Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

Spring is in the air, but we a still feeling that Christmas spirit. Thanks to my brother and his family, we are enjoying a lobster feast this weekend. Yum, Yum!

Top o' the mornin' to ye!

The girls are showing off their Irish today by sporting throws from last weekend's St. Patrick's Day Parade. They are also treating their classmates to Irish bread, homemade with the family recipe passed down from their Great-Great-Aunt Mary. It wouldn't be St. Pat's day without it!

Arbor Day?

Arbor Day in February? I'm not quite sure, but today we planted new trees. It was a gorgeous day to work in the yard...I hope the weather stays like this! Our town was participating in a Katrina-recovery program and passing out free native-species trees to those willing to plant them. The girls were thrilled to choose their very own trees and to plant them in the backyard. They both choose magnolias, perfect for this state, and just what our yard has been missing all these years. Haley placed her two trees just the right distance from each other to one day shade a hammock, and Jenna's are near the swingset. I guess it's hard to imagine just how big the trees will grow, or how long it will take for them to get there! Just how long does Henry need to wait before he can harvest pecans, or Lisa to sip tea beneath her red maple?

Bowling

The girls had just one final day off before heading back to school. No more Valentine's, Chinese New Year, or Mardi Gras. What could we do for fun on this last day of freedom? Dad always knows how to have a good time--he took a long lunch and met us at the bowling alley!

It was our first time bowling together as a family. We don't really want to reveal the scores, but let's just say Jenna was happy not be come in last (it's tough always being the youngest in the family), and Haley was satisfied with her scores (her fingers could reach the holes, yippee!) We'll just say we all scored big in having a blast together.

Happy Mardi Gras!