Didenhover - Greiner Family

For Rebecca

2012-02-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots of the stroller. It's a Peg Perigo and in good condition. The long handles toggle so the baby can be facing you when they are smaller. You can let me know if you are interested by using my nike email.

Newest game

2011-10-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is Ava playing hide 'n seek.

She tells you where to hide. Usually she picks the cozy bed under the covers and shouts "mom, I'm in your bed" if I don't come find her soon enough.

Yesterday she chose under the kitchen table. She can fit, but me...not so much.

I'm so proud

2011-10-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I made curtains for my giant windows! And by giant, I mean 9'tall and 9; wide.

I am loving having some color of my own choosing in my cozy apartment.

Next up, using that fabric draped over the chair to make more pillow covers.

Fun Times

2011-07-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

Take my Photo!

Smile!

Me and my girl, or is it

My girl and me?

a few snap shots from our First Annual

(or bi-annual or tri-annual or until Brea gets married)

Didenhover Family Reunion!

more photos to come...stay tuned... or go to my facebook page because the best ones may have already been posted.

Guess who is in 98% of the photos? Yes, why it is my darling baby girl, Ava Love*.

*not her real name, but it should be

budding photog

2011-07-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Would you guess Ava took these photos? I know,I know, the same quality as mine.

of course, my favorite is the self-portrait of her leg. Love those pants!!

Me and my Baby Girl

2011-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Carousel

2011-06-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

We stumbled upon this carousel inside a mini-mall when we were searching for restrooms.
The girls had a blast. Hannah was only upset I didn't take more pictures of her.

A day at the beach

2011-06-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here in Oregon there is a simple reason we refer to it as the Coast and not the beach.

Luckily, one of the moms brought along her shelter, which we almost couldn't get set up. almost. It cut the wind and made sitting around much more enjoyable as the kids ran around. Of course there wasn't much sitting around for me, but Ava had a great time. Well except for that part about a wave getting her wet and crying a bit. I guess I didn't teach her to never turn her back to the ocean...wait, only her front was wet...I'm not sure what happened. In the end, the sun came out and ice cream was eaten. Hannah decided Ava would also like bubble gum flavor. Did you know it comes with actual pieces of bubble gum? yeah, gross.

Birthday Fun part II

2011-06-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

We had to go to the cousin's house to finish opening up the Papa & Mommi (grandpa & grandpa) presents which came the next day.

As always, Ava has helpers.

And these were a hit mee-mee bubbles* and bath toys, which she loves.

*The bubbles were Hello Kitty, which everyone knows is a cat, or Mee Mee, as Ava calls them. So of course she has been asking for her Mee-mees every day. Silly me I thought she was referring to her pink hello kitty boots, also Mee-mees. Thank goodness we got that straightened out.

Birthday Fun

2011-06-16T20:32:00.001-07:00

look what I can do

2011-05-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've been bit by the crafting bug, or is it a sewing bug? I never thought it would happen, but here we are. I borrowed my sister's machine and hit the internet for directions.

First up, a cute throw pillow cover!

I found directions online after I thought I could just "figure it out", um not so much. I needed a little help. I think it turned out great.

Second, a darling skirt for Ava!

This was so much fun!! On a whim when driving through my old neighborhood reminiscing to myself how awesome it was living there, I decided to stop by my friend Marcy's house. Luckily she was home and we started talking. One thing led to another and a few hours later after a delicious homemade dinner of pizza, I walked out with this little number.

What's next?? Hmmm, well it is the beginning of Birthday Week!

This is how we do it

2011-05-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

See what happens when you turn you back on your little one?
Unfortunately, neither she nor the dishes were any cleaner after she finished, but you can see how proud of herself she is!

two of my favorite things

2010-11-10T13:08:00.001-08:00

BabyLove after a bath in her hooded bathrobe complete with ears.

I have no idea what she is doing with her hands. Typically I only see this when she is watching "Diego" and making an animal sound.

My very own Cocoa Maker. Pretty sure it is one of the top 10 gifts of all time.

and newly discovered Trader Joe's drinking chocolate. Delish!

ps the Trader Joe's Instant Chocolate Pudding is divine, not to mention the adorable packaging. (sorry couldn't figure out how to get a flickr picture posted)

Pumpkin time at the Kemenys

2010-10-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to carve pumpkins this year. So I called Christina to tell her I was going to do this at her house and ask how many we needed. The kids had a day off from school, so it was a perfect afternoon activity.

