It's swim time!

I took A to the pool today, in the hopes that she would enjoy it more than the first time we tried it (scared, cried, clung to us the whole time). And she had a wonderful time! She splashed and laughed and was in there for over an hour. It's been over a 100 the last few days, which is atypical for our area, so this was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

Posing for the camera?

I thought these dresses adorable - thus, the camera came out again. I know A recognizes the camera sound when I turn it on, but I had to laugh when she did two poses for the camera. Does she know what she's doing? Who knows, but she's had plenty of practice!


















This dress just came in the mail from Grandma - and we had to try it on right then and there. I'm glad we did!

Happy Anniversary

J and I went to Lincoln City, OR to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. This was our first time there, and we enjoyed beautiful, clean beaches, the roar of the ocean, and lots of seafood. I did lots of shopping at the outlet mall, too!

Truthfully, we picked Lincoln City, because the Wheel of Fortune contestant bus was there. And, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try. Of course, neither could about 4800 other people. Needless to say, I didn't get to try out, but I'm glad I tried.

Happy 4th!

We went with J's family to the Ridgefield 4th of July parade (north of Vancouver a few miles). They know how to throw a great hometown parade! They threw a ton of candy, and we're looking forward to the day when A will be able to enjoy it!











This was A's second parade. In both parades she did well until the big fire trucks started honking their horns. I sat with A on my lap, after the loud fire trucks came through.













For most the parade, she just sat and watched all of the action.

A wagon ride

Today, we bought a new Mega Blocks wagon with blocks for A, and, on a whim, thought it might be fun to see if she would like to take a ride. She seemed to like it!

New dresses from Grandma!

Today, A got a fun package in the mail from Grandma; and it was just in time for the Fourth of July! This dress is Grandma's favorite. A loved playing with the hat.











A wore this dress for the rest of the day. We went to a church gathering for families with young children. A went on her first hay ride, and she spent most of the time watching the big kids ride the Thomas the Train, bounce in the inflatable castle, and run in the yard. It will be her turn soon.












I love the bow on this hat. A seemed to like it too. Thanks Grandma!

Camping in Southern OR

We camped at Diamond Lake, OR, which is about 5 hours from home. We had a picnic lunch one afternoon in the middle of a meadow. J said we looked liked a scene from Little House on the Prairie. :)






This was the view of the lake from our tent. Pretty nice!





The lake has two mountains for our viewing pleasure. J kept looking at this one, Mt. Thielsen, and saying, "When A is a little older . . ." We could have taken a Snowcat ride up the side of Mt. Bailey, the other mountain, but I chickened out. Maybe next time.


We rented a pontoon boat when J's mom, dad and sister joined us on our third day. Fishing was an absolute must, as well as putting our feet up and catching some rays.






This was A's first boat trip, and I'd say from her smiles that she's looking forward to having her own rod and reel some day. Mom and Dad are so proud!












We drove to Crater Lake, which was only 7 miles away, and I'm so glad we
did. It was the most gorgeous lake I've ever seen, and the picture doesn't do it justice -- especially since we're all blocking the view. This pic shows J's mom, dad, sister R, J, A and me enjoying the view.

Standing and Watching

A went in for her 9 month appointment today. She's a whopping 17 obs. 10 oz., and 27" long now. Just in the last few weeks, we have enjoyed watching her do the G.I. Jane scoot, crawl, and pull herself up into a wobbly stand.

This picture was fun for us, because we know she loves our cat Sam, but we are also hopeful that she, like her parents, is looking forward to fun-filled days of exploring the outdoors, right next to our cat.

Our Little Acrobat!

When A started to greet us in the morning by peaking over her bumper with a huge grin, we loved it.

Then, when she could pull herself up onto her feet, we couldn't resist getting excited to see what she could do next. Of course, now that I look at this picture, I feel like such an idiot. Naturally, she could, and did, flip herself over the crib rail to land, confused, on the nursery floor.

So, at 10 o'clock that night, J and I took apart the crib, lowered it, and felt pretty confident that she won't be trying any maneuvers over the crib rail any time soon. At least, we hope she won't!

Jumping off a Bridge

May 1st - For J's 33rd birthday, J jumped off of a bridge - literally - with a few of his closest friends either watching or jumping with him. He did his first jump about 2 weeks before I had A, so this time he knew exactly what to expect. His first jump of the day was off of a platform, and he ran off the other unrailed side for his second jump.

Happy Easter!

We had Easter brunch at J's sister's house. She gave all of the nieces cute little bunnies, and the girls looked so pretty in their Easter dresses. Christ the Lord has risen today!

Spring Break

A and I went to CO Springs to visit K for her birthday. We enjoyed a picnic (complete with a snow/hail shower), some hiking, and a trip to the Royal Gorge. K and I took turns on the Sky Coaster, which buckled us in like we were bungy jumping, but pulled us horizontally backwards and up into the air. We pulled a zip cord and soared out over the gorge -- quite a thril! A cried both times as she watched from the ground! I guess she's not quite ready for the Sky Coaster!