Summer Solstice

 Summer has officially begun!

We were blessed with a visit from Papa Gus who drove all the way from Phoenix, Arizona to spend the weekend with us and Jeff's sisters' families. We had such a nice visit, and kept busy the whole three days he was here. On Friday night we played in our backyard and the kids and their cousins roasted marshmallows around the fire pit. We spent Saturday afternoon out in Kalmbach country at Kris & Jami's new place on five acres. On Sunday we dined together at our favorite local Mexican restaurant and were very sad to finally have to say goodbye to Papa. We love you so much, Papa Gus! Thank you for coming to see us!!

Ella has been my little helper, she loves to use the hose and watering the flowers is her favorite job. 

She also loves to cool off in our backyard wading pool. She put a hole in our first one with a kabob stick, so we're now on pool #2 of the summer which is much smaller, but lots of fun, nonetheless. 

Ella's favorite buddy, Anabella, is now out of school for the summer, so she was more than thrilled to have her friend over for a play date. The had a tea party, played with Nicholas, jumped on Ella's bed, made a fort, and ran around outside. It was such a fun morning for both of them. 

A couple weekends ago, we took a lovely drive into Portland to buy Ella a beautiful antique headboard & foot board for her new "big girl bed." The kids enjoyed the drive and we decided to make a day of it and stopped for lunch and played at a park on our way home. I love impromptu day trips!

Isn't it pretty?! We got a great deal on it and gave it just a nice fresh coat of paint to cover up some of gel sticker color that was on the headboard. 

Ella spent her first night in her new bed a few nights ago and she loves it! She loves her new bedding and feels so grown up to have such a big bed all to herself. The best part is that she sleeps there all night now and only gets in bed with us around 8:00 a.m. each morning. Hurray! 

Snapshots

Here are a few random photos from our weekend...

Nicholas is blessed with these gorgeous long lashes...so jealous!

I moved our outdoor dining set under the trees in the backyard. It's a nice spot to sit in the shade and eat dinner, read book, or just relax. 

Ella & I ate dinner out there one evening before the rain started

 On Saturday Ella and I went shopping for Jeff's Father's Day gift and stopped by one of our favorite eateries for lunch: Burgerville. Yum!

Saturday evening we had our friends over for a BBQ. The kids enjoyed splashing in the wading pool, making s'mores by the fire pit, and kicking the soccer ball around the yard. I am not sure what Ella's doing in this photo...picking her nose maybe? Ewww.

On Sunday we celebrated Father's Day with the best husband and dad! Jeff loved his gifts and we enjoyed dinner with my folks. Jeff was happy to end a great day with a cold one. 

I was painting my toenails a couple of days ago and Ella asked if I would paint hers too. So I let her pick out a polish color (pink, of course) and she got her first pedicure ever from mommy. She loved it!

We are in the midst of June gloom. It's been rainy and sunny which makes it hard to get out and go to the park or go for walks, for fear we will get caught in a downpour. But it does make for a gorgeous sky. 

Last night I finally got Ella to lay down to fall asleep in her own bed. For the past several months she has had to lay in our bed to fall asleep. She requested we leave her lamp on and went right to sleep. Total success! She got up once to get into bed with us, but I picked her up and took her back to her own bed and she slept restfully there all night. She's getting to be such a big girl. 

Then she crawled into our bed in the morning and cuddled with me. It's one of my favorite parts of our day. 

Sunny Springtime

We've enjoyed a few weeks of glorious sunny weather, which has made us really busy! Here's a glimpse at what we've been up to...

Picking flowers and strawberries from the backyard

Playing in the pool

Dining al fresco in the backyard most evenings...such a pretty view

Meeting new friends. This is Toby, the most gentle, kind, wonderful dog we've ever met.

Getting Starbucks yumminess

Playing at the park (a lot)

Helping family

Taking strolls around the neighborhood

Soaking up the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery

Check-ups at Shriners

End of the year work events (I heart my fabulous job!)

Stopping to smell the flowers

Splashing with little friends

Wearing sunshades to keep the sun out of our eyes

Drinking lots and lots of water to stay hydrated. A little mint and lemon gives ordinary water some much needed pizzazz. 

And resting...because all of that hustle and bustle really takes a lot out of a girl!

I know this photo will be one I will treasure forever. It captures our two-year-old perfectly. Last Saturday it was really warm and I was potting some flowers on the patio, so I asked Ella if she would like to go put on her swimsuit to swim in the pool. She said yes and ran inside to change her clothes. Minutes passed, and soon I realized she had been in the house too long unsupervised, so I walked in to check on her. I found Ella on her bedroom floor, one shoe off, pants pulled down, passed out. I guess trying to change her clothes proved to be too much work and a nap was needed. Laugh out loud...love her!

And on rainy days, like today, the kids create their own fun. Right now they are making scenes on the felt board. Nicholas is asking Ella to put on as many cars, trucks, planes, and trains as possible and Ella is trying to decorate around them with pretty, girly things. Ha!

Baby Love

Last Thursday evening Jeff & I took the kids over to Eric & Tina's place so they could meet their new cousin. They were both shy at first and unsure of what to make of this tiny, little (real!) baby. We brought dinner for the new family of three and spent some time talking which gave Ella some time to warm up to Vivien. Right before we left Ella asked to hold Vivien and it was the cutest thing! She held her really gently (with mommy's help) and was such a proud cousin to complete such an important job. Nicholas opted not to hold (lay next to) Vivien, but he enjoyed looking at her. Honestly, I think he was more interested in Eric & Tina's dog, Moco. Ha! That kid and dogs...such an obsession! I feel so totally blessed to be this precious new soul's Auntie. Aunties have the best job around...loving, spoiling, and treasuring is all that's required of me. Ahhh, heavenly. Welcome to this big, bright, wonderful world, Vivien An, we all love you so much already. 

New Niece!

Introducing Vivien An Hargrave! Isn't she the cutest?! 

This little bundle of sweetness was born yesterday 6/4/13 at 2:25 p.m. and weighed 6 lbs 12 oz

The new family of three. My brother, Eric, is one proud daddy. 

Three hours old

Tina, my sister-in-law, is such a strong woman. She used no drugs at all during hours of labor with Vivien. My hero! God bless this sweet family of three. The Gustafsons love you so much and Nicholas & Ella cannot wait to meet their new cousin.