Leah loved it so much she insisted I go back to the store and buy 5 more after completing the 4 we already did.

Ryan enjoyed carving his, but was interrupted by the pull of video games. I guess the creative pressure was too much to handle all at once.

Hannah was happy to draw on her pumpkin she had picked out the day before with her kindergarten class on their field trip.

Aidan has zero interest and Ava only passing.

Behold the results!

Leah added the bows later during the staging period.

Leah did a great job on the smaller one and everyone agreed it was a good representation of Aidan's mood that day.

Hannah approved the bow and didn't let her siblings tell hers was worse because she picked a greenish one.

Ryan's pumpkin was dubbed "Bucktooth Billy" by Leah.

**Not photographed were the various 'testing' of candles being lit in each pumpkin in the bathroom to determine the cool factor.

latest obsession

2010-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

For Grandma who can never get enough

ps I tried to get her to talk more and show her face.

we're famous

2010-10-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ava and I are famous! Ok, that might be a slight over statement. We are however featured HERE and HERE .

My friend, Chelsea who blogs at frolic and does freelance, calls one morning to ask if Ava wants to be in a photo shoot. Of course she wants to be in a photo shoot! Who doesn't?

After nap time we head over to her mom's house, the shoot location, and together try to coax Ava into doing what we ask. As anyone with any experience with a toddler knows, asking and doing are two different things. However Ava responded well to Chelsea, and we (I was really just standing around getting in the way) got some great shots.

After we were done, Chelsea showed us the chickens outside where we (again, I was just standing there) collected fresh eggs.

And the whoopie pies were yummy

what's cooking?

2010-10-14T18:17:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that I love to eat and watch cooking shows, but I'm not that interested/skilled in cooking myself. I mean, half my dvr is devoted to various cooking shows with Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa leading the pack. Now one would think with being the sole provider for a toddler's daily food intake, I would well, be better.

I am happy to share that things may slowly but surely changing around here. I am not as neurotic as this lady who writes down every dinner for every day for years, but I am using my blog to indulge myself on this front.

When I was a new mom and completely lost, I remember someone telling me instead of focusing on the to do lists that weren't ever completed, you simply write down what you have done (changed 5 diapers, breastfeed a million times, tried to shower alone, etc). I am taking the same approach here. This isn't necessarily what I want to accomplish, but what I do get done.

What I've cooked recently:

meatloaf - forgot how much I like it

chicken pot pie with homemade pie dough top (used frozen for bottom)

60 minute rolls - so simple and Ava loved them Bonus

potato leek soup - used the Mark Bittman recipe (not online)

cheddar buttermilk biscuits - didn't turn out and not sure why

pecan oatmeal raisin cookies - right up there with choco chip cookies

green beans - fresh with garlic & tomatoes, not from a can (that wouldn't count, that's like "cooking toast")

and this morning after breakfast, peanut butter cookies with choco chips

and for dinner tonight?

grilled cheese YUM

It's kind of a big deal

2010-09-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I was invited to a dinner party and was very excited to go. However, I had no one to watch Baby Love. Bringing her along was not an option, nor was leaving her home alone. She would miss me and what would she do when she accidently turned the channel and couldn't get back to Dora? I shudder to think.
Well after much thought and a bit of "what am I going to do?", I called around and got babysitter recommendations. I knew this day would come, I mean, she's already 2 years old, but family had always been able to help out.

And I'm happy to report:

It was a success!!

A very cute girl by the name of Veronica babysat for me. Her mom was cool too, because she offered to drop off and pick up knowing I couldn't very well leave Ava alone to drop off the babysitter after I returned. Kind of defeats the purpose of a babysitter.

and the dinner party was fun, even if I kept my phone next to my plate the whole evening :)

You can see pictures here. My friends Chelsea and Elizabeth Fuss threw a fantastic party!

Anniversary, of sorts

2010-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

It was 9 years ago this week I moved to Portland. Right after 9/11.

