31 July 2012

July round-up

Another month flashing by...

July collage

And on to August! I'm linking up again with Fat Mum Slim

photoadayaug-1

Ch ch ch ch...

Day 31: Toothbrush
"When you wake up in the morning and it's quarter to five, you're so happy to be alive, you brush your teeth ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ch..." This is our toothbrushing song :)

toothbrush

30 July 2012

Calm beginnings

Day 30: Calm
Today marked our first day of homeschool pre-school. The bug loved it and apparently it wore her out!

calm

The start of many school photos to come through the years...

school 2

And her excitement as I said "Ready to go inside and start school?" So sweet!

ready


29 July 2012

just keep swimming...

Day 29: Last thing you bought
The bug spent an hour treading water with these arm floaties in the pool last night. She insists on swimming on her own although she has no idea what to do yet... best $1.50 I ever spent! She practices in the hallway at home - silly girl.

bought

girls and smiles

Day 28: Cup
Today our cup runneth over! Spent a lovely evening with these three girlies... Picnicking, playgrounding, swimming, snacking, reading and of course giggling. They were asleep in no time despite the bugs excitement at having friends stay the night in her room. So fun!

cup

27 July 2012

On the bumpy road to neighborliness...

Day 27: On the road
Our property is surrounded by an invasive species called Tree of Heaven. Three of these heavenly trees reside in the cramped space between our garage and our neighbors garage. In our eyes we love trees and would always strive to keep good ones around, however these needed to go so we could build our garage and have it live undamaged for many years to come.

We had a disagreement with our neighbor as soon as we purchased our home. He wanted the trees to stay. We prayed about it, graciously tried to discuss it with him, had the relationship take a pretty unexpected and ugly turn, prayed a ton more and amazingly enough he finally agreed to a compromise. It's been a hurtful and emotional process for hubby and I, but also an opportunity to see how prayer and letting the dust settle can sometimes make all the difference... 4 months of prayer later we are looking at two trees and a stump, and plenty of room to build our garage even though we know the remaining trees will compromise it's structure in the future.

on the road

The sound of chain saws, wood chippers and huge thuds as the limbs were thrown to the ground filled our morning.

garage time

It is all I can do to keep myself from going out and cleaning their garage gutters every time I look out my kitchen window... I don't feel like they would appreciate the gesture.

yard

Hubby called me Wednesday night to tell me the tree guys were coming at 8:30 the next morning. I was set to have a little backyard party at 7:30 that night. Clearly we had to relocate that little shindig since my yard looked like this by noon!

So thankful it is done, praying for continued healing in our neighborly interactions, and excited to see hubby start framing those walls tomorrow!!

"To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid sever testings." ~George Mueller

26 July 2012

Chasing the clouds away

Day 26: Sunshine
Snyder Park in Sherwood is pretty dang awesome. We enjoyed a fun day with nana filled with playgrounds, patio lunch, and swimming in the sunshine...

sunshine

25 July 2012

She's all heart

Day 25: Heart
Dance classes are over and the little bug who mostly wanted to dance to the beat of her own drummer lights up every time she hears the familiar music from class.

heart

Why the long face?

Day 24: A stranger
Making some new equine friends with her favorite uncle. She did actually smile, pet them and enjoy her barn tour. She was tired and spacing off as usual in this moment...

stranger

Her reflection

Day 23: Mirror
A new library book about spreading smiles has provided some very cute little expressions on her face...

mirror

22 July 2012

Tilt-a-whirl...

Day 22: Upside Down
We spent a lazy day playing with great friends. A house full of two mamas chatting, knitting and cooking + three daughters giggling and imagining like crazy = great fun! Somehow the aftermath was an exhausted 2.5 year old mess. Even after a nap her world was a little upside down. So thankful that by dinner she was feeling a little more herself...

upside down

Date night...

Day 21: 9 o'clock
Shopping for maternity clothes (hubby's sweet idea!), our favorite taqueria picnic in the park, and three hours of Dark night rises... Fun night - really entertaining movie - thinking about families in Colorado and praying for comfort.

9oclock

20 July 2012

The eyes have it...

Day 20: Eyes
These big dark brown eyes have been looking up at me since the day she arrived in this world... Love!

Photobucket

My little avocado...

Our new little one is 4 months along now - growing strong and apparently about the size of an avocado. I can't wait to start feeling their little movements!


Photobucket

19 July 2012

my little honeybee

Day 19: animal/insect/pet
We went on a guided hike for kids at a local botanical garden. So fun - our bug got to visit with a dinosaur, water the pizza garden, see the bees in their hives, search for flowers and slugs by the creek, eat nasturtiums, and simply run free in the outdoors...

animal

honeybee hike

18 July 2012

mambo Italiano...

