Nadia

artwork by Angie Yingst

Link to Slideshow

Follow the link to see the rest of the photos Dev took on June 4th, 2012.

Emily at Three

PARTY!

What a great time yesterday!  We had nine little friends over, on a beautiful day, to play, have lunch, and of course cupcakes.

 We had a purple, lavender, and yellow theme.

And while I frosted cupcakes for our guests, Emily got to do her own.


Our backyard was very busy from 11-1.

After playtime, it was lunchtime. 

Then cupcakes!

And then presents were opened.  

And all of our guests went home with a kite.  Good summer fun!

3

For months you have talked about your cupcakes in June.  Hard to believe that time for cupcakes finally came.  A couple days ago you saw the stack of presents hidden in the office, you waited patiently for them.

Your day started off with breakfast - eggs, bacon, and a pumpkin muffin.  Right now you really like bacon and muffins.  But you don't like berries in muffins, that's why pumpkin makes a good choice.  You got to stay in your pajamas extra long today.  This is something that you like to do, and it's okay for the lazy days of summer, but hard on the mornings when we have to rush out the door.  You get a vitamin after you get dressed, because you love your gummy vitamins.  However, you hate to have your hair brushed.

After breakfast you got to open your presents.  Your big one is your play structure outside, and Saturday you'll have your friends over for a party so you can play on it.  You also got a scoot bike, lots of board games, books, and some money.  Your great grandma brought a couple cuckoo clocks that you'll be able to watch.  

You played with all of your presents after opening them.  The bike is a little tall still, and you weren't crazy about having to wear the helmet!  You did a great job at the duck game, beat great - grandma at HiHo Cherry-o without even cheating, and played with Uno Moo animals, even though we didn't attempt to follow the rules on that one yet.  You were pretty excited about the cupcake craft box as well, you like glue and fun paper and anything artsy.

Taking the gondola up the mountain for lunch was going to be your big event for the day, but it was closed for maintenance.  So, we sat and watched it for a little bit.  It was a beautiful day.

After your nap, you still like to sleep for a couple hours in the early afternoon, we went to Subway for lunch.  You told me you wanted avocado and soda, so that's part of what you got.  You ask for Subway a lot, and always eat the cheese, meat, and veggies, but never the bread.  You don't like it when we take something from you without asking, so we try not to help yourself to your chips, or sip your soda without asking.  However, if we ask, you usually don't mind sharing (but sometimes the piece you give us is a little small!)

We spent the early afternoon playing with your new toys and games.  

You also helped Dad wash the cars, because you always want to help with anything he is doing.  For awhile you sat in the grass with Faryn and had quite the conversation.  It's fun to have conversations with you these days, we also like listening to what you say to others.  You also love Faryn.  The other animal you enjoy seeing right now are horses.  When we drive places we look for horses to keep you entertained.  Big trucks, construction equipment, and men working are also things that you also like to point out.

Your cake was really cupcakes put together, white chocolate this year, covered with purple (my color for you) and yellow (my color for Nadia) M&Ms. 

Your day ended with sending a balloon to Nadia.  This year when we went into the store, I told you you could pick out anyone that you wanted.  You chose the free store balloon, so I chose a purple one with 3 cupcakes on it.  We wrote on the balloon, like last year, except this year you "signed" it, too.  You also wanted to send the blue one you picked out with the purple one.  All day long, when we asked you whose birthday it was, you could tell us it was yours and Nadia's (but you never could quite agree it was also Grandpa's!).  

Happy 3rd Birthday Hughston Twins

A Special Birthday
(author unknown)

Please God, make them remember that
Today is a special, birthday.
Make them understand that
The memories don't go away.
Bless them, with ears to hear and hearts that care.
Enable them to listen while I share.
Shelter them that they may never know my pain.
Help them to help me know that my child's life was not in vain.
Help them to remember, Lord that I wish
That my child was here
So we could still celebrate.
To understand that I still
Feel the nearness of my child.
To see beyond my smile and the
Words. "I'm okay."
Please God, just let one remember today
Is a special birthday!

More later on the earthly birthday Emily is having...  

502 posts

Tomorrow you will be a three year old.

There have been 501 posts before this one documenting your life, your good days, and bad.  Marking your milestones, noting your sicknesses, remembering the funny moments, worrying about the not so funny moments.  We love who you have become, while your sister is hovering in the spots between each of those moments, in all of our thoughts and feelings, simultaneously present and missing in our lives.  

Happy Father's Day

always a father of twins...

Today we went to Boise.  Aaron shot in a competition, I took Emily to Build a Bear.  She chose an under the sea bear with a butterfly shirt and white sequined shorts with glittery shoes.  He sings a birthday song.  She also got a stroller to push "Bear" around in.  She is pretty proud of Bear.  She pushed him all around the mall and into the restaurant for lunch, and hasn't parted with him since his creation.

We also went to the airport to pick up Great Grandma Marjorie.  While we were waiting, Emily said, "Oh no!  We forgot our suitcases!"  I'm pretty sure she thought this was the day that we got to fly on an airplane.  

She wasn't too disappointed, and is excitedly showing her Great Grandma her swing set, her bed, her toys, and everything else!

Fishing

Emily has had her eye on the Barbie fishing pole at Dad's store for awhile now.  Aaron suggested last night that we go to the pond at the Hayspur Fish Hatchery, so that's where we headed this morning.
She was pretty excited to finally get the pole, along with its Barbie tackle box and purple fish to practice casting.

She did cast a few times, with my help, and then got the idea of pushing the button and tossing it over her shoulder.  But then she decided she wanted to pet the birds (never caught one), put her hands in the water, eat snacks, drink juice, pet the dog, watch other people fish... and finally settled on handing the bait to Dad every time he fed the fish but didn't snag one.

The best part was that you could see the fish in the pond, so she knew exactly what it was that we were after.  She never did get any bites, but Aaron caught three (very small) fish, but she'll tell you they were BIG ones.

I told Aaron that we couldn't leave until a fish was caught and I took advantage of the photo op.  However, she wanted nothing to do with the floppy fish out of water, so you'll just have to take our word for it.  

Our Sand Bucket List - a summer to do list

Airplane ride, Bubbles, Crafts, be Done with pull-ups, Explore a new place, playdates with Friends, play Games, ride in a Horse drawn wagon, make homemade Ice cream, have our first friend birthday party in June, fly a Kite, take swim Lessons at the pool, go Miniature golfing, use beads to make a Necklace, eat Orange popsicles, go on a Picnic, have some Quiet time, Read, play in the Sand, ride the Tricycle, do something Unexpected, take a Vacation, go on Walks, Xs and Os play tic tac toe, Yell and scream about something exciting, and the Zoo.


Summer vacation started on Friday.  We'll get this sand bucket list started just as soon as it stops snowing.

Butterflies and Swinging Babies

Emily watched 3 caterpillars form their chrysalises (she called them Christmases) and then emerge at butterflies.  On a warm, sunny day we let them go.

The play structure remains in the almost finished stage.  Really.  But we still play on it almost everyday.  It has been raining and she'll choose to be outside.  When Emily plays with her babies, she always has the two of them (maybe it's her twin showing through), and they got to try out the swing the other day, too.

Saturday Outing

The bummer is that Emily woke up with a runny nose and a cough.  But we still managed to get out and do something this morning.

We went up to Ketchum to run a couple errands, and the draft horses for Sun Valley were close enough to the fence that we decided to stop and get a closer look.