Seals, Sea Lions, Dolphins...and a Whale!

In honor of Matt's upcoming birthday and Aunt Jo's timely visit, Saturday we went on a catamaran cruise to see dolphins and, we hoped, a whale! It was a beautiful day--75 degrees and sunny in the OC--when we departed. The first sea creature we saw was a little harbor seal, who was playing shy. Within a half hour, we were cruising with over 20 dolphins swimming in our wake. The girls were delighted watching them leap, spin, and splash right next to us. We even saw a couple of calves during the 40 minutes or so they kept pace. Near the end of our trip, the captain finally saw what we'd all been waiting for...a whale! From the 30-foot-high water spout and distance, he guessed that we were on the lookout for a blue whale. It went under before we got to it the first time, but a little while later, we all got to see it spout about a half mile ahead...and some even saw its back breach the horizon. Very exciting! Thanks, Jo, for the fabulous visit!!

Two Little Princesses

Claire joined in on the dress-up fun today with her big sister. She's still a bit small for all the pretty princess dresses, but she looked adorable in her little tutu, and Kaitlyn was more than happy to share her tiaras.

A Beautiful Morning for a Hike

Saturday morning was cool and slightly overcast, the perfect weather for a short hike in the Malibu hills. Matt and I took the girls in the backpacks for a 1.5-mile hike in Solstice Canyon Park. We saw beautiful flowers, a flowing creek, charred tree trunks surrounded by green foliage, a rushing waterfall, and the ruins of a historic home designed by renowned architect Paul R. Williams. The girls had fun running up and down the stone steps and peeking into the five fireplaces, about all that was left after a canyon fire in 1982.

Happy Easter!

We had a fabulous Easter weekend in Phoenix with family. The weather was great for swimming, watching a spring training game, and searching for Easter eggs in the backyard. Thanks to Jo and Kyle for hosting us all weekend. The food was delicious, and the company even better.

Kaitlyn summed the weekend up the best when she whined, "But I'm not ready to leave! I really like it here!!"

Claire Turns One!

We had a quiet celebration for Claire on Saturday, as Sunday was the big ice cream party. For breakfast, Claire had her own banana bread "cake" with powdered sugar and a candle. Then, after nap, she opened a few gifts from us. She's been opening presents from friends and family all week, the lucky girl!

Party Time!

Kaitlyn and Claire continued the birthday celebrations with a special Mickey Mouse party at our place. Friends came bearing their favorite toppings--sprinkles, caramel and chocolate sauces, maraschino cherries and candies--to pair with Matt's homemade vanilla ice cream, strawberry gelato and tangerine sherbet. For our part, Kaitlyn and I made cupcakes with hand-crafted Mickey Mouse chocolate nonpareils. Yummy!

It was a great afternoon filled with friends and laughter, and the girls were all smiles (except for when Kaitlyn ran away during the "Happy Birthday" serenade!)