Loon Lake 2012

Reina age 3 1/2, Baelor age 6 3/4 months

Yes, this post is months past due! I've been so crazy busy since our Loon Lake family trip that I am finally getting around to choosing photos and posting my favorites. It was hard to pick so sorry for the picture-heavy post. I feel like pictures are a great window to the experiences had.

We started off our annual Loon Lake trip the last week of July to my brother, Teem and his wife Emily and their children's house. It's great that their home is roomy enough for ALL of us, with plenty of fun things to do like picking raspberries and strawberries, basketball, hiking the mountain literally across the street, jumping on the trampoline, adoring the gorgeous garden, eating Emily's always scrumptious meals, or other lawn sports. 

Can you tell that we all enjoy Honda Odysseys? This was definitely the most popular color for this edition. We were hoping for a different color but you get what you get and don't throw a fit.



We were among the first to arrive, so Reina was thrilled to spend a day in Miia's walk-in closet that was literally full of nothing but princess costumes that they thoroughly enjoyed! By the end of Day 1 just about every Disney princess was tried and trampled on the floor.

Before we headed out of Coeur d'Alene to Loon Lake, we took advantage of the hot evening weather and went to Lake Coeur d'Alene for a sunset dip and cliff jumping. The older kids went off some high jumps and Teem, Richard, Gabe, Emily and myself went off a rather huge cliff that I couldn't get a picture of. I debate whether I was going to go off it since it was out of my comfort zone, but a large party boat driving by cheered me on, so of course I couldn't wuss out. After that initial jump I did a couple more before it was completely dark outside. Kinda felt like high school!

One of the activities that is always a must at Loon Lake is fishing. It was a hit among the boys, big and small...even the girls got in on it (well, not the mommies so much). Reina even hooked her first sun fish!

The guys went on an all-day fishing trip to a different lake in the area. They also took an overnighter on the boat doing "night fishing" to catch different fish that are more active at night. This requires special lights, bate and sweaters :) We just got to enjoy the fruits protein of their labor.

Reina with cousin Heleena

 The weather was gorgeous so we had lots of time to spend in the sun and on my brother's powerful boat! This year I wasn't pregnant so I got to really ride "hard" on the tube and even tried knee-boarding! I loved how I was able to do it right away and even tried a few tricks.

 

Gabe and Teem against Paul and Richard

 Reina couldn't get enough of tubing! She had an open-mouth laugh the whole time she was on the tube. In fact, when I would watch her from the boat she kept scaring me because everytime she went over a bump she would tap the person sitting next to her and laugh. I just wanted her to hold on with both hands and not go overboard! Luckily she never did...although both mommy and daddy did. I was videoing the guys on the tubes for a while as they were trying to knock each other off and since nothing special was really happening I turned it off. I turned it off just before Paul flies like 10 feet in the air landing in the water. It would have been replayed over and over on the camera. darn. I'm actually a bit of a dare-devil myself and would jump from one tube to the other while being towed.

Richard and Sanni "against" Teem and Aliisa

Ashton, Aunt Tarja, Heleena, Miia, Aunt Emily w/ Finn, Reina

Baelor even got a ride on the boat...I don't think he really had any opinion of the matter.

 

  

Why is a naked baby bottom so cute?

 

Fun in the sun with cousins: Reina, Miia, Kordell, Luukas, Riley, Kaija, Ethan, Kamryn, Reagan

Snuggling in daddy's cot

With growing families we are really starting to outgrow the lake house. So most of the guys have been kicked out of the house to sleep in cots on the spacious covered porch....or if you are allergic to cats in the RV.

  The dock near the shore got lots of use for jumping and casting fishing poles.

On the count of three! Kaija, Reagan and Kamryn

Cousin Reagan could not get enough of Baelor! It was really nice to have a babysitter to entertain him while I was busy...relaxing.

