the hill hub

comments

2012-01-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

i keep getting harassed by the 6 people that occasionally comment here to return the option.

but of course i forget how i actually got them to disappear in the first place so this is a trial run.

favorite day of the year

2012-01-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

today is my favorite day of the year. but then you've heard this before from me. & each year it seems to be some kind of significant day for us.

this year it was austin's first day of work for a job he plans to have for quite a while. his nerves were getting to him this morning knowing he committed to this program & he never does know what it will entail until he's been there even a few months. super anxious to see how it all goes.

i got a handful of happy birthday texts (it's my "wish this was my bday day") & had a far more relaxing day than i've had in a long time. included less than 6 home related corporate phone calls! remarkable. we went appliance shopping for i think the 8th day. we're getting it narrowed down but may have another night or 2 of confirming it's exactly what we want to do. basically: i. am. crazy.

after dinner, provided by the hotel - awesome, we planned to go out & price check one more appliance store & the chief stopped in front of the at&t store. my hand-me-down phone has been acting wonky & since it's our main phone & buying a home lands you on the phone 4 hours a day, it's been killer. so i got surprised with a brand spankin' new phone. & it's white. & it's shiny. & i'm excited.

& today marks 3 years of blogging. is that right??

farewell east coast

2012-01-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

i'm posting this now because our internet is coming down today... & we leave tomorrow.

austin will miss the commute. we have filled his gas tank 3 times while living in virginia. he biked most days.

i will miss my shelter, the history here, & the incredible city. living ten miles out of the capital has been extraordinary.

ellery renée will miss phoebe & leah but mainly traveling on the metro trains. cossette will miss william & poppy but mainly the lightning bugs.
more than anything they will just miss bryce & jamie.

so excited for our move & everything that awaits us in colorado but we are forever glad we were able to live here. it has been legen- wait for it... -dary!
legendary.

miss e is 3

2012-01-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

our ellery renée turned 3 on the 12th!

she is curious & imaginative.

she is a happy, polite little kid.

she will tell anyone who will listen that she is 3 & her sister cossette is 1.

she is contagious & hilarious.

she is a gentle sweetheart & tries hard to be a good listener. some days go better than others.

she is so precocious & bright.

she is a charmer.

she is a thinker & is independent. always has been.

she is goofy. so so sooo goofy.

she is sneaky & loves surprises.

since i am forcing everyone to eat out of our pantry like a pack of starving dogs, i didn't have anything to make her cake this year. i mean, we move in a week & they won't take one can of food. so she went to the store with daddy boy & got to pick out any dessert she wanted. haha we let her take all the time she wanted blowing out the candles & she kept asking for pointers & then warning "i do it myself though!" wagging her little finger at us.

she got basically 3 gifts from us that were all christmas recycles that had been too cumbersome to bring to idaho. & that included things like underwear & a new water bottle. & she was just so thrilled! until the grandparents swooped in with fun toys. electronic bugs (one that immediately went skittering under the stove - grooooosss haha) & a bright yellow scooter were the hits. bryce & jamie stopped by & gave her a color wonder book that she has already asked to do 5 times this morning. :)

¡happy 3rd birthday jellybean!

house hunting & finding

2012-01-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

we left the kids with the adored & trusted bryce & jamie & took a long weekend to colorado springs to house hunt.

austin & i were lucky to be on the same page in what we were looking for. the real estate agent probably thought we were a joke but you dangle something as enticing as an actual garage in front of us & we turn into putty. :)

our first house will fit us just right & we're quite excited but are so terrified of taking on this big corner lot that we will take any advice & certainly any help. :) may be time to buy a rake...

i love jamie & she went above & beyond. this was waiting for us when we got back & is making it's way to the memory box. apparently ellery prayed for us to find a good house the whole time we were gone. loooooove.

cmas break in idaho falls

2012-01-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

we wrestled, read stories, had little craft projects, ~~made~~ ate a gingerbread house, sang, played with toys, decorated the christmas tree, hit up cafe rio, played video games, had treat after treat, danced, i could go on & on.

one thing that definitely did not happen. i definitely did not play the kinect dance central. kelli, renée, & i definitely did not have a dance central marathon. we definitely did not have to open windows, roll up sleeves, & change into work out clothes. we definitely did not play until 1 in the morning. that definitely did not happen.

always great food, great games, & great company. thanks for having us néenée & papa hill!

cmas morning

2012-01-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

christmas morning with little kidlets is one of the best things on earth. it just gets better every year. & austin wins best father of the year award for calming his guilt-ridden wife just days before cmas & brainstorming a cheap way for the girls to enjoy their big play kitchen (that i researched & bought on über sale 4 months ago). with celebrating in idaho & then the impending january move across the country it really didn't make sense to set the thing up for a week & a half only to hope it packed & travelled safely to colorado. so we opted to keep it in the factory packaging & the chief called 8 places in IF before finding a blue print company that let us print a life-size butcher paper poster of the kitchen. for a buck. okay $1.47 but seriously?! who saves christmas for $1.47?! the beans kind of ignored it until the day after christmas but i was so glad we did it.

after church we couldn't have been more excited to get phone calls from both our brother missionaries. as luck would have it, michael started skyping a solid 10 minutes after we got on the phone with zach in argentina so stone & i ran back & forth as best as we could trying to be engaged in both calls. it was not ideal but we love our baby bros & it was awesome to chat with them!

hope all had a lovely holiday!!!

once home we celebrated a low key new year's here & came home & the husby & i stayed up late talking about the year ahead of us & discussing all that we have to be grateful for. :)

cmas eve

2012-01-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

i just might like christmas eve better than the actual day. it's so full of anticipation & excitement & you can easily take a time out from the chaos to focus on the real reason for the season. love love love.

the mini hill nativity:

happiest angel EVER! & if that perfect little trio doesn't just about kill you...

then carefully carrying a plate of cookies & carrots over for santa & the reindeer will do you in. i mean can you see she is just ready to burst?!

me & the beans after a quick visit from the eve elf. :)

in the white & drifted snow

2012-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

we love the snow. especially in short bursts in the backyard.

ellery could not grasp the difference between the action of snowing versus snow being on the ground. so 50,000 times a day she would look out the window & dreamily announce that it was snowing. it usually wasn't. by the end of the trip we got her to at least differentiate that it was snowing on the ground or snowing in the sky. she also asked if we could go where it would snow at our house. austin said absolutely yes, we'll move right away! :)

austin james is a big bully in the snow. he gets all giddy & acts like a school boy pulling on some pigtails.

he buried cocobean alive & while i told him enough was enough, she grinned from ear to ear & laughed her head off. he chased jellybean & chucked snowballs at her & while i told him enough was enough, she grinned from ear to ear & laughed her head off.

this sequence is of him pounding her with an entire snow shovel full of snow, she runs back to toss the tiniest little snow pebble his way & he sprints off & tackles her. they were in heaven.

this was my favorite shot i got with us playing in the snow. look at that little face!! & those dark brown eyes! love it. cousin jack is talked about often with our girlies. we looove him!

skiing

2012-01-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

i haven't been skiing since i was 11 or 12 maybe? college in utah lends itself to some excellent chance to go boarding & since that's what austin mainly does, i'd just go with him. grandma néenée watched our babies while the chief & i got to go up on the mountain with the boys.

brian was exceptionally patient when i tagged along on a few runs with everybody else but mainly i had a wonderful time going it solo. never felt like i was holding anybody up & really really enjoyed myself. even made a few 9 year old skiing buddies. haha

the views overlooking the tetons were indescribable.

*for these all being iphone photos i was pretty impressed :)

december days

2012-01-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

december before cmas was a blast in it's own right.

busy but fun busy. well that's not entirely true. austin did a lot of homework. so not so fun busy for him. :)

holidays in hawaii

2012-01-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

happy thanksgiving & happy birthday to austin from maui!

hodgman hawaii fam pics

2012-01-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

dad's remote on his camera wasn't working so we literally asked some early morning joggers to take the picture. she stood as far from the tripod'ed camera as possible & held down the button. i thought it was a pretty great success. haha

i love my family. mostly my dad is the photographer but now that we all have awesome cameras, we are trying to learn from the master. which means he actually makes it into a shot or 2. :)

classic kathryn & stephanie being ridiculous. & luke tearing after us is pretty priceless.

grandkid pics: 5 kids barely 6 years old & under is a hard audience. they would NOT stand in the order we wanted them. haha

but if they're not the cutest kids ever, i don't know what's what! :)

ka'anapali

2012-01-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

the sunrises

not as many shots of the sunrises, not all were up that early. :)

the ocean

most days the ocean was warmer than the pools so we preferred it.

the beans could have floated in that water all day if we'd let them.

do you see the gigantic turtle head?

the pools

the pools were epic. just completely incredible!

a tad cold for us to stay in forever so there were continuous trips to one of the many hot tubs. :)

the hotel (marriott ocean club)

the town (lahaina)

the sunsets

thank you SO much gramvi & g'pa hodgman for our family trip to paradise. :)

blogger

2011-12-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

so i can't blog. like i cannot blog. apparently i have reached my image quota for blogger?? first time i've heard there was such a thing. am i alone here?

therefore i am at a crossroads. i am disinterested in paying for more picture storage.
do i make these ramblings into a little blurb book & then wipe out the last few years of posts to make room? i've thought about making my blog private to literally everyone & just using it as my own reference but i'm outta room either way. feeling kind of cornered. haha such concerns i have...

what to do?

paradise '11

2011-11-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

enjoying our hawaiian vaca in kaanapali with the hodgman side for thanksgiving break.

what's not to enjoy??

let's stay a week!

our mute munchkin

2011-11-19T04:25:00.000-08:00

*this is insano long & involved & a bunch of mummy drama that i'm certain no one wants to read but i needed to document & hopefully get a little advice*

oh how we adore this little one.

she is mellow & mild & sweet & coy & smiley & quiet as can be.

she'll also throw in some wide-eyed yelling, flirting, & hilarious dance bops to spice it up.

her facial expressions could seriously entertain the masses. PRICELESS.

cossette is quite hard to describe.

everyone, including chief & the doctor, thinks i'm too worried. she is a second child. ellery was behind for a bit before she was where she is now. where everyone who talks with her thinks she's 4 or 5. but it's not about comparing. i know everyone develops at their own pace but cossette is 15 months old & does not talk. some days she doesn't even babble, though those are getting fewer. just silently smiles & gets into things & goes along her merry way.

her comprehension is high. better than almost all her age. she'll follow 3 & 4 step instructions. she sits down & read books with me constantly. i have not worried about her intelligence for a single second. i talk all day long (not hard to believe, i know), i repeat words over & over to her, i show visuals about what word that describes, i don't think i baby her, i go over each sound & rewards the slightest letter sounds with recognition & praise. chief is phenomenal at reminding me that she is getting more ideas & tactics & exercises from me because of my education in early childhood development. but i'm really best prepared for preschool through 6th grade, NOT mute babies!

she has no-zip-nilch-nada-niet interest in speaking to us! it's driving me crazy!! she says mama, dada, hi & that's only when she feels like it.

my MIL had similar concerns with her own (if not more intense) & it has made things infinitely better to hear it from her to not stress out about it. she has brilliant kids. she even suggested teaching coke some sign language for my own sanity. i usually have just the slightest little silent eye roll to parents that go that route because by the time your kid learns all those signs he should be talking anyway. & kids can get their point across in so many other ways. she waves, she nods, she shakes her head. i get it. she brings me a book & climbs in my lap. i get it. she goes to the pantry & knocks on the door. i get it. she gets her shoes & goes to the front door. i get it. brings me her empty cup of water. i get it. screaming in her high chair in between bites. i get it but seriously? clamp it kid!!

so i've only really taught her 'more' but it has been amazing. calmer for her and calmer for us. she's also learning the different between a head nod & shake which is infinitely more helpful. less hectic all around.
austin is totally convinced she just doesn't have the need to use actual words. & he himself lands on the quiet side but that's only outside of our house. she doesn't seem frustrated to communicate. which makes me think i need to make it harder for her by pretending i don't understand what she means by her obvious body language. but then she just hollers & gets so upset & looks at you like 'why are you torturing me so?' & the frustration doesn't seem to push or motivate or get anything into motion. it just breaks her little heart so then i feel so terrible & cruel & sad that i stop & give her what i know she needs.

maybe i'm not being patient enough but is that really the solution in her best interest? i'm 100% to let my kids cry it out because i fully believe it's what they need to be their best. i'll battle it out at every meal if that means they eat like champs because i fully believe it's what they need. but i have no belief behind sitting there shrugging my shoulders til she spits out her first word in the distress & agony of feeling misunderstood & ignored. she is such a tender thing & if this whole thing is just kathryn concerns & not valid or factual concerns then i'm out.

i'm a wreck about it though. are we doing everything we can for her? but what more can i do??!! should i just leave the poor girl alone? sit patiently? make it harder for her? get a second opinion? :(

obx 2

2011-11-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

was asked to include the rest, so here is another sampling from our trip to north carolina.

this is at the top of the stairs looking back at the gigantic house...

the kids played at the bottom of the stairs a LOT.

oh goodness to gracious, i love leg warmers.

the beans relished standing against the wind & yelling into it like their parents taught them.

but it was chillay!