All of my belongs fit in my newly purchased 98 Corolla. Pretty sure all my belongs can still fit in my 96 Camry. Well maybe not, Baby Love's car seat is pretty big.

I've lived in 6 different places, including living with the Kemeny's twice.
Attended 4 different wards in 3 stakes.
I've had 3 full time employers, 2 part time, and worked for 1 temp agency.

Got married.
Had Baby Love.
Got divorced.

hmmmm what will be next???

when babyloves takes my camera

2010-09-03T15:53:00.001-07:00

see what happens when you look around and can't find your camera?
a little munchkin takes it and goes wild!

and these are only 4 of the 34 she took! Maybe she was just exploring her talents?

new hair cut

2010-09-03T15:38:00.001-07:00

curly right side

straight left side

My baby girl is growing up!!

that's the way we roll

2010-08-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

yes, it's a swim diaper.

for Sara

2010-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

I wish she were smiling, but the outfit is very cute!

Thank you!!

A little redesign

2010-08-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

Blogger updated their templates.

What do you think?

Second Attempt

2010-08-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Second attempt:

Yes, two pictures of the same thing. My mouth waters when I think about that burger. Yummers!!!!

First Attempt

2010-08-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

When Mom and Dad were here last, I employed Dad to help me clean up my yard and most importantly, show me how the grill works. The owners said it worked fine, but I had my doubts; they just didn't seem the grillin' type.

My first attempt was simply hot dogs. I figured they are already cooked and you can't really mess them up.

Well, maybe you can. . .

Ava wouldn't touch this one. I can't blame her. Thankfully, this was the worst one.

Summer Days

2010-08-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

Now that the sun has finally come out to stay, we spend a lot of time outside. Luckily, we have a great back yard and thanks to Aunt Anna, a very fun sprinkler. However, as you can see Ava is much more interested in filling her bucket with water then actually running through it herself. I guess she's spoiled after being in the Kemeny's pool.

Ava trying to grab the camera out of my hand as I attempt a close up shot.

She does have a darling yellow and white striped swimsuit, but this was an impromptu event. After soaking her shirt, she requested it off and I obliged.

our newest addition

2010-07-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

Isn't he wonderful? or is it a she??

the latest

2010-06-27T18:58:00.001-07:00

My baby loves her some tomatoes. I can barely keep them in stock at the house - she eats them like apples!

my little helper

2010-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

vacuuming while drinking and watching tv.

Saturday Market

2010-06-07T10:37:00.001-07:00

I have been going to the Portland Farmer's Market faithfully for years. Even though it's no longer the closest one to my home, we still drive up there each Saturday to see what we can find. (See earlier post about strawberries and peonies.) Well one of the reasons we always make our way is to meet up with my dear friend, Sara, who loves playing with Ava as much as I love watching them together.

Sorry the pics are only of the parking structure where I park - thank you Church Institute Building - and not of the actual market.

Utah trip

2010-06-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Ava just climbed right into the bath after Zach finished, never mind she had all her clothes on!

Ava and I went on a little trip to Utah for some R&R this past April. I don't know how much R&R was had by either of us, but we had fun all the same.

One of my favorites

2010-06-07T10:16:00.001-07:00

a little present for me

Strawberry Obsession

2010-06-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ava has a mild obsession with strawberries. I bought half a flat of fresh strawberries at the farmer's market on Saturday morning. As of this morning at 9am, all traces of strawberries are gone. Except for the green tops yet to be swept off the kitchen floor.

Now I did make a strawberry country cake (see above) and share with the Kemenys last night. I knew I would be happy to eat the entire thing myself, if I did not invite myself over for dessert.

I also made a strawberry cream puff gateau for Ava's birthday celebration last Wednesday. She focused on the strawberries and whipped cream primarily. The cake part was simply an after thought.
Birthday Cake

Bathroom Remodel

2010-03-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures of Mom & Dad's before and after of their master bath remodel. It sure looks nice from the pictures.

Before

After

choose your battles, right?

2010-03-09T17:07:00.001-08:00

New discoveries

2010-03-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

So often with motherhood I get weighed down by the mundane. I've been trying to change things up and go on morning walks with Ava when the weather permits. A few days ago we were across town and decided to take a walk before getting back in the car. I don't have a picture of the blossoming trees or the wildflowers. I do have a photo of Ava with her shadow. The fun part was when she was waving at her shadow. That was the best!

and now these

2010-03-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

I love walking out my front door to be greeted by these beauties.

