Why you cryin?

Overwhelmed by all the purple flowers.

More photos of the Buffalo Ranch to come soon...

Discoveries

We had some fun discoveries today...

1. Measuring cups and spoons along with a plastic mixing bowl make for a lot of fun in the bath tub.

2. Addie has 6 teeth -- with her 7th about to poke through. I told a friend yesterday that she only had 5 teeth, oops.

3. And my last discovery, taking care of two toddlers all day really isn't that bad. Caderyn tagged along with Addie while his parents were at work today. We had a blast and they entertained each other nicely. Excited to see how tomorrow goes.

Happy 4th Birthday Jace!

Last Saturday Adeline had a blast at Jace's Birthday Party. His mom and dad rented bounce houses for the kids to play in. It was Addie's first time in a bouncer, it took her a bit to get used to it -- but she loved it. In the above sequence Addie watches Liam pull some sweet bouncing tricks.

Blowing out the trick candles...

Addie and Eli had so much fun in the small bounce house.

Addie gives Dawn a smooch through the bounce house mesh.

Cutie Addie.

Car show

At the last minute this afternoon JD, Adeline and I walked over to a car show that was in our neighborhood. It was a fun impromptu outing and I just love this pic of Addie from the show.

Mamma drama

Mama drama...part 7: After a long morning of errands, a meeting and our Friday play group all I wanted was an easy-button lunch for Adeline and I. We're in luck I thought, remembering the leftover pizza that my mom had ordered the night before. We get in the house, unload groceries, the babe and her stuff. I quickly throw some pizza and bread sticks in the microwave. After setting the table, I returned to the kitchen to get our water glasses. I turn around to then see my lovely daughter holding the luke-warm marinara sauce -- all down her front -- and a long trail of sauce from the dinning room table to the kitchen. Seriously, when did she grow tall enough to reach things off the table??! (I'm in serious denial about my baby growing up if you haven't noticed in the last few posts.) So my easy-button lunch quickly turned into Addie watching me scrub the carpet on my hands and knees while she merrily ate her lunch. p.s. When we someday buy our own home, we are SO getting hardwood floors in the dinning room.

Addie's take on the Hanley wedding

While I was up front with the ladies...Adeline and JD hung out in the periphery. Luke and Rinchen were married at Ewam's Garden of 1,000 Buddhas in a beautiful Eastern meets Western ceremony.

Addie walked around the garden walls after the ceremony.

If I were a famous musician or actress this could totally be my style shot in some fancy magazine. Caption .... Lisa Kunkel and her daughter Adeline were spotted leaving the Heartview Center in Arlee last weekend. Then they would list the designer clothing and acessories I'm wearing instead of listing that my dress is really from Old Navy.

Grandma and grandpa drove up from Missoula and picked up Addie so JD and I could enjoy the reception sans toddler.

And right after the handoff....she wanted out of the dress!

AND you must check out this awesome photo of Addie that JD took.

Goodbye dear friend

In the photo above, Adeline is super interested in what Tashi is saying while they play at the wedding this past weekend in Arlee.

Tashi is moving away. Away away, for like 3 years! He and his mom and dad are moving to Nepal -- like tomorrow. We will miss him and his mom Rinchen and dad Luke so much. And we wish them well in their fun adventures!!

Go have fun and learn a lot!

Purple sock

Over the last week or so Adeline's speech has improved greatly. She amazes us everyday and it's not uncommon for JD and I to look at each other and say, "did she really just say that?"
Between her audible thank you's, or "key" and "door" in the same combination and "kitty" with the T sound and all. The big one today was -- purple sock. Seriously?! My little baby daughter who I must have just given birth to, can say purple sock.

My child

My child, you look older than you are.

You look so happy. Oh my child, I love you.

New plantings

Adeline enjoyed exploring Grandpa John's yard this weekend. In the above photos Addie gets excited about the Cotoniaster's growing in the front yard.

