Happy Memorial Day!

We have plans to join the community this morning at the pancake breakfast in the city park. I really want Reese to understand how to honor those who serve our country and hopefully she will start to get sense of that this morning. There are usually a few older veterans and some widowers there to be honored. We have made some thank you cards to give to them as a token of our appreication. How do you celebrate Memorial Day? Last year, we celebrated with Matt's Dad in Kauai....now that was a way to start the summer season! :)

Easter

Easter arrived right after we returned home from our trip. I was feeling soooo sick and ended up in bed for 3 days straight! Matt took Reese to a community Easter egg hunt and I managed to sit through Easter Sunday at church, but just barely! Reese did not get an Easter basket this year...I was too sick to get that together...sad. But she did not seem to mind at all! She got a present from Aunt Kami, a book about a bunny who becomes a big sister, and she loved it! Matt had to read it to her over and over!


Cute girl!


I was not feeling well here!


Matt said she loved getting to meet the bunny!


Eggs are fun to find! Can't you tell by her "smile"?

Places to see...

When we were in Santa Barbara we rented a two bed room house. It was cheaper than a hotel, Reese had her own room, we had a kitchen, living room, back deck for our door dinning and a garage full of chairs and things for the beach! We found this deal on craigslist and I think it is the way to go!


Reese loves dolphins and we have future plans now to go swimming with the dolphins someday!


I used to run along the breakwater wall and never worried about getting wet but when we walked it as a family I was terrified! And of course ended up getting soaked. But Reese loved it!


The Merry Go Round in the park along the water was a highlight for Reese. She wanted to ride it each day with her baby.


We have a picture of this fountain up in our house and so it was important that we visited it while we were there.

Santa Barbara Family

We were able to have dinner with Travis, Russell and Allison two nights while we were in Santa Barbara. Reese loved playing with Russell and visiting the park with Allison. We enjoying just being with the Smelleys.

Butterfly beach

During our trip we enjoyed spending the afternoons at the beach. Reese LOVED the beach. She stayed in the water the whole time we were there each day, which was about 2 or 3 hours. She would jump the waves and play her own games with her baby. Even when she would get knocked over by a wave, as daddy would help her up she would say "That was fun!" Now she asks from time to time....can we go to Santa Barbara again? If you are visiting the Santa Barbara beaches, my favorite one for kids is "Butterfly beach" just in front of the Biltmore hotel.

Racing

Matt ran in the "predict your time mile" at the start of the meet. Reese had so much fun cheering for Daddy to "do your best!" She was loving shaking her cow bell that she got at cross country nationals. Reese now thinks that if you are running, someone must shake a cow bell to help cheer for you!

Westmont's new track

We went to Santa Barbara for our own spring break so we could be at Westmont for the first meet on the new track. It was amazing to see! Such a nice track! It was great to see some Westmont friends even if it was only for a brief time. Sure had Matt and I dreaming of cheering on Reese!

Spring Break visitors

Late March my parents and my sister Kami came to visit for spring break. Reese loved getting to spend time with them! Here are a few of the highlights, pictures courtesy Aunt Kami, who Reese likes to call Aunt "Camera"! :)

Painting with Aunt Kami....


Playing in her own band...


Reading the toy "book" with Gramps....


Looking for an octopus...


Playing and exploring at the Children's museum with the girls...





Golfing in the rain with Gramps...


Posing for Aunt Kami...


And of course, playing at the beach...after all it was SPRING BREAK!! :)

Waking up too early

"Reesently" Reese has started waking up a lot earlier than she used to. She used to sleep in until 8 or 9 every morning but now.....we are lucky if she is still in bed at 7! This has made her a little bit more tired mid morning and so I find her places like the stairs where she claims she is "just resting mommy, I'm just resting!"