Emma & Juliana's World

Sweet Dreams

2012-01-25T18:57:00.001-08:00

Leaf Fun

2012-01-18T06:56:00.001-08:00

Emma Rides Her Bike!

2012-01-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a big weekend for Emma. She's been begging to ride a real, (pedal) bike for months now. Last week she was such a great kid that it was the perfect time to reward her with something special. So while I was potty training our second born, Mark took Em to get a big girl bike! Of course she picked out the girliest one available, a princess bike with a carriage seat for your favorite stuffed baby (white & pink unicorn at the moment), and let's not forget the glittery silver streamers hanging from the handle bars for that extra kick of sparkle. Pretty cool. She was pumped! That afternoon, even though the weather was anything but lovely, Mark took her out. I waited with anticipation... Within the hour she was riding up and down the streets like she'd known all along what to do. She came back with a look on her face that was just priceless! I went outside to witness the real thing and there she goes! She was so proud, and we were SO PROUD! So for the rest of the afternoon, Emma rode her bike around the neighborhood with Mark running along side her. Pretty cute.

It's a milestone that happens once in a lifetime. We are proud of you Emma! (thanks Daddy for being such a great teacher!)

Listen to what Emma says to Mark when he runs in front of her... so funny

A Day in the Life...

2012-01-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year’s Eve! 2011

2012-01-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

"Here's a toast to the future,
A toast to the past,
A toast to our friends, near and far.
May the future be pleasant;
The past a bright dream;
May our friends remain faithful and dear
~ Anonymous

Ending our year with great friends, new and old, lots of laughs and our kiddos too! Cheers to a new year!

Nikki, Molly, Kelly, Erin and me

Kate wore that mask all night. It continues to crack me up
Time for s'mores! It was such an awesome night to be outside, the s'mores were such a fun hit!
...still on
Sweet Hudson and his mamma
If you've ever wondered just how much energy Jules has, these glow sticks give a pretty good description
Let the count down begin! (Who cares that it's only 10:00 pm... We've got Beijing New Years from iTunes to count down with!)

Finally a Sunny Day

2012-01-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a week of gloomy weather in Houston and the last day we were there it was beautiful! We took advantage with a short trip to the park before our last dinner together. The smiles on the kid's faces say it all!

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-02T13:31:00.001-08:00

Wishing everyone love on this special and magical day.

...think I'll take this while no one is looking

If I can't have Rapunzel, I'll just BE Rapunzel
An Italian Christmas starts with family and my favorite lasagna... after the prosecco, wine, cheeses, and various appetizers, of course.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

Six steps to a great Christmas Eve!

Step 1: Sing Christmas carols...with a brush as your microphone
Step 2: Pretend you are Mary and give birth to baby Jesus
Step 3: Christmas Mass
Step 4: Christmas Eve dinner at Leo and Rachel's (Mark is obviously super excited)
Step 5: Sprinkle that magic sprinkley Reindeer food all over to make sure the reindeer don't miss Nonni's house

Step 6: "if we go to sleep right here, santa will come" -Emma

Lydia Noelle Dembinski

2011-12-21T18:51:00.001-08:00

We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome baby Lydia into this world! Mary (Mark's sister) gave birth to their first baby on December 20. She's a precious gift and I have so much love for her already.

Sweet Treats with Sweet Friends

2011-12-21T16:27:00.001-08:00

Emma's First Nutcracker Ballet

2011-12-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

Little ballerinas going to their first Nutcracker Ballet: what a perfect little afternoon.

Photo Shoot Round 2

2011-12-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

When we didn't think we got anything good for our Christmas card this year, we headed out and took a few more pictures hoping to get "the shot"... obviously these did not make the cut, but they were pretty funny! Love those girls!

Christmas at School

2011-12-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

The girls have been off and on sick this holiday season and it's been tough missing events and getting anything done. Although we had to miss Juliana's Christmas Program, we were able to attend Emma's Christmas Party at school. The kids did great singing Christmas cheer for all to hear! Add a cookie, a drink and friends and you have a wonderful morning celebrating Christmas.

Julianas First Official Haircut

2011-12-05T22:27:00.001-08:00

My girls

2011-12-01T18:47:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T09:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was definitely the BEST yet! The company, the food, the wine, the kids (well, if you take out Juliana and a pinch of Emma), and the weather were all just the beginning of what we are thankful this year... We started out with breakfast with friends before heading out to the Turkey Trot, and then headed back to start a day of thanks with family!

On saturday we went out for a little shopping and a good try for a Christmas card picture... let's just the results were funny!

The Day Before Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

We love to host Thanksgiving every year and it's such a great time to have my family come up. The night before turkey day we enjoyed gorgeous weather, some good food and s'mores! Just getting ready for Thanksgiving...

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."

Southlake Tree Lighting

2011-11-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

We've started a little tradition with the Francis Family: have dinner and then head to the Southlake Christmas Tree Lighting in Town Square. How can you say no to such good friends, good food and delicious peppermint bark?! Sadly Mark was gone (Costa Rica to see the 20th anniversary Pearl Jam concert; awesome) and I was sad he missed a fantastic night... until we headed home. Emma screamed the entire way home because she didn't see the green fountain or get hot chocolate, and Juliana decided to get sick. Thankfully everyone was on the mend the next day and my memory lingers on the fun and the peppermint bark instead. Let the holidays continue!

