Friday, September 28, 2012

90


Great Grandpa Paul celebrated his 90th birthday last weekend and the whole Bressler clan drove down to Vancouver to help celebrate. It was a whirlwind tour (sorry to have missed you, Vancouver and Portland friends!), but it was well worth the trek. 


Here's Mandy chatting with Paul and Peggy.


Here's part of the gang catching up and reconnecting. (It was so nice to meet everyone!)


Here's Harte giving a thoughtful toast to the Birthday Boy.


And here's Phoebe with a bucket on her head. 


Oh, and here's Ryland and Stella wrestling IN the bucket. 

Ah. Buckets are rad.


Here's Brian chilling in the sun (sans bucket).


And here's a crazy hotel chicken. 

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Paul! We love you!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

To the Cabin


A few weekends ago, our beloved Aunt Mandy and Uncle Jeff (Brian's fabulous sister and her wonderful husband) graciously invited us to their family cabin on Lake Tyee near Baker Lake. Besides learning a whole lot about beavers, teeny frogs and swim noodles, we loved just eating and hanging out together. The girls adore their aunt, uncle and pupster cousin Lucy, so they were thrilled to play in the sweet little cabin. And the adults had a blast catching up, playing games and laughing way too hard. 



Thanks, Mandy, Jeff and Lucy, for such a lovely and relaxing weekend. Thanks for loving our girls so openly and for feeding us so deliciously! We love you!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Kindergarten


Stella started Kindergarten this month. 

Wow. 

Kindergarten. 


It's an honor to watch you grow, Scout. You rock our world!

Summer Sledding


Over Labor Day weekend, we headed to Mount Baker for some summer sledding. Our dear buds, Leah and Nali joined us and we had a dreamy "last day of summer" experience from start to finish. 




 Happy girls in the snow. 


And now that Stella and Phoebe are certified hikers, we took a little stroll up Artist's Point to explore the miniature tarns and the stunning views of Shuksan and Baker.  (I kept chuckling to myself that this is our girls' playground essentially. Their "backyard" is undeniably one of the most stunning places on earth. Lucky lucky.)


Phoebe prefers to run up trails. 


Happy family. 

Little Hikers


As Fall officially arrived this weekend, I realized I should post the rest of our summer pictures before we dive into one of my favorite seasons. For our big camping trip this year, we chose to explore new territory and headed east for the Colonial Creek campground located on the shores of Diablo Lake. Adjacent to Ross Lake and just an hour from Winthrop and Twisp, this area is downright stunning. And the girls were in heaven as we enjoyed a fabulous campground (Thank you to the rangers and their evening family programs!) and we took our first serious hike as a family of four.


Here are the intrepid little hikers at the peak of our first hike - Thunder Knob. (And yes, I kept embarrassing (and dating) myself by constantly referring to it as Thunder Dome. What can I say? Tina left an impression.)  


With an elevation gain of over 400 feet and a total distance of 3.6 miles, there was a need for mossy breaks and lounging for those with little legs. 


Ridiculous cuteness always helps tired hikers. 


And gorgeous vistas don't hurt either. 

So 3.6 miles up a moderate little trail might not seem like much to many of you. We actually thought we'd just take a walk and see if we could make it for a mile. But Stella and Phoebe kept movin' on. Whenever Stella felt tired, she asked to do math problems. (Seriously, who is this kid?) And whenever Phoebe felt whooped she would say "Be quiet legs." 

Yup, "Be quite legs." 

Needless to say, they were totally inspiring to both me and Brian, and we felt so profoundly lucky to have such good sports as daughters. 


 A rare shot of Stella and me. Oh, how this girl steals my heart with every insightful observation or goofy riff. 


For us Washingtonians, it was a hot one that weekend. The frigid waters of Diablo Lake were a bit shocking, but it felt good nonetheless. 


I felt like I had a posh spa treatment after walking in the river mud for an hour. Lovely. 


Oh, that determined little walk.


We decided to head to the Methow Valley to swim in a lake that wouldn't freeze our tootsies off. Pearrygin Lake was perfect.


As Brian took a few rides on his own, the girls and I enjoyed riding loops around the campground. Stella whizzes by and Phoebe has been quite the little balance biker. She motors with the best of them now. 



