Mothers Day 2012

Happy Mothers Day to Me!

with love,

Isaac, Georgie, Juliet, Joey, MOm and Dad

The above people gave me a very special day! 

I woke up to a gift from Georgie full of her handprints painted into 12 different figures.  She was so excited to give it to me all weekend long;)  We sat in the front living room, all three of us and looked through all the pictures.  I will save it for always:)  Thank you Georgie!

 Joey made my Mom and I breakfast.  Spanish Tortillas with fruit and baguette, his specialty;)

 After church we did a photo op on the front steps.

 Me and my boy!

 My best girl!

 And my forever baby!!

My Mom, my safe place...

Gaga and her babies!

Juliet...too cute not to share!

And my "other" forever Mother, Ruth!

A couple of cute stories from the day.  I had my piano recital that evening and Isaac colored pictures for all the mothers in the room.  "Happy Mothers Day!" he wrote. "From: The Merbacks"  What a charmer;)  Georgie said to me this evening, "Mom, I forgot to give you another present...haha...but it cost like $30,000!"  Whatever it was I want it.  Sounds AWESOME!!

It feels nice to be celebrated, even if Hallmark made us do it.  I'm grateful to feel and know of my families appreciation as well as to extend my own to the Mothers in my life, my Mom, my Aunts and few choice friends.  Thank you Hallmark!

xoxo

Last Day on the Field

We've spent a lot of windy mornings out here.  And Isaac learned how to play the game.  A Father coached his son and Georgie turned a whole lot of cartwheels....And Mom yelled her lungs out.  

Memories....

Georgie Turns 6

Georgie Turns 6!!!

We remember when Georgie was our baby.  Over the last couple of years she has grown up and changed sooooo much.  But we love her anyway;)  Here's a little bit about her big day!

Her Birthday morning

began with the traditional Breakfast in bed!

This year Georgie requested pancakes with whipped cream, bacon and eggs.  Gaga threw in her famous homemade Orange Julius and Georgie felt like a Queen.  She seemed a bit embarrassed at all the attention actually and acted silly to overshadow her discomfort.  She does that a lot lately.  After the feast we gave her the gift from Joey, Isaac, Juliet and I...a new beach cruiser bike!

 Isn't she cute!!

 Then Papa read the girls a story.

A few days before the big day we promised Georgie we'd take her swimming for her birthday.  So as soon as it was time to get dressed she put on her suit, even though we weren't actually going to the pool for several hours.  She's such a fish...takes after her namesake;)

 Before we left for Isaacs' soccer game Georgie took me over to her "private play house" for her annual birthday photo shoot that just so happens to be in the neighbors front yard. (we hope they don't mind;)

It's a little alley protected on either side by a fence and some really tall bushes.  She loves outdoor nooks and crannies and has managed to find or create several of her own within the two or three yards around us.  When the weather is nice she and spends hours out there.

Such a lady!

 After Isaacs soccer game we went to the Air Show on base.  Papa wanted to tour the airplanes and Georgie heard there would be free cotton candy so she was game!  We brought Georgies' friend, DC along.  She's our neighbor, such a good girl and so good to Georgie.


They got their faces painted and had a really good time exploring air craft, jumping in the bouncy castles and playing together.

 

 

A little (no a LOT) of fun for Isaac on Georgie's birthday!  All kinds of cool weapons in the ARMY tent at the Air Show.

 Check out those bullets.  That'll kill ya!

 And some fun for Gaga too!

 Ruth made Georgie a prairie girl dress, apron and bonnet!  So fun!!

 Georgie's special cupcake!

 And we finally made it to the pool!

 Back home for presents!

Balloons to send to the sky with a birthday wish!  

And her favorite dinner, Garlic Farfalle Chicken Pasta.

That's our girl.  Our 6 year old girl!  Love you Geeg;)

xoxo

Isaac: Student of The Month!!

 Isaac was awarded Student of the Month from his award winning Principle last week!! 

 He was soooo excited and we were soooo proud!

Look at that face;)  "I can't believe I got it!" he said to me after the ceremony!  We can believe it buddy!

The week before we saw Isaacs teacher, Mrs. Richeson at the garden center and she bragged on him to a friend that was there with her.  "If every student was as good, smart and as responsible I would have the easiest job in the world!" she said!  His little shoulders just melted.  He enjoyed that compliment and so did we.  

Congrats buddy!  You're such a hard worker!!

xoxo

Juliet: the big girl

For the past several months we've been trying to take away Juliet's pacifier.  (She calls it her "sassy" so I will refer to it as that from now on).  A combination of Joey and I being softees with our youngest child, Juliet throwing MAJOR tantrums in her bed and refusing to sleep and an intense desire of every family member to silence her whining on car trips this effort is taking a lot longer than it should.

 This past week as I listened to her tantrum in bed it struck my how much harder this is going to get when she is out of her crib in a few months and we're all already overwhelmed with moving and speaking a foreign language.  I realized that this HAS to get done and SOON!  As much as I'm not ready for my baby of all babies to grow up, I'm digging in my heels.   A month or so ago I began explaining to her before every naptime and bedtime that she is now a "big" girl, no longer a baby.  And babies use "sassy's", big girls do not.   It seemed to be helping until I needed her to take a nap, caved a few days in a row and put her to bed, like a little angel with a pacifier bobbing up and down in her mouth.  Grrrr...!!  I'm sending her unclear signals! For the past couple of days Joey and I have been laying on the "big girl" talk thick.  Today she found a "sassy" on my desk and popped it in her mouth.  Joey's hands were full when he passed her on the way to the kitchen so he just made a simple comment rather than pulling it from her mouth, "Juliet, you're a big girl!"  Low and behold, a few seconds later she toddled out of our bedroom, curls bobbing, left arm swinging, right arm raised with the pacifier in hand and marched right over to me.  With a very satisfied look on her face she said, "I big girl!"   How cute is she???!!!  Of course, I laid into her with kisses, giggles and praise and can't keep the adorable image of her walking so surefooted across the living room out of my mind!!  (and why would I?)  If only I had video taped it!!  Man, we love that girl!

xoxo
Ash

Happy (35th) Birthday Daddy!!!

I'm not very good at birthdays.  

At least birthdays for anyone but my kids.  But, considering we had only 2-3 hours of preparation for it this little family party turned out pretty great but mostly because of the company!

 We had my fairly new trusty birthday chalkboard table cloth that came in handy for decorations.  

The kids got to personalize their own "placemat".  Here's Georgies' (with my help...requested by throwing a small tantrum).

 We had Daddy's favorite Dinner:

Garlic Chicken Teriyaki Pasta

 We had the last minute genius idea to put our "Why We Love Daddy" messages inside of 4 helium balloons.  We went outside and he started popping.

Brace yourselves kiddos!!

Isaacs message:  "I love Daddy because he's funny"

Georgies' message:  

Juliet's Message:  "Daddy, Isit, Geogie

My Message:  " 

 The deliciously decadent, very sinful, 

oh so yummy chocolate birthday cake that Daddy requested!

 Make a wish!

That cake stared back at us in the fridge for almost a week, dwindling, dwindling, sliver by sliver eaten mostly by moia!  And boy was it worth it;)

Happy Birthday, Joey!  I am glad that you're in the world and that you are mine!!

xoxo

Ash