Our Trip To Atlanta - Day 1

Wednesday morning, we packed up the car and heading to San Francisco airport.  Timing was perfect.  We had gotten up to the gate with just 20 minutes before flight so we wouldn't have to sit around so long - and then it was announced... our flight was one hour delayed.  Ugh!  But the girls did good.  They even got to meet Chicco - the bomb sniffing dog.  Very cute dog!!

Once we took off (which wasn't fast enough for Delilah), the girls LOVED it.  They enjoyed seeing the crop circles when we flew over the middle of nowhere.  They saw the Rockies and that was about it till we got to Atlanta and the sun was setting.  Caitlin was awake the first hour and the last hour and slept the rest - so that was perfect!!

We finally go to Atlanta at 10:30 pm  and by the time we got our luggage, rental car and got to the hotel, unpacked, relaxed and got the girls calmed down - I think it was around 3 - 4 am when everyone finally fell asleep!  Remember, we were still on PST and the girls took a nap on the plane too.

Events Leading Up to Leaving for Atlanta

On Saturday, May 2, Mommy walked with her friend, Patty, the American River Half-Marathon.  Last year, mommy and Patty walked the 13.1 miles in 3 hours and 12 minutes (give or take a few).  This year, Patty was pushed and pulled as she told Mommy she wanted to finish around 3 hours - a new goal for her - and they did!!  3 hours and 1 minute!!  They walked 13:50 minute miles.  And we were there to see them finish (well kind of).  Daddy kept texting mommy to see where she was and mommy relayed her status - but thought because it was raining (yes - mommy walked in the rain!!) she didn't think daddy was crazy enough to bring us out into it.  But he was crazy!  And we sat at the finish line, waiting... and waiting... and then Daddy got a call from mommy saying she is done and on her way home and he said "Where are you??" We had been waiting at the finish line for the runners - not the walkers.  There are two courses to keep the walkers TRUE to walking (however, mommy described her frustrations about how some walkers still ran which skewed the outcomes of course).  However, Mommy was still so excited to see us and we got to play with her medal... and on top of that - Mommy placed 3rd in her age group and gets another medal.  She wasn't even expecting that.  YEAH!!  

Caitlin - tired from waiting for mommy - plopped on bed with Popcorn.

Caitlin saying goodbye to Popcorn on Tuesday night (Popcorn became best friends with one of Mike's friend's dog - so she stayed with them)

It's May Day

We haven't been blogging for a while since my sweet little baby possibly threw away my charger.  Caitlin is in a "nesting" mode and cleans up a lot - even stuff that shouldn't be cleaned up... and I have caught a few things going in the trash can and fear that I didn't catch my charger.  So needless to say, my battery could not be recharged on my digital camera to take pictures.  But we have still been enjoying April.  It was nice and warm for a good week and the girls enjoyed swimming every day.  They have their new custom earplugs to protect water from getting in their ears when they swim.  Caitlin would be in the pool/bathtub all day long if she was the boss.  She finds her way to the toilet, the sink, even Popcorns water bowl - just to play in the water.  

Other than that, nothing else going on.  Getting ready for Tia's (Melissa's) wedding to Demetrius.  We leave Wednesday and her wedding is on Saturday.  It is going to be beautiful (and muggy!) and is in Atlanta.  So we hope to have lots of pictures to bring back.  

Below is a montage of pictures throughout the past two weeks.  Just hanging out in the house, playing in the backyard, having friends over for swimming, playing with Popcorn and going to Fairytale Town.  Enjoy and happy May! (and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!)

A Non-Traditional Easter

Today was a wonderful Easter although not traditional. Because Michael was singing at all three services (one on Saturday night and two Sunday morning) we went to the Saturday evening and to also allot extra space at the Sunday morning services. It made for a VERY long Saturday night. But Sunday morning came nice and peaceful and the girls woke up to fun. While Daddy was at church singing, we dyed easter eggs (since we couldn't Saturday night) but are just enjoying them since the Easter bunny delivered his eggs - plastic style.

