Day 244: Still a Work Zone

August 31

The girls' elementary school has been undergoing remodeling work all summer.  This week they opened the grounds back up (even though there are still construction vehicles and materials all over the place) so we've been biking down each day to play on the playground and check things out.

Day 243: Crazy Costumes

August 30

Vicki and her friend Shelbie decided to go through the dress-up clothes.  Aren't they lovely?

Day 242: Enchanted Forest

August 29

We took Ellie's Girl Scout troop to the Enchanted Forest today.  These six girls had the time of their lives and left their two leaders completely exhausted.  It was a good day.

Day 241: The Library

August 28

One of our favorite places.

Day 240: Bike "Repairs"

August 27

Is there a kid anywhere who hasn't done this?

Day 239: Phantom

August 26

I've been spending the summer indoctrinating my daughters with showtunes.  A few days ago we watched "Hairspray", and today I made them watch "The Phantom of the Opera" with me.  They resisted at first, but were quickly sucked in.  Chris is powerless to stop it; he says he's just going to invest in earplugs.

Day 238: Hot Out of the Oven

August 25

The girls have been begging for homemade bread for a long time, but it's been too hot or we've been too busy.  We were stuck home today without a car, and it's much cooler now, so I finally gave in.

Day 237: "Ready, Set..."

August 24

We wowed our friends at the park tonight with a geyser made from Diet Coke and Mentos.  Thank you, Mythbusters!

Day 236: Noah's Ark

August 23

Today I made the girls go through all the toys in the playroom and sort out the things they don't use anymore.  The Little People sets haven't been touched in months, but as soon as I had them all organized to give away, Ellie decided that she actually did want to keep them and play with them.  I'm okay with this until school starts; then they're just going to "disappear" quietly and without fanfare.

Day 235: Home Improvement

August 22

Today I spent quality time with three different saws.  I cut over a foot off of the bunkbed ladder and attached hooks at the top (which I modified from a cheap over-the-door clothes hanger after a fruitless search in Home Depot for something that fit my vision) so we could stand it upright against the side of the bed, rather than have it lean at an angle.  This gives the girls a little more floor space in their very tiny bedroom.

Day 234: Otter Pops

August 21

These have been a constant in my freezer all summer long.

Day 233: Out For a Girls' Bike Ride

August 20

I absolutely love that we can do this now!  She's still much slower than the other two (they're waaaaaay ahead in the distance there), but she's riding on two wheels!

Day 232: Whipped Cream Shots

August 19

My favorite thing about this picture is actually our friend Sam's face in the background.  Whipped cream is awesome.

Day 231: Beauty

August 18

Wildwood Recreation Area, Mt. Hood National Forest.  Oregon is beautiful.

Day 230: The Girls

August 17

Friday evening at the park.

Day 229: Summer

August 16

Some pictures don't need a description.

Day 228: Taking a Break

August 15

Lexi and I went for a "just the two of us" bike ride this morning.

Day 227: The Hated Sign

August 14

We live on a little dead-end street where each house has a single-car garage and a driveway only big enough for one car.  These signs are the reason people hate visiting us.

Day 226: Pampered

August 13

After I got my pedicure last week, Lexi decided that was what she wanted for her birthday.

Day 225: Olympic Burnout

August 12

We've been staying up late almost every single night over the course of the past two weeks to watch the Olympics.  Only one of us made it to the end of the Closing Ceremonies, though.

Day 224: Ten

August 11

Lexi hit the double digits today, and she couldn't be prouder.  I'm so happy this beautiful, bubbly, funny, stylish, and smart girl is part of our family!

Day 223: "Wake Up, Snoozy!"

August 10

Vicki has been attending a music & drama camp all week, and tonight was their performance, The Granny Awards.  Vicki was cast as the Fairy Godmother, and she did a great job waving her wand to keep Snoozy (the boy on the far right) awake.

Day 222: Sigur Ros

August 9

We went to the Sigur Ros concert at Edgefield tonight with Chris's brother Blaine & his girlfriend Mel.  I'm not hugely into their music, but I still enjoyed the concert, and it was definitely an entertaining people-watching experience.

Day 221: Letter to God

August 8

While picking up the girls from their activity night at church, I noticed this note stuck on the Bishop's door.

Day 220: The Birds

August 7

For two years I've been thinking these birds that are always congregated outside Fred Meyer would make a good picture of the day, and today I finally managed to get a shot out the window while stopped at a light.

Day 219: Pretty Toes

August 6

In the two and a half years I've been doing this project, I don't think I've ever done a foot shot, but then I've never really had cause to do one until now.  Tonight I went with some girlfriends to get pedicures, and I realized that it was the first pedicure I've had since right before my wedding, 13 years ago.  Let me tell you, it will not be another 13 years before my next one!

Day 218: Comfy New Shoes

August 5

My mom and I went shopping while she was here, and we each bought a pair of Toms shoes.  They definitely live up to the hype as far as comfort is concerned!

Day 217: Sara the Swan and Timmy the Turtle

August 4

To keep herself occupied while watching the Olympics, Ellie decided to write a book.

Day 216: Monkeys

August 3

We've been celebrating summer by taking a picnic to the park with friends every Friday evening.  It's perfect because the kids can run wild and the grownups don't have to worry about the houses getting messed up.  Win-win.

Day 215: Determination

August 2

Last night, out of the blue, Ellie decided that she could ride her bike.  Today she practiced her new skills by riding to the park.  I love her face in this picture.

Day 214: Wahclella Falls

August 1

We went for a hike today up to Wahclella Falls.  This is one of my favorite places in the world, and it was great to share it with my parents and my brother.