Graduation

As usual now that we have two kids it takes us a little bit longer to get out of the door than usual but we got to Brandon's graduation in enough time for him to jump into the procession with his cohorts. I didn't get pictures of all of them, but we grew to love the friends that we've made through his program. I am so proud of all of them.

I think that this Master's Degree is worth extra because Brandon earned it while still making time to take care of our family.


We made cupcakes to commemorate the occasion.


Rocky decided that she looked so good in her daddy's hood that she would start studying to get her own.

Goldilocks and the Two Bears

Goldilocks

Two Bears


We had a great time camping at Hill's Creek Reservoir with the Callisters and Richards.

It is so easy to lose yourself in the beauty of nature. Especially when you are with great friends and get to cook a paella on an open fire.

NCAA Track Championship

Some really rich people gave money so that us poor folks could get free tickets to the NCAA track meet. We had seats that were right at the starting line. It was a little bit hard to see who was in the lead from our vantage point, but we were right there to watch the facial expressions of the athletes as they gave their final push. It is exciting to see athletes who have worked so hard make it to this big meet. Heyward Field is a great venue but, following the traditional Eugene weather, the rain came tumbling down. We were soaked and enjoying ourselves immensely, especially Rocky.

A Couple of Extra Pictures

We went to Andrea's graduation and Rocky was super excited.

She decided that if she was going to make it to her own graduation one day that she'd better hit the books immediately.

Beach House Blast

It seems like every time we go on any kind of vacation I end up feeling a little bit un-enthusiastic about our accommodations. Generally we stay in a crappy place that was found on some kind of super-saver deal. The description on the internet when they are booked entices me to believe that I have found a hidden jewel and I always optimistically (and naively) imagine a cozy and quaint home-away-from-home. Last year in San Francisco we hit the jackpot with The Mosser, but just about every other time we've stayed somewhere there was undoubtedly a reason that the room was cheap, and it was painfully clear that you get what you pay for. I don't really mind because it makes me feel good to save the money, but it can be a little bit discouraging in that moment when you are driving up with a hopeful heart to get the first glimpse.
I only mention that feeling because I assume it may have happened to you before. When you spot your ideal vacation retreat and then you drive right past it to pull into the junky motel hidden around the corner.
When I headed to Depoe Bay for a girls night out with some of my pals a couple of weeks ago I had a similar experience...well, not really. I looked up and saw the most perfect little beach house I'd ever seen and then we pulled into the driveway. I kept looking for the ugly shack that we were destined for until I realized that we were actually going to stay in the fun spot.
We watched the sunset on the beach and played games. We hung out in the hot tub, ate snacks and laughed a lot.
I had so much fun hanging out with the ladies and they are such awesome women.

Amy, Lori, Jen, Kristin, and Tara - Angie missed being in the picture.

Stir Crazy

Rocky's got a little cold and it was rainy for most of the day so we were stuck inside. I guess we've got a little cabin fever going on because the girls were a little wild.

Yesterday was one of those really long, really rainy days. Rocky was on a rampage. I took her to the library where she was a terror, pulling books off the shelf, running, throwing the CDs off the stand. I know that the librarian gave a sigh of relief as we headed for the door. Then when we got home she got into everything imaginable, and made one mess after another. Basically she was driving me nuts.
Needless to say, when it was time for me to leave to go to our Young Women activity, it wasn't hard for me to shove her toward her daddy and run out the door.
The surprising thing about this situation is what happened later, when I was trying to fall asleep. I just kept thinking about how smart she is getting, and how great it was when she recognized the number 8 on Brandon's new Spain jersey. I just kept picturing her cute little facial expressions and I found myself smiling and giggling to myself in the dark.
Being a mom is funny that way.

Bonus Pictures


I know it probably seems that you've seen about a million stroller pictures, but honestly, how can I resist? These two love, love, love to ride around Eugene. Daisy usually doesn't even fall asleep because she is just looking around and trying to take it all in. It also comes with the advantage of being the only time of the entire day when Rocky will sit still.

During the branch Cinco de Mayo celebration Rocky and her buddy McCoy thought that if they used an army crawl, nobody would notice them center stage. It almost worked, except that everyone noticed.



Here she is hanging out with Aurora who is happy to chase her all over the church gym for hours at a time.

After Rocky goes to bed we usually have a pretty good time trying to shower Daisy with the attention she didn't get all day. I think it is more fun for us than for her.




No, we're not potty training yet, but I put her on for the can for a couple of minutes before she takes a bath, just so she can catch up on current events from The Week magazine.




Daisy has a deliciously adorable little face. Her cheeks get fatter by the second and they almost look like they will explode if they grow any more. She is happy and smiles and coos all the time.