you capture {water}

You know Summer has officially arrived when bedtime gets just a little bit later each night and every outdoor activity involves some form of water play.  Since it has finally been heating up around here, we've spent many hours in the wading pool, one trip to a "real" grown-up size pool, and countless evenings playing with water in buckets.  I'm almost certain she just prefers the buckets.  Of course, for more creative water photos, I could have taken pictures of the rain we had on Tuesday, but I wasn't exactly sure how to capture my disbelief that we were having rain at the end of June.  And it wasn't your typical warm Summer rain.  It was cool rain, feeling more like March than almost July, and the storm dropped more than an inch.  I'm pretty sure we're still in California, but with weather like that, I can't really be sure.  In other weather related news, we are expected to heat up to 105* this weekend, so the prospect of future water photos seems very promising at this point.

If we do, in fact, heat up to 105* as predicted, our water activities will no doubt involve water in its coldest, most refreshing form...ICE.  And LOTS of it.

For more water-inspired photos, visit You Capture.

more animal adventures with baby kitties

I may have mentioned a few times about Laci's love for animals...like here, and here, and here.  Oh, and here, and here, and here.  I even highlighted her extreme love for kitties here.  Well, just in case I haven't made myself clear enough, I'm doing it again:

Laci LOVES animals, especially kitties.  To call her Elmira would be an understatement.

Stray kitty mama from last Summer has struck again.  We were not successful in taming last summer's  litter, and even less successful in taming mama, so we didn't gain any kitties, mama didn't get fixed, and she had another litter about seven weeks ago.  This time, she thoroughly proved her inadequacy as a mother by building a nest in a honeysuckle bush, about four feet off the ground, and giving birth between Spring rainstorms.  At first, it seemed like a safe and sheltered place for the litter, but within a week, the litter of five had dwindled to two, as the rest were victims of their lofty home.  The two survivors lived in their dark, leafy nest for about four weeks, during which time we would temporarily capture them, pet them, and let them see the light of day.

At four weeks, it was just too sad to see two little kittens stuck in the dark in a bushy nest where they didn't even have room to play.  So, we (mostly my mom) took it upon ourselves to become surrogate kitty mama's.  We removed the kittens from mama's care, brought them inside, and supplemented with bottle feeding (again mostly my mom) for a few weeks.  As of today, they are no longer bottle fed, and are the sweetest, cuddly kitties, who are only just learning to run when they see Laci coming their way.  If they want to survive to cat adulthood, I recommend they learn to run from her faster, because sometimes (well, most of the time) her love for the kitties leads to near strangling of the kitties.

Meet Dolly & Dora

***

Sometimes kitties need to go to school...according to a toddler with a Fisher Price Finger People schoolhouse.

Why else would they fit to perfectly inside the building?

If the kitty should try to escape after being securely enclosed...

...the toddler will be ready to put her back in her place.

It was at this point that I had to stop taking pictures because the kitty's head was stuck squarely in the doorway, and the toddler was trying her hardest to pull her back inside.  In this case, photographic opportunity was sacrificed in order to avoid decapitating the kitty.

Oh yeah, I can see the resemblance!

a big surprise

So, mom probably isn't going to be thrilled about being plastered at the top of the blog again, or Aunty Jenny for that matter, but, if they are lucky, and I'm able to sit at the computer as long as I'd like, this post won't be at the top for long.

Why are they up there?

Because Aunty Jenny pulled off the surprise of the year with a special no-kids visit for my mom's birthday weekend.  Kristina, Beth, and I were in cahoots with Aunt Jen for a month about this visit with strict instructions to 1) not tell my mom about it and 2) ensure that she didn't make any other plans for this weekend.  Not the easiest thing to do, but we did it!  And my mom was totally surprised, to the point of speechlessness.  Speechlessness is very, very, very rare for this family and actually caused us some concern.  For a second, we thought that mom's silence was a sign of a bad idea...turns out, she was too excited to even scream.  Aunt Jen made up for it by screaming extra when she came in the front door.  Aunt Jen is always good for a happy scream, and some hand clapping, and even jumping if necessary.

