Spring Break

Taking a break from school by going to the local library and enjoying the upgraded fountains!

Beautiful day in Oceanside!

Hanging out with family at the base campground by the beach.

Cousins, apparently deep in thought.

Rock art.

Z loves her big cousin Kylee!

More beach days, modeling her handmade seaweed accessories.

Playing dress-up with 2nd cousins in Fallbrook.

Fun Spring Fling in the neighborhood.

Bunny hugs with 3rd grade buddy Jordin,

Celebrating Easter in San Clemente with both sides of the family!

Coordinating colors with his mama. 

Exploring the beautiful backyard.

Time for the egg hunt.

Z and her mama.

Z and her two grandmas, Gigi and Yiayia.

Thankful to celebrate our Risen Savior all together!

Busy Season

In March, Z enjoyed a school field trip to Sea World with her mama as a chaperone!

Z and her classmate Rylee loved petting small sharks and manta rays.

Mr. Walrus really loved the girls.

 

 Such a fun field trip!

Neighborhood shenanigans.

Game night with the Marine band wives, including Twister and disco music.

Z occasionally has play-dates with the neighbors' dogs in our backyard; they hand them to us over the fence! Z adores Walter and Julie. 

For A's final concerts with the 1st Marine Division Band, L was invited to perform with the band as well.

On stage at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, Z says we're cleared to open the house.

Harp glamor shot.

Trombone feature.

A conducting one of his arrangements. 

L enjoyed the honor of playing with the Marines.

Thanks to our family and friends who came out to see us play! Definitely bittersweet hearing A perform with the band for the last time.

Also this same week, the 1st Marine Division Band gave a Hail & Farewell ceremony for A, sharing hilarious stories and amazing comments about his influence at work. 

 We have really enjoyed our time here at Camp Pendleton and will greatly miss this band. Now A is off to a 3-week course taught by Navy in San Diego before transferring to the East Coast!

Chicago Trip

The Panos girls made another February trip to visit family in Chicago! We enjoyed some lovely views from the plane including sunset over Lake Michigan and downtown Chi-town. 

This flight was extra-pleasant as we made friends with a family at the airport and Z enjoyed having a buddy to sit with!

Typical freezing and snowing this time of year, we were greeted by a MidWest heatwave.

 It was a beautiful, warm day with Z's cousins at Lincoln Park Zoo!

Happy sisters in the City.

Happy tiger enjoying the sun.

Z played "little mother" to cousin A, guiding her by the hand.

Beautiful view from the impressive Maggie Daley Park. Just watch your kids like a hawk; it gets busy!

 

Fun at "The Bean" near Millennium Park.

"Cloudgate"

These two peas in a pod, checking out the ice skaters and other cools sights in the City.

The two big kids enjoyed the Rainforest Cafe, a new annual tradition.

Goodnight, pretty city!

Big bear snuggles back at the house.

Sweet cousins praying before bed.

Matching girls ready for church (and hot chocolate).

Fun outing to the Kline Creek Farm.

The brood walking the trail to the 1800s farm. 

These inseparable buddies.

Enjoying the free-range chickens.

Live demo of boiling maple syrup. 

 

 Mama and her boys.

Exploring the Arboretum.

Enjoying the geese by Lake Ellyn.

Because the weather was fabulous the whole time, the kids enjoyed hours of outdoor fun on the backyard trampoline.

Thanks so much for hosting us!