27.  That's how old I turned yesterday.  For whatever reason, 27 sounds so much older than I thought it would.  Maybe because it's that much closer to 30, and it is going to feel so crazy to be 30 in just a few years.  So many days, I still feel like an awkward 12-year old, making my way through life, wearing leggings and oversized kitty-cat t-shirts everyday.  I think that's why it's crazy to think that I am actually 27, an adult, married, with 3 babies - because so often I don't feel that old and responsible!  

I had a great weekend, spending time with family, being outside, and celebrating my birthday.  My cousin, Alison, came down from Phoenix for a day.  We took Eliana & Ezra on their first "hike" in the mountains.  I think we made it 10 minutes down the trail before they declared they were tired, and we turned back!  Although it was a short hike, they thought it was so awesome, hiking in the mountains!  We went on an adventure Saturday afternoon, to stock up on homemade tortillas, and pick up some empanadas for an afternoon treat.  And that evening, we grilled fresh artichokes as part of our dinner, which was of course, a fun experience!  So good!  We stayed up far too late, chatting and laughing, eating ice cream and watching my dad try goofy things.   

Sunday morning, I woke up to flowers the kids picked on a walk with my parents.  And after church, we hit up Dunkin Donuts for a little birthday donut treat.  Once the kids woke up from their afternoon naps, we went out for a fantastic Mexican meal, followed by a trip to the park, to blow off energy.  It was a lovely weekend, chock-full of sun, laughter and quality time with my family.  I missed Max, as he went to CA last weekend, to start getting settled and ready to check-in to his new unit, but we made the most of our weekend here, and my birthday was special.  

We'll be here another week or so, at my parents house, while we wait for a house to become available for us in CA.  Max checked-in this weekend and was eager to start working this week.  He is looking forward to getting back into a familiar routine, and is really looking forward to his language class starting later this week.  

I'm not sure where my motivation and enthusiasm for blogging was this past month - I hardly shared, which is funny, because I feel like there is a host of stories and photos from our last few weeks in NC, our big road trip out here, my weekend trip to MN, and our adventures here in AZ - but I am ready and excited to start sharing again, to record pieces of our lives, to share my story.  So, as my funny little son would say, "Here we goooooooo!"