In total, John planted 30 new trees and 50 new shrubs this spring...and his yard is already full of trees! Click here to see some beautiful photos of flowering trees from the weekend.

JD and Addie play in the pond as it fills up with ditch water. We're going to have to get an Addie-sized canoe this summer me thinks.

Goodbye Mr. Bunny

Yesterday JD had to be the grown-up and do something I could never do.
Warning....sad story.

It all started when we got home from our long weekend in Wyoming. After unpacking the car Adeline and I were playing in the yard and JD was watering the flowers. In disapointment we discovered our neighborhood bunny injured, scared and hiding in our backyard. He usually prefers the rock wall in the front yard or the big lilac bush in the back. He was hurt pretty bad. {JD called animal control...just to double check there weren't any new wild-bunny rescue networks that we weren't aware of} After no luck there we decied to leave Mr. Bunny for the night and check on him in the morning. A couple hours later, after putting Addie to bed I was editing photos in the back room and heard the most horrible screaching. Mr. Bunny was crying out in pain I told JD! He went outside to investigate and found a stray cat had cornered the injured bunny under our truck and was attacking it. JD came inside and we pondered whether to let nature take its course...but the sound of the poor animal and the thought of having to clean up after the cat...JD decided to put Mr. Bunny out of his misery.

Shovel in hand, JD rose up to the night's challenge.

Goodby Mr. Bunny, you'll be missed.

A short visit to our favorite place

Sometimes I just wish I knew what she was thinking.

After our long weekend in Greybull, we took the long way home through Yellowstone National Park today. May is the BEST time of year to visit the park, it's Spring and everything is fresh. We were in the park for just over two hours and we saw the usuals...elk, deer, bison, antelope. But we also saw three bears, yay. Not bad for a short detour.

Adeline and I watch bison graze, roll in the dirt and swim across Slough Creek.

My new favorite photo of my girl and her dad.

Picnic in the Lamar Valley.

Toes, toes, toes she says. Bison, bison, bison I says.

Raising the teepee

We came down to Greybull this weekend to help raise Adeline's teepee. Yes, Addie has her own teepee, built and hand-painted by her Grandpa John. Here, John and JD work to unroll the canvas after having set the poles earlier.

Helper Adeline with her work gloves.

Getting the canvas stretched just right.

Tightening up here and there.

Addie helps JD with the last pole.

Warming up by the fire with grandma and the dog after working hard.

John and JD put on the finishing touches...pounding stakes, putting on the liner, adding chairs, the cot and of course the fire ring. I can't wait to spend the night out there!

Mama drama

Mama drama...part 6: All of a sudden Adeline has been getting hurt a lot more. She must have a new sense of confidence and curiosity -- or just those moments of sheer toddler craziness. It started with Addie falling off the bed one morning last week, dad left for work and the little one and I were snuggling. She must have been closer to the edge than I thought and in a blink she had rolled right off the bed. It was the sound of her body hitting the floor and wall that shocked me so much but she only cried for literally 30 seconds and then proceeded to snuggle up and sleep for another half hour. Then last Wednesday I came home from running errands to find Addie with a big scrape on her chin. I asked JD what happened and he said, "I didn't even know she was hurt. She fell outside but only cried for a second and then she got up and kept playing." Another happened about a week ago when I was organizing my kitchen cabinets. And like a good little helper Addie was helping move the lids, bowls, pans, tupperware, etc. Then she dropped a big metal lid on the tip of her toes. Ouch. Again, she only fussed for a short time and kept playing. Her black and blue toe made me so worried but I guess she is growing up faster than I giver her credit for.

Easter scenes, final set

Easter morning -- He is Risen, He is Risen indeed.

Adeline on Easter morning with her candy, books and bunny ears.

After church and naps we shared in the Easter meal with good friends Stephanie (pictured above at the beautiful table) and her husband Kevin and their three kids along with Gabe and Lori and their two boys. It was a lovely meal with both lamb and ham!

