Last Monday is was Beeeeeautiful here. But before we could hit the beach Ali and I had to man Off Our Rocker while Tony had a business call. Note the beads, Huggies spray-sunscreen, and what appears to be texting. Oh, and her ADORABLE new hair-do.

Baby in her toy box/basket.

I got my hair highlighted last Wednesday!!!

Sleeping on the way to Grandma and Grandpa’s Thursday morning[ish].

Trista and Ali running through the sprinkler on Friday because it was HOT.

Then we cooled off the this boat turned pool.

And that brings me to last Saturday, which was the annual Lewis family picnic. Upcoming!

So we’ve been back well over a week now. But this just never happend. And now it seems kind of distant, so I’m just going to narrarate some pictures. Thank you Billie for a lovely week up in the San Juan Islands!

This is Ali wating for the ferry in Anacortes. We left in the evening and drove to Seattle. Got there about 12:30am and slept at Billie’s house. Then got up in the morning, left about 7:30am to catch the 11am ferry (it’s about a two hour drive). Got in line and everything. Ferry was delayed almost an hour. Ali did well though and we made it and surprised Billie!

The crowd at the last softball game.

Ali playing with her new friends Jade(right) and Coral(left).

Ali playing on the beach just down from our apartment.

Huddle.

Projecting Sesame Street.

We were a family of crabs forthe annual Invertebrate Ball.

If you haven’t taken a look at the numerous other pictures yet. Hoping to get a quicky update in today, assuming Ali goes down for an afternoon nap soon. This evening we are going to Manzanita to see/have dinner with my Grandma and my Uncle Don’s family. And we seen to be spending 9pm-9am in bed lately trying, trying, trying to get some sleep. ANY SLEEP!

She took these adorable pictures, during two separate mini-shoots while we were in Friday Harbor last week. And introduced me to a new technique for getting Ali to smile. Camera peekaboo! Now why didn’t I think of that before?

At this point it seems like forever ago, but just afew short weeks ago we were at my parents’ house. We got there on July 16th (I know because the reason for our visit was my getting a wisdom tooth pulled). When we left their house for my appt. we noticed a flatter than flat tire. Lame. Luckily Trista let us take her car, which had just gotten out of the shop the day before. Sometimes luck follows lack of luck.

The tooth removal was fine, I was done 45 minutes after walking in the door. Was sore for a few days, but they give you the good medicine and oneof could supposedly breastfeed with so I survived. Although I did spend a few days fighting nausea while on it.

The first night we were there Ali opened a bunch of presents from my parents and siblings. Jordan got her this Elmo house which she loved (and is still loving- she now scampers into it to hide out everytime a diaper is brought out) but kept knocking over in her attempt to hug and kiss Elmo.

Saturday (we were there from Wed-Mon) we went to the zoo. I don’t think I’ve been there much on weekends before. Especially not summer weekends. Actually I haven’t been to the zoo at all in five years at least. Much had changed and it was pretty crowded. Reminder to do as my mom did when we were kids and go on in-service days. Ali was kind of cranky and much more interested in the other kids than the animals but we had a good time.

Real-life baby bear!

She was into these fish…

…until this little guy showed up.

Before she took a stroller nap.

On the way home.

Saturday evening we had a BBQ. That turned into a birthday BBQ. But began as me asking my dad to BBQ for dinner sometime when we’re there. Because he usually works swing shift this was a number of months in the coming. First we invited my Grandma, then Jordan and Becky, then Gabby and Trista’s new boy Tyler. Although at that point I don’t think they were offical yet. Anyway…

Doing the ‘more’ sign.

My mom told her to kiss the Elmo on her plate.

Playing ‘Apples to Apples.’

Playing with Alyssa at Hammerlee park on Sunday.

If you haven’t seen yet, many more pics here.

Got back from visiting my parents this afternoon. No time for posting much anymore, when we don’t get to spend much time with so many people. Had a good visit, will post more about it soon. Hopefully tomorrow. Until then, I have uploaded an album.

Take it easy. These are, after all, the dog days of summer. Or something along those lines…

Hmmm, where have the last few days gone? Must be a post to come in the future. Anyway.

We woke up about 4am on the fifth, last Saturday. We left the house at 4:30am and Ali was still asleep in her carseat. She woke up in the airport, happy. She was so funny. We first flew from Des Moines to Minneapolis. Ali slept. Pretty sure I did too. The plane was bigger this time, which was a relief to me. In Minneapolis we had about an hour and a half to wait. We let Ali play a bit in this kid’s area. At the gate she had a blow-out (which she doesn’t normally do anymore) that required a clothes change. Glad we carried on her luggage.

Out last flight left around 9:30am and we got to PDX just after eleven! It was a three plus hour flight so we were putting the time change to good use. And on the way back….we got an extra seat between us! It was absolutely glorious. When reserving the seats on flights with three-seat rows Tony specifically reserved the window and aisle seats hopnig forthis exact situation. And it couldn’t have happened on a better flight. ali didn’t fall asleep until we’d been in the air for awhile. Then she was awoken shortly after by how FREAKING LOUD they talk on the overhead system. For the first time we had to work to amuse her.