My brother brought a crazy homemade tennis ball launcher that shot hundreds of feet into the water. Whoever could catch a tennis ball first won a Magnum ice cream bar. I think Gabe (family friend) was the winner.

We even managed to get a purdy family picture, thanks Sanni! We look forward to yet another great trip next year!

Crazy Eight

Baelor, you are now at that age where you are no longer an infant, but just a BABY. We love, love, LOVE this stage! You fit perfectly in our arms. You are aware of your surroundings; you know the difference between familiar and unfamiliar places. You enjoy taking naps in your own crib, or on Mummi and Papa Will's bed. Most nights you somehow end up sleeping as snuggled up to mommy as possible. Lately, we've either been too tired or already asleep before we realize that you are still in our bed. I love to wake up and feel your perfect little body pressed up against mine. Your scrumptiousness makes my mouth water.

We love that you are able to sit up on your own for as long as you want. And we are excited that you are beginning to get on all fours in preparation for crawling. You roll over or scoot backwards on all fours to get what you want; often finding yourself stuck under the couch or chair legs! You're just a laid-back, cool kid who isn't rushing into things. We're okay with that- you are happy and content, what more could we ask for?

At eight months you are wearing size 3 diapers and about size 6 month clothes (3 month onesies). You really don't look any smaller than other babies your age thanks to your cheeks and chunky extremities. Probably the only thing that is similar with you and your sister are your small heads and similar bum-bums (although a little wider than your sister's was).

You are becoming quick at picking up objects from the ground and passing them from one hand to the other. You have a fascination with cloth...whether it's silky, fuzzy, or just plain cotton you enjoy holding onto it. And strings...you do NOT let go of mommy's hoodie strings.

You enjoy playing peek-a-boo with Grandma Guinn and we believe that you greeted her with a "hi" one morning with your usual entrance down the stairs with Grandma awaiting your arrival. Grandma Guinn is a witness to this! You haven't said any other words, but we know when you are hungry because you will mumble your "M's" for mama. When you are pleased you say your "G's". At least we know you'll be able to pronounce your last name!

You have just about grown out of your bath seat...the other day we couldn't help laughing while you were taking a bath with Reina. You looked like a dude just straddling that seat all aloof like a teenager lounging on the couch.

You enjoy your binky for sleep...we enjoy that you can be comforted by it as well. You are a back sleeper and know that you are just about asleep when you turn your head briskly to one side to signal "I am going to sleep now." You like to have some type of cloth to hold onto in the middle of your chest- usually your monkey blankey or a wash cloth.

You are becoming a great eater now! Thanks for finally being able to throw down a little of mommy's chunky homemade baby food. It taste much better don't ya think? You thoroughly enjoy Mummi's cabbage and turkey soup just as much as Reina did. You are eating 4 meals a day with still plenty of nursing.

Your hair is starting to come in and boy, you are a TOE HEAD. I don't quite understand this term cause you are much cuter than an ugly old toe.We love you little guy-guy-guy!

Lucky Number Seven

Loon Lake photo shoot...a few days shy of 7 months

Please stop him! He is growing up too fast! I had no idea how quickly the second one grows up! I can't even imagine those who have even more kids. They probably blink 10 times and their kids are getting married!

What to say about our little 7 month old guy... pictures are so much better! But to keep up with his development, I better add a few notes to his adorableness. Baelor is now an expert at blowing raspberries. He likes the little bits of spit to splash up in his face.

He has been doing this funny, little smile where he will tuck his upper lip under his gums...which makes him look like a shy old man...probably the cutest old man you've ever seen though. I haven't been able to capture this on camera yet.

