Saturday, May 28, 2011

Haylu Shelter

Both Brad and I love hiking. Brad is Highpointer which means he is hoping to summit the highest point in all 50 states. An admirable feat! He's at 27, I think. My first love is long distance hiking, in particular on the Appalachian Trail, a 2169 mile footpath that runs from Springer Mountain, GA to Mount Katahdin, ME passing through 14 states.

I attempted a thru-hike in 2006 but was forced off the trail in Central Virginia due to a fire at home. I hiked the Long Trail as a consolation prize. Not a bad option.

At any rate, the A.T. is truly my "hiking home" and will always hold my heart. I'm surrounded by the glorious peaks of the Rocky Mountains but I very much miss the rolling green hills of the Appalachians. So, when faced with what to build for our active little daughters for a playhouse, there was really only one answer. We had to build an A.T. Shelter. This is where the "Haylu" name originated in the summer of 2010.

My poor husband never argued with me. Instead, he created a beautiful little Adirondack style shelter for our girls.

The base.


Framing

Framing from the front

Getting those walls up!

Hayden & Lucy checking Daddy's work

Lucy making sure he's doing it right.

Shelter done! Chairs for the girls & Momma!

Trailhead sign and Shelter sign

closer view

YEA! A whiteblaze!!!
 I love my husband for many, many reasons and this one is definitely on the list! I am probably 10 times more excited about this project than the girls are. I'm ready to have our first overnight and sleep in the shelter. I thought this is where it would end, but we had a few more additions that made this the BEST. PLAYHOUSE. EVER.

The rocks are a dry creekbed.

TA-DA! Bridge over the creek bed. :)

Test run.

My little climber chick.

The picnic table set away from the Shelter.

Haylu Shelter

Hayden signing the Shelter Register

Lucy signing the Shelter register.

We are going to have a lot of fun playing out here this year. The girls already love it, as do I. My husband is the front runner for Husband of the Year 2011! Ha!

Climb on, little ones, climb on...

I'm proud of my daughter's because they clearly possess the sense of adventure that both Brad and I have. Of course, sometimes I feel the need to duct tape them to a sturdy surface, but mostly my heart swells with pride when I watch them scale something they really shouldn't be anywhere near.

Climb on, Lucy! 


Go, Hayden, GO!

Both girls love walking to the local park and playing on the slides and swings. The climbing wall is now a favorite for them as well. I expect it won't be too long before we put a small climbing wall in our backyard. They are fearless little bundles of energy.

Monkey bars!

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The many faces of Lucy Holloway...

Hey, Lucy!!!


Yes, Momma?

"Say 'cheese'"!

I don't wanna say 'cheese'" 

"Awww...c'mon! Say 'cheeeeeeeese'!!!"


CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!!!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Sisters playing

"Luuuuucy....come heeeeeere!"

*pitpatpitpatpitpatpitpat*

:::grunt:::

"WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*CRASH*

:::crying:::

*thunk thunk thunk*

"WHOAaaaaaaaaaa"

:::laughter:::

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Pic-a-nic in the park...

Breaking up a sandwich to avoid my child from choking is something I have always done. Apparently that is why they refuse to eat the peanut butter & jelly I so lovingly put togeher. What could be better than holding your OWN sandwich and taking your OWN sized bites? Apparently....nothing.

Yummers

Friday, May 6, 2011

Oompompagoosa...

My little Lucy is such a funny child. I am convinced that she will be a very successful comedienne or entertainer at some point in her life. She already IS from our perspective but the masses are waiting.

Mmmm...bathwater!
She has a bit of a shoe fetish right now and often times is seen wandering around the house with a pair. Not necessarily her own, of course. This morning I was 20 minutes late to work because I couldn't find the shoes that I wanted to wear. She had to take those?!? Eventually I found them in the most logical place - the clothes hamper. In hindsight, I should have looked there first. I have washed a variety of items because I fail to check the hamper before it goes into the washer: books, toys, shoes and sippy cups.

She is a bit of a screamer and most words are said with a hint of shriek to them. "CA-CKAH!" when she wants a cracker is probably the shriekiest of them all. This has been going on since she was a newborn and would squeak instead of making other noises. It was sweet then and is sweet now when my eardrums don't bleed.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

I'm a little pee-pot...

Saturday I was home alone with the girls and feeling a bit under the weather. I was sitting on the couch and Lucy was watching Elmo. Or Dora. Or Tangled. Or Nemo. Or whatever I shoved in the TV to try and get myself a few quiet moments.

Suddenly it was *too quiet*. You moms know what I'm talking about. The *too quiet* that means something bad is happening and you are going to discover it 20 seconds too late.

I get up and go in to Hayden's room. There she is, pants and underwear down around her ankles, one hand on her dresser for support, squatting over her little pink musical teapot trying to go potty.

What the hell do you say to that? "Nice aim?!" While the mom in me was horrified, the backpacker girl that dwells within had a heart swelled with pride over her aim and squatting abilities. That's my girl :)

Fair warning...

Brad stopped at McDonald's yesterday morning to get an iced coffee before dropping the girls off at daycare. Hayden, from the backseat, says "I want french fries." Brad tells her no, she's not getting french fries. He pulls up and pays and gets his coffee to which the little voice in the back says "I want a sip". Brad tells her "No, you can't have a sip because it's coffee."

MY daughter says "Daddy. I need sip so I don't get cranky!"

*sniff* I'm so proud ♥
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