Lucy & the Hunter

My life has been filled with such gratitude lately -- for the amazing little people that I spend time with, for the gorgeous weather we have been enjoying, for all the little adventures that our summer is overflowing with. I wake up most days with the feeling of such joy & happiness -- something I have always felt a lot of in my life -- but somehow it's even more than ever.

The kids are fast becoming little people with their own language, minds & attitudes. I am trying my best to turn princess Lucy into a tomboy & Hunter into a little talker. But, as any parent knows, there are certain traits that your children are just born with.

Lucy continues to blow my mind with her beauty -- sometimes I look at her & just wonder how I (we) made such a beautiful little creature. Her tiny little features, her kind, loving spirit, her laughter, her ever-challenged brain. Lucy is speaking full force now, repeating almost any word that comes out of my mouth. She is constantly pointing out things wherever we are, "Cat" on a book... "Duck" at the lake"... "Truck" on the road -- it is insane how much she has absorbed in her short life. She is so happy these days, waking up with a huge smile on her face & spending most of her days sitting alone wherever we are just taking in her surroundings -- almost like a little adult. One of my favorite things she does lately is her dancing -- she absolutely loves music -- just like her dad. Her little shakes & grooves have turned into full on dancing routines around the house & her new favorite dance tune is any Beach Boys song. I tried to memorize part of one of their songs -- I Get Around -- so we can sing/dance together whenever the time feels right. And each time we do, it definitely feels right.

Hunter is becoming more challenging -- mainly because I'm not a boy. My wonderful, easy, perfect little son is now on the move constantly & completely fearless. He runs into lakes, oceans, over couches -- you name it. He is still obsessed with trucks, cars, etc. -- and loves driving in the car to check out the motorist scenery. One of the sweetest moments ever was when we were driving over to the Olympic Peninsula recently & he saw a huge truck with a picture of a bear eating honey on it... the kid pointed at it so sweetly & looked over at me like "Mom, that is sooo amazing... truck, bear, food... all at once." Who knew such simplicity could exist.

They are playing really well together & I am so thankful they have each other. They wake up to each other every single morning & have little conversations about their day. They fight, scream, laugh with each other... and are really there for each other. Whether it is bringing each other a drink or finding a long lost toy that one hid away somewhere or sharing a cookie... I truly believe that encouraging teamwork is going to pay off in dividends as they get older.

We have been on so many trips since May -- including San Diego to visit my Aunt & cousins, Olympic peninsula to go camping with Nick's family & Lincoln City where I spent my childhood vacationing & where I hope to form many future memories for my own children. Each getaway had it's own share of challenges & delights -- including a 3 hour flight home from San Diego where Lucy screamed the entire time -- but overall traveling with them has become quite manageable.

As for me, I am starting to loath pushing two 30+ lb. kids in a jogger stroller & really enjoy the moments where I can workout, shop, think for myself -- even if it just for a brief moment. My age is definitely showing more these days & I am trying (really trying) my best to roll with the punches & realize that aging is beautiful in it's own way. And that what matters is the laughter you share with your children not the 6-mile run you promised yourself you would get in.

Here are some pics for your to enjoy!

Morning boy

Mommy friends

Ferry ride

My family

Beach Kids

Playing with their friend Lia

Tandem Feeding

ChuckeCheese

Grandma love

Nick & his boy

When Lucy is away

Running after geese

18 month photo in honor of our Ma:

18 month photo

Precious Lucy

Handsome Hunts San Diego/Coronado trip to see family & friends:

San Diego zoo

Lucy & the hippo

Big kids swimming

Beach day in Coronado with Auntie JM

Auntie Ang reading to the kids in Coronado

Visiting the USS Midway with Papa

Pool time with my munchkins

Such a BOY

Pool time with my girl

Olympic Peninsula (Kalaloch) with the Haney's:

Kalaloch beach fun

Twins

Chilling with my girl

Haney family

Family portrait

Beach fun

Beach boy

Little moments

THAT face (Lulu)

THAT face (Hunts)

Cousin Vinny

Our Lucy

Seaside on the way down the coast:

Beach swing

Last stop on our coastal adventure, Lincoln City:

Unposed x4

Papa & his girl

Ready for the beach

Beautiful views

Hiking selfie #1

Hiking selfie #2

Falling asleep mid-hike

And here is some old pics from Easter that I stole from my sister-in-law Cheryl (thank you!):

Easter

Egg hunt #1

Egg hunt #2

As the twins get older, their growth & development continue to astound us -- these are the days of learning to run faster, faster, faster & speaking beautiful gibberish non-stop. But what is really remarkable is how individually unique, smart, sassy & kind they naturally are.

When the weather is nice, we spend hours each day exploring outside -- playing in parks with friends, walking/running in our hood or holed up in our backyard discovering nature. They are both in the 90% percentile of height & I really enjoy watching them run circles up, down & around me as their bodies become stronger & stronger.

Hunter is transfixed by all things that move -- mostly machinery, trucks, airplanes. Every time an airplane flies overhead, he instantly points his finger straight up & says "vroom, vroom". He still is a boy of very few words, living a very simple life. His main go-to's are "mmmm" for yummy food, "more" for more food (obviously) & "vroom, vroom" for any sort of vehicle. He is a very sweet natured little tyke, that goes out of his way to bring his sister her water/snack first before he taking his own. He wakes each day with an instant need to get out & start going, going, going -- where in particular doesn't really matter.

They say little girls are all sugar & spice, well, I have to say Lucy definitely lives up to at least one of those quite well. What is Lucy really like? She is very verbal, very territorial & constantly one step ahead of everyone around her. Her favorite word is "mame" -- it's not a the sweet "momma" that I always dreamed of but more of a "MAME" in a very loud, high-pitched, little voice. She typically carries around two or three toys/books that she has dictated as hers for the day & spends hours playing with just those few objects.

And Lucy continues to be an amazing little reader -- in fact -- our new routine is to go to the library every other Friday to pick out books. I consciously pick out ten books for us to take home, because that's an easy number to remember to bring back. Each time we get home, I show both the kids all the books & Lucy instantly covets all ten. Several fights later, Lucy agrees that one -- yes, just one -- of the books can be Hunters. And let me tell you, Lucy never forgets which book. She is even sweet enough to separate the book out of the rest, because as she sees it, is a throw-away book anyhow.

What I really love about motherhood, at this stage at least, is watching how excited they are about everything around them. When I pre-start the car to go anywhere, they both stare at amazement as the engine starts purring OR how happy they are after eating a really yummy meal, if they could speak, I would imagine they would say something like "Life is just great, mom". Or how they both love their fuzzy blankets from Grandma that they cuddle up next to each time bedtime rolls around. It's those simple reminders that just melt my heart.

Here are some recent pics, enjoy