Fun with Sequoia and Stella

I feel very lucky to have one of my dearest friends from childhood in my life. Our moms were best friends and our families went camping and boating together. We have lots of shared family memories and a knowing about each other that isn't found in new friends.

We've been friends as adults since she moved to Portland nine years ago, but have grown even closer since having kids. Now we are both pregnant and due the same week. :-) The past few weeks we've gotten together several times: Memorial Day BBQ, Rose Parade, aqua-aerobics, baseball game, strawberry picking...lots of fun summer activities! 

Our girl adore each other too, and they are like big sisters in training together...isn't going to be very exciting to see them and the next batch grow up together. :-)

Girls dancing it up at the Rose Parade :-)

Sequoia and I at her Memorial Day BBQ - both 26 weeks, due just before Labor Day!

Makenna and Stella hugging in the strawberry field
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Big girl hugs...both ready to be big sisters!

Makenna loved roaming the fields...she helped Stella hop over the rows of berries. :-)

Sequoia and Stella

28 weeks (7 months, just starting my third trimester)

Makenna steals my hat!

Hawai'i after 10 years married!!

It's hard to put our trip to Hawai'i into words. I now understand the meaning of aloha and we quickly fell in love with the Big Island. It exceeded our expectations is so many ways, foremost being purely together again without our beloved progeny. We truly felt like honeymooners again, although I thought it was even better than our honeymoon. There was an ease and joy that comes from the security of a good marriage. We landed with no set itinerary and fell into our own rhythm of life. We both love being outdoors so much that between snorkeling and hiking alone, we were in paradise. Kevin also did a zip line trip at Akaka Falls, while I visited a botanical garden (I was 14 weeks pregnant and still recovering from my broken ankle). My big excursion was a snorkeling trip with dolphins., although my photos don't do it justice. And after Kevin tweaked his neck on the zip line, we had a lovely couples massage. All in all, we had a wonderful trip and are already dreaming about our next family vacation there...

New Year's at Olivia Beach

Just a few photos from our first New Year's with friends at Olivia Beach.

We had our goods friends, the Hickerson's come stay for the first two nights. Then the Lillard's and the Mannhard's came to celebrate New Year's itself. Aside from sharing our cabins with close friends for the first time, the best part was the weather...it was amazing. Cool and crisp, but gloriously sunny. We got lots of beach and park time in, and simply enjoyed the relaxed pace of life that being at the beach brings.

Hopefully I'll get some more photos from friends to share, but for now, I want to make sure this memory is at least captured in our family blog. :-)

Santa too!

One last post for the holidays...a few classics with Santa!

Makenna told Santa she wanted to be a ballerina for Christmas...I think she was mixing it up with Halloween...any occasion to dress up is a holiday for Makenna.

Kieran went on for several minutes telling Santa how he wanted him to create a force field around his bed and raise the ceiling above his bunk bed so that he could then get his wish for an X-box 360...the force field is so that mom and dad don't see him playing video games all the time. He also wanted ice cream in his stocking with a force field so it wouldn't melt. At the end of his long request, Santa told Kieran he thought there would be a place in the software industry for a mind like his. :-)

I surprised the kids and took them to Pioneer Square downtown while Kevin had a holiday happy hour. It was a really fun evening. We ate at our favorite Mexican place that we used to go to somewhat often before Kieran was in grade when Daddy had night meetings...Makenna loves the black beans and it's around the corner from the bus stop. We capped off the evening with some Ben and Jerry's. Both of the kids know their way around downtown, and Makenna was quick to say "Mommy, I really need to go potty...ooooh, we can go at the ice cream place!!" Mommy is a sucker for fun holiday memories, so we pushed bed time for a post-Santa treat :-)

Is it just me, or are the kids getting ready big?!

Another Christmas Over...

Christmas is officially over. Today we danced the last round of Christmas carols at an Epiphany service, and yesterday we took down our lovely Christmas tree. Even though we didn't trek to the forest or a tree farm to chop it down ourselves, I have to say that it was our most beautiful yet. A blue noble fir, it was the perfect shape for my beloved Danish ornaments. 

This morning Makenna played on the harmonica, although it sounded nothing like the blues. The lyrics went something like "I love my Christmas tree! I love my Mommy! I love my Daddy! I love my Brother! I love the Whole Wide World!" 

Makenna made the loveliest dancing angel at the church pageant, and Kieran was a handsome first King...I wish I had photos.

Olivia Beach...beautiful early fall day

Our family is very excited to have a beach we can visit again and again. We love throwing the football or frisbee, and Kevin will venture into the water if it's even near eighty degrees out. At the bottom, Kieran drew "I heart Mom" in the sand and I'm sure there are lots of sandcastles in our future here. :-)

If you haven't seen our new website, check it out: www.oliviabeachcampcabins.com 

Beautiful Bat Mitzvah

Our niece had the most beautiful bat mitzvah, and we were so thrilled to celebrate her with the whole Cronin Clan! Such a beautiful family :-)

Jakey, Amanda, Audrey and Rob, Kevin's big brother!

Cronin Clan at the candle lighting ceremony for Amanda

Cronin's in Beth El Temple

Cronin and Mann cousins

After a delicious luncheon, before dancing...

Amanda's stylin' entrance...such a beautiful young lady, both inside and out!

Jakey and Amanda dancing (Makenna and I in background)

Amanda and her lovely mom, Audrey

Amanda and her Daddy, Rob

Such a gorgeous family and a stunning day together!