After Daddy got back from church, we took some of their Easter surprises to the school across the street and let them have their way with them (remote control 4x4 trucks). Amazingly, they did quite well. We returned to the house for a quick swim - well the 2 girls going all the way in and daddy sitting on the step holding Caitlin in waist high. After that, Daddy put chicken on the grill and we went to deliver some Easter lillies to some neighbors. Time got away from us and before we knew it, we came back to some "jerk-looking" chicken. So it was hot dogs, mac and cheese and oranges for dinner. No complaints from the kids!!

As I was attempting to upload pictures and blog this wonderful day, I was being summoned by Delilah. She came running in saying "Mommy, Caitlin has her hand in daddy's toilet." So off I went running down the hallway. By the time we got to the toilet, which Delilah said over and over that she flushed.... Caitlin was sitting on the seat with her legs in the water. The child LOVES water - guess since we didn't allow her to really swim in the pool, she decided to go to the next best thing (oh - cause I forgot to mention that when we took her out of being in the freezing pool for five minutes, she screamed bloody murder for 10 minutes straight!!)

Now, all three are asleep. Off I go to work on my second to last MOPS newsletter and enjoy some quiet time with Daddy. Thanking God for sending us His son to die for our sins!! Oh - and that brings up another thing from today - I don't think poor Mikayla could watch Passion of the Christ until she is at least 18. Poor thing was watching as I was changing channels this afternoon. A movie called Barrabas (sp??) was on one of the channels I flipped on - he was the one that Jesus took his spot to be crucified. And the moment we turned it on, all three were on the cross. Mikayla looked so sad and asked "Which one is Jesus?" I told her and then flipped the channel. Poor thing was about to cry - fortunately it was a 1960 movie and didn't have the graphics that the newer movies have.

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter! He Has Risen!!

Our little Easter bunnies (thanks Grandma!)

Caitlin in her Easter best

All three girls loving the spring weather!

Morning Easter Egg Hunt

Checking out the goodies...

Caitlin just wanting to ride in the Easter basket

A Day Trip to the Bay

Today, we decided to chance the weather and headed out to San Francisco to visit the Exploratorium. Big mistake!! There was an hour wait just to get in - however, because we had membership to a museum in Sacramento with visit rights to other museums, we didn't have to wait in the long line. But inside, we weren't treated any different. Still had to rub shoulders with all the other spring breakers. The girls enjoyed it and it would be nice to take them back when there are less people. After leaving there, we headed to the Jelly Belly Factory. Another big spring break/Easter visiting spot! But the girls had a blast in the cafe eating a lunch/dinner and then going shopping for belly flops. They didn't get to do the tour but didn't know they were missing out on it anyway. We will take them back another time when it isn't an hour wait for the tour.

Delilah doing what she does best - investigating how things work.

Watching the marbles go down.

Trying to scare Daddy with a skeleton

We think this is Goldilock's adopted family's chairs.

Our brief visit to the Jelly Belly Factory

Check out the posers!

Chuck-E-Disease??

We hadn't seen our friends for a while so when they invited us to meet them up at Chuck E Cheese - and the girls had never been there - we were excited to meet them. Of course, the girls had a total blast! And we used up a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Okay - so I hadn't been there for a while, but when did kids start asking strange adults for tokens and when did older kids start asking younger kids for their tokens???  Did that happen when I went there? I don't remember that. And I was completely astonished at the boldness.  Wow!!!  The funny thing is, I saw lots of little kids giving up their tokens to the older kids (that was why Mommy and Daddy kept a hold of our girls tokens)  :-)

Mikayla and Jasmyn on a rollercoaster simulator

Delilah and Caitlin in a HUGE rocking horse

Delilah on a jockey simulator horse

Caitlin not too sure about riding with Chuck E

The girls squeezed into the horse

Another rollercoaster simulator that puts the faces on a tv screen above the ride... COOL!

Caitlin thinking she is a big girl just running around the place.

Caitlin and Ms. Cindy

Mikayla going down the slide before heading out for the night.