The Return Trip

On the way back we decided to go with a red theme. Not as many cool things in red. Oh well, better luck next time...

Ready to head. That is Erik's car - not ours. And no, we didn't switch.



Special of the week: Etta Grace.



After driving by approximately 70 times, Bob finally gets the chance to stop and eat.



A go-cart raffle in Bonner. Etta wanted to "wide!!" the go-cart. Maybe Baba Steve will build her one?



V-8 in Superior. (Too hot to get a picture with all the red stuff outside...)



More mining "stuff" in Wallace. Etta did NOT want to leave!



Gassing up in Coeur d'Alene. A necessary part of a road trip.



No smoking! This means YOU, you at the rest stop. And by the way...Gooooooo Vandals!



Milkshakes for dinner at our final stop in Moscow. Baskin Robbins is mostly pink and brownish colors. The window place next door had red trim. That's okay I guess...

A Trip to Montana - In Pictures

Ready to load up and leave Lewiston.



Dump truck at the Potlatch rest area. Etta is loving big trucks!



Potty stop at Shopko in Coeur d'Alene.



Riding the train in Wallace after a picnic lunch.



Trying our luck in Bonner.



Dog run and potty stop in Lincoln.



CAT at Vaughn. Last stop before home. (Not counting the 20 miles of 35mph following the pilot car out of Great Falls...We are so BLESSED to have a good traveler!)

A crime scene?

Etta enjoys getting out the sidewalk chalk. She'll make a couple of lines, but usually only wants one of us to draw.

She always wants me to draw hearts. "Big hearts. Wittle hearts. Mo' hearts!"

And her other favorite is the chalk outline. Ever since I did that one time that is pretty much all she wants to do. One day we had to draw around daddy and mommy too. Let me tell you what, for me to lie flat on my back on concrete - and then get up again - is not currently the most comfortable/easiest thing to do.

After getting an outline of each of us, and then four outlines of Etta, Bob commented that it looked like a crime scene from a horrific murder of a large group of people. Oh well, it's good times!

She lays very still and puts her arms straight out.



Maybe you can see some of the "carnage" through the shadows.

An 18 hour bug?

Last Wednesday was a regular day like any other. But then, at about 4:00, it started to go down hill. Etta started to get clingy and droopy eyed. Wouldn't touch a bite of dinner and laid listlessly on the couch. As soon as I got done eating I wanted to snuggle. We read a couple of books and then she conked out. Thankfully her fever broke by 10:30 the next morning and she was doing well enough to go to the circus Thursday afternoon.

Happy Father's Day

They are two peas in a pod...

Checking to see if their piggies look the same.



Red shirts, tan shorts. Loving being together this summer.

How Big is Baby?

So big!

When asked, Etta always says that she is going to play the tuba in band. We can always hope. I had a student playing the recording bass (tuba) in band this year. When the year was over we brought it home. Etta can make a sound on it (probably better than I can) but gets very frustrated because she can't push the buttons and blow at the same time...

If you are wondering - the bell is missing. The recording bass is so big that it has two huge cases with the separate parts. She really doesn't know the difference...

What's in dere, daddy?



Dat's the mouthpiece.



Etta bow. (Blow)

MT Vacation #1

Still...

At Giant Springs park in Great Falls.

Look at the fish.



They are SO big!



Just chillaxin' with my Eek-Eek. I want to be JUST like him you know.

Catching up

I haven't uploaded pictures to my own computer for quite a while so I have some "oldies" but goodies. Good news is there should be new posts every day for at least six days if not more!

Etta loves to call people on the phone. Mostly Grandmas or Babas. And she is SO over me trying to hold the phone for her while she is talking.

Hi Grandma Cindy.



What doing Grandma Cindy?



[And repeat those two statements approximately 25 times per phone call...]

The Beginning of the End

Week 27 - Third trimester. I can hardly believe it. Time is crawling, yet flying by.

Bob came into the kitchen the other night and profoundly said, "We are going to have TWO KIDS".

Um, yeah, that's what I've been saying for a few months now.

Seeing Mae again at the ultrasound yesterday was so nice. We were definitely spoiled seeing Etta so much throughout that pregnancy. Medical technology is truly incredible and the detail of the ultrasounds is just out of this world.

