grandma and grandpa were here !!

Aran ' parents were here last weekend and brought a very special gift . Aran's grandma died last year and we were asked if there was something we would like to remember her by. Well, this chandelier hang over her dining room table and I always associated it with grandma Helen. Bruce and margaret drove it all the way to bayfield . It is so pretty !! And really is just like Helen, sparkly and beautiful !! This visit was a very special one, as lilja and grandma just bonded.. Margaret's imagination and wonderful stories finally struck a cord with lilja and they were inseparable . So cute to see !!

Lilja is starting to read chapter books .she is growing up so fast !! 

Grandma could not keep up.  In her defense, it was up hill !!  

We had such a great visit. We are so lucky that you can come visit so often.. see you soon in germany !!

Trying to catch up with us.. come on grandma, let's race !!

"Fishing with tea's sea shell 

Tae, lilja's cousin gave lilja this sea shell necklace,  she loved it and even took it on our walk 

Walking barney with grandma 

gettibg updated !!

Lilja and I painted some terracotta pots to make our newly painted deck all pretty. Lilja used stencils, brushes, every color paint you can imagine ..and then she decided to mix some colors. Two hours later they are done. Very colorful and very pretty !!

Aran, lilja and I has a family date night again on saturday. Shopping , dinner at zia and Home the movie .. so fun, so cute and yes a little sad. Lilja ended up "almost "crashing on the way back from all the sugar and the running she did up and down the mall before the movie.  We had to get her wiggles out !!

Ms sue is catching lilja coming down the slide all by herself.. she is a little far, and lilja went under , but lilja was a trooper and did not freak out . Afterwards lilja told me she did not like how ms sue caught g er and made her go under. I asked her why she did not tell ms. Sue that.. lilja replied:" because that will hurt her feelings " love this girl !! 

We love ms sue the swimming instructor. 

tea party #2

Sorry the sequence of events are a little out of sync.

wildlife refuge

The wild life refuse is only 45 minutes from our house, so we just made a little trip to say hi to Princess the bear, willow the mountain lion, lori the wolf... and Lilja's favorite, Freddi the red fox

Freddi was so cute...

After the tour we got to meet Sasha the ferret.. lilja just loved meeting all these animals .. fostering her love for becoming a vet !!

Willow was just impressive ! She was showing off playing with her toy 

Leona had to come with her 

The wolves were my favorite. 

Our little tea party

I can't keep up with all her animals, but believe me lilja keeps it somehow all straight.

Our dessert after whip cream . The prettiest cake ever !!

Lala, casey, Foxia and flipper and leona.. all dressed up in jewels and pretty dresses

We usually listen to classical music when we play.. must be my dad's influence on her when she was little.

Berry smoothie and a nice mustache 

Mama, take my picture with my mustache 

ooooh, Whip Cream !! 

She is getting better at pouring.. so everybody got some yummy almond hot chocolate.

Tea party Lilja style !!

She thought I was taking pictures .. ms director !

tea party

Lilja, myself and all her big eyed animals had a tea party today. Lilja got dressed up in her new sparkly hand me down dress and all the animals got dresses on. We made hot chocolate, Nutella sandwiches and had lots of berries.ourfavorite was the whip cream though .. yep, the sugar was taking effect in the end . So glad I have a girl !! So fun, so sweet, so adorable !!

the pretty girl !!

Playing in the water is I think lilja's favorite thing to do .. so now that it is gorgeous weather outside we take the dogs to the river . Maynard the other old dog comes with us now, because he just looks so sad alone on the house . When lilja is in school I can run barney the young dog by myself, but now is just fun water time.

Such a pretty smile.. but oh those eyes, yep trouble !! 

Throwing water up high 

That rock did not come my way.. she wanted me to take a picture of her.. yep, miss director !! 

Coloring eggs on sunday .. loved them painting the eggs instead of dyeing them. 

Lilja took her time making the eggs just right .