These two photos aren't too special at first glance. But I feel compelled to include them since I rarely see the three of us together - a Mama who often hangs behind or brings up the rear for two exuberant and curious spirits, there to keep the unit safe and united but also there to engage and expose them to the joys of this gorgeous world. Switch backs, huckleberries, log bridges. It's beyond inspiring to know in the day to day moments of life that we are living our values explicitly. Saying yes to bike riding on Lummi Island. Saying yes to reconnecting with far away family. Saying yes to holding a reverence for nature and our place in it. Saying yes to sledding in August. Saying yes to nearly 100 pounds of blueberries in our freezer. Saying yes to family and our gorgeous girls. 

It's been a splendid summer indeed. 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Two and a Half


We celebrated Phoebe Dahlia's half birthday shortly after Stella's fifth extravaganza. Half birthdays are special but humble affairs around here. It's just the four of us and a dessert of choice. But it means oh-so-much to these little critters. Phoebe is so proud of being "two and half" and likes to tell everyone she sees. And man is she cute. I mean really. Look at that face. The nose. The dimple. The little teeth. 
Oh Lordy.


And of course, Phoebe stays true to form and requested an apple pie (with chocolate) for dessert. 

We love you, little moonbeam. Thank you for keeping us in the giggles. 

The Big Five



Stella's fifth birthday was a hit. She requested a bike parade party at our favorite seaside park. She and her friends decorated their rides and then toured around the winding pathways, giving walkers a good chuckle. 


Doesn't Phoebe look like she's ready for the Kentucky Derby?


What a truly wonderful group of friends. Stella is always so happy to see her delightful friends. And to see her Olivia and Eva Maria, her big girl cousins, was such a fabulous surprise!


We met back at our house for a family dinner where Stella was a gracious and lovely little host. 



 Birthday Cake Choice - Vanilla Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Coconut Frosting 




Happy Birthday, Stella Scout! We love you endlessly!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Friends


They make kites together.


They scheme together.


They fly together. 

Stella and Phoebe have always been pretty close We've felt so fortunate they are genuinely and naturally bonded. They really really really like each other and it's so sweet to watch them connect more and more easily as they both grow. This summer has marked the true beginning of a beautiful friendship full of make-believe, dress up, craft projects and secret plans. Now that Phoebe can really dive into some serious play with her oh-so-patient big sister, they are off and running - together - the minute they wake up. They gab and laugh and spar and make up and love one another so freely. Yet again, as individuals and as sisters, they remind us of how we are so totally lucky and loved. 

Blueberries Galore


If you look closely, you may detect a pulsing blue glow emanating from our humble house. We are total and complete blueberry junkies, and we have been picking like crazy this year. We now have over sixty pounds of deliciousness in our freezer, and thanks to our buddy Nali, picking at our favorite local farm was a blast. Summers are about picking berries, getting dirty and savoring every drop of warmth and friendship. 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Charleston: A Dreamy Vacation



The starfishes were different...


...the water was warm...


...and the cousins were a blast.

Our trip to Charleston was just plain great. I feel like at this point, I'm that annoying person who keeps telling folks how great our vacation was and how we can't wait to do it again. But there you go. I'll be that person. It was great. And we can't wait to do it again. 


One of the highlights for Stella was taking daily kayak rides with James and Jim in the marsh behind our house. Not only was it beautiful, but it was time with her favorite bud - James, we miss you! - while spotting countless gorgeous birds and turtles. 



And even though I could tell Stella was a tad disappointment when her predicted catch of "millions of crabs" turned out to be only three, catching crabs with James' Granddaddy was a hoot. 


 

Looking fabulous in their new Folly Beach dresses.  


And have I said how great it was to reunite with Kathy? Oh. I love that girl so. She's one of my favorite people around, and it was beyond lovely to watch her and the girls connect... 



... and for us to get our inner goof on. 

(Some things don't change, do they? Hallelujah.)


Talk about lovely. Seriously, these ladies are pretty fabulous, rockin' the beach as aunties and grandmas. 



There are simply no words for this. Pure, unabashed cuteness. Oh, she was so happy here.



This reminds me of Stella in Costa Rica. Phoebe was fairly tentative with the ocean for most of the trip, only dipping her toes in and chasing the waves back and forth with the tide. But as the days wore on, she gathered her courage, enough to walk in a bit more. By the end of the trip, she enjoyed some big splashes with Mama, giggling and screaming "Woah! That was a big one, Mama!" with each wave. She listens to herself, this one. And I'm so very thankful for that.


Joanie and Stace. Chatting and sunning. Sunning and chatting.


Our mermaid.


And her buddy.


Saying goodbye to that beautiful Atlantic.


And despite a horrendous (overnight) delay on our way home, the girls were amazing little travelers from start to finish. 

Thank you to all our family for their hospitality and their humor. We love you and can't wait for the next reunion... West Coast perhaps?