She measured on track with an estimated due date of September 12th. Just past my calculation of the 9th and just short of Dr. Berg's calculation of the 16th. If we go in a week early like last time it would be September 6th. Labor Day, anyone? Nice.

But here I am in all my pregnant glory about five weeks after the last picture I posted. I get many different responses to my baby belly. From, "You CAN'T be that far along" to "You're not due until SEPTEMBER?! IF you make it that long". But I am feeling good (for the most part) and trying to really enjoy this experience. It is truly unique.

Positive Reinforcement

Etta to Bob while he was putting on her shoes:

"Good Job Daddy!"

[Maybe I should teach her to say, "Good job, Bob!"]

Expanding the family (instrument that is) and snuggle time

While in Helena Etta got to explore a new instrument. The cello! She had quite a good time and even held the bow basically the right way. It's fun to watch her explore different music making devices.

Very serious student



Just my size



And of course, reading time with our favorite Uncle Eek-Eek in the big bed.

Snuggle up close



Mo' books! Five mo' books!!

Mo' Horsey!

While in Helena we headed down to the carousel for a fun ride. Uncle Eek-Eek rode with her and a fine time was had by all.



Picking the perfect horse



Posing



Getting a ring



In the area there were a couple of artistic sculptures. I, of course, love to have her pose on them. Thankfully she likes to do it also.

A bear. Roar!



Wide the fishie.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

We spent the past weekend in Helena visiting friends, attending a wedding and getting family pictures taken. We stayed with some people who had lived in Fort Benton. They have a six-year old son who is just finishing kindergarten.

We arrived Saturday just before the wedding. Etta was very excited to see Uncle Eek-Eek, Baba Eddie and Grandma Cynthia. Here is a pic from the "reunion" moment.

Very excited to be with Uncle Eek-Eek!



After the wedding we headed over to our friends' house. Etta was very excited to have a playmate (and not be told, "Don't touch that! Get down! Be careful! Stop!"). The little boy was also very excited to have someone to play with. They played together in the living room. They went in and out of his bedroom, laughing and having a great time. We heard drum playing, we heard laughing.

We heard...silence.

When the silence got to the point of, "Uh oh, what's going on?" the little boy's dad got up and headed in to the bedroom. I decided that I should perhaps follow. As I was approaching the bedroom I heard a whimper start. I rounded the corner.

"What happened to your clothes?"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR?!?!"

Etta's clothes were in tatters and her hair was, well, not completely gone, but not there. Curls missing, a couple of deep gouges on top and in the back. After I picked her up she was pretty quiet. Kind of in shock I think.

We tried not to make too big of a deal about it in front of her for the rest of the evening. Although multiple times she would reach up and say, "Where'd curls go?" Or, "Hair all gone." Before bed Bob showed Etta herself in the mirror. I was not there to witness her reaction but apparently she was quite upset.

I myself went through many stages of, well, processing, we'll call it. There is a little part of me that is crumbling. Those beautiful locks that have taken over two years to get to the point of "piggies". That soft, baby hair that would curl over her ears and at the nape of her neck, just gone. Back to, "What a cute little boy you have there". Even looking back at pictures is almost too hard for me right now.

But then the sane part of me takes over. At least we aren't having to shave her head because of chemo treatments. At least he didn't take a part of an ear or poke out an eye.

It's. Just. Hair. It will grow back. Maybe the curls will be gone. Maybe they won't be. I don't have curls. I turned out okay. It's summer time. She likes to wear hats. She never wanted me to brush it or put piggies in it anyway.

The spiritual side of me knows that God is teaching me a little lesson about pride. And that I had reached the point of a little too much for my own good. There are many ways that He could have taught me this lesson. I am just glad that this is the way He chose to do it.

So even though the hair is in a different style she is still the same beautiful, wonderful, fun, loving little girl that is no longer our baby but our "big girl" and almost "big sister". No amount of hair oops will change that.

My hairdresser in Fort Benton was kind enough to add an extra 15 minutes to her day OFF and even out the tresses for FREE! Who can argue with that kindness?

Getting ready.



Getting the bib.



First cuts.



Sitting so still.



Ready for summer with my new 'do.