Calaveras...

So I'm working backwards a little bit, but I can't not post about our last weekend in California!  It was so fun and I'm so thankful I got to share such special memories with some of my favorite people!

Here's a picture tour of the weekend...

We loved our mornings in the condo...hanging out together, kids in their jammies, enjoying breakfast on the patio....

...and an impromptu dance party never hurts...

Then there was the main event...The Calaveras County Fair...

Frogtown USA!

Maya had her first pony ride!

Making a horse noise :)

And of course, there was frog jumping!  This year, Lauren jumped a frog!

 One of our favorite things to do was spend time at the pool!

 My cute little muffin...

Lauren and Andrew enjoying the kiddie pool :)

 Maya loved it!  I think I see swim lessons in the near future!

I will miss seeing these lovely ladies and their beautiful girls!  Our Wednesday playgroup was something special...through our weekly time together, I became a better mom, friend and christian.  I'll be forever impacted by "Wednesdays"!  So glad we had one last weekend of fun!

Mom's weekend in Napa...

I can't believe we leave for Washington in a matter of weeks!  It's crazy how fast this is all happening.  Fortunately, I had a few fun events on the calendar that were planned before we decided to leave.  I think it's God's way of making the move easier...that I'm able to see and have quality time with those I'll miss the most.  

One of the first stops on the "good bye tour" was a mom's weekend in Napa.  I was able to go with a few of my Las Madres friends that I've loved getting to know over the past year or so.  All of our kids are within a few weeks of each other, so they are a great source of support and encouragement as we tackle our first experience of mommy-hood together!

Our overnight in Napa is just what we needed.  A full day of wine tasting, a great dinner and an oh-so-needed trip to the spa this morning on the way home.  It was a trip I won't soon forget!

Labor of Love...

They're done!!  I hadn't posted about these quilts and process of creating them for fear that the recipient would see the post and know they were coming!  When I had Maya, my sister-in-law Deanna, made me/Maya two awesome quilts and they were one of my favorite gifts!

Handmade things always seem a little more special since you know a lot of time and hard work went into them.  Receiving the quilts also sparked a little crafty fire in me and I instantly knew I wanted to try to make one myself.  When my friend Janet announced that she was pregnant with twins I was beyond thrilled for her and excited that I now had an opportunity to take on a project!  I could make a quilt...err, two quilts!  

From this...

To this...

And none of it would have been possible if it wasn't for my awesome crafty friend, Kacey, who taught me all I need to know and let me borrow all the supplies I didn't have.  She graciously had me and Maya over to her house on multiple occasions to walk me through every step.  And when Maya became whiny and got in her "I just want you to hold me mode" as she often does these days, Kacey was more than willing to take over and work on it for me (cheating, I know, but it was awfully nice to utilize her speed for some time!)  She was also always available on text for everything from choosing fabric to trouble shooting my mom's sturdy but very old sewing machine, and everything in between.  I probably have more text messages with her than my hubby!  THANK YOU KACEY!  You're the best quilting teach a girl could ask for!

It was such a fun process and I'm really happy with the results.  If anything, I'm kinda sad I have to give them away already...a mere 18 hours from the last stitch!  I hope that Janet and the twins enjoy these quilts as much as Maya and I enjoy ours :)

Banana Birthday...

We had the first 1st birthday of our playgroup this week!  One of the boys turned one last month and his mom hosted a banana play-date to celebrate.  Our playgroup has had multiple "sensory" play-dates with different foods for the kids to experience including pasta, avocados and watermelon.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to make past sensory play-dates, so I was very excited for this one :)

Every kid was able to go home with a birthday ballon.  Maya loved the ballon and it was the first thing she played with this morning!

Here's a quick video of Maya playing with the ballon at the party...

And then it was time for BANANAS!

 I brought pureed bananas (with some pear mixed in) in a larger tupperware.  This messy mix was quite a hit with the kiddos!

Maya really loved it so I'll definitely be trying this more with her at home.  Especially as the weather is turning, it's pretty easy to set down some towels on the hardwood and let her have fun making a mess!

Pumpkin Patch...

Maya and I had our first trip to the pumpkin patch!  We went to Uesugi Farms in San Martin with some playgroup friends.  I had never been before, but always heard about it.  It's definitely not like any other pumpkin patch!   It's huge and has different activities for the kids including a hay ride and a train.  We kept it simple and just played with pumpkins, but I'm sure it'll be a place Maya will look forward to as she gets older!

Pyramid of Pumpkins

Our playgroup

She loved the pumpkins!

My lil' pumpkin :)

She also loved the hay!  Once she discovered it, I couldn't get her to look at me for a picture...

Scrunchy nose face...her new favorite

Next time we'll ride the train...

Feeling Crafty...

I know you didn't think it was possible, but guess what?!?!  It's a post that's not about Maya!!  Crazy.

I got together with some of my dearest girlfriends for a craft night!  We all had creative energy that we needed to channel, but most of us just don't have the time (or lack creative skills) to work on crafty projects.  We decided to set time aside to get together, hang out and work on a craft.  

With a huge desire and little skill, I choose friendship bracelets...very middle school of me.  I was able to make one for each of the girls as a sign of my "complete devotion" :)

Lacie, our gracious hostess, made super cute baby head bands with elastic bands and homemade yo-yos...Maya is on the wait list!

Kacey, the craft guru, worked on her adorable crochet hats with crochet flowers...she's very talented and will be teaching me to quilt!  I can't wait!

Michelle brought cards and wrote notes for some friends while Cheryl put together some paper books for kids at school.   And Courtney made some jewelry!

 

It was fun to get out our creative energy, but any excuse to get together with these girls works for me!