Snapshot #902: Camp Smokey

September 20, 2013.  Alturas Lake, Sawtooth City, Idaho.  There are pictures of me the same age as Hazel playing on this same mountain beach.  We had the entire lake to ourselves.  It was awesome.

Snapshot #901: Alturas Lake, Idaho

September 19, 2013.  Sawtooth City, Idaho.  We are headed to the airport so that we can be surrounded by family and have this as our backyard for the next several days.

Snapshot #900: Thank You

September 18, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Dave, Hazel and I would like to sincerely thank each of our friends and family who have supported and assisted us throughout the last month and our IVT Experiment.  We could not have done it without you.  Unfortunately we will not have a baby to show for our efforts this time around.  Perhaps in the future we will get our courage up enough to try again.  Meanwhile, our lives are very full and we have much to be grateful for.

Snapshot #899: Music Makers

September 17, 2013.  Sunnyvale, California.  One of my favorite things to do with Hazel during the week is a class called Music Makers.  We went a couple times last year and she mostly just watched the other kids participate.   But this year she REALLY gets it; and LOVES to participate!  I love watching her dance and make music and interact with the other kids.

Snapshot #898: Puddles

September 16, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Hazel and I went for a long walk Sunday evening.  I love giving her freedom to walk and run and act and explore according to her own desires.  So much of her life is dictated by what Mom and Dad want...it's nice to experience what Hazel wants too.   

Snapshot #897: Tender Mercies

September 14, 2013.  Oakland, California.  I was supposed to host a baby shower today.  I've been an emotional wreck, so fortunately for me the baby was born 3-1/2 weeks early and we've had to postpone the shower.  I did go to the Oakland temple though--a refuge from the world.

Snapshot #896: Little Things

September 13, 2013.  San Jose, California.  So very grateful for the little things; and for this little girl (who is no little thing).  

Snapshot #895: Can't Stop Crying

September 12, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Today we found out that our experiment with in vitro fertilization did not result in a pregnancy.  Days don't get much more difficult than this.

Snapshot #894: Remember Her?

September 11, 2013.  Santa Clara, California.  Remember Her?  Here she is 14 months later and still the joy of our hearts.

Snapshot #893: Watercolor Hand-Stamped Cards

September 10, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Remember my project of creating hand-stamped cards for Craft Day?  Well...here's the finished project.  I love the tone-on-tone set, but I know lots of my friends like the white set.  I achieved this look using watercolor crayons and these stamps.

Snapshot #892: Grass Angels

September 9, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Another day in paradise.

Snapshot #891: Bonks

September 7, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Daddy's make all the bonks feel better.

Snapshot #890: Sunnyvale Library

August 31, 2013.  Sunnyvale, California.  Hazel cannot visit the library without sitting next to this guy.

Snapshot #889: Making Music

August 28, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Some day it will sound like music.

Snapshot #888: Tandem Swing

August 27, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Tandem swinging...who knew?  The kids sure like it!

Snapshot #887: Big Girl Bed

August 26, 2013.  San Jose, California.  It's been a week now since Hazel transitioned into a twin-size bed from the crib.  Thus far, it's been an easier transition than I anticipated.  The first 3-4 days she went down without a second thought; like she didn't yet realize that getting up was a possibility.  By now she's figured out that she can get up and read books, etc. but she eventually goes down.  Personally, I love the twin bed.  I love that she can get herself up.  I love that I can sit at the end of her bed.  I love that we can snuggle and read books together.  I love that I can lean over and kiss her on the forehead.  And the body pillow tucked under the fitted sheet has done it's job to protect her from falls.

Snapshot #886: Dance Party

August 24, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Friday night dance parties are always a good idea.

Snapshot #885: Crooked Toe

August 23, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Is this normal?

Snapshot #884: Clean Carpets

August 22, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Today marks two years at our current place of residence in San Jose.  In commemoration, I rented a carpet-cleaner from Home Depot and scrubbed and scrubbed. 

Snapshot #883: "More! More!"

August 20, 2013.  San Jose, California.  One of my most favorite sounds in the world is hearing them laugh together.

Snapshot #882: Clay Slipper

August 20, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Creative Daddy made Hazel a shoe out of clay today.  Boy, did she LOVE it!!!

Snapshot #881: Flowering Trees

August 19, 2013.  San Jose, California.  When I was a little girl I used to imagine the possibilities of creating trees of my own design one day.  I was disappointed that the tress in my world had only differing shapes and shades of green leaves.  I promised myself that when it was my turn I was going to create a tree that all-summer-long bloomed with big beautiful flowers.  Lo, and behold, God is one-step ahead of me.    

