Random summer fun

I can't believe we will be heading back to seattle in 6 weeks. The time has flown. The past two months have just slipped by.  And what a blast we have been having. 

The weather has been great.  We busted out the sprinkler the other day, which of course Max loves, but would also love a partner in crime. I don't want so much to be that partner. Mama fail? 

And the garden? It's so crazy. More pictures to follow!!!!

My first handmade Mother's Day gift. Heart melted!

Walking the babies (footballs and baseballs)

Cruzin, Cali style 

Buns of steel

love when friends come to visit!!!

My sweet friend Megan can to visit for an extended weekend.  The great thing about Megan is she always makes time to come out for a visit.  We did a whole bunch of stuff.  Went to the zoo, she came to preschool and kindergym, she road bikes with Max while mama snuck in a quick snooze and drank lots of wine and margaritas with me. 

Pretty much sums up an awesome weekend. Oh and we went wedding dress shopping.  She is getting married in Mexico next February.  It was fun going with her.  Man it feel like a decAde ago since I did that. Oh wait....

It was great to see her face light up. And she looked like a beautiful bride!

Bonding 

Feeding giraffes

Goofing off

Flying

Monster Megan 

Cinco de Mayo

A small fiesta was had at Casa Defraia's.  It was a great time.  It was the first get together at our Cali home with our new friends.  I made my favorite chicken tostadas, guacamole and margaritas.  Yum, yum, yum!!

The kiddos played dictator while the mamas drank.  A perfect combo!

Then the best part....the Minnie Mouse pinata!!! No Cinco de Mayo party is complete with out it!

And it was filled with fruit gummy snacks of course.

I am so thankful to the new friends I making here.  There is no doubt that it takes a village, and I so grateful that this new village has welcomed me and Max with open arms.....and cocktails!

Mexican hats

Garden update

Lookie lookie here!!

We have life!  I'm so proud of my garden. I love walking around and watch how it changes everyday. I swear the tom plants are growing at least 3-4 inches a day.  And I can already seem them forming.  Just

A satisfying feeling! 

This place with all it's sun and hot weather is a perfect place for my lovely garden!!! 

Max too likes to watch me, watch it. He likes to pretend he is working too. I think next year we will have him practice with a row of seeds so he can watch them grow, and expericence the achievement in that.  I'm defiently addicted to this. 

Asparagus festival

This year I believe was the 39 year that the asparagus festival has taken plave. It's a tradition in this city to attend. Eat a lot of fried asparagus and bask in the sun.  This was our second year attending and it was pretty fun. After all the grubbing, we headed over to the kiddie area. They had a huge slide, ponies, games, bounce houses and a park.  It was a little much for Max I think, but he held his own. I do think his favorite thing was the juice we bought him in the grape container. "Purple drink" as we called it.  Max never gets juice, and certainly never a whole one. Perhaps that sounds harsh. But if you witnessed the sugar high this boy gets, you'd be hiding the juice too.

Sonoma and sisters

What a great weekend! My sister had her 40th birthday celebration in Sonoma, CA. My god is that a beautiful place!  Vineyards for miles and miles.  Felt as if we almost stepped into Italy. Almost.  Wine was drank, and delicious food was consumed.  Us three sisters shared a king sized bed and laughed till happy tears streamed down my face.  I pretty terrific weekend! I can see myself having my 40th celebration here as well!

The question did come up, as it sometimes does.  So your MJ's or Annemarie's sister? Well....Not by blood. But definitely by love.   See my mother and their mother, Kisun were best of friends.  I was raised along side this girls.  Birthday's, camping trips and countless sleep overs.  We used to just consider ourselves cousins.  That was until my mother died and I went to live with them.  At that moment we became sisters.

I am so grateful I was able to gain sisters, even if it was at 16.  It has been one of the sweetest gifts ever received.  Their mom became my mom, and thus Max's Grandma.  My mothers memory lives on through Kisun and her stories of their nights of wine drinking and long talks.  That traditions still continues on in us sisters.

Cheers!

I over heard that there are over 7000 vineyards here

baby sister

all three of us

there can never been enough cheese

It is weird to see myself in pictures.  I am usually the one behind the lens.

Group shot at first winery.

The hills were alive with the sound of music....