What a Nice Surprise

2010-02-18T15:10:00.001-08:00

The other morning I noticed these beauties sticking out of the ground. As I'm renting the house, I had no idea they had been planted. What nice surprise! And now I have some white ones popping up!

Just another breakfast

2010-02-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

When Brea is in town, that is!

Cousin Love

2010-01-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

Hannah was over the other day and I snapped a few photos of them together. Ava's messy face was due to unwiped chocolate from the chocolate chip cookies Hannah suggested we make at 10am.

Bonding

2010-01-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Ava is enjoying having a dog around the house. Lucky for me, the dog stays when we go back home. Here's a shot of Ava sharing her post church cheerios with the dog, Maddy.

Just another morning

2010-01-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

What we've been doing a lot of. And I'm not talking about eating on the floor - Ava thinks she can eat at the table like a big girl without a high chair. Or eating M&Ms in the morning. I mean cleaning up messes.

This one was easier to clean up than the bisquick incident, taco seasoning or the imported cinnamon incident. At least with the cinnamon she smelled nice in the bath.

No they were not in her reach; they were in a bowl pushed back from the counter top, or so I thought it was pushed back from the edge.

Unfortunately, some M&Ms were hurt during this photo shoot. We just couldn't save them all.

You be the judge

2010-01-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

The picture doesn't do this doll justice. Grandma thought it was adorable. Ava took one look at it and tossed it aside. Later when Ava saw it again, she tried putting it back in its box.

Out to dinner

2009-12-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

Again, so grateful for people who are patient with kids! Our server brought us no less than 3 straws for the little miss when she kept dropping/throwing them on the floor.
Grandpa & Grandma are talking to Ava while I am wondering if my camera will pick up any sound because I've never used this feature before! I guess it worked!

Flying

2009-12-31T14:23:00.001-08:00

Ava did great traveling on the plane. It didn't hurt that a very nice young lady sat next to us in the terminal and an even friendlier gal offered to have us sit next to her on the plane!

Here is a snap shot of Ava passing the time in the terminal.

Christmas 09 in Spokane

2009-12-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

A snap shots from Christmas morning. Ava would have been wearing her sparkly ballerina pjs, but a very wet diaper prevented me from putting it back on....so she's wearing whatever I pulled out of the suitcase. It should not diminish the joy you will feel looking at her :)

Enjoy!

My little Bumblebee

2009-11-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

I wasn't on my game to actually take pictures on Halloween. These are from our Sunday afternoon photo shoot.
Isn't she so freakin' adorable!!

just because

2009-11-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Last of the Season

2009-11-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

This is what I discovered when I cleared out the garden. And I thought I had retrieved the last of the zucchini! I guess I have 2 more loaves of zucchini cake to make.

New Addition

2009-10-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sarah Rose Harris was born Oct. 14 at 4:42 pm MDT in Orem...weighing 9 lbs. 9 oz., and 20.5" long. Mother and baby are relatively good...Sarah is low in blood sugar, and Laura is still bleeding a bit, but other than that, all is well!

Sorry the pictures are a bit crummy...I'll get some better ones up tomorrow or Friday. But, let me assure you, she's a cute one!!

Love you all!

Backyard in the early morning

2009-10-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ducks waddling through the back yard one early morning. The lawn doesn't typically look like that, but it photographs well.

That's my girl

2009-10-04T20:41:00.001-07:00

ok, so I might have added the head gear :)

it's a jungle out there

2009-09-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

See earlier post about the lawn needing to be mowed.

And no, we don't believe in pants for the younger set.

Anatomy of a climb

2009-09-02T22:21:00.001-07:00

talk about fresh

2009-09-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

While exploring the back yard and furthering my attempts to convince Baby Love grass is good, we discovered the neighbor's raspberry bushes have grown over the fence. I started pulling off only the best and most ripe ones to give to Baby Love and she loved them! Loved them so much she was trying to pull the green ones off the vine herself and eat the ones so ripe they had already fallen to the ground. I did stop her when she put a rock in her mouth - it was the red landscape type, so maybe she thought is was a giant raspberry?

