Where did May go?

So, here it is May 30th, and I am not sure where this month.. nor how I spent it? I just pray the summer does not go as fast... .though, i must admit, it has been a wonderfully sunny May. We were blessed to have my dad spend a week with us, as he recovered from shoulder surgery. It has been a very long time since I spent a week with him, and the girls just loved having "papa" around. Of course, as is tradition at the Shaver house, we had to put our guest to work.. so he got to help us plant our garden, and help Kyle build a new flower bed on our slope. He spent a lot of time coloring, doing puzzles and playing ball with Allie. We also took a trip to the coast, though it was one of the rainy days he was here.. however the cold did not keep Allie out of the water.. she is so funny. She had a great time chasing the waves, though they did manage to catch her a couple times. A big thanks to Papa for a great week.

Shannon is 8 months

Shannon turned 8 months a couple weeks ago, and is still trying to master the crawl, get a couple teeth and catch her sister. :) She is such a funny girl, who loves to watch her sister, squeal at the dogs, allie and mama (especially when mama is holding a bottle). Her first word has arrived, and of course, is mama... though i suspect Allie and dada are just around the corner. She has also learned how to make funny noises with her mouth and tongue (you know the blowing spit sounds) which just crack her up. Often her and Allie make those sounds and faces in the car, and then the back seat is filled with the sound of them laughing... what a great sound that is. I really need to record that, bottle it and sell it... Shannon, what an 8 months... and we are excited to see the next 8 months....

Such a helper

Allie loves to help in the kitchen... on this particular day I was trying to make truffles for a MOPS event.. Allie really enjoyed "helping" make them. She kept singing a song about chocolate she learned from Dora the Explorer.... She was the one stirring....and you can see by her face that she was in charge of quality control...

Happy Mothers Day!

So, this year I did not buy Mothers Day cards for anyone.. my mother, step mom, mom in law, siblings, friends.. for no one. it was strange. it just sorta snuck up on me... and i flat just didnt have the energy. Card shopping with a 7 month old and 3.5 year old is not that much fun. so, for those of you who are moms.. Happy Day... I am thinking of you all....

For me, my wonderful husband got me a digital picture frame.. which i told him I wanted for MDay, so he listened quite well. He also fed my inner dorkiness by throwing in a label maker for fun. :) I am not sure how I have lived this long with out one.. really!!!

Yesterday we had a Mothers Day Tea as a fundraiser for my MOPS group. And then I came home to host a dinner for my in laws and extended family. Lets just say this morning, I did not want to get up.. but I did. :) and I even found time to run for 50 mins while Kyle is mowing. :)

Happy Mothers Day.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Last week, on one of the few nice days, we went out to Woodburn to check out this huge Tulip festival they have. It was acres and acres of blooming, beautiful tulips. For more pictures, you will have to check out my facebook... but these are a few of the best.... I really need to take a class so I can do better pictures, but some are not bad. The festival was cute, with some fun areas for the kiddos, and more tulips than I have ever seen.. and so many different varieties. Kyle's grammie was feeling well enough to go, and she sat on a bench and enjoyed the view.

Girl, you so huge!!

So, as many of you know, Allie was not very big as a baby.. she did not have rolls, or chunk. Well, Shannon is definitely NOT like her sister... She has rolls.. thighs, chunk.. she has it. :) I stole a line from a disney movie... and I often tell her.. "Girl, you so huge!!" (do you know what movie this is from??). Kyle says I will have to stop saying that before she hits the preteen, self conscious age.. but I have time... Our lil girl loves her food. She loves her bottle. She loves peas, pears, rice, sweet tatos, mac/cheese.. basically she loves to eat.

More Spring Fun

So, along with the nice weather came picnics, bike rides, hopscotch and other fun stuff. I am impressed at how much Allie can do this year compared with last year. It is amazing how much they grow and change each year...and it is so much fun to watch her run, jump and play. Shannon loves watching too, though it is obvious she is just itching to go play with her big sister.

A photographer in the making

Allie has decided she loves to take pictures. She grabs our point and click and will go around taking pictures of everything... especially her artwork, toys and sister... She actually doesn't do too bad, though I am not sure I like her playing with my camera.... luckily it is not my big camera. :)

Here is some of her work....