The Pistorius family is moving to...

Dallas, Texas!!! David has accepted a new job with Southwest Airlines in Dallas! We are so thrilled for this new opportunity. We will be closer to our families and we will be somewhere permanent from now on. Best part is we get flight benefits in about 6 months and we will be able to visit all of our friends we have made over the years with our traveling. The move will take place in just about 3 weeks we can't wait!

8 months!

Drake is 8 months old! I had to include these pictures I took of him putting his pacifier in upside down. It's just what he does - he loves to curl his bottom lip over the bottom part of the pacifier too. He is also getting up on his knees and trying to learn how to crawl. He has his two bottom teeth and has taken his first airplane flight to Texas!

Last day of Kindergarten

Last day of school includes an ice cream treat - Drew picked oreo shakes with Dad at Chick-fil-a!

I also wanted to get a picture of Drew on his last day of Kindergarten by his school sign. Even though Drew will not be attending the same school next year (we are moving in July), this school is where he learned to read and he learned that he was very good at math! We loved Mrs. Putonen and all she taught him. Bye Kindergarten at Matsunaga, Hello First Grade at ???

Drew's 6th Birthday!

Click: Drew's 6th Birthday Pictures! to see ALL of the pictures!

We had such a fabulous day yesterday for Drew's 6th birthday. We started a new tradition of waking up to a room full of balloons the morning of a birthday. I chose light blue balloons for Drew because that is his favorite color and David and I blew them up the night before and put them in Drew's room while he was asleep. I kept thinking I wanted to do something special so he knows right when he wakes up we are celebrating him and thinking about him. It worked because he came running into our room in the morning saying, "Mom, I saw all the balloons!"

My mom fixed Drew his favorite breakfast - eggs and biscuits - and then he was able to open family gifts from us and her. He got his Nintendo DSI he wanted, Mario games, and a Thomas pillow. Then, he went off to school where they mentioned his birthday over the morning announcements and we showed up for lunch with his favorite - chick-fil-a!

After school, he came home with a birthday crown and he was so excited for his miniature golf party. We actually had the whole miniature golf place to ourselves - they only opened just for us! Drew and his friends played a round of golf, ran around the place like it was a playground, had pizza, cookie cake, and Drew opened all of his presents. They had a blast. After the party, we went home, gave baths to the kids, put Dilan and the baby to bed, and Drew got to open and play with everything until late into the evening. A very memorable 6th birthday for sure. :)

okay, so I put these in from last to first accidentally so sorry about that!

a tradition every year for Drew to take a picture surrounded by his gifts

Family photo - we also try to wear the favorite color of the birthday boy on his special day

Drew prefers cookie cake to regular cake

Drew and his friends after they played golf

Eating pizza

I got a lot of golfing pictures but chose the one where you can see his light blue ball going into the hole!

Gifts and favors (Water bottles with Drew's favorites in them: granola bars, gum and fruit snacks)

Drew and his massive #6 balloon - I had no idea how big it was when I ordered it!

Drew and his birthday crown he got at school

Eating chick-fil-a at lunchtime with Drew at his school

Morning family photo - imagine Dilan throwing a fit on the floor not too far from where we are taking this picture. It was her way of saying she didn't want to get in this photo opportunity.

Loved this gift - a Thomas pillow he asks for every time he sees it.

Balloons filled Drew's room in the morning!

Happy Father's Day, David!!!

Since we are leaving this weekend for our summer trip home to Houston, we are missing actual Father's Day with David. And David has not been letting me forget it! So, I decided we would celebrate early with cards, gifts, singing, breakfast in bed in the morning and breakfast for dinner per his request, and a great picture of all three kids with their Dad. It actually turned out well! The boys in blue and our little girl picked out a pink dress for the occasion.

David is truly the best Dad I know. I picked the best for our children, I know that for sure. He loves his family and he loves loves loves our three kids. They are so fortunate to have him as their Dad because they come first (and me as well) and we all know it and feel it. Nothing matters to David more than being a good father and example to the kids. It's the best part of the day "when Daddy comes home" in our house. We love you, David! Happy Father's Day!!!

And we are still looking forward to taking David out to breakfast (see a theme here?) Saturday morning before we leave for Texas!

Beach Day!

Drew had Beach Day at his school today. You would think this would mean sand and such but it was mainly arts and crafts. Still, the kids loved it and thought it was a lot of fun. We were able to be there in the morning and then eat lunch with Drew. It was a special day for sure. Drew's favorite part was playing at the "new park" which meant the kids got to play at the playground that they never get to play at. This was definitely the highlight.

Drew's making a lei

Dilan eating a snack in Drew's classroom

Lei completed, sister still eating snack

Drew gave Dilan his lei and she then immediately took it off.

Making fish picture frames with is favorite friend, E.

Making summer journals. I loved his use of "DC" on his journal.

Bath time

What mother doesn't want to get bath-time shots of their kids? Now that Drake is sitting up on his own, we had to snap this one of the three of them in the tub. Cutie pies!!!

Nannie and Uncle Lars' Visit

My sister and her husband, Lars, came into town last weekend to visit us. We didn't do anything touristy, we just hung out at home, went to the park with the kids (twice), saw Drew's last soccer game of the season (painful), ordered sushi takeout (favorite thing to do together), went to the pool, played some football, and watched the NBA finals. It was a wonderful weekend and the kids were SO excited they were here that Drew had a meltdown when he had to say goodbye Sunday night even though we are going home to Texas in a few weeks. I only took pictures at the game but here they are!

Nannie and Drew at the soccer game

Nannie and Uncle Lars with the kids - Drake is in the back

Dilan keeping Drake occupied

Me and Drake at the soccer game

Lars and Drake

Six Flags Maryland

For Memorial Day weekend, we decided to do the norm - bbq and swimming but we also had to include something fun and adventurous too! So, we took the kids to six flags Maryland on Friday and had so much fun. They were supposed to have an entire Thomas town with rides geared towards Thomas characters and such but when we got there, we were informed the rides were the same but the names had changed. It was a bummer to not see Thomas but they just painted over everything so we still got to do it all. I was surprised how long the kids lasted and it turned out to be a warm but nice day. No real lines anywhere and overall, a great family day. Many pictures were taken but we wanted to get as much out of the day as we could! The morning started out with breakfast at IHOP and then onto the park...

Drew and me at the entrance

The kids once we were inside the park

Ready to ride our first ride - the Great Race - old antique cars

Drew still wasn't tall enough to drive so David had to take over!

After the drive was over

Whistlestop Park (or once known as Thomas town)

Riding the helicopters

Waiting in line for the train ride

All aboard!

Drew and I rode "Cranky"

David and the kids on "Bertie the bus"

Waiting in line to ride more trains

On our next train ride

David rode the fastest roller coaster in the park - Superman!

Playing in the water - Dilan loved this part!

The big playground was a big hit

Lunchtime!

David kicking the soccer ball into the hole - I can't believe I captured it on camera. You can actually see where the ball is going in. He won a zebra stuffed animal for the kids!

Yeah for prizes!

Riding the canoes - David said it almost made him loose his lunch.

Dilan playing in the spray water they had around the park. Look at Drake - he's so happy!

Waiting in line for the big train now

Best picture of the three D's so far!

Daddy and Drew playing "switch the hats"

Me, Dilan and Drew riding the tea cups

Drew and David riding a mini-roller coaster seated in the last car

Final stop - the carousel ride