Love from the Lujans

Monday, June 4, 2012

MAY-HEM

Ahh, May has definitely been a month of decision-making and action. I will admit I am more stressed than I can remember ever being in the past. Most likely it is due to the chemical imbalance that comes with carrying a baby in utero. It could also have something to do with Cecilia suddenly not wanting to go to school, Trevor and I buying a home that needs some major renovations, Trevor subsequently spending gobs of hours working on said home to ensure we stay within our remodeling budget, me accepting a part-time job offer for an elementary counseling position which will start next fall (2.5 months before our baby is due). Even though we have had a lot on our plate this last month, somehow we have found quality time to stop and smell the flowers. Cecilia often brings it to our attention that we should always take time to smell another flower, or extract pollen from it if you are a bee:

She also reminds us that we should take breaks and exercise
(here she is teaching her baby bears yoga)

Eat a picnic in the park
(Trevor met us for a picnic to celebrate his last day of the semester)

Take a hike
(Mother's Day)

Take a nap

Listen to music
(Downtown Farmers Market)

And Dance

Play in a fountain

Find someone willing to lay warm sand on your body.
Lay there and soak up the warmth and attention.
(Lucky Peak State Park)

Play with the new neighbor kids who you adore
(Sidewalk in front of our new house)

Celebrate your birthday with the ones that you LOVE!

(Happy Birthday, Trevor!!)

Unfortunately, the work could not be delayed and as soon as Grandpa Dan & Grandma Pixie arrived from Wisconsin, they were put to work:

Trevor disassembling the chimney.
Dan and Trevor spent two straight days knocking this bugger down.
(Hopefully the whole house was built as well as that solid chimney)

Bricks from said chimney

Hauling bricks

Short break to hug his favorite granddaughter

Grandma got a little play time on C's fav hill too

"Why have Grandpa and Daddy been dirty for two straight weeks?"

Thanks to everyone who has helped make this month less stressful! Gpa & Gma, I promise we won't put you to work next time you visit- we owe you some hard labor after your last two visits!! Thank you so much for your help!!!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Lovely April

April in Boise proved to be a delightful month with a perfect mix of warm & sunny days balanced with spring showers & even a few comforting thunderstorms. Thunderstorms make Trevor and I very nostalgic for our childhood growing up in the Midwest, and now when Cecilia curls up in my arms while we wait and watch for the lightning/listen for thunder nothing could be more satisfying!

The Easter Bunny sent raisins via the US Postal Office this year- nothing could have pleased Cecilia more than receiving pack of dried grapes! Thanks Nanny & Papa!!

We drove out to the South Fork Easter morning to soak in the springs and enjoy a rock throwing session along the banks of this gorgeous river.

Our Sunrise Service - truly a sacred experience

Three thankful kids

Cecilia trying out her new skis at Bogus Basin

She laughed the entire time

After her lesson, we took out our cross country skis for one last nordic ski of the season

Preparing the worm bin

Cecilia stares down the worms

Solo desert hike

Communing with the nature

The Foothills Learning Center (a 20 minute walk from our house) has a monthly program where they bring in experts to teach the public about a specific topic. Last month it was all about seismic activity and this month it was all about owls! I can't tell you how much this excited our family as we (at least Cecilia and Mom) are pretty obsessed with owls. The lecture proved to be very informational and captivating (all three family members were equally absorbed in the 15 minute lesson). After the discussion, Cecilia had her face painted like a great horned owl and then we went out to the field to observe two adult great horns + their newly hatched owlets. To top the event off, we were offered a small owl pellet to dissect.

Our pellet, which was basically a giant hairball, consisted of fur, teeth and bones from a small rodent.

Spying owls in a nearby tree

Another great thing the Foothill Learning Center has to offer are these ever-changing story boards. They have 10 boards spread out along a short nature trail. Each board has a page or two from a children's book. Cecilia runs from board to board, flips up the pages, and listens as we read the pages aloud to her. It is a fabulous setting for story time!