Where Have I Been?

I know, it's been rather quiet around here.  Quiet enough that I got a call from my brother-in-law [I'm embarrassed to say I had to ask who it was], my oldest sister, a skype with my little sister and an instant chat with my mom.  Love technology.  

Ryan kinked his back this past weekend and walking it out was the best medicine, keeping the blood flowing, so we took the girls, sans stroller or any other carrying device on a walk.  

We later mapped it out and figured it to be 4 miles we made those little legs walk!  Even little Clover did the whole thing without being carried [injured dad and pregnant mom].

They'll thank forgive us one day, right?

We stopped to pick some figs and take photos along the way.

Then, we spent our fourth having lots of good food, including fresh salsa, rosemary peach lemonade, blueberry tarts, and a variety of salads.

I took advantage of the baby dills' strong lungs to decorate,

and we enjoyed the afternoon on the beach with friends.

Pearl, our resident fisherwoman loves to catch the teeny little fish, store them in the sandcastle bucket for the duration of our stay and then throw them back into the ocean, animal lover that she is.

After some sand drawing, 

some sand baking, 

and some drip castling, 

we made our way to the pool, where chicken fighting ensued among sisters.  One family we invited has 11 kids!  They are the kindest, sweetest siblings you'll ever meet, and I'm hoping their gentleness with one another rubs off on my baby Dills.  Only one out of 11 couldn't come.  The rest were commandeered by our 5, a 2 to 1 ratio, which is rather convenient for parents.  Clover sat perched on Shane's shoulders, eating her sprinkled cookie, decorating the top of his head with falling sprinkles and crumbs.  He happily obliged.

We finished the evening watching fireworks over the ocean and eating the last of the fresh blueberry tart and sipping the rosemary lemonade.

Tuesday morning I got up early to make my way to girls camp!  Being due next month (with what I like to call our grand finale), I might have been crazy, but I enjoyed it so much last year, I wanted to get in at least of couple of days.  And then I got home and it really hit me.  This baby just might be here NEXT MONTH!  (beginning to panic, maybe just a bit.)  I still have to work through my HypnoBaby course, painting to do and of course a whole lot of sewing and then there's the knitting that I want to learn and what about a real quilt and new crib sheets and finishing the sewing studio and organizing all the cupboards and closets?  Nesting?  Is that what they call it?  The last time I did this labor thing, I was up the night before painting the girls' bathroom because it was just too pink.  I think I need a crew of 40 to get all that done.

So.  I've decided that I will accomplish what I can, and the rest will just have to go the way of the diaper pail--except the oven.  I always ask Ryan to clean the oven before each of our babies.  Even if it doesn't get used, I can look in it and know it won't get messy from my girls.  It's the little things.