March Went Marching By…

Cousins came to celebrate Emi's baptism weekend. SF was beautiful that day!

 These boys are getting so old and grown. It seems unreal!

 There's the temple in the distance…

 Alcatraz was super cool. Every kid loved it. So did the old folks.

 Photobombed by the best. :)

 Tom, this would have been so cute…stinker!

 Patriotic…so lovely

 A trip to the dental office…park

 and the Star Wars exhibit in SJ

 This guy made me take his pic…a lot. ;)

 they made their own robots

 Emi and I are taking ballet (Emi) and pilates (me). We get to have girl time every Sat morning. It's delightful! I love this cute ballerina. She's such a love!

 Phil never ceases with the pics of me! :P

 Then there was St Patty's Day

 So much fun to be had!

 birthday buddies

 then I looked up and saw this little beauty.

 the leprechaun got pretty bold and made us all laugh quite a bit!

 Love family traditions and fun!

St Patty's 2012

The Leprechauns always visit Grami's house! ;)

 As always we had a great time finding gold, eating mashed potatoes with money and corned beef and of course desserts galore!

 Us girls enjoyed hanging out and talking.

 Grami (who has no make-up because she had cataracts surgery just days before) cooking the Mitchell family traditional meal.

 Susan and my mom. Susan did all the flowers for my wedding and has been dating Uncle Keith FOREVER!

 Joshua smiling for a picture! Now that's a lucky treat for sure.

 Blurred Isaiah

 and Carina..

 Cutie Megan!

 and Emi our tap dancer.

 They love their Papa

 The twin cousins...so if you lost count their were 9 kids running around!

 The sisters.

 The girls put on a dance show for us. :)

 Auntie Lu-lu gave Isaiah his birthday present. A Hex-bug which became an instant hit!

 Elijah was very frustrated because he couldn't win. I didn't notice he was crying until after the picture. Josh kept reassuring him that it was "just a game." :)

 Ending it all with a good cuddle on the couch and little Caillou made it perfect. I so enjoyed just sitting around the kitchen table talking as cousins and siblings about fun times we had as kids.

We talked about the time we nearly died as our car went off the cliff during a storm in the hills of La Honda. A night that I will never forget. The only thing that held us was the mud and the barbed-wire fence that got caught around the car bumper. The entire next generation of our family was in that car and I am certain that we were protected from on high. We had to walk back several miles in pouring rain and fog so thick that you couldn't see beyond your fingers reach. Oh, and of course we were in mountain lion territory, hence the shotgun in my brother's left arm. I believe I hyperventilated for a bit and then sobbed while my brother put his remaining arm around me and we walked. That was the first year that I decided to stay overnight. Usually I was too much of a chicken and would go home at the last minute. I am thankful for the experience as it has since increased my faith in our Heavenly Father's plan for each of us and of our worth to him as He watched over and saw us safely home.