Halloween in June?

The girls found this trick or treat purse while playing with all their dress up things! They have been fighting over it ever since! They have also been practicing their "trick or treat" and expect for you to put something in the bag!

Jane says not to worry she has her orange hair to make her festive for Halloween so she does not need an accessory!

Back in the saddle again

We knew Mary Austin was back to her old self when she started putting on her princess dresses again! Thanks for all the well wishes!

What a week!

We are now one week post op from Mae's tonsils coming out! And it has not been fun! We have been cooped up the house since she is not really allowed to get hot or be very active. This weekend the first round of scabs came off resulting in a very sore throat! She woke up every 2 hours hurting on Friday night. She has eaten more pudding, yogurt and popsicles and is growing tired of eating them. Saturday the ice cream man made his way through our neighborhood and this was a very good thing!
Waiting patiently!

On a side note: The week before Mae's tonsils I took her to my hair guy to shape her hair. The child has only had 3 cuts her entire life. She came with very little hair and it has been pretty slow in coming in. I got tired of looking at the wispies and flyaways in the back and decided it was time to bite the bullet and try to bob it off. You can really see the cut in these pictures! She really looks like a little girl now! I told him that he made my baby into a child in one snip of his scissors! Now Jane's hair is starting to grow in all crazy and she is about to be sportin' a baby mullet but I cannot bring myself to have hers cut yet! I still want her to look like my baby!

Happy Father's Day to our Daddy - 2007

We love you always Daddy!

Mary Austin and Jane Harris

Mary Austin and Daddy

July 12, 2004 - Gotcha Day

Jane Harris and Daddy

First week home from the hospital.

August 2005

Thanks for always teaching us about the animals, bugs and great outdoors!

Thanks for always holding me up so I can see!

Thanks for always holding me tight so I am safe!

Happy Father's Day to my husband

To my husband,

This was us just 7 years ago. Did you ever think that we would have 2 wonderful little girls? They amaze me everyday and I cannot imagine my life without them or you. Everyday they grow and I can see you in them. The way they love animals and bugs, being outside, playing in the garden. The way they show love and affection. The way they love to learn new things. Thank you for loving them and me the way you do. We appreciate you more than you will ever know!

With love and gratitude,

Your wife

Jules

Fathers Day Trip to the Zoo

Tripp wanted to go to the Zoo for Father's Day so of course that is what we did!

Elizabeth went with us and then we all went back to my parent's house for lunch! My sister got all 3 girls matching dresses and they looked precious in them! The funny thing is that Liz looks more like me than Mary Austin or Jane so more than one person said "oh my you have your hands full"!

Cousins and friends forever!

Liz is older than Mae by 11 months and they are perfect playmates now that they both share - most of the time!

Cows in the barn!
We have been members of the zoo since we brought Mae home but we have never done the giraffe encounter. It was always crowded or we had skipped the giraffes or we were at the giraffes at a different time. Basically for $1 you can have an "encounter" with one of the giraffes - you get to feed them! Let me tell you that was the best $1 we have ever spent. It was truly an amazing experience!
On the carousel!

Liz opted out of riding an animal. Mae chose the elephant!

On a side note, the day we were there we did not stop by the elephant encounter and I am truly sorry that we did not. Our Zoo had to euthanize Mona, the elephant, due to health reasons this week. She was well past the age that elephants live to in captivity at 60+ years. Average life expectancy is more like 48 years.
We will miss you Mona!

All aboard the train!

Father's Day Weekend - Saturday

We had a Father's Day Weekend! We made sure to have alot of fun, sun and excitement since we knew that Mary Austin would be cooped up after her surgery the following Monday.

Saturday, Elizabeth, my niece came over to play! the girls had so much fun in the kiddie pool in our backyard. Remember being a child and getting so excited over the kiddie pools and slip n slides? Now they are all high tech with water sprays and large slides, but we went old school with just a blow up pool and the hose! Check it out! Of course now we are under a Stage 3 drought so now all pool fun will be at the community pool and lake!

Elizabeth and Mary Austin waiting for the water!

Liz practices her strokes!
Jane decides it is more fun to be naked!

No shocker there!

I swear this child would run around naked all the time if I let her!

You know a good time was had when someone falls asleep wrapped up in their towel!

Roatan - part Deux

We did manage to pull ourselves away from Fuego to explore Roatan.

Here are pics from some of our adventures.

Local artist's home.

View from BJ's Bar
Starfish at Camp Bay Beach
Camp Bay Beach
Tripp was also our driver. This was a Toyota Hiace. You cannot buy in the US but it reminded me ALOT of those buses in China.
Think Volkswagen bus complete with fold down jump seats!

Kirk and Tripp under the coconut tree..

"I like coconuts you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun"

West Bay Beach.

Think Corona commercial

Tripp enjoying one of the local beers - Port Royale - at Fosters
Tripp and Melvin. That's his house posted above. He paints and carves objects from local wood. They are pictured with the mermaid we got for Tripp's parents to thank them for taking such good care of the girls for us while we were away.

Roatan revisted

Here are pictures taken at the house

Fuego del Mar. It was very hard to leave the pool!

View from the infinity pool


Back of the house
Afternoon entertainment - this and music.

We nicknamed Tripp

"DJ Jazzy T" as he kept the tunes spinning for us! He and Kirk were also the bartenders and grill masters! Jane Ivey and I were very lucky not to have to do much in the way of cooking as we grilled most nights!

We spent most of our time here.
or here!


Really cool chandelier in the open air dining room!

At night it would sway in the breeze and cast some pretty cool shadows.

Another pool view!

Dining room

A litte behind

Okay, so I am MORE than a little behind in posting! After returning home from paradise, I hit the ground running! Last week was my last week at work. In August, I will start a new job as an instructor in one of our local university's school of nursing. I am really excited to embark on this new journey and better yet it is a 9 month position so I have teacher hours! This will be really great once the princesses are in school; and this will not be much longer!

Yesterday, Mary Austin had her tonsils out. She did beautifully and it has not slowed her down that much. I am staying on top of the pain with Rx and OTC pain meds. I really do not want to try it without! She and I will be cooped up most of the week so I hope to get caught up on all my posts!

Back to reality

Well, we are back in the land of parenthood! The girls had a wonderful time with Mimi and Cap (Tripp's parents) and better yet we had a fabulous time in Roatan!

The girls have been clingy and we are slowly getting back into routines. Once I have a chance I will load up pictures from our adventures and from their adventures!