A Visit in Words...mostly :)

We get used to the Mulliken visits where it is like traveling with the paparazzi.  The DuRoss clans don't tend to take out their cameras as often.  Both styles have their advantages, neither are better or worse, just different.  And, I guess Chip and I are like chameleons, taking on the habits of our visitors. Therefore, we do not have many photos of Nana and Papa's latest visit.  We loved it all the same and want to remember that they took the time and effort to come visit with us.  So, I will attempt to capture what I can in words in addition to the coupla photos we did get.

Let's see...we went hiking behind the house.  Cousin Finn joined his uncle Chip, Aunt Audrey, Ruby, Owen, Nana, and Papa all the way up to "the look out" that uncle Chip had his sights set on.  This is impressive because, unlike Ruby and Owen, he was not in a backpack.  The little guy can hike!  We also then got to enjoy dinner together with Chris, Erika, and Nola.  The nice part about having several parts of the family in one place, is that we get to enjoy family dinners with all but one part of the family present (miss you Derek, Hope, and Co.!).

After Papa left, we also hiked up to a lovely lookout in Lamb's Canyon with Nana.  Here is a picture of Ruby and Owen wearing the awesome new bibs that Nana brought them to eat snack tailgate style before we head out on the trail. Nana also braved Monkey Mountain with us and attended storytime with Chip while I got to relax and hang out for the half hour- what a treat!  We are most excited about the developments of a possible new plan for the Eastern DuRoss Clan.  I will withhold further details for now, but just wanted to record that we enjoyed exploring this idea with them during the trip too!

Here is our one other photo to prove this visit actually happened....and I do love it.  Ruby and Owen love to read books.  They will grab books off the shelf, bring them to you, and, once you have taken it, they will turn around and back right into your lap for a reading.  You could be in the kitchen, bathroom, or wherever.  They don't care.  Anywhere is a good spot to read a book.  Here, they are reading a favorite, "Babies", with Nana.  So cute.

Babies and The Great Outdoors

Ruby is really into her baby dolls lately.  Oma got these two cute dolls for Ruby and Owen during her last visit. We did not have any dolls and every time we were out and they were around (i.e. storytime or a playdate), Ru and OT were fascinated.  Now, Ruby sleeps with one every night and when you pick her up in the morning or after nap, one of the first things out of her mouth (after asking for Owen, of course...her greatest love and concern :) is, "baby?"...meaning she wants you to make sure and get her baby out of the crib for  her to cuddle as she wakes up.  So cute.  Owen is actually pretty into baby as well.  He mostly likes anything his sister has or does, which often results in fights (grabbing, taking, biting, crying- good stuff- ugh!), but sometimes results in really cute moments...like the ones I captured below.

Ruby started asking for baby when we would sit down to eat lunch so I figured, why not?  The more the merrier, right?  She would feed baby and made sure that she got a sip of smoothie too.  Well, Owen thought that lunch guests were a great idea, so the next day he asked (in his own special way- he still doesn't have very many words, but manages to communicate quite well anyway) for our other baby to join.  I mean, no one wants to be a third wheel.  Mom doesn't really count, she is more like our server. Plus, it's not cool to have your mom as your lunch date. ;)

So, here are the four of them enjoying lunch at the Summit Cafe.   We don't always have guests, just some days.  Not sure what motivates the invitation.  Can't wait till we have enough words to find out more of what is really going on in their little minds.

Chip says this picture is freaky.  Maybe it is, but it makes me chuckle.  I like our guests, especially their very appropriate lunch attire- a robe barely tied together and a birthday suit (coincidentally Ruby and Owen's favorite outfit as well- they would eat lunch every day in that outfit if I let them). 

They like to share other things with their babies as well, like books.  I love the really focused look on Owen's face as he reads, "Where's Baby's Bellybutton?".... upside down to his baby.  Priceless. 

And water.  This is them giving their bears water at snack.  

The view of the moon from our porch.  Chip caught this.  Nice one.

Random. Pigtails.

Chip and I have been busy getting the backyard open for business this spring.  We put in a small patch of sod which you can make out in the upper right corner of this picture and I built the sandbox on the left.  Yes, had to dig it into the hillside.  There isn't much flat ground where we live so you have to get creative if you want somewhere for a 17 month old to be able to play.  Chip also put in a sweet swing between trees that I still need to get some photos of.  A few more finishing touches to be done and we will be open for play date bookings, so give us a call if you are in town!

We have also been loving the hiking on the trails just up the hill from us.  Ruby and Owen can hike a lot further than I thought they would on their own.  However, it is slow going.  It reminds me of the "mindful walks" we would do when guiding backpacking trips with the teens where we would concentrate on noticing the  rocks, sticks, and roots around us.  Ruby and Owen just exist in a mindful state all the times.  It is one of the best things about spending the day with them.  They notice, and want to touch, all the super cool things around us that I would probably take for granted at this point.

"Dad, check out this rock I found!" "Rock", is actually one of Owen's words- he loves them.

They love to hold hands on the trail- with each other, or with friends like their buddy Kaya, who sometimes join us.

We even got really motivated one day and decided to see how they nap in the packs these days.  It was shorter than home, but fine for once in a while.  We hiked Grandeur Peak from Millcreek- a six mile en devour with probably 30 pound packs on.  I was a little sore the next day.  

Owen was having a good time...until we made him take the binkie out for a family photo.

That's better. :)  I mean I just got up from a nap- geez, people.

Kess. :)

And finally, a random video just for giggles-

Oh man, this entry got long.  If you are still with me- thanks and I hope you enjoyed! :)

Mimi...I mean, T-I-N-A

We tried to repeat Tina's name as many times as possible while she visited for four days.  However, Ruby insisted on calling her "Mimi".  The conversation went something like this...Ruby looks at Tina, smiles, maybe reaches for her to pick her up (yeah, seriously, amazing), and says, "Mimi".  Tina or I would say, "TINA.  You like your auntie Tina."  There would be a short pause, she would look at both of us, and say, "Mimi."  She has been asking for her ever since she left.

We went to the park.  We love the park. Ruby and Owen love slides in particular.  They do most of them by themselves these days- climbing up and going down, the whole thing.  I was just watching them today in amazement thinking about how much they have grown up and become independent in past few months.  Just incredible.

 I was fortunate to have my big sister in town for my 35th birthday!  We had a great day and Tina got me two of these really nice mylar helium balloons.  Tina and I were gabbing away in the kitchen when we realized that Owen had walked outside (yes, he can open the door by himself and often lets himself outside...thank goodness our deck upstairs is gated...if you remember to close the gate...although the weather was so nice when Tina was here, maybe we just had it open....anyway) with my balloon!!  Tina caught this picture of it floating away.  It just makes me laugh picturing us running out there in hopes that we would catch it while slightly freaking out that we didn't notice what was going on.  I mean, the balloon had only been home for a few hours!

 Ruby really steals the show here.  She LOVED the stuffed animal backpacks that Mimi brought them.

She also loved the shirt Oma sent and the hat from Madeleine.  So much great booty!

Just a cute one from the park.

 And then, the zoo!  This time we rode the carousel.  Both Ruby and Owen rode tigers in honor of the awesome view we got of the tiger on this visit.  He played in the water just on the other side of the glass from us.  Only glass between Owen's face and tiger claws.

Thanks for visiting, Tina!!  We love and miss you already, that is for sure. :)