Troy's New Friend - and other updates...

Meet Lucy, turtle number two, found at the Hudgen's house. Elizabeth knew we were suckers for turtles and most anything else with four legs so she called us to see if Troy needed a new friend. David, VERY RELUCTANTLY went down with me to get Lucy. I think the fact that the number of pets has exceeded the number of humans in the Cerra family is what had him a little gun shy. Lucy has a little bit of mulch stuck on her head in this picture but she is a cute and active turtle. She'll go to PetSmart for a quick check up and if all goes well, she and Troy will become roommates.

Meet Lucy, the newest member of the Cerra family.

Lucy will have to get used to the craziness around here. It was what most of us would call a warm day, but Lindsey was certain she would "not be cozy" if she didn't have a coat on. I thought I had convinced her otherwise until she rounded the corner in this lovely outerwear combination. Everyone should have an ear warmer handy in case the wind picks up on a warm Spring day.

The past few weeks I have really been into cooking. Lindsey is enjoying being my helper and wants to do it just like I do it - which means real knives when chopping garlic. I took my chances, stayed close, but let her mince garlic all on her own. She did a great job and was very pleased with our fettuccine alfredo we made together.

Molly is making her dad so very happy these days - she now "loves Rock and Roll" and wants to learn to play the guitar, as long as she can have a pink one.

While Molly was proclaiming her love for Rock and Roll, Lindsey was drawing a picture of the two of us and wrote "mom" for the first time.

These are the cake pops the girls and I made for Lindsey's class on Friday. I told you I've been nuts these past few weeks being oh so domestic.

After decorating cake pops, Molly had the need to decorate her room. Who knew you could use Easter basket grass as a bed side accessory.

I started my photography classes and have been practicing on the animals and the girls. See how the background is blurred. A new skill I picked up. Lots more to learn but I am having fun playing around with my camera.

Molly is always happy to pose for me. Using a new flash to see how it helps with lighting. Can't tell much of a difference but I still like the picture of my sweet girl.


Up close...if only I had editing software to remove chapped lips and chocolate!

Lindsey with a cute and crooked smile.


While Crystal and I went to lunch with an elderly neighbor, David took care of the kids. He fed them fudge pops which they enjoyed eating as much as they did wearing them. I love it that he grabbed the camera to take a picture of these cute and messy friends.

The girls have decided that pulling their babies behind them on bikes is a lot of fun. Each one of them now has a stroller in tow.

After seeing Pinocchio at the Marionette Theatre (thanks to Pop) they came home and set up a lemonade and grape stand. It's an improvement from the water sale they had in the Fall.

A great way to end a fun week!

They're Home! Camping Part 2

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in an empty and quiet house, but by 3:00 p.m. I REALLY wanted my girls and husband home! They arrived home filthy and with lots of tales to tell. Molly said she missed me and almost forgot what I looked like, but really wanted to go back to the campsite and camp another night.

"I loved to play there and have a fire and we marshed mellowed. And me and Case said Mushu. And then we eated with chocolate. And then if was so good and we wanted another one and got another one. We liked it the whole time and then we wanted some more and more and more and then we went to sleep." -Lindsey

"Dinner was good. I loved it. Me and Ann Ryan and the little ones were playing." -Molly

"Me and Ann Ryan and Case and Lindsey had a picture taken at the lodge and Lindsey caught her first fish." -Molly


"Me and Case rowed and then we said Mushu again. We loved rowing the boat. We wanted to keep doing it the whole time and then Molly splashed water on us and we had special suits on so if we fell in the water and didn't want to swim someone will get you so you willn't go under the water. And then we did something more funner. We sit in the front and Ryan and Daddy was the arrrrgggs. They said arrgg and then Case likes my shoes and Ann Ryan likes my shoes and Mr. Ryan likes my shoes and Daddy likes my shoes and....." -Lindsey

"Me and Ann Ryan were paddling the boat. We loved doing it. Anyway, how do you row a big boat? I don't know. Maybe you need sails like on a pirate ship or for a little canoe you have to row with paddles." -Molly