Before take off.

First nap.

Eventually we all napped, Ali and I laying down across Tony. It was nice. Well, airplane nice. When we landed in PDX we had to descend through layer after layer after layer of clouds. Welcome home. It rained over the mountains. We got home about 2pm. And now, about a week later, I think we’re actually to a point we could consider "recovered."

In case you haven’t seen the third album yet, which has party pictures, pics from the 4th, and these click here.

Just blogging about the trip is making me tired at this point.

The fourth we woke up at like 6am because we wanted to leave around seven. Above is what Ali looked like before we had to wake her. Basically a birthday hangover. I have no pics of her outfit in it’s entirity but the plaid fabric is a little skort (skirt-shorts combo for those of you not up on your little girls’ fashion) with a tiny polka dot tank and a big, pink, polka dot bow. She was adorable as adorable could be. The tank you’ll see much of later.

The memorial service was for Tony’s Great Uncle Dan, Grandma Swalla’s older brother. He passed away in December, in California where he lived. Though I never got to meet him, he sounded like a great man. There was a mass held in his honor (my first Catholic service and it was kind of nerve-racking). The one that started at 8am. Ali did so well. She was a little antsy and just wanted to talk and sign. We kept tryingtoput the pacy in her mouth but after the fast everyone seemed to love she was making noise. I guess her tiny joy was keeping with Uncle Dan’s spirit.

From the service we went to the graveyard to bury the ashes and then back to the church to plant a tree in his memory , followed by a brunch. Somehow we didn’t take many pictures. Probably we were too busy meeting/catching up with so many people. Ali and I got to meet so many Swallas (or former Swallas), everyone nice as can be. There weren’t many "kids" there, meaning Tony and I’s generation of younger which waskind of disappointing. Also disappointing was Susie and Steve sneaking out without saying goodbye! I’ve only been asking Tony for about ever if you guyswere going to come because I was so looking forward to seeing the Wolfe family again.

After the brunch Ali was so, so exhausted so we drive over to Mary’s house. Ali napped inside while Tony and I sat out in the sun, enjoying so peace and quiet. Then Mary and Billie came home! Haha, I kid. Eventually Ali woke up and played around. Their land (farm?) is so, so beautiful. We ate fresh raspberries and showed Ali chickens and ducks in the pond right off their deck. And then there was inside!

Mary and Steve are so obviously experienced grandparents (besides Ella and Joey, they have Kate who is two or three and we didn’t get to meet), they have a whole set-up that Ali just loved. And Elmo chair, numerous riding toys, a piano thing, and all sorts of noise makers. Add to that FIVE people paying attention to just her and Ali was pretty much in heaven. But, backing up, when Ali first woke up Steve (Mary’s husband if I didn’t mention that) put some water in this bird bath for her to play in and then began snapping pictures. Beautiful, beautiful pictures.

Finally we had to leave. We were headed to Hyperion were The Carrolls were (and had been since, like, 9am). First we had to stop at Target to get baby bug spray and some of this new-fangled spray on sunscreen we’d been seeing. Then we went back to the house and packed some (I think Ali had needed a nap and immediately fell asleep but woke in the Target parking lot) because our flight left the next morning about 6:20am.

The afternoon and evening was spent out by the pool. The sun was kind of spotty by the time we got there, Ali was cranky, and we were hungry. Around four the buffet opened, then we swam a little, then Ali napped a little. Later we swam again, until about 7:30pm and it was so awesome. I love warm nights. Love them love them. they are pretty rare in the Puget Sound area and basically non-existant here. It was one thing I have always missed about the Portland area. Anyway, after swimming we changed and went back for more food. Then the bingo began! Which was fun and Karen even won. And itwas good prizes too, like $100-$400(!). But if more than one person won you had to split it.

Finally, about quarter to ten the firework show started. I seriously thought Ali would have already been asleep so never thought about what she’d think. But she was awake! At first she looked pretty scared and was covering into Tony as they lay on a lawn chair. But then she started kind of babbling and yelling. And by the end she was clapping! It was so, so cute and we were so proud of her. Becuase this was no driveway firework show. This one was intense and it was loud.

Trying to get her to nap amidst the chaos was fun. Eventually she did though.

This last pic is her wiped out when we got home. Which was around ten-thirty or so. A lot of planning had to go inotthings such as the outfit she was wearing. After swimming she wore it (needed to be warm enough for the night air), then slept in it, then we just put her right into the car seat in the "morning" (we had toleave the house by 4:30am!) and she flew in it too. While she slept we packed everything else up. I went to bed eleven or eleven-thirty but I don’t know when Tony did. I do know we were up before 4am!

