Life Lately

morning breakfast. Every night when I ask Hannah what she's thankful for that day, she says, "bananas, pan-takes, mik"

lunch break while showing dad her mountain bike skills

Hannah climbing a tree, which is usually an airplane. 

the girls with their friends, Owen & Sam in Arches. We usually do this at least once a week. 

Art board and undies. 

We added some manure to our garden area-- Hannah came up to me at one point and literally said, "Cee-cee trew horse poopy in ma hair." 

The only pregnancy selfie I've taken. 34 weeks. 

Liesel is a total animal lover. Every time I see her play with them, I'm overwhelmed with guilt that I haven't made her little dreams come true. This is her friend Ava next to her. 

I told Hannah to model her new big-girl undies after her first successful two weeks. This is what she gave me. 

Hannah and her friend Brynlee hiking Park Ave in Arches. The perfect 1 mile hike for kids. All slightly downhill and you shuttle back to the beginning. You can see Liesel and Owen in the distance. 

New baby-Hays! Peeking out from behind my placenta and her arm. I know you wanted to know that. We got a free 3D ultrasound at the hospital, so I went for it.  

We went to a birthday party for our neighbor and friend, John & Kelly at the bowling alley. Liesel was into it! 

Hannah and her babies. She loves her dollies. Liesel is in her gymnastics outfit in the back setting up her "beach"-- her duck blanket on the floor with her umbrella and towel set out. It is almost impossible (actually, I think it is impossible) to keep these girls clothed all day. 

Toddler mountain-bike ride. 

The kids on their strider bikes, rippin' it up. 

Grand Canyon

Fueling up in the bus on our way to the Kiabab trailhead. The driver had to make a PSA twice to remind me no eating or drinking on the bus. 

Starting our descent! 

Can you spy Lindsey hiking down? 

Spotting the Colorado on way down and then again the way up. The drop-offs off the trail were kinda insane. Good thing it was as big as a sidewalk! 

Hannah just asked if that was Aunt Lin-zee and then laughed. :)

Making our dinner-- they had full on picnic tables, amo cans, water pumps, bathrooms with pit toilets etc down at the Bright Angel Campground where we camped. This park is so massive, I kind of like how they have infrastructure in a few places. 

Hiking out the next morning.

Crossing the Colorado on the old suspension bridge. Notice Lindsey's many hair styles. Side pony, fishtail braids, high pony, high bun, hair down with beanie. . . :) girl, you know I'm joking. 

Hiking out by the creek

I got a few odd looks hiking out, but I am totally confident that our pace and the pack were totally fine baby-wise

Speaking of babies-- me and my two sweeties at the top. I realized that the GC is not a good place for toddlers. I was terrified someone was going to fall off. 

 Lindsey was coming down. Brian was at the Grand Canyon for two-week Fundamentals (a course for permanent NPS employees). He was hiking down with Skyler for the long weekend and hiking out in time for church on Sunday. On Lindsey's drive down, I asked if she would want to go backpacking. She didn't think she could make it work, but on Saturday we decided that it could work and prepared for our trek down to the GC.

The hike was a much needed escape from the groundhog day that is life with little ones. It felt good to talk, laugh and spend 24 hours (almost to the minute) with an adult. . . and not just any adult, but Lindsey. It was really really great.

When we hiked out at 3:30pm the next day, Brian had the car packed and the girls ready for the drive home. When I asked the girls how it went with daddy, they gave me the most hilarious report. I could not stop laughing:

"So did you have fun with daddy?"

"well-- we went to a party [which was a potluck] and we were being really crazy. And we wouldn't talk to anyone [his friends in the Fundamentals course] and we kept stealing food and Hannah grabbed a bag of chips off the table and dumped the whole thing on the floor."

"So then what happened?"

"we went to daddy's house and he put his head down on the table and said we could watch Frozen on his bed. When we woke up it was good. He made french toast and we went to three different parks. And another party and we did talk to people."

Bah ha ha!

Lindsey and I drove home right after hiking out. The girls must have drank a liter a piece, because there were 1,000 stops on the drive home. And in true Liesel style, she didn't fall asleep until 10 minutes before we got home (of the 6 hours we drove).

Life with kids.

PS: the Grand Canyon is a terrifying place with toddlers. Just FYI.