Sunday, September 25, 2011

My oh my, how things change in a few short years...

Last weekend, Dan, Lana and I drove to Oregon to see my parents and take in a few festivities at the Pendleton Round Up.
We went to the Westward Ho! Parade and that was it (these pictures are from this year's parade). It's a great parade and a fun time, but a far cry from the Pendleton Round Ups I enjoyed when I was younger, specifically in college.

 

My sophomore year, I decided to drive the 8 hours back home for a quick weekend. My parents didn't want me to make the trip by myself, so I asked several friends to go with me. For some reason, the thought of driving for hours and hours, getting up early, sitting out in the sun watching a rodeo and then staying up too late dancing, and driving 8 hours back to school just wasn't all that appealing to many of the friends I asked. Fortunately, I talked my new friend, Alisa, into the adventure. Alisa and I didn't know each other all that well and had just started working together. Alisa was the ultimate city girl. She worked summers as a consultant at the GAP for crying-out-loud, but she was excited for this new adventure.

 

Alisa fell in love with the Pendleton Round Up the minute she laid eyes on her first cowboy. She was full of questions about the rodeo and the animals, but she really took to it when the first cowboy won his event, and in his excitement, threw his hat into the crowd. Alisa looked at me and said, "I want a cowboy's hat." "Okay, that's cool, they're being sold everywhere this week, we can get you one." "No, you don't understand, I want a REAL cowboy hat, ya know, from a REAL cowboy!" I laughed and explained that cowboys generally don't give their hats away, but she would have none of my explanations and was bound and determined to get her hands on a real cowboy's hat.
Later, at the dance, we both spent time out swinging on the dance floor, but she was still set on getting a cowboy hat. We met up with a guy I knew from a rival high school, dressed in his cowboy best, including a white straw Stetson cowboy hat. Alisa turned on her city-girl charm and somehow ended up with his hat on her head. She was beaming and it was obvious she had no intention of giving the hat back. The guy invited us to a party, gave us convoluted directions and told Alisa he'd get his hat back at the party.
Well, his directions turned out to be horrible and because these were pre-everyone-has-a-cell-phone days, we couldn't have gotten a hold of him had we tried, so we just went back to my parents house and the cowboy hat was officially Alisa's.
The following year she had her sights set on getting a belt buckle. Again, she wouldn't listen to my explanations on what she'd possibly have to do to get her hands on a belt buckle. Just like before, at the dance, she turned on the charm and while dancing with a cute cowboy, she flashed her doe eyes and asked, "How does a girl like me get my hands on a belt buckle like that?" She must have some Jedi-like powers because instantly the helpless cowboy TOOK IT OFF AND GAVE IT TO HER. It was an event I'd never seen before and doubt I'll ever see again.
 


Now, all my road trip and Round Up friends are scattered around the country in New York, Nevada, Utah and Wisconsin. It's been fun to catch up with them about our Round Up memories on facebook and online, but we all definitely agree that although those days were fun, we wouldn't go back even if we could. Sometimes it's nice to be a grown up.
 

Because grown ups get to enjoy the parade next to blonde babes who like to wave at the princesses and horses.
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Monday, September 12, 2011

A Whole Lotta Cute

I understand the blog's been lacking in all things cute and two-year old blonde girl. Well, never fear, an update is here.


Lana's learning her ABCs and sang them all by herself on Saturday. Lucky me, she even did it for the video camera.


And here we have a not-so-fun Labor Day present. This black eye and beat-up face is what happens when little blonde girls think they're tougher than the toy box. She's healed up since then and is starting to look like her normal, adorable-and-always-up-to-something self.

And then there is this one, my personal favorite cute picture:
Terrified yet jubilant toddler = TOO CUTE!
On Sunday our church hosted a 9/11 remembrance ceremony and community picnic. The waterslide was a big hit. I know she looks utterly terrified, but Lana had a blast and wanted to go again and again. We finally had to stop when she threw a FIT because she didn't want to wait her turn. (Apparently this I-don't-want-to-wait thing is common in two-year olds (even cute ones)? Any tips for teaching patience???)

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Happy Birthday Dan!

My Dear Husband and Lana's Wonderful Daddy has a birthday today. In true Dan fashion, he didn't want a lot of fuss and fanfare. Last night he was lovingly served his meal of choice (t-bone steaks, baked beans, baked sweet potatoes), but mostly he spent the long weekend working on projects around the place and taking care of his sick wife and daughter. Today (his actual birthday) he went to work, just like he would on any other weekday.

Well, he may not like a lot of pomp and frivolity, but I pretty much control the blog, so Husband, I hereby post this ooooey-gooey, mushy and cheesy post in your honor. (Oh, and if you're reading this, enjoy it while you can. If Dan asks me to take it down once he reads it, I probably will.)

No matter what Dan's doing, he's doing it with excellence.

 
Whether it's snuggling with Lana,

 
Outfishing me,

 
Lounging in the sun,

 
or playing with the wee one. He does it all better than anyone else I know.

I've said it before, and I'll say it many times again,

 
Dan's the hardest worker I know.

 
He spends months working on my honey-do lists,

 
and still makes times to build Lana a hand-washing and teeth-brushing step.

Dan really is the best and I am blessed everyday to be married to him, and Lana really does have the best Daddy a girl could ask for.
 

Happy Birthday Dan! Your Girls Love You!
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Sunday, September 4, 2011

August Was...

 
Hike to the Top of the World. (Okay, so it's actually only Kamiak Butte, but in our hill country, standing at the top, you feel like you're on the top of the world. It was Lana's first hike without the backpack carrier. Dan and I ended up carrying her part of the way, but she did walk some of it.)

 
National Lentil Festival.

 
Making music on the dining room floor while sportin' blue shades. Cool Girl!

 
Our garden's bounty.

 
Taking out old appliances to re-floor the kitchen. (That dang little trash compactor was probably the toughest appliance to take out. Needless-to-say, it didn't go back in.)

 
Surely, the happiest girl in the room must be the one with the blue BLUE eyes and the messy hair. Right?

Stay tuned for more in September, including home improvement projects galore, Dan's birthday, more food, and of course, more from the cute two-year old.
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