fireworks, popsicles and other 4th of july fun

Our 4th of July was spent enjoying the Johnson parade with some family & friends. Grace was in full patriotic attire...and was the only one NOT totally cooking in the 100 degree weather. The "town" of Johnson is about 3 minutes from Colton and is more of a group of grain elevators than town anymore...but every year the folks in the area host what is essentially the quintessential small-town-America 4th of July parade with homemade floats, a few local city royalty, some politicians-to-be and between 3-4000 people enjoying the festivities. Oh, and most the floats are armed with squirt guns and help keep the crowd cool!

Don't know whether it was the heat or all the parade fun, but both Grace and Mom took 3-4 hour naps after we got back. Rough life!

Helping daddy work out and enjoying popsicles with good friend, Caroline!

june...in retrospect

So once again I'm behind in posting updates and pictures (thanks for the reminder Liz...J/K!). Let's see...I have a couple more pix of auntie Liz and uncle Dustin's visit (we went on a fun 4-wheeling trip)...

the annual FarmHouse alum camping trip - to Sun Lakes, WA (it was hot - for a pregnant lady, but the water was COLD!)

...and general showing off.

catching up

things have been busy the past couple weeks. Liz & Dustin came out for a visit, I had some time off to see them and work on a few projects (namely getting a baby boy room together), chuck & grace were both sick (strep & a ruptured ear drum), the weather finally has turned toward summer (& chuck is borderline obsessed with the grass he planted in an attempt to put a yard back in)...yup, life - busy, interesting, frustrating, beautiful...life.

Auntie Liz, Uncle Dustin, Uncle Sam, Chuck & Grace went on a day-hike to Elk River Falls.

Hamming it up for the visiting fam!

Playing with Uncle Dustin.

The whole fam at cousin Jacki's wedding. Yup, that is the same outfit from the last wedding! ;-)

Grace having fun & running free at the wedding reception!

hello summer!

it seems summer has finally made it to the Palouse...finally! :-) along with it is a new friend for Grace - and eventually classmate for our boy-to-be....our friends Colby & Casey had baby boy, Brennan, last Monday. Congrats!

home again...

well, it was a whirwind...but we survived! Grandma Carol & great-grandma Doris came to keep an eye on Grace and Chuck and I went to North Carolina. LONG trip - probably more time in airports & airplanes than actually at the wedding, but it was a beautiful venue, great friends (both FFA and FarmHouse) and some nice time for jsut the two of us. Not sure we'll get many "get-aways" like that after August.

Here's a few photos: (FYI - 6 months pregnant & boy...do I look it! Uggg.....)

leaving on a jet plane...

well Grandma Carol has arrived and tomorrow Chuck & I get to head out for a quick get-away to North Carolina for a friend's wedding. ironically while we are there...one of Chuck's closest fraternity brothers will be staying at the same venue - talk about a small world!!! :-) so we get to fly across the US, catch up with a bunch of friends that we haven't seen for a couple years and then jet-set back all before the "official" holiday.
I am SO looking forward to the trip...not looking forward to the potential "cankles"...so excited to see friends that are like family...not looking forward to the choas that is multiple layovers and the airline circus...totally looking forward to a day off when we return --- all in all...it's gonna be a fun trip!
pictures and stories to come soon...

Picture update

here's some pictures of what we/Grace have been up to lately:

EASTER 2009:

FUN DAY w/NATALIE:

CADalyst Farm Cow/calf pair 2009:

An even split!

Yup...for those who don't already know - last week we had our ultrasound and found out that the sea monkey is a boy! Everything checked out well, he was very cooperative with "verifying" that there is no doubt that we can start thinking of boy names and buying things that are blue. We also told Gracie, who gets the concept of "baby," but "brother" is not sinking in quite yet. She may have to see it to believe it!
We are due the very end of August, although we will meet with the doctor probably the end of June/beginning of July to schedule the official August delivery date.
And now to jump into the name game....hmmmmm....

little rafter girl

we recently stopped at NRS on a whim -a favorite of ours when it comes to rafting - and while looking around, Grace decided to make herself at home in on of the rafts in the floor display. Too bad we won't get to take a trip this summer...but next year we should be back on track! :-)

Well...it's official...we are in to the *terrible* twos! So far they haven't been too bad, but there's definitely been moments. This weekend Grace had her birthday party and it was fun & the weather even agreed!

Lots of family and friends came over and helped us celebrate & Grace even got to have a sleepover party with cousin Caleb! It was a Dora-theme, since EVERYTHING comes around to Dora with gracie-bean...and boy was that a hit! She even got messy with her cake this year, but really just because that was the only way to get at the Dora doll inside. (Thanks to Sara H. for the great cake idea!)

There's lots more photos of the birthday, and swim lessons, in the new slideshows in the right-hand scrollbar...check them out!