& so windy ellery held on to the fencing and looked like she was in a twister, struggling with each step
& holding on for dear life. hilarious.

cocobean preferred a little more protection but just sat on the adirondacks out here grinning at the gusts of wind & the waves.

but it was a blast!

every detail of the house was so charming & beach themed & comfy & almost vintage. carolyn did an infallible job.

cossette was so cute how she used this step stool as a little desk. she wanted to hang out in there whenever we were indoors.

we enjoyed eating on the deck

& walked along the beach for a bit with daddy boy

& hunting for some seashells

& play goofy games.

the sisters told stories on the porch swing,

& we spent time watching the sparkly waves

& looking for pear cacti & succulents.

even though the view was really fantastic from the living room

we still wanted to spend time outside.

to swing on the hammock,

or just sit together,

or to teach valuable life skills...

yea! like a boss! haha

terrific little get away.

the US botanical garden conservatory

2011-11-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

the unites states botanical gardens are conveniently right on the mall but we hadn't made our way in until last weekend.

it was a shmorgishborg for someone still learning on her fun camera.

& i went a little snap happy.

which is not always well received,

but they get over it.

my lens fogged up & we all shed a few layers on an otherwise crisp day while inside the greenhouse.

they had replicas of all the major sites around dc made out of only natural materials like dirt, leaves, sticks, rocks, etc. they were stupid cool. do you see the teeny abe?

the conservatory is divided into habitats like the wet lands, primeval plants (plants that have survived for 150 million years), the jungle, southern exposure, the desert, rare and endangered species, hawaiin gardens, & my personal favorite: the medicinal plants.

outside there was a kid sized model home that showed different ideas & benefits to sustainable living.

this is my favorite photograph i took during the day:

i'd been messing a bit with the aperture but this is sooc (straight out of the camera). i was so excited i emailed it to my daddy. haha.

but it came at a price. now if you thought 2 kids (one strapped in stroller even!) could be wrangled by 3 adults, you'd be wrong. while i was in my own little photog haze ellery wandered off & for quite literally 2.5 seconds we didn't know where she was. mid picture i go "who has ellery?" & bryce & austin look at me like oh crap, you don't?
in a split second i called for her & went darting as a lady yelled from the other end of the massive jungle exhibit, "did anyone lose a little girl?". when i got to her she had little tears in her eyes & just kept saying "i couldn't find you mommy. i was looking and looking. i couldn't find you." & then i barfed. okay not really but i don't recommend misplacing your child. i was immediately shaky & nauseous & it was terrible. i might have held her the rest of the time we were there. don't judge me. :)

after recovering we went to the orchid garden. there's a whole sealed room for all the species of orchids. they were incredible.

just outside is the native american museum & i thought it was kind of fun comparing it with it's mini mushroom model we'd just seen. :)

wish we had time to go again but i'm thinking it was a one time shot. if you ever visit dc, don't skip the botanical conservatory.

& baby makes 3

2011-11-12T21:03:00.000-08:00

over the weekend sam & becki went to new york city, so we had 3 under 3.

which went fine. really from thursday on, things weren't going as well as usual. yikes.

bristol was wonderful! cossette was wonderful! ellery? yeah, not so much. elles-a-belle has a nasty cough & runny nose & was a big snot the majority of the weekend. whiney, tired, cuddly, more accidents than she's had in a year... is that a sick thing?! she was really playful & sweet with the little girls just not so much with the parentals. much more high maintenance than usual. & high maintenance kids are exhausting yo.

but we were excited to keep bristol here to hang out with us!

-after church-

-in the car- i about broke my hand getting that 3rd car seat in the 2nd row of ike. intense.

-on the metro- bahaha we all liked this pic cause it looks like austin smacked elles in the head but really she hit her head & he was going to help her. she was probably throwing a fit of sorts.

-in the tub-

there's always a lot of dancing at our house but this weekend it was nonstop. all 3 kids loved jamming with the chief & all had very distinctive little dance moves. haha
all week ellery kept trying to hold bristol's hand, which bristol was not into. haha ellery is a little bit of a mother hen sometimes.

bristol & cossette were fast friends. they swapped jabbery stories & coke tried to keep up. i was hoping she would teach cossette to kiss with her mouth closed & maybe increase her vocabulary 100 fold. well we still have our little wordless wonder but she now kisses in the non-french variety. :)

bristol is an easygoing, smiley, funny little thing, a TOTAL chatter box, & swivels those hips like a pro.

& happens to eat carrots like a beaver.

love you bris!

visitors #9

2011-11-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

i am so not the formal hostess type but i do loooove having people visit us!

my cousin sam, his wifey beck, & their sweet little bristol came in last week for a work conference of hers & we got to have them at our house & play!

the first day was just sam & me & all our little girlies. we hit the natural history museum for seriously hours. while the kiddles slept, we were complimented on our gorgeous triplets. e's blanket was over her so i could actually see the confusion. hahaha-

i'm kind of proud of myself because i've really compartmentalized these sightseeing locales so there is still new territory/new exhibits i haven't covered & i'm not insane bored every repeat visit to dc. instead i'm excited to show my faves & see something new. i feel like i know washington dc really well. becki met up with us for lunch & the american history museum before calling it a day.

we stayed busy checking out old towne alexandria for dinner & hanging at our house, but our next day in the city, we started at the botanical gardens with our buddy bryce while sam & beck attempted to catch their white house tour. which was disastrously missed. :(

i decided i'll do a separate post on this place. the gardens were amazingly cool.

we all went to the air & space museum just next door. it was austin's first time at the downtown one & there is just overwhelmingly a ton to see.

once they got over any shyness, cossette & bristol were just the best of buds. they're only 3 months apart & it was quite darling.

thanks guys! always fun to see family.

at it again

2011-11-06T05:09:00.000-08:00

austin is from idaho falls, idaho.

we are moving to another city named after its state & paired with a water themed term.

not virginia beach, virginia. a longer move than that.

no, not minnesota lake, minnesota.

wisconsin rapids, wisconsin? nope.

nor is it alabama port, alabama.

bored yet?? when looking up others i actually came across the site of unimaginative city names. hahaha

by january 9th we will live in...

colorado springs, colorado!! |ˌkäləˈrädō; -ˈradō|!!

can't wait to hike the garden of the Gods

pikes peak looks visable from just about everywhere in "the springs".

denver is our closest temple. come to think of it this is the farthest away from a major city we've been. :( well about as far as SLC was. 50 minutes. eep.

we are anxious knowing it's not a short term position & neither of us has even been there but also very, very excited!!!

it is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. -charles darwin

we are nothing if not responsive to change. :)

obx

2011-11-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

carolyn & kip kramer were incredibly generous & gave us a weekend at their house in the outer banks of north carolina.

some of the nicest, most honest people you'll ever know.

the house was legit.

& nags head is just beautiful.

the girls were ecstatic

& cold.

quite cold.

well, not just the girls.

but i just had to dip my toes in the water.

so we snuggled, read, played card games, & told stories by the fire

& used their brand new hot tub about 3 x's a day. literally.

the fences & buildings & wild life were so perfectly east coast beachy.

we also got to check out the wright brothers memorial & museum out at kitty hawk

which was really interesting.

we got one particularly breathtaking sunrise.

& a very bright, fast sunset.

it was low key, relaxing, bitter cold, & pretty incredible. we all wore sweats the whole time. my kind of vaca. :)

i might share more of the hundreds of pictures later. if if they are in high demand...

bo peep & her sheep

2011-10-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

halloween party with brian & renée. helped austin get girlies ready while i helped set up said party. E wanted "lena curly hair" for her costume so we bought sponge rollers. yes, they still exist.

little bo peep's costume is a gramvi original & cousin lena's hand-me-down from last year. it is gorgeous & people gushed all over it all night. cossette's sheep renée bought for her the day before because cousin luke's sheep was gigantic. :)

ellery totally has her mama's luck. i was so proud when she got the cupcake from the cake walk on the 1st walk around the circle AND picked the rubber ducky with a star under him on the 1st try. probably means she doesn't understand how either game is actually supposed to be played but it was awesome.

hey there darlin'!

cossette was the perfect sheepish sheep. that girl cracks me up, it's like she's always trying to hold in her smiles & just can't quite do it. chin down, coy look on her face, & just bursting at the seams.

oh the cheeks!

i loooove the one of the big sister herding the little sister.

my little bo peep & my baby sheep. :)

we also went to a trunk or treat.

of course néenée's trunk was a HIT. she taught me the ropes so that i will forever be a pro.

on actual halloween we had bryce & jamie over to go trick or treating & hang out.

E adored trick or treating waaaay more than i thought she would.

& particularly liked the "spooky" (aka super creepy, bloody) homes. coke just toddled up to the doors & held her little pail out. haha. funny.

once we got home ellers quickly handed out a piece of candy to each person before taking her first bite. kids that understand holidays sure make it more enjoyable. haha happy halloween!

georgetown

2011-10-30T01:29:00.000-07:00

the boys were at work so the girls went out to play!

i hadn't been to georgetown yet & heard it was quite worth seeing.

started at the c & o canal.

charming townhomes left & right.

i particularly like cossette in the back looking over the handle of the stroller to see where we've gone. :)

just turn the corner & you're downtown.

it has some other really old, cool buildings as well.

tons of posh shopping & fine eateries.

like the brand new serendipity!

which néenée treated us to!

cossette patiently signing for "more". sidebar: she's a mute. have i mentioned that yet?

TWO frozen hot chocolates?!

grandma & ellery enjoyed the classic.

while i scarfed down the white chocolate. wowza. it was bomb-diggity.

& i found an ABE!!! renée didn't see him. she thinks i have an internal homing device set for president lincoln. oh how i hope she's right! :)

we stopped by the university that my grandpa sam attended for dental school.

very cool but they wanted us to pay. i don't know if it's a closed campus or what but yeah right!

you have to admit it is beautiful from afar.

