American Samoa

I am so glad that Ira and I coud go on an adventure together. He had so much fun being in a totally new place..it was an adjustment, but I think we both enjoyed it completely. We met some great new friends, and the best part was being with Kristi and Dalley for a month. Dalley and Ira had a lot of fun together. and really learned to play so well together.  We walked almost everyday, I pushed the boys in a double stroller and everyone would say how cute the twins were..they were definitly like hollywood stars being cute white blonde boys.  I am working on a storybook album for them so they will always remember their experience.

Ira seemed to learn a billion new words while we were there. Dalley had great communication skills, I can't wait for Ira to get there, but he is doing great at listening and really trying to communicate his emotions.

He gained a love for the ocean and expecially fish. His new favorite movie is Finding Nemo. He was quite a hit at church the first Sunday back, dressed in his white shirt and tie and sweet lava lava. He learned to love the swimming pool, and got really good with his arm floaties, a little too brave, but he did great. He also found a love for the rain. i could hardly get him to come out of it.. one time I let him play in a down pour for fifteen minutes. I don't know if he will enjoy the rain here in the NW as much, it is a whole lot colder here!

I tried my best to capture our trip, mostly of the boys and their time. We were lucky to find a great play group at the library, which led to other playdates during the week. We really enjoyed all the people we met there. From the play groups to the museum to church, the people of Samoa are wonderful!!

There are too many photos to share. I am only posting a few....check out Kristi's blog (the westwood trail) to see more. I only duplicated 1 photo from her post.

how better to fit in that a tatooed arm?!

(from the library, don't worry its already washed off!)

we could hardly pull the boys away from this restaurant aquarium

catching a fish

rope swing on the beach at our hotel

I cant help but love this face!

Paddle races

In the rain

Rita and Ira after church

this little boy got my vote for cutest costume

Samoan boys for Halloween

Daddys Little Helper

Too cute not to photograph! We had a dead tree cut down this week and the mulch was in a huge pile in our driveway and had to be moved. Ira was a huge help to Shawn as they shoveled the mulch into their wheelborrows and carted it over to a new huge pile. This was after we had spent the morning pulling carrots for a service project with our church for a food bank. Sad I didn't have a camera there. i am sure Ira pulled more carrots than anyone else there! I love my boys they are such hard workers!

a summer

Ira has had a busy summer. His garden is growing very well. We have harvested a lot of beans and squash, peas, a few peppers, lettuce. spinach beets, cucumbers,potatoes, kale, tons of onions, and a few other things. The sunflowers have been in full bloom and the HUGE one are starting to give their seed to the birds now. Our winter squash is doing very well, and we are looking forward to living on squash in the fall. Ira loves being in the garden with Shawn and eating all the fresh vegetables.

We also had a chance to pick pounds and pounds of blueberries this summer. Our freezer is packed! and I even made Blueberry syrup. The first time we went to pick Shawn found Ira laying on the ground under a bush, picking and eating berries at his pleasure. He absolutely LOVES berries frozen but especially fresh. I never had to worry about him when we went out picking. we could be out there for an hour and he wouldn't complain a bit.

Way back in June we took a family trip to the ranch. we got to see most of Shawns family and Ira got to enjoy his cousins. I am especially looking forward to our next adventure with Shawns sister in American Samoa. Ira is going to be his older cousins nanny for a month. and I even get to go to supervise. I am sure Dalley and Ira will be the best of friends by the time we have to leave the island. I finished booking all our flights and now just worrying about what to pack.

Ira is definitly growing up fast. He is a regular little boy these days. Playing in the dirt, chasing he chickens and making engine nosies when he plays with his trucks.  In the last month he has started to communicate very well. He now shakes his head yes when you guess right about what he wants. I didnt notice it at first because he doesnt really say yes..but if I ask him a question and the answer is yes he het a really big smile on his face, raises his eyebrows and nods his head up and down very purposefully.  It is so funny. So finally a slight breakthrough in communication. love it.

He also has had an interest in talking on the phone lately. He takes my cell phone and walks around the house jabbering. So the other day I called his grandma and he talked her ear off for over 5 minutes. I couldnt get the phone away from him, so I just yelled to her that it was Ira and he wanted to talk and that she could hang up anytime. It sounded like they had a great conversation..whatever it was he was telling her. He was sure excited.

Also in the last few months I have decided his new favorite thing/word is "water". He notices it everywhere. anything he drinks, milk, water or juice is water. If we are walking and he sees a sprinkler he points and says water. If someone is watering there garden same thing. During church when the pass the water he gets very excited about it. and especially everynight when its time for Shawn to water the garden he has to help. He likes to fill up the watering can and water a few plants the hose doesnt reach. He like to help me fill up the water for the chickens. He gets very sad when all the watering has been done for the day.

