Last week I took the girls to Half Moon Bay. We had to go to the city beach rather than the state beach because I had no cash or California cheque. A flag should've popped up in my mind when I saw how steep the path was to get to the beach. Uhhh, was I thinking? Ya, I was.... about the $6 I had paid to park! I started heading down by myself, both girls in the stroller, when panic set in. Luckily someone helped me after seeing my struggles. Why he didn't ask me if this was such a good idea, I don't know! We had fun at the beach, although the whole time I was worrying about and trying to plan how we'd get back up. Seriously, folks, when I say steep I mean steeeep! Throw in a few 1-3 foot drops along the path and some sand to make it slippery and you've got yourself a death trap. Are you dying to know how I got back up to the top by myself? Well, I left Holly screaming at the bottom of the path with the beach bag and wrangled Greta up to the top with the stroller. A couple times I thought we were going to slide right back down and once I got to the top, I tipped the stroller. Greta was fine. From the top, I couldn't see Holly and when I ran down to get her, I couldn't see Greta. Whew! It was nuts! We will not be venturing that beach again until the girls are a couple years older! But, it was lovely to sit on the beach and it was a quieter beach...

PS: In a couple days, I'll post about our positive Santa Cruz beach experience. It was awesome!

I plan on making my girls a dress for each of their birthdays (Holly's first birthday dress can be seen here). For Holly's second birthday dress, I used some bright Heather Bailey fabric and Simplicity pattern 2193. The dress came together beautifully and quickly and I think it perfectly reflects her busy and bright personality. Holly has changed so much from her first birthday. She's incredibly energetic and fun. There's always something going on with Holly. Her emotional scale has become broader and she feels things more deeply. She's currently obssessed with "owies," hers and ours. She is quick to ask someone if their okay when they're sad or hurt. She informs me when Greta is crying and has continued to love on Greta like mad, sometimes with too much vigor. Holly's headstrong and stubborn and knows what she wants and when she wants it. Occasionally, we butt heads. I love her death. She's my girl now and forever. I adore my Holly Bear.

One of Conor's favourite parts about Yahk is roasting brats on an open fire. As per usual, we loved hanging around the campfire. This is my last Yahk post. It was so much fun to be there with my family. I wish I had more time to spend with them. As I've moved away, I've come to understand more fully how important my family is to me. Each of my sisters (Allison, you fall under the "sister" category for sure) and my brother are so dear and important to me. And I love my parents. They've taught me so much more in how they've lived their lives than in what they've said. I love you family! 

The entire time we were in Yahk, Greta was being held. She got set down to have her diaper changed or to take a nap, but other than that she was being held. And she never cried. She was perfectly well behaved because she was being held. Greta was in baby heaven. I love seeing how much my family loves my children. It's one of my favourite parts about visiting.

As per tradition, we drove to Twin Lakes Bay on the Kootenay. But unlike previous years, it was cold and the mosquitoes came in flocks and ate us alive. We held out for maybe an hour before my complaining and the mosquitoes finalized our decision to head back. The only saving grace was the delicious homemade oreos we brought along. And the pictures I took.