hi girls

oh, I love spending every day with you both. this is such a special time and I know it. Giselle, you pick flowers for me all the time, and I think that is so thoughtful of you. and you wanted to have a yogurt stand (w honey and berries on cones), so you could give the money to daddy. and makena you are so sweet and happy and silly all the time. I took you both to get your toes done and you both sat there so good and were so polite to the guy who asked if you wanted candy. you said thank you. and giselle you get so shy, you said no, and sat there shyly til he gave you the candy, then you were too shy to say thank you. but you loved it, cause you smile big and your eyes shrink up. makena, you are very easy going and so relaxed about everything, and giselle, you are very intense with emotions, and so full of questions, and so smart. but very happy or very mad or sad. it's a lot, but I love it. I want you to express your emotions and whatever you are feeling. but you need a lot of attention and needs. it's constant on with you, and I almost feel like I am not challenging you enough because I can't keep up with your questions, and wants. love you both so much. we planted a vegetable garden, and you giselle you like to go down the slide in to the pool. and makena you are playing on the big swing now and going to the bathroom pretty regularly without us asking you. we haven't even tried potty training you, and you want to do it on your own. you love lucy too. makena you love daniel tiger and hate care bears and giselle you love watching care bears..so the morning cartoons are always challenging. you both will eat because you want to grow bigger and giselle if you see makena eating my breakfast, you will eat it just so she won't outgrow you. makena you love hunter so much. and giselle you like to carry baby ali around and give her kisses. you have been playing t ball and daddy is your coach. it's pretty funny watching you turn around out there and not pay any attention to the ball. but you hit really good and you run fast, and hunter and chance are on your team, and neither of them pay any attn. mostly chance stays with his mom and hunter likes to roll around and put his mitt on his face. it's funny. makena you like to be a part of it too, and have been practicing hitting. we went to lake chelan, tennesseee, palm springs, disneyland, celebrated omi and papas 42nd wedding anniversary, went to anacortes for annals 40th 80s party, and this weekend heading to whidbey island, then off to road trip to banff canada. it's been a crazy few months but very fun. even though I am exhausted. we were going to leave you and go to banff, but I don't think you guys are ready, even though daddy says I am the one who isn't ready. so, we'll enjoy a nice road trip together. ok. love you so much!!!

Goofball makena- you take off your shoes wherever you are- even in the airport, it doesn't Matter you want to run barefoot And you like to take your diaper off too which isn't good. You are singing all the songs to frozen and you were singing that Giselle is the best sister ever and you'll be best friends forever , that is in between you both telling me that the other is not sharing. Giselle you are so ambitious and willing to try anything . You want to skateboard and ski Anh you get so upset if you don't get to do whT you want. You are playing t ball w daddy as yor coach. You do really good at hitting the ball even without a tee. The last game you were sitting down in the field - it's a long game and you wanted a donut like makena

surprise

makena, it's so cute, whenever we see you, you coming running with your hands in the air and say surprise!! as you are our gift and we've been spending the whole time we are away from you looking for you..and it's so true...at least I have spent the whole time thinking about you. I love you and I love my surprise!

Makena's two!

Happy Birthday baby girl. You are growing up so fast! I just took you to school with Giselle for the first time all day, and you said "I'm excited mama!" I am so happy you are happy to go. It's nice you have Giselle and Hunter there to help you. I don't know how I feel about you leaving mama for four hours, but you have been crying when you have to leave with me, so we're going to see how this goes. So on your birthday you said I'm two, and Giselle said "now that your two you can stop drinking mama's milk (because she stopped at a year and a half), and you said, I'm not two. You love your milkie. I love having you lay with me and I get to hold you and put my hands through your hair and kiss your head. I cherish it. We had a breakfast celebration at the bowling alley and planned to bowl but it was league..so we came home and watched the seahawks win to go to the super bowl, and then we had pizza and cupcakes..we sang to you and you loved it...you get pretty shy about it though. And then omi and papa came up yesterday and we celebrated again :). You are so sweet..you try to keep up with the big kids. Giselle had her Christmas concert and they were singing, and you stood up there too, and swayed a little and just watched them, but you wanted to stand up there. You love frosty the snowman, and we went to a disney show and one of the characters reminded you of frosty, so you kept pointing him out. you tell me you love me a lot and give me kisses. you get upset if things don't go your way, but are easily calmed down, and you listen really well. you are talking all the time, but it's so funny that you are understanding and you like to repeat exactly what we say and say it back..then you smile and laugh, like you said it for the first time and it worked, and you understand it. you say you funny mamma, and you like to say daddy said "yes" or whatever he just said, and zell hit me mamma, or my belly hurt me, or my sun at me mamma, and you like to run around without clothes on..you don't like covers at night, you run pretty warm. I wanna sleep w/you mamma. I just can't get enough of your little sweetness. you are just a love bug. you love your papa so much and omi. giselle you got a new big girl bed with a slide and a fort, and you love sleeping in it, and making your own bed. you get upset if the kids go on the slide and mess up your bed. we are so happy you are independent, but already miss sleeping with you. we keep saying we are going to grab you and have you sleep with us, but we know you would be mad if you woke up in our bed. you say you want to live in your own house ,and I say don't you want to live w/me forever, then you say ok I will..if you live with your parents. you have it all figured out. you always ask really good questions, about why kids in cartoons don't have their parents w/them outside and why can't you go outside by yourself. you love having hunter stay over, and you spend time w/neigbor genevieve who you also do ballet with. you two play really well together but last time you both played the I don't want to play with her card...I think because you are both cancers born a day a part. and trying to figure out how to be friends. I can't squeeze and hold you enough. you are growing up way to fast for me, and I love you so much. I love you! '

