Vacation ABCs

When we left for our vacation last week, we of course told the girls' teachers they would be missing a few days of school. Sarah's teacher kindly told her not to worry about doing any makeup work, but requested that she bring back photos to share with the class.

So in addition to the sea shell mementos we put together, we decided to make the photo sharing into a little project as well. Since Sarah is in Kindergarten and working on all of her letter sounds, I thought it would be fun to find something to take a picture of starting with every letter and turn it into a book. Both girls got into the game and it turned out to be a fun way to document our trip. Here are the pages of our book, and a recap of our vacation all in one:

Now you know your ABCs . . . I mean, now you know all the details of our trip. I've sent the pages to Shutterfly to make a little paperback book. So much more fun than sending a few photos to school, don't you think? 

back to work

Last time I posted was to tell you about my Grandpa's passing and that I would be away from my blog. Thank you all, dear friends, for your sweet comments. Last Saturday was his funeral, and it was a memorable and lovely day. (If you would like to know more, my mom wrote a touching recap.)

What I didn't tell you was that my blog break would last a little longer than that. We had planned to leave on a family vacation to Newport Beach the day before the funeral. We felt blessed for the timing of things and that we were able to stay for the funeral, help with arrangements, and host family at our house. In the end we only postponed our trip for one day and made up for the lost time by spending two long days on the road. But more about that later.

I missed a couple of milestones during my blog break. Most importantly, Abby turned 9! Poor girl—her actual birthday was a bit overshadowed by the other events that day (funeral). We gave her a proper celebration a few days before, however.

Doesn't she look so grown up? I feel like I already have a teenager on my hands. I was a little lazy this time and got a DQ ice cream cake, but the birthday girl was happy. Especially since they decorated it with horses. 

And this little gal passed 16 months:

And still not walking. Stubborn little stinker.

But you must notice those adorable little moccasins. A little LA shopping find. And that sweet little dress and tights, a gift from our San Diego friends who have a little pipsqueak named Emma. 

Eva and Emma are only about a month apart in age. Not only that, they have the same middle name (Grace), and the same initials (E.G.C.). They are destined to be friends. (Thanks for the cute gifts, C&K!)

We were glad to have a catch-up day today before the girls head back to school in the morning. You know, the usual laundry, unpacking, cleaning out the car. (Does anyone else's car look like an absolute pig sty after a trip?) I also worked on this little project:

We bought a big, inexpensive bag of sea shells in Newport Beach, and we split them up into these little bags for the girls to give to their classmates at school. I printed and stamped some simple bag toppers to go with them. These old-as-the-hills retired stamps and Stampin' Up! warehouse sale products do come in handy once in a while and serve a greater purpose than filling up my cupboards!

This post has gotten long, and still no deets about our trip. I promise to make you suffer through at least one more vacation post soon. :)

In memory of Clarence E. Benjamin

There is an air of melancholy over our days this week. Yesterday my last surviving grandparent, Clarence Benjamin, passed away. Yet, when we have hope and assurance of a better life after death, we can't help but feel relief and peace mixed with our sorrow. He lived to a ripe age of 92.

Grandpa and his first son

Grandpa was a farmer, rancher, and business man who loved what he did. Better than that he was a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather with a ready hug. Even having 9 kids of his own didn't sour his taste toward children and he always made time to appreciate us.

Grandpa and I (at about age 2)

Grandpa and EvaGrandpa and Sarah at his 90th birthday

My childhood memories of him have unfortunately faded with my poor memory, but I do well remember the summer my Grandma died. I had moved home that summer to plan my wedding and was there at the hospital the day she failed to make it through heart surgery. I remember his stun and grief. That summer he was longing for companionship and wandered around to quite a few conventions and various places. I traveled with him several times. He would always get a short ways down the road and turn the keys of his Cadillac over to me. 

One of my favorite photos of Grandpa and Grandma

He was there for my wedding later that summer, even though I could tell it was a hard day for him. We got married in the same room Grandma's funeral was held in earlier that summer.

Tom's Grandma Elva Clark, Grandpa, Me, Tom, and my Grandma and Grandpa Stephens

And now we find ourselves living in the house he and Grandma built together, and working on the farm he originally purchased and established. To say I am thankful for his legacy is an understatement.

