chris.reese.girls1.2.3.4

Last weekend while shopping for a gift for someone else I found these... I fell in love. I came home with them. They are salad-size plates.  I've let them sit on my counter for four days and I'm still in love with them. I'm thinking it's time to change out my dishes that I've had for almost nine years.  I mean, heck, I use them EVERY day! This is what I've been serving and staring at for every meal the last nine years: Don't judge me okay? The year was 2001...and it was all about red/white/blue, lighthouses, flags, etc. It was a different time. I can remember picking them out and absolutely LOVING them. But goodness, looking at them in this context, I want to throw them out. I'm sooo over them. Plus, I think we are a few plates/bowls/cups down after a few mishaps over the years. It's all about a new vision. I think I want to go with white dinner plates, but use different salad plates, like my new gorgeous bird plates, as accents. I like the idea of ...

Two weekends' ago we enjoyed our first camping trip of the summer...I say "first" in the hopes that we actually have subsequent summer trips.  The lead-up and prep is sooo much work/planning, and I almost lose my mind each time, but it's so worth it in the end!  We went to the Tacoma Power Park in Mossyrock. We were with the Washington Dalley crew (us, Bryce/Beck, Rochelle/Trev, and all kids!). The facilities were wonderful and our site was awesome. The weather cooperated (small miracle). Activities included: Lots of fire and firewood (over $50 worth!)... But lots of s'mores goodness Yum! The cousins brought scooters...my kids were in heaven! The toddlers in crime (always...in...trouble, these two!) Don't they just look menacing?! Cousin Carson on the electric scooter took Paige on many rides! (Ty is so cute in this pic!) Play-doh fun! Water ballooning! Yay for oldest cousin, Carson, who can now tie balloons!!! For Brynnie it was more like "dun...

Our summer is here, which means I've booked daily excursions OUT of the house. I put the zoo at the front-end considering I prefer the zoo before school gets out. I was super nervous about the weather on the way there, but it turned out decent, especially considering it was lightning/thundering/pouring at our house.  Checking out the walrus.  Walruses are HUGE! Brynn has just mastered saying "cheese." I asked them to say, "elephant"...Paige is obviously screaming it.  Carousel...always Paige's favorite thing about the zoo! A photo opp! Yay for the zoo! I convinced my friend, Laura, to join me...the day turned out badly for her considering her wallet got swiped out of her stroller during the day.  Bad bad bad.  I felt so bad! Most of the pics are before the wallet incident...such a bad way to end a fun day!

This was a Memorial Day like none before.  For a couple reasons:  (1) Weather: Sometimes the weather is a bit chilly, but we've never had to deal with rain! (2) Stitches: We pulled back on spending our entire weekend in Yakima due to the stitches incident.  We decided we would only torture Paige for one day (Monday) at the lake because she wasn't suppose to get the stitches wet. So...we improvised!  We invited Chris' mom to stay the weekend with us, Matt and Dani joined us for a BBQ on Saturday night, we visited their new place and had dinner Sunday, and then all of us headed to Vantage for a day at the beach on Monday. You will notice the clouds in my pics...I've NEVER seen clouds like this while we've been skiing.  It was weird. We are hoping 4th of July is a bit nicer. This is the year I've been waiting for!!!  My girls PLAYED in the sand TOGETHER, with very little parental intervention. I was doing silent somersaults of joy! We love Dani. Stitches ...

I was working on our Father's Day gifts this afternoon and came across this... This was July 2007, Paige was 21 months...about the same age Brynn is now.  It seems like forever ago, yet just like yesterday.  Why must it pass so quickly?

Our Memorial Day plans changed after the stitches incident...plus the weather was horrid, so we stayed home for most of the weekend. Friday we took the girls to Safeco to see our high school alma mater, CRHS, play in the state semifinal baseball game. They lost in the 11th inning (major overtime considering there are only 7 innings in high school). Tough loss...but these girls were in pure heaven...

Another birthday for Chris...32..wow! We are in our thirties (I have a few more months). We are getting older...we don't feel old...but I've learned that's what old people say and now I see why...it's really true! (Please ignore my 5-second cake decorating job...I was in a massive hurry!) Chris' brother, Matthew, and his wife, Dani, offered to take the kids for the weekend prior to the big day and we enjoyed two days of pure solitude, spontaneity and not even a speck of housework or cooking. It was so nice!! We enjoyed a night at the M's...in GREAT seats, dinner and a movie out, and celebrated on Monday with the girls. Can you tell these girls adore their dad? Our attempt at a family shot...oh brother, it's hopeless. Can you tell we had a "Mariner's" party? I don't think kids know how to have a party unless it's a theme. Too bad Chris didn't have this gift before our Disney trip.  It would have come in handy when I misplaced min...