First salon haircut

For months, Emily has been wanting to cut her hair short. Today I finally took her. She chose the Air Force jet as her seat, and a Barbie movie.

She got lots of glitter sprayed in her hair (not that you can really see it), and a butterfly clip. I think she danced the entire way home.

Oh, Ellen

Ellen was coloring with me, and she wasn't putting the crayons back with the same care and order that I might.
Me: Ellen, you're not going to be OCD like Mommy, are you?
Ellen: (looks directly up at me) ADD.

Emily's birthday party

Emily- and Ellen-isms

Ellen calls helicopters "air tractors."

Last night Emily said, "Mom, we have Jesus in our hearts. And blood. Yep, blood and Jesus."

During "Wipeout" there was discussion about how one contestant didn't quit. So we were talking about how it's good to keep trying and not give up--don't quit. Then she comes back with, "But what about when I need to quit eating candy?"
Darn smartypants.

Emily's birthday party: getting ready

Em's little cake

The "helpers" taking a break before the party.

Cupcakes with gummi alligators

Jessica, Brooklyn & Bailey came over early. All of the girls tested out the pool before naps.

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Newport with the Hales, part 2

Ellen absolutely DRUG my dad all over the place. They would head out toward the water, and she'd have to stop and dig every 10 feet or so.

Newport with the Hales, part 1

On July 9, we took my parents to the coast (Newport, to be exact). We played all morning, saw a nearby lighthouse, and had dinner at Mo's. It was awesome (and it happened to be a crazy-hot day in Portland, so we missed out on some 100+ degree weather!)

Emily holding a sand crab:

Twirling:

Ellen is training to be a mercenary in a foreign army. She's perfecting the march.

Emily's actual Birth-day (July 7)

This is where I found her the morning of her birthday: between my parents on the air mattress. She must have started calling in favors early.

The Fourth, part 2

The Fourth

The Castle

The castle got an addition when we got an air conditioner.

Now, according to Emily, it has a living room AND a bedroom. One night Emily slept in the bedroom and Ellen in the living room. Didn't get pics until the second night when it was just Emily left.