Viva Las Cowgirls!

This year, our traditional Cowgirls weekend took a journey south of the border to Mexico City. Not to make the rest of the Cowgirls jealous, but we had kind of an amazing time.  #vivalascowgirls!

Arriving at MEX International.

George, our furry Welcome Wagon in the darned cutest little package.

Welcome Cocktails!

Umbrella and hat placement both courtesy of a very sneaky, very adorable five-year old. 

Our hosts' beautiful home in Polanco -- with one special detail I had to include for my sister -- a limited edition David Bowie mask made from an original cast.

Thursday afternoon, we explored a little of Polanco, accompanied the girls to their swim lessons and eventually headed out to dinner at an Italian place named Brassi, just around the corner.  We may have even sneaked in a power nap. 

Ah, vacation. 

Friday morning, we headed off to catch a hop on/hop off tour of the central portions of the city. 

Traffic in Mexico City is no joke, but on the bright side it does give you plenty of time for photos and selfies. 

Buried utility lines haven't yet caught on as a fad, as far as we could tell. 

Everywhere throughout the city, we found incredible street art installations, murals and inventive graffiti. 

Genius idea: a separate counter just for desserts.  Why has America not figured this out?

Catedral de Mexico

I may or may not have been reprimanded for photographing the Holy Doors.  (A sign would have been helpful.)  Oh yeah, I got in trouble for photographing the Black Jesus pictured a little further up on the blog.  There was sign in that case, but in my defense, I hadn't seen it yet.  Hard to argue that I wasn't capable of translating "NO FOTO." Whoops.

(Early!) Saturday morning we headed to Teotihuacan to visit and climb first the Pyramid of the Sun, and then the Pyramid of the Moon.  The Aztecs began construction on these pyramids and nearby temples in 100 C.E. Beating the crowds, we had the top of the first pyramid all to ourselves, surrounded by hot air balloons that launch early in the day.  It was absolutely a bucket list kind of morning. 

Here we're featuring our limited edition 'Viva las Cowgirls!' 2016 t-shirts, and a stray dog who was very interested in us and our pint-sized, talented photographer.

It was STEEP.  Thankfully they had a hand rail for portions of the climb that involved 30-foot long sections of metal wire covered by plastic tubing that swung around as you grabbed hold of it.  (Side note: Apparently I have suddenly inherited my mother's fear of heights.)

There are clearly fewer lawyers practicing in this area of the world. 

Well we got close, but I think we missed the exact spot where this original photo was taken of David Bowie. 

But Bowie's photo didn't include a hot air balloon.  So there.

Back in Mexico City, we cleaned up and set out, walking first through a fresh air market organized in the park across the street, then to a French restaurant for a long, late afternoon lunch. 

Not pictured: the rest of our visit was spent eating, drinking, talking for hours and sleeping without having an alarm set to wake us up.  Basically, a little bit of heaven. I did manage to snap a pic of our goodbye Cava toast.

Until next time! Or in my case...until five hours later when I returned from the airport to stay one more night after missing my flight. 

But that's a story for another time.

!Hasta la próxima vez!

April

Michael excels at many things.  Waiting for the action to come to him is not one of them. 

(I missed catching the part where he was sitting in the grass, inspecting the blades.)

"My ball!"

Getting ready to board a plane to see our Georgia family!

Knit Bear needed to be on top "so he could breathe okay."

Joshua let Ella help him run up and down the stones a few times which made her afternoon.  

Arts and snacks time.

If bread is involved, Ella is IN for helping with dinner prep.

Thankfully Gramps didn't have to break up too many fights over the drive-way baseball game.

Saturday, we headed to the homeland. 

14 years ago, Wes asked me to marry him by this fountain. 

The best part of this story is how Ella makes gagging sounds and tries to run from the room every time we start to tell it.  Pure entertainment. 

Joshua (and the rest of us) had an amazing time at the G-Day game!

Uncle J was clearly ready to do whatever it took to get B Duck-Duck-Goosing with the rest of the crowd. 

#93K(and then some)Day

Grandmother Martz was kind enough to put up with the boys running around her apartment, throwing paper airplanes and treating her rocking recliner like an amusement park ride while we visited.  God bless her. 

With bad weather in Texas, we learned while driving to the airport that we would be delayed so we made a quick detour to have lunch near where we bought our first house in Atlanta.  We lucked out spending some more time with Uncle J and B, and then let the kids stretch their legs exploring Oakland Cemetery, complete with a stop to pay our respects to Mr. Bobby Jones. 

"Bob- Hit 'em straight. GAH"

The history lesson I gave the big kids on the Civil War probably wasn't the highlight of their weekend, but it made the mommy-teacher in me feel like, well, at least they are building stories to moan about together when they get older. 

