Home.

This was our home (and view from our room) for the past week. I miss it already. We came home to a cold house, needy cats, a stinky refrigerator, piles of damp laundry and a dead gopher in the dining room. I hope it was same gopher that bit me three weeks ago while I was trying to remove it from Marv's claws and my living room. Jerk. Anyways, here are a few more photos from our trip. I have a million things to catch up on now that we are back to our regular life. But for now... I am going back on vacation in my mind.

Love Letters.

Frings and Things.

A Case of the Cries and Curls.

As I was looking out the window of the airplane the other night, I could see the full moon's reflection on the warm waters off the coast of Kauai. When the captain welcomed us to the island, I surprised myself by getting teary eyed. I'm not much of a crier and so I sat there wondering where this emotion was coming from. It has been three years since we've been to the islands, and ten since we've been to Kauai so it could have been that. But mostly I could not wait to get on the beach with Tim and these sweet girls and have a much needed family vacation. I couldn't wait to squeeze Addie and Angela and watch Margaret with all three of her grand-girls. Now, after the first full day of playing on the beach, eating papayas and taking the girls to a Luau, I can say we are living this week to its fullest and loving every second of our stay here in this magical place. Oh, and you wouldn't believe how curly Savannah and Ivy's hair is. Ringlets everywhere.
















Addie-kins.


Hawaii's newest Hula dancers.

Hangtown Halloween.

Halloween in Downtown Placerville means that the store owners close shop but stay "open" to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters. Thanks Dee Dee, Shannon and John for meeting up with us.



The bell tower.


Treating.


Checking out the loot.


A ladybug.


2 Princesses. Doesn't Kristi make a smashing Cinderella?


Isn't this costume CLEVER? It's a wheelbarrow!


BOO from the Bottings!

Love.

You see this tree? I love this tree. When we first moved into this house, it was quite small. I never much noticed it because of it's puny size and odd location. I had thought about taking it out when we put in our sprinkler system and lawn. It just didn't seem to fit in. For some reason (like my Dad talking us into keeping it), we left it to grow where it was. Every autumn it DUMPS these tiny feather like leaves and makes a complete littery mess all over the backyard. While raking, I cursed it's existence. One early morning four years ago while I was nursing baby Savannah, the sun came up over the house and out the living room window my tree looked like it had caught fire. It's leaves had changed into the most rich red color, it looked like fireworks. Ever since that morning, I have grown to respect this tree and the pleasure it gives me in every season. In the summer it provides shade for my honey hut, in the autumn it tells me the weather is getting colder by changing its colors, in the winter it allows the sun to shine through so we get more sun to warm the house and in the spring it is the most amazing chartreuse color with little caterpillar-like pods lazily hanging from it's branches. I still curse it for all the raking, but I love this tree.

Princesses.

Last night we went to see Disney's Princesses On Ice. It was a fun show and the girls loved it. Our girls were some of the very, very few children not dressed up as princes or princesses and so I think the girls actually believed that the children waiting in line for the bathroom or at the concession stands were part of the show. All morning long Savannah has been asking me to play "princesses on ice". I'm not quite sure how we would play this but she seems to have a very good idea. Thanks to Tim's parents for the gift of the tickets and the gift of taking our girls out for a night on the town!