Summer Times

We have a photo of Greta on the bed like this when she was Therese's age, so I thought it was fun to see the girls sitting like that together.
Sisters!
Therese fell asleep in the carrier and stayed asleep when we took her out of it and put her on the bed. Greta used to sleep just like this too! But I must say, Therese is a MUCH better napper than Greta was as a baby...she takes long ones and barely needs any help to go to sleep. Greta was my 45 minute--must be carried in the sling the whole time or else--napper. Therese basically needs a relatively quiet and calm place and she'll just sleep--sometimes for 3 hours!
Happy Father's Day!


Since our home is pretty small, Therese often takes her naps in the bathroom in her car seat or bouncy chair (unless we're out and about, then she sleeps in the Baby Bjorn carrier). It's cool, quiet and dark in the bathroom and she usually sleeps really well in there!
A couple days ago we returned from a 10 day visit to Washington. Our first stop was at the home of our dear friends Curtis and Julia. They recently had another baby too--Briar Jane--born a month or so before Therese. Here are the two girls hanging out together.
Coincidentally they were color coordinated that day!
Greta had a blast playing with Lillian in the pool in the backyard! During the rest of our trip she mentioned it several times. It's too bad we're not neighbors :-(
Our next stop on the way to my dad's was at Melissa and Kristen's to see our nieces Ida and Poppy, now about 14 months old. Here's Poppy. Her head is still healing from the intensive skull surgery she had in April (a day before Therese's birth actually)--she was born with her plates fused together and so the doctors had to separate them to make room for her brain to grow. She is a little sweetie.
Auntie Lissa--as Greta calls her--with her new niece.
And here is our other dear, sparkling niece Ida with her parents.
We stayed with my dad and Linda for 4 nights.
Jenny came over for a couple of visits and here she is with Therese. These two really bonded on our trip. Therese really mellowed out with Aunt Jenny in the evening when she is often quite fussy! Jenny didn't want to let her go!
Therese on her first swing ride ever--at Nana Judy's. Therese is actually a really smiley baby, but she looks rather serious here doesn't she?
The beautiful view Therese had from Nana Judy's deck!
My mom and Shayne came for a visit while we were at Hans and Judy's. We walked down to the beach.
On the beach with Nana Kaka.
Greta and Grandpa Shayne.
Great Grandma Hope and Therese meeting for the first time at my dad's church in Dupont. Matthew had the privilege of preaching there--it was quite a family affair!
Greta in an adorable dress from Nana Judy--on the 4th of July. Sadly our two little Canadians missed Canada Day and were forced to celebrate America's independence instead! :-)
Therese, Great Grandma Hope, and Great Aunt Debbie.
Out on the deck swing with Grandma Linda and Adda Dan (as Greta calls him!) A sweet picture! I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures on this trip--Hans and Judy took us all to the zoo and everything (Greta's first time--Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma) and I didn't even manage to get pictures there! Silly.
The girls with Aunt Jenny and Uncle Dalton.
Sweet Grandma Hope and I at my dad's on the 4th.
On our way back to Vancouver we stopped at the home of our friends Natalie and Ben. It was a beautiful summer day and we enjoyed lunch together and Greta had a fantastic time playing in the sprinklers before the rest of our drive home.
Greta helped water Natalie's plants, which she loved.
Getting warmed up with Papa!
Natalie and Therese.
Also, this picture gives you a glimpse of how incredibly cute Natalie and Ben's house is! Our whole trip we stayed or visited people in HOUSES--not tiny apartments. When we returned home our place seemed so small to us! And Greta keeps saying (I mean, literally, at least a couple times a day): "Someday Greta have a house too!" Ok, so the majority of the world lives in places smaller and less nice than ours, so we are definitely grateful and it definitely works, but having a house would be so wonderful!!! I just have to keep telling myself, "Someday we'll have a house too" :-)
Natalie painted Greta's toenails--I wish she lived down the street too so we could visit more often (and maybe even get some babysitting our of her? Greta would LOVE that!)