"Remember when mom droned on about the history of the states?  And then she quizzed us?  Ugh."

After clearing security, we were hit with a few more hours of delays.  Enter: TGI Friday's and our fully-charged iPads (thank the Lord.)

While sitting at Friday's, Ella took an interest in my camera and we held an impromptu lesson about the exposure triangle and manual operation. All of these photos are SOOC (straight out of camera) and I'm especially proud of how she did on the series of three at the bottom.  At her request, I asked her to expose for the plane outside, the seat inside and then her brother's cheek.  She only took these three shots -- no practice shots were deleted.

In an hour, she seemed to grasp what took me more than a year to figure out on my own. 

Stinker. 

Following the end of the regular season, Ella's team competed in their first travel tournament.  Several of the team members wore double French braids the first day which was a great idea until it came time to cheer them on from across the field -- and we couldn't tell who was who!

Exhibit A: The teams they were playing were somewhat more...well, not all in fourth grade.

Saturday night, El and I took a quick break from the team to pick up some take-out from Cracker Barrel.  Naturally we had to test out the oversized Checkers board and rocking chairs while we waited. 

Home.

After a few months with far more travel than normal, we're enjoying a few uninterrupted weeks at home.  It's been a nice change of pace and my dusty to-do list is benefiting a little.  Unfortunately, the next big item is getting our tax paperwork together and I'm running out of excuses to avoid it altogether.  (Help, anyone?)

Michael was recently inspired to 'hang a shingle' and formalize branding for his bedroom.  If you get there early, the cover charge is pretty reasonable. 

We've since upgraded his desk to allow more room for the very serious projects he likes to take on between bedtime and lights-out time.  This kiddo's brain takes a while to wind down at the end of the day. 

The annual preschool egg hunt is a sight to behold. 

The annual tradition.  This time, no major spills or fist-fights happened so we're calling it a win.

The Easter Bunny brought marigolds and herbs this year!

The Hunt.

Oh yes, I did.  I subjected all of our Texas family to a group portrait.  And we'll do it all again when we can include Aunt Sandy, Aunt Maureen and Uncle Mel. 

The lucky devils. 

Nice faces.

Silly faces.

Where's Waldo?

I believe this excitement was over the pastel-colored deviled eggs, courtesy of Mamaw.  (Yum.)

Brothers.

Happy birthday to Aunt Molly!  And yes, this was The Cake.  Or, well, the second one. 

Henry took over my camera for a little while during cake-and-cards time.  I kind of liked this one. 

Apparently my constant singing on the way home didn't keep Henry awake. 

I'll try harder next time.

Waking Up is Hard to Do

Brisket and Henry seem to suffer from the same weekday affliction. 

P.S., Brisket isn't allowed on the couch.  That rule is working out well. 

Ever go to dinner at your parent's house and a relic from your childhood appears on the table? According to Nana, this was an early Valentine's gift from Rocket, circa 40+ years ago. 

Rockets Sr. & Jr. out for a Gator ride.

Happy birthday to Uncle Mel and Uncle Clif!  Thankfully they don't mind a little help with blowing out their candles.

Michael doesn't always play goalie, but apparently that's the only time I'm able to grab a photo of him on the field.  During this particular game, he scored three goals -- of course, I missed capturing any of those!

Here goes Ella, turning on the after-burners.

See?  Lazy.

Well Into the New Year

The calendar tells me it's February already and 2016 is on pace to go by even faster than 2015, if that's possible.  We started off the year with our favorite niece turning FIFTEEN.  Ugh. 

Two more of our January birthday girls!

Family Game Night (Georgia-themed, of course.)

Can you hear the maniacal laughter?

Ella suffers so as a big sister to two ridiculous little brothers.

We hit the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for the first time this year.  Of course, we missed the Rodeo part -- we'll plan ahead better next year -- but the midway was worth the trip. 

I regretted agreeing to ride the Ferris wheel with Ella the minute we sat down.  She had a blast, though. 

Dinner on the Woodshed Smokehouse patio by the river was a little chilly.

Spring season's started! Our eyes are still adjusting to the new neon uniforms.

Valentine's Party No. 1

Valentine's Party No. 2

Valentine's Party No. 3

Saturday, we took the kids to watch the U.S. Women's National Team beat Mexico.  Ella lit up watching Carly Lloyd finally score on a PK near the end of the game. 

The Away jerseys are a little easier on the eyes. 

December & Such

Hello 2016!

I'm going to ignore you for a smidge while posting photos from our days in December. 

December was more fun anyhow.

This year, our family members who missed out on attending the Christmas program at Henry's school didn't miss too much.  His expression stayed pretty consistently sour throughout the performance.

Wait, that's not entirely true.  He did swap out to a pouty-lip once or twice. 