Peppermint Bark!

Riley, Kate and Emma. What cracks me up about this picture is that those are Juliana's hands on the left hand side and she wouldn't go near Rudolph, but was happily cheering the other girls on!

Molly and me
Emma catching falling snow flakes

Just Zoomin' Around

2011-11-22T07:57:00.001-08:00

Colbie Turns Two

2011-11-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

Calling all princesses of the land: Come celebrate Colbie's 2nd Birthday!

A Dembinski Shower in Chicago

2011-11-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

We've been thrilled since the moment we found out that Mary (Mark's sister) was pregnant. We were even more thrilled when we found out it was a girl (just what she wanted) and we were just as thrilled to through her a shower to express our excitement! It turned out beautiful and delicious, and she got some pretty cute things. Baby Baby Baby!
Of course on our girls trip out to Chicago we did some good spoiling of the girls. Mimi is mainly to blame for their constant smiling faces. We took them to the Children's Museum, out to some yummy dinners, parks, hikes, and topped it off with a baby shower! I think we are all lucky ducks to have such a good family!

Emma's shadow holding hands with Emma's shadow. Pretty cool

On our little hike Jules spotted a wooly worm crossing the path. That little guy was fuzzy! Long winter ahead?
Watching the birds with Grandpa

At the park with uncle Jon and Amanda

(updated) Halloween Festivities!

2011-11-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

A friend's Halloween party at the park, a Daddy-Spa-Night to get into the mood, a superhero filled soccer game, a Ridglea Halloween dance party, Boo at the Zoo, school Halloween treats, squeeze in a little spooky party for mom and dad, and finally throw in the final Halloween night, and you've got a pretty perfect week of spooky fun!

October Happenings

2011-10-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

October isn't even over yet and we've had a ton to be happy about. Decorating, Mariel's Birthday Princess birthday party, sunny park days with friends, Country Day Family Stampede, TCU pre-games, and the best part of October is celebrating my and Mark's anniversary! Seven wonderful years to cherish and look back on with a huge smile, and a love that grows stronger each day. I love you!

Emma loves the anticipation and the fun of decorating for the holidays, so getting out the Halloween boxes was a treat this year! She loves to take each thing out and tell me what she remembers about it from last year

I cannot get enough of those smiles!

Happy Birthday Mariel!

Jack & Fritz (hee hee) Look at those smiling faces

Our little chickens: Henry, Jules, Emma, Madeline, Hudson, Hadley
Check out Jules in the back doing everything she can to keep up with her big sister

Why not start a dance party when you are waiting in line for a bounce slide? One guess to who started that...
Soccer's back

Jenny & Derek, who shared our time in Scottsdale with us

Me and Jenny with Linda, one of the most inspiring people I've ever met

Saving the Worms

2011-10-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

Friends

2011-10-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics from some good ol' times with some good ol' friends

If that isn't proof of a good time...!

Family Night

2011-10-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Every year Alcon hosts a Family Night Out at Six Flags. For one reason or another, we've never been able to go. This year we got to experience it, and what a great time it was! Emma went on a pretty big-kid roller coaster, and LOVE IT. Jules had a super time running around and going on the rides that she could, and Mark and I actually got to ride the Texas Giant... exhilarating!

Jack's Art Birthday Party

2011-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Jack Fulton turned 4 this week and he celebrated with all his friends at Van Grow Art Studio. I'm pretty sure fun was had by each and every one of those kids... painting, gluing, cutting, and finally, eating! A big birthday wish to sweet Jack!

These blue faces! If that doesn't make you smile...

Go Bears!

2011-09-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year... the "go-Bears" (what the girls call the Chicago Bears), kick off football season. And they start it off with a win! This house was pretty happy! Mark and I made girly Bears shirts for the girls just in time for kick-off. (We're pretty sure that's why they won)

Check out the pose! I have no idea where that came from, but Ok, pretty fitting!

TOUCH. DOWN. BEARS.

Seaworld

2011-09-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Juliana's second birthday, the four of us headed to San Antonio to experience Seaworld. The girls had A BLAST! It was a fun family trip (minus the hotel sleeping scenario, which was actually as hilarious as it was frustrating)! We headed out friday night and got to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before a long day at the park. Oh wait, I forgot what kind of sleepers I have. We arrived at 9:45, and after them not even falling asleep in the car like we planned, they were up giggling and calling each other and singing until way past 11. Our morning was started earlier than we wanted, but after a nice breakfast, we headed over to the park... and it was a fantastic day! The girls fed the dolphins (no pictures because of my brilliant move of forgetting to put the battery in the camera that morning. Mark was nice enough to go back to get it), we enjoyed seeing lots of Sesame Street characters, watched a dolphin show, and of course the ultimate Orca whales! Along with all the other water animals and rides, it ended up being a perfect way to be together and celebrate Jule's special day!

