Dear Aunt Jenn

Aunt Jenn,

We hope you like the card we made for you. Beckett's picture is pretty cute, so we put that in the package too. Mama and Daddy tell us we're handsome all the time, so if you happen to disagree, take it up with them!

We sure miss you, but we understand that you have to be in Savannah for Cloe...wait...Cloe's a cat?!? You're in Savannah because of a cat? What's that cat got on us? You've got some explaining to do. Remember how cute we are? How stunning our eyes, how breathtaking our smiles? So what if Cloe can go to the bathroom by herself; Eli's up to 1 out of 5 in that category, which Daddy says is a "vast improvement."

Anyway, we're still here doing our thing in the STL. Come see us anytime. Oh, and tell Cloe to sleep with one eye open. We know some cats down there.

Love Your Human Nephews,
Eli & Beckett

a happy twenty

I love leftovers. Thankfully, so does my hubby.

I do not like, however, the precariously stacked assortment of bowls that end up in our fridge to hold all the leftovers. Not to mention, the fact that all the cereal bowls are sitting in there when I actually want to use one to eat cereal. And they're white, which means I forget what's in there and we end up with the occasional science experiment of unrecognizable food. And I'm tired of all the Saranwrap.

I've tried the Gladware and stuff, but it just doesn't feel healthy to heat our food in plastic. I don't want to store it in one dish, then heat it in another. So, I happily spent twenty dollars the other day on three of these little dishes. Clear. Glass. Sturdy. Stackable. With lids. Ready for the microwave, freezer, and oven.-ready.

Didn't our grandparents use these? Now I know why...

fun with Audrey

Yesterday, we went to the botanical gardens. It's free on Wednesdays, and they have a great kids area. Eli and Audrey had lots of fun. Yummy watermelon...

and some serious xylophone action here...

Spikey Do

Just a cute shot of Beckett from a month ago. His hair has been growing in a strip along the top of his head, which makes for a great faux-hawk. Or, as Eli and Daddy call it, a spikey do.

the good book

I've spent an hour or two at Barnes & Noble and Borders trying to find a good Bible for Eli. One that he could understand, one that didn't oversimplify but still communicated the point of the stories. Ideally, one that was good for toddlers and kids and parents. And one with pictures that would engage him- some of them have some seriously dry illustrations!

And then, some friends recommended this. We love it. It's beautiful, wise, humorous, tender and most important, accurately captures the heart of the stories. We'll be enjoying it for years.

Banana Moon

We walked to Murdoch Perk the other night for dinner. On the way home, Eli said, "Look, I'm racing the moon! Do you want to race with me?"

Off he went, down the sidewalk, left arm straight and swinging as he ran. He looked up and to the left, where the crescent moon was sitting in the blue evening sky.

"I'm racing the banana moon!"

Another one of those parenting moments I want to remember forever.

more pix of Paso

good moo-ning
a foal in the shade


just hanging out

snuggles.... kisses
flowers...
the neighbors

that place

You know those homes, those places that just ooze- "Please, relax and make yourself at home. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, curl up on the couch, whatever, really, we don't mind."

My Uncle Jim and Aunt Ceressa's home is one of those places. We had never been there before. In fact, we hadn't seen them since our wedding. That's not one, but two kids ago! A lot has changed in four years, but alot has stayed the same. My uncle is still building. Their kids, my cousins, Andrew and Julianna are much bigger now. Hovering on the brink of teenage years. But so kind and patient and friendly, especially, and this meant the world to us, to our kids.

Eli was absolutely in love with both of them. He wanted to jump off the diving board like them, ride the dirtbike like them, eat cereal like them, ride a skateboard like them, play basketball like them...you get the idea.

I just soaked up the space. It was everywhere. They live on 50 acres, and there is just lots of beautiful scenic space. Rolling hills, sprawling vineyards, lazy blue skies, twisting turning oak trees, cows, horses, big estates that almost look like normal sized homes against all the open space. It was hot and sunny and we loved it.

Aunt Ceress had a huge pile of toys ready for Eli when we got there.








Eli loved running around.









Joel said it best, that it just felt like family. We ate, hung out at the house, talked, read, saw the town, spent an afternoon at the beach, saw San Luis Obispo, and got a tour of the area. It was great to visit with them, and we were so thankful for the days we got to spend there.

IN-N-OUT

On Thursday we headed to Paso Robles to visit more family. We were looking forward to a stop in Salinas for the much loved IN-N-OUT burgers. Yum!

Beckett really wanted my milkshake, or at least the straw.

He had some issues, and I was too busy trying to take a picture of him to notice that he was busy gagging on the straw. Until I saw the women at the table across from us looking kind of panicked- they were speaking Spanish, but it sounded urgent. Then I noticed. Oops!
Eli made good use of his straws while we waited for our food. He really concentrates when he does this. Notice the flared nostrils.

Ta-Da!!! There's that big finish.

And here come the burgers. Drum roll please...

the days flew by...

Moments at a time. Walking on the curb at the marine lab...

Eating breakfast together on the bench at their great big table...
Playing and cooking in the little house, which also doubled as a Starbucks and "ice cream store".


Aiden is all boy, and taught Eli how to play golf, turn almost anything into a sword, and be an animal rescuer. Emerson was all about Beckett. She wanted to help change diapers, bathe, feed, hold, comfort, and snuggle. It was cute, and great practice for Aiden and Eme's little sister, due in a few weeks.

The day we left, Aiden and Emerson left for school and Eli cried, saying he wanted to go to school too. He didn't know about the treat we had in store for him. A much loved CA treat...