& then we got lost. we had a nice drive past many of the sites downtown dc.

apparently neither of us has an internal homing device set for home.

girls outings rock. my mother-in-law rocks. frozen white hot chocolate realllly rocks.

visitors #8

2011-10-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

austin's 'rents came to visit!

better known as néenée & pop-pop around our house. they are so fun to have around. they just want to play with the beans all day everyday. :)

they came in on the metro thursday night & the girlies just about died of excitement.

friday they watched the girls for us

while we went the the temple.

the drive up was wonderful & the inside of the dc temple is exquisite.

on getting back, we read a letter from uncle michael while we walked on over to to the neighborhood nursery to pumpkin hunt.

this place had some GREAT signage,

large tunnels, mountains of gourds, chickens & geese to chase,

901 pound pumpkins,

& wagons! who doesn't love a good wagon?

there were multiple attempts for a (meh) family pic.

& both néenée & me experimenting with our brand new cameras.

of course the kids suddenly became smiley & wonderful for pictures on the walk back.

which i hate.

we had some of brian & renée's favorite people, bryce & jamie, over for dinner & pumpkin carving.

some prefer to carefully mark out the top of the pumpkin & use the plasticy cutesy baby cutter that comes with the carving kit while others are hardcore rock stars & plunge a steak knife right in. matter of preference. & coolness.

i got E all naked cause i thought she would just about roll around in the pumpkin guts.

don't ask us why but she thought they were the funniest things she'd ever seen in her whole life. just kept throwing her head back & cackling so hard. weirdo.
it was hilarious.

C, silent as ever, tried to put each stringy piece & every single seed back into the pumpkin. then grabbed the top to put that poor pumpkin back together.

why we were taking it apart was beyond her.

now i'm not gonna lie to ya. this was not super exciting for everyone else. jamie might kill me but i just had to zoom in on this shot. i caught her yawning in the background of like 3 of my pictures. maybe if we'd gotten more pumpkins... we'll let her pick out the next activity. haha :)

it was a very different experience using stencils. still fun just different.

photobombed! gotta love bryce.

fall leaves

2011-10-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

i've always always been into photography. & exploring on my daily walks.

so combining the 2 is just a blast for me.

especially in autumn. i could take pictures of fall leaves all year round. ya know, if that was possible...

this is the sidewalk to my house. it was gorgeous in the spring & summer & it's incredible now.

i took these right in my little cul-de-sac.

something has me really extra super crazy titillated this year though:

this little beauty.

early cmas present from the 'rents & i could not possibly, in any form of reality, be more enthused.

¡thank you thank you thank you!

i got many comments/texts/etc that my pics were looking incredible.
thanks but it's the camera.

+ i was on lockdown waiting for siblings to get theirs. :)

sleepy mornings

2011-10-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

i'd say a good 25% of the time we share our bed from about 7 until we have to get up.

our pillow cases aren't usually mismatched. haha long story.

i love c's lips here.

ooo & a's too come to think of it. (he'll HATE that.)

e asked me to take pictures of them "sleeping in a row" so she's faking sleep here.

hahaha i think she's hilarious.

this is what real sleep looks like. girl loves herself some literature. :)

mount vernon bike trail

2011-10-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

there is an immaculate paved trail that follows the west bank of the potomac river from the mt vernon estate all the way to theodore roosevelt island.

we met up with some fun friends & started at belle haven to do the middle leg of the trail.

perfect weather for it & just so pretty. a little frustrating to not be able to take pictures at every turn.

we went through an incredible part of old towne into neighborhoods & harbors we hadn't seen.

there were rowers, sailboats, motorboats, fishermen, birds, etc. keeping the river busy.

we could almost constantly see the monuments on this trail. see the tiny capitol building in the center?

next we rode through the unexpected marsh land where the winding wooden boardwalks kept us a safe 6 inches from the swamp.

it was really unique & kind of came out of nowhere.

next we crossed over a huge stone bridge, checked out all the boats at the marina, saw more fishermen, watched some flag football, flew past gorgeous fall leaves, & passed reagan national airport to get to gravelly point park in arlington. somewhere in there i got bit by what we're guessing was a horsefly. i was super confused when it happened because i was a moving target. those suckers are painful!

there's a picnic area with the airport in front & the cityscape behind us.

we watched the planes come in.

until it got too windy.

then circled back at our new version of full speed to get some dang lunch. the wind really started to pick up & it about threw me from my bike several times. it was 14-15 miles in total. & today the part that's sore is the swollen bite on my shoulder blade that is big & red & feels like a deep bruise. with no other random mishaps it was a great little saturday afternoon.

artsy pen pals

2011-10-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

i adore my nieces & nephews soooo much. each one of them is so unique. i know them so well; i unconditionally love them. i also loved my cousins growing up & still do. i really want my own kids to have that.

my kidlets send & receive fun little kid letters from their cousins via snail mail.

they loooove it! last week ellery destroyed lena's in about a day and a half by carrying it with her everywhere. this is the most recent pic i have of one from lexy. she's the oldest so her pen pal gets some seriously impressive art. :)

& since i'm usually boring about it, it's literally the back of austin's old homework assignment with a scribbled drawing. maybe ellery writes a letter or 2 (that i have to distinguish for the recipient) & we add a tiny note from me in the girls words of what they want to say to lexy, lena, luke or jack.

either way i think it's darling. & i like that it's rare enough that the girls fuh-reak when they get one in the mail.

this time we did something different. i had one apple that was too old to be really good so first we tried apple stamps. fail. i think i just didn't cut it straight enough...

but i'd been hoarding our toilet paper rolls so i did have a plan b.

punkins!

cossette got ticked when ellery started the thumbprint stems. she got a turn too. haha patience child!

we were on such a roll we did a couple extra for hodgman grandparents & us.

i like the thought of 4 little projects a year to put on the bookcase. best start brainstorming/scouring pinterest now. :)

burke lake park

2011-10-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

on saturday afternoon, in the greatest weather since we've moved here, we met some friends at burke lake, just down the road from us.

there's a little jungle gym nestled in what seems like the middle of the woods. that's how everything feels here. 2.5 seconds out of the city & you'd swear you were in the rural backcountry. it is so densely filled with these gigantic trees, there's not a building in sight. that right there has to be my favorite part of the dc area.

none of the adults could really figure out what these 2 slopping poles were meant for but miss e adores having daddy around to play.

cossette was a little too good at climbing up the slide,

jellybean wanted to be held up to the monkey bars,

& as always cossette just wanted to keep up.

ellery is not a shy thing. she promptly introduces herself, her age, & her sister's age (the 3 questions she consistently is asked) & then calls to mom that she has a new friend. austin took this picture after her little buddy swung around & accidentally kicked ellery square in the gut, flinging her onto her butt. she cried, looked for us, then rubbed her owies & said "all better!".

then started laughing hysterically again. like, hysterically.

...

we were serenaded the whole time by a charming picnic wedding, in true 1940's jazz fashion. the band was awesome, especially the guy on bass!

we didn't realize until we went exploring that burke lake was roughly 100 yards from the play area. there were so many trees we literally didn't see the water til we were right on the shore.

it was sooo gorgeous!!

i love changing leaves, even if it is a little early in the season for everything to be changing.

we followed this bird for a bit but it was spending more time under the water than on top so it took an attempt or 2 to get a good picture of him.

seriously?! incredible!

hiking around the peninsula

& throwing rocks in the lake.

autumn makes me smile. cossette wasn't as easily impressed but she does love love love the outdoors.

...

they'd live outside if i'd let them. lame mommy just won't have it.

elder michael michael

2011-10-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

baby brother went into the missionary training center today. yayuh buddy! rock it out!

the left is ellery packing with zachus for his mission while the right is of the girls helping michael pack at our house last month. they like suitcases & their uncles. :)

monkeys jumping on the bed

2011-10-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

time: early evening

the chief & i: scrambling around de-cluttering the house & listening to music

the girlies: squealing & cackling in our room with the door closed, totally & completely unsupervised

ripped all the bedding off, made a huge mess, were jumping around like crazies, & for some reason we always seem to want to join in.

on another note, elles-a-belle snapped a wooden plank on her toddler bed. it's almost like she's getting mixed messages...

insiders for the day

2011-10-03T02:42:00.000-07:00

after a couple slower weeks on the home front (which was bliss) we had quite a busy weekend.

sidenote:*our great friends mike & brie were married this weekend in san luis obispo.

we were super super bummed we couldn't make it but are THRILLED for them & their new life together. he is really one of the great ones & they are such fun. congratulations to them!!!*

friday we hung out with our buddies bryce & jamie & roasted reese's s'mores. um. only way to go.

bryce is holding our little addition: austin's hp touchpad. at just around $150, you can't complain. happy early bday babe. the fire pit stayed lit for a full 2.5 seconds so we ended up toasting the mallows over the cooktop. haha

on saturday we took our congressional tour to visit the inside of the white house! 'not the blue house, but the white house!' ellery insisted while wagging her finger when we told her where we were headed. haha random child.

the tour was fine. the online tour is about as good as being there in person but i'm glad we went just to actually go inside and walk the same halls as our presidents. very cool.

the security was insane (ps. the secret service is smokin hot!) & they do a background check before you can even apply for tickets with your congressman. the self guided tour is a very temporary set up with the rugs rolled up where high traffic is, little ropes, & one sign in each room giving a paragraph about the space. they told us that at the end of tour hours they have it all down in less than 10 minutes and that these rooms are used everyday.

afterward we drove straight to austin's family day at work which was in short, fascinating. they've never done a family day before & i was super excited. for 3+ years austin has worked in a very secure environment surrounded by all sorts of intense protocol & seriously everything is considered need-to-know basis. there was so much to learn & ask & see. i only got in trouble once for asking too much. i'm convinced that these brilliant men really love feeling like james bond & being shrouded in secrecy & mystery. the girls loved the bomb sniffing doggies & i even got hooked up to a polygraph machine! i'd tell you what else we saw, but then i'd have to... well, you know.

it was a frigid, rainy day but it was sure enjoyable to be behind the velvet ropes for a day. haha

rough

2011-09-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

"a bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." -vance havner

really not what they meant cossette... grrr.

the sweater

2011-09-22T04:53:00.000-07:00

have i told you about the sweater? i mean the sweater. i'm not big on sentimental items. i love sentimental stories or pictures or places but sentimental things just seem so cluttery & unnecessary. don't get me wrong i have plenty of clutter & sentiment over at my house but every time i think i'm normal about it, the topic comes up & i'm convinced the majority of people are more into sentimental knick knacks than i.

if my house was on fire (i know, morbid) i'd grab my chillins, the external hard drive, & 4 hangers. 3 of those hangers hold the 3 blessing dresses for the girls in our family. they are very special to me. the 4th is the sweater. in 1983 my MIL renée bought a gorgeous, feminine yellow baby sweater while she was pregnant with austin. she didn't know what gender he was but knew she'd have a sweet little girl to put it on eventually. while it took her longer than anticipated, her sweet little girl came in 2009. austin is the oldest of 4 boys & our ellery renée was the first to wear the sweater.

here's ellery at 6 months with her grandma néenée & the sweater. & just so you know, i am fully aware that both of my kid's grandmothers look like young moms. it's a little ridiculous.

in this rancid virginia summer heat cossette hasn't gotten a chance to wear the sweater until now at almost 14 months but it looks great.

i adore this little sweater. it means so much to me. & it's even yellow to boot!!

and the thunder rolls

2011-09-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

a wonderful thing about the east coast has been the rolling storms. not the weather, but the mild-ish/non evacuating storms. we had another flash flood after returning from irene & we literally couldn't leave our house. just for a night but still it was intense. but i'm talking about an average night of rainfall. everyone i've talked to says this year has been louder & crazier than any they remember.