Dahlias

2009-09-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of the house is the dahlias in the front yard. One of the first things I did was create a huge bouquet for the house (sorry, no picture, but they are beautiful). Here's a photo before I went through and deadheaded a bunch. One of the people helping me move mentioned some of the needed to be staked due to their size.
If only I had that much ambition. . .

My new digs

2009-09-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

As many of you know (ok, you probably aren't reading this if you didn't already know that - I mean, who else besides my mom and Brea actually looks at it?), I moved. Baby Love and I are taking up residence in a cute little house in Milwaukie, no not the midwest locale, but a suburb of Portland. We now have a yard and our own driveway! Yipee!
Of course that also means I'm responsible for mowing the lawn and taking out the trash on a certain day. Well, I didn't actually attempt to mow the lawn, but got a nice young man from the ward to come over and do a little service. His first attempt only got the outside perimeter mowed because when he tried to start it again after emptying the bag - no go. So currently the back yard looks very avandtgarde, or like "a bad haircut". Rest assured I will find a way to finish the job, well at least someone to finish the job!

Food and Books, two of my most favorite things

2009-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Christina and I finally saw the movie, "Julie and Julia". I had read the book of the same title and was excited to see it. I was not disappointed!
At one point, I gasped when Julia Child was wrapping puff pastry around an already stuffed duck - can you imagine? ohhh, if only I could cook.

Bon Appetit!

I would insert a picture of the movie or something, but I honestly can't figure out how to do it.

Here is a link to the trailer.
http://www.julieandjulia.com/

Mom and her beautiful daughters

2009-08-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sisters

2009-08-15T11:00:00.001-07:00

Waiting for the Kemenys to arrive

2009-08-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Zach and Maddy sharing a moment

2009-08-15T10:56:00.001-07:00

Of course this was after 2 days of Zach slowly warming up to Maddy. I'm glad they did.

Brothers, Kyle and Zach

2009-08-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Cousins having some fun

2009-08-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Kyle sure had fun pulling Ava around in the blue wagon, but I'm pretty sure Ava had more.

Inside:

Outside:

Yes, I'm sure it does hurt, but it doesn't stop her

2009-08-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Farmer's Market

2009-08-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

I visit the local farmer's market every Saturday with my friend, Sara, and of course Baby Love in tow. She loves checking out all the activity and I like dreaming about having my own garden one day.

I couldn't pass up these peppers last week. Purple? check. White? check. Green? absolutely. I made a yummy grilled lemon chicken salad from Ina Garten, a culinary genius. Why is she so great, you ask? Well my friends because of this simple fact: she can make a cook out of a non-cook.

And I have never messed up her recipes! EVER.

Who can resist this face?

2009-08-15T10:34:00.001-07:00

and a few more

2009-07-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

How one little Squirt spent her 4th of July weekend

2009-07-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

For her many admirers

2009-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Chillin' in the pool

2009-07-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

First time:

Second time:

She couldn't even wait to get her cute swim suit on, she climbed in with her clothes on!
And some more cute snap shots of the afternoon.

Birthday, Part II

2009-07-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

Because birthdays shouldn't be confined to just one day a year.

Birthday, part I

2009-07-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a Burgerville french fry to celebrate being 1!!!

Baby Love does it again

2009-06-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

I wrote this to Brea because she said even boring emails were okay to send.

When I ask Ava to wave she waves both arms. It's really cute. When Mindy's kids (babysitter) ask for a kiss she leans in open mouth. Very cute. When I ask for a kiss, she ignores me.
Tonight I gave her a bath and it was an exercise in patience. First, she wanted to pull out the plug (it's actually a top to a glass candle holder, weird I know). Then she likes to pull all the shampoo bottles within reach and attempt to insert them in her mouth. After she loses interest because they are too big for her mouth, she proceeds to try and stand up. Wet baby + tub full of water (ok, like 2 inches max, more like 1.25inches) = BAD. Luckily, she only slid once on her butt without injury. I quickly washed her hair, rinsed and told myself the rest of her was clean even though the soapiness was minimal at best.