My mom prides herself on always knowing what is going on with her little "chicks" as she calls us.  She was almost offended that we kept such a big secret from her, and was completely astounded that we were able to keep the secret so long.  Then, Kristina & Myles surprised her with a new microwave, which we've also known about for several weeks, and we proved again that we can still pull the wool over her eyes once in a while.

~ Little Maverick ... getting bigger ~

It was a fantastic weekend for all of us.  We ate, drank, and were merry...the usual for us.  I even managed to drag Ryan away from the house long enough to enjoy a BBQ.  I took tons of pictures of Laci, some of the family, and none of myself.  And the best part is, Aunt Jen will be back up this weekend with the whole family to celebrate the 4th.  I really do love Summertime.

~ it's hard to believe it was cool enough for a blanket ~

~ of course, some of us had a more difficult time with our blankets ~

happy birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday.  She doesn't really like being the center of attention.  In fact, she doesn't like it at all.  So, she probably really doesn't like having an extra large picture of her pasted at the top of my blog this morning.  Too bad!  Because today is her day to celebrate life, and my day to celebrate having her in my life.  At least she isn't alone in the picture.  We can just tell her everyone is so engrossed in looking at my beautiful baby that they didn't even notice her there.  HA!

Seriously, my mom is awesome and I can't imagine life without her.  Can you tell how much I love my mom?  No really, I do.  And I feel lucky in being able to say this because I know of people who don't get along with their mom, who have a terrible mom, who don't have a mom at all, and I actually hurt for these people because life without a mom must be really hard.

I'm hoping for amazing things for my mom this year.  She has retired from her "day job," in order to focus more fully on her family, her dreams, and her health.  She doesn't like to talk about her health, but I'm just going to put this out here...her hands don't work very well.  Carpal tunnel, which can be helped, and arthritis, which can't be helped much, keep her from doing many of the things she so loves to do.  It makes me sad to see her struggle, and to see how much she tries to deny and hide it.  But her dreams, they are only just beginning.  My mom is a dreamer, I get some of that from her, but my sensible side takes over too often and the fear of failure keeps me from dreaming too big.  I strive to be more like her.  She dreams of a farm, the kind that has a produce stand, and teaches canning classes, and might even have a pumpkin patch in the Fall. It might happen, it might not, but she is focusing on it, and it makes her happy, and I can't think of a better way for her to spend her time.  As for family, I can't remember a time in my life when my mom hasn't put her family ahead of everything else.  Laci and I are so thankful for a safe haven we can now visit daily when the discomforts of living in a shop/trailer get to be too much.  I'm sure in a couple of months when #2 arrives, we'll be even more grateful.

At this point, I'm sure my mom (who reads this blog regularly) is trying to hide under a rock or something.  I guess I could always delete this post if it turns out to be too much.  But as much as my mom hates to be the center of attention, she also loves to see her daughters doing what they love...in my case, blogging.  So, she will graciously allow me to ramble on at her expense so that I can exercise my writing muscles, and she will anxiously await my next post so that she can move down from the top of the blog.

I love you mom, and Happy Birthday.

father's day

Father's Day 2011

Ryan was getting ready to work on the house.

Laci insisted on going outside,

still in her pajamas.

At least I convinced her to put shoes on.

If fatherhood is about sacrifice, then Ryan has been earning extra credit.

He traded more relaxing Father's day traditions

for shoveling dirt.

Not a great trade, but a necessary one.

That is, if we ever plan on finishing our house.

Even though we haven't been spending as much time together as a family as I would like,

I know these sacrifices are necessary,

and will be worth it in the end.

I appreciate all that Ryan does for us,

and even though she's not yet aware of it,

Laci will appreciate it too.

Happy (very belated) Father's Day

to all the fathers who provide for, sacrifice for,

and truly love their families.

monday check-in

I was just reading some blogs from my phone and was feeling lame because I've been so terrible at blogging lately. I can't even blame it on lack of pictures to post or lack of things to write about, because I have plenty of both. I can partially blame it on Internet connection and ancient computer issues, neither of which I can do anything about. But, the real problem is me. Even though I love blogging, and it makes me happy every time I post something, I just haven't been making the time for it. So, I'm making time right now, from my phone, for fear that if I don't post something, anything, then I might give up and never post again. Ok, not really, but maybe...the thought has crossed my mind.

