In Tribute

. . . to the last birthday balloon. It remained on the ceiling for six weeks straight! Wow. This past week, it slowly fell and is now a static-charged-dust collecting-hair ball and will soon meet it’s demise at my hand. But wow. I am honoring this simple, inexpensive little luxury for giving my daughter so much pleasure.

The ironic thing is, when James went to pick the balloon bouquet up before the party, there was a mix up, and he was sent home with the balloons without paying for them (James made another small purchase and so didn’t notice the discrepancy). So, our little scrupulous family made sure to return to the store and pay for them (there wasn’t even an order slip hanging around, and I had to tell them how much we owed them!). Still, that was the best birthday present we could have gotten her, and like Abraham and David both said, “It isn’t much of a present if you didn’t pay for it” (my words, not theirs), so I’m glad we did. :)

Clara gets a Balloon

So, with less than a week until Clara’s birthday, party planning is in full swing. Last Friday, I dragged James out with me to shop for party supplies (it’s a good man who will spend his Friday night giving his opinion on pink paper plates). When we checked out at Party Craft, they offered Clara a balloon. Usually I say no, but I was feeling festive so we took a yellow helium-filled balloon home with us. Clara loved having its companionship in the back seat, and we could hear her bopping it all the way home.

Here it is the next day, while we were making pizza:

There’s my whole family—even the balloon!

So cute even when she’s messy!

Five days later, the balloon STILL doing great! I’m impressed. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a latex balloon do so well!

I think it’s cute that she even knows how to crawl while holding it.

I thought that she was having a hard time holding the string the other day, but then I realized that she’s playing an opposite version of “let go-drop it-you pick it up” and had invented “let go-float it-you pull it down”. She’s one smart cookie.

When she’s on our bed, she can reach it herself.

Titus likes to pose in pictures I take of Clara. Poor dog. He’s not the baby anymore!

So, I think what this means is we will have balloons at Clara’s party. I just love watching Clara explore her world and learn the physics of things. Of course, we will use the utmost precaution with the strings and any popped pieces, but what cheap, innocent fun for an almost-one-year-old!

James and Clara make a video

Hello friends and family. Last Christmas we bought a video camera that we could use to capture special moments of our daughter’s life. Learning how to best put this camera to use in our home has been a year long process, and we are only now breaking through the wall of finding out how to create and post videos on YouTube. That’s right, it took one whole year for us to finally closed the technology gap between ourselves and teenage boys that accidentally light themselves on fire.

So, here is our first video to share with the world of our daughter. Hopefully it will be the first of many. I apologize for the low quality and the cheesy effects. This is really a test in many ways as I figure out our video editing programs and find the best ways to transfer files from the software to the internet. I wanted to try as many things as I had time and patience for. Any feedback that you might have would be great! I will not be offended by any knowledge that you could possibly share.

And most of all, please enjoy our wonderful daughter. We are so proud of her! just one more week and we can post pictures (and maybe more video) of her One Year Birthday!

~James

Take me out to the fair!

Last Friday, my family (mom, dad, brothers, sister-in-law, brother’s mother-in-law, husband, and daughter) ALL converged on the Alaskan State Fair. For Alaskans, the state fair is a BIG DEAL. We have no theme parks, children’s museums, walking streets, or petting zoos in our area, so it is pretty hard to resist the one time of year when we can go to a place and eat lots of greasy foods, pet sheep noses, and ride Farris wheels. Although many years it can be rainy and miserable, we were blessed with a lovely day. And all of us had a lot of fun together.

This year too, we had a new church booth at the fair which my parents put a LOT of work into. I wish I had gotten a picture of it; it was pretty neat looking. I spent part of the early afternoon (while James and Brady were still at work) helping at the booth and talking to people while Clara slept or went around the Fair to experience it with different family members. Here she came back with her very first balloon. This day had a lot of firsts for Clara.

Later, Mom, Aspen, Oletta (Aspen’s mom), and I went around looking at some of the sweet specialty shops available while Mom carried Clara in the Mei Tai.

We went to check out the giant vegetables too. Alaska cannot grow many warm climate vegetables well without a lot of help, but it sure has the cold varieties down. Plus, with our super sun exposure, they can get REALLY big. We commonly break records for giant rutabagas and turnips and such.

