the new past tense for "freek"

eli startled lyla yesterday and said, "she totally froke out!"

shoshone falls

We were all sick last week:( i think adam and i got it the least. eli and lyla were pretty miserable. last weekend we were sick enough that we did not want to be around others to spread the wealth, but not sick enough to just lay around. i really dislike any sickness, but this kind is a bummer because eli felt bad, but still wanted to play.

my parents invited us to go to shoshone falls and niagara falls (not the niagara falls:). it was a fun little trip.

Shoshone falls

it was spectacular...windy, but spectacular.

us on one of the outlooks

niagra falls. these are springs coming right out of the hill side. the water is so blue and clear, it was amazing.

you can get an idea of the clarity here...

we also visited one of the many fish hatcheries in the area. here is grandma and eli looking at the growing fish.

lyla checking out the fish pond...

and last but not least, we went to some indoor hot springs. this was a really cool place. once again, the water was silky soft. they had diving boards, a log for log rolling, balls and a basketball hoop. they let you bring basically any kid flotation device in. some teenagers were jumping off the high dive and touching the ceiling. something you have to love about idaho is the rules, or lack there of (in comparison to ca).

Thanks mom and dad!

socialite

lyla loves to look at pictures of people. she holds the picture a few inches from her face and just stares at the person right in the eyes. here she got a hold of a magazine and had a blast getting to know all of the models for the makeup advertisements.

fatty

eli put these two guns in his pants and said, or should i say sang, "i have gun-fatness!"

ladies night out #2

despite the downturn in the weather yesterday, we went for a hike at camelsback park (chilly and windy, but no rain!) and then went to java to warm up with a nice cup o' joe. what a fun group of ladies!

stanley

my dad, adam and eli went camping at stanley last weekend. they went to fish and brought home a steelhead, which was very tasty. adam bought strike anywhere matches and eli thought he had died and went to heaven. he built a little fire next to the big fire...supervision was close at hand (or so the picture suggests).

eli enjoying his morning hot chocolate

i have to say that i felt like i was the one on vacation. spending one on one time with lyla was so nice. the second one really misses out on that special time...but then again, she has a pretty special brother so i guess there are advantages to being the second child.



i think these camping trips should be monthly. hint hint adam:)

i love this picture

the smile on his face melts me...if only he were this sweet 24/7:).

a few days ago grandma taught lyla to wave "hi." we were shopping today and numerous times i looked down to see her waving at a stranger, the friendly little thing. this is the girl who a few months ago would cry if a stranger even looked at her. don't get me wrong, she's still a mama's girl, but we're heading in the right direction.

the enforcer

eli has been so much into guns and swards lately. he has two different kinds of toy swards that are nice...but he really wanted a cardboard one like his friend Adrian:) he was out in the driveway fending off any cars that came down our street.

adam, lyla and i sat in the driveway enjoying the warm sun...i'm so thankful for spring!!!

leslie gulch

on Easter sunday we drove out to leslie gulch in oregon. it is soooo beautiful. the rocks are amazing. there are even purple and green rocks:o it was a prime day to go for a hike...sunny, breezy and 65 degrees.

mom and dad...aka grandma and papa

hitching a ride

our little fam...

eli loved climbing the rocks. my dad said, "you're a mountain goat!" eli said, "no, i'm a mountain lion!!! and i use my sharp claws!"

me and lyla:)

the kids were not super excited about posing for this picture...can you tell?:)

eli climbed up this rock by himself. adam was beaming with daddy pride.

grandma and lyla

happy easter

adam has explained to eli many times that eggs have nothing to do with Easter. but you never really know how much they retain at this age...until you hear it from their own lips. eli told grandma the whole Easter story on the way to leslie gulch. the "bad men," the nails, the cross, the "owies" on his hands and feet, the tomb, the "men" (angles) and Jesus rising from the dead. how awesome.

we had the hunt in the front yard. eli was the only hunter, but we made up for it with how many spectators he had: grandma and papa, lyla, adam and myself:)

eli with the cars from his Easter basket

lyla's frist Easter

shoes...

getting eli to put his shoes on is like asking him to cut off his own arm. he really hates it. today adam asked him to do the dreaded task, but when his feet would not go all the way in he complained, "my hoof won't go in." what a nut.

saying goodbye is hard to do

we dropped kylee off at the airport this afternoon. the second we pulled away from the curb eli said, "i'm so sad she's leaving." :(

hoped you felt the love while you were here, ky:)

hangin' out

we had (a very yummy) dinner at my parents house tonight. after eating we relaxed, watched a movie and ate ice cream.
here is eli snuggling with kylee...his new best friend:) but it's funny because he has a difficult time remembering her name. this morning he called her katie:) and often refers to her as "her."

lyla is such a ham. whenever she shes the light on the camera she makes a funny face...she takes after her cousin hailey also would smile if a camera was pointed in her general direction. what a crack up...

cheese! lyla and grandma playing patty cake. she claps, "sings" along and raises her hands when you sing "throw it in the oven," her favorite part of the song. lucky kids to have such great grandparents:)

kylee, love and lions

this afternoon i was telling eli about my cousin kylee and how she was going to visit us. here is how our conversation went...
him - is she staying with us?
me - yes
him - here at our house?
me - yes
him - is she pretty?
me - yes
him - she's a genius

and now she is reading him a bedtime story, at his request:) this is following an afternoon of him keeping close track of her, showing her his guns and trying to share his dino chicken with her (she was kind enough to not tell him that she's a vegetarian).

now i'm wondering...when do i tell him he's three and he can't date for another thirteen years?...and when that time comes, that cousins are not a good option?

but really, it is so sweet. i love that he cares for girls and knows that they are different and special. the other day when we were playing with his lions he had the big "daddy" lion out in front of the pack "protecting the lioness" (from the oncoming traffic of hot wheels). it goes to show you that he has a good daddy who teaches him how to treat a lady:)

ahhhhh....

the fam (my parents and us) went to gold fork hot springs yesterday. it was beautiful, defiantly worth the drive. there are six different pools which descend in temperature. the water was amazingly soft and clean, it felt like silk in your hands and made my skin soooo soft. eli loved it. we all had fun:)

you gotta love this face...

eli and i being sharks

the little things

make me so happy...lyla started clapping today. i was making dinner, rockin' to the music and clapping my hands. i look over and she was doing it! it was so cute. then all afternoon she was clapping softly right in front of her face, fascinated by her new accomplishment. funny enough, i was fascinated by this accomplishment. i was so excited you would have thought she had just done a rodeo off the counter.

clapping:)

so excited

yesterday my dad took eli for a while so i could get some "rest" (in " because how much rest can you really get with an eight month old:). but it does help a lot when eli is otherwise entertained. when they came back lyla could hardly contain herself. she kicked, she screamed, she flailed her hands in excitement. so happy to see crazy big brother. he's better entertainment than a sick mom, i'm sure.

later that evening eli took a shower and i gave lyla a bath in the sink. when eli was done he came running out toward the kitchen, feet pitter pattering on the wood. lyla could not yet see him, but she recognized the sound. so again, much flailing and screaming with anticipation of a "boo!" from eli.

she has changed so much these last few days. very interactive. very happy (no ear infection!!!). very vocal. i love it.