Trip to Three Lakes Park

What a BEAUTIFUL day! We decided to try out a new park and found a fantastic one in Richmond. It was a bit of a drive, but well worth it. They had a great playground that included a climbing rock with dinosaur bones carved into it (the girls thought that was really cool). We ate lunch in a nice shady spot & then ventured over to the nature center. They had a huge display of local animals and aquariums galore. We really enjoyed the naturalist display, the birds, and the insects. After we cooled off inside, we hit the trails that ran around the lakes. We walked around two of the lakes and it was only a mile or so which was perfect for little legs! If you decide to go there yourself..watch out for poison ivy! It was everywhere and after a few brushes with it, we washed our legs in the bathroom. My poor children will be in therapy over my poison ivy obsession. I never got it as a child, but I've had it too many times as an adult and I can't stand it!!!! My family makes fun of me for constantly pointing it out, but having it all over your belly & arms after giving birth would drive anyone to paranoia!! How did that happen you ask? Well, the day before Sadie was born, I had my mom take pictures of me outside with my belly exposed. At one point, I asked the girls to place their hands on my belly without knowing that they had been hanging on to poison ivy vines around a tree. Wouldn't you know it...the next morning there it was and I was in labor!!!!!

Anyway, we ended our awesome day with a trip to Rita's for Italian Ice and then let the kids frolic in an open fire hydrant down the street from out house.

Boy...those Dow kids sure live a deprived life!!!! I hope they will always appreciate the opportunities they've been given and they'll look back on their childhood fondly.

Build Me Up Buttercup!

Here is Sadie in her Buttercup costume. The hats were adorable, but VERY hard to keep on. Poor Sadie had at a head full of clips keeping it in place and as soon as she was finished, she wanted it off! She did a fabulous job and remembered every one of her moves. We are so proud of her!!

I Love Being a Mom

Okay...so I'm a week late, but I had to write about the fantastic Mother's Day I had! It started with blueberry pancakes, attending church with my family including my mom, lunch with my dad, mom, brother's family, and my family, a trip to the strawberry patch on an absolutely beautiful afternoon, and a delicious quiet Italian dinner. The best part of the day was being with family and hearing my girls say over & over again, "I love you, Mom!" It was also a bonus to hear them say to each other, "Stop fighting, it's Mother's Day!" If only they could do that all year :0)!

Here are some pictures of the girls and I at Mother's Day celebrations at school. I guess you could say it was Mother's Week!