Oliver's Birthday Party

We celebrated Oliver's 5th birthday party with a magician theme.  It was a really fun day honoring our special little man.  I tried to take pictures but got a little bit busy during the party.  

Strawberry Fields

Beach Morning

Maine

Last weekend we went up to Maine for a few days.  It was nice to end the school year and then head up there for some fun and relaxation.  The weather was beautiful which was an added plus!

Oliver and Adelaide were incredibly excited to see Mimi and Papa.  As I've mentioned before, I think about how lucky they are to have such special people in their lives, including their great-grandparents.  This past year while Mimi and Papa were in Florida, Oliver and Adelaide really had fun staying in touch with Mimi and Papa by sending them packages, pictures, and notes.  I really wanted them to remember Mimi and Papa during the year so that when we saw them this summer, they would be comfortable with them.  

On Friday night, we asked Oliver and Adelaide if they wanted to go night swimming instead of going to bed.  We put on their bathing suits and Dzia Dzia was eager to join them!  They all ran to the water at about 7:45 and I couldn't bring myself to go in but luckily Dzia Dzia showed them the way.

Adelaide was a little tentative at first...but at least she had a smile on her face.

 Oliver decided it was his job to help Adelaide go in the water.  They finally went in most of the way and I will say that they were worn out after their adventure.  They slept great.  Oliver even slept until 7:30 the next morning!

 While Oliver was off with Chris, Adelaide decided she wanted to put on a little show for me.  It was entertaining!

We spent quite a bit of time on the water.  Chris and Dzia Dzia were determined to try to catch a fish.  Still no bites and no sightings of fish either.

 Saturday night, we went to downtown Naples for the Blues Festival.  The kids had ice cream and we all walked around.

 Dzia Dzia had a little surprise for the kids.  He picked up some airplanes and Oliver loved them!

Overall, it was such a nice weekend!  A very fun, relaxing way to spend Father's Day.

Preschool Graduation

Oliver had his last day of preschool today!  Adelaide also had a celebration but she'll be returning to the school again next year while Oliver will be off to kindergarten.  The school says that they don't call it a "graduation" from preschool, but in my mind, the word graduation means finishing something and moving on to another level.  So, I'm calling it a graduation!  

When Oliver and Adelaide woke up, they got dressed and went downstairs.  We told them to wait near the sign and close their eyes.  

When they looked up, they saw a big trash bag full of balloons coming down on them.  They were very excited!

 Anyone who knows Oliver knows that this picture accurately reflects his excitement!

 They had so much fun playing with the balloons.  Oliver told me that it was such a great surprise.

Adelaide decided that she needed to change her dress because it did not match her favorite green sandals.  So, she put on a smocked dress that I had purchased from Zulily a while back.  I really like smocked dresses.  They are so elegant and timeless.  They were really eager to get to school and have their celebration.

 I didn't post any pictures of the celebration because it was very crowded but these pictures are from after the ceremony.

Oliver is going to miss seeing his friend Lauren next year.  They are really buddies and always act so silly and funny together.

 Before we went out for lunch with Grammi, I got a picture of the two of them standing on the little podium.  Oliver looks so grown up in this picture.  I did get a little bit sad when I thought about how much he has grown over the past few years.

Grammi came to the ceremony and celebrated after with us.  We were so happy she came to see us and was able to join us for lunch.  Overall, it was a great day!

Camera Woes.

Well, it seems that I've been absent from the blogging world for weeks now.  Not by my own choosing but my camera.  It seems that my camera is broken.  In the past five years, I've gone through three cameras.  I think it's a little bit of wear and tear because of how much I use them and also a little bit of misfortune (like my camera plunging into to the ocean last summer).  Chris and I are contemplating going for a bigger camera...perhaps Canon Rebel?  I love taking pictures.  I feel like an accessory is missing when I don't have a camera with me.  Hopefully my blogging will be back soon with some pictures of my favorite subjects!

Surrounded by Beauty

During Oliver and Adelaide's school vacation week, the weather was abnormally warm for April.  I knew the beaches would be packed during the day, so one morning we decided to head to the beach right after we had breakfast.  It was still fairly early, about 8am, and we were completely alone at the beach close to our house.  I grabbed an iced coffee on the way, we picked out some shovels and pails at Walgreens and we had everything we needed for an early morning adventure.

What I wasn't prepared for was the breathtaking beauty of the morning.  I grew up near the ocean and I think it is something I often take for granted.  Let me tell you, I didn't take it for granted that morning.  The sun was shining, the water was calm and the temperature was perfect.  It was a moment.  A special moment.

 Oliver and Adelaide didn't need much more than their shovels and pails.  I just need to mention here that Adelaide has her sandals on the wrong feet again.  Most of the time, I just let it go.  She'll figure it out someday.

 Look at this day.  Completely magnificent.

We must have made at least twenty sand castles that morning.  I was the designated water-filler-upper lady.  Every time they needed more water, they handed me a pail and I was happy to oblige.  There was some serious sand castle action going on and Oliver and Adelaide could not have been happier.  We dipped our toes in the water (a bit cold), collected some shells, watched a bug and just savored every minute of that beautiful day.