watching the grass get cut

I shan't ever go inside.

Not until November.

recent discovery: thomas the train show

He has adopted the British accents of the trains on the Thomas the Train show, and often has a "busy die, busy die."

 He talks about his best friend a lot, but I usually have to verify whether he's talking about Nate P. (bff #1) or Bob (bff #2). Sometimes there are context clues, however, which save me the embarrassment. "I love to hang out with my best friend when he comes home from work": obviously bff #1 since bff #2 is an unemployed loafer. Or "My best friend wants to nap with me; he's so sweepy": bff #2 since like I said, he's an unemployed loafer.

Nate says the boy needs a real dog.  I say yeah right.

notable

1. This is my dad's whole family

2. My grandma is standing up

3. My aunt Evelyn is wearing the coolest red and black lightning shirt 

4. My grandpa has a lot of hair, a trait which was passed down to no one

5. Willow tree

Do you ever wish you knew your family when they were younger? I do.

I remember my grandma, of course, because she lived with us for like...several...years. I remember her house, too. It smelled cool when it was hot outside, and she had a screened-in side porch with a tin roof, so when it rained it sounded awesome. Reader's Digest and coloring books and those stickers that go around holes in 3-hole-punched paper. When we were really little she used to read to us on her lap and let us play with her necklaces. Many of which I wore throughout college. 

At least once my grandpa took Jocelyn and I to the "cuffay" to get hot chocolate and I was mortally afraid of sitting in his chair in the living room. I knew he was kidding when he called us boys when--duh--we were obviously girls. He died when I was about eight. I think my dad looks like him, without the snowy locks of hair.

happy days are here again / i love a tree / a tree loves me

i'm assuming the saturdays will have to end sometime--but not today

 We got ice cream. We've gone to the park like ten times this week.

 I took a day off and hiked with my brother and not his girlfriend because she was in Texas.
Nate took a day off to make my day more fun and easy.

(PS hike Stewart Falls sometime. Or like ten times. It's favorite.)

Just like in Mexico, Tim said. Complete with grapefruit Jarritos.

Abby was so good at her show.  I only liked one other essay almost as much as hers, but not because they all stank (hers was just really good) (funny but also sweet and also inspiring). It was a good show all around.

He is making some serious fake-Saturday progress! Gardens! Someday!

I look and feel so awkward these days. This pregnancy has really differentiated its trimesters, and #2 is so so kind compared to her evil sister #1. I love you #2 in your awkward glory! 

PS what should we name our daughter?

you find the corner piece first

I just about cried when he called me to say his test was over and (of course) he passed. I was in the driver's seat, on my way to retrieve him.

Then we started our celebration adventure, which consisted of eating large quantities of food (beginning in a covered wagon), then immediately doing something physically active, then resting or sleeping. Repeated many times.

We both felt the wonderful absence of anxiety.

We had fun.

We laughed a lot.

We played schoolyard sports like 12 year olds.

I felt happy--and cute.

And even when I saw the photographic proof to the contrary, I just laughed at looking so awkward when I felt so good. 

a weather-related, May 1st French language joke

the first of about forty dandylions he brought me

preparation included rigging up the bikes, testing out the new backpack, bringing pretzels

Destination: Guinivah-Malibu Campground and its accompanying 100-year-old amphitheater.

I have it on good authority that

"During the 1920s and 30s, many Logan families loaded up their Model-T Fords and escaped the daily grind by heading for Guinivah-Malibu's soothing landscape of willows, big-tooth maples, and grassy meadows. A stranger would think that Cache Valley had moved to the mountains!"

I am a little obsessed with the notion of packing up for the summer and living in a canyon so that snippet convinced me to take our Saturday Adventure to Guinivah-Malibu, despite that incomprehensible name.

And with very little notice and unprepared footwear, a couple of uncles, an aunt and a cousin came along. Perfecto.

 Posed or candid? You decide.

Posed or candid? You decide.

also, nate and i really really really want a canoe

I think I've settled on the number 60. I was born about 60 years too late.

Also canoes are awesome.

Nate is about this close to asking one of our crazy neighbors if he ever uses his green canoe (which is not for sale or anything) or if he'd like to just give it to us because...we want it. Or maybe he's going to offer to buy it. Either way I'm trying to convince him this is not the best plan. However, Nate does have a fantastic track record of acquiring free things...so...

appo appo appo appo

Rumor has it that as a child I would carry around gross old apples, munching them long past their sanitary lifespans, screaming "Appo appo appo" if my parents tried to save me from them. 

Calvin just prays with them in a very The Virgin Mary-like fashion I guess, and takes them on hikes, never breaking his appleface mouth positioning.

if you don't want to hear about how much i eat maybe you should keep your distance for a while; i just ate about three lunches

our older brother set out for a great adventure

I don't know if he gets it.

Does he get it?

I asked him often, "Is the baby in my tummy a brother or a sister?"

He would usually say sister, unless someone else was listening, in which case it was usually a brother.

He talked about the little girl baby coming to sleep in the tiny toy cradle at our house.

He said he would share his animals and help her put on her pajamas.

Nate was sure it was a girl.

My dad was sure it was a girl.

(He was also sure Calvin was a girl.)

I had two dreams that it was a boy.

But of course it's a girl.

(And my due date is a bit hazy... it's a little tiny girl)

he said she said

He said: I'm going to read about arbitration.
Me said: Sounds boring, good idea.

Me said: Did you know I have like three extra pounds worth of blood in my body while I'm pregnant?
He said: Sounds gross. I don't want to talk about that.

Our fifth anniversary is coming right up, and to celebrate this year, Nate is going to take a giant certification test that he's been taking a prep class and studying for since February. I think it's a purrrrfect way to celebrate because then we will get our evenings back. However, I can't help but miss last year's trip to Zion and will therefore post a zillion pictures of it that you may have already seen. Ok, some more:

the out of doors with a toddling tot: secret move of keeping your standards low