So we name stuff and stuff....

Our stuffed get-ye-up horsie is named Minty.

Her snuggle my little pony is named Violet.

Her lifelike chick is named Aurora.

His monkey is named Harry Two.

Garbage truck is just Garbage truck...don't mess.

Her new acquistion (praise be to daddy-daughter dates) is Princess Molly.

Harry calls his blanket his B-ness.

Our new piano (free from craigslist...oh ya baby) is named PEE-YAN-OH.

The firetruck's name is Sam.

His favorite shirt is named B.B.

Milk is called Moch-a Moch-a. A name so nice you say it twice.

Her porcelain doll is Cosette Angel.

His BMW toy car is called his "Burgundy car". Don't make the mistake of calling it red.

Harry will wear nothing....I repeat nothing....save his jeans. And Bella has not one pair "because they bug."

Here is my toothless angel-cake-cita. She lost it during church. Don't worry ward, she is vaccinated. So as we are searching on our hands and knees in the gym looking for the lost sucker for a couple minutes the mom behind us points and tells her son to pick up whatever that item was under his chair that she thought we may be looking for. I got there before he did...yuck! I have my limits. Bella was thrilled! She even got an orygami elephant $1 bill. Which she said of in the morning "It was crumpled, like a box." Strike one tooth fairy! There is always the orygami butterfly next time.

First day of firsts...

Bella's first day of first grade started something like this....

Opening hymn: Sweet Hour of Prayer

Recitation of our country's Pledge of Allegiance.

Recitation of the School mission statement which is...

"Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service." - D. Todd Christofferson

Prayer

Small devotional by one of the teachers (will usually be a student) in which they used the following quote which I loved. "Moral character is the tree. Reputation is the shadow." - Abe Lincoln

(Huge sigh) ........And I felt peace.

And MY first day of Bella's first day was followed up with "Mom are you coming to class with me?"

"Sure. Do you want me too?"

"No."

"Oh." (I mean really people can you just hear the wind going out of my sails here....but of all the reactions she could have....this was actually the best and the one I wanted and I am so grateful.) Okay...I'll see you later."

"Love you mom." And she skips merrily away. Sandwich it with a game of freeze tag and swinging on the swings and it couldn't have been any better. She was happy.

A beautiful day. She came home and did her hour of homework. In which she verified all of the short vowel sounds she learned that day by gathering two items with each sound for tomorrow. They are also building a community so she packed her "accessories" (that's a fancy word for sparkly cars and airplanes for the community...duh!) Her words not mine. Then we soccer-ed ourselves out in the evening. Yeah for Kick-n-chase!

There she goes....

And thus we enter a new phase of life......

G &GG

Let it be known far and wide that my kids have the greatest grandparents ever!

Grandma and Grandpa Gardner came on up to our neck of the woods to get their fill of the H-Bear and Beba-meister. And oh-did-they ever! Poor Grandpa couldn't even use the bathroom w/0 a very anxious Harry sitting outside with his face squeezed beneath the crack saying "Gampa, Gampa is that you?" Poor guy. Harry at the beach with "THE truck"

Ignoring the crack in the distance that Kent just brought to my attention....ah hmmmm.....this picture helps to illustrate the nonstop interaction wif grandpa?! They ate it up every second.


Bebs at the beach.

At the farm on the way home from the beach for REAL milk.

How cute is she?!

We tried a new beach this time and really liked it. It had a tidal pool type thing that was great for the kids while we still enjoyed the beautiful waves in the distance. It was stunning...topped off with ice cream smiles all around!

Grandpa and his fan club.

Love these people!
We went to the Portland Temple and lunch together. It was so heavenly.


Hopefully we didn't love them out and they will come back soon. Tomorrow is good for us!

Keep Portland Weird...

There is a bumper sticker out there that says simply "Keep Portland Weird." It took us two years to go downtown to the riverwalk, but after an afternoon jaunt I now "get" that bumper sticker.....Portland is just.....out there. Really, really far out there. I will not be owning one of those bumper stickers anytime soon, but I get it now.

The bridge going up and down.
The view from the otherside.

Love this picture!

And this one. These are my little peeps watching the Portland Peeps.

First we walked around the bridge circuit AND THEN saw the glaring rent a bike sign and HAD to do that to. It was so much fun. And will be on our list of things to take people to do when they come and visit.

We ended the day sidestepping past a man yelling at himself and hitting his head straight into VOO-DOO doughnuts where I turned my nose up at the maple bar with bacon down the middle for a Portland Cream. The only reason we did this was because it was the shortest line we had ever seen come out of there.....there were only 7 people ahead of me. Crazy store, crazy doughnuts, crazy people. I came home and showered, but we had a great time.

More to come about our heavenly visit from G & G G!

Pictures...

We are visiting family for a while. I just wanted to share some more pictures from the wedding. The one of Bella takes me breath away. My heart sometimes feels like bursting with adoration for these spirits sent to our family.