#305 - February 2014

Still catching up on past months....

February was a quick month for the Saez household.  Abuela Isa was here until the third week of February, and then we had to adjust to living as just as family of four in Dunwoody.  She was such a huge help when she was here.  Not only did she do a ton of laundry, cooking, and helping with the boys, but she brought joy to the house in the way that only grandmothers can do.  We sure do miss her here!

During February, Rory, who has spent the last eight years in China, came home to visit.  She met Ben for the first time (the last time I saw her I was pregnant with him) and we got to spend time catching up with her.  Rory is a wonderful, lovely woman who has a remarkable ability to see beauty in everything.   She still looks exactly the same as she did ten years ago.  We miss her!

A family picture during Rory's visit

Owen and Ben with Uncle Johnny and Aunt Rory

Abuela with her two munchkins

We had another snowstorm in February.  This one brought a ton of ice, but we were one of the fortunate ones not to lose electricity.  Lou was home that week, so the boys got a ton of outdoor time in the snow.

Here are two videos of Lou and Owen sledding in the neighborhood.  The second one he almost takes me out!

A walk outside once the snow melted

Abuela Isa reading books to the boys the night before she left

Also during February, Mrs. Gabby, our former nanny from Savannah, came to Atlanta to visit us.  It was a great visit, and the boys were SO happy to see her!  She's become an extension of our family and we just love Gabby.

Later in the month, Lou and I travelled back to Savannah to attend a wedding.  We were able to reunite with a good bit of our Savannah friends which was so much fun.  We were also childless for the weekend, which provided a much needed break from the responsibilities of parenting.

Speaking of responsibilities.....  A certain mother of mine asked me why I couldn't talk during the day when I'm at work, and why I'm so busy all the time now that I'm back in Atlanta.  I snapped this picture of my Outlook calendar and sent it to her.  This is a representation of what every week looks like for me!  Meetings back-to-back, all day long, and often double or triple booked.  It's no wonder I need a glass of wine each night. 

#167 - Mother's Day and a Visitor from China

Happy late Mother's Day to all the moms out there. We had a nice weekend, and even a surprise visitor on Tuesday.

As my Mother's Day gift, Lou and Owen decided to build me a little garden in our back yard. Lou definitly has a green thumb, and has pretty much re-landscaped our front yard. Through all the different projects, Owen has been his yard-work buddy. He's got his own tools, watering can, and is Lou's shadow while they are working in the yard. So, it was fitting, and very sweet that they decided to build me a garden. Here are two pictures of them. They finished it on Sunday, but I haven't been back outside to take a picture of the final project.

Another great Mother's Day gift was the visit from Mom, Jenifer and Kaylin on Saturday. They drove up for the day. Isabel and Mom made us a fantastic lunch (I did feel guilty that they were the ones that had to cook), while Jenifer and I watched Owen and Kaylin having a blast. They are so cute together!

I love this picture of Owen with his Nana and Abuela Isa! We are so very lucky to have our moms, and thank the Lord that Owen has the opportunity to know and love them. He loves each of his grandmothers equally, and we are blessed with all that they do for us - Mom, Isabel and Catherine!

Then, on Tuesday, Rory came to visit us! Rory has been living in Beijing, China for the past five years. She loves it over there, but we rarely get a chance to see her. The last time we saw her was at our wedding nearly five years ago. So, she got to meet Owen for the very first time. When Owen saw her, he immediately ran into her arms and have her a big hug and a kiss. It was like he had always known his Aunt Rory.

As you can tell, she looks exactly the same. Though she's grown into a lovely young woman, she's still our little sister from Marietta. I'm very proud of her!