Emma was cracking up at the clown during the Azul Dolphin pre-show

Daddy and Em on one of her first roller coaster rides

jules crashed while we waited for the Shamu show, it was sweet to have her lay on me

Firsts of Fall

2011-09-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

This week was a week of firsts. The weather finally dropped to a comfortable temperature, which made it great for Emma's first day of school, Emma's first day of ballet class and my and Mark's first date in his new car!

"Happy To-Day" Jules

2011-09-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately how much we love Jules? It's hard to believe she turned 2 this week, but we have a ton of laughable memories and couldn't imagine our lives without her!

A little bit about Juliana at 2 years old (besides that she says "happy to day" instead of happy birthday)

*she drinks syrup
*she loves cars and anything with wheels just as much as babies and tutus
*corrects you when you teach her a word which she believes to be something else in her own language; example, "water" is "roke" no matter how many times you tell her
*she hits (unfortunately Emma and Jack are the few she choses to torture)
*she loves to climb and jump, but is scared of bounce houses (and luckily has not climbed out of her crib)
*her laugh is contagious and lights up the room
*she talks in 3-4 word sentences and is very vocal, in english and in her own language
*she dunks the top of her head in water whenever the opportunity arises
*if she has anything to do with it, she's shirtless... and soon to be pantless
*mimics everything her sister does
*she breaks out in song at any give time
*and my personal favorite thing about her is that everything is exciting and her exaggerated expressions give away her every feeling

Cheers to you baby Jules! Mimi and Grandpa came to visit and we celebrated a few days early at our favorite spot, Fireside Pies
Mimi & Grandpa
(see what I mean)
Make a Wish!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-08-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

thanks to everyone who made me feel special!

The Sandy Beaches of Rosemary Beach

2011-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 years, we've been lucky enough to go on a trip to Hilton Head with Mark's side of the family every summer. This summer we changed it up a bit and decided on a new location, Rosemary Beach FL. The beaches, with the sugary white sand, were gorgeous, the little town of Rosemary was just beautiful and filled with delicious restaurants and shops. It was love at first sight, and it was easy to continue loving it when we found a donut truck, ama vida coffee, ice-cream & snow cones galore, outdoor movie nights playing Tangled, and our new favorite restaurants Cafe Thirty-A and George's. It was a a wonderful weekend having fun and playing catch up with the family and watching Mary's belly grow daily (It's a girl!)! This Papini family sure can't wait to get back there... (but maybe this time during a cooler, less humid period)

First day on the beach was bliss... We were looking forward to the rest of the week. Unfortunately Emma's eczema flared up and the sand and salty water really stung, so my vision of sand castles, jumping waves and collecting sea shells was short lived. But no worries because my girls are pool girls and we had a terrific time splashing for hours every day at the pool!

The mimi-attack...the first of many water fights!

Aunt Amanda, "Dae-Dae" as Jules named her
Ice-cream at the Sugar Shack... ice-cream and candy heaven. It was a mouthwatering site to see!
Uncle Don, Mark and uncle Jon on their way to the donut truck... which unfortunately only happened once because of the humidity

Finally, the whole Papini Family together

Mimi & Grandpa

Water Balloon Fight!

We found an art class Emma could take one afternoon. She had a fun time drawing sea animals with other kids
Jules couldn't get enough of Daddy blowing on her face. We couldn't get enough of seeing her hair fly back
The final result after the "blowout," the perfect mullet

The trip is also special because we celebrate our August birthdays. We had a chef come in and cook us dinner while we enjoyed our last night together.
Happy Birthday to Grandpa, Jon and me!

PK with the Stekoll's

2011-08-09T14:05:00.001-07:00

This summer we've gotten to experience a lake house two times, and it's been without a doubt a blast both times. The Sketoll family invited us a few weekends ago to their lake house at Possum Kingdom Lake and we had such a great time. Friends, pranks, good food, sun, water, boat, jet ski, prairie dogs, and an awesome floating party float... all equals a pretty fantastic time! Thanks for a fun weekend!

First jump into the lake, Emma and Daddy from the second story

This float was insanely calming, soothing, and exciting all wrapped into one
One of many pranks, the girls getting wiped out by Mike's tidal wave!
After a long sun filled day, a beautiful peaceful sunset....
Sweet dreams little ladies. Guess who didn't fall asleep fast?
Marilyn, aka that animal whisperer, with two prairie dogs

Em feeding a little prairie dog
Jules not knowing what to do with the prairie dogs
Marion, Marilyn, Jules and Emma... "ready set, JUMP!"

Mike and captain Marilyn
Mark taking Marilyn and Emma for a ride
Misty and Marion with baby Jules
silly face time

Anyone know if there's anything better than a sleeping baby? ... Maybe a laughing baby... Precious.

Summer Fun

2011-07-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

Last week was a blast! The girls had so much fun with friends. We went to Fossil Rim with Marilyn and Marion... put those girls together and add some animals and you are sure to have plenty of laughs.

Marilyn and Emma checking out the "map" of animals they will be able to feed
Jule's surprise face!

Look how tall I am!

