Lovin' The Cheese

The older they get, the more the love grows.
My kids just love Chuck E. Cheese.

The girls enjoyed the rides together

Will especially loved talking on the phone with Chuck E.

And when Lila needed a break from all the action, she just took a little power nap.

I asked Savannah what she thinks about summer so far.
She said, "Mom, these are the best days of my life!"

Care-Free

I'm liking this summer gig, and I'm really liking our fabulous weather.
Our evening at the park was just perfect.

Savannah & Dre, running full-speed to the playground

You would think the crazy metal merry-go-round would be out-lawed by now. Not in Texas! It's the kids' favorite, and Savannah gets it going WAY too fast. Just a disaster waiting to happen.

Lila was laughing her heart out on the swing. I have about 12 more pictures of her, just like this:

Galleria

Today's activity was Savannah's choice, and she couldn't WAIT to get the family over to the Galleria play area.

We haven't been in several months, and it was definitely time for Lila to have a shot at that action. She was in complete heaven, feeling just like one of the big kids.

Lila's a maniac--every bit as fearless as her big sister, and maybe (is it possible?) even more. She is SUCH a fun baby (although I'm pretty sure we would have a hard time convincing her she actually IS a baby). Happy, active, social, curious, and always up for an adventure. She still gets constant attention & praise from strangers, and she still has just one expression...we love that smile, girlfriend!

Happy Day

I've really been looking forward to the summer, and today was just what I've been waiting for.

We all enjoyed a long, easy morning together, then headed over to the preschool to kick off our Summer Reading Program.

For 2 hours, Savannah, Will, Lila & I had fun listening to story time, dancing and singing in the music room, doing arts & crafts, checking out library books, and playing on the playground. I didn't take nearly enough pictures (we'll be doing the program for the next 2 weeks), but here are my little artists:

The afternoon found us back at this fun spot (like I said, we just can't get enough!)

And the late afternoon left me with an exhausted Will & Lila who napped soundly for hours, and an easy-to-entertain twosome who put that froggy pool to very good use.

I'm sure we'll have some crazy summer days, but today was just good plain fun.

Crazy Summer Fun

What could possibly be more fun than a giant waterslide full of our very favorite friends?

Thanks, Cathy, for the fabulous afternoon!

End-of-the-Year Party!

We celebrated the end of the year on the big field behind the preschool.

Will was thrilled to say goodbye one last time to his favorite teacher

And Savannah's favorite part was exploring the fire truck

Hooray for summer!

False Start

Tomorrow is the last day of preschool, and I couldn't resist this impulse buy while I was out today...the kids & I are so excited for some real summer fun (and I'm praying it doesn't pop anytime soon. It was ridiculously difficult to blow up that real summer fun!)

We've been so spoiled by cool weather this year, that the hose water froze Savannah out after only 15 minutes. She was thrilled to head to a hot bath, in her swim suit.

We'll try some outside summer fun again tomorrow!

McDonalds? Really??

Will stayed an extra 2 hours at Preschool today, so I had some time alone with the girls. I told Savannah we would do ANYTHING she wanted. Her request? Playtime at a McDonald's we've never been to before. I was disappointed, to say the least, but she had her mind made up.

Obviously, she had fun.


Lila lucked out & had her first taste of french fries.

My girls crack me up. They're just both so full of life, fun, and non-stop energy!

Sweet Savannah

Savannah has ALWAYS been very interested in all things spiritual.

She loves church, she loves to pray, she loves to read her scriptures, she asks lots of questions about death & resurrection (those can get tricky!) She's just really, really interested.

I couldn't resist recording the fact that for the past month, she has added to her prayers, "please bless Satan and his followers, that they will decide to choose the right." It just makes me smile every time. She's just hoping that somehow that bad guy is going to make a turn-around. (And I don't have the heart to tell her he's pretty much hopeless!)

I also took a picture of her next to this LOVELY rainbow she painted at school. It's the first (but definitely not the last!) piece of her artwork we've decided to frame, and it couldn't be more perfect for her bedroom.

Sweet Savannah.

Will at 2 1/2

Will is adorable, demanding, tender, particular, funny, and VERY 2 1/2.

I really can get him to do anything I want him to do...so long as he thinks it's HIS idea.

He loves his cars (pictured here with his current favorite, Ramon), loves his sisters, loves his blankie, and (most of all) loves LOTS of attention.



Will goes to Mother's Day Out twice a week. Mondays from 9-12 & Wednesdays from 9-2.

