We have a walker!!

We officially have a walker!!!! Talia has been taking steps for the past few months, but today is the official day that she now solely walks! I knew it was going to happen soon, just didn't realize it would be at 10 months! She is even more of a mini-toddler now...love it!

Zervises in Sunriver!

This past weekend, our good friends, the Zervises, were in Sunriver for the extended three-day weekend. We got to hang out and have dinner with them one night. So good to see such great friends! Looking forward to them coming back in a few months!

Leah, Nick and Tristan - good friends!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Now that I am staying at home with my kiddos, I am so excited to do all the fun things with them that I couldn't do when I was teaching full-time. This morning, Tristan and I made heart-shaped cinnamon rolls. They didn't turn out quite as I had envinsioned, but were still super yummy! Then, all four of us went on a long walk to have lunch at our favorite family-friendly restaurant - Jackson's Corner! I love this new tradition that we started when Tristan was a baby and I hope it continues. That way all four of us can be involved!



One of my valentines!

Love this look. On our way to Jackson's Corner.

Tristan and I at our Valentine lunch. We have one of these two years ago at a similar lunch, but he was so much younger!

What more could we ask for? A can of Rainier, a glass of wine and a coloring book - I think we're all covered!

Dad & his valentines

Happy brithday, Eli!

Even though we celebrated Eli's birthday a few weeks ago at the beach, we also had an "Eli day" yesterday by going to some of his favorite spots around Bend. We first went to Bouncing Off the Wall where the boys (and Talia) almost had the entire place to themselves. Then we went out for frozen yogurt and finished the day with a yummy dinner at our house.

Here are some pics of our fun day!

The party kids acting as the neighborhood watch before heading out.

A perfect place for a toddler!

Even Talia had her own section to play in!

Seattle & Portland

This past weekend, we once again made the trip over the mountain to visit family. This time, we went up to Seattle to visit my parents for my mom's birthday. We have two dates that are mandatory trips up north - Thanksgiving and her birthday - and this year we weren't going to miss it, even if we live a bit farther away now. We knew it would be a bit trickier with two under the age of two to make such a long trip, so we made a lunch stop in Portland. Well, actually, we turned it into a shopping/lunch trip - thank goodness IKEA has a dining area! It turns into a two-in-one for us!

All ready to hike the woods behind Grama & Papa's house.


Taking a break on the hike. The boys did super good on the hike. They went up to the top of the hill, which was about two miles. Very impressed. I think a hiking trip is in our future this summer :)

Got to get a cousin pic in the bathtub, right?


Daddy & Tristan's favorite thing to do - hottubbing!

My mom and I were cracking up over this outfit of Talia's - gotta love a baby in skinny jeans/jeggings. They almost look painted onto her rolls!



Next stop, Portland! We decided to break up the trip on the way home and stay at my brother's for a night. We also met up with friends at our favorite family-friendly brewery - Hopworks! It was a bit chaotic, however, as about 30 people (including kids) were there. Trying to fit in conversations with everyone while kids were running around was a bit of a challenge. But I did get some cute snapshots of Tristan, Amelia and Aubrey together. I've loved watching these little ones grow up together! And apparently stripes are en vogue for toddlers!

Their favorite thing to do was dog pile each other. And then help one another up :)


Auntie Trac & Tristan

Lo & Lila. The first time I'v met her - can't believe it took so long!

Have I mentioned how much I love this place?? They have a kids section so that the parents can actually talk. Genius!


Oh, how I miss Portland! But am so thankful that we are able to come back for get-togethers like this. It helps me feel connected and keeps me sane :)

Happy 10 months, sweet Talia!

Ever since turning 9 months, I feel like we've really started to see Talia's personality shining through. Although she can be shy when she first meets someone, as soon as she is warmed up, she loves to interact with them! She especially loves to laugh and make others around her laugh as well. On the flip side, she can also be stubborn and want her way. All in all though, she is a sweet and loving little girl who is full of life!

Here are some other highlights of our 10 month old:
*When at the dinner table (or at a restaurant) she likes to "talk/shout" and looks around at anyone around her until she gets everyone else to join in! She especially gets Tristan, Eli or Emma to follow suit until we almost have a shouting match. I can tell that she loves the attention!
*Speaking of her cousin Emma, those two have such a sweet bond! They love to hang out with each other and can play and crack each other up forever. Love the cousin bond :)
*She can now take 20 steps at a time! I know walking is just right around the corner. I keep waiting for her to give up crawling altogether - I know she can do it!
*She now has four teeth poking through. And I'm pretty sure I see a few more almost there!
*Like I said at 9 months, she also has mini-tantrums if someone takes something away from her or if someone is playing with her toy. Her new thing is to throw her head back and fall over, resluting in crying even more because of her hurt head. Oh, the drama :)
*She definitely takes more risks than T did at this age. She's a madwoman in the bathtub, she cruises up the stairs effortlessly, she gets into more cabinets/drawers, she likes to explore the house and especially likes to be "chased" around. We may have a little daredevil in the making!
*Lately when she talks, she sounds like she has a French accent :) Mostly she says, "a-dah, a-dah". And she loves when you say it back to her :)
*She can also mimic a simple tune or sound hummed to her. She loves to watch your lips as you do it and then try and repeat it back.
*If you ask her for a hug, she'll turn her head to the side and lean in. Pretty adorable :)


Love these pics of Talia wearing big cousin, Emma's jacket!



Dinner time! And we've learned that it's so much easier to feed Talia with her shirt off/bib on then waste a good outfit :) And check out those rolls!


Love this pic of brother and sister holding hands in the car. They love to make each other laugh whenever we're going somewhere. And they reached over and held each other's hands spontaneously one day - and held them for quite awhile! I love these two :)

Dad & Talia getting ready to go on a run.