By chance, we happened to be in town (where Grandpa lived in his care home) for a conference this past weekend. Grandpa had broken his hip the day before and was in the hospital. Since he definitely wasn't strong enough for general aesthesia, the doctors were hoping they would be able to put a pin in his hip using local anesthetic. However, under the heavy influence of pain medicine he declined quickly. He was very drowsy, wasn't keeping his oxygen up, and wasn't waking up even to eat and drink. By some miracle, when we walked into his hospital room to see him his eyes popped open and we were able to enjoy quite a few minutes with him. He acknowledged our presence and even said a few words. We joked a little about how we needed to go to these conferences to learn how to farm—yet he could have taught the classes we were attending. He spent our visiting time gripping my hand tightly. After a bit Tom snuck out to buy him an ice cream cone at McDonald's—his favorite—and we watched my Aunt Joann feed him what turned out to be his last treat. It was a blessing to be there and a memory I will always cherish. He died 2 days later.

We will honoring him at a funeral service on Saturday, and I am helping with those preparations and expecting a houseful of guests this weekend. As such, I will likely be silent on the blog this week. Thank you all for your support.

Sarah is 6!

This past weekend we celebrated the 6th birthday of our little Sarah! (I hope she doesn't mind if I call her little. Actually, I'm pretty sure she would mind, but I refuse to stop.) 

~

We love you so much, Sarah, for your boundless energy, funny quips, and creativity. You know how to push your bounderies and your parent's buttons, but we wouldn't trade your spunk for anything. You have enough personality for SIX kids!

6 things that made your birthday memorable:

1) You didn't share it with your sister (who's birthday is in 2 weeks) for a change. This time it was ALL about Sarah.

2) We had a birthday breakfast of pancakes at Amma's house before our morning of soccer games.

3) Birthday gifts were simple this year because the big gift is a trip to California and Disneyland this month. You got spending money!

4) You got to spend the evening on a "date" all by yourself with Grandpa and Grandma. I'm pretty sure they spoiled you rotton.

5) You wanted a princess cake so Mommy attempted a castle. (I'm pretty sure your sister wants a DQ ice cream cake, don't you think?) You look so beautiful and grown up.

6. Your friends brought a piñata to share and it was full of candy that you stuffed your faces with the rest of the day!

Happy Birthday, Sarah! We hope it was special for you.

~

Unfortunately, Sarah also got the flu for her birthday and had to stay home from school today. We are bracing ourselves for the worst and expecting it to run its course through our family this week. Today the guys started hauling grain, so instead of working in the yard I am tending to my little sickie and also tending to my neglected house. This yard project was all-consuming last week. Hopefully we will be able to get back at it and finish it before cold and snow beat us to it—updates coming soon!

Eva–15 months old

Wow, time is a-flyin'. In my typical baby book blog fashion, here are a few things I don't want to forget.

Eva at 15 months:

She has 2 more teeth, bringing the count to 6. And she loves to use those chompers to eat corn on the cob! In fact, if she doesn't get to try everything on the table that every else has, she makes her displeasure known. (Fortunately, she doesn't seem to be a hard teether. Yeah, she gets a little fussy and irritiable, but it doesn't last forever. And she is still sleeping like a champ. Putting her to bed and letting her sooth herself—even if it means crying it out for a bit—makes all the difference.)

Oh boy, is she in love with her Daddy. Now that harvest is over she gets to enjoy more quality time with him and their bond is growing stronger and stronger.

And she is walking . . . on her knees. (Not her feet). I know! That should be harder, right? Silly goose. I'm pretty sure she is close to getting it. At least she lets us walk her around holding her hands now.

She loves to give out kisses. Usually a sweet little peck, but sometimes it comes out more as a slobbery lick.

She is fond of her sisters, too. Especially Abby. And Abby is a great little helper. Eva is blowing a kiss in this picture. So cute!

Time flies and these kids won't stop growing! I have a few birthdays sneaking up on me in less than a month (Sarah, Tom, and Abby). Yikes! Must. Get. Busy.

