Not going to lie, April 2022 was a bit of a roller coaster. We had some fantastic highs and some tricky, troubling lows. We made it through with smiles by the end of April thanks to lots of good friends, fun times and each other. That’s kind of how it goes, right? I feel like each month that goes by, I get better at prayer, better at understanding myself, better at empathy and advocacy – all of these highs and lows are shaping me, shaping our family. Ultimately, that is a good thing. Our lives will never be boring or neutral that’s for sure :). Here then are a few snapshots from April 2022.

We went on some great hikes/walks. Especially along the canal near Cardiac (above photos) and in the lupine blooms at Folsom Lake (below photos).

Beautiful, right? Both the blooms and the kids!

My best girl Mckay came to spend the week with us and we are so glad that she did. We went axe throwing which is something I’ve always been curious to do. Turns out, it’s pretty fun!

The neighborhood views on my walk are really beautiful.

When no one is around (which is very very rare in our house these days) I let the fluff up on the couch with me. She is the very best to cuddle with on the couch.

Seb is SUPER duper into Pokemon cards and all things Poke-world. At some point along the way, he decided that he will only open his Pokemon packs with me. I have no idea what any of these cards mean or who the characters are. I just smile and nod and exclaim loudly when he is excited. It is a fun new activity for the both of us. Well…he has been at it for years…I’m new to this 🙂 You’ve never met a happier, more enthusiastic Pokemon kid.

Sophie perfected crepe making and we could not gobble them up fast enough. They tasted EXACTLY like my favorite sucre et citron in Paris! It brought back allllll of my happy crepe memories. I made one and it wasn’t nearly as thin as Sophie’s so she is permanently hired. Let’s just say we went through a lot of lemons and sugar…No regrets.

I did some brand work for Cozy Earth. These are truly the most comfortable items of clothing I own. Oh my gosh I love them so so much. You need these in your life.

I painted the wall surrounding our swim spa the same blue as our outdoor kitchen. I’m so happy with how it turned out! Once umbrellas are out and flowers are blooming this area will be even more beautiful.

On one weekend we took in a hockey game in Stockton AND the spectacular rodeo in our town. So much awesome entertainment. To say we had a blast is an understatement.

Sophie spent a week in Maui with a friend and their family and lived her very best life. Maui is always a good idea and it was the BEST idea for Sophie. So glad that she got to enjoy Hawaii!

Sophie participated in Powder Puff with her friends and had a great time. This is one of the last high school experiences before she graduates and it was a fun one. Plus their team won!

We enjoyed weekly Facetime calls with Simon in Kenya. Gosh we love and miss that kid. We are so proud of him and so excited for him. He is having some incredible experiences while living and serving in Kenya, enough to fill a book already.

Sophie had a great photo shoot with our talented friend Rachel Blood. I adore her work and Sophie loved spending time with her in front of the camera. More photos of this shoot to come soon.

The front porch of Casa Toscana is in bloom and beautiful. My hard work of the past year and a half is finally coming to fruition. Gosh I love it all so much. Every day the flowers get taller and brighter. I will do a whole post on the labor of love this has been!

There is more but that is enough for now!