The Graduate

Proof that pretty girls of all ages grow up too fast:

We headed northwest this weekend to celebrate the high school graduation of cousin Alix and had a great time hanging out with Sonja's entire immediate family and much of the extended group.

The party was Saturday. The highlight for Sonja and I (besides the company, of course) was the incredible Mexican feast. Really delicious. Since Zoe stuck mainly to the usual fare (refer to blog title), here's some of the party favors she enjoyed:

First, there was this adventure with Aunt Shane, our gracious hostess:

Then some swinging with Papa:


On to burning off some noodles on the trampoline:


Then catching up on family news with Aunt Shawn and cousin Stacy:


And, of course, plenty of time to get her drink on. (What Mexican feast would be complete without some sangria?)

There was also plenty of action back at home base, Honey and Papa's house, on Saturday and Sunday. Early in the morning, Zoe was ready to go for a walk to see the pool. Not surprisingly, Honey obliged. Here they are, still in their PJs:


And, still in PJs, hanging out in the tent Honey made on the clothesline:



We also were paid a fun visit by Sonja's childhood friend, Lori, and her daughter, Carle. The two little girls were born four days apart:

Here are two absolute favorites captured in one photo: Cousin Danni and the pool!

If you think Daddy's face looks surprised in this next photo, you should have seen it the first time Zoe jumped off the diving board. It was right about the time I looked away to say "There's no way she's going to..." that Zoe launched herself into my arms. Fun stuff.

We purposely skipped our Sunday nap so Zoe would sleep on the drive home. By about 3 p.m., she was pretty pooped, but extremely buoyant:


It was a very relaxing weekend and great to see everybody. We're already looking forward to our next trip.

You'd think that's enough for one blog post... BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

As typically is the case after a fun weekend, the party extended for Zoe when Aunt Tephs came over for her Monday babysitting gig. This particular Monday also included a visit from Busia and Dziadzia, so Aunt Tephs could make an appointment.

Here they are, saying goodbye after a fun couple hours of walks and playing in the backyard:

That's a lot of visiting with a lot of wonderful people in a very short time. What a lucky girl.

Now, we start looking forward to a full week off.