Snapshot #1220: Homegrown

May 30, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  We worked all morning in the yard--mowing, trimming, weeding, watering.  I really love that we have a small patch of land we can call our own.  I cannot take any of the credit for these roses.  I didn't even realize it was a rose bush in the corner of our yard until I walked outside one day and saw it in full bloom.  

Snapshot #1219: My Girls

May 29, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Snapshots of my girls.  I love saying that...My Girls.  :)

Snapshot #1218: Creative Kids

May 28, 2015.  Portland, Oregon.  We made it to the Portland Children's Museum with friends.  I love that the bike rack out front was just as entertaining as the exhibits inside.

Snapshot #1217: Mini Me

May 27, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  I've been told she looks a lot like me; and perhaps she does.

Snapshot #1216: Lullabies

May 26, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  I discovered Hazel singing lullabies to baby Emily in her cradle this morning.  How sweet is that.  Often, she looks up to me and says, "Being a big sister is the best."

Snapshot #1215: Hidden Gardens

May 25, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Before she and Dad flew back to Idaho, Mom helped me choose flowers for my new window boxes.  I am thrilled with the results!

Snapshot #1214: Emily's Blessing Day

May 24, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  It was our privilege to bring little Emily to church today and give her a name and a blessing.  We have fought hard for many years to create a family, and here we are.  My heart is at peace.  

Snapshot #1213: Daddy & Daughter

May 24, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Emily was blessed in church today by her father.  I want to remember this precious moment forever.

Snapshot #1212: Lava Canyon

May 23, 2015.  Cougar, Washington.  We loaded up and drove to Mt. Saint Helens today.  Unfortunately for us it was too foggy to see the mountain.  But we did enjoy a walk through Ape Cave and a beautiful AND TERRIFYING hike through Lava Canyon.  Okay, so only I thought it was terrifying.  Mom was on a natural high and started jumping up and down on the suspension bridge like a little kid--until I screamed for her to stop.  These photos courtesy of Tracee; I was too terrified to let go of the railing.

Snapshot #1211: Grandpa King

May 22, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Look who flew in for the weekend.  

Snapshot #1210: Tracee is Back

May 21, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Look who's back!  My youngest sister, Tracee, recently returned from a full-time mission for the Mormon church in Mesa, Arizona.  She moved in with us three weeks ago and has already found two jobs.  Her day job is at a local nursery.  Here she is, hard at work.

Snapshot #1209: Furrowed Brow

May 20, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  A typical Emily face--the furrowed brow.

Snapshot #1208: Baby Smiles

May 19, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  I'm all work and Dave is all play.  It's SO cute how he gets her to smile!!

Snapshot #1207: Sand & Water Table

May 18, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  This homemade (thanks Dad!) sand and water table has yielded hours and hours of creative play.  Mission accomplished.

Snapshot #1206: Emily's One Month Photo Shoot

April 18, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Hard to believe it's already been one month.

Snapshot #1205: Planting Day

May 16, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  It was much chillier outside today than last week, but we finally got my vegetable garden planted...only two months late.  Hopefully it stays warm well into the fall.

Snapshot #1204: Double Mountain Brewery

May 15, 2015.  Hood River, Oregon.  Our search for really good pizza--since our arrival in the pacific northwest--took us to the town of Hood River tonight.  We dined at Double Mountain Brewery and have indeed discovered really good pizza AND the most unique draft root beer I've ever tasted.  The bad news is that it's an hour drive from home.  The good news is that the drive is through the Columbia Gorge--"long journey part of gift."  Happy Birthday my one, my only, Dave.

Snapshot #1203: "Talk Each Other"

April 14, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Hazel's all-time favorite game is "Talk Each Other."  With one animal in her hand and one in mine we talk to each other with creative dialogue.  Hazel has discovered that I'm a captive audience to play "Talk Each Other" every time I sit down to nurse the baby.  We, therefor, play lots of "Talk Each Other."  And here I thought this was just a newborn shoe.

Snapshot #1202: Baby Gear

April 13, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  This baby spits.  A lot.  Trying to find some way to minimize the spit-up I thought we could try out some baby gear that elevates her head.  I have been very minimalist when it comes to baby gear and we had practically no baby gear with Hazel.  But all this spit-up (and the larger house) is making me re-consider.  A very generous neighbor responded by giving me her recently out-grown items...a swing, a bouncer, a rock 'n play, a bumbo, and a boppy.  We are officially geared up.

Snapshot #1201: Wake a Sleeping Baby

April 12, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  It's so hard to wake a sleeping baby...

Snapshot #1200: Candy House

May 11, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  For the last week I've gone in to Hazel's room and found one of the Christmas books on the floor opened to a page where they make a gingerbread house.  Then the other night she was lamenting that she wanted it to be Christmas so she could made a candy house.  I informed her that we didn't have to wait until Christmas, but could make candy houses for Family Home Evening...which we did--after a lesson about appropriate behavior inside our home, of course.  Huge, HUGE hit!!  The girl was in excited anticipation for Family Home Evening all day long.

Snapshot #1199: Preparation Day

May 9, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Still working on getting our vegetable garden seeded.  Did our final preparations today.  

ps  Those are 6-months blue pants on my less than one-month old.

Snapshot #1198: Big Sister

May 8, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  Hazel received the book, "I'm a Big Sister" (by Ronne Randall) from one of the girls in her dance class...and she and I LOVE it!  We read the book at least once every day.  It's really motivated her to want to be helpful and do big girl things--rather than be jealous when the baby gets to use all her old things.  She's also become more tolerant to the 'noise' a baby brings to our home.  In the hospital, every time Emily cried Hazel covered her ears and made a face.  And then the first time in the car together Hazel looked at me with great apprehension and said, "But it's going to be noisy back here."  Hahaha.  She's made great progress.

Snapshot #1197: Play Date

May 7, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  We're returning to some semblance of normal over here...we're hosting Thursday play-dates again.

Snapshot #1196: Baby Bath

May 6, 2015.  Camas, Washington.  I already can't stop giving this little one kisses; right after a bath she is even more irresistible.