Besides mommy, his favorite person is Reina. If she is in the room, his eyes are on her. They are beginning to have their own special relationship. I can hear them in the room together giggling. Reina plays peek-a-boo or some other "startling" game as Baelor laughs it up. You'd think a little baby will cry when they are startled, but nope, this little guy gets a big ol' grin instead. In fact, the other day when we went to clean the office building we maintain, Reina was entertaining Baelor for an easy 20 minutes! Great for us so that we could get more cleaning done without interruptions, but it was so pleasing to the ears to hear our children play and laugh together. Most people just hope that their children won't fight, but Reina is always trying to protect and love her little brother. It's funny to hear her imitate the things we say to Baelor such as: "Your such a good little guy." Or she'll sing "Oh, where have you been Baelor-boy, Baelor-boy."

One word to describe him is "light": in weight, in skin tone, in hair color, in sleep awareness, in character, and in desire to eat. Normally babies don't come in for 7 month check-ups, but the doctor was worried because of his low weight at his 6 month appointment so we had to come in for a weight check; 15.4 lbs. I thought that they would be pleasantly surprised at his roly-poly thighs and ginormous cheeks. And now that he is eating solid foods and growing out of some previous clothes that all was good. Well, although he had gained 1 pound, he is still just a little guy apparently at still just 4% on the average weight scale. He'll probably just be a late bloomer like I was. He eats his three meals a day in the Bumbo seat that he tries to escape from during the whole feeding. Baelor currently is eating garden vegetables, squash, sweet potato, and sometimes cereal. We've attempted giving him table food such as fish, berries, rice, etc. but he hasn't mastered his gagging reflexes yet so we've been sticking to pureed food and only occasional attempts at chunks. We do not want him to become a picky eater so luckily I can mush pretty much anything into one of those baby sucky things to allow him to get used to a variety of flavors. Don't try taking it away either, he means serious business with it.
In his seventh month he is beginning to sit on his own (no pillows or props) for up to five minutes...until he tries to reach for something, then it's a bonking/crying fest.

Elizabeth and Emily: they absolutely ADORE him! And likewise.

Baelor is still a regular nurser and loves it. He will still take 2 ounces of formula while I'm working, but sometimes he shows his displeasure. Baelor inherited my light-sleeping genes and can be easily woken up from sudden noises. He shouldn't though, considering he has a loud older sister and spends lots of time at my mom's daycare center.

At Mummi's : Ella, Reina, Tova, Baelor, Mummi, Emily, Elizabeth, Abigail

He is such an easy-going, pleasant baby. We are still debating who he looks like. We see a lot of Grandpa Guinn in him, as well as my oldest sister, Tarja, when he smiles. And a little of my sister, Sanni, when he is concentrating. He's one sweet little fellow and we really only have good things to say about him!

Jammie time! We couldn't resist putting on the matching elf stocking cap. Does he look like Grandpa Guinn?

We love you so much Baelor-boy!

The Utah Guinns' Visit

During the first week of July we received a special treat, a visit from Paul's twin brother Matt, wife Julie, and their two children Madeleine and Benjamin. We had been talking to Reina weeks leading up to their visit. She was excited to see her cousin Madeleine again. What is so great is that they are nearly the same age (only a couple weeks apart). But of course TWIN brothers had TWO girls nearly the same age.
They got along so well! Probably the most memorable activity these two girlies enjoyed was DRESS-UP! Reina hardly ever touches her dress-up clothes, but boy were they the "it" item this week! I should have bought many pairs of pink high-heels as they were the hot commodity to fight over. I never had any pretty dress-up clothes as a child. For my high-heel I would slide my foot into a Fisher Price train car. I guess it was more like a roller-skate.

 

We attempted camping with the kids at a nearby campground, Battleground Lake. It was a beautiful campsite! I knew Reina would do great, and imagined Baelor would do fine. He actually did amazingly well. I was more nervous about waking the other campers when he would wake in the night to nurse. We decided Paul and Reina would sleep in the tent while Baelor and myself would sleep in the back of the minivan. Ouch! Uncomfortable for me, but everyone else slept great. It was probably the hardest on Matt and Julie since their boy Benjamin is 1 1/2 and always on the go. It was just a quick overnighter, but we enjoyed chatting around the campfire with the adults including Uncle Steve.

