Ode to Echo Lake

Echo Lake in Montana is probably one of my favorite places on the planet. Growing up we spent almost every summer there with our Baldry and Stone cousins. We had Hicken reunions there. I have so many memories of Echo Lake; I love everything about it...starting with the drive there through the Montana mountains, singing Marie Osmond's "Meet Me in Montana" with Christy. Always dreaming that we could stop at the House of Mystery, and one day Dad and Uncle Roger finally giving in. Driving into Kalispell for shopping trips, buying the "HO", yes we had a waterski that was called the "HO". Crying in the middle of the lake while the boat drivers had fun inflicting pain upon us while we road the yellow banana. Going to Big Sky waterslide for the day. Hunting for craw dads at night, Grandpa Hicken popping an entire raw egg in his mouth and chewing it down. Eating Montana cherries until we were sick...Staying in the 4 little fishing cabins...Having sleepovers with Aunt Mo on the trampoline (our parents always brought the trampoline in the boat) And of course we can't forget the "Cheetah", the fastest little boat around. I still remember the day Dad and Uncle Roger told us they were buying a boat. We didn't believe it til we saw it. It was know also as the "Indian Cruiser". Going over Logan's Pass, which, if you've never been, is the most breathtaking drive on the earth... Going over Logan's Pass with a 18 year old Chayston driving the red and black pick up truck ...speeding over the mountain pass and hoping I would survive without plummeting over the edge of the cliff....aaah. (I am not sure how that would impress a girl, but it worked. Darla and Chay have been married for like 17 years or something!) Good times! And I can't forget the drive back...not making it to the US/Canadian border crossing before it closed and popping out the tent trailer right there in the road.

That's why after not going to Echo Lake since I was pregnant with Payson I was so happy to return. We recreated some of those memories with the Hill family this summer and I'm hoping the tradition is alive again!

Hayden announcement

Chareese helped me with this. Thanks Chareese! I decided it was time to get back on the blog wagon.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

When Grandpa Bruce was here in the spring, he had some GREAT ideas. Payson came inside needing the broom...he said he needed it to row his boat. So I went outside to find him and Noah in our big wagon rowing it around the pool. Of course, I yelled, "Payson, get that wagon out of the pool!!!" He said it was Grandpa's idea. Who can argue with that? It provided hours of entertainment. Even Uncle Jesse had a turn. Now we use the wagon as a boat quite often. Good idea Grandpa!

Hayden is born!

Our little Hayden was born on April 17, 2010 at 11:16 PM. She weighed 7 lb 6 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. She looks a little more like Payson did and has dimples (Abbey doesn't have dimples). She has tons of black hair.
Thanks Rebecca for these cute pictures!

Abbey's Obsessions

Two year olds are so entertaining. A while ago I wanted to do a post on Abbey's favorite things. She used to be obsessed with washing her hands. She'd sing "soap, soap, wa-wee" and that meant wash her hands. Her piggy has been her most constant obsession. You know how all the experts say no sleep props? Well, she just uses a few... Her Dora "pilla", 2 piggies, coloring book, the doll that Bronson and Casey got her, a bottle, Dora toy. Is that too many??

She also loves her "clip-clops". It started last summer with a pair of too-big silver flip flops that Auntie Zoe left here. They fit her now and she loves to wear anyones flip flops. She named her scooter "Pink". How creative! She loves to follow the big boys around on their scooters. She loves that thing.

Other obsessions include pouting, hiding behind the couch, and being a drama queen. Anytime Payson and his friends leave, she gets real emotional and says "I missing my friends!" or "My friends blow away". She wouldn't even give Brodie a kiss the other morning and was being kind of snotty, the minute he drove away she got real dramatic saying she's missing her dad! She acted like he was abandoning her.
Yesterday I asked her what she was eating (as I hadn't given her anything!) She said, "I eatin my boogie!" I got a little mad at her, which always makes her close her eyes and stick out her bottom lip. After a few minutes of pouting she hopped off the couch and said, "I no mad no more Mom!" I just love that girl so much!

Abbey's Hats

Abbey loves hats. She finds them in the closet, when I am organizing Payson's old clothes. Now she likes "Toy Story" so she takes off her hats and says "yee-haw!" like woody. She cracks me up!

9-1-1, Warning: Graphic Pictures

About a month ago, Brodie called me in the middle of a surgery with an emergency. He has NEVER done this in 5 years of being an orthopedic rep. They were missing a part they needed that was in our garage - where else would it be, right?
So I woke Abbey from her nap. She had been completely healthy when I put her down. Strapped her in the car seat, and she pukes like there's no tomorrow. I was in such a hurry I would have just left her, but the puke was so chunky I couldn't do up the straps. I took her out and put on new clothes, but didn't have time to clean her up.
I raced like a mad women to the hospital, which was luckily 25 minutes away, with throw up on my pants. The whole time Brodie is calling me telling me the doctor is not happy. They are literally waiting for me to get there so they can put a nail in some poor guy's femur. Brodie ran out of the ER in his surgical cap and scrubs (looking pretty cute, I might add). The surgery was a success, and I think the doctor got over it.
That's what we do around here...we save lives!