The Great Pacific Northwest and Weird Science Part Deux




We just got back a few days ago from our first family vacation to the land of:

Overcast days
Logging
Rain
Douglas firs
Razorback clams
More logging
Oysters
Volcano's dormant and active
Morel mushrooms (amongst others)
Even more logging
Moss
Little road side coffee/espresso shacks
and hey did I mention logging?

There are many other things symbolic of the Pacific Northwest, but this is a fairly good representation off the top of my head. = )

Here's just one of the many logging trucks we whizzed past during our journey:



In the upcoming week, as time allows, I will post a little photolog of our trip.

Until then I leave you with the next installment of Weird Science...
and you thought it was just for drinking and cleaning pennies!

India Agriculture


Soda Science

How popular are you?



Here's a fun little link that shows how popular your first name is.

Birthday Alarm

Enjoy!

'Nuff Said

Happy Halloween!



We hope that you got lots of wonderful treats!

Double Bubble Trouble!



Kellen and Lorelai had their first bath in the big bath tub last week. I thought it would save me time to wash them together, but it took longer because they were having so much fun and I had to take pictures of my bathing babes. They enjoyed kicking and splashing the water next to each other. It was incredible cuteness!
Here's a mini photo essay:



Splish Splash



Bathing Beauty



Lorelai helps Kellen wash his hair.



Zestfully clean!



Don't cry little brother, we'll take a bath together again soon.



Bath Gnomes

5 Months!



My babies are five months old today! I can hardly believe it. Time definitely seems to go by so much faster being a parent. We can slow down now thank you very much. I must cling onto these baby moments just a little while longer. = )

Sweet Boy

O Pumpkin, Pumpkin! Wherefore art thou Pumpkin?



On our fifth wedding anniversary we went to the pumpkin patch with our little pumpkins. It was a lot of fun hanging out with friends and picking out pumpkins for the kid's first Halloween. Sights and flavors of the day: yummy barbeque roasted corn slathered with melted butter, fresh sweet and salty kettle popped popcorn, succulent pomegranites, squash in all shapes and sizes, and a field of pumpkins(*) in all the hues of orange you can imagine.
Later in the evening we rented a movie and snuggled up while listening to the rain. Sweet rain, it has been too long indeed!
It was such a wonderful day, a refreshing change after the hard week we had. Kellen is most likely going through a growth spurt that has made his disposition less than cheery. It's hard being small!

Here's a few more pictures from our pumpkin hunt:



Lorelai, with a little help from mom, camps the pumpkin she wants!



Daddy takes a self portrait of Kellen and himself.



Kangaroo Family


*While technically pumpkins such as Cucurbita pepo are members of the squash family (Cucurbitaceae), I chose to take some poetic license here. = )

Tummy Time Togetherness!

Shiny Happy People



You wouldn't know from this picture, but yesterday was black Monday! This was taken in the morning and was the last time I would see smiles from either Kellen or Lorelai for the rest of the day. What was wrong? I am still not sure. Kellen wasn't having a good day, which rubbed off on Lorelai eventually (twin synergy activate!). Hopefully, it was just one of those extreme fussiness things. Needless to say I was a wilted teary mess by the time Daddy came home. It was definitely hard on all of us! Here's to a new day and a fresh start. = )

What a difference a year makes!

October 9, 2003 thawing and implantation day...



October 9, 2004 our little miracles!



***Warning sappy post to follow***

I remember how I felt a year ago today so scared and yet so very excited. We had waited a long time for this chance and had so much riding on it. In the end we were the fortunate ones indeed. I am incredibly grateful that the technology exists to allow us to be blessed with not just one, but two beautiful and healthy children. So many others are still waiting for that chance that may or may not come. We don't know why we ended up one of the lucky ones. We cherish every day we have with them (even the hard ones and whoa boy there have been some hard ones). They will always know how very much they are wanted and loved!

Look ma no hands!



Well, no mom's hands that is. Yep that's a picture of Kellen sitting up all by himself! No hand or propping support. He can't do it for long, but it's a huge milestone that I just had to post. :)

Sweet Lamby, how we love you so!


Kellen LOVES to hug his lamb and smoosh his face next to it.



Feeling jealous Lorelai casts "summon lamb"



Lamb lubbins




Thank you Keturah & Jeremy!

Hey little fishy


A reflection of Lorelai and her daddy checking out an exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific

Sunday we loaded up the mothership and went to the Aquarium of the Pacific! They were having a Pacific Islander festival with dancing, food, and arts and crafts. Since we honeymooned in Tahiti we thought this was the perfect chance to finally go to the aquarium (something we have been meaning to do for the last couple of years).
Well, it wasn't an original idea and the aquarium was quite crowded, but despite the crowds we did get to show Kellen and Lorelai: jellyfish, seahorses, seadragons, sea otters, and lots of very cool fish!
They both seemed to enjoy looking at everything even if they didn't know what we were showing them. We look forward to one day teaching them all about the world around them!

A cool mommy moment...
Earlier today I had to run an errand for dinner stuff and in the backseat Kellen and Lorelai were cooing and chattering like crazy (music to my ears). I looked in the rear view mirror and there was Kellen looking out the window checking out the view, while Lorelai (our little reflux girl) was delicately lifting the edge of her bib and smiling at her ladybug that we hung from her car seat. It's times like these that I realize how lucky I am to have them in my life! *gush*

Our day in a nutshell




2 kids
2 shots for each leg
2 long hours
2 many tears to count
2 very tired parents

4 months today!



Where else to celebrate four months since the birth of our little miracles than Disneyland? It was a beautiful day for a stroll on Main Street USA! We took in a Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show, did a little shopping (Lorelai loves her Minnie Mouse!), and grabbed a carmel apple from the candy shoppe on the way out. A wonderful day indeed!




4 month mommy notes upcoming soon, but now I am off to feed a hungry little boy. ; )

Lil Cutie

Just another reminder of how precious life is...

Allie

Sharing is twice as nice!

In an effort to provide new and interesting things to read here at the cove, I am starting a new feature called...you guessed it Weird Science!
Occasionally, I will offer a link to something scientifically interesting. My first weird science offering is this story:
The jaw bone's connected to the???

Enjoy!