Ladybugs!

Grace got a couple new outfits from Grandma recently and mom just LOVES the ladybug hoodie! This girl just looks so cute in red.

Salad Spinner II

From the other direction..

Salad Spinner

Grace is learning to help clean the lettuce. Recently we had her use the step ladder to view what happens on the counter. She loves being involved.

Monkey See, Monkey Doo

They say, kids learn everything by watching their parents. Who did she learn this from?

Do the Puyallup!

Yesterday, Grace got to go to the Puyallup Fair with Grandmuhie.  Reports are that Grace LOVED the petting zoo.  Apparently she kept trying to kiss the goats.  She also got to milk "Mablel", eat a famous scone & a Crusty Pup, and apparently went goo goo for Billy & the Hillbillies, a singing children's stage show.  Quite a day for being just 15 months old.  

Mt Olympus Expedition

    Every year I like to take one great adventure into the outdoors.  This is the fourth year I've been successful at accomplishing this goal.  This year, myself and 5 friends took a 5 day camping trip to summit the highest peak in the Olympic National Park - Mt Olympus.

     Mt Olympus is not nearly as well known or popular as many of the behemoths of the Cascade range like Mt Rainier, Baker, Adams, or St Helens.  Lying in the heart of the Olympic mountain range, the peak is hidden by the mountains around it so that it is not visible from any town outside the national park, or from any trailhead.  Additionally, while those other more popular mountains have parking lots at or near their base, Olympus has more than 18 miles of trail lying between it's base camp and the nearest trailhead.  Finally, although Olympus' peak lies a comparatively meager 7968ft above sea level (Rainier being 14,411 ft), that trail head mentioned previously, starts at near 200 ft, and as such we would be hiking/climbing almost the entire 8K feet to the top.  

Summit Day: Sunrise on Blue Glacier

as viewed from the Lateral Moraine. 

Our trip would give us 2 days to hike though 18 miles of the Hoh Rainforest, one of only a few temperate rainforests in the world, to the base camp at Glacier Meadows.  The third day would be devoted to summating Olympus via glacier travel across the largest glacier in the lower 48, Blue Glacier.  We would return to camp that evening, giving ourselves two more days for the 25 mile hike north to Sol Duc Hot-springs.  

Snack break just below the "summit block" of Mt Olympus 

Group photo below the summit block.

Cravase jumping - Gabriel in action on our descent from the top. 

Day 5: on High Divide Trail.  The views were stunning. 

The bridge over Sol Duc Falls.  Hike complete.

No outdoor adventure is truly complete until you down 

an almost 2lb greasy bacon cheese burger...  Fat Smitty's, I think I love you.

The trip was a phenomenal success in most respects.  The biggest disappointment came with only 200 feet remaining to the summit when we were forced to turn back without obtaining the highest reach.  We had lost the trail and were unable to find our own which we deemed safe enough to continue forward.  We later learned our mistake was as simple as crossing the last snow patch to the north face, and scrambling up the rock face from there.  Our failure will no doubt give us motivation for future expeditions and adventures.  A great time was had by all and plans are already in the works for next year.

Between the 6 of us, we snapped over 1,000 photos on the trail.  I have pared that down to a meager 141 shots.  See them all on our Picasa page: Olympus Hike & Summit.

Definition of a "Go Wild"

My maternal Grandfather had a term for when children would unleash extra energy in the creative ways that children do; he called it a "Go Wild."  If you have children, if you know someone with children, or if you have been around children when this event occurs then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Grace had a Go Wild this past week while I was out hiking.  Fortunately Sarah captured about two minutes of it on tape.  For those of you who don't know what a Go Wild looks like - this is a text book example...

Top of Mt. Olympus

Just got off the trail after 5 days of hiking and a Olympus summit attempt.

Off to Fat Smitty's for 2 pounds of beef!

