late rain

we had a pretty dry winter.
then the rain showed up, right about the same time my in-laws came to visit.
and then it poured.

in the leafy treetops...

this saturday was fun!  

we had an early start and went snorkeling with the kids.  

we showed them lots of fish swimming around in the deep water.  

the sun was playing hide-and-seek and there were a few passing sprinkles, so their little bodies didn't stay warm for very long.  

we headed home to some rainclouds and wind, got warm and then spent the evening playing frisbee at the park and climbing trees.

it was a wonderful day. 

dear far and away family,

the wet season has arrived, causing vibrant-colored growths on the railings

can you see the ginormous windmills sprouting in the distance?

see em?

they are HUGE, i tell you.  just wait til you see them in person.

my first attempt at raw desserting -- yummy!!  this was a chocolate truffle tart on chocolate cookie crust.  made from almonds, dates, coconut oil, a teeny bit of agave nectar, and cocoa powder.  the good thing about raw:  it's superfast to make (don't need to wait very long to eat it), you only need to eat a tiny bit to satisfy your sweet craving (lots of fiber, too, so it is filling), and healthier ingredients.


and here's a funny, cute sequence of the kids right after i cut their hair in october:
(malik gets sad because his mohawk isn't exactly the way he wants it -- ever since he took school pictures he favors standing in front of the mirror with his little comb, styling his 'do to his heart's content; but his hair has to be wet for him to do it)

 

 

school's out for summer!!!

(excuse the really bad video...)

we slept in and then went searching for some fun...hopefully in the sun. heading north brought us some rain and dark skies, but the kids still had a good time.

"look mom, a sand rock!"

hermit crabs on wrinkly, ocean-soaked palms

our photogenic family {dripping with sarcasm here, people}

changed into warm, dry clothes, thawing the purple from their lips.

fabulous fondant

sheila expressed an interest in making fondant and was gracious enough to invite us to join her.

stephanie did the bulk of the labor - kneading and mixing the thick concoction.

i played with it and tried to decorate a cupcake.

it was fun, and the possibilities are endless!!!

you can be creative or simple with it.

and it didn't seem too complicated a process (aside from the elbow grease required).

but then again, i was just a spectator.

;-)

today

i baked some pumpkin-chocolate chip loaves

he and faith love it - they have no idea i PACK it with wheat bran ;-)

i made ruby. santa will deliver her to a sweet girl for Christmas...

me and malik went to cheer Faith on in her 'turkey dash'!

look at her smiling
{please disregard the horrible picture quality}

and tonight, we're gonna cook up some ham and whip up some tasty cheesecake for our Thanksgiving gathering tomorrow!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!