Jules thinks everything is so exciting! It's such a great reminder that everything is new to children... it's a wonderful thing

Juliana and Marion

The rest of the week was full of water-balloon fights, afternoon play-dates and fun in the backyard or at the pool. After getting some good practice with daddy, Em invited Charlotte over for an afternoon of backyard fun too!

Summer Fun in Chicago

2011-07-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

In order to go to Scott & Johanna's wedding, I made a quick trip to Mimi & Grandpa's house to drop the girls off. I know we had a great time the two days I was there with them, so there is no doubt in my mind that the girls enjoyed their time there even more when Mommy left!

Emma getting ready to go down the biggest water slide she's ever been on!
Success! It was such fun she must have gone up those stairs and down that slide 150 times (and that night stiiill not tired enough to go right to sleep?!)

Everyone knows that to make the best s'mores, you gotta have the best sticks. So Emma and grandpa found some old bamboo and striped it and made points to make the perfect sticks
Jules wanted nothing to do with making the sticks, but preparing the fire was right up her alley
Sweet Cali

Gi-Gi got one of Jule's famous kisses!
Jules catching a light bug and waiting for it to light up again
Watching for light bugs and fairies with Grandpa
Back from the wedding and ready to celebrate the 4th of July. Being greeted with cupcakes isn't so bad either...

Have you ever seen so many bubbles?!
We went to a habachi style restaurant and Jules was a bit scared of fire, but Emma was all about the chef's tricks... including the rice heart he made her

Who does this baby look like?

Scott & Johanna say "I DO"

2011-07-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since they were married, and it's about time I write a little something about that fantastic wedding. In a nutshell, it was amazing! Let's just go ahead and do that all over again! Not only was spending time with Scottie so exciting, but I finally got to meet the bride, Johanna. And she's absolutely perfect for Scott. What a wonderful, beautiful, and fun person she is. They were married in Keuka Lake, upstate NY... and although hard to get to, no one wanted to leave by the end of weekend. We had a super time with old friends, family and just reliving our twenties all over again in a lake setting, far far away from the LA hustle. It really was a weekend to remember. Congratulations Scott & Jo!

First night: All You Can Eat Crab Legs. Delicious!
Scott and Johanna

A little wine tasting...

The Haro's
A couple smores....

Sam and Michael (Scott's niece and nephew) played a little prank on Scottie with me... it ended in a nasty drink and a silly string attack... they were so proud!

A little boating and swimming...

The ceremony was beautiful. Austin learned to play the ukulele for the wedding. He strummed "I'm Yours" for the guests and the family to walk in, and then "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" when Johanna walked down the grass isle. There were about 150 guests looking onto the doc and boats behind them in the water watching as Scott and Johanna said "I do." It was a beautiful start to a fantastic night of celebrations!

Mr. & Mrs. Haro

What a night!

Spontaneous Austin Reunion

2011-06-26T18:47:00.001-07:00

How did it happen? We were 14 years old just "the other day." Now some of us have kids, some of us are about to have a kid, some of us are about to get married, and some of us are trying to look for "Mr. Right Mike." Some how, everything came together and a great group of friends met up in Austin for a little catching up. As if there wasn't enough to chat about, there was big news too: Sepi is engaged! And Lisa is having a baby GIRL! It certainly brought that warm fuzzy feeling of being around people you know and love, even if many miles come between us all. To see my friends with their families and kids and know they are all doing great puts a big smile on my face and reminds me of how lucky we really are. No matter the distance between us, know you are all in my heart. xo

Top Row: Lisa, Crystal, me
Bottom Row: Laura, Jodi, Laura and Krissy
This picture was taken before school on our last day of 8th grade..."
Almost twenty years later, here's our best attempt at recreating the picture
Let's redeem ourselves a bit with a smile
Friends since at least middle school, if not before... (Sepi, me, Krissy, Lisa on the top row. Crystal and Laura on the bottom row. Jodi MIA for now)
First time kayaking, in Barton Springs. I think Krissy and I did pretty swell! Next time, paddle boarding
Hello Saldivar Family!
Austin skyline from Barton Springs
I couldn't get enough of these boxers running and playing. Too bad Jack wasn't there to join in on the fun
The newly engaged couple, Sepi and Marc

Miles! I love ya!
Big brother & little brother (below), these two faces just make me smile

Spread the news, SEPI'S ENGAGED!

Isabella & Noah, another two that just make me smile
Ended it with a yummy dinner along with Sepi's old boss

Summer in Houston

2011-06-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

What a FANTASTIC Houston trip. Best yet! The weather was perfectly hot for days at the pool. Wether in the pool with Vanson, or hanging out in the pool with Nonna, my girls (and I) love the water. We are so proud of Emma, she's now swimming like a little fish without any floaties. It's amazing what exposure and a little guidance can do. Anyhow, we somehow fit in spending some good time with Nonna, Nonno, Rachel and the kids, a little bit of Leo, and a few friends... and just because sometimes overdoing it is fun, we had a photo session for the kids, I got to take my Dad to a spa pedicure (with vino) for Father's Day, I got a massage, worked out, annnnd snuck away to Austin for two days!
Sneek Peak

Blue Lagoon?