Labor Day Getaway

Last week we raced the clock as we tried desperately to finish harvest before the long weekend began—then a few weather delays and things weren't looking so good. Friday night we finally finished with a HUGE sigh of relief and a rib dinner to celebrate.

Weary but happy. It was a bit hard to switch gears and figure out what we wanted to do for the weekend, but we knew we wanted to pack our trailer and get out of dodge.

We decided to venture to the west side of the state this time to Hungry Horse. Its a beautiful drive through the south end of Glacier Park to get there and only a bit more than 3 hours from us. The 34-mile long reservoir, situated in tree-covered Forest Service land, greeted us with crystal clear waters and a cloudless day. Mmm, gorgeous.

The normally busy west side of the lake was closed for road construction, so we boated to a deserted campground there and unpacked for lunch. But, the deserted campground made us much more nervous about bears wandering in and finding the smell of our grilling burgers delectable. We all made fools of ourselves watching warily as we chewed our burgers and then packing in a rush to get back on the boat. Nature amateurs. Psh. 

Adding to our anxiety was this deer that circled our picnic table while we ate. 

Normally we wouldn't find a deer to be scary, but this one was just a bit too curious. We were afraid (since it obviously wasn't afraid) that a young buck like this could be aggressive. And what is up with that odd growth on his neck?

Safely back on the boat, the girls tried out the tube. The adults were too chicken to get in the cold water but the girls had a blast. Sarah (doing the "faster" sign) is our little daredevil.

Take us over the BIG waves, Grandpa!

Whoa. There they go.

Eva enjoyed the cuddy cabin with Grandma. 

Hungry Horse is the land of the Huckleberries, and we partook (for a price since the growing season for Huckleberries wasn't ideal this year.)

Hungry Horse is also just a few miles from the west entrance to Glacier Park. We decided to spend Labor Day there, along with the rest of the state's touring population. Labor Day is the last day of the year to go over the Going to the Sun Highway before they close for winter.

I've often told my Utah friends that they should visit us on their way to see Glacier Park. It is something everyone should see in their lifetime. Here is a little taste why:

Avalanche creek, where we stopped to eat lunch.

One of many glacial waterfalls as we climbed Going to the Sun Highway.

See that little ribbon of highway next to the creek in the photo of above? That is where we started. 

And that is where we are headed—to the top of Logan Pass. (It was a little hazy.)

The road is literally carved into the mountain side. Driving it is not for the faint of heart, or those afraid of heights.

The reward at the top and views along the way are worth it.

We did get to see a couple of black bears, too . . .

 . . . behind an electric fence and from the safety of our car. We (ahem) may have paid a little money to see them, too. Not quite as thrilling as seeing them in the wild. I have, on previous trips, seen Grizzly Bears on top of Logan Pass.

Down the other side we decided we would try to attempt a hike to Virginia Falls. However, the more than 2 mile hike (one way) proved a bit much for this baby toting bunch, and we opted to stop at the closer Baring Falls instead and called it a day.

A makeshift sling helped a whole lot. (I must make myself one of these! I should have done it a year ago.)

Mom bought everyone Glacier Park tees and hats. (Aw, aren't they cute?)

And of course we took advantage of the plentiful photo ops.

One last stop for a photo of Lake MacDonald, the largest of many lakes in the park.

So now, I hope you are adequately tempted to take a trip of your own (and stop by to see us along the way!)

So, even though it was long, we were blessed to have a great harvest this year, and even more blessed to cap off the summer with a memorable trip. Thanks for letting me share, and I hope you had a great weekend too!

Update

Since I've been a little neglectful with my posts lately, here is my typical brain dump update:

We have 100 acres left to harvest, so with any luck we will FINALLY finish today. It has seemed to really drag out this year for some reason (we started late, planted a ton of acres, had a couple of weather delays, and lots of broken down equipment, for starters). The girls have a 4 day weekend that we are really hoping to take advantage of. The camper is pulled out front and if I can muster up the energy to start packing it up we will go find a place to camp for the weekend.

I've taken very few photos this harvest for some reason, but I do have a few and I'll try to post a harvest recap soon.

