Friends

Chloë had so much fun playing with Louella when the Dowers were here for a few days. Louella is two months older, and these girls have such a great time together.


They were giggling together at their reflections.


Chloë's silly smile.

Louella's silly smile.


Bath time! Chloë had never had such a fun bath.

Louella wasn't so sure. There was a lot of splashing.

A moment of calmness.

These girls really do get along. Too bad Louella lives in Seattle now.

Easter Fest

Saturday, May 7th was Trinity Reformed Church's 3rd Annual Easter Festival. When the final RSVP head count rolled in a few days before the feast, my friend Sarah and I had to do a little last minute scrambling to make sure we could feed everyone. We had assumed we would have something close to last year's count of 380, so when the numbers came in at 449, we knew we had underestimated all of the planning we'd been doing for months. Neither of us had ever organized dinner for that many people before, so we recruited some wonderful ladies from church to help us cook the main dish. As it was, I made seven batches of the biryani recipe I adapted to feed 10, and let me tell ya, it was a lot of food. Of course, when I calculated how much food we would need, I was thinking of how much my hungry brothers can eat in a sitting. I kept forgetting that we had lots of families... women and children who don't (usually) eat as much as a starving college guy. Needless to say, we overestimated a bit with the main dish, but I was glad we didn't run out of food altogether. The naan we made disappeared in a hurry, but I guess that means everyone liked it, right?

We had some great college kids recruited to help in the kitchen, and when we arrived to begin getting everything ready, people just started showing up to help. We were overwhelmed, and so glad that everything went as smoothly as it did. I even got to sit down and eat, hold my baby, enjoy a little bit of the entertainment, and take a few pictures.


Dinner. For 450 people. After the kids had eaten and rushed off to play games outside.


After dinner was out on the tables, but before the dishes started pouring in, I had a few minutes with my baby. Bryan was so great spending most of the day with her and keeping her happy while I rushed around like mad woman.


The Stervensons (being Abby, Josh and Caleb for this set) started us off with some fun entertainment and music.


Grace's Ezra watching the show.


Bryan's sister Christa hosted "Penalty Pictionary," which was hilarious. Here is Christa's sister Jessie drawing Norway. As a penalty for losing the last round, Tyler wears a dunce cap decked out with a fairy wand and tinsel.


My sweet husband, doing what he did all day.

There were all sorts of awesome things going on for the kids outside, including:


(Abra's Ophelia bobbin' for apples.)



Jacob and Bethany's adorably handsome Micah.

Then after dinner, kid's games, and entertainment, there was dancing. Live music and even a caller... everyone had a great time.

Sarah (in plaid) took a few minutes to enjoy the dancing.


And these were the leftovers. I was very happy that we didn't have to throw any of it away (waste not, want not, my mother always said), and we sent most of it home with families and college guys. Chloë has been eating it every day since then, too.

Dishes took a while, but we had more help than we knew what to do with. And what a joyful crew of dishwashers we had. There was lots of laughter and even more singing, from Disney classics to 500 Miles by The Proclaimers. It was so much fun, and made me think back to washing dishes at Camp Of The Risen Son, oh, 15 years ago. We got out of there an hour earlier than the clean up crew did last year, so we considered that to be a huge accomplishment. It was a wonderful evening, and we were so grateful for the many hands that helped.

Play Time

My friend Hope and her son Brody are in town this week visiting. They came over along with our friends Mary her daughter Louella, and Ali and her babe on the way, and we enjoyed watching our babies play together.




For a little contrast, here is a picture from last summer when Chloë was four days old and Brody was six days old. It's hard to believe how much they have changed.


They played quite nicely together. I don't know about Brody, but I know Chloë wasn't quite sure what to think of another person her own size.


And then when Mary came over with Louella, we had to get a pictures of all the babies. Louella is two months older than the other two, and quite the big girl in comparison.



And I couldn't resist sharing this picture of my hilarious little goof ball.


Louella looking on as Chloë and Brody learn to share.


Chloë and Brody pulled themselves under the coffee table to play with the dominoes.



Good times with good friends, as always.

Idler's Rest

Last Saturday was perhaps the most beautiful day I've ever seen November. Warm and sunny, we were glad when our friends Joel and Mary (and Louella) called us up and said we needed to do something outside. So we drove to Moscow Mountain and went on a little hike at Idler's Rest.



Bryan carrying the baby in the Bjorn.




Louella fell asleep on the hike in.


Chloë enjoying some kick and wiggle time.



The babies hanging out together.



We found some ladybugs.




It was an absolutely gorgeous day. I wish every Fall in Moscow were so nice.

Birthday Weekend

Saturday marked my 27th birthday. (But now that I'm a mother, I realized that we count wrong, because the first day of birth really does count ever so much.)

My dear and wonderful husband surprised me a day early with the perfect present: a beautiful Canon Rebel T1i. I've already taken hundreds of pictures, and have had so much fun messing with the settings and playing with lighting and shutter speed and learning how to take better pictures. One of my favorites from the first night:


My parents came to town for the weekend, and my dad brought me a special present. A Blue Spruce, which had been planted as a little sapling a few years ago along the stream on my parent's land. (This tree is now a special part of our yard, especially because we planted it over Chloë's placenta, following a Botkin tradition. There is a tree on The Farm in Iowa that my parents planted shortly after I was born.) It even came with it's very own authentic bird nest.





The morning of my birthday, spending time with my family. And loving my sweet, chubby baby.


On Saturday we had a little party, also celebrating my friend Susanna's birthday this week. Our dear friends Joel and Mary came early, and Louella smiled sweetly for the camera.



Lou is two months older than Chloë, and we finally got a few pictures of them together. Of course photographing babies is no easy task, and harder still to get a shot with two babies looking good.


Grinning at her Uncle Samuel.



With my mother, for whom I have a new appreciation, after having my own daughter.


Birthday girls!


Suz and I with our pumpkin bread "cakes." They were great, Mom!


Trying to get a family birthday shot. My poor daughter was a little cranky at this point... slightly over-stimulated by all of the noise and fun.

Then on Sunday, we had The Blakey Birthday Dinner out at the Alpaca farm. My in-laws are fantastic people, and sweet Jessie made me my favorite chocolate peanut butter cake.