So glad Rivercrest Apartments has a pool! We go almost every day. It has been fun to see how fearless Lyra is with her arm floaties. (Or as she would put it, arm "ploaties") Lisa learned to swim a couple  summers ago when we first moved here and is usually very confident in the water. They both already have that swimsuit tan line that seems to appear no matter how much sunscreen you lather on their bodies. Cute little fishies.

Lyra's sunscreen face, doesn't matter if you are nowhere near her face

Looks kinda cold, huh? That's cause they insist on going swimming even if it is only 70 degrees out. Sun is shining, pool is open...in their minds there is no question. Must swim!

Last week Donna suggested we take the kids cherry picking at Kelley Orchard near Filer. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a blast filling their own baskets. It is so nice they have a few pick-your-own-produce farms around here. Hopefully we will go back later this summer for other fresh fruits!

Donna's response to me warning everyone I would be obnoxious with my photo taking

Ryan was sweet and held our friend Hugh for me while I watched the girls pick their cherries

And, of course, Cherry Pie!

Our best pie effort to date. We went all out and put in a little grenadine, in addition to the almond extract that gives it its signature flavor. We also brushed the crust with milk before baking, which I don't usually do. Yummy, flaky goodness! Makes me miss my Grandma Marj and her perfect pies. 

So tired!

Contrary to what it appears, Lyra is not bowing down to the TV or Dora. She actually fell asleep this way one evening after a long day. It got really quiet so I looked over and said,"Lisa, what is Lyra doing? Is she sleeping?!" She slept that way for about 30 minutes before I moved her to her bed. For the past 6 months or so her napping has been hit and miss. We usually only give her a nap if she is extremely grumpy, otherwise it is very difficult to get her to sleep at bedtime. On some days, she ends up just falling asleep wherever she is, usually in the car or watching a movie, but it has never been quite in that position before. Looks like she is almost doing a yoga child's pose, which often makes me want to sleep too. 

A little snow

This winter has not brought much snow at all for Twin Falls, so we jumped at the chance to go play in the snow at Magic Mountain a few weeks ago. Donna and Tony invited us to go with them and take the kids on the tubing hills. My first time down the hill with Lyra I felt like I was on a roller coaster the way my stomach dropped, but it was super fun.  I was happy that the girls were not too afraid to try it, although Lisa definitely lasted longer than Lyra. It was nice that they have a lift system that pulls you up the hill in the tube so you don't have to walk up. Afterward we all had hot chocolate before heading home. It was so sweet of Donna and Tony to treat us to such a fun day. 

Halloween Fun

It was nice to be able to accompany Lisa on her Kindergarten class field trip to the pumpkin patch this year. Lyra was very excited to ride the bus with her big sister and do everything the big kids do. On Halloween night we headed over to Maple Street for some trick-or-treat fun and to stop at Carol and Tom's for their neighborhood party. We have felt so blessed getting to rub shoulders with such great folks here in Twin Falls. The girls had a very fun night and we loved getting to share their excitement over the whole thing. 

This is the costume we thought she might wear, but lately she has become all about the pretties.  

So she ended up in the fairy costume Lisa wore a couple years ago

The hair piece for Lisa's Rapunzel costume actually has a braid that hangs all the way down to her knees!

Lyra, the zany 2 year old!

Exactly two years ago, this beautiful little lady greeted the world. There are so many sides to this lovable girl. She is always ready for an adventure, wants to do everything the big kids do, keeps us on our toes with her wit and humor, and still loves a good snuggle. Some of her favorite words and phrases: "Shoes", "I want...milk, boots, baby, drink, etc", "Bus!", "Oh me, Oh my" (from One fish Two Fish). She is also learning to call her sister Lisa (which comes out as ee-sha) instead of Ya-Ya (which is actually so cute that we often end up just calling Lisa that anyway). 

We had a comical photo session a few nights ago that captured the many moods and silliness of Lyra. Enjoy.

Right before she threw her doll several feet across the room

Right after she threw her doll several feet across the room

walking backward. the suspense is terrible...

oh my, blue eyes! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,  LYRA!

Kindergarten

 We now have a Kindergartener among us! Last Tuesday marked the first day of her official school career at Harrison Elementary. We are very excited for her. She has been happy so far to tell us all about each day when she comes home after school. I hope that stays for a while.

Supportive friends taking her to the bus

Cheeeeeese!

Let me explain: For Lisa's birthday we brought cupcakes to share with the class. This is Lisa's Kindergarten teacher showing six of Lisa's classmates how to be candles for her birthday song. When the song was over, Lisa "blew" the candles out and they all fell to the floor. As strange as it looks, it was actually pretty cute. 

She seems to be enjoying her class very much so far. I like the last rule on that chart behind her. Always a good idea.