Speaking of photos, I happily spent my eBay profits and bought my new camera (the Canon 60D) and flash and it came in the mail yesterday! I have charged the battery but haven't even turned it on yet. I'm hoping to dive into it this weekend and learn how to use it. The controls are slightly different than my old one, and I have no experience using an external flash. I'm really hoping this new camera renews my motivation to shoot more (and thus have more material to share here!)

I also bought my new vacuum with my leftover camera money, the Dyson Animal DC28. I spent all day Monday in the combine and heard over and over on the radio about a promotion Sam's Club was running starting on Wednesday. Their deals included $150 off a Dyson vacuum. Wednesday morning I called them to make sure they had them in stock since they didn't show on their website—they had only one!!! What kind of store runs a promotion on something they only have one of? (Rant.) I asked them to hold it for me, but they wouldn't do it. So I made a special trip to town and two hours later I pulled into Sam's Club and made a beeline for the vacuums, pulling the one and only box onto my cart. Literally seconds later, a woman came up behind me looking for the same vacuum. I apologized and said I grabbed the last one, and she said, "No problem, they'll have more!" I didn't have the heart to tell her they didn't in fact have any more and they wouldn't be getting any more in. Stupid. But nevertheless I was happy I'd made it just in time and enjoyed my $150 discount. I've taken it out of the box and tried it out. Its a heavy sucker (pun intended)—heavier than my old Dyson—but it really does suck (literally). I should have the cleanest house on the block in no time. Ha. (That was a long story about a vacuum, wasn't it? I told you this would be a brain dump.)

The girls really enjoyed their first two weeks of school. I really love witnessing their independence as they make new friends and settle into their own routines. They have also started soccer practice twice a week and I've started piling the miles on the "ranch limo" again, running back and forth to fetch them. Soon there will be piano lessons too. It keeps us moms hopping, doesn't it? As much as those extracurricular activities add busyness to our lives, I also believe it is critical to the success and confidence of our kids to give them opportunities to develop skills and accomplishments of their own. Those extracurricular experiences really shaped me as a child. I'm going to try to remember that instead of focusing on how much extra work it adds for me. 

House projects have really stalled out this summer since farm work (and supplying the farmers) has required all our time. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things soon so I have more material to blog about finally! First on the list is finishing up some yard projects. My curb appeal is sorely lacking lately. I'll be sure to keep you informed of our progress (in between seeding and spraying and other fall farm work). 

I'll be back shortly with a Feng Shui Friday post, and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

they don't make things like they used to

Before school started the older girls spent a week with their grandparents in Bozeman. To get them back we met them part way in between at the lake. The kids had been there for the weekend, but we only had a couple of hours to try out Papa's new boat.

This thing is a classic from the 1960's. He got it for $900 as part of payment for a job he did. I guess they say you get what you pay for, but its a pretty sweet relic. You know when you see a classic and it just makes you feel like it was built to last?

 

The dash is all retro but functional—even the depth finder, which goes "click, clickety, click" as it runs.

And here is the driver, enjoying the ride on the back of the boat:

Wait. Did I just say he was driving from the back of the boat? Oh yeah. Did I mention the motor doesn't work? It can be fixed. I'm sure of it. But for now we had to enjoy the ride with the trolling motor. No big deal. Just sit back, relax, and put your feet in the water.

Eva even enjoyed the ride.

The kids tried out the tube. It looks like they are all about to fall off!

But I'm pretty sure we were going less than 5 mph.

So, bad motors aside, have any of you enjoyed any relics lately and appreciated how they used to make things? I think its awesome when older things are well maintained and appreciated for what they are instead of discarded.

back to school

The blogosphere is buzzing about back to school and I must to my part. Here are the girls, excited and ready for their first day. They woke themselves up at 6 AM this morning and were ready by 6:30, even though we don't have to leave our house until 7:20. 

Aw, don't they look cute? School shopping was a bit of a challenge to fit in this year but we had time for a couple of new outfits. I tried not to interfere with their choices but smiled a little when Sarah chose her cowboy boots. Abby has new cowboy boots too and is looking forward to getting a few western outfits to go with them. Oh boy.

And this is my little Kindergartner. (Only don't call her "little" to her face. She is a BIG girl now.)

