A variety of photos--March 18th through the 25th

Since the weather has been so gorgeous, I feel we have a new lease on life. Check it out!

We helped our neighbor, Anja, celebrate her 6th birthday

We took a stroll, and Scout took a few photos

Here Scout took a photo of Shephardson--the elementary school in our neighborhood

On March 24th, we went to the Princess Ball--here's Ruby all dressed up and ready to go

Scout planned all week to be Snow White, but changed her mind at the last minute to be a fairy

With a slew of princesses and Scout's friends

With Snow White

With the next round of princesses

With Tiana and her friend Sara Mei

I should say just a word about the Princess party. The girls were genuinely thrilled to attend. They had come with me about a month ago to the Lincoln Center to get the tickets. Each week, they would ask, "Are we going to go to the princess party?" It's very difficult to explain time to a kiddo. This past week, Ruby would greet all of Scout's friends with, "Are you coming to the princess party?" I woke up Saturday morning to an exuberant voice from down the hall (Scout), "We're going to the princess party today!" And so we did. The girls got to spend time with each of the princesses, and they seemed delighted. When we returned home, I spent a few minutes talking to Uncle Jake, and put him on speaker. He asked the girls about the party, and Scout said something like, "We got to meet the princesses. REAL HUMAN PRINCESSES." I don't know a lot of occasions (other than Halloween) where the girls would have the opportunity to dress up and go out on the town quite like this, plus you can't beat the chance to hang out with REAL HUMAN PRINCESSES.

We have been doing a lot of grilling out--Lacey and Travis came over tonight for a little food and fun (and to play human jungle gym, the game that aunties and uncles play better than anyone else)

Ruby has been riding Scout's scooter every chance she gets!

Aunt Mary sent these lovely dresses from their travels to Indonesia

Thank you, Aunt Mary and Uncle Willi

For our sake, as well as these daffodil's, I hope Spring is here to stay!

Bring on the sunshine, sunblock and flip-flops. We are ready!

Day Trippers

During our stay in the great state of Arizona, we took a day trip to Scottsdale and Phoenix. Our goals were: Go to Trader Joe's, eat at In-N-Out Burger, visit a park that we'd been to before in Scottsdale, and visit my cousin Joe and his family. I'm pleased to say that we did it all, folks.

Scout standing in front of the train car she sat in while on the train ride at McCormick Train Park in Scottsdale

Scout, Ruby and Mia (Joe's daughter)--these are just some of my grandma Rosie's great-grandkids

Ruby really enjoyed the toy car in Mia's room

Ashley, Joe's wife, feeding Mia Rose

Playing outside at Joe and Ashley's

At McCormick Train Park

On the carousel

Dad helped Ruby on the Carousel

Waiting in line for the train

It's coming!

That's the boxcar Scouty sat in

Cory and Ruby in the watchtower

There's my girl in the mini-cattle car

In front of a pot full of blooms at the park

Before she decided to switch seats to the cattle car, she posed for a quick photo with her dad

Catching some breeze on the train ride

Our return trip from Sedona back to Fort Collins was cut in half. We spent the night in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have to say, I was charmed. The city center is absolutely fantastic--different from anyplace else I've traveled to. Well, if truth be told, it kind of reminded me of Antigua, Guatemala--I never get to reference my life BC (Before Children)--with all the Spanish architecture and narrow streets. There is a big open plaza downtown, and we got there in time to see the outdoor market, but we weren't in the market for jewelry or other indigenous handicrafts so we did not pay it much attention. I hope that life brings us back to Santa Fe another time.

A statue of a burro

Scout admiring the "beautifuls"

Dining "al fresco" (As Fancy Nancy would call it)

Me and my charming little girl

After spending about 20 minutes at the Georgia O'Keefe museum, Scout found this "sea" of granite fish

Ruby and Cory at the restaurant

Scout really wanted to take a photo of me on the fish as well

That concludes our Spring Break trip of 2012. With any luck, Cory got a few good ones of the girls on his camera. We might be able to make a couple 8 x 10s to hang on the wall, thereby improving on our family photos. (Ruby's last framed photo is of her in Maine at 6 months! Yikes!)

Sedona--March 2012

One early morning, March 9th, we awoke the kids, threw them into the car still in their jammies and hit the road. True, we did have to turn around after 10 minutes when I realized I didn't pack their jackets, but sure enough we were on the highway by 4:30 am. And we drove. And the kids watched movies. And I made it almost all the way through the first book of The Hunger Games.

At 6 pm we arrived once again at the Sedona Summit Resort, and we were "checked in." Ahhhh. Vacation.

Here's a quick look at our time there. Once Cory loads his super-awesome photos taken with his super-awesome camera, I'll post another few. But our routine went something like this: wake up, eat breakfast, go for a hike, go out for lunch, come back to the resort and hit the pool, then relax and grill something for dinner. I think the kids ate hotdogs something like six gajillion times last week.

Scout did remarkably well on most of the hikes--very good at keeping up (YAY!)

Along the Little Horse Trail near Bell Rock

This is how most of the hiking went for Ruby--I want to walk. No, I want you to hold me. No, just hold me, not in the carrier.

Out at the Mexican restaurant that we have eaten at EVERY time we've been to Sedona (that'd be 4 times)

Ruby taking a chunk of ice out of her cup (Photo by Scout)

Enjoying the ambience--lovely patio, sunshine--what more could you ask for?

Well, actually, a margarita. That's what you could ask for. Mmm. (Photo by Scout)

Scout's artwork from the restaurant. She got many compliments on it. Truth be told I did help her with it, but she did the "embellishments." I don't know whether to laugh or cry that they thought she did it all by herself.

Ruby's artwork. I can see now that I should have rotated the photo. Oops.

Cory and Scout doing some coloring

We discovered a really nice park in Sedona (previously undiscovered to us!)

Ruby checks out the seat aboard the train

I took the kiddos to Cold Stone while Cory did his 10 mile hike

Ruby jumping in to daddy

Quite the little swimmer

On one of our little hikes, I gave Scout the camera. She took this photo of her shadow.

This time I actually remembered to ASK a fellow walker to take our photo

Not sure why the girls are biting things, but here they are with their sweet daddy

I hope to post Cory's photos, and also some pictures from our day trips to Scottsdale/Phoenix and Santa Fe. Vacation is so good for the soul. But, I must say, when we pulled into the driveway, that felt pretty good too!