Helena : 18 months

She has a handful of words and is adding more all the time. About 80% of her vocabulary is Finnish currently with "varpaat" (toes) second only to the Finnish "Mom." We have a lot of conversations about her very cute feet. She still isn't using those feet for walking, but surely will soon. She does like being walked around with a firm grip on someone's fingers.
Helena knows what she likes and can be insistent. She's still a happy and fun little one. She weighs 23 lbs 4 oz (10.5 K, 30th percentile) and is 31 inches (80 cm, 25th percentile) tall.

More summer fun

We went blueberry picking with friends a few weeks ago. It was a fun outing and the kids did a good job picking berries. Heading in to weigh our buckets. Our pleasant morning temperatures became hot by mid-morning.We've been eating breakfast and lunch on the back patio. It faces north so it is shaded by the house for most of the day. It is lovely to be out of doors and it means fewer crumbs to sweep up!

Oregon Coast Trip

We spent a long weekend with Mark's family at the beach. His parents, 2 cousins, 4 siblings (2 with spouses) and 7 children in addition to our 3 were able to be there. The house we rented was just a short walk from the shore. Everyone had fun and the kids especially enjoyed being with their cousins. We visited the Air Museum in Tillamook as well as the cheese factory. This year Henry chose bubble gum ice cream and Nora had peppermint candy.The camel silhouettes on the side of this plane designate the 39 missions flown during the Gulf War.

We visited the Cape Meares lighthouse and climbed up to see the light.We all ate at Mo's. Mark had the bouillabaisse this year. Nora and Henry lunched primarily on saltines.The weather was pretty warm and we spent some time on the beach every day. Nora liked running in and out of the water and Henry constructed many lighthouses.

Visitors

We have seen a lot of friends and relatives lately!
Mark's sister Becky and her family stayed with us and went to the hydroplane races. It was great to finally meet little John and to play with the older cousins.
My aunt Pat was here for a few days and spent some time playing with us. She commissioned artwork from the kids and was a great listener to all their stories.
Elijah made everyone try on the goofy glasses when he was here.
Everyone is welcome to come again!

Little helper

Helena was taking good care of Nora's baby doll this afternoon.
And a snuggle after eating.

Summer fun

Some years summer slips by before we really notice. We've been trying to get out and enjoy ourselves despite the heat. The sprinkler park is just right this time of year. And food cooked on the grill is tasty and doesn't heat up the house.

Unpacking

We woke up a little more than 25 hours ago on the other side of the world. We had three flights, saw four airports, went through various security checks and interviews, and kept track of seven checked bags, four carry-on items, three children and one stroller. We are thankful to have made it safely home and are settling back in. It will take me a little while to get all those bags emptied!