Easter Sunday.

 Yesterday we spent Easter at Dennis and Sharon's. 

This year The Little Boys were at the perfect age for playing with The Little Girls. The cousins all played so sweetly with each other, exploring all the Easter delights arranged so creatively by Sharon.

 Opening Easter baskets.

 Grammy and Jack.

 The Egg Hunt. It is amazing how quickly the boys caught on.

 Modeling the loot.

Thank you to Sharon for a beautiful day, Dennis for all the laughter and Auntie's and Uncle's for their love, delicious food and sweet baskets.

Egg Hunt/Easter With Adelaide.

Last weekend Angela and Addie were in town. We met up in Folsom and celebrated Easter in the park.

 

 Could cousins be sweeter? Heaven smiles when children hold hands.

 Treasure!

Checking and double checking the loot.

  Many, many thanks to Grandma Margaret for arranging such a delightful morning for these Little Girls!

Pride.

 I opened the local newspaper the other day to see this article written about our family business. Often times the pressures and stress of running a small business make you weary, in particular the family time that gets put on hold or the long hours. That being said, the pride I feel in Tim and Jared, our family business and it's place in this community makes it all worth it. Being reminded of that never gets old.

A Day At The Museum.

Last week I took The Little Girls and several high school students on a field trip to the Crocker Art Museum. I haven't been since before the remodel and I must say...it is fantastic. I didn't take Little Girls into the Gottfried Helnwein exhibit, it wouldn't have been appropriate for them, but all the other exhibits as well as the Crocker House itself they adored.

 I must have 5 photos of this Art-O-Mat in my library, an old cigarette vending machine turned small token art vendor. I wanted to buy one and fix it up as a fundraiser when I taught junior high art, filling the machine with pieces my students cleverly crafted. The machines are hard to find on account of California's long and lovely ban on such an apparently accessible evil. I remember seeing these in every bar and cafe in Europe. Anyways, I like to start each visit to the Crocker by looking in this brightly colored case.

 Breaking all the rules, I couldn't resist taking photos of The Little Girls by their favorite pieces.

  Some of "The Big Girls" as Savannah puts it.

The Little Girls looking down at The Big Girls.

 My favorite...Wayne Thiebaud.

Tamber's Shower.

 My oldest friend Tamber is getting hitched and so her sisters, some of their babes and California friends gathered on a perfect Saturday afternoon surrounded by vineyards for fantastic food and a chance to catch up with the guest of honor.

 Tamber and Ellie.

 The Princess cake from Ettore's.

 Snarr's; (l-r) Tate, Taryn (her two daughters) and Teke.

 Tamber, Ivy and I.

 Eva (host!) and Tamber.

 The Snarr girls. Aren't they lovely?

Tamber, her sisters, a few nieces and a nephew.

A Necessity.

 On our last few trips to town we have made a little time allowance for Savannah's baby to "nurse". Here we are at the bike shop, the baby "nursed" again in the market and then before we left Grandpa Dan's ranch on Wednesday. Luckily her baby doesn't mind "nursing" while we are driving in the car.

What I am looking forward to this weekend:

Getting started on soot clean-up.

Seeing Tamber at her bridal shower.

Dinner tonight with sweet friends.

Celebrating Grandpa Gordon's Birthday.

Swim Lessons.

Antique Faire.

Wishing you a fun weekend!

Nesting.

I've been following Jordan's blog for a long time. Recently she, her artist husband and two toddler boys uprooted their lives out of San Francisco and moved to Paris for a year. I adore reading about her adventures at the Les Puces de Saint-Ouen Market, the largest flea market in the world (oh the antiques!), seeing her craft and create using European party supplies and seeing her photos of the whole family wearing stripey shirts, so French! She has recently been posting about the Get Clean Campaign sponsored by Method and Martha Stewart. Last night I found myself in the Cleaning Supplies aisle in Target, drooling over which Method bottles and scents to purchase. You see, a combination of pregnancy hormones mixed with fantastic weather has put me in the mood to clean. I know all my cleaning is in vain until the Restoration company comes over to scour the soot off the ceiling and walls but none the less this knowledge didn't prevent me from using a half bottle of Method All-Purpose Natural Surface Cleaner in French Lavender. Yes it has been less than twelve hours since I purchased said bottle, I've wasted no time. I followed Jordan's easy bathroom cleaning tips and yes, the bathrooms still smell like French Lavender.

Buy HERE.

Scenes From The Weekend.

 Playing with Uncle Tony at a wedding.

Hudson's Birthday Party.

 

 And now having some work done at the house.

Battling the tough stuff.