Kindergarten is serious stuff here. All day, every day. She seemed very unruffled and not at all nervous.

She even gets to ride the bus with her big sister now. It would have been WAY to embarrassing to pose for a photo by the bus, so I had to sneak this one on the fly.

We took this next picture in front of the combine to show that we are still harvesting. Most years these machines are parked away before school starts. Not this year—we still have at least a week left!

The girls have their first soccer practice tomorrow night. I'm not sure if we are quite ready for summer to be over and for our lives to be structured again, but ready or not, here we go! Happy back to school, everyone!

state fair

Here is our State Fair experience, Hipstamatic style:

(Uh-oh. Two Hipstamatic posts in a row. Perhaps I should get my real camera out once in a while?)

Grandpa and Grandma took Eva for a few hours so we were able to spend most of our time watching the girls enjoy the rides without worrying about keeping a baby happy. All the while the Blue Angels were flying overhead and I wondered if we shouldn't have instead spent Tom's limited time off work at the Air Show. But he said he'd rather do what made the girls happy. Such a nice daddy. After they had their fill of the rides we stopped at the petting zoo with a porcupine (yes, really), then we all starred in a play about Farm Animals traveling through time on an airplane. All because they had a mister at that tent. It was a very hot, sticky day. Made stickier after the cotton candy.

Eva—14 months old

Last week Eva passed the 14 month mark. Here are 9 little pictures and 9 things about Eva at this age:

1. What a blossoming little personality she has. If you're lucky you'll receive a toothy grin and squinty little eyes. If you aren't so lucky, you might get the evil eye (or Eva eye, as Tom calls it).

2. Speaking of toothy grins, she still only has 4 little teeth in there. A late bloomer in the tooth department.

3. And speaking of late blooming, well, I'm trying not worry too much about the fact that she hasn't started walking yet. She just loves to crawl too much. When you try to hold her hands and walk her, she protests and fights to get down on her knees.

4. And speaking of knees (how far do you think I can take this segue?—enough of that), hers are red and raw from crawling so much on the wool carpet. She crawls around this house a mile a minute and explores every cupboard and closet.

5. She is going to be a musical little one. She loves to sit at the piano and play. Sometimes she lets me play along with her (as long as I don't interfere and keep my hands way in the lower and upper registers) and sometimes she adamantly removes my hands so she can play alone. After a while she closes the lid on my hands. Done. Sunday morning she holds the hymn book right up to her nose and sings along.

6. As of yesterday, we are done with nursing. I suppose it is as hard on momma to let it go as her, but it is time, and she finally has taken to a sippy cup. When she was slow to take to cow's milk, we started giving her vanilla almond milk instead. As she took to that, we slowly mixed in cow's milk until the almond milk is now just like a shot of sweet creamer.

7. Eva will eat just about anything. But when she doesn't want to eat it she lets you know by dropping it piece by piece on the floor.

8. She is sleeping consistently through the night from about 9:30 to 6:45. Sometimes (Saturday, for instance) I wish she would let me sleep in a little, but most of the time it is a perfect time to get up and start breakfast for everyone. It should work right into the school schedule when we start in just over a week. (Ack!)

9. We love and treasure her so so much. That's all.

finding our groove

Whoosh. It's been a week. 

This is the arsenal that sits on my kitchen counter right now:

Yes, two of my girls have been sick. (Fortunately not the baby.) They came down with a scary case of strep last Wednesday. Scary because even a cycle of Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen couldn't keep their fevers down for long. We were at the doctor's office 3 times in 4 days and on the phone several times in between, mostly because of some odd reactions from Abby. She has been getting hives from her medication (presumably?). We changed the medication, but the hives continued, even though both drugs were ones she had taken before with no problems. Nevertheless, the outlook is improving and the girls are back to tearing the house down.

I like to keep a positive attitude about things, but even I have to admit it has been difficult to get into the groove of things this harvest season. Having sick kids has made it hard to focus on anything else, of course. But then there was Dad's 10 stitches in his knee (from slipping in a grain tank onto an auger), Mom's broken dishwasher (never a good thing during harvest), Mom's broken toes, and a long string of broken down farm equipment (more than usual it seems). All this leaves me wondering if we are going to find our groove before harvest is over. 

