I had a Wednesday birthday this year which would be more awkward if it weren't for Patrick's flexible schedule :-). My first birthday as a northern Californian! So we did something "Sacramento" by spending the day at the Sacramento Zoo (our first official family activity in the city, too - and Oliver's first ever zoo trip).
It's a charming, smallish zoo which was not very busy (yay!). It kept the kids entertained which means we had a happy, relaxed, cheery time.
"I'm not so sure about this, Mama..."
"Hmmm, me neither..."
"Don't worry, brother, I'll protect you from the scary monkey."
This monkey...
...being watched by this monkey.
Vianne doing a birthday dance for Mama :-D
This handsome cat gave us quite the show, pacing back and forth
And this handsome guy couldn't have been happier to be liberated from the stroller for a bit.
Best. Photo. Ever.
After lunch & souvenir shopping & a ride on the carousel, it was back home for gifts. Patrick knocked it out of the park this year with this surprise, an antique map of the Tarn & Garonne with an inset of Montauban, as well as a large print of a photo of the city. This along with many lovely gifts from family & friends and I felt very spoiled!
Then chocolate cake & Circus Animal Cookie ice cream (because, well, it apparently exists)
I confess, 38 seems a bit of a blah year as far as ages go, but I'm determined to make something of it nonetheless. With all this love, it's sure to surprise me by its goodness.
August, you horrible, wonderful month. You contained the ugliness that was the moving process and the very great joy that was relocating to Sacramento. This is yet another moment in which I'm so thankful for cameras because my first thought of August is UGH and then I look at the pictures and realize that somehow cuteness emerged in spite of all the yuck and I remember all that's good about life again.
As they say, when life (or the neighbors) gives you lemons...
This one I call "Odenette". She's wearing the Odin wig that Daddy wore for Oliver's party...but she looks a bit more Marilyn than Odin...
I was glad that someone thought the boxes were fun...
The sweet kids were largely unfazed by the whole moving chaos around them. Dress up as usual!
In the last couple weeks, we took some time out to say goodbye to our favorite places & people...the San Dimas library...
I believe this was Oliver's first goldfish crackers...#milestones #questionablegrammar
An outdoor meal with the Odens, our last at this house...
...and a bit of backyard soccer afterwards where Vianne's beauty was shining like the sun so Mama just kept snapping & snapping...
"Helping" us pack...
Jesse & Joel's 3rd Birthday Party!
Praying before the meal...awwwwwwwww
Goodbye hug for Brian
Everyday Cuteness (with boxes in the background)
A treat for moving day. I'm not even a donut person, but these ones, I dream about sometimes.
I will allow one photo of the truck (ended up needed two) as a placeholder for four hellish days that I will not go into...
More goodbyes on our last day in San Dimas. Hard to leave our sweet neighbors & one of V's very favorite friends...
The second truck at the new house!
Vianne taking a picture of me taking a picture of the new house :-)
The amazing park, our new "front yard"
After emptying & returning Truck #2, we took our peanut butter & jam sandwiches
over to the park for lunch (not many groceries in the house yet)
Spaghetti sauce beard! #boxesinthebackground
"Helping" Daddy set up Vianne's bed in her new room
The bathroom bandit...
...makes a quick escape!
Vianne's Moving Chic
Met our new neighbors
They have two kids, too
Oliver's first mail at the new house - birthday presents from the Hsiehs!
Found this sweet little lady while playing our new backyard
Visit from Grandpa!
Our first guest in our "guest room"
Getting the hang of the sippy cup
while lounging on our makeshift family room furniture
Tried out the Big Box Outlet, not too impressed with prices, but we came home with a rug for the play area and a Cinderella dress :-)
And finished up a very long & hard & ultimately wonderful month with some bike riding at the park
Within just a week, this gutsy girl was braving the climbing wall!
