

Thanks!

Very proud of her outfit choice.

Good Morning Family 

Busy Busy weekend behind us and busy weekend ahead of us. This weekend we spent feeding ducks, and falling in ponds(me and Yuliya). Trying to get the house back in order, fixing the front door! For some reason there is a part inside the door that breaks about every 7 years, so we were able to take the entire door apart and put it back together....twice. We cooked all weekend using plenty of herbs from the garden, fixed Keith's car , spent time weeding the veggie garden and tending to our pumpkin patch, going on bike rides and playing at playgrounds.

Here's the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago, its expanded by about 8 ft. 

Here's a picture of Cash going potty in the yard....

Just kidding. 

I am not sure what he was doing, but the picture came out funny.

Pre the six mile ride through the park kids in tow. It gets a little difficult when you hit the curve in the road that always seems to be an uphill wind tunnel.

 This weekend we prepare for a garage sale, a MONSTER garage sale. 

It has been a long time coming and I don't think I am ready.