But we must, because we need lots of stamina to get through the harvest season. The guys start early and don't come home to bed until the wee hours. Dinners have been at home thus far, but now that kids are feeling better I expect we will start taking dinner out the field to keep down time to a minimum. And maybe I'll even get to put in a few hours on the combine. Nothing like cutting wheat to put you in the harvest mood!

More updates to come...

the toad

The other day after a rain shower, Tom found this little baby toad and brought it to the house to share with the girls. They fawned over it and begged to keep it, so we made a little makeshift aquarium that the girls filled with grass and leaves. "We'll name her Taylor, because it works for a boy or a girl!", they said.

The girls obsessed over Miss or Mr. Toad (sorry, I just can't bring myself to call a toad Taylor) for a couple of days, but alas, they couldn't get it to eat any of the crickets, grasshoppers, or ants they found. In fact, once they found the little cricket perched right on top of toad's head. 

It took some convincing, but finally we talked the girl's into letting it go since it very likely wasn't going to survive in captivity. We promised she would be happier with her mom and dad in the big wide world. They bravely set her on the sidewalk outside and watched her hop around. But when Daddy came to take her away and put her back where he found her, the tears and trauma began. Abby couldn't sleep alone in the basement that night because she couldn't stop thinking about her beloved Taylor.

So, imagine their delight when a few nights later we found this little gal in front of our garage!

And not just that, 2 more BIG toads! (Mom and Dad?) I chased one under the deck for a photo:

Finally the girls believed us. She was much happier with her Mom and Dad! Chalk it up to a great learning experience for the girls.

Christian brought one of the big ones inside for a visit (and a little freak-out session by your's truly). 

Christian is a great friend who came all the way from San Diego on his bike to visit us for a night. O.K. Not just us. But we were still very glad to see him. And we are glad we got to share him with our little toad friends.

healthy competition?

My Sarah is extremely competitive as she tries to keep up with her older sister. Three years separate them so it is often a difficult task.

The other morning Sarah came into my room with Ruthie (her American Girl Doll). She had combed her hair into a simple but cute double pony tail. "Look Mom! Look what I did! Doesn't it look great?"  I replied, "Yes, Sarah, you did an awesome job!"

Later that morning, Abby came upstairs with her doll, Julie, to show me a French Twist up-do she had styled. I said "Wow, Abby, that looks great!" Sarah, witnessing the event, ran to get her own doll and said, "Mom, which one do you like better? It's okay, you can tell us."

Ha ha. Trapped.

"I don't play that game", I said. "Sarah, your doll's hair looks so awesome for a 5-year-old. Abby's doll's hair looks beautiful for an 8-year-old."

Sarah replied. "Uhhh", (stomping her feet in a classic Sarah move). "Abby's is beautiful? No fair!!!!"

I can't win.

the stain treatment

Sarah absolutely loves to dress up in her nicest dresses and shoes, even if it is to go outside and play in the mud. I am constantly yelling at her from the front door to "please go inside and put some play clothes on!" 

One day Tom caught her in a lovely white dress playing on the back of his dirty truck. She quipped, "It's okay! We can get Oxy-clean!" Indeed.

On another occasion she spilled hot-chocolate all they way down a white dress she had pulled out the hand-me-down pile and was wearing for the first time. She was devastated. I reassured her and said, "I'll try soaking it in Oxy-clean". Her eyes brightened as she said "You have Oxy-clean? Great! It drives the tough stains out."

And its a darn good thing.

(Not a paid advertisement.)

can they take it?

Early last summer when we first moved to the farm, we spotted a gopher in our front yard. Gophers around here are big pests. They dig holes in yards and fields and eat our crops. They are prolific. And we shoot them as much as possible. I wasn't sure how the girls would react to this. Could they handle it? 

I called the girls to the window to show them the gopher. "Awwww, how adorable!", they sang. Then, without missing a beat, "Kill it, Daddy! Kill it!"

I think they can take it.

In fact, this summer Abby worked hard to save her money and buy a bee bee/pellet gun. A pink one no less.

And she has already killed a few gophers. That's my girl.