almost christmas

well, this week, we pretty much stayed in, and it was really nice. parker and gg came to play, and we got the christmas tree up, and relaxed...you went to school one day, but you didn't feel up for it the next day. this last weekend grammy and grumpy came up and we went to warm beach together, and it was 17 degrees outside, but we still did it! we had thanksgiving at our place this year, and enjoyed having everyone over. but I got a cold right after, and feel still blah. but, I am getting excited for christmas with you both. we are going to celebrate here the weekend before and then go visit all omi and papa and all your cousins. giselle, you wrote a letter and mailed it in our mailbox to santa and you wrote very clearly that you want a barbie house.. so fun shopping for you this year, I know you will love all the fun puzzles, and books, and the doll house we got you! we have been searching for a school for you, and trying to find where you would love the most and blossom. you fell on your cousins trampoline and hurt your knee..we took you to the dr, and it wasn't broken thankfully, but you were hurt pretty bad and limped for almost a week. but, all is better now, and you are ready to trampoline again...although we don't think so. you ask about god a lot and we started going to all souls church here and you like the preschool. you always ask what god eats, and how old he is, and if he is awake all the time, and if he can hear you..I try to answer but I don't even know. but, I am glad you are interested. you are very ambitious and smart, and you are trying to read words, and you remember a lot. you have been going to a dance class, and you love it so much, I tell you the teacher says you need to take a nap, so you do...which is usually impossible. you and makena love playing together and mostly get along, but both of you like to hit each other..but I make you hug and makeup. giselle, when you are tired you get very lippy, I am just trying to make sure you get enough sleep since then you are as sweet as can be. makena, you crack me up...if giselle gets lippy to me, you try to protect me, you hug me and tell giselle no. and if you think I am sad, you give me a kiss. today the crackers spilled and you ran and grabbed the big broom and tried cleaning it up, then you rode it like a horsey horsey. you love the idea of santa, but you get close and then start crying..we got one picture of it. you like to run in the room and yell "wake up mommy wake up!" and you also ask to hold me mama in the morning. you helped decorate the tree and even knew how to put the ornaments on. some of your sayings..if we ask if you went potty... "me no poopoo mommy" or "the sun at me mamma!" meaning the suns in your eyes. or "I did it!" and right now you are saying ho ho ho merry christmas. you try to sign twinkle twinkle little star, it's very cute, every time I ask you a color you say green, and your age you have said 2 forever and recently 3 and a half...( I am sure you heard hunter say it), and you say " hey!" when something goes wrong and "ohhhh" if you are sad..and I love you mamma...I just love this talking stage. and zelle hit me. Im happy mamma! or I sad. you eat so well, and out eat giselle many times..you try everything and like most. giselle, you are really picky with food, but you did eat pizza, but without the olives, and dad gave you a slice and you said no, you want to get your own.so independent. makena, I am still feeding you, and I love how close we are, I hold you and put my head on yours and it's just a special time for you to settle down and let me cuddle you. giselle, you still love having your back scratched and rubbed, and you have been sleeping with me, but you don't like when I am too close or you can't breeve. love you both so much.. I am so grateful to share everyday with you.