Daddy and his little girl.

After the meal we all went to a big East egg hunt. Here Addie waits patiently for the hunt to begin as another boys passes the time by eating the rope.

From left, Addie, Karsten and Karmindy run to gather eggs.

Group shot...Kellen, Addie, Liam, Karmindy and Karsten take inventory of their eggs as big brother Kristian, not pictured, headed to the hunt for his age group.

Reuse and recycle

I really wanted to buy Adeline a set of those neat cardboard box toys for stacking. But then I thought...I can make her own set of cardboard boxes! So back in December I started saving all of our cereal boxes, cookie boxes, cracker boxes, etc. I doubled up and stuffed one box into another to ensure sturdiness. And wouldn't you know -- she loves playing with them. I was a little shocked at how much boxed/processed foods we had eaten in the last five months. And I'm also shocked that no where in Helena with let you recycle "shiny" cardboard. I know a place in Butte that will take the boxes, so till our next trip to Butte, Adeline gets to keep playing with the recyclables.

p.s. I just love her entrance and exit in this video

Easter scenes, part 3

Leading up to Easter weekend Adeline was invited to a "big kids" egg hunt at our friend's Jay & Alana's house. Addie had a fun time romping around the yard following the big kids {Maya, Max & Zane} while JD and I had nice conversations with friends and enjoyed the delicious food.

Jay smoked a ham! yum!

It was truly an egg hunt with the eggs hidden very cleverly around the yard. Here Addie finds one on the mailbox.

There were also fun games -- Zane and Alana play basketball -- Joel is cheered on as he plays the bag toss game.

One of Addie's favorite part of the evening was hanging out with Maya. Here she sits with Addie as she gets a closer look at one of the dogs. They also ran around the yard, looked at the chickens, played ball and pretty much stayed with each other the whole time.

The wonderful host and hostess! Jay and Alana.

Happy 30th Birthday JD

Today is JD's 30th Birthday! You've accomplished so much in your 30 years JD...you are an awesome husband, loving father and my best friend -- enjoy your special day sweeters!

p.s. I'm so glad you're turning 30 before I do!

In the photo above, JD and I celebrated his birthday early on Saturday in Missoula. We left Adeline with my parents and met up with friends at the Garden City Brew Festival in Caras Park {where the birthday boy and I met six years ago} We had a lovely afternoon of sampling new beers, good food and great conversation with friends -- plus its springtime in Missoula. We walked down by the river, watched the kayakers, sat in the green grass and spent time with each other.

My mom Cheryl

~ Happy Mother's Day to my mother Cheryl ~

Mom, you are an amazing mom, you always seem to make time for me even when you yourself are busy. Looking back on my childhood, that meant so much to me and I think back fondly on all those special times we had together. Whether it was as simple as sharing breadsticks at Pizza Hut after school or when we would take the dogs for walks or -- my favorite -- when we would go on mother-daughter shopping trips out of town. The above photo is from one of those shopping trips to Spokane when I was in high school in 1997. I can't wait till I get to take Adeline on trips when she's a teenager! I cherish this photo of us mom. You are a wise, caring, patient, creative mother that I look up to every day.

I can only pray that God gives me the talents he has given you to raise a loving family as you have done. Thank you mom for being the mom you are. And thank you Adeline for helping me become the mother I am meant to be.

Sick babies just need extra snuggles

We've had a long week and Adeline has been a little under the weather. This morning she was treated to extra snuggles with her daddy and all three kitties on the couch. What a lucky girl.

Easter scenes, part 2

My dad goofing off while dying eggs.

Beautiful eggs! We used vinegar in addition to the dye to enhance the colors and dye patterns. And I just love my mother's solution of sewing pins for drying the eggs.

Helping Adeline reach an egg during the hunt in our front yard the week before Easter. It was fun watching her run all around finding the eggs.


JD, Addie and I dye eggs together at the table.

Waving goodbye as grandma and grandpa head home to Missoula.