Cora lifts the economy

We've started a paid-chore system with Cora, where she can earn money for a few of her jobs, like helping me fold Violet's diapers, and putting away the clean silverware from the dishwasher caddy.

She gets five dimes (50 cents) for each job, so it's easy to divide into saving (20 cents), spending (20 cents) and giving (10 cents). We took a trip to Target Wednesday, and she used her own money to buy new tape - one of her favorite art supplies - and her own Icee. I had coupons for the tape, so it cost her 40 cent.

On Thursday, we had lunch with Jaimie, Mackenzie and Luke. The kids had a great time together, even though Violet had missed her morning nap and Luke was overdue for his nap. The girls got along really well, and we all enjoyed Thrifty ice cream after our lunch.

The next two photos are from Lowes - Cora and Violet shared the special two-seater kids' compartment in the cart, and Cora grabbed the camera for a goofy photo showing Violet's new tooth.

Also this week, we visited Melanie and her new baby, Heather Olivia. We had a nice lunch visit, and it was fun to hold a newborn again. Not that I miss holding a baby yet - Violet is definitely still my baby!

And, finally, we've been happily eating grapes from our vine this week! We planted the vine over two years ago, and this is our first crop. They are really sweet, and on the clusters that Stace thinned earlier in the year, a good size, too.

A decade well lived

"The days are long but the years are short."

We live our day-to-day lives, taking one day at a time, the good ones with the bad. And suddenly, you realize that a lot of days have gone by...

I had one of those moments this month, when it hit me that it's been 10 years since JT and I made our first fateful trip to England together.

We were one year out of college, emailing constantly and getting together whenever we could, to plan a "once in a lifetime" trip with guidebooks and Web research and lofty plans and dreams. We were to fly in July 4, 2001, to spend a few days in London together, before these two British blokes from the countryside came out to travel with us.

JT was kind of dating Jim, and I thought his friend Stacey was just great. Not that we were going to start any sort of romantic relationship - we knew how silly that would be, with 6,000 miles in between.

Still, he was smart, funny, talkative, a great tour guide, and adorable. The best traveling companion I could hope for.

From the cozy confines of a youth hostel, we four saw London together - that's my 22-year-old self posing with a couple of London bobbies. I made Stace ask them for the photo, figuring his accent would make it come across as less corny. The hat-sharing was the officer's idea.

Then it was on to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle (pictured) and Cambridge, staying the nights in a tent. We then went down to the boys' homeland of Somerset, before going further west to Cornwall. (The final photo, forgive the blurry scan, is of the Men an Tol, an ancient stone arrangement in Cornwall that took us ages to find.)

It is a beautiful country, and we had an amazing time together. It was perfect!
Parts of it I can remember like it was last week, though other details have slipped away. I wish I could go back in time and relive certain moments - if only we all could have known how that 12-day trip would change all of our lives.

Lots of emails. Lots of trips (including Paris, Barcelona, the English Lake District, and a Venice proposal). Lots of phone calls.

A near-deadly car crash, followed by a big realization. Proposals, wedding plans, visa applications. A huge move. Many tearful good-byes; some of them permanent.

A wedding! Another wedding (JT and Jim, days after us)! Another big move, as JT went to Martock.
New jobs, new homes, new babies.
A lot of life.

And for all of this, we are so deeply thankful.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

It's official...

...Spencer and Sebastian are ours!

After our trial period, we finalized the adoptions today, and they also got their last kitten shots from the rescue agency operators.
They continue to amuse all of us with their playful antics. This box has been a great toy, as is the cardboard house Stace made while he built the kitchen. And they remain sweet-tempered and affectionate, and great with Violet, Cora, and any visiting children.



This is one of 10 nearly identical photos Cora took of Spencer the other day after she "borrowed" our camera.
Yes, sometimes they're a little naughty. The rescue guy suggested we get a number of water bottles, stationed in every room.

Summer fun

What a fun week it's been - Independence Day fun on Monday; Cora's camp and the Neals' visit on Tuesday; Juliana and her girls visiting Wednesday, followed by a trip to the pool in the evening; camp and family movie night Thursday; and Stroller Strides, a visit from Michelle and Brooke, and campout-night on Friday.

Violet has been making different sounds this week. Hard to describe well, but I can hear a difference, as she gets closer to adding more words to her vocabulary. Speaking of that, this week, with Jim and JT as witnesses, she put two words together for the first time. She's been saying a word that sounds like "alglie" or "alguie" for water, and "ah-guy" for all gone. On Tuesday, referring to her water cup, she said put the words together.

Also, another top tooth is finally fully through, one she's been working on for months. Oh, and she is screaming a lot more. For fun, in anger, in frustration, to get attention.


Cora had her final class with Ms. Diane this week, as our session of Camp Clarita came to an end. It was very sad for me and for Ms. Diane, who told us how much she's enjoyed Cora for these two-plus years and how much she'll miss her. She'll just have to keep teaching long enough to have Violet in another year!

