Oh so cute in Old Navy.

For some reason I don't think Evan likes his new clothes all that much...




Off to make homemade macaroni and cheese for my two boys. Happy Wednesday :-)

Palouse Discovery Science Center (Part II)

Last October I took Evan to the PDSC for the first time. I was really excited to take him again because a.) it is only a couple blocks from our apartment b.) it's cheep c.) he gets to experience some science related projects & exhibits at his level, and d.) it has lots and lots of things to do for a kid his age.

On one of our only weekends available this summer, Mark and I thought it would be great to treat Evan to another visit. I was really hoping we would actually make it inside the Center this time; during our last trip, Evan was in love with the stuffed cougar by the receptionist's desk, so most of our time was spent there.

This trip was so much different! I can't believe how much his interests have changed in 10 months. He is a lot more coordinated now, so the soft blocks, crawling tube, and mats were much more fun. He enjoyed the ball/tube display again, but took a greater interest in building blocks & interacting with other kids. His favorite part of the day was definitely the play structure. He was so tired when we finally took him home!


Evan enjoyed the colorful plastic tiles & light table. We practiced our colors (he still calls every color green...), and looked at each other through the plastic.


Running down the big, soft blocks.


Evan loved watching to see if his ball would make it to the bottom of the tube structure he and Daddy built.


Hiding in the egg chair.


Earlier this year, I got a call from one of the receptionists from the PDSC. She told me the Center was having a grand-reopening, and was putting a display together listing the donors who contributed to the new and improved Science Center. I was a little confused, mostly because we hadn't donated any money! She went on to explain that she had a few openings in her display, and did a Google search to find pics to fill in the blank spots. My blog came up with the photos I had taken of Evan the previous October, and she was asking if she could use the photos. Of course I said yes, and this trip was the first time I had seen the display. I'm not sure why I didn't take a photo of the entire display when we were there...but this is Evan's section. To give you some prospective, the paper is 11 x 8.5. How cool is that? Does this make Evan famous?!?! Maybe in Pullman... :-)

Lentil festival is this weekend, which means Lentil Chili! Yum! My mom is coming tomorrow, and is actually setting up a booth there Friday night to sell her Fifth Avenue Collection Jewelry. I just hope the weather cooperates. It's been raining and yucky for a couple of days, but I hear Friday afternoon is going to be mostly sunny and mid-70s. I sure hope so!

Happy Birthday to my lil' sis! Happy 21, Abby!

Have a wonderful Thursday friends.

More fun in the sun in Sunriver...

Our trip into Oregon was wonderful + relaxing + not long enough. We spent five days/four nights enjoying the beautiful weather, bikes paths, spa, + pool. I think my favorite part of the trip was taking Evan to the pool everyday. He loved "swimming" with Mark and me in the big pool. Then we would head to the wading pool. He would run around with other kids his age, laughing and jumping. Of course when we had to leave he would cry :-(






My mom, Abby, and I went to Sage Springs Spa for some much needed pampering. I chose to get a manicure/pedicure, while they got massages.





I'll post pics of our trip to Palouse Discovery Science Center tomorrow.
Happy Sunday!

Birthdays, big trucks, and cookies.

Our summer has been packed with birthday parties, weddings, graduations, baby showers, road trips, vacations, and an occasional stomach flu. Mark and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary, my sister turns 21 next month, our nephew is turning six a few days after that, and Mark and I each have a cousin expecting a baby. One of my goals this summer is to capture as many of those moments on film. I am really an "everyday" photographer, and sometimes the big events yield the fewest photos.

This past weekend we visited my hometown for a birthday and a wedding, and visited with Mark's parents.





I loved Kaitlyn's cake! Shaped like a castle, with Kaity's picture on the front; it was simply adorable!




Cousin Josh and Evan really enjoyed the pool in Kaity's backyard.


Evan in the back of Tony's "big truck."




Mark, Evan, and I are heading to Sunriver for five wonderful days! We got a head start on the food preparations yesterday by baking chocolate chip cookies. Evan enjoyed licking the mixer the best!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Welcome, Cameron

Our friends and neighbors, the Kilpatricks, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on July 10th. I invited Stephanie and new little Cameron for lunch on Wednesday, and she let me take some photos of the two of them.







Thanks for sharing your afternoon with me, Stephanie and Cameron.

Today, I am thankful.

Thankful for a little boy who adores me.

Thankful for a husband who takes me out to dinner + does the dishes + adores our little boy.

Thankful for my hobby. It truly brings me joy.

Thankful for a family who supports me + calls just to say hello + thinks my hubby is awesome.

Thankful for photos like these:



Thankful for my dear friends, especially Karen and Cindy. You are simply the best.

Thankful for the time I get to spend enjoying life. Taking in everything I love. Warm weather. Time at the park. Living my life the way I want to.

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, never have enough." -Oprah Winfrey.

Happy Monday, friends.

One more digi layout before heading to bed...

Goodnight!

Another Digi Layout...

All products from Ali Edwards kit/August 2007 KOTM

My first all Digital Layout!

I purchased the Digital KOTM from Lisa Bearnson's website last August, and I finally pulled it out and created my first page today! Granted, it looks exactly like the page Jessica Sprague did (because I followed her word-for-word instructions!), but I am so happy with how it turned out:



Well, I am just beat! All this digital scrapbooking has wiped me out. Happy Thursday friends.

I've been a bad blogger lately :-(

Life seems to be getting in the way of my blogging, scrapbooking, etc. in the last few weeks. Going to try to change that!

Evan and I spent a week on the West coast visiting with family + friends. We have a fantastic time while Mark was in Pittsburgh on business.

Before heading out of town, we drove up to Loon Lake to celebrate Grandma Taylor's 86th birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma!



We lucked out with the weather in Oregon. Our day at the beach was fantastic...until we had to leave. Evan cried and cried b/c he wanted to "play at the water"! I felt so bad for him! He didn't really want to play in the sand, he was much more interesting in the giant crashing waves! One knocked him on his butt, and I thought he was going to start to cry...until he starting laughing and said "fun, mommy, fun!"



My 93 year old Great-Grandmother, Vivian.






My beautiful sister, Abby.


After our trip to Oregon, one of my girlfriends dropped off her little girl, Kaity, for the afternoon. Evan adores Kaitlyn, and has even started calling her by her real name! For awhile he named her "lellow." We're not sure where he got that... :-) He and "Kait-in" played in the sandbox + threw balls and had a great time.


Happy hump-day!