Awards

Both Grayson and Rowan received academic awards at their Spring awards assemblies. I was so proud of them. They have really been working hard this year and are making great strides. This was an especially great award for Grayson because he has NEVER gotten an award before. This year he finally has a teacher who has really pushed him and held him to higher expectations. She has also been wonderful at recognizing his accomplishments and letting him know how good he's doing. It was great to see the proud smile on his face when he was called up to get his award!

50 Years

On April 14 my parents reached a wonderful milestone- 50 years of marriage! What started out as one couple has turned into this brood (minus Alyssa who is off at school). What a legacy of love and family they have created.

We celebrated their anniversary with a small family brunch in their honor.

We enjoyed delicious treats,

a wonderful slideshow documenting the first 50 years of their lives together,

and being together. It was wonderful to get to celebrate this event with everyone!

Full

We had a very busy and event filled weekend. Our hours were filled, our home was filled, and we were filled, physically and emotionally. This weekend included:

- Dinner with a dear friend.
- A soccer game. First of the Spring season, and a win. Plus Grayson scored the first goal of the game.
- A track meet- with moments to feel such pride for Fuller as he ran his heart out.
- Fun house guests, and moments to play, laugh and enjoy being together.
- Celebrating a BIG anniversary for my parents!
- Sitting around my dining room table with so many of those I love the most.

Such GOOD, GOOD stuff!

Easter 2012

This weekend we were treated to a beautiful, sunny Easter weekend. We started our weekend off with the community egg hunt out at the fairgrounds. Grayson and Rowan had lots of fun seeing friends from school there and filling their baskets with candy filled eggs.







We also colored lots of eggs on Saturday. If only they liked to eat them as much as they like to color them!





On Sunday after checking out what the Easter bunny brought we headed to my parent' house. We had a lovely day visiting with my parents and my brother. We ate too much good food and had fun playing games.

Part 4- Alcatraz

When I asked Paul and Grayson what their favorite part of the trip was they both answered ALCATRAZ.

Paul was thankful that he had ordered tickets online ahead of time, otherwise they may not have been able to see it.

They had a cold and blustery ride out to the island, but thankfully it was at least dry.

They took an audio tour of Alcatraz, and Paul said that the tour was very well done.

They got to check out several of the cells, and imagine what life would be like there. This is a cell in solitary. The prisoners would sit in the dark in the cells for 24 hours a day. Paul said one of the stories on the audio tour was a former prisoner talking about how when he was in there he would break a button off of his shirt and throw it up in the air, and then look for it. This gave him something to do to keep him from going crazy.

Here Grayson is behind the glass in the visiting section. No physical contact allowed.



Kind of hard to imagine what life was like out there on "the Rock", sounds like it was pretty rough.

Part 3- SF Museum of Modern Art

While in San Fransisco Paul and Grayson spent several hours at the Museum of Modern Art. Of all our children Grayson is probably the one who would appreciate this the most. He is an art lover. He did however wonder about how some of the pieces at the museum were considered good enough to be there, and commented that at least one of the works was "inappropriate".


Grayson said this painting was "too bland" and he'd rather get to see a Van Gough.




I think Paul could have spent a lot more time appreciating this museum, but towards the end Grayson just wanted to get through it. Some time Paul and I will have to go without kids so we can look around to our hearts content.

Part 2- San Francisco

With great excitement Paul and Grayson arrived in San Fransisco. They had so many new experiences. I think they were a little overwhelmed by the size of the city, and it took them awhile to get comfortable. They had the "unique" city experience of interacting with and observing some of San Fransisco's more colorful characters, including the very intoxicated transient that threatened to kick, hit and pee on their car as they arrived at the hotel.

While they were there they also went to the Aquarium of the Bay,

watched sea lions at Pier 39

and got dizzy on a carousel at Fisherman's Warf.

They saw cable cars and street cars,

Grayson got his picture drawn,

and they checked out the mermaid statue at Ghirardelli Square.

They rode the street cars,

saw an albino alligator at the Academy of Sciences

and visited the Palace of Fine Arts.

And at the Exploratorium Grayson conquered his ingrained perceptions and drank from a toilet bowl drinking fountain.

Such great memories!