First Cook Out of the Season

We had our first cook out of the season on Sunday the 5th. We have been thoroughly enjoying the back yard ever since the tree from the ice storm was removed. It was pretty astonishing how large the tree actually was and how much of the lawn it took over. The only ones who are a bit sad that the tree is gone are the dogs because they loved all the sticks!

Stella and I had an amazing day of playing outside in lots of ways and in lots of places. We started the day early and by 10 she was up at the playground with her best friend in the whole world. I wasn't there and had some "work" to do, but I did get to see some pictures and a sweet video that I will have to put up soon.
After the playground, she and I had some lunch here and then we were off to the beach. My daughter has the most amazing internal heater-which is a good thing as the house is always cold in the winter months. She had on some pants and her sandals with her dress and spring jacket on. As soon as she noticed the tide was out she was off like a shot to explore the rocks and the water. She was soaked instantly and decided the best idea was to remove the pants and to keep "swimming" she was nuts. I of course got the worst looks in the universe regarding my parenting choices, but if they knew her and us they would have seen it as totally normal. On the ride home she got to ride naked wrapped in one of my blankets.
After a brief stint of house work we were back outside this time in our own back yard. She played in the sand box, searched for bugs and swang on the swings. The dogs joined us outside soaking up the sunshine and gearing up for endless days exploring in the yard. Our dinner was a fantastic cook out. The first of many for the season. A perfect end to a perfect weekend.