Day 18: Plate
I made a yummy Shrimp Fra Diavolo over steamed Basmati rice for dinner tonight... Tasty and pretty quick to toss together! I used a recipe from one of my Giada cookbooks, you can find the recipe online here. I added slices of zucchini for a little green veg and we loved it.

plate

17 July 2012

Freeze it...

Day 17: Your addiction
My midwife suggested I limit my sweets during this pregnancy and focus on healthy eating. I'm hot... I have a major sweet tooth... I'm addicted to coming up with healthier options and this one hit the spot! Fresh peach frozen yogurt. So easy and quick, so not that bad for you. Yummy! I used this recipe.

addiction

16 July 2012

On our toes...

Day 15: Finger
This sweet little bug comes into the kitchen almost every time I'm cooking, pulls a chair to the counter to stand on and asks in her sweetest voice "mama is there anything I can help you with?". I melt... She is such a great helper and of course loves to get her fingers in everything and sample what I'm cookin' up!

fingers

Day 16: Sign
Our bug is a climber, a daredevil, a heart stopper... She keeps us on our toes for sure! Here she is about 5' off the ground on a climbing wall with papa spotting her - totally carefree, hanging on with one hand.

signjuly

14 July 2012

Progress...

Day 14: Building
The garage is finally getting started - fun to see some action happening over here!

building

Now you see me...

Day 10: Your favorite color
My hubby worries that one day he'll come home and everything in the house will be what he calls baby blue. I try and stick to little pops of color, but I must admit I love this kind of aqua blue...

Blue

Day 11: Letter
Trying on some baby name initials...

letter

Day 12: Texture
I'm picking up the needles again to try and finish a long ago started dress for my little bug. Hopefully my achy pregnant hands can keep up...

texture

Day 13: Open
We opened up the paints, sat at the picnic table in the sunshine and made some art... She loves to paint!

open

10 July 2012

Big sleep

Day 8: Lunch Dinner
Loving the colorful foods of summer - taco salad in the sunshine with dear friends - what could be better than this!
lunch-dinner

Day 9: Big
Little bug sacked out on a huge bean bag - makes bedtime fun!
big sleep


08 July 2012

Highlander

Day 7: Garden
We headed to the annual Highland games with our sweet friends in town from Colorado. This is their family tradition where Kilt wearing men and children abound, feats of strength and skill are highly competitive, hunks of meat and large quantities of beer are consumed and much fun is had! The bug and I shot our first arrows and both managed to hit the target - super fun! She also enjoyed pretend tractor driving, wearing a kilt of her own and playing in tents. The garden is guarded by a scottish golf bag and the fields, meadows and surrounding old growth forest are absolutely gorgeous! Such a fun Saturday!

highlander

06 July 2012

Sit and wait...

Day 6: Chair
Rumor has it summer has finally arrived in Portland! She enjoyed a nice snack in her comfy chair while watching the pool fill up and telling me about all the friends she wants to have over to swim with her. I see a lot of play dates in our future...

chair

05 July 2012

ORGEL

Day 5: On the floor
Our one lamp living room was feeling a little too dark past sunset so we added ORGEL to the room and things are looking all glowy and warm and wonderful without those dark corners... Ahh cozy. You can't really tell in this picture, but the shade is a fun handmade paper with a great texture.

floor

04 July 2012

Holiday fun

Day 4: Fun
Celebrating the fourth of July with a little family work party, some lawn croquet, and a wonderful BBQ and some happy birthday party cake for my mother in law!

fun

Best of the best

Day 3: Best part of your day
Seeing the first picture of this new little monkey and hearing that our due date is accurate and baby is looking great - best! This one is a little mover and a shaker too - so fun to see...
baby

High time for July

Day 1: Self portrait
self

Day 2: Busy Sick
We woke up to the sound of pitter patter feet coming down the hall to our room same as every morning - only this morning she stopped at the door and proceeded to throw up... :( Seems to have been a one time fluke and after a few extra hours of sleep snuggled up with mama this little one was ready for the day.
sick

June is over??

Time is flying by... Yikes! So much to get done in the next 6 months it makes my head spin to think about it all! Anyway - here's one final June catch up...

Day 28: On the shelf
My sweet friend gave me this yummy gift for my birthday along with these cute bowls - and she told me I don't have to share. And then my midwife told me she wants me to really limit my sweets... So, for now I will dream of that amazing hot fudge sundae that I hope to have small doses of :)
shelf

Day 29: Soft
This little bug is taking dance classes and learning about rhythm and tempo - dancing soft on her tippy toes - the cutest! Facing the opposite direction as the rest of the class? Just like her mama she goes her own way.
soft

Day 30: A friend
She loves reading to her baby Zoe - they are the best of friends!
a friend

June round-up is here - woot woot!
June Collage

And now on to July - following along once again with Fat Mum Slim

July photo-a-day