The Winter Blast 5v5 tournament came with some wonky rules for the girls to learn, but Ella got the chance to step outside of her usual defender position a bit and scored a whopping three goals in the final game of the day.

Everybody loves Class Holiday Party day. 

Gigi and Poppa came for a visit just before Christmas!

The obligatory Christmas Cookie Decorating event.

This year, we traded The Nutcracker for Elf! The Musical.  A few less ballerinas and a few more laughs.  There's no substitute for the classics, but we really enjoyed the show.

Henry knocked down some pins!

Ella turned 10. 

She did not ask our permission.

Good save by Aunt Amy.

Drew's expression here wins this entire blog post.

For her birthday, she got her ears pierced.  (A right of passage at age 10 for the Feighner family.)  This is her Before shot.

And During...

...still During.  And if I had an After shot that was in focus, I'd share.  Oh, well. 

She was clearly the bravest, coolest kid in the tattoo parlor that day.

Huddled around the computer, researching genealogy after dinner.

What a Monday morning looks like on Christmas Break.

For official family photos, we make them put on pants, of course. 

As it turns out, Christmas Break evenings are not materially different from Christmas Break mornings.

SANTA CAME!!!!!

"Don't make me look at the camera, Mom.  Someone could steal my new antler. I mean, seriously."

It took approximately 20 days between Santa bringing the trampoline and our first trampoline-related Urgent Care visit.  And eight of those days, we were out of town at the lake. 

I know, I know.

Christmas Day at the farm.

You know four-year olds.  If anyone -- anywhere -- is opening a present, they are there by their side.

The next time we come to dinner at the farm, I expect this dish towel to be prominently displayed in the kitchen.

If memory serves, he said he was making me dinner. 

What happens when they think no grown-ups are paying attention.

Escaping the city, we spent the week following Christmas out at the lake.

Game Night

Henry made his first snowball.  Then lobbed it at me.

With kids going crazy, cooped up indoors, we took a field trip to see Star Wars at the local Graham, Texas movie theater. 

We put the kids in charge of making cookies for dessert.  It was (mostly) a success.

Happy New Year!

November

It's birthday season at the Manning's house and I'm getting a lot of practice making (and eating) all of Smitten Kitchen's celebration cakes.  We haven't found a bad one yet. 

When not chowing down on sweets, you can find us on the soccer fields. 

The Mighty Minions

Our little Dynomite

The annual JDRF Walk was a big success this year.  THANK YOU to everyone who donated and helped our kiddos support their cousin Kate!

Kate and her friend sang the National Anthem to kick off the walk!

Happy birthday to our main man.  (Don't worry, there was more cake.)

A few nights later, we celebrated both Wes' and Nana's special days.

Let me tell you, it's not easy to capture images of Henry where it looks like he's actually participating in the game. 

Case in point.

Both boys were rolling down the hill, of course, by the time I grabbed my camera, Drew had stopped to check his phone. 

The Minions won the Hurst Turkey Shootout tournament for a second year in a row.  I wish I had a photo of the winning team with their trophies.  Next year!

Ella's team also won their first post-season tournament.  It was a long, cold weekend full of games, but totally worth seeing the girls' smiles as they ran off the field of the final game. 

Next up!  Birthdays for Henry and Drew. 

And my favorite day of the year, Thanksgiving. 

Three more birthday celebrations for Rocket, Heidi and Uncle B. 

Cupcakes, pie and PIE!!!!!!!  Not a bad way to spend a day with family.

Summer in November

Best decision ever.  This year, we postponed our summer vacation until November.  The kiddos were all broken up (ahem) about missing some school, but with less heat and crowds, we'd do it all over again. 

The kids always get excited when they see we're about to land, especially when there's water nearby the airport.

Breakfast overlooking the bay.  On our second morning, dolphins came swimming by, about 150 yards from the shore. 

Caution: Bacon Thief

Hiking in to the pet-friendly beach on Honeymoon Island.

We were sad to miss our neighborhood's Halloween celebration, but Hercules, Cleopatra and Captain America discovered the wonders of Trunk or Treating and then canvased as many of the homes nearby our rental as they could.  Just like at home, there was one house giving our full-sized candy bars.  Yum. 

Clearwater Beach

It's a joy to watch Joshua play in the sand and water. 

Morning of Day Five: Packing up to head to Orlando.

They can read signs!

First stop. 

Of all of the shows and rides at the park...they wanted to hit the arcade after lunch. 

The Frozen Sing-A-Long Show was hilarious. 

Waiting in line for Toy Story Mania.

What an $18 face painting job looks like.

Waiting for the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular to start.  This show was the crowd favorite, right next to the Fantasmic! show after dark.