His teachers are absolutely fantastic, and I have relied on them for feedback and advice quite a bit this year. The last 8 months have been pretty intense for Will, as he has adjusted to life as a middle child. Will has developed quite a loud, demanding, tone around here and, quite frankly, it seems that he does have to get that way sometimes in order to be heard.

His teachers sent home an assessment form the other day, and I wanted to record their comments on Will:

Social / Emotional Development:
"We are so pleased that Will successfully enters the classroom and is indeed happy to be here. Will needs things to be on his terms and we honor that by letting him carry his bag around (or whatever item) as long as he needs."

Interaction with Peers:
"Will wears his emotions on his sleeve. Everyone knows how Will is feeling at all times. He does tend to magnify his emotions with intensity, but the positive side is that he uses clear words to express those feelings. Even through cars, he will tell a peer or teacher what is wrong. He is problem solving, and that is not easy for a two year old :)"

Communication Development:
"Will loves communicating. He fully participates in every circle-time language game. He is usually the first to answer questions. He loves the game where I have three items, then hide one, then have the children guess which is missing. Will is quick to pick up concepts."

"Thank you for sharing your son with us. We have had a great time getting to know your family this year."

We love you, Will!!)

Where is Lila?

If the dishwasher is open, she's in it. She's obsessed.

Otherwise, she's by the back door/trash can, rummaging through our shoes.


What a goofball!

Visit from the Cramers!

My very first visit to Dallas occurred in March of 2001, when I flew out from BYU to decide where I wanted to work after graduation.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (the firm I ended up choosing) sent me to a fantastic recruiting dinner. It was there that I met my very first friend in Dallas (and, it turned out, one of my very favorites!) Daisy & I meshed well, right from the start. We talked on & on & on the evening we met, and we could hardly stop talking to get our work done at PwC during the 18 months we worked together.

When she relocated to Austin, I was so sad to see her leave. But, through fairly frequent trips to Austin for Rod's tennis tournaments, we've been able to stay in good touch. Daisy & David have 2 completely adorable children who are close in age to Savannah & Will, and we just love spending time with them.

We were lucky enough to have them for a Saturday visit in Dallas. Savannah & Sophie got along fantastically, and the highlight of the day was a trip to the World Aquarium.

What a happy gang!

Thank you, David, for pushing the stroller! Funny that the 2 youngest children in our group are nowhere near it. Maybe Daisy & I can take a turn in it next time!

Will completely loved watching the alligators

But Connor really wanted to climb into the pit with them!

Savannah studied up on Tarantulas

The girls were all mesmerized by the deep blue

And everyone enjoyed feeding the birds

Thank you, Cramers, for such a memorable day. PLEASE come back ANY time...even if it's to just leave Sophie with us. We might not give her back next time :)

She Floats Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease...

Our Daring Savannah on the Flying Trapeze!

Savannah loves riding on the rope swing at gymnastics, and I finally snuck in for some pictures. Doesn't it look fun?




And how cute is this little gymnast?

Rod takes both kids to gymnastics on Saturday mornings. Savannah does her own class, while Daddy & Will tear it up in the parent-tot class.

Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam (Rod's younger brother) came into town this week!

Sam plays #1 on his college tennis team & traveled to Dallas for a national tournament. We were so thrilled to see him (we love having visitors out here in Texas!) and the kids just couldn't get enough. We were lucky to have 2 great evenings with Sam. We just played & played & talked & talked & talked.

Thanks, Sam, for the great visit. We're so proud of you!

Our Anniversary Getaway!

For our 10th Anniversary, Rod surprised me by arranging sleepovers for the kids (thanks to our wonderful friends!!) while we escaped for a night of relaxation!

We had 24 happy, quiet, fabulous hours at The Gaylord Texan Resort.
Although we were just 20 minutes away from our home, we felt SO very far away from the craziness of life with 3 little ones!

Heading to the Hot Tub:

The view from our balconey (the resort has 4+ acres of indoor gardens & winding waterways)

My beautiful roses that bloomed on & on & on.

Thank you, Rod, for such a sweet & memorable occasion.
I love you with all of my heart.

More Crawfish!

For anyone out there unfamiliar with The Crawfish Boil (as I was, when I moved to Texas long ago!), it's a Cajun tradition carried on by those who have spent time living in Louisiana. For some (but not us!) it's all about eating those crazy crawfish. For the Hinze Family, it's all about a good excuse to hang out with good friends.

Here's the crawfish-eating table. Yikes!

And here's Lila having a VERY good time watching it all go down from her spot in the bjorn.

Such a fun party!