Here are Cora and Brooke playing with the kitties - thanks for the photo, Michelle! We had a great time catching up over lunch Friday. Brooke absolutely loved playing with Spencer and Sebastian.

Here is our silly Cora - she was supposed to be getting her jammies on her for her night out in the tent with Dad. They did this two weeks ago, and it went so well, it was time for an encore. Well, Cora put on her little sleeveless nightdress. Stace told her to change, since it would get too cold outside in the wee hours. So, she just pulled on her other pajamas over the gown.

Daddy and Daughter ready for their night of reading Little House and listening to nature. Just before this photo, the following conversation took place:

Cora : "I do love you, Dad."

Stace: "Why?"

Cora: "Because you’re such a good husband to Mummy."

Stace: "Thanks. Do you love me because I’m your Dad?"

Cora: "Yeah, I can’t believe my heart. I love you, Dad."

Independence Day festivities

The Fourth of July!

Parades, barbecues, fireworks, friends and family - check, check, check and check.

Elizabeth and Jerry weren't able to stay long on Monday morning, but Grandma and Auntie Mel came over early and we all headed out to watch the parade. (Grandpa was at work.)

As it's been really hot, Cora wasn't all that excited about it this year - see photo of her with Grandma. ("Cora! Cora! Smile, Cora! Look at me! Smile!")

Cora did like the local royalty in their fancy cars, gowns and tiaras - the "Miss SCV," "Little Miss SCV," etc. She said the princesses were her favorite part. Violet was content to watch it all from her stroller, while Stace and I moved out closer for a better view of the classic cars.

After the parade, we cooled off and rested at home, and prepared for the barbecue.

We feel so blessed to have a bit of space for entertaining, and just hanging out with friends and family. This year, we had my family and Melanie's boyfriend Nick; Genia, John, their kids and John's parents; and Christine and her boyfriend Luke.

While we ate, the kids played with bubbles and a croquet set, and we all set off little poppers when it grew dark.

Then, it was on to the fireworks. Violet took it all in, and Cora later said the fireworks were her favorite part of the 4th of July. (While we watched them, she was in a mood and said she didn't like them, because we weren't able to find and sit near Ave and Johnny.)

Pepperdine Week

It's been 11 years since I graduated from Pepperdine, but this week I've seen many of my favorite alumni.

Julie and Joel were part of our journalism gang, with Jason and Stephanie and JT, and I haven't seen them since Jason and Steph's 2004 wedding. They were in town last week from Texas, and we managed to all get together for dinner.

Julie has two girls - Rachel and Emma - and both of them are three months older than my girls. Jason and Stephanie came with Morgan, who just turned 1, and our friend Armando came with his 20-month-old daughter. Talk about girls, girls, girls!

It was weird (and fun) to be together again, a decade later, all of us married-with-kids.

On Friday, I took my girls out to Pasadena to visit Melanie and David and their new addition, Heather Olivia!
Melanie and I were freshman-year roommates at Pepperdine.

No photos of the newborn, as she was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to an infection and photos through the glass aren't worth sharing.
They are home and happy now, and I look forward to visiting again and holding the baby!

We then kept going east, to JT's parents' house, to visit with her and Callie. They are here from England on their meet-the-California-family tour. We had a relaxing afternoon, with lunch at the house and then fancy ice cream in a cutesy part of Claremont.

And speaking of Callie, she and her lovely parents came to visit us Tuesday for dinner, and she took naps in our playpen like an angel - er, a princess.

Pool partying

When it's hotter than hot, we sure appreciate the neighborhood pool.

We made our first family-adventure-trip together on Sunday, and it was just great. Cousin Elizabeth and Jerry spent the holiday weekend with us, so they came too, along with Auntie Mel.

Cora enjoys jumping in, and hopefully by the end of summer she'll be actually swimming properly.

Violet loved the boat we got when Cora was tiny, and had a blast driving it with the steering wheel.

She also thought it was hilarious when Daddy and Jerry would "hide" under water and then jump up.

After the pool, we had dinner, got the girls to bed, popped popcorn and watched a movie.
Yay for summer holiday weekends!

And, yay for Elizabeth and Jerry living close enough to come spend time with us! We love seeing them, and having Elizabeth over is like having a mother's helper. She is great with the girls and such a help to me.

Ventura

We made our first beach trip of the year on Saturday, and it was a long time coming!

After the long months of the kitchen project, we're really appreciating having fun together again. And appreciating Ventura! It had been way too long.

And, with us experiencing our first true, barely bearable heat wave of the summer, the cooler weather was welcome.

Cora and Violet both had a great time. This was Violet's first time at the beach since she's become mobile, and she was surprisingly fearless. She loved the water, waves and sand, and kept going into the waves.
We'll have to keep a close eye on her this summer! It will be a while before going to the beach will be relaxing again.

Violet was equally happy playing in the sand. Where did my baby go? She is such a toddler now.