Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

Luca and I flew into Nebraska on Tuesday at 11pm. We chose the late flight not only because of the price but also in hopes that Ms. Bean would sleep through it. She did not! However, she was a little angel. Our flight wasn’t full so I did some strategizing hoping to have an empty seat next to us. We went to the back of the plane (no one likes the back) and I kept my bag in the middle seat as extra discouragement. It worked! Luca had her own seat for the flight in which to enjoy her complimentary beverage (no, she didn’t get Diet Coke, just the can) and peanuts (fun crinkly package!). The pictures are a little fuzzy; I didn’t want to be the person who uses a flash on a dark plane.

We are settled in at my Brother and Sister-in-Law’s (They’ve turned their basement into an apartment for us!) and are enjoying our time with friends and family. Joe is re-acclimating to working in cold weather; the last two mornings have been in the 30’s! The cousins are working on rapport, Luca trying to be less aggressive and loud, Isaiah being longsuffering. ;-) Spring is just around the corner here and we are looking forward to being outside in the yard and taking walks to the park. I can’t wait to see Luca’s reaction to grass, a fun, new texture! We miss our Arizona friends but are so thankful that God has given us this time in Nebraska. Thanks for the prayers!

Digging

Yes, I know it's sideways but it's the best one of Luca. She was very into scraping her fingers through the dirt and of course, trying to eat rocks. :)

Last Hikes

Well, not truly last, we will be hiking again but we knocked a couple of Arizona trails off our list since we're headed to Nebraska for a couple of months. First, we went out to the White Tank Mountains, our first visit even though we live right next to them! We'd heard of the Waterfall Trail and followed it around and up past wildflowers and petroglyphs to what, I'm sure after a rain, would in fact be a waterfall. Currently, the only hint is a damp trail down the rock face. This was by far the most well maintained trail we've done in AZ and we had lots of company during our trek, including several scout troops. Luca loved having all of the kids around. A Beautiful day, we enjoyed the morning but we definitely want to try it again after a good rain

Piestewa Peak: OUCH. UGH. BLEH. That's what I have to say. I've climbed it, I don't foresee myself climbing it again. For anyone who hasn't tried this one, it's basically a set of stairs on which you climb 1200 feet in 1.2 miles. Once we crested that last boulder, took in the view, relaxed and had a snack, I deemed the hike a fun one. :) Luca had a blast, not minding in the least that her Mommy was being passed by not only small children but also the elderly. Awesome. She is a very good little explorer in her pack and manages to fall asleep in the most awkward positions. Pretty cute (especially in her "Easter-Egg" jammies, as Amy calls them)!

Hat Tricks

Emptying the Camera Card...

All dressed up and ready to go! Lunch date with friends...

All tuckered out...

The result of sleeping with your bonnet on...

More hair debacles...

Helping Mommy clean up...

Perfect little face...

Mischief...

Howdy!

Random Notes

This is a video of Luca studiously ignoring her Mommy. Of course as soon as we turn on the video camera she won’t perform! She really does give kisses though and here is a picture of her planting a big one on Daddy.

Watching the vacuum (which is making strange noises, uh oh) and laughing, a lot.


My little girl is growing so fast! I just noticed today that her feet hit the seat back when she’s in her carseat. I guess I better read the instructions on her big girl seat! Today we bought new jammies (why is it so hard to find the ones that zip up?) and retired another set of clothes. I also put away the sleep positioner (I know, I know, I should have done that a long time ago) so now I find her in awkward poses in the mornings.

Going shopping with Luca is always an interesting experience. People always notice a baby but I never expected so many comments from strangers, they amuse me.

Stranger: “She must look like her Daddy, those blue eyes!”
Me: Um, no, Daddy has brown eyes and she looks just like me.

Stranger: “Oh! How cute is she! Can you stand it?! Boo baby! Boo!” (while poking Luca’s tummy and grabbing her hands).
Me: Thank you, do not touch my baby.

Stranger: “How old is he, is he walking yet?”
Me: Um, she’s a she and she’s only six months, so no, not walking.

Stranger: “Awwwww….what a sweetheart”.
Me: I totally agree.