Hazel and The Beach

After months and months of waiting we finally made a trip out to the beach! And it was just as fantastic as we'd hoped it would be - the weather was just right. It rained during the night but remained dry during the days, and even warm! There was a bit of a wind, but nothing truly outrageous.

For March, it was lovely.



We stayed in Twin Rocks again and took Hazel to God's Finger, Oswald West, and Cannon Beach. I think we'll hit Nehalem, Seaside, and North Beach on our next trip...which is in only a few weeks! Tis the season for beach trips...

We really enjoyed packing Hazel around. It was tiring but we took it in turns and had a blast. We discovered a new place to buy excellent fish and chips in Cannon Beach, so Nate is really looking forward to our next trip out there.

God's Finger:





Oswald West:





Cannon Beach:





Rockaway:




Even thought it looks like we hit all these beaches in one day, well, okay so we did. It was a busy trip. We were late in getting out there so we really only had Sunday to trek around to all the stops we wanted to make. Hazel was a trooper!

Hazel and the Tulip

These pictures are from probably a month an a half ago - I fully intended to post them promptly, but of course I didn't. Don't worry, I think I'll begin to get much better at this now that I'm no longer working at Starbucks. Did I mention that? Oh yes, handed in the green apron...I'm glad to be home with Hazel now. Not that my hours really took away from her, they were so limited. I was working three or four mornings a week 4:30am to 8:30am. When I returned from work, Hazel and I would lay down and nap together for a couple hours and then our day would really begin in the afternoon. I rarely spent any quality time with Nate - I'd fight to get into bed by 8:30 or 9pm most nights. But now I sleep as long into the morning as Hazel will let me, and right now she's napping while I'm updating this blog! Nate and I have been able to catch up and hang out together the last three evenings and it's been wonderful. So the world looks a little brighter with this simple change of a job.

Back to the pictures. Hazel sat with Nate one morning while we had breakfast together and it was *cute, fun, adorable, wonderful* (all sorts of girly terms can be used here).

for the love of little girls

Hazel's Dedication

She's such a wonderful little girl, I just have to start by saying that. It was such a blessing to have her dedicated at church. We set aside Sunday, March 15th, and invited some friends and family to join us to celebrate her dedication.

Hazel did well! She didn't spit up, toot, or fill her pants while Pastor Brett held her and prayed. He mentioned several times how adorable and "comfy" she is, which only caused my heart to swell to the bursting point.



We had lunch at Macaroni Grill following the service...




I have to take the opportunity to mention here that Hazel is mesmerized by Grandma Jo's voice. She stills and stares whenever Grandma Jo speaks to hear - it's fascinating to watch Hazel's very physical response to Grandma's voice.


When we got home from church and lunch, I took some pictures of Hazel. With every day that passes, Hazel becomes prettier. Or so her parents think. Every time Nate returns home from work, he comes to kiss us hello, and he stares her in the eyes, pauses, and then says, "Yup, you're cuter. How'd you do it, girl?"

A smattering of events.

First, a very nice cleaning and paint job was done at our new house! We had Stephen helping Nate practically every day to finish the paint job by the time we had a crew in to clean. Things looked so pristine before we moved in - it was amazing and we are so grateful for all the help we had, both cleaning and moving. The before and after pictures are so different...




Second, Maggie was born, a much looked forward to event! Of course, you can't tell from Hazel's expression. Congratulations to friends Adam and Julia!





Third, Nathaniel's due date sprang up on us; March 13th marked year two of his missed due date. We visited his grave with Hazel after picking up some flowers from New Seasons. It feels weird to not set aside an entire post and dedicate it to him on this day that was so important to us, but it also feels like healing that I can post only one picture and not feel guilty about it. God is good.


Hazel's dedication is coming up! We're so excited and I can't wait to share pictures from the event.

Oh, and about Hazel's blankie, I wasn't kidding. A parting picture to make you chuckle.

Going back a bit.

These few pictures are from Nate's birthday this past January. I think they're kinda fun.

Hazel and her blankie.

Hazel has become incredibly attached to my old blankie, one that I used to sniff while I sucked my fingers. A couple weeks ago I thought it would be cute if she liked it - I haven't really been able to get it away from her since...

She grasps it in both hands and pulls it straight up over her head to cover her face. It's a show to behold. And at night when I wake up with her, she's clutching it like a lifeline. I'm loving that my old blankie is being loved on all over again!