Hasta Luego Fer!
Fernanda and Sofia snuggle for the last time before Sofia left for Chicago (and then Mexico)
Fer and Fiona enjoyed a last meal of sushi before she left the next morning
Fer's last Cleveland photo shoot
Thanks for all your help this last year, Fer! We wish you the best of luck on your next adventure as your start university. We'll miss you!
Bienvenida Valeria!
Our new au pair, Valeria, arrived in time for a number of neighborhood parties and was able to meet the OC crew. Unfortunately I forgot our camera for most of these events (like the very fun "Sip and Slide" party), so I just have one.
Valeria and Fiona water the garden during Zoe's bday party
New Patio
Somewhat unexpectantly Joe has started working on a new patio. We had a nice paperweight, i.e. hot tub, that sat in our yard for a couple of years. Joe was planning on hooking it up and building a gazebo around it, but unfortunately the weather had taken its toll and it no longer worked. Surpringly Joe managed to sell it on Craigslist ("as is") for $50 and we freed up some nice space for what I had daydreamed: a stone patio. I really loved our brick courtyard on Jay and wanted to recreate that private, intimate feel. Coincidentally Joe found some slate stone pavers on Craigslist that were available across the street! Thanks to Rob and David for helping move those suckers!
Joe then got started on building a pergola (again, thanks David for the tools!), but didn't get too far....
Joe was digging to put in the posts and he broke a drainage pipe
Luckily Joe relishes challenges and actually left it better than before.
Stones were a little heavy
It'll take a couple of more weekends, but the pergola should be up soon
Gardening
Our gardens are doing well thanks to the girls' help.
The veggie garden is doing great! The tomato plants are so heavy, they're doubling over and I had to use multiple stakes to try and keep them upright. The corn's growing very tall and the cucumbers are taking over and trying to wrap itself around the other poor plants. The basil and mint were doing great, but I think I killed them by snipping off too much.
Our veggie garden is growing like weeds!
Chicago Friends
It was fun to host friends we hadn't seen since Sofia's baby shower! They were on their way to DC, but were going to spend a couple of days at Cedar Point and so stopped over for the night to visit. Thanks for coming! Hopefully next time Sofia will be home :)
Jadon, Aviva, Fiona and Debbie peek out from the family room
We also hosted my friend Edgar who was in town to celebrate the re-opening of the Hugo Boss factory. Hope you and Maria will visit again soon!
Our Worldy Traveler
Sofia seems to be doing great in Mexico. She had a great time in St. Charles with Nana and Papa (she loved the chapstick she got at the toy store apparently) and is going to preschool summer camp. She seems to be speaking a little more Spanish, but equally important she's spending time with Abi, great grand-Abi, and her godmother/aunt Diana. She's also visited with her other cousins, kids about her age, and hopefully will visit with Itzel and other family soon.
Sofia will be home in just 10 days...so the countdown to July 30th begins.
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