So, while I have birthday party and construction progress and Father's Day pictures to share, you'll see none of that here today. Those pictures are at home on my computer, where the air is a stifling temperature and where I am not. Instead, I have this lovely picture of my lap to share. Taken, conveniently with my phone, edited with a fun new app on my phone, and now, posted for all the world to see from my phone. Isn't technology great?

So, let's talk about this picture. Of me. Sort of. I so rarely post pictures of myself that I feel it's worth making a big deal out of it. Even though it is only part of me, it is proof that I really do exist.

The new app is Camera+, only cost $0.99, and is really fun. I even bought an extra set of effects for another $0.99 and it's really fun. Oh wait, I already said that. But it is. Fun.

Check out that tummy! 31ish weeks today. If she decides to come early like her big sis, we'll be meeting our new little girl in seven weeks. Crazy! And no, we don't have a name yet. We are horrible at picking names. Laci didn't even have a middle name until after she was born, and I don't expect it to be any different this time around.

And check out those giant hand veins. My veins are usually pretty big anyway, but today is hot. Like 100 degrees hot, which might as well be a million, but since it isn't raining, I'll do my best to keep complaints to a minimum.

Oh yeah, and that is a giant cup of iced coffee on my lap, which probably isn't the best beverage choice for a pregnant lady, but it is Oh So Good. So good. And since I was up from 2:00 to 3:30 this morning with my firstborn, and was awoken by dogs barking at construction workers at 6:00 am, I feel like I've sort of earned it. Also, it's mostly half and half, so while I should probably be more worried about the calories than the caffeine, I, in fact, am currently not worried about either. I'm just focusing on how wonderfully cold and delicious it is. You can enjoy one too, courtesy of Ms. Pioneer Woman herself who loves things like cream, butter, and half and half just as much as I do.

I'm so glad we had this chat today. I feel much better now. I'm going to spend the remainder of my afternoon hibernating at my mom's house where the inside temperature is controllable, the ice is plentiful, and the baby pool is right outside the door.

My advice for today, do something that you enjoy and that makes you happy. Even if it is something little, you'll be glad you did.

suddenly Summer and pictures from my phone

Suddenly, it feels like summer around here.  Which, I suppose, is what should happen by the middle of June.

And suddenly, I feel very pregnant.  Which, I suppose, is what should happen when you're going to have a baby in a couple of months.

Summer + very pregnant = very hot.
But I probably didn't need to explain that.

I haven't been very diligent about taking pictures lately, or loading the ones I do take on the computer.  But I always have my phone with me and I take a few pictures here and there.  Sometimes I like to shuffle through them just to see how much Laci has grown.  What am I going to do if/when I fill up my phone with pictures?  Do I just delete them?  Then how will I look back and reminisce at random, odd times?  For the record, my phone pictures have been loaded onto the computer, so it wouldn't be like they were lost forever, just not carried in my pocket everywhere I go.

So today, because it is hot, and because I'm pregnant, and because they are available, you get to see a Laci-themed highlight reel from my phone.  By the way, my phone not only takes horrible pictures, but I tend to use it in poorly lit situations and with a subject that refuses to hold still...so, the quality leaves something to be desired.  The refreshing part about knowing the quality is going to be sub-par is that I can just capture the moment and move on.

~ i love sleeping pictures ~

~ i also love carseat pictures ~
Look, a carseat and sleeping picture combined...so sweet!
The one on the left is her first ride in the forward facing carseat.
Also, Elmo travels with us quite frequently.

~ just one of those mornings when nothing was going right ~

~ a much happier morning ~

~ the proper way to eat Noodle-O's ~

~ some big boots to fill ~

~ just being silly ~

And one of my personal favorites...

~ tackling the kitty ~
Just a daily occurrence around these parts.

sometimes I sew

Sometimes I sew.
Not often, and certainly nothing complicated.
But I do sew, and I like it.

A few months ago, I was reading one of my favorite photography related blogs (Kidnapped by Suburbia) and she posted a link to a little girl skirt pattern over at Oliver & S.  The tutorial isn't lying...it really is the simplest little pattern to follow.  And the size even worked for my tiny little one.

