Dalia and Eloise love their Uncles and Aunties! We had a super great visit with Jim and Ali a couple of weeks ago. I'm super late even downloading photos. 
Frankly, I'm SO tired. With one child who won't sleep in the day and another who likes to be up at night, I dare say I'm a walking zombie, currently. Even still, I'm amazed daily at how pleasurable life feels (most of the time). I keep marveling at how grounded and present Eloise keeps me. Though recently it seems I can't stop thinking about choices for Dalia. At almost four she's ready but not quite ready for the big world, for independence, for responsibility.
Okay, all this rambling is just a window into what's going on in the borders of all these pictures and videos. Life is a dynamic reality, happy, frustrating, rewarding, difficult. Yesterday was my birthday. I got a card from my mom that brought tears to my eyes because the sentiment was exactly what I would say about my daughters - she said I've "been the light of her life for 36 years." How could I ever have lived without the kind of love I get from my girls? Oh, yeah, I got it from my mom.
I hope the rest of you can see that Eloise is having no problem holding her own with Dalia.
Many of you know Dalia's lovey, Kitty Kitty. Well, on the way home from the coast Dalia planned his upcoming birthday party (apparently he's/she's six already). She'd made a birthday card for him a couple months ago and left it sitting on a table. The day after we got home I blew up a bunch of balloons and hung them up. She got the hats. I sang to him. Then I went about my cleaning up from the trip. I found her opening his card and a gift she'd put together for him with him sitting on her lap. It was heartbreakingly sweet. She posed for a picture with him (a rarity these days to get her to smile for the camera). Well, happy birthday Kitty Kitty! I'll never forget our trip through IKEA all those years ago while Dalia squealed and squeezed you tight. She's loved you best ever since. She bathes you, sings to you, asks you how you are, clutches you tight all night long. Please don't fall apart. Please.
Though it mostly rained or was cold and windy, we managed to find a little bit of peace and fun at the Oregon Coast last week. Gigi came with us, which was a treat, especially for Dalia who loves her so much. We did manage to get a little sun, but even still, Dalia and Mark (and sometimes the rest of us) braved the elements to enjoy the sand and surf. Thanks to our good friend, we also got to land in an absolutely beautiful house, such a retreat. Also, we visited to strange and wonderful coast must sees, Tillamook Cheese Factory and the Seaside Aquarium. We're thankful for the quiet time together.
One good thing about inclement weather - Kites!
Gigi relaxin'
Dalia is a true Oregonian. Played in the sand with Dad until soaking wet. Gigi, Eloise and I sat at home watching the rain come down in sheets from the windows. Apparently, it was Dalia who finally said, "let's go home."
Shouldn't we all be this happy to be alive?
Dalia and Gigi
My big girl playin' in the sand.
Asleep with the most incredible backdrop. We were lucky to get one beautiful day.
Eloise was completely jealous of Dalia's ice cream cone. I did give her just a teeny taste. Her first...of many I'm sure.
Our front yard. So serene.
Seriously, could she get any happier?
Last week we went on our first trip as a whole family with little Eloise. We went to Central Oregon, one of our favorite spots in Oregon. So beautiful and sunny. We had a great time! Though, we are learning that vacations do not mean relaxation these days, but thankfully, we had a few years of relaxing vacations before children. We'll get some more eventually. In the meantime, it's all about sharing our love of nature and exploration with our girls. We actually took some detours we might not have because we wanted to have an adventure with them. Particularly Dalia. She shares our love of exploring and Eloise had just as much fun touching the trees and smiling up at them. Soon enough she'll be making us let her crawl around in the dirt.
Each day we took a walk together and then hopped in the car to find a waterfall, a river, a warm patch of forest to run around in, even some snow!, and a trip to the High Desert Museum.
I'm currently battling sleep deprivation so it's difficult to muster up the enthusiasm I'd like to have. We are beat. A happy father's day for Mark is getting to read his book quietly for a few minutes (which he is doing right now) and hopefully have an hour to take a run up in Forest Park by himself. I'm so thankful for his partnership everyday, but having a whole week off with him to be together as a family makes me appreciate him and all he does that much more. Our girls are so incredibly fortunate to have a dad like Mark. He's thoughtful and patient, funny and loving all day and all night, and even manages to cook, clean up and make coffee for us everyday. My now permanent eye twitch from exhaustion thanks him especially for the coffee.
I wrote the above almost two days ago. We've settled back into our routine and both Mark and I have had some time to ourselves. Our girls show us so clearly how much better they are when we take care of ourselves, too. They both went to sleep well and left us with some free hands to finish this, water the garden and enjoy the sunny evening. We're so thrilled that summer actually looks like it's going to come.
Dalia was crawling by this age, but Eloise has been, well, mellow to this point. Now that she's trying to sit, roll, grab, hold, open, drink, eat, she's letting us know when she's frustrated. But, I couldn't feel prouder for her sitting up. She's so dang cute.
