Four Little Monkeys

If you watched Sesame Street much during the 80's, you probably remember these guys:


The Yip Yip Martians scared the pants off me when I was a kid!
As an adult, I think they are pretty funny and make for awesome halloween costumes! Bryan and I took 1st runner up in the costume contest last night!

...SCUBA divers, that is!  Bryan and I decided to take an open water scuba course in order to be certified in time for our cruise. We started out doing the bookwork and written exams online and then arranged to do our practical skill dives with a local dive shop here in Olympia.

I love you, Claire! Even more than last month.

I know we are a little late compared to the rest of the country, but today is our first day of school! Andrew is headed off to Mr. Skinner's fourth grade class, and Logan is in Mrs. Erickson's first grade class. Andrew is happy that he gets to be in a portable classroom and gets to sit next to his friend, McKay, who was in his class last year. Logan is SO excited to be going to school all day and eating lunch at school this year! He's been telling everyone that he has the best teacher in the whole school! He's also thrilled to be riding the bus with is buddies, Mark and Bryce, who are starting Kindergarten this year.
Hannah wanted to get a picture with the boys too! This morning, after I sent the boys up to brush their teeth, Hannah came down grinning and said, "I brushed my teeth, Mommy! Now I can go to school too!" When I told her she couldn't go this year, she burst into tears. Poor Hannah!

Andrew and Logan with his best buddy, Mark at the bus stop.

Our good friends, the Ellersicks, moved to Spokane this week, so we threw them am ice cream sundae party to send them on their way. I'm so glad so many friends came to wish them well! Everyone had a great time creating and eating their ooey-gooey concoction.

Some of the yummy toppings

Hannah liked the sprinkles best!

Logan's creation

Stephanie and Julia

Andrew, is there any ice cream under those toppings?

The Jensens

BFFs Julia and Claire - two months apart

Alycia, Stephanie, Summer

Good-bye's are no fun! I thought one we "settled down" here, I wasn't going to have to see my friends leave anymore. I'm really sad to see Stephanie go! We've had a lot of fun this year working together in Young Women and being preggo together. I really admire the way she can relate to people and make everyone around her feel special and cared for! Good Luck, Ellersicks! We'll miss you!

This post is a little late (okay, a lot late...she turned 3 months on Aug 9th), but I didn't want to miss out on reporting Claire's 3 month mark.

In your third month, you learned to sleep longer at night, giving Mommy a solid 6 hours of sleep at night! Thank you! You have become such a smiley girl too! Everyone loves to see you smile! I was so impressed with how well you traveled this month as we made the 14 hour drive to and from Utah, slept at three different houses, and saw many family members and friends that you'd never met before. You were such a good sport and never really got upset during these potentially stressful things. What a good baby!

 I love you so much, Claire! Even more than last month.

I absolutely adore this blessing gown! Both of my little girls have been blessed in it now, so it's extra special to me!
When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, 10 years ago (eek!), I immediately started looking for blessing gowns. :) I stumbled upon this handmade gown online and fell in love instantly. The pure white gown with satin ribbons, the beautiful sheer overlay with flowers and embroidery, the delicate lace edging, the sweet matching bonnet, and the amazing length -sigh- it was perfect in every way! It turned out that Andrew was a boy, of course, so my Mom and I found him an adorable little white suit to be blessed in, and I tucked this gown in the back of my mind for sometime in the future.

Fast forward six years to when I was pregnant for the third time - with a girl this time! After the ultrasound, I went home and tried to find this gorgeous gown again. I found Dbinkie, the talented seamstress who made it, but this specific gown was no longer available. I remembered the name of the gown was Savannah, so I emailed the her and asked her if there was any way she could make one for me. She replied, saying that the material was discontinued. I was pretty disappointed, as no other gown could possibly be as perfect. Then, I received a surprise email from Dbinkie, saying that she found a little extra Savannah fabric tucked away in her stash, and would I still like her to make me the gown? Of course I said, YES! I was ecstatic! The gown arrived and was just as beautiful as I had hoped for!

Of course, it was even more beautiful worn by Hannah and Claire on their special days!