First Flight

Day 199/366
Jevin had a turn flying the new drone tonight. He makes it look really easy! I asked him what he thought about the flight, and he said it was fun... and he was glad that he only hit one tree.

Last Day for 13

Day 118/366
Tomorrow she'll be 14... but today there's playing, smiles and laughter!

Filming at the Cantina

Day 86/366
Since he has a little more free time on his hands, Jevin started filming his next stop motion video. He's working on a story set in the Star Wars cantina. It's fun to see the behind-the-scenes set up for his videos and I can't wait to see the finished project.

Toy Story

Day 79/366
Jevin's treasured toys are Blankey and Twinkle. Blankey has been loved and adored since Jevin was a baby. It was the blanket he snuggled with every night before bed, insisted on taking in the car whenever we left the house; it was the one thing we always made sure we had before we left on a family trip. It was THE toy he had to have when he was sad, tired, angry, happy; it was a comfort and a friend. Before Jevin could say Blankey, he called it his nah-nah, probably because we always said, "Time for night-night," when we handed it to him before naps or bedtime. While he doesn't drag Blankey around with him anymore, it will always hold a special place in his heart (and mine!).

Twinkle is a Build-a-Bear creation and has been a bedtime companion for years. When Jevin and Enavi used to tell stories to each other before bed, Twinkle often played a starring role. We'd hear the kids laughing upstairs when they were supposed to be in bed and ask, "What's going on?" We'd often hear a call back, "Sorry, but we just need to finish this story. It's so funny!" So, evidently, Twinkle is a master comedian as well as a soft, snuggly bear.

Comfort

Day 74/366
This is another one of those pictures that I've had in my head for awhile. I wanted to document my kids with some of their favorite toys that they still have and love, and maybe share a story about the toy as a way of remembering their important place in the kids' lives. Enavi's purple bear, aptly named Violet, is a toy she received from my long-time friend Susie and her husband Dennis. They visited us in the hospital after Enavi was born and they brought this bear as a special gift for our new baby girl. When Enavi was very little, she often slept with different stuffed animals each night, but as she got older, she became more consistent with wanting Violet to be the lovey that she snuggled with at bedtime. Eventually, Violet became the only lovely that she would sleep with, even travelling with us on different adventures. Enavi still sleeps with Violet to this day. As you can see, she looks well loved, with her matted fur and a button eye that was added some time ago in emergency surgery, but this only adds to her beauty and charm.