This Is What It's All About

The last two weeks have been nothing short of amazing when it comes to Grace. She has turned into a sponge, picking up new things so quick I'm still in shock from the last new feat when she's accomplishing the next. She's learning at least one new word everyday, climbing up onto the adult furniture, mimicking everything you do and then applying it to another scenario appropriately, doing summersaults, and playing peek-a-boo while giggling with such excitement that it makes your heart sing, Not to mention, she has learned the word 'no' to my dismay. I also started asking her to point to objects in her books and she comprehends WAY MORE than I even realized.

In addition, she cut her first two teeth earlier this week (with quite a few more in the cue to pop through the gums next). Poor thing, she'll get most of her teeth all at once. And last but not least, this afternoon she started walking. Finally! I was wondering if this girl would ever have teeth or walk.

This afternoon Grace stood up on her own, which she'd been doing for several weeks, and walked about 4 steps to me. She'd been walking 1 or 2 steps on her own on a rare occasion but has been walking with assistance for some time. Those who see her often, including myself, had come to the conclusion that she could totally do it on her own she just didn't have the confidence quite yet. Well, that came today! I wish I had the look on her face on video when she realized she could walk all by herself. I saw her face light up, quickly moved to the other end of the room and watched her stand back up and make it clear across our living room without falling. It was awesome.

Scott left early Tuesday morning with 5 other guys to hike through Olympic National Park and summit Mt. Olympus. Boy does he have a surprise for him when he gets home. His baby girl will get to greet him with a smile baring her two new crooked bottom teeth as she WALKS toward him. I can't wait to see the look on his face. Maybe I'll try to get that one on video.

While I'm Away... SEND MORE PICTURES!!!

As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, I flew to Georgia with the Air Force Reserves this past week. We left on Sunday morning and returned home on Thursday afternoon.  It's not until I'm away from home that I really gain a greater appreciation for the blog and how it keeps family and friends updated on Grace and her daily changes.  You might be thinking, "But there weren't any blog updates during the time you say you were in Georgia." and you would be correct.  It took but one day of being away from Grace and not seeing a single update via blog, photo, or email before I made my displeasure of such a lack of updates known.  After that I was blessed with a photo of Grace every day while I was gone.  Here are the photos that arrived in my in box...

Grandma & Grandpa were visiting and took Grace on a daily walk - some times 2.

Grace at Grandmuhies house checking out one of the old family milking cans.

I'm going to have to talk to Grace about sagging pants.  

She's way too young to be sporting that style.

20 Week Ultrasound

If you didn't already know, Sarah and I are pregnant with our second child.  Twenty weeks pregnant to be exact.  We had our second ultrasound and got some great photos.  Please enjoy the latest images of the Templin to be.

Picasa Album with all the photos HERE.

We are due in mid January, but from Sarah's history of being 2 weeks early with Grace, I'm hoping for a 2011 tax break...

Watch People Jump Out of Airplanes - Get Paid

As I blogged about a few months past, I get to do some pretty cool stuff as part of my job with the Air Force Reserves.  Not only that, while I'm doing this pretty cool stuff they pay me.  Suckers.  I guess I should try and keep it a secret that I would do most of it for free.  

This past week I had the opportunity to assist and observe some airdrop operations.  I'm not airdrop qualified, but I could certainly help with the workload while under the tutelage of some great instructors.  Besides, I thought this job would be easy.  I thought I'd simply get to watch a few folks jump out of an airplane and that would be that.  I could not have been more wrong.  The mission was to fly to Columbus, GA where the Army's Airborn school is located.  The 500 students all needed 5 jumps to graduate from the course.  During 3 days, our crew would facilitate over 1,600 of the required jumps - roughly two thirds of all jumps accomplished.   The physical punishment of wearing a 30lb parachute, while attempting to maintain one's balance walking around the cargo compartment on a warm, 90 degree, bumpy, summer, Georgia day while repeatedly preparing for jumpers to exit, was much more demanding than I had expected.  However, to stand in the open door of an airplane and loot out over the land as we cruised along but 1,000 feet above the Chatahoochie River was well worth the effort.  

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of myself.  I look forward to the opportunity to pose for a few next time... while I'm getting paid!

Cargo compartment filled with eager students. 

About 1 minute from the drop. 

Green Light & everyone exits.