A Weekend Away

Last weekend we took a little family trip - to visit David's grandparents in Packwood, Washington and then up to see my family in Everson for a couple days. I took two days off of work, so it was a nice, long weekend.

In Packwood, David, Micah and I went for a walk in the woods, up to a waterfall that is a favorite of ours. We took Belle, who was a very good walking companion. 

Not only was it Audrey's first trip to Packwood, it was her first time meeting GG and Papa Bob. She loved being with them, and I think they liked her pretty well too! Besides the fact that Audrey didn't sleep well, we had a great time in Packwood! It's so nice being with family and getting to relax and enjoy one another's company.

It was Flag Day while we were in Packwood, so Micah got to help Papa Bob and GG put out their flag. He even sang 'O Say Can You See' when the flag was hung. That boy has a patriotic heart! As I'm typing this, he's singing the national anthem, with emotional arm thrusts for emphasis. A video will be coming sometime around Independence Day.

After Packwood, we went up to Everson to spend time with my family. My sister and brother-in-law were up for the weekend also, and we saw my brother every day we were up there, so it was a great time of seeing family! Micah especially enjoyed playing in my dad's back yard. He would have spent the entire weekend out there if we had let him! 

I was reminded of one reason why I love the valley so much - everything is so green and pretty in the spring and summer. Not like Hermiston, where we have a little green and a lot of brown. My dad's back yard was beautiful! I loved spending time out there and checking out the plants and flower beds, but it really made me miss my mom! She loved spending time in the yard, and I know she would be really happy with how it looks this year.

It was a really nice weekend with family, but we're always glad to be home and back in our routine - and sleeping in our own bed!  We're thankful for great house-sitters, so we know our house and pets are well taken care of, and we can relax without worrying about them! I hope you all had a good weekend too!

He's Growing Up

Before our eyes, Micah is turning into a little boy. Sometimes it seems like he was just born and I can't fathom how he can be nearly 15 months old. He really is changing quickly, and every couple of days he learns a new word or skill. It's amazing how quickly he absorbs information!

So, here are some recent pictures and some of the things he's up to!

He loves books! He has two small cloth baskets that hold his picture books, and there are many times when both baskets are nearly empty. His books will be spread all across the floor, some open and some closed. Micah loves to look at pictures!

Micah's still not walking, but I'm not worried. He's climbing on everything he can, including Maverick! (Doesn't Mav just look thrilled about it? He may not always love having Micah crawl on him, but Maverick is the most patient dog - he just licks Micah's face and lays there.)

He makes all kinds of animal sounds. His first was dog, then cat, cow and elephant. He's working on more of course, and I think he just figured out monkey but we'll have to try it out a few more times to be sure. I'm amazed at how he has been learning new words so often - he's saying all kinds of things, 'dog', 'ball', 'Hi' (it's kind of like aloha - it means hi and bye!), 'mama', 'da', 'What's that?' is 'isat?', 'Nana or Anana' for Banana or Anna, "Ma' for Maverick, and more. I really think Micah's a smart little boy!

Micah also loves his little cousin Anana, as he calls her. He's always gentle with her and he's interested in what she's doing when we're all together. Soon enough, she'll be on the floor crawling around after him.

He loves hiding under his clothes, and also trying to put them on. In the next picture he's trying to put on his jacket. He laughs and laughs when he does this. He really has a great sense of humor - any time someone is laughing, he starts to laugh too. He's started throwing his head back when he laughs, which is so cute!

Micah really is a sweet, funny little boy. He's changed our lives and we're so thankful! Every day is enriched by his presence, and that just makes me excited for all of the fun times to come. 

Our Handsome Man

I have been blessed again with the opportunity to have beautiful pictures taken of Micah. Natalie Hilliard is amazing - she does such a good job!

We went a while back and sat Micah on the side of the road (while we were next to him, of course) overlooking the river, next to some nice wheat grass, while Steve and Natalie shot some photos of the little man. He had a very cute plaid shirt on, and his 'old man hat', as I like to call it.

He is looking much more like a kid now than he did when these were taken, with five teeth (what?!), but these pictures sure are amazing. I miss those chubby cheeks! Enjoy!

This picture is my favorite - it reminds me of a wise old sea captain. I love it!

If you're in the Tri-Cities or Seattle areas and you're looking for some beautiful pictures, you really should look up Natalie's website and take a look at more of her work. She does a great job - her main focus is actually on weddings, but she does great with babies - and you won't regret going with her. Her work is incredible! Thanks Natalie!