Much Needed Vacation

We boarded a plane and headed south, thus beginning a much welcomed vacation. While some friends were in the States, we stayed at their place. (Thanks A&K!) It was close to some great restaurants and had a pool in the complex. However, the week began with some rain so we found an indoor play place.
No pictures of Meg here - I think she's buried in the ball pit.

Most mornings were spent reading. So relaxing. This was their favorite reading spot.

Meg displays my favorite reading spot.

And sometimes Val would come visit me. Always glad to have her.

One morning, Meg and Val ventured outside to explore in the rain. They had fun catching rain in their mouths ... until someone parked their car in their spot.
The driver is definitely getting 'the look.'

Vacation is all about eating highly nutritious cereals.

And about having healthy snacks.

And about hanging out and being silly.

And about getting our fill of western food. Here's their mode of delivery. Nice.
Lia enjoys their hot, lemon water. Never mind the fact that it's 80+ degrees outside.

With all this healthy eating, a trip to the dentist doesn't seem necessary, but we went anyways.
Do dental hygienists in the States wear high heels?

The weather cleared, and we were off to the massive pool.

Meg giving it her best effort in the kiddie pool.

Val pauses for a sweet smile.

Smiles (clean ones at that) due to a very fun vacation.

New Park

We traveled to a nearby city where we explored a park that was a part of a university. Many graduates were around, and our girls were the star additions to everyone's graduation photo.

Happy faces.

Angry faces. Some more angry than others.
You may be catching on to who adds the spice to our family.

Twins Turn Six

As the cakes demonstrate, it was a jungle themed birthday party. (Yes, their parents were up late the night before finishing the cake toppings.) And the crowd favorite was 'pin the tail on the monkey.'

Val and Meg show off their new scooters.

The birthday girls - Val & Meg.

A Good Read

Lia brought a chair outside our apartment to read to a good book for a bit.

Egg Hunt

After talking through the Resurrection Eggs and eating a large brunch of pancakes, cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, and fruit salad, we rolled ourselves outside to hunt for Easter eggs. Although it was dry and dusty, it was in the 60s and sunny. So pleasant. Here are some shots of the action.

Getting warmer ...

Found it!

Val's taking a break from the action.

Meg 'n Treats

This post is dedicated to Megan who occassionally asks to get her picture taken with her newest sugary treat. This first picture shows Megan's teeth with a tint of blue (compare with picture #2), the result of an eaten cookie.

March Snow

As the Friday afternoon soccer practice ended, small snowflakes began to drop. Ten minutes later, as we walked to get a taxi, it became a full blown blizzard - huge flakes, big winds, limited visibility. As our family waited for a ride home, we didn't know whether to laugh with delight at the snow or grumble with frustration at the lack of taxis. We walked further on down the street and after jumping into the street and waving my arms frantically, an empty taxi pulled over. Phew.

Back at home, we were able to more fully enjoy the beauty of the snow.

What better way to add to the mood than homemade pizza. Yeah, it's good.

The next morning, Megan emphatically asked me to go outside and take some pictures. Being the good Dad that I am, I happily obliged. That afternoon, the girls got ridiculously dirty making a snow fort in front of our apartment. So fun.