This picture makes me laugh. Doesn't it look like they are in some fancy hotel bathroom that they shouldn't be in? "parrrtyyyy!"
Father's Day Brunch (Mark, you were very much missed)

First time for ice-cream from an ice-cream truck!
Rachel was nice enough to host a playdate with Jack, Hayes and baby Kate. It was great to see them again and actually get a fun picture with all the kids (minus Kate who was sleeping soundly)

A night out with Nonno at his favorite place
Emma being thrown in the air, shocking.

Time for a water break after playins soccer with Nonno... the obvious thing to do is go steal some from Jack

Summer in Full Swing

2011-06-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm back! For those of you who keep coming back and not finding anything new, I apologize, but we've been having too much fun and not enough time at home to blog. So here we go on another big catch-up blog!

First our visit with "Emmeka," aka Anneke and Emma. My friend Lovin and her two girls came up to Fort Worth to visit us this summer and this year, not only did Em and Anneke have fun, so did Marielle and Juliana! Painting, swimming, baking, playing, running, zoo... it was pretty fun!

It's always a good time for silly faces

Birthdays are always fun, but the Strohmers really do a fantastic job every year with the creativity they put into Max's parties! This year we went to Strohmer Ranch. Complete with horse rides, barn doors, piles of hey, delicious ranch-like snacks, and a piñata! I'm pretty sure Max had a pretty great birthday!

Happy Birthday Max!

Every once in a while my brother Leo races motorcycles in Denton. It's a nice to see him and cheer him on, even for just a short afternoon. That day was particularly hot, and Emma started a fun water fight! It wasn't the best race the team has had, considering the bike broke down a few times, but it sure was fun spending some time with Zio Leo!

Christmas in May

2011-05-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Mark is the best gift-giver I know. He's so good, he could (and should) write a book for those others less endowed. For Christmas last year he planned an entire weekend for me. He flew my best friend to town for three days of girly events... dinners, shopping, and my very first spa day, which was heavenly by the way, and nights in a fabulous hotel suite! (It was scheduled for late May so we could enjoy a day at the pool, but weather didn't quite cooperate) For him, it took a lot of effort in planning all of this. For me, it was the perfect effortless getaway with Sepi. I felt incredibly spoiled! xoxox

A night out with the family
Javier's!
Yes Sepi, that IS a long horn skull on that truck

Emma's First Ballet Recital

2011-05-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

How was it? Cute, cute and cute! Emma's ballet class performed a tap dance to a song called "Animal Crackers" and it was just adorable to see those little girls in blue frou-frou outfits with pink cheeks belting out a song; all of them desperately trying to stay on cue and stay together. Surprisingly, no one was shy or scared once they got on stage in front of a sea of proud parents, but there was the occasional day dreamer, which at this age just makes you giggle.

Madeline's little brother came downstairs to wish the girls his best just before they headed on stage. They all just giggled, so cute

Our little Ballerinas, Emma & Madeline

Birthdays

2011-05-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

I guess a lot of parents were busy during the late summer months because lots of babies were born in April and May! Here's a few more birthday parties we were happy to be a part of!

Probably Emma's new favorite place is Rollerland, an old school roller rink that transforms into a playground for bikes, scooters, tricycles, cars, and skates galore! Bring your own" wheels" and let the fun begin!
Happy Birthday Batman... I mean, Hank!

Emma zooming around on her wheels
Jules zooming around on "stolen" wheels

It was a perfectly sunny day for Charlotte's Strawberry Shortcake Party. Put in a bounce house, a jungle gym, toys, a water table and top all of that off with birthday cake and strawberry ice-cream for some sure to see smiles and a good times! Happy Birthday to our favorite little Strawberry!

"Baby T" is officially not a baby... Taylor turned 2 this weekend! The lady bug theme was so sweet for the birthday girl and all her little guests. Emma loved the piñata and was thrilled when she broke it and candy came out (I don't think she expected that!). But the best part was the 4000 lady bugs that were let loose all over the kids. It was fun to see all their personalities come out with these cute little bugs crawling on them!
Happy Birthday Taylor!

How did that lady bug sneak on you?
I love this face!

Look at these faces... pure joy and excitement!

An Afternoon with Madeline

2011-05-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Emma's friendship with Madeline has grown this year, so we jumped at the opportunity to have her spend all afternoon with us when her mom was out of town. And oh did we pack it in that afternoon! First the girls had a giddy time after school going to get Curly's Custard before picking up Jules, and then we headed home for some fruit and art before ballet class. After that, they were all having such a good time that she stayed for dinner. So more sandbox playing, water spraying and running around on a perfect warm texas night before and after dinner. I wouldn't dare send Madeline home to her Daddy looking like all that fun, so in the bath tub all three girls went. Lots of splashing, smiles and a soaked bathroom finally equaled to three beautiful clean girls. What a fun day with just the girls! Thanks for sharing your time with us Madeline, we had a great time!

