hello

Hello!



It's been a little while.

I hope you are staying cool on these hot, hot days.
 

 

We are still here!!

Just busy with 3 little ones.

We've had much to celebrate/recover from.

 

 

This past year has been filled with much joy and much sorrow.
(okay, every year is but this has had more than most.)

Matt is on sabbatical right now - for 3 months. Yay!!

It is a breath of fresh air, to take a step back from the daily pressures of life and relax.


So we are traveling, visiting and resting. Aaaah!!
 

If you want to read more about our past month, Matt is actually documenting it on his new blog
 (it has a terrible, but catchy name)
www.mattsradicalsabbatical.wordpress.com

 

well, that's all for now. 
Abigail and I are headed off to meet Matt tomorrow and I still need to pack!

 

 

 

three

Today my little man turned 3 years old!

Matt & I both agree it just seems so appropriate.
For awhile now he's been the size of a 3 year old with the athletic ability of a 3 year old and definitely the ability to bother his sister like a 3 year old (wait, maybe that goes for any age) -
and now finally his age matches him!

He was delighted to start the day blowing out his candles in a cinnamon roll!


And later informed me that he did not "ike" being called the birthday boy - "I Peter Kenneth Robbins".
Also, I apparently gave him way too many "kissies" today (really, he's only 3).

When I asked him to show me with his fingers how old he is - this is what I got:

 

He, Hannah & I enjoyed a "tea party" lunch out in the backyard
(In our family, anything that consists of a pitcher of water, open cups and the kids allowed to do the pouring is considered a tea party.)

Of course, this is what came of pouring their own water.

This boy has such a sweet, charming smile and



can also make the scariest of faces.
(In fact, I am not posting the scariest of pictures because it is kind of creepy.)

We enjoyed our last day of swim lessons

and a special visit from Grammie!

Peter finished off his day having an ice cream treat with daddy.

Happy Birthday Little Man, we love you SO much!

five (part 2)

(a couple additions to my earlier post)

1. Daddy says that this 5th birthday is a bit hard on him too (don't worry he's not weeping)



2.  Hannah insisted that after swim lessons we take pictures of her special birthday crown
(oh yes, we actually still have last year's crown - that's how special these things are to her)

 

3. Apparently, even when 5 year old's want you to take pictures of them
they rarely stop moving long enough to accomplish said task.

 

3. singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out candles is still really cool at 5!

 

 

 4.  Just in case you don't remember, we have another birthday in our family tomorrow
(yes, my oldest kids are 2 years and 1 day apart)

five

Today my oldest is five.

No one warned me that turning five was going to be such a big deal to mommy - a transition from all things little to a lot of growing up.  I might be a little weepy but am SO excited for what lays ahead.

We celebrated at Hannah's preschool this morning with a special birthday circle.

She was SO proud sitting in the birthday chair.

She got a birthday crown. 

Sang all her favorite songs.

And showed Teacher Tina how the numbers were mixed up. :)

Of course, she fixed them!

Still beaming!!

Peter got to join in also and loved it.

In fact, our whole family was there!!

Happy Birthday Hannah-girl!!

today

Today...

there was a dead fish in my sink for hours.
(And while it is cool that Matt caught a 10lb striped bass fish, washing dishes next to said fish just doesn't seem right.)



I baked a loaf of my favorite cranberry orange bread.

While Hannah was at school and Abigail was napping, Peter and I got out an old baby pool, filled it with plastic balls and played with them.

I should say mostly he played, 

and I had fun taking pictures.

I love this sweet boy!

 

I also downloaded 600 pictures from our trip to LA



Disneyland,

and a visit from the Martys.

Then we headed out to our first day of swim lessons.

Hannah was a pro, remembering all the things she learned last summer.

Peter amazed me with his willingness and readiness to float and dunk his head underwater
(this was his first ever lesson).
 

 We also had our dear friend Deborah over for dinner.

In between there were many dirty diapers, a few consequences, lots of buckling seat belts, some lovely naps and now I am ready to sit down with a cup of tea and put my feet up!!

March favs

On this first day of April it seems appropriate to look back at the last month
  (either that or I'm procrastinating on packing for our next trip. 
Packing for 5 of us is a crazy amount of work and I inevitably forget something for someone).

Here are some of my favorite pictures from March:

Matt relaxing on the snowy porch of GG's cabin. (yes, he was totally in need of some relaxation)

sledding with the kids in the driveway - 

even Peter (who was sick) kept saying "dat was awesome. more sedding peese"

Hannah in her snow cave.

a picture of real life at our house

GG (great grandma Robbins) with our kids

sisterly smiles

daddy caught all 3 smiling at the same time

Abigail sleeping on GG at a birthday party

Peter loves it when Abigail sits in her bumbo seat

Abigail posing as one of Hannah's many dolls  (she didn't like it so much)

Abigail meeting her Great Grandma Hill

Peter and Great Grandma Hill rolling a monster truck across the dinner table

All five of us with Great Grandma Hill

Abigail and her baby friend Sophie (they're only 5 days apart)

  

my three plus the Wright kids (Karis & Sophie)

and of course, the kids at the Easter service

first time wearing matching outfits

fighting over Abigail

cousin Reagan hunting for eggs

found one

 cousin love

enjoying the spoils

 a stormy day in West Sacramento

and that's all for now!

Wish the five of us well on our next adventure!

(traveling with three has proved to be much harder than with two, just saying)