Arizona, Part I

Last weekend, our travel bugs (oh, yes, they were a hit!) and we made the journey to Arizona. We spent our first two days in Phoenix at Disneyland for Retirees (also known as a wonderful gated retirement community). Turns out riding in golf carts, picking grapefruit from your own yard, and swimming in the pool are also Disneyland for little children.

We had such a wonderful time seeing where our favorite snowbirds, Gram and Papa Loeb, escape to every spring for a few months. It was a fabulous (and 104 degree HOT) few days. We all felt spoiled by our great hosts! (And, yes, a few of those juicy grapefruit did make it past TSA....in case you were wondering.)

Travel bugs

In the next month, we are headed to two (different) sisters' weddings. They will both be special marvelous events, and the girls are really looking forward to their role as flower girls for each wedding.

So tonight I wisely spent time getting caught up on work and laundry. Oh, wait. No, that's what I should have done. Instead, I tried to copy these darling travel bugs to be companions for the girls' journey. Now, fair warning, if you go to the original site, mine will suddenly seem dull and a bit odd. The creator of the prototype travel bugs is much more clever and crafty than I could ever aspire to be. However, I hope the girls will enjoy their new pals.

Oh, and why three, you wonder? Well, cousin Chiara is a bit of a world traveler so I thought she might want one, also. So Glimmer (first on the left) will be taking her first journey to Bend tomorrow, courtesy of the US Postal Service. From there, all future travels will be with Chiara, we hope.

And by the way, see that fun white fur? It's only available in 1/4 yard quantities and up, so if anyone else wants a travel bug, just say the word!

Skyping Bemily and Turning 89

We've done Skype calling, Skype videoing, and now we can add Skype wedding showering to the list. On Sunday, Bemily Cluck (Ben and Emily Clark Buck for those of you not in the know) had a surprise Skype shower. Their good friends in Sitka invited them to dinner, and lo and behold, a shower was awaiting them with Skype participants from Oregon and Colorado!

My parents hosted the Oregon gathering, complete with a delicious Alaskan salmon to feast upon, totem-pole crafting for the kiddos and a "win your paddle" game for the grown-ups. Here are a few shots from the fun afternoon.

We also celebrated our very special Nana, who turns 89 (!!!) today! Here she is with the big grandkids.
And here again with sweet little Liesl. Happiest 89 to the hippest Nana ever (who I can assure you is reading this on her iPad). We love you so much!!

And we've skipped straight to toddlerhood

Today we had Ryan's 6-month check-up. And the stats were shocking.

Now, to be fair, we've had a few warnings. Last week at church one of the ladies commented in a loud whisper to her friends as I passed by with Ryan on my hip, "Now that one," she paused dramatically, "is not missing any meals. That's for certain." (I hope she was talking about Ryan and not me...but that's for another blog post.)

And, when Ryan's sweet (only 2-days-apart) cousin Liesl came for a visit, it appeared that his thighs alone weighed more than her whole body.

But still, today, I sucked in my breath when the nurse handed me Ryan's 6-month stats. Ready? Here goes. Weight: 19 pounds. Height: 28 inches. 95th percentile.

These are the exact measurements of miss Mary at, get this, her 12-month check-up years ago. Yes, that's right. Ryan at 6 months is the size of Mary at 12 months.

It appears that we zoomed through newborn, fast-forwarded over infancy altogether and landed directly in toddlerhood.

Someone pass the Kleenex.

Six-month Smiles

Ryan is now six months old. Where does time go? We're not sure, but we're eating up these six month smiles. And speaking of eating, Ryan is eating up avocado, sweet potatoes and pretty much anything else within his grasp!

Drool

Guess what? I've got something going on!

And it's happening right here in this drool-fest of a mouth.

Alright, you super sleuths probably guessed it: two new teeth! But, try as Mom might, I haven't let her snap a photo of them just yet. Top secret teeth. You're the first to know. Aside from Mom, of course, who found out the hard way!

I think my smile made up for it, though.

Paint your Pet

Our wonderful neighborhood toy shop went out of business a few months back. We were devastated-- until we discovered that a new painting studio was opening in the vacant space. The artist hosts lessons, guiding participants through the creation of a painting with easy steps. Each participant leaves with an original masterpiece.

For my birthday, my girlfriends signed us up for a special "paint your pet" class through the studio. We each submitted a photo of our pet, and the artist sketched the drawings on canvas with a black marker as a basis for the project. Upon arrival, we were given an apron, paintbrushes, and the appropriate paint palette for our pets' coloring, along with a full glass of wine-- which we were told would help.

Here was the photo that served as the basis for my painting:

And here's my replication attempt:

A wonderful evening with friends. And, many memories of our sweet gray girl. Now, where to hang my masterpiece....