About to hop on the Water Taxi to Epcot.

Goofy the Park Navigator

Epcot: Showcasing the Technology of the Future

Henry slept through an outstanding lunch at Tempan Edo. 

Day Seven: Our first day at the Magic Kingdom

Michael was chosen to play the part of The Beast in Enchanted Tales with Belle. 

"Pooh kissed me!"

Even the big kids had a little fun.

Each evening, we walked over to Disney's Boardwalk for dinner and whatever entertainment was out and about that night.

We talked a big game about staying at one or more of the parks for fireworks, but we never had the energy to make it happen.  Thankfully Gigi and Poppa had a room overlooking the Illuminations show and didn't mind having a few visitors in jammies over to plaster their faces against the glass. 

We started a bad habit on vacation.  A very bad habit.  (Hint: That's not Henry's assigned bed.)

Morning ferry ride back to Day Two (I mean Eight?) at the Magic Kingdom.

Breakfast in The Beast's castle was a hit. 

Exiting The Haunted Mansion.

Henry's beloved toy cap gun.  Which the TSA confiscated.  (Sad face.)

Henry had the best view for the Main Street Parade.

Day Nine!  One last (half) day at the parks,.

Kilimanjaro Safari Ride

My worst idea ever.  Filling time before the Lion King Show with a ride on the Kali River Rapids. We all got soaked; Henry and I looked like we jumped in a pool. 

Balou and Louie didn't seem to mind sopping wet hugs.

One last chance to meet some characters and fill their autograph books at The Tusker House. 

Clearly, our lat stop was well-chosen.  At this point in the trip we were also breaking our 'no devices at the table' rule.

After a quick change into dry clothes in the parking lot, we hit 18 toll booths on the way to MCO and all collapsed onto the airplane.  It was a blow-out marathon of a trip, but it was wonderful to spend so much quality time with family, making memories we'll dredge up at the dinner table for years to come.  

xoxo

I give.

Uncle. 

Apparently even monthly posts aren't happening this year.  So tonight, here is September and part of October.  As long as they eventually make it on the blog, right? 

We'll start with soccer.  We're averaging four games per weekend right now so the tailgating chairs are getting quite a workout. 

In September, our man Michael turned seven.  Here he was Skyping with Gigi and Poppa and opening his first presents. 

With the friends and family parties not happening until the weekend, we celebrated Michael's actual birthday with cupcakes after dinner.  Naturally everyone had to have a lit candle.  Wishes all-around!

Goofball.  Practicing for picture day. 

When you're three and you're playing soccer in the rain, you might just believe that life can't get any better than this. 

"'Sup! Peace y'all!"

With the weekend came Michael's American Ninja Warriors birthday party at the "jumpy place." (Finally!)

Back home, we took time to celebrate with family. 

Aunt Sandy and Papaw also had birthdays this month.  We celebrated with mildly inappropriate cards, per usual. 

Cake and pie time!

The next morning, I found Henry had stolen my phone and was having quiet time by himself. 

He showed me he was watching The Hobbit.  (Which apparently isn't scary when you know it's all fake.  "Orcs are bad guys.  We get those bad guys.  So cool, Mom.  Where's my Ninja Turtles sword?")

Another Sunday, another game in Dallas!

Finally made it to one of Drew's baseball games (and discovered the world's greatest playground as a very happy by-product.)

It was a gorgeous day!

Later that afternoon...back in Dallas for another one of Ella's games.  The boys had fun chasing around a mini-football Michael got at a friend's birthday party. 

Go Fever!

(The boys are always very into the game.)

New Manning Tradition: The Texas State Fair

First you by your $5 tickets to the Fair.  Then you go and spend $300 on coupons and game cards to hit the Midway and buy a hot dog. 

But it's totally worth it to get an annual picture of the kids in front of Big Tex.

Michael suddenly wasn't so sure about doing the Sky Ride over the Fair.

He got over it pretty quickly and got very excited about everything we were about to do and see.

Game No. 1 (of a ga-trillion.)

I know you're not supposed to laugh when your children are in dire peril, but...this was funny.  Poor kiddo.  These motorcycles went around in a smooth circle and once or twice would bounce up and down.  Henry is clearly not ready!  I think Michael has a future as a biker.

I'm a fan of a Ferris Wheels and I really don't have a fear of heights.  But I'm not sure how anyone gets on the Texas Star and doesn't puke on their shoelaces. 

That thing is ridiculously huge.

Ella won this massive Minecraft cow. Two things about this photo make me giggle. 

1. Knowing how Ella is going to have to haul that thing around the fair for two more hours.

2. Her brother's temper tantrum while sitting in the stroller he's clearly outgrown.  (Where's Henry?)

Mmm, Dippin' Dots.