Magical Mother's Day

2011-05-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Waking up and staying in bed... Some mornings, that's all a mother thinks about! And that's just what I got to do. And the best part, Mark came back shortly after with my beautiful girls, and breakfast in bed. What a fantastic start to my day! You never know the love of your own mother until you become a mother... and then every cuddle, every kiss, and every kind word from your babies is just that much more precious. I look at Emma and Juliana and am so thankful for them and think about how they've each made our family special in their unique ways.

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” – Theodore M. Hesburgh

Thanks to my wonderful husband for a magical day of relaxing, watching and taking it all in!

Our April Whirlwind

2011-05-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

There's so much to catch up on! We've had an exciting April, so here goes my longest blog yet...

The beginning of April started off with beautiful spring weather. That means plenty of time outside painting, playing soccer, and great warm nights with friends.

Colbie and Jules

Nothin' better than bed time s'mores

Some moms from Em's school had been planing an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids the weekend before Easter. What do you know, my seldom-sick-girls were both sick and couldn't make it to enjoy all the fun! Emma really wanted to find the golden egg because the prize was a goldfish. She felt so lucky when she heard that during her nap the Easter Bunny made a special stop at our house and left a golden egg and a few other eggs filled with coins to go buy her very own fish. She was thrilled! It was nice to see some smiles on their faces after such a rough few days.

Emma's school had a little Easter Party. The parents are usually anticipating some sweet children's songs about the on-going holiday, but today we were surprised with something different. The kids did relay races, egg balancing and sack-hopping! It was so fun to watch!

Emma cheering on her team!

My parents came to visit Easter weekend... what a fun time we had celebrating Emma's birthday a little early, and celebrating Easter.

We've been looking forward to the Ridglea Easter Egg Hunt all spring, and although it was quite windy, the kids had a fun time! How could they not with an egg hunt, a bounce house, face painting, cookie decorating (and eating), pony rides, and a petting zoo?!

After the egg hunt, we wasted no time moving on to another special event, Maddon's 4th Birthday party at a TCU baseball game! Nonna and Jules went home to take a little nap while the rest of us headed out to enjoy the party.

The kids got to run the bases lead by the birthday boy!
Happy Birthday Maddon! (check out that enormous cake)

Happy Birthday Sweet Emma!

The anticipation is over! Emma has been counting the days to her birthday party at Young Chefs. Most of you know her fascination with cooking, so it was the perfect place to celebrate with her friends. The kids made their own pizzas from scratch and then while they waited for them to cook they decorated, and ate, cupcakes! Happy Birthday little squirt!

I told Emma to take a picture with her boys, and this is the pose she came up with

On a last note, Emma and I went over to Young Chefs on Sunday afternoon for a little charity event. They were raising money and baking cookies for the people in Alabama who've suffered through huge storms. Emma has the biggest heart, so it was no surprise that she wanted to go in and lend a hand and bake some cookies for people who could use a smile.

Soccer Camp

2011-04-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Soccer shoes, check. Soccer ball, check. Soccer camp, check. Mark and I hold our breathe... here we go!
I doubt it's any surprise that we'd love for Emma to find soccer to be "her sport"... but let's say so far she seems to be more talented in art and dance than athletic coordination. Her first practice was pretty great! She ran, she scored, and she even encouraged her team. With only six hours of sleep the night before, the second practice started out slow. Nonetheless I think she's having a great time out there (and I think they couldn't be any cuter)! I'm curious to see what the rest of the season has in store for us!

Emma and Maddon running down the field... Maddon finishes with a goal

Colbie and Jules

Spring Break

2011-03-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Daddy, manatees, Mimi, smores, green beer, ice-cream, Grandpa, sunny weather annnnd Mark's birthday... that equals to a whole lot of laughs and a whole lot of fun! What a great little break we had!

Taking the girls to the Dallas Aquarium. It was chaotic, but Emma was so excited about seeing real Manatees

One of many delicious dinners we had out, followed by a fun night of making smores

Happy St. Patty's Day!
Emma couldn't get enough of the "knock-knock" jokes we were coming up with. That laugh is so contagious!
If there's music, you can bet my girls are dancin'

Happy Birthday Mark!
Jules fell in love with goofy Grandpa. I think the feeling was mutual

A Job Well Done

2011-03-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

We are proud of our Emma. She "bought" a sandbox for her and Jules! She's been asking for a sandbox so we decided that if she had a little job she could earn it. She was to feed Jack morning and night for a week. She did so well that first week that we extended it, but finally we looked online and bought a sandbox together. It finally came, and Emma and Mark put it together this past weekend. She is so proud of herself and she is so excited about having it!

Pre-sandbox...constant digging in the dirt

"If you work really hard, you get whatever you want!"
Jules hasn't actually gotten in the box... yet

Sweethearts Dessert Fantasy

2011-03-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was invited to the 15th Sweethearts Dessert Fantasy benefiting the Lena Pope Home here in Fort Worth. A girls night out in a room filled with tables of desserts! "Yes, I'll take another Del Frisco's shake"... it's for a good cause.

Spring's off to a Good Start

2011-03-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Kids have the silliest camera smiles!
Juliana and Luke, how cute
This mess takes only seconds... Why do I continuously give her markers?