The best part is when she finally is still enough to put on a clean diaper and pjs. I comb her hair and her little curls come out. SO. DARN. CUTE.

I knew I should have taken a picture. Now she's asleep in her crib, hopefully with a blanket over her, but doubtful.

Brea's Moved

2009-06-10T11:19:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for more Brea updates, she's flown the coop and started her own blog to chronicle her life.

http://breasadventures.blogspot.com

Of course we know the real reason she started her own blog, she just can't compete with Baby Love as the cutest one around anymore.

First Impressions

2009-06-03T16:41:00.001-07:00

Rendevous Beach

Rendevous Beach

Flowers across the Street

Supermarket

Road outside my house

Barbados is hot! Last night I got in well after dark and couldn't really see anything, so my first impression was "Wow, I've never felt humidity like this before." It really isn't too bad, but it will take some getting used to. Parts of the island remind me of Mozambique and it's weird when everyone is speaking English. I'm not used to being in a foreign country where I can understand everything. Of course, the English is a little different from mine, but I'm getting used to it...I just have to listen carefully. Here are some pictures that I took today on my walk. Most of them are of the roads and houses and a few of the beach I walked to. The supermarket, bank, and post office are about a 25 minute walk and the beach is across the street. This weekend I will look for other beaches where I can lay out and read. The water is seriously warm and a beautiful turquoise. I can get used to this! Enjoy the pics.

Adventures in Traveling

2009-06-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I made it safely to Barbados. The trip wasn't easy, but I made it. The adventure began at 3:18 AM when I woke up from my wonderful night's nap to get ready to leave for the airport at exactly 4:00 AM on the dot! All who doubt my ability to get to airports in a timely fashion should be surely impressed with my punctuality! I arrived at the SLC Airport in plenty of time to get checked in, check my bags, which were impressively under the weight limit, go through security, and sit down in comfy chairs waiting to board the first leg of my flight. So far so good.

The flight to Dallas seemed somewhat uneventful until we were heading down for our descent and hit some intense turbulence. The skies were so bad that they diverted us to Austin where we sat for 40+ minutes to wait out a storm that was hitting Dallas pretty hard. I guess the storm passed and we headed back towards Dallas. I was supposed to catch my flight to Miami leaving at 11:20 AM and by the time we were in the air leaving Austin it was already 11:40 AM--flight missed. I assumed the worst and when I got off the plane went to a ticket counter to figure out what I needed to do. Surprisingly, the lady said my flight hadn't left yet..most flights were delayed because of the storm. So I ran to the tram to take me to another terminal. When I arrived, the person at the gate informed us the flight had already left and kinda looked at us funny for even asking. (I say us because at this time I was running around the airport with a German family who was also on the flight to Miami headed to Aruba). Quickly the ticket people said that we had been rebooked on another flight that left in 30 minutes....so we got back on the tram, ran through the airport, and made it to the gate about 10 minutes before it was supposed to take off. I thought, whew, I made it, I can get on the flight, and maybe even sleep a bit. As I handed the lady my ticket, something beeped and they waved me back. The German family ran on and I thought, just my luck! Well, something was wrong with my passport, or it didn't register, or something...really I have no idea. The good thing is that I got on the plane to Miami and the rest of the trip was somewhat uneventful. Wait, no I got held up at Passport Control in Barbados because I didn't have the address of where I was staying. I had to call Shirleen (the woman I'm staying with) to get the address and then I was able to get through. The senior missionaries greeted me (they were easy to spot) and took me to my final destination: Plantain Walk, Fords Road, Clapham, Christ Church, Barbados!!

Happy Birthday Jaime and Ava

2009-06-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the Didenhover-Greiner girls! Ava celebrated her first birthday and Jaime celebrated her birthday (not her first) today. Yeah for Birthdays!!!!

Adorable

2009-05-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Real Deal Camping Trip

2009-05-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

After a successful trial living room run of the kid carrier, it was time to test it in the wild. Ok, a state park south of Hood River, but outside overnight all the same.

Success!!

Almost

Trial Run

2009-05-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

First, we had to make sure the kid pack worked; it did.

