...and the in-betweens

((iphone pics))

Fuchsia (name of a flower, not only just a color! who knew?)

Emmy found these little 'dancing' mushrooms (they watched a lot of Fantasia this Spring)

Giant Poppies in my parents yard:

Fresh, beautiful carrots at Tacoma Boys:

LeMay Car Museum (boy heaven!)

Car art for the Fourth of July:

instagram pics from Washington

Pao's Donuts (said like Po - easy for the kids to remember and they still ask for them - months later!). Best donuts I've ever had! (in Tacoma)

Lots of umbrella weather even with lots of sunny days. This one never made it to IG.. I delete most selfies. Figure if I'm not on my own blog at least, I'm not anywhere! haha

Cutest park after Pao's donuts, and Emmy found a great photo op:

This kid sheer will power and running legs were enough to get this kit off the ground with no wind AND in the drizzling rain. Such motivation!

On one of the many warm and sunny days, Emmy thought she'd take a rest. Such a diva sometimes:

On the ferry boat ride to Vashon Island from Ruston:

Fourth of July:

after racing go-carts, we got a token for the batting cages (my favorite!) so my little Mont man got to watch and he now wants to play pro-baseball. Because, well, I do. HA

My little Norman Rockwell boy:

Emmy got in on the fun with Mont:

northwest summer trip

Hello again! After several months, I get to document a few pictures from our trip to visit my parents in Washington state, back in July - seems like half a lifetime ago now! Looking at these pictures, the kids look so much younger to me. Emmy still had pudgy wrists. Oh, I miss those wrists. Here are a few moments I actually got my real camera out for:

Interrupting Emmy's painting in my mother's studio:

Loads and loads of bubbles, kites, umbrellas, etc. Emmy was the champion bubble blower all summer this year. She never stopped willingly and always asked for more.. every hour on the hour it seemed at times. What an easy girl to please:

Trying for a family picture...

Snoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie Pass, WA:

Give this kid a pile of rocks to toss and he is one happy camper:

Another try...

The wrist!

At the LeMay Car Museum.. only a few pictures on my fuji camera.. rest were quickies on my phone. When Mark asks Mont what his (Mark's) favorite car is, Mont still says, "The Delorean" (with a little kid voice and missed L-sound of course).

For a kid who doesn't sleep well at nights, this is where he chooses to lie down:

My dad was really excited to show my mom and I this new flower in his yard. I was over the moon excited for it, saying, "Dad! It looks like you created a hybrid!!" Mom was the buzz kill and said, "oh. I saw those last year." ha! Well.. I still think he created this new beautiful poppy hybrid. I couldn't get enough of his flowers this summer!

bones

I don't even know where to begin writing this post. This morning I had one of my first experiences where I just wanted to cover Mont's mouth and run from where I stood. 

At Target this morning, there was a store worker doing inventory who asked if I was finding everything okay. 

"Yes, just browsing. Thank you." 

Mont chimes in after about 90% of these exchanges and brings up something completely unrelated, but that holds great interest to his own self. 

"I have a GUN in my car!" 

My eyes go wide and I try my best smile when the store employee looks at me and gives an uncomfortable laugh. 

I explain, "A toy gun! Man, he's going to get me in some trouble!"

Mont doesn't stop there. 

"There's BONES in there, too!!"

My face turns beet red, and the guy looks really nervous now. I can tell he's trying to decide if he should laugh or run. My voice is shaky and a little higher pitched as I try to explain this one:

"Sorry!! He has a toy pirate gun from the pirate ride at Disneyland, and there's a skull and crossbones on it!" 

I don't even remember watching his reaction, because I was probably looking around at who else just heard what Mont divulged. It was terrible... TERRIBLE. "There's bones in there TOO?!" Kid!!

Should have just clamped my hand over Mont's mouth and run for it, letting the guy think what he would, but my sense of humor and sense of self-assurity is not quite at that level; maybe another 15 years, give or take a lifetime. 

Drink up me 'earties. Drrrrink up.

group shot, and a guest

one of like group shots we got the whole time; this is the last night, pulled from Mamie's phone! Thanks Mames! 

See that lady at the end of the table? We have no idea who she is.. but she will now always be remembered!!

Thank goodness for that red hat Marty was wearing the whole trip - he's almost as tall as my dad, so we were able to spot him from half mile away! We had a great time on this trip, and so glad it worked out that we could be there, but we really missed Aimee and Michael. Even with as much fun as we had, I can't help but wonder how much more fun we could have had, had they been there too. 'Til next time!!

happiest place(s) on earth

Depends on where grandparents are... because that is where it is happiest. Am I right??

Emmy fit into the smallest little half sink I've ever seen. I really would never have thought to even try it! Leave it to Grandma Stacey to let Mont relive his happy bath memory from last year. He has brought it up at least every other week, "rememer? rememmmerrr?"

Mont had his first dinner 'date' with his second cousin, beautiful Tatum. They were talking like it was going out of style, sharing a whole wheat english muffin. Toasted. With butter.

Cousin Maxwell:

Then back to Utah, and the fun and happiness continued on:

Can't get over her sweet look of anticipation. This is just before her first ride on the scooter!

Not even sure where this face came from!

snapshots of the trip

snapshots with my iphone

The trip started off a little rough, then was great, then rough, then great again, then home. The second flight of the trip, from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City, I had to ask three people to please give up their seats so I could sit with my little ones. The flight attendant at the gate gave us three separate seats, then it was up to us to find people who would move. It was terrible.. no one wanted to help, and finally the people who did, made me feel like the terrible person I already felt I was for asking them to move! After I was unable to stop the tears from rolling, the kiddos sidled up to me and both fell asleep for the entire flight. You win some, you lose some, right? 

The day before we left home, Emmy was practicing her travel etiquette: 

After the flights, we landed in Utah, drove to Grandma's house and promptly played with all the toys we could, forgetting all about the unpleasantness of grumpy people: 

Legos, excuse me, Big Boy Legos were found and Mont spent hours building houses and boats for the little legos people: 

Swinging on the back porch with Emmy and her beloved bubble necklace (with no bubbles):

Mark headed up the second leg of the trip to California, as there were only 3 non-rev seats available. He was able to successfully handle the stroller loading and unloading onto the shuttle to the hotel by himself with the two kids, and late night mamba-candy distribution. What a hero!

We reunited the next day in Anaheim where we were anxiously awaiting our time at Disneyland: 

Molly was dared by her father (no less!) to run through the water fountain at its highest height. She was already in her swim suit, so the dare was accepted! 

Emmy was dead set on getting this particular pink set of ears when Mark took them to downtown disney that morning. She wore it as much as she could our entire time there:

A pay phone I remember my dad taking a business call on when I was really young. 

Hasn't changed in over 20 years!! 

Mont and his cousin Maxwell. Mont loves this kid sooo much.

Exhilarated Mont on Soarin' Over California... he absolutely loved this ride:

However, Emmy was not all that pleased when Alice in Wonderland broke down while we were in the Wrong Way Forest (not sure of the name, but that fits, right?):

Mont loved the toy story rides, being able to shoot the guns and rockets:

Visiting family is the best... late nights, cookies for breakfast, popsicles for snacks, etc. Happiness is summer at the grandparents'. 

Stacey keeps an owl paperweight on her desk, and when Emmy found it she would not let it go for a good long while!

While getting ready for an all-too-short hour long visit with my sister, I noticed the tag on my shirt was the same name she's given both of my babies when they were really little.... so a picture seemed appropriate! Made me laugh.

Vying for Tessa's affection and hugs:

Emmy's new "Picture Face":

Minneapolis near midnight: