little married couple

They're like a little married couple... today they were playing and bickering and through tears after a particularly frustrating exchange, Michael said, "I love you, Ava." Ava replied, "I love you too, Michael."

Ken's 40th Birthday

It's jarring when your husband turns the age that you can remember your parents turning and thinking this was ANCIENT when you were a kid. Ken turned 40 this past weekend which was the culmination of a month-long "Celebration of Ken". As his mother said, "his wings are clipped". Exactly. We had a houseful of guests, which makes me so, so happy. Ava loves that, too, especially when it involves her cousin Eli.


We had a great weekend, celebrating with a party on Saturday night that was fantastic. It's amazing to think that we have such good friends in a community that we only moved to three and a half years ago. We feel so blessed to have ended up here.

I am completely exhausted, wondering how the heck I'm going to prepare for a two-week vacation that we are leaving for on Thursday, when I barely have the energy to get out of bed in the morning. I am really looking forward to going to Spain, it's just the getting ready to do so that I'm not looking forward to. We'll be staying about 45 minutes outside of Seville at Hacienda de San Rafael, which thankfully looks like a lovely place to lounge poolside, which is probably about all that I can handle being that I'm nearly eight months pregnant. I'm heading to the doctor on Wednesday just to make sure I can still travel.

I'm sure there will be much to add at the end of our trip!

"YOU'RE unacceptable!"

We're driving into the city. I'm driving, Judy's in the passenger seat (so I have a witness) and Ava's in her car seat in the back. She says something that is just plain wrong for a three year old to be saying.
Me: "Ava! That is UNACCEPTABLE!!"
Ava: "YOU'RE unacceptable!!" (said in perfect adult tone intended to drive the point home).