home sweet home...

After a full week of jaw-dropping beautiful views, good food, long walks, twisty roads, and just an all around good time...we are back. Here's a few pictures...more to come (click on 'em to see them bigger).

The 18th green at Pebble Beach...
17-Mile Drive in Carmel...The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco...Sunflowers in wine country...(vineyard pics to come)From what we understand, we were thoroughly missed by our little ladies (the feeling was very mutual).

One cute story ::

We sent them a postcard just saying we were having fun and missed them. But Sarah didn't want it read to her. She wanted to wait for us to get back so that we could read it to her ourselves.

When my mom asked her if she could guess what it might say, she took it in her hands, looked at it and read,

"Dear Sarah, When we get home, we will get you a dog."

(sigh...it's good to be home)

the second first day...

It was pretty apparent early on that there was some miscommunication in our household. And I mean early on... Sarah was down the steps fully clothed and ready for school at 7:20am. She kept griping that she needed breakfast and her hair fixed. I wasn't sure what the hurry was about until Lauren left for school.

Sarah thought she was leaving then too.

Someone neglegted to tell the pre-schooler that she didn't start school until after lunch.

The impatience shone through the entire morning. At 9:30 : "Is it time for lunch now?" Snack time at 10am : "Let's just call this snack 'lunch' and get going".

Finally, at 12:15pm, we left for the two minute ride to school to arrive incredibly early for the 12:30 start time.

Come to find out...there were a lot of eager pre-schoolers and we were just about the last ones there!

Sarah is making her contribution to the friendship mix...
Without missing a beat, she was right back to her favorite sandbox...
In yet another blatant miscommunication, we did not inform the 2 year old that she did not get to stay (although I don't think they would notice if she stuck around...she blends). She wasn't too happy to leave.
Um....the shoes ::
We are leaving our little darlins for a week out west to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Many thanks in advance to my folks who are giving the tender loving care while we gallivant through wine country and down the coast of California.

reason #242 that it's good to have all girls...

For our final summer outing, I grabbed the girls (including my mom) and drove out to Grand Haven to have tea at a cute little shop that is very much in need of a new name. (click here to visit their website)

We found this place last year whilst camping at the state park there. On a regular basis this past year, Lauren has asked to return. So...off we went!

You can try on hats until you find one that suits you just fine....then change your mind three seconds later. Lauren and Sarah loved sampling anything from cowboy hats to peacock feather-adorned hats that were bigger than their little sister.
Julia was a little confused about all the fuss. She looked at the tray of desserts, then at me...and with a hesitant voice, sang Happy Birthday to me.