Instagram!

I finally got an Instagram account. Here are our first pics.  Lots of fun coloring, visiting farms and hiking with poppy, Memaw and the gang.

Snow! Wow!

It snowed last night.
Ryan got to go in two hours late today since his work runs on the school schedule.  He was very happy with that, though personally I was hoping they would call a snow day and cancel school all together.
Oh well.

Molly got up just after Ryan left, and I bundled her up in her jammies and we headed outside for a bit.

She wasn't much of a fan of the snow when we were outside, though now that we are back in the house she keeps running to the window, to point and say "Snow! Wow!"

First Candy Cane

A very festive box arrived from Tucson today (thank you Nana and Papa!) with candy canes
inside.  Molly was an instant fan.

Della's 3rd Birthday Party

Molly's buddy Della's third birthday was this past Sunday.  They held the party at a small vintage boutique downtown called Ish, which is owned by another one of our neighbors.  The kiddos had a blast dressing up in fun clothes and dancing on the stage.

Actually, Molly's favorite parts were putting beads on a small pink Christmas tree and licking her cake plate clean.  Although she was a bit timid when we first got there.  Lots of kids, lots of noise!

Another picture of our little "Ryan in a dress"

Molly and I made Della a bunch of play-dough for her birthday.  It was a hit!

Handmade Old and New

Some of Molly's favorite things lately are her pumpkin cap, hand knit by her Nana down in Tucson, and her corduroy bear-- handmade by my Aunt Cheryl, for me, when I was little.

Reading "Everywhere Babies" in the car, a favorite book.

Hanging out on the swing out front of our house.

Oh Dear

This short clip will strike fear into the hearts of mothers of the toddlers everywhere (especially my sister).

Uke Playing

Crowfoot Poem

What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

- Crowfoot

Summer has arrived...

I found Molly in our hallway today "wearing" my swimsuit and "reading" The New Yorker.  If that's not summer, I don't know what is!

Wow

Not that you care, but Molly just had the biggest blowout ever during her nap.
I had to change the sheets, her blankets, her clothes, my clothes...

In other news, check out this delicious enchilada recipe I made the other night.
Thanks Pinterest, Molly loved it. Uh huh.

When I Can't Find Her

She is usually here.  Either chattering at him through the window, or reading him stories.  She definitely adores her pal.

Ferry Rides...

Port Townsend to Whidbey
Anacortes to Orcas

Orcas to Anacortes
Seattle Brem

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and LOTS of boat rides.

Feet Reach the Floor

Feet finally reach the floor when she's on her Wheely Bug.
New favorite activity: Riding Wheely Bug and dancing to Music Together Cd.
What a Wednesday!

Rig a Jig Jig

And away we go!

Just in time for Nana and Papa's visit this weekend!

When I Am Among The Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
     but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

--Mary Oliver

Molly Turns One!

We celebrated Molly's first birthday by taking a trip up to Mt. Rainier.
We had dinner at Copper Creek Inn (where I celebrated my own birthday a few years back), and spent the night in the tower suite at Alexanders, where Molly took her first few steps in the hotel lobby.  This morning The Opplers and my pop joined us for a snowshoe/ski up to Copper Creek Hut where we had a picnic outside in the sunshine.  We couldn't have gotten a more beautiful day.

More to come soon, but here are some pics of Molly and Dani relaxing after lunch.

We've had so much fun with these girls over the past year (and seven weeks!)

Christmas Eve

We had brunch over at Nana and Papa's the other day.  Jodi and Robert have been loaning us Ethan's old car seat which Molly has been having a blast cruising around in.

 Nana made some delicious french toast.  Afterward Molly entertained us all with her favorite Pat the Table game.

We have been having so much fun visiting with Nana and Papa.

Here is a pic of Papa cracking Molly up

And here we are caroling with Nana and Ethan last night

We had a delicious Christmas dinner tonight with turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, brussle sprouts, and Molly's favorite: Pink Jell-o salad.  Molly couldn't get enough of the stuff.

Then she got to experience another Martin tradition: A special Christmas Eve present from her Nana and Papa: New Christmas Pajamas (all washed and ready to go) and a festive story to read before bed.

Now she and Ethan are snug in their beds, and we are about to head to bed as well, since the NORAD Santa Tracker says Santa is already in Missouri-- so he should be touching down in Tuscon soon!

Happy First Christmas Molly!

And to all a good night!

xxoo

Em

So excited for Santa we can hardly sleep! Well, not exactly...

More like, we are having so much fun in Tuscon we are all tuckered out!

Thankful #08

Hey-ya! I'm starting to get caught up!

Part of the reason my blog has been neglected is because I have sort of lost touch with my photography skills.

Here's me trying to take a photograph of Ryan and Molly when we were at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire-- this is Molly hanging a the Atlantic Ocean.  Except I was actually taking video. Oops!

Today I am thankful that my husband Ryan is such a wonderful photographer-- though I am hoping to hone up my camera skills in 2013!

Obama Wins! (Thankful#7)

We're pretty political around here, so this was also a pretty big deal to us!

We had a wonderful election night, watching the results come in and texting back and forth with family and friends.

And of course we stayed up to watch President Obama's speech.
We are looking forward to another four years-- and it is crazy to think that Molly will be almost 5 years old when another president is elected!