And in the South, you must have Pig Races.  Ours won two of three races.  We headed home on a high note!

August-ing

Wouldn't everyone like to Time Hop back a few weeks to when it was still summer break, lunches didn't need to be packed, stacks of papers didn't pile up every afternoon, bedtimes could be broken and long weekends were easier to come by? 

We started off August with another wonderously awesome weekend spent on the water.

But most importantly, we were there to celebrate these two love birds.

45 YEARS.  I don't have the words. 

But I do hope to make at least half of the good decisions they have made, and have all of the same appreciation for how wonderful life can be with someone you love along at your side. 

It's a long way down to the dock.  Sometimes, you have to stop and just take in the view. 

Not long after, Gigi, Poppa and Gramps came for a visit.  Breakfast with Poppa is clearly the bee's knees. 

Naturally, we had to hit the lake again. 

Reality: If the kids aren't actively tubing, eating or swimming off the dock, we are locked in an constant battle to keep them from complete Group Screen Time Binging.  The struggle is real...and frustrating.  

Henry's never seen a counter top he's opposed to climbing on.  In the name of pancakes. 

Breaking out the knee board.

This was Michael's very first attempt at knee boarding.  We told him to be patient, it might take five or six tries before he could get his balance and figure out how to pull himself up.

If only teaching him to read was this easy.  ;) 

The big boys took their turns next.

Henry was happy to watch, hanging out with Gigi. 

Georgia roots!

Henry and Bear, waiting for the daddies and grandpas to come home from their early morning fishing trip.

Drew, holding on for an epic save after a rough bounce on the tube. 

Onward to the start of my own favorite week of the year: Anne's Birthfest Celebration. 

Pretty sure I had to promise double chocolate cake rations for this photo...

Checking out Rocket's latest automobile acquisition.

Birthdays are always better with someone to help you rip open the envelopes (and sneak bites of your cake). 

Preschool 3s!  He'll be the first to turn four of the whole class, but we still get to pretend he's a "3" for the entire year. 

Score. 

The next week, it was the big kids' turn.  Unfortunately, Michael wasn't well the night before so he missed his first day, but he did agree to take some fake 'first-day' photos with me for a promise that he wouldn't have to do it the next day. 

Clearly still sleepy, but also excited for fourth grade!

Per tradition, we walked with all of the neighborhood kids to school.  It gave us lots of time to talk (and for me to work on stifling sobs). 

I know, he looks really sick. 

More big news for August: Henry entered the world of team sports. 

Juggling three kids' practice and game schedules is, let's say, not the best.  But he's awfully cute in that little green uniform. 

Go Dynomites!

Henry prefers jumping and pointing to actually running at and kicking the ball. 

It's a process...

Waving is his favorite. (And mine.)

Note, Henry and the opposing team's coach are both pointing the same direction.

The Minions are 'playing up' this season for the first time, against all second grade teams.  It has meant some losses for the first time, but they are really holding their own and learning a lot about the game. 

Michael's first time as goalie.

Go Fever!

It was 104 degrees at this game so apparently I was more focused on not passing out than taking photos but the girls did great.

Is it fall yet?

Labor Day -- otherwise known as the last stop on the Summer Lake Weekend Train. 

It's really hard to wait on everyone else to get their stuff together and get this boat underway.  Even more so when you're three.

Mid-afternoon swim party on the lake with friends.

This kid will train for his Ninja Warriors party every chance he gets. 

Last Sunset Cruise of the season!

Like big brother, like little brother.

Alternate Caption: "Please don't say summer is over. I can't even."

The Foldens Take On Texas

Earlier this month, I forgot my camera when we went to the lake for the Fourth of July. 

FORGOT MY CAMERA. 

So when the Foldens came to town, I think I checked and rechecked that my camera was with us about four times a day.  It's hard to believe our long-awaited weekend with them has already come and gone -- we had such a great time.  Now we just have to convince them to brave air travel with Josh again so they can come for another visit.  I'm already brainstorming ways we can sweeten the deal to get them back out here...

All four cousins in one frame?  Done.  Check please! 

Car commercial!

Joshua could give the Minions a run for their money when it comes to banana consumption.  Very impressive. 

It is SO HARD to wait.  For the birthday cake.  SO HARD.

Hint: Two of these cuties celebrate birthdays this month.  And one isn't Hank!

Time to give the cows their treats.

Farm Joy

Lake Joy

In case you're curious as to how your water bottle developed some small leaks...

Enjoying the best time of every day at the lake.

There are so many things about this one that I love.  Most of all how his little farmer's tan adds a bit of interest to the story. 

Until next time!

Sweet Anna

anything can happen, child.

anything can be.