Barbados Bound

2009-05-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm officially Barbados Bound! I bought my plane ticket yesterday and there's no going back. I leave June 2 (BL's 1st birthday) and return August 4. I have my housing all settled and I think the accomodations will be great. I will be living with the RS President who lives with her sister. I have my own room with TV and stereo and she has internet at home. The senior missionary couple is planning on showing me around and will give me a brief tour of the island. The whole island is only 15x21 miles, so I should be able to see the whole thing. I've heard it's beautfiul and that I will fall in love with it and not want to come back. I'm super excited!!! I plan on taking lots of pictures and keeping the blog updated so you can read all about my adventures, which I'm sure there will be plenty. It might get lonely, so send me lots of emails!! I will not be turning on my cell phone--the international prices are outrageous. Anyway, check back often for updates of my beautiful Bajan summer.

Namesake

2009-05-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ava's dad not to be named, spotted this first. It was raining and we were all tired, but how can you resist your baby's name in huge lettering? It was the name of a high-rise luxury building. What can I say? Only the best for my baby.

Seattle

2009-05-07T08:24:00.001-07:00

Chillin in Seattle after lunch before our tour of Qwest field. We still can't get her to sit still AND smile.

A Moose is Loose!

2009-04-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Dad woke up to find two moose in the yard a few days ago. They had wandered into the neighborhood from the river. It is likely they had spent the night. Mama and kid were very docile and enjoyed the visit. When they were done hanging out they lumbered down to the river. It was quite a sight to behold.!

what happens when the flash is too bright

2009-04-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

She is still the CUTEST Baby Love EVER!

Another view of her favorite place

2009-04-08T22:49:00.001-07:00

See how happy she is when she gets her way?

Her favorite place

2009-04-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

Barbados!!!

2009-04-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this to inform everyone that I will be headed to Barbados for the summer. I officially got an offer to intern with the Pan-American Health Organization, where I will be working with a team dealing with health programs for the eastern Caribbean. My specific area will be non-communicable disease (chronic diseases) and mental health. I'm super excited, a little nervous, and eager to spend my summer in the sun. I've added some pictures so you can get a better idea of where I'll be. I'm inviting all to come visit me. Any takers?

Iowa Girl

2009-03-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Close up of the fleece.

And a little more Baby Love

2009-03-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is the Red Robin. And please forgive her father for once again dressing her in pjs for her lunch date with Jane and me. Although, he would have me point out she is wearing her new favorite fleece top which says, "Iowa Girl".

More Baby Love

2009-03-10T22:54:00.001-07:00

Cutie pie, huh?

Reunion

2009-03-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Jane and Mark were visiting the NW and we were lucky to share a few hours together. Due to time constraints, it was spent mostly at Red Robin, but who can refuse a good burger anyway? Yes, that is BabyLove's head in the background.

Movin' on up

2009-03-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

This photo illustrates how adept she is at pulling herself up and getting into trouble. Notice the almost empty bottom shelf. I have a feeling the other shelves will soon be empty too.

When Dad takes a day off

2009-02-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

When I asked him why she was still wearing her pjs, he simply said "that's what we wear on holidays."

California Dreamin' Round 2

2009-02-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

So, it seems that I can't get enough of sunny southern California. I decided to follow the advice of my siblings and take a trip down to Disneyland. I went down to California for a few days and it was wonderful. The sun was shining and we had 80 degree weather the whole time. I kept asking myself, "Can this really be January?" After having so much snow in Spokane less than a month before, I could hardly believe it...but I realized that there is a reason why they call Disneyland "The happiest place on earth!" and it's not just because grown people dress up in cartoon costumes! How can you not be happy walking around in short sleeves and flip flops in January? I knew I should have looked more seriously into going to grad school in CA!!!

More cute pics of Baby Love

2009-02-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

Winter Wonderland In Spokane!

2009-02-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Spokane was quite eventful this year. Sorry these entries are out of order, I'm a little slow on the draw. Christmas 2008 was filled with snow, snow, and more snow. I figured I better document this crazy winter wonderland and have some proof to share with future generations about the snowiest month in history (well at least the Didenhover's history).

Brea got her sleeping bag for Christmas and decided she needed to "try it on."

Our Papa Bear is so cute!

As usual, Mom decorates the tree and house beautifully!

Who is this cute boy?

2009-01-26T21:31:00.001-08:00

Look at that smile!