Thursday, September 22, 2011

August

August 4 and 5: Atherton. Is relaxing. Katie reads to Siena almost incessantly. Grandma plays and reads and entertains with iPads. Grandpa does projects and crosswords and reveals his goofy side. T and Laura are are always up for a good hike or cup of coffee.


Grandma reads to Siena from her iPad. Blur comes from Andy's Lensbaby that I was playing with.


Dad's current project: cleaning garage. This mostly means he is trying to get his very-grown kids to take their junk out of his garage! (In foreground: my BMX Mongoose - anyone interested?)


Our trip to Atherton this time was inspired by Andy's visit from Utah while between jobs. It was fun to see him and to let the girls get to know their out-of-state Uncle even better.


Sleepy Sofia


My parents have a whole chair-swing gazebo set up in the back yard so we spend a lot of time rocking out there in the warm sunshine while we talk and laugh at the babies' antics.


Katie, hard at work. Siena, loving it.


Grandpa trying to get Sofia to wave and say, "Hiiiiiii." Sometimes it works.




See? Relaxing!


Cute baby + Lensbaby + chocolate chip zucchini muffin


There's Grandpa again. He's always working!


Yes, those are what you think they are. Tadaaa! Sofia sprouts two front teeth (top), and it's not even Christmas! I think there's something in the air down there because she popped a bottom tooth on our last visit. (Teeth = not-so-fabulous sleep. Oh well.)


Ruby and Copper are both very gentle with kids (unless you're in Ruby's way when she's excited to get somewhere - in which case, clear out!). They both tolerate Sofia pinching their extremely soft lip skin very well.


August 6: Boulware wedding. It is so fun for Shiloh and I to shoot weddings together, especially when we know so many of the participants! Caitlin and Paul got married at FBC Davis, so Grammy took the girls from 4pm to 10pm (yikes!) and amazingly they were both happy and Grammy was happy when we came to pick them up! Thanks, Grammy!


August 8:



August 9: Elliot came over to play and so I snapped a few shots of him playing with Sofia and of the two be entertained by Cowgirl Siena.



Yes, he can crawl. Yes, he can stand. Yes, he can take steps. That Elliott is amazing! (Don't feel bad Sofia...)




Later that afternoon Sofia was sooo tired, and fell asleep with...who is that in her hand??

This might be boring, but I want to document the enormity of my summer garden. It's nuts! Thank you, previous owner, for composting! :) (And thank you, Lord, for sun and rain and making things grow...)





August 11: The pool closes too soon. Siena and Sofia both LOVED the pool this summer. Siena can't swim yet, but has braved up to the point where she'll jump off the edge to me without her hand being held, or if you do hold her hand, she'll jump straight down and go all the way under water. She is very proud of her accomplishments and will tell you over and over about how she went under water and didn't even cry. (I need to scrounge up an old family video where I say almost the exact phrase. Mom? TJ? Digitize Rigg's pool, please?) Anyway, the pool is now closed because all the life guards have gone back to school, but we went as much as we could, right up to the bitter end.



August 12-13 Palm Springs



August 14: Widegren Wedding
Cousin Shanon Sorbello got married in Foresthill, CA and the wedding was beautiful! Siena got to be a flower girl and the big Armstrong boys were ring bearers. It was over-the-top cuteness.













August 18: Atherton visit and more golf.



This post is taking me too long... more later!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

July: Finito

July 24: Carie was in town and we went out to lunch at Dos Coyotes after church.


It can be a little tricky to talk over two small children who are vying for your undivided attention, so Shiloh helped us out and took the girls outside. After about 15 minutes I figured I should relieve him of his duties and walked outside to find...


That's right.


Siena and Sofia LOVE to take baths together. Sofia squeals and lurches for the tub before she's even nudie and Siena enjoys "taking care" of Sofia (read: pouring water on her head to wash her hair).


Siena was going to be a flower girl in Cousin Shanon's wedding in August, so we borrowed a dress that Halle Ganyo had sported as a flower girl. Siena would ask to try it on (almost daily) and it could never go un-accessorized. (How did I produce such a girly girl??) She puts on the dress. Then the shoes. Then the hair clip or headband. And that tattoo she got when Grammy walked the grandkids down to the fire station? "No, mama, princesses don't wear tattoos!"


Colt is a little sweetie. When he's not swinging a bat (which doesn't leave much time) he's a great little friend to Sienabug.




July 28: Colson's first haircut. We love excuses to have family dinners and go to Grammy's house. It just feels so homey. So, thank you, little CoCo, for giving us another reason to congregate. (And stuff our bellies!)


Coco Cream Puff. Totally.


Good work, Shiloh!


Helpers.


So handsome!


And what better way to end the evening than with root beer floats?


Look! Organic! Sugar-free?





Sugar rush!




July 30: The Armstrongs said a final good-bye to their Seine Avenue rental with a good cleaning "party."


Cleaning?



Reward: MAGNUM BARS and IT'S-ITs!


After a long morning of cleaning/playing, Siena agreed to "read" for a few minutes while I put Sofia to sleep...