Surprise Visit, Lily's 9th Birthday, and Spring Fun

I'm coming down from the high of highs today after such a memorable and special week.  I owe it all to my sister.  She flew out to surprise Lily on her Birthday and then surprised me with a sisters only getaway.  Thank you (thank you Nate for helping make it happen)!  Sonya makes the bad times good and the good times unforgettable.   Even with our distance and age gap, we are incredibly close because it is based so much on giggling, family memories, brutal honesty, sarcasm, inappropriateness, finding the humor in everything, and daring each other to do silly shit.  Last week was no exception.  I love you Lolo.

Right after surprising Lily at school.  Lily needed a few seconds to register what she was seeing and then ran to her for a long tight hug.  

To surprise the twins, we decided to put Lolo in the trunk for a short ride.  After opening the trunk, Elise ran for a hug while Paul stood stunned and simply said  "That's illegal."  There's my rule follower.

Lolo with the whole crew

 Enjoying our first glass of wine on our getaway. 

Lily requested a small sleepover party for her 9th Birthday with just a couple friends.  I've noticed over the years at school that she prefers either being alone or in a small group.  When I observe her, she is like a floater talking to everyone but close to no one in her class.  She doesn't seem to care where she sits.  She cares more about the type of chair or desk than who it is next to which is not what I usually observe from others while I help out at school.  Lily continues to be very curious about you name it but she's on a history of the world kick lately. She continues to be an avid reader and listening to audio books, has a fashion style all her own, stays up way too late, and enjoys running fast, and playing on her Tennis and Softball teams these days.

Mali and Liana who she has known since being a baby

 Hair chalk was a hit

She looks like a teenager in this pic

 Lily particularly enjoys playing catcher

Oma and Opa have been gone already well over a month back to Chicago.  I'm grateful they stayed through Easter.  Nate's parents, Lyle and Ann, also flew out to visit over Easter.  It was a rare treat to have both sets of parents together. 

This was right after our Easter Egg Hunt at home after Mass

 Ann and Lyle cheering on Paul and Elise at their School Run at Fields Park

Here are a few more fun memories from the last couple months

 Father Daughter Dance.  We missed Opa this year.  I'm really glad Nate does such a sweet job showing his girls how he would like them to be treated on a special date.

Fun Manzanita getaway with good friends for a couple nights over Spring Break. 

Lily and her bestie Liana.  Love pictures of running kids.

 Opa and our friend Bob treated Elise and Paul to their first fishing trip. Quite a few trout were caught, prepped, and feasted on.  Come back Opa.  They are ready for trip #2.

 Elise is now a Girl Scout.  This was after she earned her first Daisy petal making a bird feeder.  The squirrel got to it first. 

Mothers Day 2018 - They treated me to a homemade brunch they helped prepare with Dad.  Mother's Day this year also fell on our 12th wedding anniversary.  We ate a delicious dinner at Little Bird.  I was really impressed with their charcuterie plate.