I need to do better at taking a few more pictures and posted something about what he does each week. He really is so fun to watch grow up and figure things out. Shawn and I find ourselves giggling often.

Here are a few shots from over the summer. The most recent are from the glof tournament Shawn played in last Saturday. I sent Ira with him for the first few holes so I could photograph the other golfers. He had so much fun riding around in the golf cart with me. though he is too smart so I had to put the key on the roof everytime I got out so he didnt drive off into a pond.

Sweet Pants

Golfing with Dad and Uncle Dennis.

15 MONTHS

 As I have mentioned before.. I don't use my camera too often. I need to get back in the habit. Today I was reading a bunch of blogs and thought it was probably way past due for an Ira update. SO I heard him wake up from his nap and went in and took a picture of him.

Then I remembered I had taken a few other pictures of him this month. So I am posting those too. We got him a pair of cowboy boots the other day. they are a little big on him still and he walks funny in them, but they are sure cute.

We always get to take Ira to youth group on Wednesday nights. last week they went bowling and even Ira got to bowl. They even had shoes in his size! He did really well, even though he was

throwing a 6 pound ball. He only tried running up the lane once, he fell hard, and didn't do it again.

This is the cutest thing Ira does lately. when he is sad or upset about something he puts his little hand over his eyes and sticks out that bottom lip. When he starts to calm down he rubs his face all over with his hand, i assume trying to wipe all his tears away. it is adorable.

In non photo news.. He has started making out more words and repeating a lot. He likes building things and knocking them down, putting things together and taking them a part, plugging things in and unplugging them..turning the TV on and off...and other things like that.

We spend quite a bit of time outside in the garden. Ira is a great helper although he does not know the difference between a weed and a plant, so we have lost a few seedlings. He loves playing in the dirt. We bought tools for him his size, but he is determined to use the oversized rake and any other tools he can get his hands on that mom and dad use. he is really good at throwing rocks and splashing in puddles too.

He has become a pretty good listener..his tantrums are at a minimum right now..and he definitely knows when he gets himself into trouble.. he starts running the other direction.  he gets over things fairly quickly and back to giggling and smiling almost as soon as a tear falls. He is sleeping through the night, but very much a morning person like his dad. he is becoming very curious about how things work. and stays busy with one object/toy for ever.

He REALLY loves music and dancing and singing. He is a pretty good dancer and I dare say has a bit of rhythm. It is pretty funny to see him dance, he really gets into it. He sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, although you would have to know that is what he is singing... lol

he loves giving kisses now and i am please to say he closes his lips now so they are not so wet.

cant wait for him to give ya one of those.

Ira's Garden

Well friends-- here is a couple pictures of Ira, in his garden. I am determined to make it the best garden of the year. Shawn has been super great getting everything in order before we started planting. We dragged an old rusty trellis that has been sitting behind the garage for years, and put it as the corner entrance to the garden. I made a sign for Iras Garden and now it is hanging on the side of the trellis for all to see. I starting making other signs to hang by the rows as well. This morning I got Ira in his overalls (thanks Kaycee) and took him out to take some photos. He just wanted to play in the dirt, but i was able to capture a few. I found the straw hat out in the garage, so im sure its from when my dad was a kid. Ira isnt a ton of help, he likes to kick the rows over, and throw around dirt where we just planted seeds, and pull out our starter plants, But he loves being outside and he loves to follow us around. He is pretty sure he is the best helper around.

I will take some more pics of the whole garden to give you a better idea, but today the focus is Ira!

When I put the memory card on my computer I saw this picture of Ira and it made me laugh again. One morning I woke Ira up and we had to go somewhere, so I got him dressed and put him down so i could look for his shoes. He followed me out of his bedroom into the living room where he laid his head against the couch and watched me run around looking for his shoes. When I found them I looked over at him and busted up laughing as how cute he was and hurried to get a picture, right as I snapped it he put his hand up, but right before this picture it was just his head keeping him upright. adorable.

Ira isnt much of a baby anymore. He is growing up so fast. He still doesnt get the whole English words thing. For a kid who talks so much, you'd think he would start figuring it out. I like to call the language chirabic.

Its cute, but I do get frusterated when he is mad about something and cant tell me. We are figuring it out though. Today I was singing silly songs and making funny noises and he was mimiking the tune and the sounds. it was pretty halarious.

We are hoping to visit Shawns family SOON! We will keep you posted, but if any of you want your own personal tour through Iras Garden, just come on up here and we can show you around! lol

We miss you all.