But this year was a big one for us Alaskans as we broke the world record for giant cabbages twice! Once with a 125 lb cabbage and again with an 127 lb cabbage! Here’s the photo taken by yours truly of the biggest cabbage in the world EVER (can you find my shadow : )

Here are the other large veggies Alaskan farmers brought in. AND, big news for our family, there in front, that green bowling ball thing with the red ribbon? That says “Kuenning” on it. Yep! Its a kohlrabi grown by my own mother! It weighed in on the official scales at 5.31 lbs. The sad thing is that we ate the really big one before Mom knew that there was a second veggie entry!

Yay, Mom!

About this time, James and Brady arrived, and then the party really got going. Hi, Sweetie!

The day was “Aviation Day,” and we got to watch hot air balloons and helicopters and such fly over.

We also ate lots of yummy food. Here Dad is enjoying one of the best fair treats available: a custardy cream puff drizzled with chocolate. Mmm! Too bad Adam isn’t interested.

I LOVE Adam’s expression in this one. James and I crack up when we see it. “Please Sir, can I have some more?”

There were all kinds of events and animals to see. I am kicking myself for missing the photo opportunity of Clara seeing, hearing, and (sometimes) touching live barnyard animals for the first time. Her eyes got so big when she walked into the big barn and heard the animals. These pigs are getting ready for a race (that we missed). There was just so much to do!

Here they had an entire building set up for kids and families to explore that was FULL of reptiles and amphibians flown up for the occasion. Like I said, we don’t have aquariums and children’s museums, so stuff like this is really exciting.

And creepy? Many were poisonous. Um, I live in Alaska because there are NO snakes. We don’t need to import them thank-you-very-much! : )

Hey I got a picture of Brady and Aspen. Hi, Guys! Dippin' Dots, Huh? Mmm.

Then we all walked over to the carnival part of the fair.

We actually watched someone WIN that giant tiger. Oh my. It was as big as the man carrying it!

Then we tried putting Clara on my back. Do you think she likes it?

Well, she fell asleep . . .

Even through the screaming and commotion.

Here is a photo of Justin Spurlin’s (Aspen’s brother) beautiful bronze cast artwork (I hope I got that right). Instead of being put on display with the crocheted doilies and amateur photography in one of the buildings, it had it’s own special display outside of the art guild building. Impressive!

Then we saw some hula hoops laying randomly on the ground and Mom had to show us her stuff. She’s good too! Giant kohlrabi growing, hula hoop rotating, is there anything she CAN’T do? : )

Go Brady!

Way to go, Adam!

And then Clara got to see her first fireworks. I’m not too sure what my little monkey thought of that here, but at least she’s snuggled into my chest again and could burry her nose in my shirt whenever. She’s so cute!

And Isaac watched the end of our fair day explode in the sky.

Good day. Good memories. I’m glad we shared that together. Can’t wait for next year when I get to experience it with an 18 month old! Won’t she adore the cows! Aww!

Clara’s 6th Month

From July 8 to August 8, Clara did quite a bit of learning, growing, and changing.

During this time, Clara gained true mobility when she learned that she can roll over more than one time in any direction. In this way, she rolls, with ever increasing precision, to any particular corner of the room she wants to and get into whatever she can find there. With her rolling, a blanket on the floor didn’t cut it anymore, so then we began using queen sized sheets. Now, I have to be more diligent on just vacuuming the whole room because she’s going to just roll all over the floor anyway! She particularly likes to roll over to the fireplace hearth, book case, desk, and easy chair so she can explore those interesting surfaces with her feet. Those little toes like to explore too!

Clara has also become more vocal this month. Strings of adorable babbling syllables, “Wuwuwuwuwu,” “Mamamamama,” “Babababa,” and even a whisptered “Papapa” are tried out one at a time then discarded for the next new sound. “Mama” seems to be the only one she shortens, but she tends to reserve it for grouchy moments. When I KNOW she’s using it to call me, I will dance for joy, but right now I’m just quietly celebrating her growing verbal skills. Oh, and her favorite sound over all, is still the raspberry. : )

On August 8, her six month birthday, I measured and weighed her and found her to be 27 inches tall (measured standing against the bookcase, Aw!) and 20lbs!

So, here is Clara in pictures. These photos are strictly in sequential order, so although they may appear extremely random, this is how our girl grew this month.

Clara and her daddy cuddle and reconnect every day when James gets home. It is very sweet to see their excited reunion. I never get tired of it!