you'll be outside playing & the sky turns grey in a matter of seconds. mid-day can look like dusk.

then thunder hits.
the first crack is so booming you literally jump & it continues to grumble for nearly a full minute. ellery runs around calling "biiig thunder!". the 'big' is in this baritone, cartoony voice & it is hilarious. cossette freezes & her eyes get even wider. yes, it is possible. :) you can hear it barreling toward you in this deep beautiful echo as it reverberates across the sky. it's my favorite part.

then you wait until the first lightning bolt bursts through the clouds. it splinters into multiple paths, jumping from cloud to cloud in this incredible wave.

after stopping everything you were doing to huddle at the window or on the front step & watch this amazing back & forth, the sky seems to open up & like a massive tub of water it pours like you have never seen it pour. & you happen to be from portland, oregon. it is literally like standing under a waterfall in every direction.

then 10 minutes later it all stops & you look above & wonder if it ever even happened.

suddenly fireflies start popping up across the yard.

it's extraordinary.

visitor #7

2011-09-09T05:28:00.000-07:00

while we were out of town, the chief's cousin daven & his wife kathleen stayed at our house. they just barely moved into the area (about an hour away in chantilly) & were waiting for their place to be ready. we did get to spend a long weekend & get to know them a bit better before they moved. pleasant company & just great with the beans! hopefully we'll get to see them every once and awhile now that they're east coasters with us!

williamsburg & irene

2011-09-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

we like to keep things interesting.

on saturday michael drove with us to meet my parents in williamsburg, about 2 and a half hours away. driving straight into the east coast hurricane. it got kind of harried but we got in alright. all that night the lights flickered & rain pounded while we ran around town trying to find food. afterward we hunkered down for a couple days while everything closed, power was out, internet down, & very spotty cell reception. plus cossette had a full 36 hours of ear cringing whines for no reason whatsoever & i was about ready to throw that sweet face out into the hurricane.

but it was all fine because i've never slept so much in my life & i demolished my competition at monopoly despite michael's best efforts to get everyone to gang up on me. my dad swore he'd never seen a domination that brutal. jana would have loooved it. haha-

oh & can i tell you how i married macgyver?? okay cause i did.
the chief has this radio/flashlight thing for when the world ends but of course no batteries to speak of. after hitting store after store looking for C batteries, we finally found them! YAY! oooo too bad we needed D's. it amazes me what this boy notices & what he doesn't. well he jerry-rigged the thing using a wedding ring & the monopoly thimble to get power conducting so we could finally get some updates on everything. amazing.

it really was pretty crazy & you can see here some of the damage we witnessed.
the kidlets were thrilled to see gpa & gramvi & play with them for a week! they were as always great with the beans & shocked at how much they've changed since nyc. we had a blast playing catch phrase, eating out, & hanging with them.

after those first 2 days off we stayed pretty busy outlet mall shopping, swimming in the hotels super impressive pool area, playing tennis, & visiting yorktown, jamestown, & williamsburg. williamsburg had a ton of unique shops (wig makers, millineries, brick layers, silversmiths, etc) & the original capitol building to tour while jamestown had an unbelievably impressive museum, large indian town, 3 intricate re-creation ships on the water, & an extensive colonist settlement to explore.

ellery cuddling up with the thomas jefferson statue, the CF lightbulb in the old street lamp, chief in the 3 point hat, & cossette falling in between the cushions laughing her head off all made me smile. my dad takes spectacular pictures & has hundreds, i only took a few. i'll have to link to their blog once they get around to it.

we also went to opus steakhouse for michael's birthday dinner & i had a beyond fabulous dinner of lobster tails, garlic potatoes, & more butter than a person should ever see in one sitting. drool.

then no questions asked the best dessert of my life. no exclamations or dramatization needed. i would simply kill for it. it was bananas foster cheesecake & i would be a very very happy half ton woman if i could eat it for every meal.

half way through the week michael went back home. he leaves for his mission the beginning of october & since we won't be able to go to his farewell, we said our goodbyes. :(

we are so proud of both of our brothers for being worthy & willing to serve. i think we tend to get used to the idea & not give it the attention it deserves. it is an amazing sacrifice & opportunity for these boys. michael is a great kid & will make a marvelous missionary.

thanks for a lively, enjoyable trip mom & daddy!

visitor #6

2011-09-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

2 days after coming home from our time in ID, my baby brother came out to DC to visit us!

we went into the city a few times which after the first attempt i was proud of him for giving it another chance. haha we visited the national archives, the american history museum, the air & space museum, the natural history museum, the sculpture gardens, walked past the white house, & were able to tour the martin luther king, jr. exhibit on its very first day open. they haven't even had the grand opening yet. it was quite cool. i made michael take several clever & embarrassing poses all day so he retaliated by claiming to be the girl's "papi" & lying about his age. too funny.

we also went into old towne alexandria & sat in george washington's old pew at christ's church, walked the harbor, & ate the number one best ice cream/frozen custard i've ever had in my life. michael is to ice cream & nike as i am to yellow & lincoln. & he gushed about this ice cream. mission accomplished.

we went on a bike ride around town; hit a nursery & a little market & binged on flavored honey sticks, visited the water fountain ellers has been dying to see up close, & ran around the park.

at night we watched movies & i bet i made over 100 cookies while michael was here. nutella cookies & oreo crumb cookies and michael ate roughly 80. in 2 days. & then complained on day 3 that i hadn't made a batch of a new fun cookie for him to snarf. haha.

i also let him watch beauty & the beast with ellery. this was a big deal as i have a phobia about the princess market eating my daughters but i'm trying not to mess my kid's up going too far the other direction. i seriously push every other disney movie but the princess ones. which michael pointed out is kind of sad because a few of my own favorites are disney princess movies. sometimes i feel like i'm going to screw my kids up just trying too hard not to screw them up. ya know?

we have so much fun with michael, being loud & quoting movies & making fun of each other. it was nice having michael to ourselves for a bit.

natural disasters

2011-08-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

michael is visiting & we were in the city during the earthquake. the earth began to rumble, the stroller lounged forward, michael & i both had our legs thrown out from under us... okay not really. you want to hear a secret? it's kind of embarrassing. as we walked nearby the washington monument that some news sources will tell you was significantly damaged in the quake... um... neither of us felt anything.

downtown was serious pandemonium as nearly every office building, museum, & memorial was evacuated onto the mall lawn. everything closed down, you couldn't get a phone call out, parks services patrol men were roping off whole blocks, yelling, & chasing after mis-stepped elderly pedestrians on horseback.

chaos.

our metro ride home usually takes under a half hour. michael, the double stroller, & i were twice sardined into a train car for 2 hours and 40 minutes. blek. they had to go less than 15 mph to perform safety checks at every station & platform so we snailed along the tracks. & i fit into spot i most surely should not have fit in. it was ten times worse than any other harried, bustled city experience i have ever had. but the throngs of people we were stuck on top of were for the most part extremely friendly & played with the girls & whined & cracked jokes with us.

for some reference it looked exactly like this crowded train in pakistan. just exactly.

all things considering michael & i laughed hard all day. it was definitely memorable. & kind of a blast.

on saturday we are literally driving to meet the eye of hurricane irene & my parents a couple hours down the coast. haha probably. wish us luck.

ideeho/wyoming/ute

2011-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

let me punch this out real quick. ha. i have almost one thousand pictures. literally.

we had a total blast in idaho falls playing with family we don't get to see nearly enough.

we went hiking at jenny lake near jackson hole & made multiple visits to the shaved ice shack in town as well as the zoo & the park & cafe rio, went raspberry picking in rexburg & camping at granite hot springs & i still have to say the highlight for me was kickin it with this ball of cuteness:

can you handle it?? we haven't seen cousin jack since he was 6 weeks old & he is just about the most chill, laid back, sweet, utterly athletic little boy you've ever met. plus he's a bomb dancer. he channels happy feet. awe-some!

the beans were obsessed with jackers & held hands & played & shared really well together. even if he hated bath time with them. ha! i am pretty sure that jack's solid running abilities, & the fact that she felt left behind, motivated cossette because she became a crazy fast, sturdy walker about a week later. :)

cossette had the worst night of sleep of her life the first night we got in & so i felt like i was playing catch up the whole trip. e & c really struggled 2 different days. at the same time, which is always a treat. eek. i was kind of exhausted. luckily my kids have these aunts & uncles that compare to NONE. on both sides! i know i say it all the time but they are just better than anyone else's. sorry, you can't win this one. they are fun & interested & helpful & invested & i know they love my kids as much as i do (or will) love theirs.

we also got the chance to visit steph in american fork & check out her new classroom & say hi. can't seem to leave that girl alone. & how cute is this of all the hill kids skipping rocks in granite?

& when they are not being fought over by our siblings, they are being coddled & tackled by austin's folks. they are wonderful.

aust has almost 5 weeks off of school & we are thrilled to have him around a little bit! yayuh!

another reason the trip rocked was being able to see all of chief's grandparents & my grandma hodgman & having them meet our cossette.

this did mean driving around like crazies the last day of the trip from idaho into utah for mantua & payson just to go back to slc & therefore quick trips & no time for anyone else we passed but definitely worth the trouble. such incredible people to have in our lives.

elder zachary hill reported to the mtc while we were there. i blubbered when he left. i hate seeing these boys go but it is fascinating to hear all about there next 2 years & all that they get to learn & teach & do. we miss him though.

our really good friends jana & jordan drove all the way up to idaho the last day we were there so we could hang out & meet their sweet little babe sophie. sooo scrumptious & teeny!

then we caravanned down to utah with them & after our many grandma visits met up for dinner with ambre before jord took us to the airport for our 1am flight. yup. haha it ended up being amazing since the girls just slept the whole time. {maybe a certain one year old used a few tray tables for a bed even. maybe.}

thank you everyone! great visit!

now i can say back east

2011-08-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

back on the east coast from our 2 weeks away. eventful, fun trip. took the red eye. kids were great. parents are beyond exhausted. my schedule's all off though so can't sleep. guaranteed someone will wake me soon. unpack, clean, grocery shop, mow lawn, plan lesson, & try to sleep. visitor comes in 2 days.

oh & there's mold creeping up the walls in our basement guest room. putting a pump in on saturday. really wanna visit now, eh? :)

mount vernon

2011-08-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

mount vernon is literally in my backyard & it was a great overcast, misty day to go.

we were super annoyed when we saw that the front of the mansion was being restored & is covered in tarps & scaffolding but once we realized that mt. vernon is really known for it's beautiful back view, we got over it.

the house overlooks the potomac & there is so much to see & do on the grounds. plus we learned a lot about good ole george. interesting tid bit: did you know he didn't have any children of his own & that he was martha's second husband? probably common knowledge but i sure didn't know it. & of course in martha's gardens we found 2 different butterflies following cocobean. classic. the interior of the house was very unique with so much of the original furnishings & the boldest wall colors you've ever seen in your life. they did years of research on old paint samples to match it as closely as possible to what was originally put in. it was a status symbol to be able to afford such bright colors. i loved it.

i about had a stroke when steph & i were looking at the 'spinning room' out in one of the small separate buildings. there stood the most perfect, grand spinning wheel from the 1700's. i slowly snuck over the two metal rods to get close enough that steph could take a pic of me reenacting sleeping beauty. standard operating proceeder, right? the most ear piercing, heart stopping alarm of all time BLARES & a red siren light starts spinning inside the room! i hurdled out of there faster than i would have ever thought possible while stephanie (who had been standing with the stroller at the bottom of the stairs) flew past my girls deserting them & their criminal mother without a second thought. hahaha. girlfriend seriously sprinted. HAHA! luckily the pulsing alarm stopped soon thereafter & no one came to arrest me. it was seriously intense!

this is us returning to the scene of the crime once the shaking & adrenaline subsided.

chesapeake bay

2011-08-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

stephanie lives for the beach. i, in fact, do not live by the beach. with the amount of time we had i promised her a beach-like experience at chesapeake bay directly after she arrived in virginia. we'd never been but the water was amazing & warm compared to my nor cal upbringing of freezing pacific water.

it was the ideal little half day adventure out at sandy point park. i love the bridge behind us & the fact that butterflies just flock to wherever cossette is. do you see that one resting on the stroller right next to her feet? there were no butterflies to be seen but they just seek her out. :) the girls could have splashed around for hours and hours if we had let them. such fun!

washington d.c. temple

2011-08-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

we did wait for stone to get home from work but these stupid classes are sucking the life out of him & he had to listen to lectures & finish up a project. i don't know what we were thinking taking 2 at once. his average schedule lately has been going to work from 7 to 6, 15 minute break saying hi to us, dinner up in the office while we eat as a family downstairs, homework til midnight or 1. wake up & repeat. we are used to being busy but we miss him. we both get grumpy & it has been seriously terrible.

so we went sans the mr. to the washington d.c. temple.

it's really nice only being 40 minutes from the temple. & this particular one makes me think of my grandma & grandpa kelly.

they served a couples mission here when i was around 11 & my family came to visit. we stayed with them over 4th of july & sat on capitol hill for the fireworks, toured the city, saw all the church history sites on the east coast, & visited the d.c. temple where they spent most of their time.

clearly happy to be there. hahaha

how awesome is this??