Now, most of the time I get a new idea to sew or craft, I go crazy and buy all the supplies, which then sit around for weeks, months, sometimes forever, without ever getting used.  I can't even tell you how many supplies I have for projects that have never been started.  Although, if I'm really being honest, it isn't near as many supplies as my mom has purchased.  I think it's a disease, and I definitely contracted it from my mom.  But, back to the point, which is that I refrained from going straight to the fabric store, sifted through some of my mom's scrap fabric and some ribbon I had on hand, and created this little number.

It was so simple and fun to make that I sifted through more fabric and made another one with cherries on it that I, for some reason, don't have a picture of.

And that's when the supply disease took over and I had to go at least a little crazy.  I went to the fabric store and came home with a bag full of ribbon and this stack of fabric.

And then I made these.

And then I made these.

Now, Laci has a surplus of skirts and I don't have to do laundry as often.

No, I didn't make these all in the same day, just in case you were confusing me with the Amazing Sewing Woman (which I definitely am not).  But, by the last few, I managed to start and complete a skirt in about half an hour.  That is, when I wasn't arguing with the machine about empty bobbins or other sewing malfunctions that I can never seem to avoid.

So, if you like sewing and have a little girl, or know a little girl, or think you might want to have a little girl someday, you should try this.  It was really fun, and probably the least frustrating project I've encountered.  Of course, while the skirt is a really economical item (I used less than a half yard for each of Laci's skirts), it will undoubtedly create a new problem in that you'll need to buy tops to match.  If you're lucky, you'll already have tops, otherwise, head to Old Navy like I did and stock up on the basics.

forts

Laci built her first pillow fort the other day.  Ok, it was actually a month ago and I've just gotten around to loading the pictures, but that is beside the point.  The point is, she pulled all the pillows off the couch by herself and had it set up pretty well before she needed my help.  My sisters and I built forts a lot growing up.  We had bunk beds for a while, so the bottom bunk always made an easy fort.  We built forts with sheets and tables and chairs, we built them outside with sheets and clothespins strung over the swing set, and we even had the occasional appliance box that made a much longer lasting fort.  Forts are one of my favorite memories from childhood.

Forts are perfect for reading magazines (upside down).

They're perfect for eating snacks, and storing toys and books, and even "deep" thinking.

And if you're almost two, and the fort falls down, you will most likely have a complete meltdown.

But that's OK, because your mom will help you rebuild and it will be almost as good as it was before.

Almost.

celebrating three years

We're celebrating three years of marriage today.  Well...low-key celebration...but happy nonetheless.

In honor of our anniversary, I went grocery shopping today.  I figured what better anniversary gift than a fridge full of food and some deodorant?  The truth?  I cleaned the fridge out yesterday of all rotten, old, inedible food, and when I was done, I could clearly see every single shelf.  I could deny it no longer...it was time.  So, I went shopping, which I hate to do, in case I haven't mentioned that a bazillion times in the past.  Hooray!  It is done, I didn't run over anybody with my cart (although the thought may have crossed my mind a time or two), and I won't have to do it again for a while.

For dinner I BBQ'd shrimp with a brown sugar & rum glaze.  Yes, they were as good as they sound, except I didn't have any Dijon mustard, had to use the yellow stuff, and the glaze didn't thicken up as much as it usually does.  I know I'm not selling it very well, am I?  Really, though, it is an easy and delicious recipe, just a couple of hiccups today.  I'm blaming it on cooking in the trailer, or on the yellow mustard, or on global warming.  Never mind about global warming, I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with non-thickening glaze.

They say your first year of marriage is the toughest.  For us, it wasn't.  Probably because we had already lived together for three years and had even bought a home.  Our first year living together, however, was definitely challenging.  We had been blissfully dating for a year, spent all our time together, it made sense to move in together also.  Except, not only did we move in together, but I also went back to school full time, and Ryan started a new seven-day-a-week job.  All this within a month.  It was during this first year together that we learned to live with (and even appreciate) each other's true character and quirks, and the year where we had the inevitable "where is this relationship going" conversation.  Although I would wait another year and a half for the Big Question, it was during this conversation that we committed to each other and to our relationship, and we haven't looked back since.

