Cousin Summer

The last month we were spoiled with lots of cousins. Danny & Kaylee LOVE their cousins. And Matt and I were excited to spend a little time with our newest nephews as well. Sadly, when Mindy, G-Pops, & Grandma Angie came to visit, my camera was MIA. I did get this phone shot of Kaylee & Kaya stick wrestling. Kaylee won. I guess that's what happens when you have a big brother to wrestle around. I had to steal a few pictures of our baby nephew Lander off Mindy's facebook because he is such a cutie. When he visited he was about 4 months old and so smiley. Love that age! I remembered how exhausting it is too though - nursing and being up at night. Don't miss that! Mindy's doing great.
Things I want to remember from the Hong visitors (since I neglected to take ANY pictures). Dim Sum with the Lou Hong family at the House of Hong, fun day exploring Pike Place Market, beautiful wedding (Jerry's cousin's daughter), driving out to the mountains, slip n' slide at the ward campout, KFC picnic dinner on Lake Washington, huge dinner with the whole Hong crew with smoked ribs, homemade rolls, yummy spinach, strawberry salad, & a plethora of chocolate desserts (including chocolate pasta). The visit was short, but packed and we had a great time with everyone.

The day after the Hong's left, my sister's family arrived. Danny used to live 2 blocks away from these cousins in Houston, so he's REALLY missed having them around all the time. They always pick up right where they left off. We did see a few Seattle sights with Leah & Alex. Then we all drove across the mountains to my parent's house. Their yard was already paradise, and then they decided to redesign the play structure with a pirate ship theme. Danny would just live out there if I let him. As it was, the kids spent hours outside playing every day. Adding water to the equation, whether in the yard or at the nearby splash park, made it even more fun. By evening there were many tired kids ready for a snuggle & TV time.
Some favorite activities of the week were Settlers of Catan, climbing, hula hoop, hammock swinging, gardening (the kids harvested several things that we ate right away - berries, salad veggies, & potatoes), swat the mosquito, hula hoop races, bocce ball, and playing horses. There was even a talent show where each kid performed a skill they'd been practicing during the summer. There were several musical numbers, but Danny's proudest achievement was how far he'd learned to shoot an arrow.
The main event of this gathering was the blessing of our newest nephew Zachary. He's just 2 months younger than Lander and sweet as can be.The last night together we feasted on S'mores. It doesn't get much better than that!
And what about the cousins we didn't see yet this summer? We get to see them next week when we head out to Idaho for the fair! Hooray for cousins!

Kaylee the Gardener

I think I should plant her a garden.

And then I should install a tub right next to it.

Seattle Summer

Though we haven't had a lot of summer weather in Seattle this year, we've managed to make the most of it. Here are a few highlights.

Visiting Illahee Park in Bremerton

Hiking with friends & family

Swimming lessons (indoor, heated pool)
Berry Picking with Friends
Boating to Ivars with friends
Dancing in the rain at outdoor, library sponsored concerts
Playing at the beach on Lake Union
(In long sleeves and a diaper because I didn't bring swim gear. I thought 69 degrees was too cold for playing in the the water, but Kaylee thought otherwise )

The fiercest pirate in Seattle

Pirates are a huge part of Seattle's annual summer festival, Seafair. A friend clued us in to the beginning of Seafair's festivities - the Pirate Landing at Alki Beach. We knew our aspiring cap'n would be thrilled to see these 'real' pirates.

After scoping out the pirate gear and getting a free sword, we headed to the beach to watch for the scallywags. We waited.And waited some more.

Danny sword fought with strangers.Kaylee dug for (or maybe she became) hidden treasure in the sand. And finally, the Seafair Pirates arrived.

They were fierce, but Danny was uninhibited.

We sure love this guy, snarls and all!

"I Two"

So, actually 2 years and 1 month . . . it's been a busy, busy month. After Danny greeted Kaylee with a special 4th of July balloon, Kaylee's birthday started out with a hike on Tiger Mountain with Dad, Danny, & Grandpa Couch. They had so much fun that Matt decided he wanted to make this a daddy daughter birthday tradition.
When they returned, we played a few games and Kaylee enjoyed opening her presents. Grandma Couch had just had shoulder replacement surgery, so we kept it low key. The day before her birthday, our new neighbor gave us the little kitchen that her grandchildren had outgrown. Kaylee LOVES it. For now it's remained outside and she has prepared many mudpies and rock stews.

I prepared a slightly more appetizing feast for the birthday festivities though. Disney's Family Fun had a ton of 4th of July food ideas. I loved, and prepared, them all.
Kaylee liked the rocket dogs, mini cupcakes, and ice cream sandwiches best. She didn't even mind when big brother helped her blow out the candles.

I noticed that in almost every picture from Kaylee's celebration, she is too busy to look up at the camera. That about sums up our 2-year-old girl. Busy, busy, busy.

Kaylee at age 2 . . .

• Climbs out of her high chair & crib.
• Talks very little, but sings and sings and sings.
  
• Loves looking at books & playing pretend.
• Is very particular about things like which hat each of her 'babies' wears and which pair of shoes to wear (prefers her sparkly ones) and which toothbrush to use.
• Independent and confident, always insisting when I try to help her, "No, I do."
• Loves to do whatever her big brother is doing, whether it's swinging light sabers, putting away silverware, or climbing trees.
• Tolerates me fixing her hair, but prefers to add her own embellishments like peanut butter & toothpaste.
• Sweet & generous with her hugs and kisses.
• Snuggly when sleepy (otherwise going at a mile a minute). She still cuddles right up at bedtime.
• Comforted by "Mama" and her 2 "lovies," little blankets that often carry the same embellishments as her hair.
  
• Likes to sit on her little potty (like big brother) & has had a few (very few) successes.
• Eats almost everything, unless it's leafy & green (though this can sometimes be remedied with sugary bribes).
• LOVES nursery and runs into class every Sunday.
  
• Has a smile that makes us melt. Sometimes, when I'm lucky, I even catch it on camera.

And, in case you didn't know (because I certainly didn't), two-years-old is the legal age for peeling your own orange.