Our Quiet Week...

Since coming home from the Cabin, life with Hazel at home has been quite mellow. Sure her swimming lessons are exciting and her SCREACHES in the pool are enough to leave my ears ringing...but overall, we have just been hanging out enjoying SUMMER.

I started back to work last week...part-time...and Hazel has gone back to her friends at day care. She was missed! I must say that picking up Hazel from day care has never before been as fun as it is now. I walk in the door...she sees me and immediately drops whatever toy is in her chubby little hands...and she is off...on all fours...moving as fast as she can...into her mama's arms! The smile on her face as she crawls at top Hazel speed is the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I love my girl!

Here are some photos I took a few nights ago when I gave Hazel her last bath in the kitchen sink. You can tell by the photos how she helped me to realize that the time has come for the move to the bathroom tub! Okay, I probably should have made this switch months ago...but the kitchen sink is so much easier on my back! :)

(She had her first big girl bath tonight and she LOVED it. Sorry, I didn't have the camera handy and was on squirmy baby duty in the bathroom.)

She was just about to crawl on out of the suds!

Hazel and Bella

Parent/Child Swim!

Hazel and I had our first day of swim class last night...yes, it was for her...but without me, we couldn't do it. She does crawl on her own, but I thought asking her to swim on her own would be asking a little much.

How did she like it, well...lets just say she has room to grow in her fondness of pools. I remember a few more smiles than wails, and her favorite was a little yellow boat...her least favorite, getting dunked under water. She enjoyed watching the other two kiddos in the class...and Will was our photographer and she gave him a number of waves of recognition! We will go back on Thursday, and keep making progress. Maybe by Thursday she will get down the blowing bubbles in the water and not take in a gulp? We may practice that a little today.

Here are a few photos...we hope Beau can join us Thursday!

I thought Hazel was quite clingy to me at the cabin, but it was nothing compared to at the pool. She has never grabbed on so tight before!! I didn't really mind!

Mega Watt Smile!

Yesterday was a monumental day in the life of Will...he got his braces OFF!! He had worn them for three very long years and we celebrated with a big package of STARBURST. Next on the agenda....going to the coast in the next month and buying a big bag of taffy. Don't worry, he will be brushing and flossing all that sticky goo away...but after three years of NO sticky candy, he needs to indulge a little.

Before

AFTER!!

Starburst! (he did remove the wrapper prior to eating)

60/80 Party

What is a 60/80 Party....something very special. We celebrated last weekend in Stockton, California a year that marks my grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary and both of them are turning 80! The party was full of all of us who love and respect my grandparents so very much. It was so special and we were thankful to share in the day. Here are some pictures of the event...

Nana and Hazel at the party

Mick looking so cute!

Hazel loves her cousin Chris

Cousins!

Hazel, Beau and Mick

Cutie-pie Kelsey

Awaiting the guests...

time with daddy

Kisses from mama

Grandma and Grandpa - the honorees!

More Cabin Pics

We got home from the Cabin last night. We had such an adventure, as usual, during our 10 days in the Sierra Nevada Mountains! I must admit, it was a relief to be able to set Hazel on the carpet last night, and see her crawl about with glee! She didn't have many opportunties to do that at the cabin as the terrain is very rocky and DIRTY. :) Here are some photos, not in order as I pooled photos from my mom and Michelle as well. They capture SOME of our fun, though nothing is like the real thing. You can't get the same sense of the icy cold water from a photo as you can from sticking in your toes ...nor can you get the same feel of that high mountain sunshine as you can from lying on a sizzling slab of mountain granite. Home is SWEET, but the Cabin will be on our mind until we arrive again next summer.

Pat & Bonnie basking in the sunshine

Jill and Bonnie on Oasis Island

Cute Cousin Chris

Pucker Up!

On the Rock at Lake Alpine

Kelsey, Hazel, Chris and I resting up at the River

Happy Girl!

The Old Snag

(As we hike up from the Stanislaus River - over a 1000 foot climb in just over 1.5 miles - this Snag marks the top of the steepest part of the hike. Hazel was sleeping in the backpack worn by her daddy through most of the climb. Oh, why couldn't we all be so blessed!)

Family @ the Cabin

Will got this Texas shirt from Michelle & Ryan...we will be trying to pry it from him today in order to wash it!

Slick Rock - a beautiful NEW place we discovered this year - accessible by a VERY bumpy ride in Bruce's Jeep. Here is Beau showing some style in his ability to ride the slide!

I try to keep my hat out of the grasp of Hazel's little hands.

What a Beautiful River!

The gang at Slick Rock

Ryan takes a slide

Kelsey's turn!

Here comes Chris!

Michelle & Ryan

Hazel takes a lunch break/rest with momma during a hike

Michelle gets in a squeeze

Michelle stops to smell the flowers

We stand by "The Monarch" - Beau's favorite tree on the hike to the Stanislaus River

Will relaxes one morning with a cup of cocoa

Will's Fort - Will spent days on this fort and was quite proud of the finished product!

Here is Will on his inaugural dip in Little Falls

Brrrrr!

Where did he go?

Out in seconds!

Beau's Catch

The fish was hungry I guess

Beau takes my mom to Slick Rock

What a good looking group...

...for a bunch of people living in the woods without electricity!

Great-Grandparents & Grandparents with us

Cousin Jen came to visit mom in the "corral" with Hazel

Fishing at the river
More fishing at the beautiful river - note Bruce in the background

Pretty Bella Girl - never has her coat looked so silver than amidst all that granite rock

Hazel and Bella hanging out at the cabin

Beau strikes a pose on Balancing Rock

Will attempts to push Balancing Rock off on Beau...nice try kid!

Bruce and Roberta brought their brand new tent trailor to the cabin - AWESOME!!

Here is Hazel enjoying the space to explore and also sleep!

Nothing tires out Bella quite like a week at the cabin! Yay!!