And then she was two

Somehow Poppy turned two this month. And somehow I'm mostly okay with it. Probably because this is such a wonderfully fun stage and probably because we have another tiny one coming soon to take care of my baby cravings for a while.

We went to the zoo with Bry's parents during the day (grand time, pictures to come later), and then spent the evening at my parent's where we had a very little party with some of Poppy's favorite people...Mimi and Papa, Uncle Luke and the Schafer cousins, Uncle Sam (I love saying that) and Aunt Kait, Aunt Mia, and Uncle Kurt. 

There were balloons...

 And hugs...

 And drinks...don't worry, it's only strawberry lemonade

 And of course a cake.

Angel food slathered in whipping cream and piled with strawberries...

 Poppy had been talking about a cake and candles all week

 And I just love her happy two-year-old face when she saw it

All on her own, she blew out her candles

 If you ask her how old she is, she'll probably do this.

I guess it's easier than trying to figure it out one-handed.

Later she took a spin on her new Radio Flyer

though she didn't quite have the pedaling thing down

And after that she stayed up far past her bed time,
but we didn't mind

All in all, a decent party.

Another Year: HHI 2012

I love my family. And here are just a few reasons why...

Collecting ocean treasures

A bucket of water and lots of giggles

Braving the waves

Poppy and Mimi

Seaside chat

Summer hair

Noah and Luca...growing up fast

Me and my crazy little Poppers

The ladies (we missed you, Alesa!)

Girls' afternoon at the coffee shop

Toes in puddles

At the harbor

Sam and Kait

Christian, Luke, and Kurt at the annual Shelter Cove night

Mom and Mia darling

My favorite boy and my favorite little girl

The four of us

Avo looking too cute with his ice cream cone

Dad and Mom...so sweet 

Dancing with daddy 

Sunset at the harbor 

Dinner at Ruan Thai
(that's a butterfly garnish cut from a sweet potato) 

One of the best corners in the house...
where much good food and good conversation was had 

Saying goodbye until next year

The Eagle's Nest

Twice a year for about a week and a half, most of the best restaurants around select a special 3-course menu at a discounted price for "Devour Downtown." This foodie festival is great for us since it's pretty much the only time we have the chance to go to certain pricy places. 

This year we chose The Eagle's Nest, which is a circular revolving restaurant on the tip top of the Hyatt Regency hotel. This was an excellent choice, if I do say so myself. They've recently remodeled (very sleek and modern) as well as revamped their menu (very fresh and delicious), and it was amazing.

The only downside was that during this pregnancy my stomach has apparently decided to declare war on food, no matter how good it is. So by the time the main entree came around I felt like I was in labor and/or might throw up all over our table (which would be awkward), and I could only eat a third of it. But it made a nice lunch the next day.

Somehow I had no trouble finishing the chocolate and coffee mousse for dessert.

Bry loving the view

Lobster corn chowder with smoked bacon and chive oil
...possibly the best soup ever. I really want this recipe.

Capitol building

Our side of the restaurant was turned to the west at just the right time to catch this

After Dark

We stubbornly thought we could take a picture ourselves instead of asking the waiter.
And I stubbornly refuse to use the flash because it's ugly.
So here we are, cropped and grainy but happy.

Away with Friends

Now that we're starting our own families, it's rare that we have the chance to spend the weekend with friends. But that only makes the time together all the more sweet. 

We were so glad to be able to head to the lake with Brett, Liv and their kids, Obie and Zion as well as Chad, Heather and their little boy, Beckham. Yes, it was pretty crazy in a small condo, but I loved holding the new baby and watching the kids playing together and being adorable.

 The weather was perfect, so we packed in as much pool time as we could in two short days.

 Obie is such a little water bug.

 Lounging...Heather, Beckham, Chad, Bry and Poppyseed in her "glasses" on the end

 And of course Poppy had to create some kind of catastrophe. While she was supposed to be napping, she climbed out of her pack-and-play and got into my makeup. If you look closely, you can see that she actually managed to apply mascara to her eyelashes in all that mess. Maybe I should have been impressed, but I was more ticked. You'll see why in the next picture...

 This is where the rest of my mascara went (Plus on some of the clothes that were piled around after she emptied both of our suitcases). My feet are in there to give you some perspective on the size of this masterpiece. Again, impressive but not cool. Especially since Mark and Lori are trying to sell the condo this summer. We found out that mascara does not come off of carpet very easily.

 Poppy redeemed herself a little by begging to ride with Brett on the tube and then actually braving the waves and enjoying it.

 Chad, Beck, and Heather on the lake

 Liv, Obie and Brett...Zion is there too in that little bundle on Liv's lap. I'm sad I never got a real picture of her.

 Last morning at the pool

 Poppy was very partial to Beckham's hat all weekend.

 You have to forgive a little face like that...no matter how much mascara they smear on the floor.

Ahh summer...I can't believe it's almost over!