Evening swim

Once we got back to the condo in Redmond we decided to spend the rest of the evening at the pool. Lily had a great time floating around the kidding pool and she even got a little tan!

Mount Bachelor and Devils Lake

Before the Smith's left for Washington we took a drive out toward Mount Bachelor and stopped for a picnic lunch at the park. It was a wonderful way to end their visit.

Fishing trip

Ed, Christy, and Kristen came down to visit for Father's day. These are a few pictures Eric took while out fishing with his dad and their cousin.

New bike trailer

After a week or two of riding Lily around in the bike seat, it was clear that her legs are too long to ride very comfortably so we ordered a bike trailer. It came yesterday and she was very excited to try it out. The first thing she did, without any prompting or help from us, was to decorate the flag with stickers. And when we told her to get ready for a bike ride, she immediately went into action loading up all her necessities. After much negotiation, we cleaned out the trailer with the exception of snacks, her Woody dool, and her Little Mermaid kickboard for the pool.

Mountain views

This last picture is the view leaving the Target parking lot

Driving back to Oregon

First time on the mall toys

Today on a shopping trip for a graduation gift, I thought it would be a nice treat for Lily to ride the toys at the mall. We passed right by them at the entrance and randomly, I had about two dollars in quarters--it was a "sign"! I imagined her delight as they lit up, moved, and played music...certain that they would be so much fun, she would be on her best behavior as we shopped, hoping for another chance to ride the gnome car before we left and headed to lunch.

But what actually happened was nothing like I hoped. She had fun on the first ride alright, but instead of behaving in Sephora for ten minutes, she threw a HUGE (and possibly our most embarrassing) tantrum because I wouldn't let her stay on the toys--crying, wiggling around to get out of my arms, crawling around on the floor when I let her down, and fighting against my mom when she tried to pick Lily up...it was...MOR-TI-FY-ING!!!

I could not wait to get out of there and when we finally left, I skipped our lunch plans, took Lily straight to my mom's to feed her lunch and put her down for a nap (amidst her protests). When she was finally asleep, Eric poured me a drink and I had my own brief cry over the whole situation.

Of course, I felt frustrated with her after it all, but I knew had to blame myself. Right as we pulled up to the mall, she said twice that she was hungry. Knowing we would only be 10-15 minutes, I made the decision to take her inside anyway (foolishly) expecting her cooperation. And a tired, hungry kid is not the best shopping partner in the first place, but when the added disappointment of "no more rides" is added in to the mix, it's a recipe for disaster!

I'd like to say it was a rookie mistake, but looking back, I know it was just bad decision making and poor planning on my part. I mean, Lily even communicated that she wanted to eat and everyone knows a shopping mall is usually not fun for preschoolers...The whole event was avoidable!

Sometimes I feel like a great mom and other days, I feel like a total failure. Hopefully I can take a few lessons from this miserable experience and become better.

*Pictures taken before said meltdown*

Graduation party after the meltdown

Sisters!

Lily and Blaise

The kids playing "baby" with baby Sophie

At some point during the night baby Sophie decided she didn't want to be everyone's "baby" anymore! Look at her expression--she's practically begging for an adult to rescue her from this torture.

Play date with the Escaleras!

Update on the housing situation...

We found our new home and after a little drama (of course!) we expect to close in three weeks! It's perfect timing because we have to be out of the condo on July 1st at 10:00 AM and our appointment at the title company is 8:00 AM that same day!

God continues to lay out our next steps--perfectly and peacefully.

Our drive to Washington

During my first drive to Washington, I noticed a few places that I wanted to stop and take a picture at during my next trip. Of course, when I actually pulled over to take the pictures, I realized that I hadn't accounted for that forceful, windy feeling when a semi (or ten) rushes past a parked car on the side of the road...scary!

New bikes!

Well we finally decided to buy bikes and a seat for Lily. At the beginning of the ride, she was clearly uncomfortable with the free, unstable feeling, but by the end of the ride, she was having a great time and asking me to go faster!

The views

I've been wanting to post a few pictures of the views out here so I pulled over during my drive into Bend. I stopped in front of a farm because I love the contrast of the green grass and blue in the mountains, unfortunately, that meant I had to get the telephone (?) poles in the picture too.

The top two pictures of views as you drive in to Bend from Redmond

This is a view as you leave Eagle Crest

Is Lily the next Taylor Swift??

Lily has been wanting a guitar for a few weeks now so I finally gave in and got her one. I just couldn't bear the thought that she might be the next Taylor Swift and I would be hindering her talent just because I don't like noisy toys!

Another hike

We took another hike up the hill behind our condo so Marissa could see the sights. It was a cold day so we didn't stay long, but we did get a few better pictures this time.

High Desert Museum...again

We enjoy this place so much that we did become members. It's a fun place for families and a beautiful facility! On the weekends they have living history actors who add to the whole experience by sharing stories and fun facts. I look forward to bringing our guests because it's such a unique place.

Lily on the rock slide

Lily and Marissa learning how to play a prairie game

Lily learning how to shovel saw dust at the mill

Eric and a living history actor at the mill, sawing off a souvenir from our visit