Spring at Descanso Gardens!

We love Descanso Gardens, a beautiful retreat in the midst of a very busy city! It has also restored my faith in the fact that there are actually seasons in Southern California. Spring at Descanso is especially stunning and a treat for the senses.
A rare photo of the two of us...:)
Jeffrey has not yet learned rule #1 of photo etiquette: Look at the camera.
David in his element at one of the fountains.
We LOVE having our picture taken! :)

Visit from Mama Linda

We had a wonderful week leading up to Easter complete with a visit from my mom, better known as Mama Linda at our house. We did some fun things, made some great food, and just enjoyed having her here. I was especially grateful for her help with the every day happenings throughout the week. :) In addition to going to tea as grown-ups, Mama Linda and Katy were able to have tea together at Katy's all-time favorite purple tea room, The Gilded Rose Manor. I couldn't pass up posting these cute pics.

Spring Break in Palm Springs

We have had a lot going on the past month...thus the lack of postings. I thought I would catch you up on some of the goings on around our house. We took a spring break trip to Palm Springs and had a great time together. We did lots of swimming, hiking and exploring which made for a very fun week.

These are pictures from our hike at Indian Canyons. The overall terrain is very desert-like with a palm oasis which we hiked through. The contrast of dry and rocky versus the lush green of the oasis was beautiful.

Hiking at Joshua Tree National Park

Our kids have learned that Rick really likes cacti (sp?), so on our trip they were excited to point out various varities we encountered. You can imagine that in the desert we had lots of cacti encounters and therefore much excitement. :) This is a picture Will took of Rick in the middle of an amazing cactus "garden" at Joshua Tree.

Fun in the pool!

Jeffrey is growing

Here is a recent picture of Jeffrey, the forgotten child. :) Many of you have asked about how he is doing, so we finally got a couple of pictures the other day, though none are all that terrific. Jeffrey is truly becoming a happy baby. He loves to smile and has discovered a high-pitched squeal in the last couple of days that makes me laugh. I'm sure someone will need to remind me of this when he is 3 and is still squealing. We are all grateful for Jeffrey and for the sweetness he has brought to our family. Enjoy!!

Sandbox fun!

Rick built a sandbox last week, which has proven to be great backyard entertainment for our three oldest kids. Aside from sand in everyone's bed, I think this is a wonderful way to pretend you are at the beach and not have to deal with salt water, the long walk to the car and no bathroom within sight. We haven't figured out a way to eliminate the heat factor, but we are at least down to the upper 80's today which is a welcome relief from 96 degrees yesterday. Yikes! Libby, this has got to rival Qatar for mid-March. :)

Happy 39th Birthday Rick!!

Seeing as how I have never posted on our blog, I decided today would be a good day to celebrate my wonderful husband on his birthday. I have chosen these pictures because first of all, they are some of the few of Rick or I on our entire computer--with four children, the adults don't stand a chance! Secondly, I would venture to guess if Rick could choose to do anything on his birthday it would be skiing! :) So, happy birthday to one who loves Jesus deeply, who blesses those around him, and who lives life with great passion. I love you!

Johnny Carson Park

One of our favorite parks to play in in Burbank is Johnny Carson Park! Not only does it have a fun name and location - right across from NBC studios (where Ellen and Carson Daly are shot) but it also has a GREAT layout! A wonderful dirt running track that surrounds the park and also doubles as a great bkie path for younger children - Katy and Will love it! And, it also has a good old playground: affectionatley known as the Tonight Show Playground! I finally managed to remember the camera just to get some good shots of our growing kids and their new acocmplishments! Enjoy!

More pics on a link to the left soon!