Spring in Alaska

I know that this is a little our of order but I couldn't help it.

While Lilly and I were in Indiana, Mike did a bit of exploring. Today, he took us to the river where he took Hamilton and then we checked out a park on the way home. It was warm (for Alaska), the sun was shining and we had a wonderful time. Since I left Alaska 2 1/2 weeks ago, spring sprung! I am amazed, more now than before, at the beauty of this place. This morning when I got up, at 5:30 am, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. The aspen trees are green, grass is growing and the combination of this with snow on the mountain peaks, is quite breathtaking at times. I'm lucky to live here.  So here are some photos of our adventure today.

See, green things! Oh how happy it makes me. I need to look up with this is, they are everywhere!

Yes we have dandelions in Alaska!

A happy girl in her back pack, on Daddy's back. 

What a view huh? The drop off about two feet in front of us was pretty intense. 

Hamilton went careening down to chase a couple of ducks. I can't imagine getting in that water, that is snow at the bottom. Brrrrr

I don't have any clue what this is but it looks pretty nasty!

He looks like such a good boy doesn't he? About five minutes after this he chewed through his leash. Guess I will add making a new one to the todo list!

Enjoying the sun!

I love my little girl!

Heading towards the camera, she's getting so fast!

She's tough, already doing push-ups.

A little Indiana

I wish I were better at taking pictures. Ya know, one of those people that walks around with a camera attached to them. I tend to think, "oh why bother, no one wants to look at my silly pictures anyways." Then later, I regret that I don't have pictures of the drive to Kokomo. Beautiful blue sky with spring green everywhere, baby corn plants popping up in the fields and a trip across the legendary Roann covered bridge. Nor do I have photos of Lilly, except on my phone, of her with Great Grandma Bolinger. Sometimes, I just don't think!
Lilly and I have had a wonderful time in the week that we have been gone. I am tired, I miss my husband, and Lilly is still adjusting to sleeping in a strange place, other than that, we are fine.
Lil has learned and changed so much since we got here. I think her cousins helped spur on the newest accomplishments including, properly crawling and sitting all the way up on her own. She also, on occasion, in the right mood, will mimic waiving. I'm not totally convinced that it's legitimate, but maybe, just maybe, she'll get it down in a few weeks. It's fun to watch her change and learn and discover this new world that has been opened up by her newly found mobility.

Bike Ride

We, Mike Lilly and I, took the bike out for a spin today. I don't have the rack for Lilly's seat yet so I tied her to me and away we went.  It's 4.7 (according to google maps) from our house to the Post Office, that was the first stop. Then we went and tried out a new mexican restaurant, then another 1/2 mile or so to the coolest park. It has an incredible kids play ground with everything imaginable. It looks like a giant castle, all made out of wood, with swings, and cubby holes, and moving balance beams and boats, motorcycles, and bridges, the list goes on. It's also all fenced in with only one entrance/exit so you can send your kids in and the can't run out the other side. It will be a wonderful place to take the kids to play (if) Lydia visits next summer! From there we went home. The ride home took a bit longer, more up hill and bottom line, my butt hurt, really hurt. I hate bike seats, Mike says that I will get used to it. I don't know, my butt always hurts no matter what kind of seat and yes I have tried many. Oh well I will keep riding as soon as the bruising from this time goes away. Here's a photo outside of the taco place. I wear a helmet against my wishes, one of those things I do to please my husband, I think he wants to keep me around for  bit. (Though he may want to get rid of me after all my grumbling about my sore rear end!)

Eating

Feeding Lilly is one of my most dreaded daily tasks. She still nurses 4-6 times a day but it's not enough so she gets real food. She loves yogurt and bananas, and re fried beans, those are pretty much a staple and if I'm trying something that she won't eat, mix one of those with other item, i.e. avocado and beans, carrots and yogurt. She eats pretty well, well she did until a couple days ago. It lasted about 2 days, she wouldn't eat, I'd sit her down, get her something she likes sit down, feed her one bite then she would clamp her mouth shut and there was NO getting in. So I'd give up. (I'm not real into force feeding her, I have always thought, "if she's hungry she'll eat.") After a night of her being awake most of the night and me being tired of her constant nursing, I gave her an entire Ritz cracker and if that ever made her happy! So since then, this is how feeding goes, I get her food ready and grab the package of crackers, she gets a cracker in her hand and magically her mouth opens so I shove in a bite. Over and over. She does actually get the cracker to her mouth and manages to "gum" off a piece and does eat it. However, if she drops the cracker, eats it, or feeds it to the dog, she will not open or take another bite until she has another cracker.
I have a feeling I have one very stubborn little girl on my hands.

Breakfast from this morning, peanut butter crackers, blackberry yogurt and banana.  YUM

I am amazed in these photos just how much Lilly looks like Mike!

I LOVE grubby baby hands, especially when they mean that Lilly is feeding herself!

Sewing

I have been doing a lot of sewing lately as noted in my previous posts. Lilly likes to play in the scraps while I'm working.