Independence Day

Happy 4th!! (3rd, 4th and 5th, what a great year!)

Blatter Family Reunion

Fun crafts at the party!

Thrilled with the snaps. She just used her best stomp to make them work, too little for throwing.

Cool enough for a jacket!

Fireworks!

Belated Father's Day Post

Father's Day 2010

(This is Sofie's "cheese" face!)

I'm so grateful for Derek's natural talent for being a wonderful Daddy!

He's been so amazing with Sofie.

Thanks for everything you do!

We love you!

Happy Father's Day!

Camping! (the cheater way)

We've been really lucky over the years to have campgrounds close by our home, so that if we don't feel like sleeping over, or if it's still FREEZING at night in June up the canyon, we just spend the day with all the happy trailer-campers, utilize the fire for s'mores at night, then drive home and sleep all snuggly in our beds. Works out great for us! :)

(My mom and sister have more of the cuter pictures, so I may have to follow this one up when I get copies)

Thursday night we joined the family for a camp fire up at Timpooneke. Sofie was tired and mostly sat in laps, staring at the fire.

The whole crew (including the silver haired camp host that somehow became BFF with the Grand-parents. I thinks he ate most of her meals with our family throughout the weekend! She drove a Segway around and let everybody try it out...fascinating old lady)

Cold Mom, Dad, and Sofie (but it's always worth the s'more!)

Me, Grandma and Sofie (lots of posing)

This one's for Mom, who's always the one TAKING the picture, not IN the picture.

The rest of the family stayed Thursday Friday and Saturday, but we didn't join them again until Saturday afternoon. It was warm and sunny and beautiful! Sofie and Sierra had a GREAT time!

Sofie insisted on the baseball cap. Darling.

My little Homey hangin' out by the "fire". She had a great time and is still asking to go back to the "mowtins"

Sad to see May go!

*Warning: may or may not contain Sofie in every single picture!

Sofie enjoying lunch in grandma's "part of the house". I turned around to find her shoving raw spinach into her mouth. "S'Ummy!" That's m'girl!

Grandma's 80th b-day party. Perfect weather! Too much food!

Grandma's 12 of 13 great-grandkids!!

Grandma's backyard was so much fun! None of the kids wanted to leave! (poor Sierra was getting over the fever that Sofie now has this week)

I am soooooooooooooooooooooo glad the weather is finally cooperating enough to enjoy the backyard! :) Grandpa was giving the kids wheel barrel rides.

We LOVE having the cousins over! It's the only time Sofie gets to have any fun. She's so bored with the same ol' Mommy day after day!

"Loud!"

Sofie's not used to the screaming excitement of the cousins. I love that she's shoving all the fat on her head forward. So hilarious!! Makes her head look HUGE! Must have been really loud! (and that hairdo is my laziness in trying to get bangs out of her face)

Quick Picture Update!

Not sure if it's the spring's long-awaited arrival, or if it's the sleep I'm finally getting, but I've been feeling so blessed and so satisfied with my life the past few weeks. I feel like everything is going right and that my path is fully accepted and protected by the Lord. Not much has happened over the last little while that seemed blog-worthy, but I sure have some great shots to look back on.

My brother Scott (aka "Grizzly Adamson") made it back safe from another Alpine excursion in Alaska. Although, not without unbearable of fatigue, he had all his limbs, fingers and toes still intact.

Sofie adores her uncle Scott and was so mesmerised by his presence. All she wanted to do was sit right next to him. Once she got up there she looked so satisfied with herself, so priveledged. She followed him around for a few days while he visited and rested up before going south for his new job with the Hot Shot Crew (wildfire fighting). (Scott too tired to smile for the camera!)

Finally some COLOR in our world!!

Is she caressing this flower?

Can't remember what silly noise came with this face.

More b-day pictures. But I love this one because of the family resemblance. Left is Aunt Maryanne and right is Aunt Deena.

Gotta love Cinco de Mayo! I look forward to it every year! Also gotta love Grandma's giant Mexico Sombrero!

This is the darling dress that Derek's grandma MADE for Sofie! I love it! (although I'm sad I couldn't get a great picture of it while Sofie was running wildly around the house)

My little Pippi. Doesn't get any better than this!

Or does it?

I melt for this child.

Great Great Aunt Suzanne came to visit from California. Sofie took right to her. So cute!

Sofie goes to Nursery each week where they sing songs like these ones. Her favorite is Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, as you can see. I love her determination to get us to sing the right song, and then sing it over and over and over. She's been doing it for months, but it's so hard to catch on camera! (that's my rockin' new kitchen in the background, by the way, that mom and dad built in the basement. I couldn't have asked for a better apartment!)

The Marvelous Month of May

May is a fun month for me because it's both my Birthday and Mother's Day. I was lucky enough to have them on seperate days this year! I'm officially in my late 20s! :) I still feel young though and I'm in the best shape of my life. So no complaints here.

My first Mother's Day gift this year was that both Sofie and I slept in!! Then, she was so cute that as soon as she woke up, she found her old car seat, grabbed a book, blanket and bear and snuggled right in. So darling. Derek made breakfast and took care of Sofie for the rest of the day. The Elder's quorum at church blessed each lady with a DOZEN cookies!!

Also, no complaints about the amazing Costco chocolate cake. It doesn't get more chocolatey than that. Pretty sure we have a new tradition for Mother's Day...what's better than chocolate for this mom?

After a great day of birthday wishes and people spoiling me with wonderful and perfectly chosen gifts, Derek took me out to Sushi. I could die. It was sooooooooooooo good!! I am usually too poor and have to make my own cheap sushi. Restaurant sushi is a million times better! This ENTIRE plate was full of sushi and we ate every last bit. I would have eaten even more if I hadn't eaten an entire cow at 5 Guys earlier in the day! (Also amazing was the fact that after eating cookies, cake, sweet rolls, cupcakes, 5 Guys burger and fries, more chocolate, and a ton of sushi, ALL weekend and most of the week, I only gained 1 pound. Probably a record low for the Birthday/Mother's Day binge.)

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful gifts and words! I have so many people who love and support me!