How deep is that hole in my yard???

Oh my, oh my, it's been quite a week. It started well enough, knowing there was some kind of problem in the yard, but it quickly grew to a problem bigger than we could handle. It turns out our drain field has failed. The septic system is no longer working and now the Health Department has to become involved. It's a mess. Our entire back yard was dug up in an effort to figure out what the problem was and in futile hopes of an easy do-it-yourself fix.

Our hopes were quickly dashed. Estimates are now coming in at anywhere between $9, 000-$12,000. Permits are required and special equipment is needed. A designer had to come in and the more he talked the more expensive things became. Our drain field will be moved to the front yard, we will get two new septic tanks and the old one will need to be decommissioned. New plumbing will need to be put in to accommodate that. In the meantime we are on severe water restriction at our house. Yikes. Let's hope next week is better.

A Little bit of Heaven

Recently Justin and I took an actual vacation. A real vacation by ourselves, thanks to Robin who came to watch the kiddos. We visited Orcas Island and stayed at the lovely Primrose at Cabin's on the Point. It was beautiful, peaceful and rejuvenating. We did all the things we wanted to and none of the things we "should" have. We ate it, went kayaking, hiking, driving, exploring and got great use of the hot tub at the end of the day. The weather was mostly nice, although it was the beginning of April and we did get snowed on a little. The water was wonderful to glide through. We watched otters play, eagles fly and harbor seals frolic. We saw the beautiful, graceful cranes and listened to the woodpecker in the early mornings. The trip was wonderful and fun. It was great to reconnect. The highlights included the swing, reading a good book, taking hikes, spending time on the water, naps whenever we wanted and most of all sleeping all the way through the night. I love my kids, but a full night's sleep was exactly what I needed to be a better mom. We should have anniversary trips more often.

View from TurtleBack Mountain Happy 16th Anniversary!

Happy Birthday Baby

Happy Birthday Baby!!! As usual I can't seem to get things done on time, so I hope this is better late than never. I wanted to wait until after her party to post some pictures and then Dad and I went away right away, so I am just now getting to it. She had a cute little Lady Bug party with some of her baby friends from church and lots of big kids to watch run around and help her open presents. Here's a picture of the cake:

And here's a picture of our family:

Here's our top 10 favorite things about Meg at 1 year old:

1. She's cute. Even if she didn't make the top 500 list on the stupid radio station site, we think she's the cutest thing around.

2. She's smart. At 12 months old she's already letting us know how brilliant she is. We can't wait to see how she grows and progresses.

3. She's happy. For a high maintenance baby, she's mostly happy. She makes us smile.

4. She's curious. She's a busy one and keeps us on our toes. Complacent is not a good thing around here. She likes to explore her world.

5. Her Thumb and Ear comfort thing. It's so sweet to see. Whenever she is anxious, tired or in need of regrouping, she sticks one thumb in her mouth and the other one on her ear. It doesn't matter which thumb or which ear, but it calms her down and makes her happy. Self contentment is a good thing.

6. She's a thrill seeker. We love her enthusiasm for life. She loves the swing and wants to go high, she loves the back of dad's bike and loves to go fast. She wants to be on your shoulders or thrown up in the air and is always confident you will catch her. She likes to be chased around the circle in the house and down the hall way.

7. Her laugh. What's better than a pure laugh from a happy kiddo?

8. She loves her brother. She gets so happy to see him when he comes home from school and loves to play in his room with his blocks and Lego's. He's usually happy to share and is so good playing with her.

9. She brings people together. What a better reason for a party than to celebrate a beautiful, smart and miraculous baby?

10. She makes our family complete. She makes us happy, makes us smile and someday we know she will again let us sleep. Until then, we just smile and know the years pass too quickly so we enjoy them while we can.