"I am fishing. I wanted to fish. I was waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for a fish to eat my worm. I didn't caught a fish but Lindsey did. How lucky is she? Maybe next time I'll get one and I'll have my own fishing rod. Daddy said he will buy me one." -Molly

"I liked to catch a fish. It was so funner than saying mushu. And then I wanted to catch another fish but I couldn't. No little fish or big fish wanted to eat my worm. And then Case standed up while Molly and Ann Ryan was reeling and then we wanted to do something so funner like mushu." -Lindsey

"I casted the fishing rod and I still waited. It was fun. " -Molly

"We had a picture taken. We like being on the back of the car." -Molly


"I loved to camp. We wanted to stay." -Lindsey

And this is what pulled into the driveway....two totally crashed and filthy girls that had quite an adventure with their daddy and friends.

Camping - Part 1

David and the girls are headed off for a camping trip - this will be the second annual daddy/daughter camping trip. Last year they were very nervous about how it would go so they camped at a State Park 5 minutes from our house. This year, the dads are feeling confident and are heading to Poinsette Park about an hour from home.

An excited Lindsey - she got to pack her own clothes for the trip which meant her monkey shirt, her striped jail looking suit, lots and lots of pajamas and it goes without saying - no underwear. And to make the trip extra perfect, she's sharing the blow up mattress with her daddy while Molly goes solo in her kiddie sized air mattress.

One last wave goodbye.

Don't be mistaken by the LARGE amount of stuff inside and out of the car...this is a ONE night camping trip and the other dad and his kids are in another car....with their own stuff. Who said guys were light packers?!?

"Bye, I love you, have fun, watch out for bears, be patient, watch them around the fire, I'll miss you, make sure they wear sunscreen, and bug spray..."

And me and these nasty things...we have an appointment for a pedicure and then a tennis date. I LOVE daddy/daughter camping trips!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone. We kicked off our Easter with pulling every living flower off every living bush in our yard. The girls asked David if they could pick a few flowers for the cross they were going to have in front of the church on Sunday. He said sure and walked away. Much to my surprise, Lindsey and Molly came in the house with a basket full of camillas and azaleas.

All our flowers adorning the table.

Putting flowers on the cross before service - the picture to the right is Lindsey last year.

Cute Lindsey.

Sweet Molly

Little bunny Molly

Sweet sister love...

Oh how she loves her daddy!

Home from church and about to hunt eggs with neighbor friends.

And they're off...

Opening eggs ~ trading has started.


How those girls love Reese!!!

Lindsey's Find

Spring has sprung in South Carolina so we desperately needed to make Saturday yard day. The whole family was outside sweeping, picking up pine cones, or fluffing pine straw. Lindsey is a collector of anything she can find and put in a bag or a pocket so she was so excited when she found a "rock" under the pine straw we were putting under the maple tree. Her "rock" started to move and she discovered she had found a turtle.

So proud to now be the mother of a baby turtle.

The girls set out to make him a perfect habitat. Filled with leaves, pine straw, grass, and anything else they could grab off a tree or from the ground.

Lindsey named her turtle Troy. Troy is about the size of a silver dollar. I agreed Troy could spend the night in his new habitat, go to show and tell on Monday, and then we'd put him back in his natural environment where he'd be happy. Well, that was MY plan. Then self proclaimed "weird turtle guy" announces at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night he was going to run up to Pet Smart and find out what a baby turtle might need.

And here is turtle man, $68 later. The turtle HAD to have a UV light, and mulch, and rocks, and an aquarium, and special turtle food, and eye drops. Troy is set. For life. At 109 High Knoll Road. And we found out it will be a long life. 30 years long. That's right - David, Troy, and I will have many, many happy years together.

Charleston

International Fair

We headed to the International Fair today with Molly and Lindsey.

Great exhibits, yummy food, and fun dancers.

Playing an instrument from Thailand.

Molly and Lindsey with two girls from Mexico.

Molly on stage with the African dancers. She had a great time playing the drums.

A mask from China.

Lindsey with her Japanese name.

The exhibit from India.

Learning about the Japanese Daruma doll.

Stylin' in a St. Lucia get up.

Molly with someone from Africa which made her very happy. She LOVES all things African.

Crashed after a fun day.