This picture was taken when I was getting ready one morning and left my night nursing *ahem* bra on the bed. Clara in her curious way had to examine it, of course, and ended up putting it on! It was backwards and upside down, but I had to get a picture anyway.

And here’s a levitating Clara in her bouncer. She really loves it.

Here is one cool chick in her Hawaiian shirt, sun hat, and shades. Grandpa Glenn brings home all kinds of adorable clothes and gifts from his many trips all over the globe.

Gran Sally and Clara. Too bad the clouds are grey outside!

This is my front porch after a typical Monday run to get our fresh farm veggies and groceries from Fred Meyer and Costco. This is what I end up toting up to the front door. Surely my arms must look like Popeye’s by now! (The blue bag on the end is full of spinach too : )

Here my little model is trying on some Baby Legs with a little jumper Grandma Carol picked up for her. No, you’re not leaving the house with that on, Young Lady. ; ) But she sure is cute!

Happy Birthday, to Mama! It’s so much nicer to have a birthday as a mother. I got to cuddle my little girl and get wet slobbery kisses all day. I think it gets even better when your children actually know what a birthday is. : ) Here we are at Red Robin for my birthday. Isaac and Adam were spending a couple of days with us and we all met James for lunch. I got a free burger, but I DID NOT get a free sundae, would you believe, I stayed completely sugar-free through my birthday?

So I did a naked baby photo shoot. She was so adorable! I have to have SOMETHING to embarrass her with when she’s older. : )

“Happy Six Month Birthday, Clara!”

A quick family photo while packing to go to our party.

Our two families assembled (except Grandma Carol who was in Ohio) to celebrate my birthday. Aspen and Dad took over hosting duties. It was a lot of fun.

Starting on the left, there was Sheila, Sheila’s Mama from Peru, Sally, Glenn, Robert, Brady (the silhouette), Aspen, me, Clara, James (taking the picture), Drake (not in the photo) and Jeremy.

The “kids” table: cousin Niqui, Uncle Adam, and Uncle Isaac, with cousin Drake in the background in the highchair!

My little Family. Aspen made the cute cake. I also finally broke my sugar fast with a little cake, some homemade Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (I own the recipe book!), and a wonderful vanilla ice cream made with maple syrup. Yum!

I had fun making sure that Clara had gifts to open too. She did great with the tissue paper. She got an organic bamboo stuffed bunny to cuddle, a phthalate free squeaky ball, and a wonderful wooden and rubber string flexible toy. She’s six months old now! It was time for real toys! She loves them all. . . .

Especially to eat!

But Grandpa Glenn’s security tags work well too!

Uncle Isaac and Uncle Brady entertain Clara too.

And later, James had a little birthday just for me. : ) Aren’t those the prettiest roses ever? They opened and dried so lovely too.

“In other news . . .”

Our non-Clara portion of the month was busy too. To highlight a few things . . .

Our CSA share of farm fresh veggies has been going great this summer. I think it peaked at the end of July with a beautiful, Alaska grown variety of fresh yummies, but I expect it to go through September, ending with more root veggies like potatoes.

James and I hosted a very authentic Greek birthday dinner at our house for Granddaddy Robert (cooked by all the ladies of the family). Did we get a picture of all of the wonderful food that we slaved over? Or the (almost) immaculate house that we haven’t showed you yet? Oh no. But we did get a picture of the baklava “cake” and the impromptu “birthday candle” that we used. : )

Clara and I also met a few members of Sheila’s family. You may not know that James’s sister-in-law is from Peru, and this summer both her mother and her sister (who actually lives in the Netherlands now) came to visit her in Alaska. Sheila’s mother didn’t speak any English, either, that’s why Clara looks so confused in this picture below. : )

A big part of Clara’s six month was taken up by her mama stressing about, preparing for, and teaching a VBS class on God’s Amazing Creation: Insects. I focused on butterflies and bees, although I really could have gone HUNDREDS of directions. I also am very aware that spiders are NOT insects, but the web added a cool effect. These are a few pictures of my classroom, and the 4 and 5 year olds who came to see it on the last day. Oh, while Mama was teaching, Clara stayed with Grandma Carol, and they had lots of fun together.

That’s about it! Whew! With the marathon out of the way, I hope to feel more free to just post more about our day to day life. I’ll try anyway!