& ellers was particularly excited about jesus. she kept sitting next to him & telling me his eyes were closed so he was sleeping & i needed to be quiet.

not that she's queen of reverence,

but she tries.

it was the perfect little trip up, showing steph & the girls the visitor's center & the grounds.

& check out this shot steph took! straight from the camera it looks like this. exquisite!

visitor #5

2011-08-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

my sister is one of a kind & she totally rocks.

she is getting her masters in utah while teaching her first year of high school english at american fork. 11th grade british literature & 12th grade world lit. oh yeah while spearheading the entire volleyball program as HEAD coach. whew! exhausting.

after double days of conditioning she took a week off before tryouts & setting up her classroom & beginning the school year to come play with us in virginia. yeeee!

she is the best guest in the world. do you how much easier my job is when there is seemingly 2 of me?? you're always welcome back bopi! kisses*

c's birthday

2011-08-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

on cossette's actual bday we added our first purple footprint to the birthday tablecloth, sang, & shared a single slice of carrot cake. they were thrilled.

a week later we had dinner with friends, had a fun little hungry caterpillar party, opened presents & ate caterpillar cupcakes with their favorite aunt stephanie, & face timed with the families. they were thrilled.

can you handle these eric carle the very hungry caterpillar dresses that gramvi made?? they are DARLING dresses with an embroidered caterpillar & the different foods the caterpillar eats through. :)

i take credit for finding the butterfly robeez that are designed after the book. & for that face. i take credit for that face. (even if it looks an awful lot like austin should be taking the credit...)

my kiddles have the ultimate in aunts & uncles. seriously though. & they are IN LOVE with aunt steph!

my funny caterpillar cupcakes i modeled after coco cake cupcakes. appropriate isn't it? i tried a new icing recipe that called for heavy cream. can't go wrong there. i made 2 tone green frosting & cut his facial features out of candy melts. his feet & antennae are just construction paper. it was a hit.

but not as much as cossette's new baby doll. the thing looks like a mini me of her with darker hair, bright green eyes, & chubby cheeks. austin was convinced i got it for myself as i was a little obsessed. it is just too adorable! so it was my favorite part of her birthday to see how excited she was, squealing & cooing at it. :)

happy 1st birthday baby bean! we love you!

touring the capitol building

2011-08-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

another disgustingly hot day so we were suuuuper happy to be going into the air conditioning for our congressional tour.

we did the basic tour of the rotunda which had some pretty incredible art & then onto a few other grand rooms like the crypt. then we grabbed our tickets for the floor of the senate & took turns in the child-holding area to go listen in on the balconies. very cool but also frustratingly empty for a thursday afternoon when our country is seemingly ready to default. : /

the washington nationals

2011-07-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

we went to the nationals park to watch our local team play the rookies. guess we're following them from ballpark to ballpark now. :)

we went with bryce & jamie (who i think you can tell the beans are enamored with), braved some heat & intensely busy metro rides, ate famous ben's chili bowl, & cossette made best friends with the group sitting behind us. when we ran back into them on the train, they actually had seats & basically pulled ellers onto their laps in the sardine packed car so austin didn't have to stand with her. that girl is shy for about 11 milliseconds.

while austin got up to take jellybean to the bathroom i crossed an item off my bucket list!! (yes i do have an actual detailed categorized bucket list. *cough*ocd*) we made it onto the JUMBOTRON as i tried to dance/rock my babe to sleep. the chief was just glad it wasn't the kiss cam, with him gone & everything :)

do i just take more pictures?

2011-07-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

it's normal to have several hundred a month & then an additional folder of hundreds for each trip. right? bopi, back me up here...

cossette's 1!

2011-07-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

it so strange having your baby turn one. it feels like they've always been here & you keep thinking, it's only been one year?! but they have so much personality, have grown tons, have such a huge piece of your heart! that really happens that fast?? plus the first year is exhausting & difficult & you end up giving yourself major props for keeping this fragile little thing alive for an entire 365 days, when it felt like 500.

& when your first turns 2 you feel like, we most definitely did not have another year! & even though you've spent every second with her, it seems like you haven't gotten enough time with your baby for her to be a toddler now. the second year just flew! i think for every kid's every birthday i will get all retrospective & sentimental. poor things.

so here we are seemingly 500 days after cossette came to us & celebrating her first birthday.

we adore this sweet, unpredictable, funny, babbling, terrible eating coconut!
she is an exquisite little handful. :)

fix it

2011-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

i've been kind of nostalgic lately. i think i work in a less than normal female frequency & then have these bubbles of sappiness.

the jellybean was watching a show while i was making dinner & feeding cossette (or taking a photoshop class & pinning, who can remember?). & i hear something crash on the show & ellery gasps 'uh-oh! the puppy broke it!' & pointing at the screen, 'fix it mommy!'

& the sweet thing was dead serious. because mommy & daddy can fix everything. she is a very independent thing but has no problem asking for help & is constantly asking us to 'fix it'. & after laughing & telling her to see what happens, i got all sad. because as much as i wish i could i will not be able to fix everything for her.

projectos

2011-07-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

i enjoy doing a project or 2 when i can. i'll be blunt. creativity is not where i suffer. that, my friends, is in the execution. the ideas flow but i don't have the resources or the ability to polish off a beautiful finished product. but i'm learning. & trying. & for now that's enough.

i saw a coffee filter wreath & thought that since i didn't have any coffee paraphernalia but did have an old torn up french book, i would do pages rather than filters.

of course i found tutorials for book wreaths shortly thereafter & it probably would have minimized all the finger burns but i did it in less than an hour & like how it turned out. i even did a mini one for my mama.

next i kept seeing all these fun burlap pillows all over the place & thought 'hey, i could ~~force~~ get my mom to make that with me.' we did a few different techniques & experimented with this super soft muslin, burlap material.

& made a new burlap cover with gigantic wooden buttons for our beloved trampoline-ottoman in the basement.

the chief & i bought this table at DI when we were very first married for i think $10. it's the only furniture we bought. everything else was either gifted or hand-me-downs from the family i nannied. we overhauled it & were super proud of ourselves. haha it was really quite simple. it's an old record player table that also had a radio dial in it so part of the top opens & the sides originally had speakers with a kind of orange shag carpet over them. cute cute cute. haha aust ripped the front off & hinged it at the bottom so that it's a drop front cabinet while i cleaned out the inside & replaced the shag with a less hideous blue.

it was our tv stand then a funny console table & an entryway catch all & has held all sorts of things. since we have so much closet space here it had kind of lost its purpose. i've always wanted a vanity & had an epiphany 3 days ago that this could maybe be it.

so i primed, sanded, & spray painted away. inside. cause it was raining & i wanted to & i'm an idiot. not recommended.

anyway since i had barely hemmed our master bedroom curtains i just happened to have the perfect size scraps to replace the lovely blue. it may be a little too matchy matchy for my taste but for now it was an easy zero cost solution.

i do think i'll do another white coat & poly but by brush this time. i think it will work great. now to find & adhere a mirror to the inside...

i found a shattered mirror behind cut out wooden vines a couple years ago in a clearance garden aisle at target. i got it for $8 & removed the mirror & sponged it with red & hung it vertically in our master bedroom. then later it turned into a headboard. (yeah, we don't have any actual adult beds at our house.) if you've noticed, i switch uses & furniture layout frequently.

just used this to show you the headboard thing in red.

ignore that it's my bday morning, with miss e's half-flat leftover bday balloon & cmas gift wrap.

when we moved we got a king size bed from my 'rents & a guest bedroom from our townhouse. so the red is now the guest & i have just started collecting grey & white for our master. i used red curtains for a makeshift headboard in the guest so my trusty vines turned grey.

& yes my bed is always made but never this well. a tightly made bed is austin's dream in life so since he's doing his part this month, i figure i can do mine.

this last project is my pride & joy. i'm crazy proud of it. i wanted a bicycle pillow as we are so excited about our new bike life. i was thinking something different but when i found a picture of a statue on a random google search & adored it, plans changed. so i resized it, printed it, & traced it onto transfer paper. then i took an exacto knife & spent for.ev.ER. cutting out every spoke & feather. my mom made the pillow because she has the cadillac of all sewing machines & equal skill & i have neither machines nor skill. (she will laugh at this because it most likely took her 11 minutes from start to finish.)

we ironed it on & held our breaths...

success! probably a much easier way to do it but it is super cool & one of a kind & i love it.

i always have some kind of project in the works & i love seeing what other people are into so i thought i'd share a bit. i'm hoping over time i'll get better but for now it's something i just like dabbling in.

think you're such a smartie?

2011-07-19T04:54:00.000-07:00

the chief is usually right & it is the single most irritating thing about him. & he revels in it. super charming.

we were up watching tv & eating smarties when i said something about smarties clearly having different flavors & he told me i'm obsessed with my taste buds & there is no way. a wager was set.

needless to say he will be putting the clean sheets on the bed for the next month. i better keep betting while i'm on a hot streak.

on the road to church

2011-07-17T02:46:00.000-07:00

no that's not a metaphor i'm really talking about our actual road to the church building each week.

but since you asked, i do think involving yourself in any form of worship is a wonderful idea. & happen to know when certain services are held... just sayin. :)

okay so our first sunday driving to church in virginia we were shocked. from our house to the church house it is 2.8 miles. keep that number in mind as we pass how many other church buildings?? let us count:

#1. harvest church of the assemblies of God

#2. franconia episcopal free will baptist

#3. laurel grove baptist church, we think they're under construction?

#4. calvary road baptist church

#5. mount calvary community church

#6. franconia alliance church

#7. olivet episcopal church (adore how east coast this one feels)

#8. franconia united methodist church (my favorite building, the stained glass is a beauty!)

#9. virginia presbyterian church & there is a korean presbyterian church that uses the same building so really this could count as two.

