I bet you've been wonderin'....

what we've been up to! A couple weekends ago, the girls and I took a trip up to visit my grandma Joyce (my dad's mom). The first evening we were there, we saw a family of eight seals splashing around in the water!!


Right afterward, another visitor meandered across the front lawn - a sea otter! :)



The girls really enjoyed collecting shells, sand dollars and rocks on the beach.


A local church held a carnival on Saturday. Allison enjoyed a fun horse ride and bouncy castle!


Abby won a cake (it figures that the cake walk would be her favorite game!) and played a little golf.



The girls enjoyed their first taste of cotton candy.




We spent the next week enjoying beautiful weather, with plenty of playing outdoors!



While getting ready for swim lessons, Abby discovered Allison's goggles and decided to give them a try.


Here's the butter that Allison made while studying colonist life in the New World.

This past weekend, we visited the Maryhill Art Museum. It's a great museum with gorgeous lawns and peacocks! There is a nearby park with campground also. It was fun to see all of the hundreds of windmills that have been set up out that way. After the museum, we headed over to Goldendale for a visit to the observatory. Even Abby enjoyed seeing a live broadcast of the sun! (She has been very enthusiastic about stars and the moon lately - no idea as to why, but "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is a popular song in our home!)

last month

Last month, we hiked up Multnomah Falls with my dad. Allison did so well getting up to the top - we were really impressed! Here are some pictures from our trip - enjoy.


Can you believe it - a family picture!!


Grandpa Tom and Allison.



I finally made it to the top??!


The little falls before the BIG falls!


A little dinner together :)

party

We enjoyed a wonderful Mothers' Day/Abby's 2nd Birthday party brunch last weekend! The weather was beautiful and it was nice to be outdoors for a while. The girls have been busy with all kinds of activities these last couple of weeks.


Allison made a wigwam in school. She was learning about the Jamestown settlement and Native Americans.



She also made a couple of teepees. She was learning about how Native Americans in different parts of the country lived differently.



The girls really enjoy the marble game that Abby got for her birthday.



Abby is learning to put puzzles together - she really enjoys it! :)



The weather has been rather gloomy this week, so Abby wanted to wear her snowman shirt. Allison, on the other hand, refused to give up hope for sunny weather!



The girls just love to sit in the rocking chair together.



Abby, making silly faces.


Allison's silly face.

truths

I've had a lot going on lately, hence the lack of posts. God has been working some things in my heart and my life...presenting new challenges and growing me, mainly. Although I value these times, they are typically very difficult also.

That being said, I will be changing my blog site a little bit. I will be mainly using it to post information and pictures of just the girls for family and friends. I am going to try to get more reading and housework done in the evenings (fewer interruptions!) and may not be able to post as often as I would like, however I will try to be fairly consistent.

As to my blog thusfar, I would like to say that I hope it has blessed you, the reader. I have only endeavored to share my heart and my life. If I have ever, in any way, offended anyone or hurt someone's feelings, please accept my apology. I'm afraid I put very little thought into my words, often times (one of those new challenges I mentioned above!), and I'm sorry if anything I have posted has upset any of my readers.

On to more cheerful things! Abby is two years old and healthy (according to her pediatrician)! She began singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" - adorable, of course. We had a small, somewhat impromptu, party for her on Sunday with a few close friends in Puyallup - the BIG party is on Saturday :)

Allison is getting increasingly better at reading. I believe she's reaching the bend in the road and expect her to be fairly proficient any day now. Yesterday, she opted to bring her children's NIV in the car with her and proceeded to read a verse or two to Abby every so often. (It was very interesting to listen to her sound out Biblical cities and names!)