Mom's birthday

We celebrated Mom's birthday on the 3rd of July. I didn't have any brilliant ideas about what to get her, so we decided to abide by Abby's motto, "the best gift is made with your hands". We took this photo and made a little calendar for her refrigerator. It's actually pretty amazing we got a decent shot considering the persistent mosquitoes, cranky baby, and hyper five-year-old we confronted. Here are a few of our out takes:

The photos (excepting the last) were taking in one of our blooming canola fields. The last one is in a tall field of winter wheat. Some of it swallows Sarah right up.

We let Mom decide how to spend her day and she chose to visit the Ryan Dam on the Mighty Missouri. It is spectacular this year with the the river running high and strong.

There is an island right below the dam that affords spectacular views and a cooling mist that felt incredible on this hot day.

The park on the island was cool and shaded, so we plopped down on the grass and enjoyed some lazy time together talking and doing . . . acrobatics . . .?

Not bad for a couple of old men in their late thirties.

It was a great day. Happy Birthday Mom!

Eva—13 months old

Today marks 13 months for our little Eva Grace. We love her to pieces!

I have found her several times lately hiding out in this little cupboard in Sarah's room. 

A few discernable words: hi, momma (in the middle of the night when she cries for me to get her), uh-oh

No walking yet. When I try to walk her holding her hands she cries and wants down on the floor. She stands holding on to things all the time—sometimes barely hanging on. It will come soon enough. I found the cutest little miniature Keens to buy for her when its time to celebrate the accomplishment...  :)

Her 2 front teeth have made their appearance. No sign of any more yet, but the teething symptoms have been rampant.

She enjoys all sorts of food. Today it was edamame and curry potatoes and chicken. Last week it was plums. But plain jane bananas and graham crackers never fail to please as well.

We used our camp trailer 3 times this last month and each time the first night was torture. She does not like her pack-n-play and does not settle down well when she knows we are all in the same room with her. You know where she does sleep well? Her stroller. I have been known to put her to bed in it all night. The best option is her own bed, however. We've enjoyed two full nights of sleep since we got back from our last trip. (Knock on wood).

reunions

Back to regularly scheduled posting. Didn't realize posting was delayed? Ha—neither did I.

Busy summer days have grabbed us by the hand and have been dragging us along faster than we can manage to keep up with. The posts might come fast and furious the next little while as I catch up with all we've been up to.

I'll commence this reunion with my blog by sharing a few memories of a reunion with the Benjamins that we just returned from this weekend. I let my camera rest most of the short time we were there and didn't capture very many photos. But these are a few things I want to remember:

 

A long line of campers in my cousin's spacious backyard in beautiful Lewistown, Montana.

 

Breakfasts in their red barn. 

Uncle Dale sharing spiritual wisdom and memories of Great Grandpas and Grandmas.

Going on a 2-mile walk with Mom along the Spring Creek and enjoying the sunshine. Perhaps regretting taking the stroller as we drug it through the gravel on the trail that was flood damaged last month.

Lots and lots of second cousins to play with.

Our ever-gracious hosts.

Rides on the lawn-mower train. (Usually there were kids piled high in the cars—I missed the moment.)

Cooking lasagna for 80 people (or so). Having so much leftover that we wouldn't have to cook for a week.

Having my cousin Lori stay with me for a couple of days before-hand and having her awesome help in the kitchen prepping that lasagna.

My kids navigating the challenge of getting acquainted with cousins they don't know at all and making new friendships.

Cousin Kaitlyn giving Sarah a lesson in astronomy.

My awesome new sister-in-law Annie braving the task of meeting an overwhelmingly large family and handling it with grace.

Seeing first cousins we rarely get to see from Texas, Arizona, North Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon—and how impossibly grown up their kids have become. (Missing a couple from California too!)

Swimming in the Lewistown pool and watching the faces of the kids as they pummelled down the water slides over and over again.

Running into my friend Jolene at the pool and catching up.

The guys' favorite activity of flying remote-control aircraft over our heads.

Watching Grandpa's face as we all piled into the garage to say grace for lunch and thinking it could easily be the last time he gets to see that. Wondering how he feels about the legacy he and Grandma created together.

Busted!