 

We had a fun little barbecue out back with Paul's family for the 4th. Sadly, Paul had to work for the first time on the 4th. We are hoping all of his hard work will allow him more time with family in the future. That's our intention at least. After enjoying Grandma Guinn's new backyard furniture and scrumptious food, we headed over to my sister Sanni's neighborhood fireworks show. It was big and loud and fun for all.
We also took a quick visit to Uncle Bryan and Aunt Wendy's "farm" in Brush Prarie. We don't get out that way too often, but the kids enjoyed all the space and fun toys like the pools, trampoline and playsets. I think Reina was most interested in the hose though. Kids always seemed to be entertained with simple things like boxes huh?

We love Grandma Guinn! You too, grandpa. Next time we'll tackle you grandpa!

The girls: Lauren, Madeleine, Logan and Reina

Reina with cousin Degan

Aunt Sharon and Aunt Louise (the crazy aunts who live in the pink house)

Cousin Logan and Baelor

It was good to see the Utah Guinns and hope to be able to take a visit in their territory soon. And maybe take a look-sie on BYU campus and see all the changes that have been made since we went there.

America, the Land that We Love

One of my favorite holidays is Independence Day. It is precious in so many ways. It takes place in the perfect season for barbecues with family and friends and kicking back and "relaxing" during "vacation" (i.e. do we ever REALLY get a vacation with kids?). I love how everyone seems to come together for one great purpose of showing their patriotism. Every year it becomes a little more sentimental to me. Back in the day I would rank the 4th of July as one of my favorite holidays because of the fireworks. I can remember fond memories of watching the "biggest display of fireworks west of the Mississippi" at Fort Vancouver with Neil Diamond singing "God Bless the USA" (still one of my faves) and being completely amazed with each explosion bigger than the previous. Today, I love the 4th for not only the fun parts, but also because I love this country. I value life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I love freedom and that I can choose how I want to live. I believe in the idea of reaping what you sow. I believe that if you work hard you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. I believe in being charitable with time, money, talents, etc., but also that the choice of when/where/who to be charitable with is up to you. I believe that most Americans are good people.

Cousin Riley

I am not going to get into politics in this blog as I have far too much to say and want to keep it on a positive side. But, this is my blog and mostly I'm the one who reads it so I will only say a little. I will say that I see our country heading very rapidly in a different direction than one I would choose. There are a gazillion reasons this is so. There are far better sources out there than myself, so there is no need for me to get detailed here. I fear we are heading to destruction. We have learned that knowledge is power. What baffles me is when people say, "I don't get into politics." WHAT!?! This is like saying, "I want others to pave my life." You don't have to be up-to-date on every tiny scenario that happens in the political world because it can consume you and make you quite angry. But knowing more than what mainstream media is feeding you is necessary if you are at all interested in the integrity of yourself, your family, and their future.
I know these posts are really just a journal for myself and my family, and for the most part feel the way I do about America. I love America and want to preserve what we have had in the past. Too much war and labor has gone into shaping and molding Her; don't let Her be destroyed in a sudden "whirlwind of ideas" that are too fast to make you realize that the decisions made for this country have only lead to the deconstructing of Her. If you haven't made the attempt to learn, please do. The current leaders are banking on listlessness, ignorance, and flat-out lying. Oh, and mainstream stations (i.e. ABC, NBC, CBS, alphabet stations) are obnoxiously biased....but you knew that, right?
I really just meant to add a few cute pictures of my kiddos with Grandma and Grandpa Guinn all decked out in red, white and blue. I love my family and I love America. God bless the USA.

Mummi hula-hooping with homemade PVC pipe...she will do this from dawn to dusk unless you ask to see her splits.

Daddy was working at the Fort Vancouver Fireworks display doing chiropractic scans. We brought him a plate of yummy barbecue we enjoyed and played for a few minutes at Esther Short park. We missed him.