-- Shel Silverstein

I wish this brand new Party of Four so many happy days of zoo trips, bowls of cereal in front of Sunday morning cartoons, school performances, first crushes, Friday night football games, and every other simple thing that makes the long nights, the diaper changes, endless carpool duties and running errands with kids in tow worth every single minute. 

May all of big sister's clothes survive to be hand-me-downs, may they share toys but not every bug floating around school, and may these girls grow up to appreciate their completely awesome mama, and maybe even tell her so every once and a while. 

Amen. :)

The Superlatives

We made some really important decisions on our recent girls' weekend.

1. Five years is too long between trips.
2. There will always be a custom t-shirt and glassware for all participants.
3. The party cannot start without a port wine cheese ball. 

We also decided that there should have been an official Superlative Awards ceremony.  Okay, just Ashlee and I decided this, but we agreed so strongly on it, that I didn't want this trip to pass by without some official recognition taking place. 

First up: Elizabeth, who we deem Most Likely To:

• Appear in Town & Country magazine while sipping a rosé champagne in a fashion-forward bikini.

• Sneak photos of you while you're sleeping (because you're so cute).

• Bring a muddler to your child's next birthday party. 

Vivian, who we deem Most Likely To:

• Champion a class action law suit against any member of God's kingdom bearing eight legs and beady eyes.
• Run a No Excuses Boot Camp that only meets on mornings after you've stayed up too late with your girlfriends, drinking lots of grape salad.
• Discover and make a mint off of the exotic health benefits of port wine cheese. 

Megan, who we deem Most Likely To:

• Make everyone take four silly and six serious versions of every possible photo op.
• Find time to scale a mountain in the Alps, show up for a girls' weekend, and complete a 4-class series on preparing ceviche all while managing an International move with small children. 
• Have a dish named after her at every restaurant she visits. 

Anne, who we deem Most Likely To:

• Win every wine tasting event by default, rather than actually winning.  If you can't beat 'em, wear 'em down with endless tie-breakers, she says. 
• Successfully convince a vegan that they must have an In-N-Out Burger.  Now.
• Start up a tour company aimed at the gently aging former sorority girl demographic. 

And Miss Ashlee, who we deem Most Likely To:

• Gleefully jump in the lake to save a $30 hat while wearing $300 sunglasses.
• Provide the most appropriate, practical and proper advice for absolutely any personal dilemma.
• Be featured on her own Food Network show titled, "Above Board Cheese Boards and Sangria Dreams."

This time next year, girls?

Whoopsies, It's May. And a Bit of June.

We're getting back on track here today.  Come with me back to May...when kids were still in school and temperatures were still comfortably below 90 degrees.

Side note: These are totally out of order.  Put on your Pretend hat before you jump in. 

This little kiddo graduated from Kindergarten. Okay, it was part "graduation" and part "please see if the 1st grade teachers have better luck getting him to sit still."

And this little kiddo finished up 3rd grade with an absolute bang.

Jumping back quickly to Memorial Day. It's like time travel, huh? Here, Henry is explaining how all of the rooms in his castle work. 

Viewing the never-ending Italy photos slideshow. Bet they wished they had loaded up on snacks first.

I got caught.

Nursing the head injury of the day.  Thank goodness he's got great bangs.

They were eating the sun.  No, really, eating the sun.  Goofballs.

Sometimes, you just gotta set down your sword, lay back, and watch the ceiling fan spin around and around.

Rocket let the kids check out his newest find -- a beautiful navy and white Buick Century.

Sparky

Stand Off

Brisket desperately wants to be a water dog. 

Italy: Part Three

The final third of our trip was dividend between Positano, Ravello and the Isle of Capri.  Parts One and Two are also posted, for anyone jumping in here at the end. 

DAY SEVEN, Wednesday   ||   Positano

Cathedral di Santa Maria Assunta

DAY EIGHT, Thursday   ||   Ravello

On the Road to Ravello

Duomo di Ravello

Sights from our long walk to Villa Cimbrone (which we didn't have time for once we got there) and an even longer walk to Mamma Agata's house.

Mamma Agata's Cooking Class

Mamma Agata, on the right; daughter Chiara on the left.

DAY NINE, Friday   ||   Isle of Capri

On the Boat to Capri

Natural Arch

Faraglioni

Green Grotto

Queuing to go into the Blue Grotto -- getting in and out of the little dinghy was a fun little adventure.

Capri's Marina Grande

Funicolare to Capri's Main Piazza

These Saracen towers dot along the entire coast, once used to send smoke signals between them, warning of invaders and other threats. Today, many are private homes and hotels. 

Look closely and you'll see the red coral that this coast is famous for harvesting and making into jewelry and other pretty things.

DAY TEN, Saturday   ||   Heading Home

Naples Airport

Mount Vesuvius

Time to start planning the next adventure.  Barcelona and Provence in 2018, maybe? Who's in?