For "Fat Tuesday", we went over to Ridglea to celebrate the last day of Mardis Gras. The kids had fun coloring masks, going on a parade and handing out beads, making necklaces, watching a magician.

Emma was captivated by the magician

Some of you know we raised butterflies recently. It's been such a great experience for Emma and Jules to watch these tiny caterpillars grow and grow and then watch them make their chrysalis before emerging as beautiful painted lady butterflies! We've kept the butterflies in our kitchen for two weeks until Daddy came home. But wednesday it was finally time to release them. Emma picked each one up, kissed it and let it go, so sweet.

Can you guess the fate of this butterfly?

CopyCat

2011-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

A Lovely February

2011-02-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

This month has been pretty busy and pretty fun. Not only did we have snow days, sunny days and valentine's day, we also had a great go at the zoo! This wasn't Juliana's first time to the zoo, but it was her first time running around and really getting into all the animals. She loved it! Everything was "wow" or "woah" or "ooo-ooo." But perhaps Jule's favorite part of the whole thing was just following her sister and Marilyn and mimicking every step. Emma touched a leaf, Jules touches the leaf... Emma bent over to check out an exhibit, Jules bends over to check out the exhibit. It was hilarious to watch! I think I see many fun trips to the zoo in our future.
The other really cool thing we were invited to was a Reading Rocks benefit at Ridglea Country Club. What a great event! All the tables were decorated with inspiration from different children's books. They were beautiful and fun! The benefit raised money for "I Have a Dream Foundation" and the kids got to enjoy goodies, lunch, pictures, books, art, dancing and just good fun with friends! We had a blast!

Life is good!
The Reading Rocks "crew"
Here we are at the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" table

Be Mine, Valentine

2011-02-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
We had a terrific Love day this year. It started out with Emma singing a few songs at school (outside on a beauuutiful day). Then the mom's took the kids over to a playground to have a pic-nic and play, again awesome for everyone. And then in the afternoon we took advantage of the great weather and were outside until our babysitter came over and Mark and I enjoyed dinner out! What a great day!

Emma saying "Look at my sister"... Jules doing something she's not supposed to be doing
Daddy made a surprise visit!
"Up high... down low... too slow"
My little pirate on Valentine's day

Art, Hair & Teeth

2011-02-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Both Jules and Em had a great time getting creative and making Valentines this week... and getting Valentines this week! On yet another "snow day" Em came with me to get my hair cut and we ended up cutting her hair too! She said her first salon hair cut was pretty great... who doesn't like the massage when they wash your hair and someone making your hair look great? As Ian (stylist) said, "welcome to the rest of your life." On thursday Emma went to her first (embarrassing, I know) dentist visit. She did great and Dr. Stan and his staff did a wonderful job!

Super Bowl Sunday

2011-02-10T11:32:00.001-08:00

While the adults watched the Super Bowl, the kids had a little party of their own. Sword fights, chase and dancing... sounds like a good time to me!

Juliana sneaked a cupcake and then sucked on it until it was gone. Here's the lil' chocolate face mid cupcake

Nonni Sauce

2011-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Papini's have a secret family recipe for a bolognese sauce that they call "Nonni Sauce," because Mark's great grandmother passed it down to them. (Let me tell you how very special I felt when we got married and I was able to have that recipe!) We've made it many times... but with the help and guidance of Mark's mom and/or Dad. On yet another cold day, Mark decided it was time. Time to just do it on our own. With the help of Emma and Jules, I'd say our first batch of Nonni Sauce was a hit! Dinner that night sure was satisfying!

Snow Week

2011-02-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

We had a super fun snow week. The no-fun ice that was on the ground was quickly covered by fun fluffy snow by Friday and we took full advantage. Emma was even happy to put on two layers of clothes, jacket and gloves to be able to go play in the snow... rare on all accounts. Jules was very hesitant at first, not really knowing what to think of the snow, but once she got it, she loved it! (Both girls kicked and screamed their way inside) The girls and Jack had a great time outside!

Sunny Days & Snowy Days

2011-02-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

There's something about a sunny day that brings out some extra smiles in all of us!
We enjoyed some fantastic 70 degree weather this past weekend and we made sure to spend every minute we could outside. We headed to Central Market for ice cream and some playground time (which included some dancing), we reintroduced ourselves to our own back yard, and we saw some good friends during the weekend.
There's also something about a snow day that brings out some extra smiles too! A winter storm blew in and put us at 4 degrees with the wind chill. Brrrr! But that didn't stop us from having a good time indoors. We had a dance party to keep warm while the power was out, we exhausted our imaginations playing baby and barbies, and we made chocolate chip cookies from scratch (that turned out quite delicious). And our most favorite part of all, we got to spend some extra time with Daddy!

Wrenji

2011-01-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Start off with friends and mimosas, add a beautifully set dining room, complete with DJ, flowers and birds, a sprinkle of delicious appetizers followed by a scrumptious brunch and what do you have? An engagement party only Benji and Wren could pull off. "The Wrenji" was a blast! Congratulations!

Benji, Mark and Derek
Me and Jenn

Derek and Jenn
"lovebirds" These little birds were perched everywhere!
Let the party begin!