#10. reality gospel church

#11. st. john's lutheran church

#12. franconia baptist church

#13. church of jesus christ of latter-day saints: mt vernon stake (our destination)

please excuse the quality of these pictures as they are taken while driving. i was actually kind of impressed with myself, though i did have to crop many a side view mirror out. :) i love our drive to church every sabbath checking out the other buildings & church goers. makes me happy that people take the time out to thank a higher power.

height charts

2011-07-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

it was 2008 & my parents had just finished a remodel of their entryway & front room. the job was finished. the painters came. my mom is not normally one to hire painters. she does everything better than everyone so she usually would have done it herself.

let me backtrack. we always measured our height on the same door frame all growing up. with each move my mom would get a long, skinny piece of wood & transfer the markings to a door frame in the new house.

see where this is going? heartbreak town. i bet you my mom will cry just reading this post. yup. those mindless painters ignored signs & tape & verbal warnings & painted directly over almost 30 years of hodgman kid growth. ensue devastation. my mom & i tried everything. paint thinner, sanding, you name it.

there were tears. lots of tears. even by us offspring.

not long after that i had someone's height of my own to measure. with the wounds still fresh, my first mother's day my mama commissioned a lady who had given me this darling painted stool to make this...

< attached was a note sprinkled
with a harsh word or 2 about ignorant
painters.

> the next year

i had the same artist make these:

if you didn't know, e is always yellow & c is always lavender.

i love them all cozy in their corner of the nursery. how fun would it be to get the same lady for any subsequent height charts at our house?

& since ellery is exactly 2 1/2 years old today we marked a new spot at exactly 3 feet tall! cossette will get her first mark in 12 days! exciting!!

"you have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was."
-abraham lincoln

mosquitos

2011-07-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

we are being eaten alive! all 4 of us look like we basted in nectar & offered ourselves up to the bugs. we don't know when we're getting them or why they can't seem to stay away from my babies faces but i think it's just part of living where it's humid. i'm sparing you a picture of my legs which officially have 27 bites from the knees down. i have quadruple the number of bites as the rest of the fam combined.

for a day or 2 ellers looked like she'd been in a boxing match; her poor little eye was slightly closed & puffy. terrible.

the girls are usually great sports about it & so is the chief.

i however feel like i'm losing my mind. maybe i'm just not getting enough blood to my brain. probably because the mosquitos are feasting on my dna. i don't know how to stop it unless i just use bug spray everyday & smell like a camper until the fall. grrr.

the hills at capitol hill

2011-07-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

as it would turn out, a nation's capital is the place to be for a nation's birthday.

elles-a-belle was hyped up for the day hearing benjamin franklin & thomas jefferson read the declaration of independence in front of the national archives. it was super cute when they read off the signers & she heard her name: william ellery! huzzah!

we walked through the sculpture gardens & danced & played waiting for the parade to start at constitution & 7th. uncle sam knows how to hold a parade! we loved the old "bicyle-cycles" with 6 foot front wheels, the curious george balloon (you can see e announcing "it's george!"), & all the impressive bands.

we then walked up & down the national mall 3+ times just checking everything out. there were festivities, carnivals, a tour of the world through food, the progression of music in the united states, etc. TONS to see & do! then it was time to get out of the heat so we headed into the museum of american history which we hadn't visited yet. it was saweet! definitely one to explore again. i hit the exhibit on the first ladies & saw inaugural gowns as far back as martha washington. incroyable! & we both went through the colossal exhibits on the evolution of transportation. we felt super guilty that the girls were asleep by now & didn't get to see all the cool old steam engines, buggies, cars, etc.

we then made our way to the capitol to meet up with bryce, jamie, & her parents who were visiting from out of town. we had a fantastic spot to view the concert on capitol hill & enjoy the fireworks.

the concert had some people that even i knew (josh groban, jordin sparks, matthew morrison, steve martin) & was really a lot of fun. they then played good old american music (elvis, etc) until the orchestra took over to serenade the fireworks.

here's what the lawn looked like when we arrived...

& then by the time the concert started:

& this doesn't even account for the crowd once the fireworks began! but isn't it beautiful?!

the fireworks were SO fun. & SO long! love love love fireworks & these were great! little cossette slept through the entire thing, canons shots & everything & ellers kept saying "oh dear! up in a sky! fireworks are awesome!" :)

the chaos back to the metro station was not bad! we went in prepared but it was ideal because it was one of the farthest east that you could see the show which meant it was pretty empty & we calmly walked in & nestled into a little alcove in the very front seats & watched as we went further in & people got crazier & crazier. & since our metro stop is the last on the line we didn't have to fight our double stroller through to get off. walked home from the metro stop, hosed all 4 of us down (i really wore white pants on purpose?!), & went to bed. exhausted. love the day, love my family, & love my country. it was a perfect independence day!

new york citay!

2011-06-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

we jumped on a bus at union station & made the 4ish hour trek to the big apple on tuesday! thanks bryce for both the pick up & drop off through psychotic dc traffic! i strongly suggest just looking at the pics on this one as i get quite wordy. you'll get the gist.

it was a first time manhattan experience for the beans & austin james. exciting stuff! the bolt bus was a trial because we couldn't comprehend that the price ($60 round trip for the 4 of us!!! what?!) was going to be worth the trouble. & while it was no luxury liner, we had bathrooms & express lanes & nap time & wi-fi the entire time. definitely worth not having to pay parking, gas, & endure the 5ish hours it would have taken us. ellery was first off the bus at penn station & leapt into the arms of her gramvi. :) we met my parents in the city for a week long adventure! we got there right after 8pm, walked a few blocks to our hotel (on 45th & 7th!!! thanks gpa! it was phenomenal!). it was the ideal time of day to see times square. awesome.

on wednesday we tried out the boat tours that circle all of manhattan island. it was maybe our favorite part of the whole visit. i know there are a bazillion shots here just it was hard to pare down. i think my favorites are ellery & my mama looking at "the lady" & when i told my dad that it would not be smart to drop the girls off the edge of the boat. i think we laughed for 10 minutes that that indeed is where my line is. haha.

my parents have been to new york dozens of times & were still so enthused with all the stunning vantage points we got on this tour. soo cool!

the four of us in new york city!

after the boat we went to a greasy new york pizza place that was delish & then my dad left for a day for some business in boston. we then walked uptown & around central park, rockefeller center, a new zodiac statue display, magnolia bakery, saw minnie mouse & elmo (gasp!), & explored some of the cathedrals.

thursday we went on the bus tours around midtown & downtown & got pretty much dumped on. i love the "don't let the bed bugs bite" billboard behind us. haha nasty.

austin bought a rain jacket from niketown the day before & was the only dry one at the end of the day. well he was plopped in an actual puddle on his seat so dry from the waist up. :) we got out at soho & shopped & ate gyros & hot dogs & tried to stay dry.

we met up with my dad for dinner & a stop at toys r us. a blast to walk through! haha gpa & ellery took a ride on the full ferris wheel inside the store on the my little pony car. classic. she of course loved roaring with t-rex, touring barbie's dream house with gramvi, & watching daddy climb the lego empire state building. :)

the beans fell asleep almost immediately after dinner (virgil's. YUM.) & so chief & i had a dessert date night in times square. we stopped by the hershey's store & found 2 half pound peanut butter cups & these new white chocolate peanut butter cups. mmmm. the top pic is a panoramic austin took with an app on his phone while we people watched.

on friday the hills took a bus to the dakota & then took a slow, long walk through central park. it was misty drizzly romantic weather & just lovely. with the ponds & musicians & trees & birds it was really a peaceful piece of new york. we met my parents in the front of the met & first off went to a very unique, cool, & freaky alexander mcqueen exhibit before exploring the ins & outs of as much of this colossal museum as possible. the egyptian portion was particularly exceptional.

okay now don't laugh too hard at me here. we took the bus back down towards the hotel & everyone obliged my 9 year old self & we did a really quick run through of the american girl place. my sister & i were in LOVE with our american girl dolls & all their historical stories. it was a big, wonderful part of my childhood. :) even though my particular doll is apparently retired (???) it was a fast, fun thing for me to see.

when we got back to the hotel jellybean was dead asleep & i asked austin to put her down while i situated cossette & used the restroom. when i came back he had unclicked ellery's seat from the stroller & laid her gently on her bed. hahaha she was still buckled in. weird dude makes me laugh.

we stopped in at bubba gump's (really very good) before the big event of the night... a yankees game!! we were jazzed to go & our seats were, well, impressive. yay!

by far my favorite part of the game was one of the fly balls. at the beginning of the game injured servicemen all with missing limbs came & were honored by the stadium. it was very moving to see them walk onto the field. later in the game i watched in the section next to me a young veteran with one arm catch the ball. he stood up & war cried & the crowd went nuts. super rad :)

coco falling asleep stiffer than a board on the front of austin was number 2. people (mainly my mom about ready to wet her pants) laughed at her the whole subway trip back. haha/

on saturday we went to junior's for breakfast & walked around a lot before hitting madame tussaud's. it was fun & random to run around & play in the max museum. my whole life people have told me my dad looks like harrison ford. hahaha i think he does.

there was a 4D short movie that e really loved & c really hated & austin & my mom even went through the haunted hall. not for me so i was glad to skip it... you know, for the kids sake.

ever since the boat ride ellery was obsessed with spotting "the lady" & you can really find her just about everywhere (in every form) around the city. so we took a picture of the ladies with "the lady".

oh & who could forget the HULK? haha how formidable is that dude?!

& then what to my wandering ... err ... wondering eye should appear??!!

i even got to sit on his LAP! *sigh*

we hurried back to our marriott marquis & had dinner in a revolving restaurant on the 48th floor. food, view, & company were marvelous. the shot with coco as well as the one on the bottom right are from our own hotel room window. it was incredible!!!

after cossette was asleep & ellery was all ready to be tucked in we had a babysitter from the hotel come & watch them while we ducked out literally across the street to the shubert theatre. my dad kept stressing me out about leaving the girls but i fully believed that they would be just fine. & i called at intermission. yup, i'm that one. memphis was outstanding! & that's using austin's word!! it was austin's broadway debut :) & he was shocked at how much he enjoyed it. it was really a great show.

the 'rents were such fun & we felt so lucky that we could enjoy a trip like this. & aren't they just cute?

sunday morning we packed up & stopped by a bagel joint before leaving town.

the girls slept pretty great on the bus ride home - except for the fact that we had one clean blanket left to share between the 2 of them, so we'd put one to bed with it then steal it back to get the next to sleep. haha what a great way for austin & the kids to see new york city for the first time! my first visit to the big apple was with just me & my daddy when i was 16 so for him to be able to show it to my girls was quite special for me. thanks gramvi & gpa for one outstanding trip!

the chief & i have talked about going back around christmas time for a long weekend but i worry that a nyc 100% on our dime may kill any enchantment austin now has for the place. :)

hours

2011-06-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

feeling like there's not enough hours in the day & too many all at the same time.

air & space udvar-hazy museum

2011-06-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

stone went to a leadership conference this last week. & while last year was across the country from where we were (& as you may remember, we had a baby hours after he got back from florida), this year he was less than an hour away.

one of his favorite parts was going to the air & space museum in chantilly, va on a private lockheed martin tour of the facilities. & after learning that this saturday was 'become a pilot' day we knew what our weekend plans had to be. here's cossette ready to go, waiting by the door with the keys. haha & i cannot resist the new pigtails!

there were tons & tons of private planes for us to check out before making our way to the military grade aviation vehicles. ellery was as giddy as we've ever seen her, squealing & cheering & skipping from plane to plane. dozens of times her eyes got huge & she just started shaking trying to tell us something she saw. haha it was seriously hilarious.

