Happy Birthiversary!

My sweet puppy is 5 years old today! I still remember bringing her home from the Humane Society - she was all slobber and fur and puppy breath. Now she's just all slobber and fur.

This is the very first picture that I have of my Lucy Goose. Who wouldn't have taken her home?

Happy Birthday Lucy! Even though I'm not there I still love you lots and I'm sure you're being spoiled today (hint, hint Auntie Kelly!).

Today is also Kelly and Shawn's 9th wedding anniversary. Crazy! (p.s. They dated for 5 years before they were married - you do the math!)

And all they have to show for it are two clever, gorgeous, perfect little girls!

Congratulations, I love you both very much!

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Whoop whoop! One of the many benefits of my new job is a week long October break. I'm heading to Tenerife tomorrow morning with Michelle, Heidi and Kate:

Girls so cool that they have to wear sunglasses at night!

To be continued....

Shawn Saves the Day (Again!)

So my brother in law is pretty awesome. He built me stairs for my deck (with less than a week's notice), tiled my bathroom floors, built a wall that made an additional bedroom in my house, fixed my car hundreds of times; the list goes on and on. I've been asked on several occasions if I rent him out - he's that good! But my new favorite Shawn contribution to my life is the following notecard that I received in the mail, in response to my facebook post:

Erin O'Brien thinks that America set her up for failure by not measuring things like the rest of the world. I can neither determine what size sheets I need nor what the temperature is outside. Just sayin...

Well played, Shawn Hobbs, well played!

Sunny Sunday Afternoon

Spent in Vondelpark

 Bikes basking in the sun

 Sunlight streaming through the trees

 Delicious mint tea

And this random guy who serenaded us with a song on the drum and then asked for food. He had just climbed down out of a tree... Oh, Amsterdam :)

How I Roll

 On two wheels! I love, love, love riding a bike, who knew? I feel like Phoebe running through the park:

(I probably look like her too!)

 I've been riding to and from school the past couple of weeks, trying to enjoy the beautiful, sunny weather while it lasts. My 30 minute ride takes me past boathouses, a swan pond and through the forest (and a sea of swirly, twirly gumdrops!). It's a very peaceful way to start and end my day.

I'm not quick enough with my bell, can't ride without hands, nor can I ride while holding an umbrella/texting on my phone/walking a dog/balancing 3-5 children on the front and back - the true indicators of Dutchness. I'm also constantly being passed by elderly women and small children. But I'm still having a really good time.

*I rode home in the rain for the first time today, one handed while holding my umbrella. I totally fell off, but only once :)