Southern Idaho Crusade

I was feeling brave earlier this month, and hauled my girls to southern Idaho for a great-grandparent visit.  I am one of the lucky few with four very alive and fabulous grandparents, 

and my girls get the privilege of multi-generational love!

My great-grandpa's farm belonged to his father who had settled here from Germany.  He built the little house on it where his son and grandson were both born (literally) and raised. I have fond memories here of my dear great-grandparents who were both worthy of lots of praise.  They were hard-working and frugal, devoted to family and the gospel, and really smart. Mia's (Amelia's) name landed on her because, more than it's inherent niceness, it was my great-grandma's middle name and it is filled with good connotation.  I guess it's etymology is also (appropriately) associated with the German word for "industrious."

Rather than using a sprinkler to water their expanse of grassy yard, they and their children (i.e. my grandfather) have always watered with the local canal (which runs along their property line) by "flooding" the yard once a week.  As a little girl, it was a treat for me to be in town while the flooding was going on--like a giant wading pool.  Mia got to experience it while we were visiting! 

The prop she's holding is a piece of rhubarb she'd stolen from her cousin, Eli...

Great Gma Heinz in her new kitchen & girls

on the local merry-go-round:

June getting to know her great-gpa:

Eli gets to have this fun paved path along the canal in his Idaho town.  

Here he is with Mia cruising the strip.

One cannot go to Gma & Gpa Harmon's  house without getting a good dose of literature.  

Gpa Harmon gifted these bubbles to help entertain Mia during our visit. Good choice!  

Our adventure was challenging (8+ hours of lonely mom & girls in the car is not what I consider vacation), but the trek was well-worth it!

Yikes!

The two primary reasons I keep this blog of our family is, first, to maintain a record of our lives and second, to provide a window through which our extended families (and birth-families) and friends can experience our girls' growth along with us.  This last week, however, I've been noticing some creepy websites which have been listed as traffic sources for our blog (?!).  I am feeling terribly ill about the prospect of it, but I don't feel particularly inclined to investigate.  So, in order to be safe rather than sorry, and with some strong encouragement from David, I am going to make our blog "private;" or at least less available to unsavory viewers.  I really hope that anyone with the slightest interest in our girls or any acquaintance with our family will have access to it-- If you send me your email address at some point via Facebook, plain-Jane email, or by commenting on this post, I will clear you promptly!  You will then just have to "log in" with your email address every once in a while in order to look at the blog.

Sorry to our three faithful frequenters for the inconvenience. 

June's Top 10

June is six months old this week...how has she has lived for HALF A YEAR without me noticing the time.  

Just as one is often told, one cannot blink without missing something with these ever-changing babies!  Mia's whole first and second years were meticulously documented and each milestone was met with enthusiasm and encouragement.  I cannot say the same for June.  Instead, I'm just trying to soak up all her babyness before it melts away into...ahem...the joy of toddlerhood. 

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When we go swimming (even without the vest) all the support June needs to successfully float is a hand...no, a finger...under her head.  Buoyancy abounds in these voluptuous rolls!

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June has happily spent much of her life in the Bjorn: it has given me two free hands to (man)handle her big sis  and simultaneously snuggle my baby. I am grateful that the U.S. decided to mass-market this age-old invention during my parenting era. I am still squeezing her in at every opportunity while I still can without requiring post-recovery chiropractic work.  

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Despite the fact that smiles are hard work with all that cheek, this gal does it often.  

Her tongue likes to make an appearance every time.

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At one of our trans-state pit stops; she has been an ever-patient passenger during our summer tours around the region.

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one of her 6 mos photos:

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A taste of the local dynamics:

*DISCLAIMER* These videos contain Mom's obnoxious baby voice.

Mia's Top 10

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Our naughty dog has redeemed herself by tolerating endless hours of submission to Mia's whims:

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Izzy's not the only one who has fallen prey to Mia's charms.  

Much to her delight, Uncle Ethan has often sacrificed his scalp to hair-time and tiara:

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While at the zoo last week, Mia developed an attachment to this little puffin.  

Certain that he was fully involved in the game she thought they were playing together, she kept squealing each time he would respond the way she'd predicted. 

On the other hand, the giant blind walrus who kept slamming his girth into the glass and the creepy octopus in a neighboring exhibit really freaked her out (and probably exasperated the "there's a snake in my bed" nightmare she's been having).

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On Aunt Arianna's horse, "Lady:"

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Mia got to take swimming lessons with cousin "T" last month. 

Here she is in her cycloptic monster swim cap preparing for a round of "motor boat, motor boat!"

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Mia, attired in her "swimming eyes," initiates an irritated June to her pool:

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 Zooming toy vehicles around the carpet with Dad:

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Building a mountain in the sandbox with Nemo and Nedeja (birthmom's son and sis).  

Mia is always pleased (and says so!) to look around and see friends that match her "brown skin, chocolate." She has told me a couple of times and in a patronizing voice [as if to say, "it's okay that you have pasty white skin and straight, stringy hair because...] "Mommy's eyes are brown skin, chocolate, and mommy's eyebrows are black like Mia's!"

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Mia had a week of Annie obsession.  Here is her interpretation of the theme song:

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The best part of toddlerhood is witnessing language development. I am constantly being entertained by Mia's funny pronunciation attempts and word misuse: