Allow me to indulge myself

Anya doesn't like wearing hats, but her big sister's bike helmet is different. She asked me to put it on her today and I just couldn't resist the cuteness of it all. I went through the dozen of photos I took of Anya in the helmet and could only bear not posting ONE of them, the rest are impossible to leave out of this post!

August days are for...

:: playing in the backyard dirt (digging tunnels never gets old) ::

:: getting cleaned up afterwards ::

:: play dough making ::

:: finishing projects ::

:: celebrating Annie's Birthday ::

We're loving August here!

You got a friend in me...

The subject of friendship is always a tough one for me. I don't make friends easily, and yet I can't live without them. I grew up having friends(mine and my parents') drop by without 'scheduling' a visit, calling all the time just to ask how things were going, taking long walks with us until midnight, and doing everything else that a family member would do. So yes, friends have always been like family members to us. Since I have no blood relatives here in the US, having a good friend is almost vital for me. Yet it's still tricky to make friends when I don't get out much and have borderline anxiety when it comes to talking to people I don't know. As a result, when I do have a friend, you bet I cherish that friendship as much as I would cherish a relationship with a dear immediate family member.

Somehow I often end up having long-distance friendships (a trend started by Mark, perhaps), which is sometimes hard, but I wouldn't trade that for the world. Luckily I have a friend or two I can rely on who lives nearby (ok, one, but I didn't want to scare Annie away with such revelation :). And I enjoy every single moment spent with my friend(s), no matter how many kids are trying to interrupt our attempts of having an adult conversation. And when I get really really lonely (like I did last summer), I don't mind crossing a few states with 2 kids in tow to visit another wonderful friend of mine...

Last week was one of those happy summer days when I got to spend some time with my friends. I don't know Rachel that much, but I bet we'd have lots of fun times if she lived closer (they were visiting from AZ). And Annie was with us too, so yes, we all had a blast :)

radiant Rachel




amazing Annie (and a head of hair)

:: and a couple of photos of my kids, which to me never get old. here's a classic one of Elijah holding a stick next to Anya's face ::

And while on the subject of friends, Stephenie, my friend who I enjoyed visiting last September in Chicago, just gave birth to her 3rd baby at home on Monday. Words cannot describe how happy I am for them! Just wish I could be there, do some cooking, cleaning, listening, talking and of course, newborn-holding :)

:: perfectly snuggly baby Finn (I may replace it with a different photo once Stephenie makes her other photos public :) ::

Family vacation ::part four::

Another full day in Seattle, WA. This time we went to the Pacific Science Center and took a mono-rail ride through downtown of Seattle. Well, we were completely exhausted at the end of that trip. We thought we'd be able to explore the whole Science Center in just one trip, but ended up spending a few hours at the Tropical Butterfly House, Insect Village and looking at a few more indoors and outdoors exhibits, without even leaving that one part of the huge building. You could definitely spend a whole week in Seattle area going to the Science Center alone and not get bored at all :)

:: I'll spare you of photos from the Insect Village (and all their giant cockroaches), but butterfly house was pretty amazing and HUMID ::

Elijah was asking butterflies to come and rest on his hand. if only they listened...

:: this was the room where we had to make sure that there weren't any butterflies on us after leaving the butterfly house ::

:: and then we had some more fun at the exhibits floor ::

:: back to the monorail ::

Things that make me smile

in the midst of our daily chaos, adventures and struggles, there are always moments that interrupt my mind's racing and remind me how much joy simple things can bring...

:: getting a small package from grandma and grandpa who live overseas. so much excitement over a few of lollipops, animal crackers and small souvenirs. so much love in such a small package ::

:: making a quick, simple and delicious meal on the day when I'm in no mood for cooking. good old spaghetti gone fancy, thanks to tomatoes from a kind old couple at church and fresh corn from the farmer's market ::

:: getting back into the knitting groove. autumn must be in the air... ::

Annie, I never got a chance to thank you again for the lovely stitch markers you made for me... Love ya, girl!