Papa

A few posts ago, I showed how much Clare loves Mema.  

Now it's Papa's turn!

I really think that Clare would choose Papa over anyone else in the world.  They have such a special bond.  I'm not sure if HOURS at the park and countless cookies from the Publix bakery have anything to do with it, but their connection is undeniable!

My dad literally spends HOURS at the park with Clare...every day.

Even though my parents have been gone for a couple of weeks now, Clare still wakes up in the morning asking for Papa.   She'll repeat, "Papa...park...Papa...park...Papa...park" until I break the news to her, yet again, that Papa is back in Michigan.

She knows who butters her bread.  

You don't see me giving her a fresh beater of cookie dough.

This picture says it all....Clare loves Papa!

Sisters and Brothers...

I love my sister!  We've always had a special relationship, 

and I wish that we could see each other more often!

Phil loves his brothers!
Every year, they go on a "Brother's Trip" together, 

and they remain close despite the distance.

We are thrilled to announce that Clare is going to have a brother or sister in November!  The following picture is NOT current...rather it is from two years ago when I was pregnant with Clare.   Even though my belly hasn't popped yet (I'm only ten weeks along), and the baby is only the size of a prune, we are SO EXCITED about the miraculous life growing inside of me.  Stay tuned for baby updates. 

Some time with my girl!

Clare and I spend a lot of time together, but we don't usually have pictures to document it.  The following pictures are not from my camera.  A couple of friends sent them to me from different play dates, so now I can do a post with my little peanut!

This picture was at one of our favorite parks...
right after doing an Egg Hunt.

Clare created a plate at the Pottery Patch.

After putting her hand print on the plate, 

she wanted to leave her mark everywhere.

Since I can't find my camera, these may be the last Mommy-Daughter pictures we have for a while.

Mema

 Clare affectionately refers to my Mom as Mema (or Mima...I don't know how to spell it...but it's the opposite or backwards pronunciation of Mommy).

My Mom LOVES giving Clare her bath, and they developed quite a routine over the last few weeks.  Clare, who's never been a cuddler :(, would snuggle up in my Mom's arms as she sang different songs.  I tried to replicate the process, but Clare looked at me like I was an alien...as if to say, "You're doing it ALL WRONG, Mom!" 

Cozy little fort!

Want to join them?  There's room for a few more!

Free Flight

She's one with the trees!

Her head is almost touching the moon.  Can you see it?

Easter Sunday's Pictures on Monday

Happy Easter

Phil had late shift on Easter, so we were able to go to church as a family and have a nice brunch before he left for the day.

It was a beautiful morning...as it should be on Easter!

Walking (and flying) with Daddy and Grandpa!

Clare was delighted with the new books that she received from the Easter Bunny.

My parents have been here for the last month, and they just left this morning.  :(  We miss them already!

Gasparilla Classic

These pictures are from February.  I am very behind with blogging.   My dad and I ran a race in Tampa on a COLD, RAINY morning.  My mom and Phil were spectators, and they endured the rain to cheer us on.  Even though my dad and I didn't actually run "together," it was fun to complete the race "together."

P.S. What are the tricks for creating blogs with a Mac?  We are new Mac users, which we love, but I can't figure out how to get words at the top of the post.  Huh?!

New Sandbox

If Clare had her way, she would spend her entire day floating between the park, the sandbox, the swing, and the bath tub.  Forget eating (she can't be my daughter), sleeping, and all of those other necessities...she wants to be outside...ALL THE TIME!

Phil recently built this new sandbox.

Solid dirt box...

Fresh sand box!

Clare happily plays while others happily spectate.

P.S.  Totally unrelated, but we're still in the guest bed...for those of you who have asked.  The insurance adjuster finally came over yesterday, and he is still working on an estimate for the claim.  After the first bathroom repair quote was $2400, I knew it was time to involve the insurance.

Tea Party

Every little girl needs a tea set, right?!

G and G Hillary surprised Clare with tis tea set, and she LOVES it. 

She even wants to eat her normal meals off of the tiny plastic plates.

Daddy likes tea too!

Multiple Choice Test

Life is Full!

Can you figure out the answers to the questions below?!

1. Where have I been lately?

A. Hanging out with my in-laws.

B. Spending time with my parents.

C. Hosting one dinner party after another.

D. All of the above.

2. What haven't I done lately?

A. Mop the floors.

B. Laundry

C. Dishes

D. Sorting stacks of receipts for tax preparation.

3.What do I wish I would have done more of lately?

A. Talk to my sister.

B. Sleep

C. Relax with my best friend...A.K.A. Phil

D. Get a massage.

E. All of the above

4. What unexpected event occured this weekend?

A. Phil's car started leaking on our way to have dinner with Sarah and Tory.

B. Clare spilled water all over my journal.

C. I organized a regional kick-off for Discovery Toys which was attended by NONE of my personal team.

D. A magic fairy (who looks strikingly similar to my mom) mopped my floors.  (If you're looking at context clues, that should help you with Question #2).

E. All of the above!

5. Why are we sleeping in the guest bedroom?

A. A pipe burst behind the walls of our bathroom.

B. Part of our bedroom floor was flooded.

C. We have the world's loudest, and most powerful, fans/dehumidifiers right next to our bed.

D. EVERYTHING is covered in dust!

E. All of the above!

6. In spite of the wild week(s), I'm still thankful for:

A. Family

B. Health

C. Sunshine

D. Little Joys

E. All of the above!

Question #1

Both of our families were/are in town.  We love having family here, and we see them as much as possible.  In the top picture, Grandma Hillary, Clare, and I were all wearing aqua fleece and jeans.  Awww...  In the bottom picture, Grandpa and Grandma Durham are watching Clare play in her new sandbox (future post).

Question #5

The following pictures show the pipe that started leaking on Saturday afternoon... as well as the damage that resulted.

The plumber had to blast some holes in our tiled wall/shower.  Our ENTIRE bathroom and bedroom are covered in sawdust.  EVERYTHING!  I've already dusted/washed the bathroom down once, but that was futile.

Our bedroom is torn apart because of the water damage on the left side.  We had to move everything around so that we could tear up the carpet, remove all the padding, and make room for the extraction service to dry out the walls, carpet, and floor boards.

These machines have been running non-stop for the last three days, and we have been sleeping in the guest room.

So, how did you do on the quiz?

Believe it or not, we're surviving!

This too shall pass...