SF Japanese Tea Garden

This summer I went to San Francisco with Maddie's Scout troop. We visited the Academy of Sciences as well as the Japenese Tea Garden. I love the garden as it was peaceful and really beautiful. Plus the lighting was much better than what was happening in the museum and I had our cruddy point and shoot. Anyway, I did play with the colors a bit to make them pop.

First Day of School

I'm going to start with Wyatt since he starts his educational career today. He's in Kindergarten! {cry} He is such a big boy, I just can't believe it.

Standing in line waiting to go into class. Moments before, he had the most serious, focused face.

Waiting for Mr. S to begin. I think the nervous giddy was setting in...

My beautiful Madeleine, who is in her last year of elementary school. This fact almost makes me as emotional as Wyatt starting kindergarten.

My sweet, sassy, cutie-pie Sophie. She's in that weird adolescent stage of 3rd grade and feeling a little out of sorts.

All 3 of my school age kiddos...sniff sniff.

Ivoryton Way gang...All the kids from our street that hang out and walk to school together(minus the two little ones in the front)...

End of Year Wienie Roast

Waiting for the fire to be ready for wienies and marshmallows!

First course : wieners

Finished product..Mom got the spicy hot dog and it was so good!

Second course: Marshmallows!

Yummy!

Gourmet S'mores...This was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup S'more..Troy said it was awesome! I went with the traditional-Hershey Bar, marshmallow, graham cracker..

Hopefully we make this a yearly tradition as we had a lot of fun.

And so it begins....

Soccer that is! Wyatt is in his first year and I've heard that coaching this age group islike herding bumblebees, but, I gotta say, these are the cutest dang bumblebees! Most of the kids have no flippin' clue as to what they should be doing. They're told to get on the field, stand "here", watch the ball, get the ball, kick the ball. It can be very overwhelming for these little guys. But Wyatt was a trooper.It probably helps that his been on the sidelines for the last two years watching his sisters' play soccer, so the whole concept wasn't brand new.

I love this photo. It's like watching all the dots get connected as he focus' on the ball and what he is supposed to do with it.

So here's to soccer, that which will consume my life every Saturday through November!

Birthday Celebration part 2

We have some very close friends that always treat us like princes & princesses on our birthdays and Sophie's day was no exception! We met at a local pizza place in a historic district where the service was excellent and the food was great...Sophie was surprised with mini cupcakes from a cupcake store and of course she chose chocolate and vanilla.

Here's the birthday girl...

and Maddie

and Wyatt

I have so many photos with the girls doing this.. When I ask them to pose, they put their arms around each other but they stand inches apart. I tell them to act as if they like each other and then this is what I get.

And her is the clan...Thanks friends for the nice day out! We love spending time with you and always wish we had more time together!