Finally getting a picture with Benji & Wren

A Spezz Flash Visit

2011-01-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like watching giggling children run around a house to make you smile and think how little it takes to make them laugh. It's even better when it's family. The weekend was busy with peek-a-boos, hide-and-seek, and of course, lots of dancing! As usual when you are having fun, time goes too fast, but we really enjoyed our time with zio, zia, and Vanson and Ethan. Thanks for coming to visit!

More tickling and giggling
Go BEARS!

Leo & Ethan
Rachel going to "Em's Beauty Salon"
Leo making my Juliana smile
The jumping that lead to the dancing
Saturday night we got a nice double-date night out and we kicked it off "italian style" with some yummy prosecco!

Wildlife Park

2011-01-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

To end our awesome holiday season, we took a little family drive over to Fossil Rim. We'd heard how fun the wildlife park is and couldn't wait to check it out ourselves. Em got in the front seat and had so much fun feeding the many different animals and Jules just kept saying "ooo-ooo" and laughing. It was so cute. The zebras were gorgeous, all the different deer were beautiful, and the moose entering our car and eating out of my hand (covered with my sweater) and the ostrich trying to poke at our window to get in was a fun surprise!

Ending 2010 & Beginning 2011

2011-01-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

What a great end to this year. Some last minute change of plans brought us to spend New Year's Eve with some friends in Dallas and oh what a fun time we had!

And what a fun and surprising beginning to 2011! HAPPY NEW YEAR, GO TCU! To all those TCU alumni and fans, congrats on a fantastic undefeated year!

Fantastic Christmas Vacation

2011-01-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

What a fun Christmas season we've had! The family, the friends, the snow, the parties, the feasting... it's been one fun thing after another. As usual, our time in Chicago did not disappoint, and it turned out to be one of the best so far!

And according to Emma, here is what was at the top of the list:
Jesus' Birthday
Building a snowman
Leaving cookies for Santa, Elvie and Jesus
Making cookies with Mimi

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Things that Make Me Smile

2010-12-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

My favorite place in the house is walking by our Christmas tree and the table across from it that has our Christmas cards. Emma brought home an ornament from school with her picture on it and Juliana made a hand print this year. Makes me smile every time I walk by. Seeing all the cards from family and friends... makes me smile every time I walk by.

Emma drew this yesterday. Mommy is the big snowman in the middle. Emma is next to her on the right and Daddy is the one on the far right. Jules is "the snowman rolling away" on the far left! And that makes me laugh every time I walk by.

Happy Birthday Sammie

2010-12-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

Emma talks about Sam from school quite a bit, so when we were invited to her birthday party, she was very excited. And when she found out it was at Chuck E Cheese, she was even more thrilled! It was pretty fun to see her in all the chaos of Chuck E Cheese with all her friends from school. I'm pretty sure every kid had a blast that afternoon. Thanks Sammie! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

This picture of Jules looking at this man cracks me up... She's intense!

As most know, if there's music, Emma is probably dancing. Five seconds after she saw some friends by the music, she had them jumping up and down dancing together. It was so cute!
I think a little crush started between Juliana and John

"Happy Birthday to you!"

Ballerina Christmas

2010-12-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

Emma and her ballerina class had a little Christmas song prepared for the parents during her last class. First we watched their regular class routine and then they finished off with Frosty the Snowman! It was pretty entertaining!

Jules enjoying her first candy cane

School Christmas Party

2010-12-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

Today was Emma's school Christmas party. It was a chilly day, perfect for celebrating the season! The kids sang songs and then headed in for some juice and cookies. As usual with these parties, they were bouncing off the walls by the end, and by that I mean they had a fun time showing off for all the parents.

I put this picture in because, as many of you know, it's a huge struggle every morning to get Emma to wear anything with long sleeves, much less a jacket. She always says she's hot, but here, in rare form, she's shivering! She actually was whispering "mom, I'm so cold" in between songs. Maybe I'll show her this picture tomorrow morning.
Back inside for some delicious Christmas cookies

Marilyn's Birthday

2010-12-13T12:04:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Emma's friend Marilyn turned 4 and she had a fantastic birthday party planned! The kids first got to play with bunnies, goats, ponies, chickens, ducks and pot belly pigs. Then it was off to have a turn swinging at a pinata. As if that wasn't enough, then they went inside for cake and play time. I think everyone there had a super time! Happy Birthday Marilyn!
(my camera ran out of batteries after the first 10 min, so check back later for some more picture from Marilyn)

To Houston We Go

2010-12-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

A last minute trip to Houston was just a great little getaway to see my family. It was so nice to spend some time with my mom, my dad, my brother, Rachel, and the boys. What a fun few days!

Here we are in Kemah riding the carousel, the ferris wheel, and the train

Emma loved looking at the fish at the small aquarium, and was so excited about the catfish because "they have whiskers"

Juliana's first meeting with Santa... didn't go so well
But the train ride made it all better
Music + Papini girls = dancing

Why Not Turn on Your Favorite Song and Dance?

2010-12-02T12:11:00.000-08:00