Snapshots - A Month's Worth!

I have not downloaded pictures from my phone in ages - I finally did and realized a lot has happened in the last month!  Here it goes:

 Allison went to the 'Family Staycation' VBS at our church and loved it.  One night on our way home there was a storm over in the mountains and we saw the most perfect double rainbow I had ever seen.  Very impressive!  Oh, and Heidi got lot of fun 1-on-1 time while Allison went to Staycation - here we were shopping for Allison's school supplies.  Which, admittedly, was much easier without Allison :)

 Piggies!

 Girl's Day - Heidi's first pedicure!

 And Allison got a mani/pedi

Heidi Art.

Heidi getting ready to ride with Grr for some coffee!

 Fountain park with a bucket - she loved it!

 We were in windy Lincoln City for our 9th anniversary.  Mom & Dad stayed with the kids while we went for a very romantic walk on the beach.  Well, it was a walk on the beach but I wouldn't necessarily say it was particularly romantic as it was super windy!  The sand had blown away around all these rocks and I thought it was rather pretty!

 Allison took swim lessons with her preschool.  She loved it.  We are going to miss this group of kids when she heads out to Kindergarten - especially Wyatt - these two have been in class together since they were just babes.

 The canoe ride on the last day - they love it the teachers push them all around the pool and rock the canoe!

 We rode bikes to campus with Grammie & Grr.  The girls and I got a normal lunch at Cafe Yumm.  Grammie and Grr got frozen yogurt for lunch.  You can imagine what Heidi preferred....

 Allison asks me to take pictures of pretty sunsets.  Or she takes pictures herself with my phone.

 We did a mountain bike ride with my Dad while he was here - we shuttled the cars from Starbucks so we had to get drinks at the end of the ride.  My Dad, the Alaskan, got hot coffee.  It was 94 degrees out.  Crazy.

 When Carrie, her Mom & Josiah came to visit I got some quality time with this little guy while his Mom & Grandma rested up.  My girls were at school so it was awesome.  I called Anita and talked to her and Jack at the same time....makes me miss my Alaskan friends something fierce!

 Allison at the Morris wedding a few weekends ago.  She loved it, standing at attention the entire time.  

 This isn't quite Brittney but it is pretty close!  I loved getting to see Margaret even if it was brief....maybe she'll be back next year!??!?!

 Allison and baby Josiah - she was sooo excited to hold him!

 Jodi & Bekah taught Allison about Slug-bugs a few weeks ago and she couldn't recognize one for the life of her (every car was a slug-bug to her).  So we had to watch the Herbie movie to get her more familiar.  The funny thing is - now that we're looking for them we see them everywhere!

 We had a back-to-school shopping date.  Bekah is getting so. grown. up.  Second grade - look out!  Something about the jean jacket, hair up and Starbucks drink made me realize she is getting so mature.

And Allison at the end of our shopping trip - all decked out in pink (Bekah got a similar outfit in pink, too).  Love it.  Even if it is totally floral.  And Pink.  It is totally her.  Look out kindergarten!

Balloon Launch 2014

 We finally ventured out to watch the annual balloon launch today - it was the last day and we were tired but we pulled it off regardless.  We were later than we like to be so Mark dropped the girls & I off while he parked the car (it actually didn't seem very crowded - perhaps Sunday is the day to go?).  The girls loved watching the balloons.  We stood between two that were getting ready to go while we waited for Mark.  Heidi was a little nervous about the fires but every time they turned them off she'd say 'Wow!'

 Heidi also waved at each balloon as it took off.  Here were some of our favorite balloons:

 The bumble bees - they hold hands and kiss before they head off.  There is also a 3rd bee but I didn't get it in the pics (it isn't attached so it drifts off pretty quickly).

 Getting ready to kiss - I didn't get a good shot of the real action, unfortunately!

Empty field.  Sun above the horizon.  Cold girls.  But we're so glad we pulled it off!

More Fountain Fun

Every summer I think we're going to spend many, many evenings playing at the fountain park.  Now, here we are, the last weekend before labor day and I think we've only come three times!  Yikes!  Summer is slipping away fast.  We were thrilled to have some cooler weather this past week, although it wasn't here to stay we're getting very close to my favorite time of year - fall!!

 Looking dramatic!

 She made a new friend at the fountains and they made up all sorts of games.  I love how kids this age just make friends with complete strangers.

 Oh Heidi-bug, she cracks me up.  She does enjoy the fountains but her favorite part is climbing on the rocks.  I have to suppress my instincts some to let her explore and challenge herself climbing.  She really is quite good and knows her limitations but it makes me nervous.  Perhaps because she is very purposeful and methodical in her climbing - Allison was generally rather spacey! :)

Little Visitor

 We had one of the sweetest and cutest little visitors awhile back for the wedding we went to.  Baby Josiah was quite the trooper and weather all of the attention very well for a 5 week old!  Allison and Heidi have both been very into their babies ever since he left.

Heidi-Bug the Putterer

 I love the age/stage that Heidi is in right now.  She 'putters' as my Dad calls it all around the house all day.  She will play with Legos or Calico Critters or cars or her baby stuff for a long time by herself just trying to figure it all out.  We all love watching her play and seeing what she does with things.  She has also started talking so much more.  Sadly, one of her favorite words has become 'Noooo' but she still says it in an awfully cute way.  She also says 'Stinky' and 'Hi-ee' (Heidi) and 'Yucky' and 'twinkle' and 'Eeeen-uuu' (clean-up).  We're starting to figure out what words are more from the intonation she uses than the actual sounds, especially 'Clean-up.'  And a word about that - if you ask her to clean-up something - she almost always will - it is amazing to watch this girl clean up all the Legos after me simply telling her it is time to clean up.  Now if only we could get her big sister to listen that well! :)

 She is also very easy to put to bed for both naps and bedtime.  I don't know that we ever thought Allison was that difficult but man, Heidi is a dream when it comes to bed time.  As long as she has her bunny all you have to do is say 'It is time to go get jammies on' and she heads up to her room, lets you change her, read her two stories, pray, sing and lay her down.  And you won't hear a peep until you go get her in the morning - pretty much whenever you want regardless of when she wakes up.  Well, unless she happens to drop bunny out of her crib, then she'll start calling for you.  Thankfully that only happens on rare occasions.

 Yes, we love our Heidi-bug.  There are plenty of challenges at this age, too, don't get us wrong.  But in so many ways it is pretty fun.  Speaking of fun - at dinner tonight I gave Heidi her piece of a cookie we were sharing between her, Allison and I.  Mark was convinced she'd prefer one of his brownies to the snicker-doodle.  Ha - she took the brownie and refused to give up the cookie so she got TWO treats tonight.  I don't know how Mark ever thought he was going to win that one?!?!? :)