my favorite was the prop plane ^in the center there^ from 1939. it was gorgeous! i think i hummed the theme song to tales spin the entire day. haha a's favorite was the black hawk helicopter & all the different fighter jets that he knew so much about. e's favorite was whoever would let her on board. she went around begging for 'a-sit on a airpane please!'.

our little pilot :)

back inside we got to see everything from the enterprise nasa shuttle & astronaut training gear to amelia earhart memorabilia & pre 1920's airplanes. it was really pretty spectacular their collection of flight artifacts and aircrafts.

the museum is in the perfect spot adjacent to dulles airport, so sitting in the observation deck of the tower you can watch plane after plane take off. ellery adores everything airborne & her excitement today did not disappoint. we had a blast watching her work herself into a tizzy. :) it should be fun to hit it's sister air & space museum on the national mall soon.

when daddy's gone

2011-06-18T02:16:00.000-07:00

we really really missed him... but my house was so SO clean... naw, we're still glad he's back.

national cathedral

2011-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

this weekend we went to the national cathedral in dowtown dc.

the cathedral was impressive & grand. the stained glass was unbelievable. it's rather new but has the classic, gothic feel of all the european cathedrals, centuries old.

austin doesn't know why i took this picture & was trying to be a good sport. el presidenté lincoln's statue is behind him. so obviously this is the new background on my desktop. (if you were to add dick van dyke i think it'd be too much for me to handle)

we hiked all around the bishop's garden which was extensive & so green & beautiful but once again we felt like we were melting from the inside out, so we stayed in the shade & tried to get caught in the sprinklers path.

the rest of the weekend was spent doing yardwork & swimming. great laid back weekend being eaten alive by bugs. bytheby how do you get your toddler to stop ripping her bug bites to shreds? super nasty & super sad.

babaganoush

2011-06-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

eggplant spread with a kick. drool.

national zoo

2011-06-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

on memorial day we took the metro over to the national zoological park with bryce & jamie.

stone knows i like 'em tall...

couple of buddies hanging out.

ditto.

jamie & ellery.

elles and 'pooh bear'.

it was scourching hot but watching the elephants drink & throw dust was kind of awesome.

one unique thing about this zoo is that they have viewing bridges over some of the habitats.

the pandas were super fun too! can you tell miss e had a hard time saying dry? looong story. gross, long story. yuck.

we were just gross & sweaty all day long. we definitely stayed hydrated though. :)

ellery tried counting the stripes & calling for the 'zebers'.

& tarzan-ing for the gorillas with daddy.

i don't think you understand how hot it was. i guess i best get over that one asap.

aust loved the tiger pacing back & forth & swatting at his ball in the water. he wanted to bring him home. i think that's about as close as he could get to being a cat person. haha.

what a good sport this sweet thing is!

it was a very impressive zoo; we kept marveling that it was free! the walk home was crazy intense but really lush & beautiful. my only regret was on the metro home we passed arlington cemetery & felt like real losers for not even thinking of going there. would have been the perfect way to spend memorial day.

visitors #3 & #4

2011-06-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

the chief grew up a couple houses down from bryce. bryce is his little brother derek's bff & is one of the family. he started working at lockheed a bit after austin & then moved to california soon after us & just barely ~~followed us~~ moved on to virginia. :)

it's been fun having bryce & his sweet wife jamie stay with us while they wait for their townhouse.

we are super excited to have them here to play with us!

our other visitor is someone i grew up with & one of my favorite people of all time. he came to sunday dinner at our house a couple weeks ago since he lives in maryland now yay! i will always love that boy!

since i didn't take a recent pic, here's jonathan & me at his prom. haha/

2011-05-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

our recent big moments:

cossette did NOT want me on the phone. mid call she yanked it out of my hands & chucked it onto the sidewalk before i could blink. shattered.

it's insane how fast you get used to having certain luxuries. non smart phones suck. hard. :(

this little dear has finally learned how to clearly say her name! she no longer refers to herself as "atcha" but "ella-ree!". unless it's in the possessive then it goes back to good old atcha. my name is ellery but this is atcha's chair. explain the logic there please? big BIG break through nonetheless.

& three pearls whites for cossette!
10 months + 0 teeth (= impossible to feed, bytheby) + miraculous 2 days = 3 new teeth!! yay!

we've been enjoying the spring! my favorites here:

> the kidlets have been getting out the gigantic box of cookie cutters from the pantry & using them to draw pictures & spell words all over the living room rug. it seriously keeps them occupied for hours. highly recommended.

> ellers helping me make the chief's lunch in the morning & fighting to shove spinach leaves in her mouth.

> & let's not miss the bottom middle picture of ellery & coke wrestling in the grass. i wish you could hear them squealing at each other. haha awesome.

150 years

2011-05-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

saturday i had plans for us to go check out olde town alexandria & then we found out it was also the sesquicentennial celebration for the civil war in virginia so there was tons to see & do.

to be fair, half the people there called it a celebration since the war. the other half? they called it the commemoration of the occupation of union troops. did you hear that?? the occupation of union troops! yup. that one kind of blew me away haha.

the beans loved the re-enactors. especially the drummer.

my favorite part was walking around the christ church grounds & having the nicest gardener ever walk us over to the parish house to get someone to give us a personal tour. the church was closed to get ready for a meeting later that day but they unlocked it & walked us around the 1773 church to look at george washington's pew & ask as many questions as we wanted. very cool.

we got to stop by some amazing little shops, kiss my mr. lincoln, tour the founder's home, eat lunch looking over the potomac, count the ducks, listen to the fun civil wars-y band stand, walk down the cobblestone alleys, smother the kiddles in sunscreen, & check out the huge old torpedo factory turned art studio/museum.

awesome saturday. check.

just my luck

2011-05-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

such a fun weekend cruising around town in our new bikes. i forgot how much i love biking! it helps to have a bright sunny yellow hybrid bike that is gorgamous. i adoooore it!

camel leather seat that feels like a sofa seat & matching stitched handlebars with houndstooth tan detailing on the frame. the guys at the bike shop kept calling it lemon meringue. drool.

austin has a fun new bike too & has already has gotten major use out of it. he's been riding it to work everyday since he got it (going on 3 weeks) & is even known as "that guy that rides his bike to work", which he loathes because he cannot believe they see him as some kind of california hippie freak. so i made sure to order these awesome grocery totes in a fun pattern & pick up our recycling bin this week just to freak him out further.

we spent friday gardening in the morning & then off on our first official family bike ride. we thought we'd just go a couple miles up the rode to a nice little strip mall but we ended up running smack into a random phenomenal farmer's market that was about to open in 2 minutes. there i bought gigantic pieces of meringue & fresh strawberries & asparagus. mmmm. then off to a random gas station opening next door where we jammed with the dj, got free give aways, played in the bouncy house, & austin ate his weight in cotton candy. we kept laughing at our lucky find & perfect timing.

i have to add that on our way home, i suddenly remembered that i had left our camera precariously sitting in the folds of the bike trailer canopy. we stopped on the side of the trail & started frantically searching through all our stuff. nope. no camera. i felt like such an idiot. between the two of us, i swear we have this problem at least 10 x's more than any average, sane minded individuals. it's a total joke. we are the WORST match in this way. blek.

not 3 minutes pass & along came this jogging couple (probably among the sane minded) & in broken russiany english ask us if by chance it's a camera we are so hysterically searching for. i pretty much fell on my face. they handed us the camera & the battery. insert battery... hold breath... no harm done. i gushed all over them that they had made my day. i mean if we hadn't stopped right then, we wouldn't have been on the same trail as them & if we'd turned & gone back later the camera would have been with the nice russian couple, not where it fell. & as they went galloping off the chief turned to me & said "i know i say this all the time but i am sticking with you. your luck is UNREAL."

we got home, put everything away, & just as we shut the back door... it started pouring. :)

pinning is taking over any free time

2011-05-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

because

rocks.

racist?

2011-05-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

one of the saddest things for me about leaving the bay area was leaving behind seriously the most phenomenal dr's a person could ask for. i have never understood even caring who delivered, who treated you, whatever until about a year & a half ago.

i loved my OB.
i Loved my dentist.
i LOVED my pediatrician.

2 of them want me to fly back across the country every time appointments come up & as i'm reluctantly looking for replacements, it dawns on me: the baby doctor, the dentist, & the girl's pediatrician? all asian.

yikes. pretty sure i'm racist.

missionaries

2011-05-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

i am so proud of our baby brothers. they are both officially called to serve as full time volunteer missionaries for the lds church. it's crazy how young these kids are, i can't believe we do this.

zachy boy to bahia blanca, argentina in august!

& michael michael to sao paulo, brazil in october!

can't believe out of almost anywhere in the entire world they could go they will be neighbors. :) they will learn the language, absorb the culture, & love the people. it's always incredible to hear about who they serve, where they go, what they eat, & how they grow.

& while i do. not. know. how we'll go 2 whole years without them...
that is for another day.

today we are thrilled!

butterflies

2011-05-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

we did take a half day off of home making to go into the city & hit the smithsonian.

the beginning of the day was a joke. just one of those things. we got lost going to costco because the exit we wanted was closed & i don't ever know where i am & then completely forgot the prints that were the real reason for going anyway. later when we jumped on the metro we thought we'd try a switch over to a different line to get to our stop rather than stay on the blue line & go around the potomac. what since we're such experts? well it proved to be a really. stupid. move. our adventurous streak was clearly just idiocy.

but chief took a half day of his own so he could come! yay! i adore his flex scheduling.

the natural history museum is directly across the street from the station stop. awesome.

gramvi was very happy to be around these two for a week.

how pretty is that old smithsonian building behind us?

my mom had heard about this live butterfly exhibit that was really worth checking out so that was the first on the agenda. it was RAD.

you go into this rather small, enclosed, humid green house-ish place with glass rooms on each end to ensure the butterflies don't escape. there were hundreds in there!

one in particular took a liking to our babe.

it was there for literally over 10 minutes. i can't explain why but it started making me nervous. haha. everyone was asking if they could photograph my baby. so maybe you've already seen this... i didn't realize how perfect her outfit was for butterfly hunting: a flower on her head & actual purple butterflies on her shoes. classic!

some of the butterflies literally had an 8 inch wing span!! the employees actually have to check your clothes when you leave to make sure a moth or butterfly isn't hiding somewhere. it was magnificent.

aust & i had been excited to show elles the dinosaurs. she is one big dino fan. everything was 'ta-rex! roar!!' i knew quite a few dinosaur species & which time period they belonged to, etc. thank you dinosaur train. :)

this is merely one of my favorite shots of all time:

you are welcome siblings. bahahaha!

austin kept saying how much he would love to take a few days with me to go through each museum & read, see, & learn every little thing. sans kids. :) for now; one more site down, way too many to go.

visitor #2

2011-05-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

we had our 2nd visitor come to play!

¡gramvi! i worked her pretty hard actually. we had task after task for helping us move in. i was done with all unpacking & organizing & cleaning but she helped me with multiple hardware store runs, the garden, & shopping. we were very busy.

