A Few of Our Favorite Things

#1 Dad...we're a little past Father's day, but it must have left an impression on Ashlyn who still wishes Brock happy father’s day randomly and tell him she loves him. The girls got Brock a Yo-Yo for a present, and Ashlyn kept trying to tell him what we got. However, she kept calling it or-yo so Brock thought we had bought some Oreos while shopping and was pleasantly surprised by the yo-yo. Ashlyn calls Brock's yo-yo talent "magic".

#2 New Cousins...Congratulations to Kimberly and my big brother Spencer on the arrival of Melanie Justine Plumb on June 21st. The reality of what October will bring hit me as I held their adorable newborn and watched Ashlyn and Claire roam around the hospital room reeking havoc. Three kids, two arms...life is going to get a lot more entertaining.

#3 Dogs and Cats...stuffed or real, makes no difference. Claire is picking up on more and more Baby signing and gets really excited when she signs dog. We had the opportunity to housesit for a family with two cats and three little dogs, and the girls loved it. Melvin, the orange cat loved Ashlyn who talked to all the animals in a high sweet voice, and wanted to go out and pet them all day long. So cute.

#4 Building With Blocks...This magnificent structure was built for "Pink Kitty" who has become of late the main character in all our stories. She also builds homes for extended family and friends.

#5 Hummus...Claire can't get enough of this stuff. She shares Brock's passion for hummus; sundried tomato is the current favorite. She is a notorious double dipper, she dips her chip and sucks it off, so we just give her a bowl and spoon and let her go to town.

#6 Snuggling up into our towels after a nice refreshing swim. We are trying to hit the pool hard this summer to get Ashlyn more confident in the water and to escape the heat.

These are just a few of our favorite things!

trip to B town

We made a quick trip up to see the Solanos. In Grandma and Grandpa's backyard the girls were riding these little cars and I tried to get a good smile out of them. It felt like one of those Calvin and Hobbes comics where his parents are trying to get a "normal" picture of Calvin. I thought this sequence showed all the "normal" sides of Claire and Ashlyn. Makes me that much more greatful for digital cameras.

Ryker (Brock's cooler younger brother) graduated from college this month and it was fun to witness the event. He had to take off the glasses so his nieces would recognize him...he's a good uncle.


For your viewing pleasure here is a little clip of Claire puckering up. She does this every morning when Brock goes off to work and right before bedtime. We get such a kick out of it and I'm glad we captured it before she grows out of it. It's hard to tell how long cute little habits like this will last.