Talking

Makena- you are adorable talking now- this morning we were making pancakes and Lucy wanted outside and I told her to wait and you said patience Lucy. Just a minute ok? It was cute- It's usually what you here what we say to Giselle. The other day I thought you were asking where's kitty go and you were trying to get cookie dough- for breakfast too. You can count a little and you always say green when I ask you a color. You are so easy going- you whine a little about something and I say well yes Or no and why and you say otay in the cutest little voice , you love talk on the phone hello daddy. Hello daddy. And you get sassy right after Giselle repeating what se says or saying ya momma! Hand in hip and pout. Sassy pants , then you laugh and today you put her face on your shoulder and smile and said in Excited or when we come home you say I crying mama. And you both fight over your daddy or mamma. Giselle you are in the when you grow up can I be a bakery or mailman or I wish I could do that- when can I fly a rocket? And you still ask a lot about god and you remnered the story you learned in church. You like to play house but everything is your way or you get frustrated. Trying to teach you to share and be nice to sissy. But you are starting to compete a lot w her and don't understand. But other times you love and hug her And pick her up and tell her how much you love her. It's the sweetest thing to see.

fall already

well, time is flying here.and you girls are growing so fast it's hard to believe! Giselle, you are in school right now and makena, you are holding a baby and trying to put her in a little shoot car and yo are mad she won't fit. life has been crazy, as we had mac, kristi and parker move out (you guys miss parker, especially makena), we went to europe, and now we've all been a little bit sick and snotty seems like ever since we got back... miki is still living with us til she leaves for school next month. you guys love playing with her, she really likes to tickle you, and really plays hard, and you guys love it. since you won't remember europe, I will tell you now how cool it was. hopefully you'll get a glimpse from the photos..we spent so much time together and so much time at the beaches, you guys loved it! we only spent like 3 days in each spot though, so it was kind of like backpacking w/you guys, and that was a big adventure! miki was with us too, and it was pretty smooth except of the train. we thought we went straight from one destination to the next, but had 3 stops and get on other trains in between.. and w/all our luggage, and you kids, and not speaking the language or knowing where to get off or on quickly, it was an exhausting zoo...at one stop daddy was off w/giselle and we got trapped on, and the door wouldn't open, and we didn't have a phone, someone had to pull the emergency release for us to get off..we were exhausted, but the train slowed at one point and we watched a black head/fluffy white body lamb give birth..we happened to be sitting in the right spot at the right time..it happened right out our window. giselle, you also found the most beautiful shell. we were walking back from dinner on the beach in pitch black about 3 miles and you picked up a shell, and held it till you got to the hotel, and in the light, we saw it had a beautiful heart in it! it was so unbelievable..you could have dropped it anywhere on the walk, and the fact that you picked that shell in the night, was amazing. the whole trip was awesome..we went to sitges, barcelone, quarantine france, the french riviera, the italian riviera, switzerland and germany. makena, you got sick in the middle of the night we had to fly home...you started throwing up all over ilona's house, and she doesn't have a dryer and we didn't even have time if she did to wash all the sheets! and we were worried about getting on the plane because you were throwing up all the time...so we made it, and you actually slept a lot, so it was ok, but I was worried. makena, you love your hunter...when we go to preschool to drop giselle, you cry when we leave for "my hunter". giselle, you two are still best friends, and you love baby ali and always want to hold her. makena, you have still been feeding through the night and using me as a pacifier, but these last two days I have been sick so daddy took you downstairs, and he said you woke up twice the first night and cried for me and the second night you said hi daddy and went back to sleep. for me... you literally are using me as a paci from 5 am on..and so restless, so I think this is a good move, since every day I am exhausted. but of course I want to baby you as long as I can, and I still do :) it's almost halloween, and this year you are peacock, and giselle you are a fairy..so cute you two are:). makena, you talk all the time now, and when you get frustrated at me you say "hey..mama" just a little off on timing, and its cute. you copy everything your sister says, I think you two are like max and ruby now, ruby talks and then max repeats, and you do the same, and makena. if I tell giselle she needs to come inside, she will say we want to stay outside..and makena you will throw in a "outside mama" you always say milk pls mama, you love to dance with your arms in the air, and you love to eat..you love avocados, and eggs..you out ate giselle the other morning. giselle, you are our emotional little girl..so happy, so sad, and so much drama..I am wondering if its just girls, or what? you had another night terror the other night where you just scream, and we can't do anything to console you...you push us away..I think it was the sugar from the west seattle trick or treating. you are so smart, and ask so many questions, and then repeat what you learn. you are very interested in jesus and we went to church and you loved preschool there too. you ask so many questions that I don't have the answers too. does jesus eat? sleep? on and on and on you both love to laugh and play and it melts my heart all the time. giselle you told makena you love her this morning and she said you too. it's precious. love you