Baltimore

 Wockenfuss chocolate.  Only the best chocolate in the world.  The Sanchez family introduced me to this deliciousness the first time I visited Baltimore in 2001.  And this time when we arrived at Deb and Sadie's house, there was a lovely two pound box of almond bark-my absolute favorite.  And you can bet it was gone within two days. 

 Sadie Lady.  She is the reason that Evan and I were ever introduced.  Thank you Sadie!!

 Sadie, Brynn and Mark, Sadie's boyfriend and coolest man ever.  Here they are making cookies.  And he played about 492 games of memory along with some puzzles, and tag around the house with the girls.  My girls absolutely adored this guy. 

 Zoe anticipating the cookies.  You can't see it here so well, but she has some spots where I did not do so great of a job with the sunscreen.  Poor little lady. 

 The coveted stuffed animals at the Sanchez house.  These never left the girls' sides the entire time we were there.

 Grammie Debbie is the best. Deb and Sadie had puzzles and the memory game awaiting the girls, which they absolutely loved.

 Grammie Debbie and Izzy.

 So sad this picture is out of focus!  This is Deb doing the hula!  And she rocked it!!

 Hours of coloring fun on the mini trampoline.

 Memory game with Mark.  Izzy is contemplating eating the pieces.

 Everything Deb said Brynn thought was hilarious! I love this picture of the two of them. 

 Deb + Brynn

 Downtown Baltimore.

 Grammie Debbie and the girls on our way to the aquarium.

 Izzy not having it as Sadie holds her. 

 Maya loved this snake at the aquarium.  Evan and I have told her that she can have snakes when she is 18 and moves out of the house. :)  Until then she is stuck with fish and hermit crabs. 

 Brynn and me being goobers.

 Oh humidity and my poor hair.  But!  A family picture! 

 Waiting at Matthew's Pizza.

 Brynn and Maya checking out the marble steps in Baltimore. 

 A family picture in front of the BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD. This could be our next Christmas card!  Seriously, if you live on the east coast, you need to eat at Matthew's. 

 Maya + Sadie Lady.

 I met Sadie Lady in 1999 when we were freshmen at Utah State.  She is responsible for introducing me to Evan!  We roomed together after freshman year, and in 2001 I went to Baltimore for the first time.  I was introduced to crab, the Atlantic ocean, wockenfuss chocolate, Matthew's pizza and it was just a blast to see where Sadie gets her personality from-her Dad, Joe.  Deb and Joe became my second parents, and referred to me as the 'good daughter.'  Evan and I went to Baltimore in 2004 when Evan did an internship, and we partied with the Sanchez's all summer long.  Then in 2005, Joe passed away, and we were in Virginia for school.  We were able to spend lots of wonderful time with the Sanchez ladies because we were just a few hours away.  This trip was so fabulous to let my girls see how fun the Sanchez ladies + Mark are!  Love me some Baltimore time!

The Beach

 Brynn checking out the Atlantic for the first time ever.

 Maya + Mika.  These two are about nine months apart.  Little besties.

 Brynn loving that another wave is coming!

 Maya about to run from waves-she could have stayed right there all day. 

 The ponies!!

 Mr. Puffer fish who dined with us at our beach bonfire.

 First thing Izzy did when placed in the sand was grab a handful and shove it in her mouth.  She was so happy!

 Brynn loved drawing pictures in the sand and then having Evan or I take pictures of them.

 Zoe loved digging in the sand.  She was always the one with the most in her hair at the end of the day!

 Maya watching the ocean. 

 Our souped up golf cart we took around the island.  Best sweet cash we spent!  I drove the little car with the littles while Evan and Maya rode a scooter. 

 Zoe sat up front and thought it was the best thing ever.  It was pretty hilarious to see others facial responses when we would cruise by with three car seats in that thing.

 This is Dagny, with her darling Mama Dalynn behind her.  She and Izzy are just one month apart.  Love her.

 This is the only pic I have of the Dads.  Evan and Daniel met as missionaries in Argentina. 

 And this is the only pic of Maren who is 3.  She is the happiest little lady. 

 Mika 7 1/2. 

 Ember who is 6.  Love those freckles across her nose and cheeks!

 The girls digging in a pit on the beach. 

 Sunset on the water-my favorite.

 Izzy + me.

 Taking Zoe on the scooter.

 She was sitting in her car seat outside of the hotel while Evan and I loaded up our car.  So happy to just sit and have a snack in her car seat. 

 The lighthouse on the island.

 Just doing her favorite thing.

 Izzy + Daddy.

 She is squealing here, you just can't hear it!

 

She did not want to leave the beach.

We partied out in Virginia and Maryland for our summer vacation this year, and it did not disappoint.  We met up with our fabulous friends the Thomas' who also have four girls who are in close age proximity to ours, which means they had the best time.  We played in the ocean as much as we could, had a bonfire, watched a guy catch manta rays out of the ocean, drove our scooters all over the place, had the best ice cream and our girls are still talking about how they a) wished we lived at the ocean and b) want to know when we are going back.  It was the best. 

catch up!

 my birthday this year was on a sunday.  boo.  but we partied hard with a lovely breakfast before church, and some flowers that were in to shallow of a vase! :) 

 Izzy + Me on my birthday.

 Izzy at the park.  She has a love/hate relationship with the swing.  Sometimes she loves it while other times she scrunches up her face and whimpers. 

 Zoe walking the perimeter.  She marches to the beat of her own drum. 

 Maya's first poem!  She read it aloud in class, and then was able to have a collection of poems from her classmates.  She was so happy to share it.

 This is how she ends up at the end of a snack/meal. 

 Noah's ark!  Behold!  We have a great friend in our ward who had this party boat, and although we have the fisher price one, this one is the favorite.  We found it at the thrift store.  Best find ever.

 On the way to the park one Sunday night.

 Brynn doing her thing on top of a jungle gym.  The eye closing?  I have no idea about that.  It's like meditation Brynn style.

 Zoe showing off her neck!

 A turtle we found running across our road, which we promptly put in a bowl with a lid and took it to the marsh land close to our house.  The girls wanted to keep it. 

 I took this lady on a little date.  Well, Izzy came too, but we went to dinner, park and the bookstore.  I love her. That little Big Bird is carried around the neck, always.

 Maya + Me.

Brynn, Maya and Me.  Just taking some pics of Maya's toothless grin on a Sunday.