Family photos

I've been wanting for quite some time to get some family portraits taken. Just some nice, quality photos of the four of us. Not so much the "sit on the carpet-covered box and tilt your head to the left" type, but the kind where we get outside and get some natural pics of the family together. So I researched some local photographers this summer, and just couldn't believe their prices! After all, we weren't shooting a wedding or anything, and really, what use did we have for a 16x20 portrait? (I don't even think we own a wall big enough for a monstrosity like that.)

Luckily, my dad has a professional camera that he enjoys experimenting with, and some serious patience with my girls, and offered (with no guarantees) to give it his best shot. (No pun intended.) We considered ourselves lucky as we got to enjoy a nice walk and a morning out with Grandma and Grandpa, and went home with over 900(!) frames to sift through.

Thanks, Dad for helping us get some great family photos, at a price that fit our budget!

18 months

Wow. I can hardly believe that today is the day to say Happy "Half Birthday" to Aubrey. She is officially 18 months old today! Our mellow baby is now a walking, talking toddler, with an attitude to boot! It just blows my mind.

One of the greatest things about this age, is that Aubrey's vocabulary is absolutely exploding. She uses new words nearly every day, and often speaks in 2 and 3 word phrases. Her speech is incessant, which really is no easy task with her older sister around (if you know what I mean.) What this really translates to is one seriously noisy household. There is never a silent moment around here. Never. Ever. And I'm not kidding.

When we took Aubrey to her 18 month appointment the other day, the nurse kindly offered me the usual handout on development, what to expect at this age, etc, etc. As I read it over, I noticed that children at this age should be able to use 2-3 words besides 'Mama' and 'Dada.' Two to three??? I thought she might blow that expectation out of the water, so I started a list (which I happen to be very good at, thankyouverymuch.) It's a brainstorm of sorts, of all the words I've heard Aubrey use in the last week or so. Here's what I came up with:

Mommy, Daddy, no, help, Nana (Camryn), sissy (sister), kitty, sit, me, wawa (water), horsie, num-num, Vuv you (Love you---the absolute cutest!), moo, Ady (her friend), bye-bye, Mimi, Papa, dee-dee (binky), peese (please), Dah-doh (thank you), up, cheese, yeah, nigh-night, vuvey (lovey), JoJo (teacher, Jordan), doggie, more, all done, uh-oh, my, shoe, hi, Skip (neighbor), bib, poo-poo, owie, Emmy (Elmo), dat (that), & oh!

Whew! That's 41 words! When I think about how quickly she's acquired these words, and how frequently she's using them too, it makes me a little nervous. I start to wonder...how many more words will she learn in the next week? Month? By the time she turns two? Will there ever be peace in this house again? Even just a moment of silence?

And then the answer comes to me.................Probably not.

Playgroup zoo trip, year 4!

Today was our annual zoo trip with our "I'm a Teacher's Kid" summer playgroup. Despite the drizzly morning, we had our fair share of fun! Thanks, friends, for a good time!

(Most of) The Group. A few friends couldn't make it today, and we got separated from a few as we traveled in a herd, but here are six of our kiddos sitting (relatively) still at (just about) the same time. A miracle, no?

Yep, they're still bigger.

Horsie!

Cowgirls?

Mom, what's with these big kids? They're acting like wild animals! :)

Beach Trip '09

We spent last weekend at the coast, in Lincoln City, and enjoyed the sunny weather, the time together, and just being on vacation.

We took a morning trip to the aquarium in Newport, where the girls enjoyed seeing lots of animal and sea life. Both girls loved the hands on exhibits where they got to touch sea stars and anemones. Camryn even got to pet a shark!
Posing with "Nemo!"

The obligatory jaws photo :)

At the end of the visit, we stopped by the children's climbing area, where Camryn showed what a ham she really is.

And Aubrey did too

After lunch on the bay, and crashing out in the car, we refueled at a local ice cream shop. Aubrey insisted on sitting on the tall stool by herself, and wouldn't let anyone help her with her cup of ice cream. She actually managed to balance the entire time, and practically licked the bowl clean, with only minimal spillage. Impressive!Saturday afternoon was spent in the sand and water. The girls were in heaven!





Of course, Aubrey had to find out for herself what sand tasted like! Yum...?

Our only complete family photo was taken by a kind passerby, who also happens to be a local TV news personality. :)

After dinner at Mo's we walked on the pier and watched the water (and the interesting people.)
Ahhh...another summer tradition complete. :)

SWEET playdate!

This summer, our playgroup has had lots of new adventures. New parks, berry picking, and today, a private playtime at Pump It Up Jr. We had a blast! The kids ran, jumped, and played, and the grown ups relaxed, knowing the kids were "contained" with only kids we knew. It was pretty much a party, without the cake! :) By the end, they were sweaty, thirsty, and tired, and a good afternoon nap was pretty much guaranteed! Gotta love that!

Camryn and a few of her good buddies

Though she was a little slower getting up there than the bigger kids, Aubrey climbed up and slid down the giant slides all by herself. Multiple times! She was a little fearful the first time, but then she got her first taste of fear mixed with excitement, and she was hooked!

Afterwards, we headed down the street to Krispy Kreme donuts. The kids watched the donuts being made...

Mmmmm...chocolate!

Enjoying donuts with friends

Sticky, sugary goodness :)

Watching the process and begging Mom for more... Maybe next time...

Watermelon girl

So sweet, I could just eat her up!!!

Hollywood is calling

Dancing

Posing

Another busy summer weekend!

Wow. As I look back on our weekend, it's no wonder I am exhausted. How did we cram all of this into three days? Here's a quick reflection on our weekend, which mostly revolved around our children's social calendars!

Friday's agenda: Playgroup at our house and a pampering princess birthday party.

A cozy picnic lunch with Luke after swimming and lots of running around...kinda looks like a first date...;)

The big kids had so much fun playing in the backyard, that they didn't seem to notice that it was 90 degrees out and that the moms were melting!

Later that afternoon, Camryn enjoyed being pampered at a birthday party for princesses only! Up-do's, nails, dress ups, and cupcakes. What more could a girl ask for?
Happy Birthday to her buddy, Tyler!

Saturday's agenda: Dance class, Gymboree, a trip to the Washington County fair with Grandma & Grandpa, and then dinner out.

Her favorite ride, the carrousel.

Concentrating hard on a rubber ducky game.

Cooling off in Grandma's backyard with Kenny

Cool baby chillin' with Grandma

Sunday's agenda: Impromptu doctor's appointment (ear infection AND swimmer's ear, thank you very much!), help Beth & Tomas move to their new house(!), and another birthday party at the craziest farm in the west!

This party wasn't just any party! It had pony rides...a petting zoo...

...a bouncy house to enjoy together...

...or solo...and...

...WILD animals!!! Yes, this is a photo of Camryn petting a baby lion. An 8 week old barbary lion, to be exact.

The farm where the party was held also serves as an exotic animal rescue, and we got to take a tour and see the mama lion, a tiger, serval cats, an african porcupine, a bear, patagonian cavys, wallabies, and lots of others that I can't even remember. Whew! What a weekend!!!!