Italy: Part Two

In Part Two of Three, we complete our explorations around Rome and head to the coast.  Part One can be found here.

DAY FIVE, Monday   ||   Vatican City

A sea of humanity flowed with us entering the museum.

St. Peter's Basilica

While not a fabulous photograph, seeing Michelangelo's Pieta was the highlight of our visit to St. Peter's Basilica. 

Yarn Shoppin'

Campo dei Fiori at Night

DAY SIX, Tuesday   ||   Travel to Positano, Through Herculaneum and Sorrento

Early Morning Train to Naples

First Stop: Herculaneum

In 79 AD, this city was buried with volcanic mud from Mount Vesuvius -- seen in the background -- similarly to how Pompeii was buried in volcanic ash.  The mud did a superior job of preserving this site; roughly 20% of the city has been excavated.  The rest cannot, due to the modern-day city of Ecolani which sits on top of it, seen in the middle-ground. 

The pots built into these counters stored food in this former street-corner market. 

Two thousand years ago, these buildings, homes and courtyards were decorated with plaster, bright frescos and intricate mosaics. 

This view looks out to the Bay of Naples, which at the time of Herculaneum's existence, came all the way up to the city itself. 

Score Marks for Frescoes

This museum, located just a few blocks away in Ecolani, had some interesting visual recreations of what Herculaneum looked like once upon a time. 

After the museum, we headed to Sorrento, catching our first glimpses of the Sorrento Peninsula and then the Amalfi Coast.

Lunch at the Foreigner's Club (no, really) with a beautiful seaside view.  We suspect the restaurant, which is in the same building as the Visitor's Bureau, kicks back a little something to tour operators and drivers who bring in unsuspecting tourists. 

Finally, Positano.

Don't trip. 

Next2

Italy: Part One

Recently I've learned how a place can stay distinctly the same while your experience when you visit can change so greatly each time you return. 

In college, seeing Italy through the eyes of someone not yet old enough to order her own beer back home in Georgia, I was lost most of the time in how very different everything was.  How the towns practically shut down in the middle of the day, how the dinner hour didn't really start until after 9 p.m., how everyone seemed dressed in their best every day of the week, every hour of the day. It was colorful, loud, full and bright. 

Eleven years later, celebrating our seven years of marriage and enjoying a short break from our two -- now oldest -- little people, Italy was romantic, offering beautiful views everywhere we looked, delicious food, bottomless glasses of wine, and excuses to linger at outdoor cafes after dark, watching the people go by and talking for hours.  It was a time we wanted to stand still and it's probably a good thing we had so much waiting for us at home, otherwise, we may have been laying out our life savings to buy a ramshackle Tuscan villa.  

Five more years passed (stop doing math) and I met Italy again this month, this time traveling as a daughter and sister.   The shops still close up for long afternoon lunch breaks -- although less than I remembered -- the wine is still plentiful, and the people are still gracious, welcoming hosts.  But on this visit, I had such a deeper appreciation for the beauty in the art, the lessons in the history and the opportunity for uninterrupted time with two of the most important women in my life.  We laughed, we gaped in awe together, we ate ourselves silly.  After eight months of planning it's hard to believe it's over. 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.  I hope you enjoyed the trip.  I had a hell of a time, myself, and I know Molly did too. 

DAY ONE, Thursday   ||   Travel to Rome

"No Mama, no take my iPad."

The subject of much conversation...could three women really pack for a 10-day trip with just two carry-on bags each?

Stop-over in Detroit.

DAY TWO, Friday   ||   Trastavere and Villa Borghese

Area Sacra di Torre Argentina, very near where Brutus killed Julius Caesar.  Exact location is unknown.

Getting our Audio Tour on at the Galleria Borghese. 

Each night, we spent time on our hotel's rooftop, enjoying the view (and the WiFi access, of course.)

St. Peter's Dome

DAY Three, Saturday   ||   Ancient Rome

This church is built on the remains of (at least) two earlier churches which you can also visit by climbing down into the excavated spaces.  Truly incredible and, unfortunately, off-limits for further photographs. 

Colosseum

Arch of Titus and Temple Ruins

The Ancient Roman Forum

Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument, built in 1870 celebrating the unification of modern Italy.

Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli

DAY FOUR, Sunday   ||   Walk Through Historic Rome & The Appian Way

Market in Campo dei Fiori

Piazza Navona

Basilica di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Piazza del la Rotunda, Pantheon

Scaffolding.  And maybe the Trevi Fountain.

While we didn't get to see the Trevi Fountain in all of it's glory, we do get to say we stood right in the middle of it!

Piazza di Spagna, the Spanish Steps, with one or two of our friends.

Catacombe San Callisto

Another fascinating historical experience, but sadly no photography was allowed below ground.

Hotel Campo dei Fiori's Rooftop View

Dinner at L'Orso 80 where I highly recommend ordering the Osso Buco. 

P.S., While there are more Parts to come, this first post wouldn't be complete without sharing my sincerest thanks with the men who made this crazy idea a reality. 

To Clif, for letting us borrow and enjoy Molly's company for so many days; to Wes for holding down the home front with no complaint and your endless, tireless support; and to Dad for making this trip possible, trusting us to take Mom half-way around the world and make these memories that we'll recount around the dinner table for years to come. 

April, In Showers

After so much time away in the beginning of the year, April was a month of reconnecting at home and with family.  Our weekends filled with time spent at the soccer fields and taking care of many of the little, and not so little, things that had been neglected for so long.

Next time, I'm asking more clarifying questions when they say they are going into the playroom to build a volcano.

Easter!

The happy birthday girl.

The Minion team line-up is another fierce one this year. 

Over here!

Want to guess who got to the ball first?

Off to Big Canoe for a much-needed long weekend with Poppa and Gigi and the rest of the family. 

Too. Much. Delicious. Ice cream. 

It became painfully clear that Aunt Kristi is the Fun Aunt, and Aunt Anne is the Aunt Who Makes You Smile for Pictures. :)

Just try sneaking a photo of Grandmother Martz.  She'll catch you. 

To give a sense of how high this hill is that the kids insisted on climbing....do you see Michael nearly all the way at the top?

The happy birthday girl and (stinky-ish) boy. 

Yay cake!

Our nephew learned a valuable lesson about leaving his iPhone laying about, unguarded. 

A March Full of Little Blessings

Looking back at March, sitting here on the 31st, I'm confident that the month was actually three crammed into one.  And I'm listening to Ingrid Michaelson sing "..all we can do is keep breathing!.." and it feels like little angels have taken over my Pandora station.  And I am grateful. 

I'm also grateful for our incredible nanny who, contrary to what you may suspect based on the photo below, had never painted a face before in her life.  But the kids got excited about the idea, and she found a way to fit it in to one crazy afternoon.

Early in the month we were hit with not one, but two, snow and ice storms.  They weren't exactly what the Northeast saw this year, but we certainly were feeling the absence of any good snow-worthy apparel in this house at the time.

Our nephew is growing by leaps and bounds (aren't they all??) and, although Henry refused to participate in the family photo opp after his cousin's Confirmation, we felt this one belonged in the 'win' column.  Michael's pants don't even have holes in them. 

We are so blessed to have so many occasions for cake.  I mean, so many occasions for celebrating all of the loved ones in our lives.  We were very sorry that Uncle Mel had to miss his shared party with Uncle Clif, but we found a way to make it feel like he and Aunt Maureen were right there with us.  It was the least we could do, considering we opened all of his cards without him. 

Yay! Birthday!

Family movie night is quickly becoming a favorite tradition -- don't worry, the hot chocolate and popcorn were on the way.  They weren't impatient at all.

Just before I abandoned everyone for nine days, we squeezed in a four-day weekend at Pokagon at the start of the kids' Spring Break week. 

We treasure every age and stage of these kids' lives.  It's hard to believe this one is already in braces (and pretending like she doesn't absolutely adore having them.)

Before

After

You know how badly it hurts when jam your knee into a table leg that you didn't know was there?  I feel that way when we schlep kids, chairs, blankets and bags out to the soccer fields only to realize my camera is sitting at home.  While I was able to capture some of Ella's games this month, poor Michael was left out.  I'll make it up to our little Minion next month.

When your three-year old pulls out a chair, settles himself in, tells you where to stand -- no, sit...no, stand -- and to take his picture already, you, well, you take his picture.  We love our little dictator...I mean art director.

In my next career, I'm going to invent a zoom lens that fits through a chain link fence.

Fun is: a trip to the zoo with the Kindergarten crew.  No rules were broken, either.  Notta one.

My sorority chapter's 50th anniversary celebration fell on the last weekend of the month.  In case I didn't sufficiently spam the universe with Instagram photos from Friday and Saturday in Athens, here are a couple more.

Bleary-Eyed February

Given how crazy February has been, I'm excited to see I have more than a handful of photos from the month. 

Is it April yet?

Have we mentioned how much we adore the Perot Museum?

What to do, what to do.  Too many options.

This guy is always the first to come downstairs, snagging the best cartoon-watching spot on the couch.

With February comes the return of soccer season. 

Valentine's Day parties are officially out of control at elementary schools.

No doubt they were discussing something very important, such as Minecraft, while watching their teammates from the sideline.

"My did it, mama!"