As already mentioned Ali slept through the first part of her party. And it was her third nap that day. She woke really cranky and was so, so unsure of all the people when I brought her down. All the people = Tony and I, George and Martha (Karen and Georgia were at a swim meet and came later), Uncle Jim and Aunt Connie, thier son Todd and his girlfriend Meredith, and Grandma and Grandpa Carroll.

We’d gone the day before to the party store to pick out some decorations. We endedup getting an array of stuff; some "First Birthday," some Elmo/Sesame Street, and some Dora. We got to keep it a surprise because Ali let Karen, and even Georgia, hold her while we shopped. So she was super happy to see the Elmo platesand Dora napkins. She actually took an Elmo plate with her on the flights home and is still playing with it. She likes to fold it in half and then open it like she’s playing peekaboo with Elmo.

Sometime during dinner Ali spotted the presents and wanted nothing else than to be able to get to them. She was obsessed. Finally it was time and everyone headed in to watch. Tony set her down, expecting a beeline to the gifts and….nothing. She got scared and hid behind the rocking chair! Also notice that once she does come into the room she gets scared again and tries to climb on who she thinks is her daddy but is actually her great uncle Jim. It’s kind of shaky because I was laughing.

The next video is her opening her first present and then one of her opening her last, the "bike" Tony got for her. As good as she’d been for the past few days, at the farm, at the mall, everywhere, she wasn’t fully herself at this party.  Not as outgoing, not as friendly, not as funny. So that was kind of sad because it was the only time she saw all of the Carrolls.

Can you tell I was holding the video camera (well, actually Tony’s phone) instead of the camera during the present opening? Then it wastime for cake and ice cream and the unveiling of the final surprise:

The singing basically terrified her.

We have a one-year-old in the house!

Afterward we were supposed to do some sparklers but the mosquitos were out and people were starting to leave so it was brief. Then we came inside and Ali watched her new DVD and played with her new toys. Then it was to bed because we had to be at a memorial in Madrid (thirty minutes away?) at 8:00am the next morning.

A rare picture of Auntie Martha.

Chatting with the lid to her new toy.

The remains.

We all (Tony, Ali and I) woke up at 6:30am on her bday. Weird. Especially considering she was born at 8:49am Iowa time. At breakfast this happened:

If you can’t tell the dog was licking yogurt off her hands. Which Ali found to be quite hilarious. After breakfast we walked to Starbucks (which was a looooooong walk). Ali fell asleep which made me happy because she had a long day ahead of her. We went swimming at Hyperion and then home to shower because we were meeting Tony’s cousin Lyn, Aunt Mary, Billie (aka Grandmere), and Lyn’s two kids, Ella and Joey at the Merle Hay mall in the afternoon. Once again Ali napped and we were able to do some decorating for the party that was happening in the evening.

I can’t even begin to post all the absolutely adorable photos of Ali and Joey that I have. Mary has the nicest camera and seeing her high quality puts our camera to shame. So please check out her pics here and the rest of our here. Okay, Joey turned one mid-May and seems like such a mellow guy. And Ella you can tell if just a total sweetheart. Mary said that they sometimes look at this site together and that Ella asked when she got to meet the "girl who lives on the ocean." So cute. Without further ado, here is some of what went down:

Ali modeling for Mary.

Joey being silly.

Lyn and Joey, Tony and Ali, and Ella.

Ali got some presents!

Giving kisses!

And then these two starting loving on each other.

Joey got a little excited and bowled Ali over.

Right back to loving.

Ella playing with Ali’s new toys.

Ali trying to drink Joe’s milk.

Letting Grandmere do something that resembles holding.

Time to go.

Then we went home and put Ali down for yet another nap because there was no way she would last through a whole party…especially a laterish one. I think people began to arrive at 5:30pm and she didn’t wake up until after 6:15 or so. But that’s another post.

This is Ali’s Elmo cake that we MADE. And DECORATED. I know, it turned out pretty good, didn’t it. Before this though, we went to the Jordan Creek mall with Karen, Martha, Georgia, and Martha’s friend. Before that we stopped by Pink Hippo Bows where Ali got a few more "birthday presents." Actually they were probably more for me. Last year Karen bought Ali some tiny, tiny bows at the local farmer’s market (and if you’re an avid reader you probably saw the girl wear them often). We then ordered more from their website. Then, they opened a store and we got to visit. I am loving our purchases. You will perhaps spot these cute bows from now on.

Anyway, we went to the mall and they have a really cool kid’s area. Ali had so much fun and is such a little butterfly/daredevil. She tries to make friends with anyone and everyone. She’s also not afriad to climb up, down, or around anything. It was kind of scary to watch. And older girls (like 3-6) absolutely FLOCK to her. It was so hilarious to watch.

And now, the progression of Elmo! We didn’t leave the mall until pretty late. Ali almost fell asleep while eating in the food court. When we got home Georgia helped Tony and I bake the cake, then Karen came home and the four of us ate ice cream while we waited for it to cool. Then the decorating began. We didn’t finish until 11:30pm or so but it was worth it.