Marissa's to-do list

Fathers' Day

Ahh, Fathers' Day... the chance to celebrate all those fabulous daddies and granddaddies. And to feast on brisket, ribs, homemade baked beans, and potato salad. We've been in New Mexico for just one week now, and the kids have delighted in spending time with Brian... as well as their grandparents, and cousins Matthew and Marissa. Here's Grandpa Rick with his four grandkids: Jack, Matthew, Kate, and Marissa. I tried to take posed shots, but that just wasn't in the cards.

Our gift for Brian? An old-school shotgun cleaning kit, never been used, found on etsy.com, and a success!

The boys did their manly stuff yesterday: a trip to the dump, and a local car race last night. The race itself lasted 'til 11:30; but Jack was asleep in Brian's lap from 10:00 p.m. on. Fun was had by all, but they were exhausted this morning.

Kate's pink poodle party

We had a lovely first birthday party in Lewiston for Kate. The theme? Pink Poodle in Paris! It was supposed to be a shared party, with her four-year-old cousin Avi, and Monster Trucks as the other theme, but Avi ended up catching a bug and missing the whole shindig. We had plenty of family show up, though, for food and cake and plenty of French poodle-themed games. My sister-in-law Marisa (Avi's mom) designed the pin-the-poodle-on-the-Eiffel-Tower game. We also had an obstacle course and a pink poodle cake, done by my good friend Lacey.

Surprise visit

Brian totally surprised us by showing up at my parents' house last weekend. He'd told me a few weeks ago that he might just drive up here sometime, but I guess I didn't really believe him. It was sooooo great to have him here. And, in just a couple more weeks, we will actually be together again, in New Mexico. Imagine that!