That being said, I have no doubt that our fourth year of marriage will be bringing with it even bigger challenges than the first year together.  We are embarking on the biggest project of our lives, living in less than ideal conditions, and bringing a whole new person into our little family.  I'd be lying if I said this doesn't stress me out almost daily.  But it is also comforting to know we have weathered some storms together, and survived, and are fully committed to each other, our marriage, our babies, and our vision for our future together.  And where love isn't enough... stubbornness will prevail.  To me, marriage is born of love, but survives on two strong wills and the commitment to making it work.

As I write this (for the second time this evening...thanks Blogger), Ryan is making root beer floats.  He knows the perfect ice cream to root beer ratio, then lets them sit in the freezer for a few minutes to set.  As I watched him grab a can of root beer from the fridge, I told him "That's why I love you."  And sure, there are about a million other reasons to love him, but root beer floats seem as good a reason as any right now.  When the root beer is ready, he'll bring it to me, with the froth all frozen, and a big spoon, and he'll forget to wrap the glass in a paper towel (I don't like cold hands).  But that's ok, because I love that I can predict this with almost 100% certainty, and cold hands certainly aren't a deal breaker around here.

{To Ryan:  If you're reading this, I hope you can see how much I love you.  And yes, you forgot the paper towel.}

when did June get here?

Has a week already passed since I was here last?  Is it June already?  Sorry, I hadn't noticed.  With tomorrow's forecast of rain and 60 degrees, I was certain we were still at the beginning of Spring, not approaching Summer already.

What have we been doing to be so busy that I haven't noticed the passing days?

Ryan and I went shopping for counter-tops last weekend.  Sounds exciting, right?  Well, ok, it kind of is.  But piecing a house together is a little difficult, and I just hope the end results at least resemble the pictures I have in my head.

On Monday, the Silva girls took a trip to the Sacramento airport to pick up Maverick. He's a mini Australian Shepherd and is the perfect puppy for Laci, mostly because he is my mom's puppy and I don't have to take care of him.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get a new puppy for Laci, but this certainly isn't the time in our lives for that.  Maybe in a couple of years.  In the meantime, she has this little cutie to play with and I'm sure they are going to become the best of friends.  Just as soon as he learns not to push her down and bite her.

And yes, it took four full grown Silva woman, and one little Edwards lady, to drive over an hour to pick up one little puppy, turn around, and drive over an hour back home.  We are a little obsessive about doing things together...in fact, that seems to be the only way we do things.  Loudly, and together.  Of course, being together makes the whole "being loud" thing a little easier.

Speaking of together, we also took a girls' road trip to Santa Rosa on Wednesday (fun) to go to my Aunty Penny's funeral (not fun).  I have to say spending three hours in the car with my family isn't the worst thing in the world.  We pretty much talk non-stop, eat a ton of very unhealthy food, and Laci has built in entertainment in the back seat.  Win-win for everyone.  I have to laugh though, because you know how sometimes you just have to take a breath from conversation and mentally regroup yourself.  Well, this bothers my mom.  A lot.  Every time there is a little lull in the conversation, even if just for a minute, my mom must blurt out, "Why is everyone so quiet?"  Is she worried we are going to stop talking completely for the rest of the trip?  Honestly, I don't think that could happen even if we wanted it to.  Eating doesn't even slow down our talking.  I think the only possibility of a silent trip with 4 1/2 Silva women in the car would be if everyone was sleeping, and even then I'm not completely sure.

Today, my mom, Laci and I ran some errands together.  Costco...Rhogam injection...some other places.  I was thinking about how long it takes to do all the little things like run to the bank, and the store, and the doctor.  Then I wondered how on earth I would accomplish even half of this if I had to work outside of the home too.  I wondered if I wasn't so busy when I used to work full time, or if I just didn't get everything done.  Seriously, I don't know the answer, and I'm glad I don't have to figure it out.

Now, another weekend is upon us and I'm anxious to see what it will bring.  I was hoping for sunshine, but it looks like I'll have to wait until Tuesday.  Before I know it, I'll be complaining about how hot it is...at least I hope so.