waiting for daddy

Right now are antsy waiting for Dave to get home. So much anticipation! We kid about who is the first to get a hug.

Kayleigh made Dave the tie for Father's Day.

Here is a picture of the girls with Dave's dad on Father's Day after enjoying a tasty lunch (cocktails and dessert).

fave pics for june

Below are some of my favorite pictures from the month of June. The first two were taken in Sabino Canyon. Beautiful. Peaceful. Amazing. To be enjoyed all throughout the year. It was so fun to be there with my parents, sisters, and family.
This gem was taken at a, I guess some would call it, dive bar. We were celebrating a birthday party of a lady who worked at Western National Parks Association with my Mom.

Kayleigh's 2nd & Final Dance Recital

Here is our little group of friends (minus one) that have danced and played together for 2 years. We had a Pizza Hut dinner on the last day of dance class. The kids had a blast!
I had to drop Kayleigh off backstage- no parents were allowed back during the recital. They performed twice. One a tap number and the other a ballet. The girls were so adorable. Both Dave and I were really proud of our little dancer. She was the happiest little girl after. I'm not sure if its because she felt the energy from being on stage, excited never to go to dance again, or happy to be having our traditional dessert before dinner. Either way, it was fun to experience.

waiting to exhale.

Can I get a hold-up and wait a minute?! Or a day or two?!

Wowzers. My house hasn't looked like this since Christmas! Kinda just want to throw everything in the trash and start all over in the new place.

Speaking of new place... Our fabulous condo in N. Scotts didn't workout. Long story short, we have a new mid/south-Scottsdale address and I think it's fabulous too. It's older and small, but it's perfect for us. Great school with a language immersion program (Spanish, maybe Mandarin!). We'll know more come July 19.

1o more days. 10 more days. 10 more days. It will go by super fast, right?! I'm worse at being alone than I thought. (Insert sad trombone here.) Wha-wha. These kids are INSANE. Really. I could start a whole new blog dedicated to getting ready to leave the house, "No! I will not go to sleep!" or adventures in "really gotta go POTTTYYYY!!!" Seriously. Sometimes I'm so at the end of my rope I invision myself driving the girls over to my parents house, ringing the doorbell, and taking off. Where? Just to my house. I'd put on The Blindside, eat tons ice cream, and just cry it out... Am I being a little dramatic? Maybe. Before you judge though, ask my mom how much she enjoyed her over-night trip to Phoenix today ;o)

It's times like today when another set of favorite lyrics (and band) come to mind. "F*ck it, Fight it, It's all the same."- Sublime

Wow. Can you say BAD MOOD?

It's hot ya'll.

Staying indoors is for the birds! I'm sorry, but if it's above 90 I want to be inside all the time with the AC and fan on. I need some inspiration for indoor crafts. Anyone? The heat is bareable though when you are lucky enough to be invited to a friends house for some fun in the pool. Thank you Sarah Brown!

Come on monsoon season!

dress up and get down

Today has been all around the most productive day I've had in a while. Thank goodnes! But I'd have to say the highlight has been playing dress-up with these little girls. We even danced around to Disney Classics. I had to laugh at how much fun I was having and laughing even more when I wanted to call my sister and have her come over and dance with us! LOL!

take your time with a craft

This little craft project was unexpectedly fun. I was teaching Kayleigh how many different mediums she could use doing crafts. We used crayon, pencil, pom poms, markers, paint, stickers, water, scissors, and food. It was awesome because we worked on this for more than a day.... we worked on them all week. Well, Kayleigh did anyways ;o)

Sushi for Kids a.k.a Baby Sushi

Take a few slices of bread, cut the crusts, stack each slice slightly on top of the other, and flatten with a rolling pin.

Add a thick layer of peanut butter, sliced (lengthwise) banana, and optional raisins. Be sure to put everything to one side and roll.

Slice.
Serve with a glass of cold milk. Yum!

birthday night

I really think I got to do everything I wanted to do for my birthday over the course of 2 weeks. Massage, ate yummy food with yummy wine, spent time without my kids, lounged by the pool, decorated a cake, made dinner, and most importantly spent time with my family.

My homemade dinner consisted of... Okay I'm going to have fun with it and put it in menu form.

Main

Fresh Green Salad with raspberry balsamic viaigrette, goat cheese, and walnuts
Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza with a homemade crust, red onion, and cilantro paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon
Roasted Pear & Blue Cheese Tart with caramelized onion paired with a Sauvignon Blanc

Dessert

Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Buttercream and fresh berries

Some day I hope to make a full 4-5 course meal for someone...

Yeah! Silly poses by the pool. Perfect.

I have the best friends and family in the world.
XOXOXO

birthday morning

Kayleigh, for what reason I have no idea, has wanted to eat at Denny's for the longest time. I decided since they have a free Grand Slam on your birthday we'd try it. They were the best breakfast dates (even if we had to get up and go to the bathroom a few different times). Even our friends Mary Moo Cow and Googley came with. I was cool and let them pick what ever they wanted from the menu. Kayleigh picked pancakes and eggs while Zoe opted for some fried donut coated in sugar with dipping sauces and whip cream. Their choices fit them well.

After breakfast we went to a near by trian park. The girls had an excellent time, but I forgot how quickly the temp warms up in Phoenix so we didn't stay too long.
The rest of the day we spent at the condo enjoying the patio, coloring, napping, and getting ready for Daddy, Katie, and Shana to come over.

Celebration Cake

I'm personally not a fan of traditional birthday cakes, so for my birthday I made a celebration cake. Vanilla cake, raspberry buttercream, chocolate hazelnut piourettes, fresh berries.

outside

I've really appreciated the nice AZ Spring we've had this year. We've been able to enjoy our surrondings to the fullest!After one trying day I took the kids outside after dinner just to play. Usually we go out front with neighbors or go exploring with Daddy. Zoe we quick to point out the moon. With awesome enthusiasm she yelled, "Wook, Mommy! Moon! Make a wish!"The highlight of the night was when Grandma and Grandpa came over and gave us girls a ride in the back of the pick-up!! It was pretty much awesome. When was the last time you rode in the back of a truck? If you haven't done so lately, I highly reccomend it. Thank you mom and dad for helping out a tired mom. I'm glad you had the opportunity to experience an evening in Gladden Farms with us! I said it once and I'll say it again, "Being outside makes everything okay."

a little of this and a little of that

When I quit my corporate job two years ago, I thought being a stay at home mom meant that we would have some tough days but mostly our days would be filled with art and classical music. I should have really ran that thought by a SAHM first... However, today the classical music is on and my babies are filling page after page in their new doodle pads with wonderful creations. We are starting with crayons and will move on to markers, glue, glitter, stickers, and paint.

These past few weeks have been crazy and hectic intertwined with fun and joy. My brain has been in overdrive for these weeks too which has made for thoughts that are more appropriate for a journal than a blog.

This weekend we found a condo and signed a two year lease. I'm excited about the place and nervous at the same time. It's out of my comfort zone for sure. Oy. I hope it's the right place for us. The condo has everything on our wish list, the school is top notch, the location is great. But, the average person is 47+, white, and rich. Not that that is a bad thing, but we only have white going for us. Hopefully we can still find away to surround ourselves with down to earth, young people.

Above is a picture of a similar entrance to our new pad. We are 1.5 miles away from the school and 50 feet away from the pool, exercise facility, and clubhouse. And best of all we no longer have to drive 20 min to the nearest store of any kind!

I'm so thankful for Dave. I'm glad we get to go through life together and give all these amazing opportunities to our girls.