Snapshot #880: Story Time

August 17, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Hazel made it through one book at the Library before she was up walking around and getting herself kicked out of Story Time.  They jury's still out on whether or not I think watching cartoons at the library is a good idea. 

Snapshot #879: Say "Ahhhh"

August 16, 2013.  San Jose, California.  This morning was Hazel's two-year check-up with the doctor.  She's 34-1/2 inches tall and weighs 28-1/2 pounds.  That puts her in the 75th percentile for both her height and her weight.  We're so proud of her...she did excellently for the doctor.

Snapshot #878: Crayola Model Magic

August 15, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Daddy made Hazel this cute little owl out of Crayola Model Magic.  It provided many minutes of great fun!  She even has the "Hoot! Hoot!" down.

Video Snapshot #877: Two-Foot Jumps

August 14, 2013.  San Jose, California.  A couple of those jumps had real air time.  I'm hoping to sign her up for a toddler tumbling class in the fall.  

Snapshot #876: Playground Observations

August 13, 2013.  San Jose, California.  These days Hazel spends less time climbing and sliding at the playground and more time observing other children around her.  My guess is she has physically mastered the things she's comfortable with but has gotten her breath taken away by large slides and had falls enough that she's too scared to try something new.

Snapshot #875: Design Inspiration

August 12, 2013.  San Jose, California.  This little guy has inspired the new bedding concept for Hazel's bedroom.  (This is only happening because I've decided I want to potty train her before she's 2-1/2.  My goal is to fully transition her into a big-girl bed before potty training starts so that--ideally--she'll be able to get herself up out of bed to go.)  We're going straight to a twin-sized bed from the crib and I plan to use a body pillow to hinder falls.  The bed doesn't have a box spring, just something called a platform, so it's lower to the ground.  We currently have no bedding for that size a mattress so I'm in the process of figuring out what colors to purchase, etc.  I have a neutral envelope in the nursery, so changing the bedding colors changes the entire look of the room.  Mr. Owl has convinced me to transition to yellow rather than continue the pink theme.

Snapshot #874: Daddy's Little Helper

August 10, 2013.  San Jose, California.  I love that she wants to do everything that we're doing (I have to remind myself of this sometimes when I'm cooking and her persistent interest makes everything take twice as long and end up twice as messy).

Snapshot #873: What We're Reading

August 9, 2013.  San Jose, California.  What Dave's Reading.  What I'm Reading.

Snapshot #872: Holding Hands

August 8, 2013.  Sunnyvale, California.  At what point will it no longer be cute to receive pictures of my daughter holding hands with a neighborhood boy?

Snapshot #871: Design Development Drawings

August 7, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Hazel has spent every day this week with a friend while I finish up Design Development Drawings for my current client to send out to bid.  Phew...I haven't done this kind of work in a long time.  There was a bit of a learning curve setting up my home office to be able to do this kind of large-format (24" x 36") work.  It's incredibly satisfying to see the finished set.  (Shown above, 1 sheet of 7)

Snapshot #870: Skinned Knee

August 5, 2013.  San Jose, California.  Hazel got a strider for her birthday and today experienced her first skinned knee (be SO proud Aunt Britton!)

Video Snapshot #869: Hazel Turns Two

August 3, 2013.  Los Gatos, California.  Hazel has seen lots of trains on YouTube lately.  She comes up to me saying "Choo Choo" begging to watch more trains on the computer.  For her birthday we thought she might like to experience a real train.  We took her and some friends to Oak Meadow Park nearby and had a marvelous time.  The day was perfect.  I love the look of Hazel, like a deer in headlights, as she's watching and listening to a live train.  Don't forget to click on the video to watch Hazel blow out her birthday candles. 

Snapshot #868: The Well-Trained Mind

August 2, 2013.  San Jose, California.  I've been reading up on the details of Homeschooling as I consider it as an option for our family.  This book, The Well-Trained Mind seems to be a great resource.

Snapshot #867: Hand-Stamped Cards

August 1, 2013.  San Jose, Californai.  I don't know why I insist on taking on projects of things that I have never done before, but here I go again.  I am attempting to re-create this look and make a set of hand-stamped thank you cards to teach at Craft Day this year.  After several days of research I've now ordered the needed materials online and I'm excited for my packages to arrive.