Chris and Josh and Katie bravely kept both babies, the two year olds and Bowden while we escaped with the older girl for the ritual cleansing and beautifying of the feet that must take place every April. It was Lucy's first time, and I wasn't sure if she'd like it...
My mom didn't get her first pedicure until her fifties, and I didn't get mine until I was almost thirty...so Lucy is ahead of the game in pampering. Of course, we got Starbucks right before, and each grabbed a magazine to look at.

I wasn't sure how it would go...I couldn't tell what she thought.

Then she took a drink, and I figured that she had the hang of it.

Marin and Lisa.

The finished product. Once we were done, Lucy asked me if we could come back tomorrow and "get my hands done."

We went out on Saturday for my birthday lunch...to Joe's Crab Shack. I was excited, despite the evidence. Our friends Chris and Katie were visiting.

Bowden got the kid's crab pot. He was exceptionally pleased.

MMMmmmm...so good.

They made me wear strange things and then sang. I gave birthday wishes to everyone I could reach, mainly for the amusement of everyone around me.

Lucy loved it.

So did Joshy.

Lucy increasingly wants to help me out in the kitchen, and usually I let her. She and Selah worked their granddaughter magic on Nanny so that she would let them sit on the counter while we cooked. I loved watching them with her, and I'm glad that if Lucy doesn't have a sister, at least she has a girl-cousin. I'm firmly committed to making Selah and Lucy as close of friends as their natural inclinations allow. I'd love for Lucy to be around her Tate cousins more, but they are so firmly entrenched in the cold North that I'm afraid we won't see them as much as we'd like.
Plus, Selah is Lucy's sister-cousin...the daughter of her mother's only sister. That's meaningful to me.

Now, growing up with Nanny, I was constantly frustrated that she treated me like a kindergartner...but now her amazing ability with younger children is an unbelievable gift. I loved watching these three interact, like I said. I love my family.

Vacation is a good time for haircuts.

Bowden wanted a mohawk, so Jack wanted one, too.

I had them only do a half-hawk....the boys didn't mind.

Rosie and I spent a lot of time by ourselves at the beach. Josh couldn't make it out for a while, and Justin was stuck working in Arizona, so we two were the definers of our days. We only had one night to ourselves, since my Mom courageously drove out every night to be with us and help us get the kids down. Wednesday we were alone. I took Isai from Rosie right after the bath, and couldn't help but take pictures.

He's in a very cute sitting-and not-moving stage.

Unlike this guy...Miles is all movement!

It was so peaceful and quiet downstairs while the girls got their baths.

After everyone was in bed, Rosie and I had a date on the deck where we watched the stars shoot and nibbled on treats and talked about our deepest hopes and desires...or at least some not-so-shallow ones.

Forgive me for not posting. I was on vacation. A very excellent vacation, with my sister and her two beans, and all of my chickens, and my mom at night, and Lisa much of the time, and a happy variety of other friends and family sprinkled in there. We went on happy walks- only one to Seabridge- and drank copious amounts of Starbucks and had a nearly daily freshly baked bagel.
We didn't make it to the beach until we had been there for three days or so. It was Miles' first time at the beach, and both he and the Isai-boy loved it. Maybe for different reasons. Isai- apparently- thought that the beach was delicious.

Such a sweet little man!

Selah got right to work digging.

Bowden collected sticks.

Lucy brought me a ladybug stick to see and admire.

Ladybugs were abundant.

We made a lovely big castle, with an arch on top. Lucy made the stone staircase herself.

Jack was quick to destroy the castle once it was semi-clear that we had abandoned it.

Miles crawled about and fingered all of the driftwood and smooth stones.

Miles, despite his hat wearing and sunscreen lathering, got his first tan, much to his mother's consternation. Praise God for those Italian genes!

I love the "indeed" part of the answer to "He is risen!"
Indeed!
In truth!
No doubt!
Definitely!
Obviously!
He is risen.
Praise God.