& since our entire central air & heating systems have to be replaced, we melted a few of the days (hence the lack of pants on the kids) & then just to mix it up froze a day as well. haha.

the beans had a blast gardening, reading, playing, cooking, & going on walks with gramvi. we also had some friends over which was nice. i especially liked watching my mom & elles-a-belle 'cheers-ing' their sandwiches & blueberries at lunch time. & watching cossette pull herself to standing on everything without so much as bending her legs. i dare you to try that! it's HARD!

do you see cocobean in the bottom right? she seriously kills me.

we also got to watch ellery's baby duck hatch from the easter package her grandma née née got her! the duck expands in the egg shell under water until it busts open the egg. it takes a day or 2 & is all very exciting. :)

honored duck owner.

thanks a ton for coming out mamaçita!! hope to see you soonish!

darla

2011-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

ellery was helping in the yard today (yes, we kind of have a yard) & screeching over & over about 'capapillar!! more capapillar!!' when she got really really excited they turned into 'capapapapillars!' we literally were overrun by dozens of caterpillars. there literally was a herd.

at once point there were nine on the front door. did you hear that?? NINE.

while weeding in one spot a little long i found one on my ankle & one on my foot. somehow one got in my mom's hair. one is starting a cocoon in the corner of my door frame. we saved cossette from a gaggle trying to crawl up her legs in the bumbo on the grass. for days we've been seeing them & playing with them & torturing ellery with the threat of touching them.

well by the end of today she braved picking not one but two up in each little hand with a huge grin on her face. suuuuuper proud of herself.

& then their guts fell out the bottom of her fists.

little did i know i had a darla on my hands :(

& luckily, just like darla, she was clueless to her homicidal tendencies.

vows of friendship

2011-04-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

everyone has to call customer service from time to time.

the chief has been gushing about the quality companies that we have enjoyed as of late.

with a mondo grin on his face:

"man! i will be a verizon friend for life!" as he gets off the 2 MINUTE phone call confirming no contract needed & our requested installation date granted.

"man! i will be a marriott friend for life!" then proceeds to go on & on about service in person & how thrilled he is with the phone call he just made concerning a mix up. also a PROMO they showed him that made more sense for us.

"man! i will be a burton friend for life!" when he sent an email asking where, if possible, he could find a zipper pull that broke on his big snow coat & they overnighted him a pull... for FREE.

his running joke is that almost every instance is of companies we can't afford (or maybe better said: refuse to afford). his company is putting us up in the marriott. his parents bought him the burton coat 4-5 years ago. & we're splurging on verizon fios & therefore won't be getting cable. again.

either way, you give this mr. an inch & he will pledge loyalty forever.

& that doesn't just go for the companies.

laying eggs

2011-04-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

my mother has been on a ROLL cranking out easter frocks like a crazy. & not just for my little beans. see here for all of her talented easter wonders.

cossette sitting in the cherry blossoms which she kept trying to eat. i love easter bonnets! well at least for their first easter. :) her darling shoes & matching bloomers were also quite a hit.

ellery in her easter best. the eyelet & the headband were my faves. & the collar. oh & the smocking! haha

my mama also made my grey lace dress. i know, i know buy some clothes already. it's very unique. i looove it.

i especially loved reading ellers her easter books & her telling me all about 'jejes (jesus) nice. jejes helping. jejes love me.' it helps for later when she is attempting to ride her little sister like a horse around the house.

we decided last minute that we should probably do a little egg hunt & i'm glad we did. around 10 saturday night i built the adirondacks (i'd bought them on über sale months & months ago & have been waiting for either easter or a birthday to bring em out) while austin ran out to the store to grab some candy & plastic eggs. it was our first morning in the new house so it was pretty fun.

fun moments:

-after squealing about the eggs, realizing they opened up to candy

-pulling the first piece of candy out of one of the eggs & going to put it in her mouth, stops, & shoots me a glance for approval. girl knows she has to ask for such treats, oh the self control.

- while organizing her eggs in colored pairs, ellery's eyes just light up: 'geen egg an red jebbybean. *gasp* an me jebbybean! an that cocobean!' haha

-coco playing with the eggs while sitting on her chair, she shifts, an egg pops out in front of her diaper, & austin dies laughing, swearing she just laid an egg. his reaction was better than anything he may have actually seen. seriously ask him about it. he'll lose it all over again. :)

then our dinner of ham & sweet potatoes & honey mustard salad. i think i must have missed cooking more than i would have thought cause i've been going at it.

hope everyone had a great easter morn & enjoyed some good food & festivities, however you celebrate.

crooked

2011-04-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

there was a crooked man & he had a crooked smile,
he found a crooked job upon a crooked stile.
he wanted crooked beans, so he caught a crooked spouse,
& they all lived together in a little crooked house.

yup among dozens of other fun things, old houses are crooked. :)

drumroll please...

2011-04-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

moving day is upon us!!!

hotel living (va)

2011-04-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

all in all we have loved hotel life. the staff at both marriotts were spectacular! like above & beyond! i don't know what ellery is going to do without her eggs, oatmeal, & fresh orange juice every morning. haha. but i know exactly what austin will do with better internet & his own computer again. homework has been a bear!

we are thrilled to have our full wardrobes, books, toys, kitchen, etc back!!! & i would like to give myself a pat on the back for my packing job. basically i rocked it.

visitor #1

2011-04-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

austin's cousin gianna & her husband eric came to d.c. this last week with their oldest, elizabeth! it may be a stretch to call them visitors (we don't have a house yet - haha) but we were able to meet up with them in the city & play! i think i'll mix it up & not do a collage. *gasp* i know, let's try a play by play this time. :)

we took the metro to arlington cemetery (above) & walked across arlington memorial bridge into d.c.

'air-pane!'

why is it that i get eyes closed, cheeser smile of the year when i have a backdrop like this?

after crossing the potomac, looking back toward columbia island.

have i mentioned my love affair with this stroller? oh i have? well it gets stronger everyday i tell ya.

yeah, i live here. what up.

be STILL my heart.

contented, appropriate tourists.

zealot, fanatical follower for life. i promise i will take many an embarrassing picture here for your viewing pleasure.

eek! people we know! haha

korean war memorial.

laser etchings of actual photographs on the stone wall. quite cool.

i was amazed at how different the same area looked less than 2 weeks since our last visit. tulips seriously EVERYWHERE!

here's everyone relishing a glorious 76 degree day!

if you get sick of every possible vantage point of every monument you might just have to wait for me to move.

elizabeth & cossette. they loooooved each other! so cute.

'kak! kak! kak!' chasing ducks with some random kids.

gianna & aust throwing ellers in the air. :)

elizabeth & elles-a-belle by one of the few remaining cherry trees in bloom.

jellybean. :)

sharing her snack with mama. this is on the steps of the jefferson.

see how blossom-less the trees are?! still really pretty but i can't believe how fast that happened.

cossette on the metro.

this is a masonic temple we pass on the rail home. interesting.

phew! congrats on finishing that one. see isn't a nice concise collage much MUCH better?? gianna is such an upbeat, fun person & elizabeth is about as sweet as they come. i thought she might sneak cossette back to the hotel with them. we're so glad we got to see them! yay!

grandpa ken's service

2011-04-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

i was so lucky to be able to fly out to the 'tah for my grandpa's service & be together with all of my siblings; something that rarely happens. austin stayed in va with the kiddles. it's so nice to be able to leave with less than afternoon of prep time & know he has it handled. even if i did get a frantic text about no wipes in the diaper bag. :)

the day of the funeral i will admit i was weary of going to a viewing but it wasn't how i thought it would be at all. just so comforting to see him again and at peace and say goodbye. i kept thinking how relieved he must be to think clearly again.

the mass funeral was as beautiful as any mass but very different than what i am used to for a funeral & it seemed rather impersonal. i did really enjoyed the burial ceremony. his 4 granddaughters, 3 grandsons, & 1 married-in were the pall bearers. we're progressive like that. :)

the 3-volley salute was moving as well as the color guard folding the flag. "this flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the united states army as a token of appreciation for your loves one's honorable and faithful service." along with the presenting of the shell casings for duty, honor, & country; followed by a lone bagpiper playing amazing grace. i felt proud to be his granddaughter. how remarkable to have all of these veteran grandfathers!

he was laid to rest by his mother & siblings in ogden. rest in peace grandpa.

when mommy's gone

2011-04-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

the babies have to be a little tougher :)

grandpa hodgman

2011-04-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

cherry flavored pipe smoke & peppermint laced coffee reminds me of my grandpa hodgman. to this day while i hate the smell of coffee, i could drink in the curly clouds from sweet pipe smoke. i'm not even sure he always smoked cherry tobacco but it's what i remember as a very little girl.

{this is one of my ultimate favorite pictures of him & me. i feel like it looks like a picture straight out of the fifties, which unfortunately i was not around for.}

my grandpa ken passed away on friday & he will be sorely missed. he was living in a care center due to his worsening alzheimer's but his physical turn for the worse was extremely sudden. while i feel like we all went through a bit of a mourning process a year ago it is still hard to lose someone dear. he was a good man.

{they were sweethearts for over 62 years.}

during my childhood my grandparents lived in their beloved 'beer can'. when they would come to visit they simply parked in the driveway. we would get so excited to climb up those metal stairs & explore the ins & outs of their trailer. we used to not even be able to get ahold of them for weeks because it was long before the days of internet or mobile phones. now that's freedom. :)

{this is from one of my visits while i lived out in utah for college.}

my favorite things about my grandpa hodgman is that he was a fiddler, a worker, & a laugher.

he can fix anything & everything & especially when i was younger he seemed to always be fiddling with something. so no i don't mean the music instrument but grandpa was such a fiddler! curious about how things may work he'd take it apart & figure it out. austin reminds me of him in that way.

he is a harder worker than i have ever seen in anyone (other than his son) & i really think he enjoyed being a busy bee. he didn't have much of formal education but he was constantly learning & growing & reading. we studied the benefits of continual self education in one of my classes in college & he was the first person that popped into my head. i so admire him for that.

his laugh. it's hard to describe someone's laugh but it's was hardy & genuine & i don't know a soul that could resist it. even when in old age he didn't always know what he was laughing about, it was a comfort to hear his warm, jovial laugh. his laugh is what i will remember most.

{meeting my baby ellery. i'm SO glad he got to. if you notice that gpa coincidentally is in the same shirt 4-5 years later you'll realize he really was quite a simple man.}

he loved his sweet wife, he fiddled, he worked, & he laughed his way through life. if i can continually challenge myself, enjoy my work just a little bit more, & laugh when i just don't know what else to do i will be better for having known him.

i love you grandpa hodgman.

cherry blossoms

2011-04-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

gotta admit i was a little curious to see how harassed i would get from people in cali if i left for the other side of the country & just disappeared. but then the government almost shut down at our arrival & i thought that was worth writing about.

it's been an eventful couple of weeks in virginia & an enjoyable start. it's amazing how neighborly everyone has been & i love feeling like we already have friends. the weather has been more bipolar than even our years in utah. & that is saying something. high 80's one day, snow flurries the next, rain storms & 60's the next. crizzy. we also signed a lease for a cute townhouse that we'll be moving into at the end of the month but it's got a guest bedroom so COME! one & all, come & PLAY!

we've only been able to go downtown once but i cannot wait to get to know the city better. we just jumped on the metro station a couple minutes from the hotel & rode it straight to the smithsonian stop, walked past the great mall, past the holocaust museum, the mint, & on to tidal basin.

it's easy to take great pictures with this kind of scenery. no skill or $2k camera required.

at tidal basin with jefferson monument behind us.

the trees were gnarled & old & beautiful & we were planning on going out on the paddle boats but it was just too choppy & cold.

when the wind picked up the tiny pink blossoms fluttered down from the trees in droves. it was lovely.

the waterfalls were probably ellery's favorite part at the roosevelt memorial while austin loved reading the quotes engraved on all the stone walls, chronologically going through each term of his presidency.

we are so excited to live here! i keep thinking that for 2 people that love museums, exhibits, day trips, new food, new people, new communities, & soaking in majorly patriotic history; dc seems just about perfect!

leaving on a jet plane

2011-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

really don't know when i'll be back again