Josie is 2 ! ! !

Jo's birthday was Saturday. We had a few friends and family over to help us celebrate.

Jo started the day as she usually does...she must put on her shoes immediately after getting out of bed.


Here she is at the beginning of the party - in heaven - with babies and pretties in her hair.

One of her favorite gifts was this stroller. She loves pushing around her new baby from her awesome God-mother.

Last year, the bakery gave us a free "smash cake" because it was her first birthday. She didn't get into it a whole lot last year, as she was barely eating solid food. (For a flash back to last year's party, go here.) I decided she needed another shot at a smash cake this year.

Of course, diving into the smash cake required moving outside and stripping her down to her diaper. (Oh, and I got a haircut.)

This year she didn't go nuts over the cake, but she did love the icing.

She was happy to share bites with the older kids gathered around her. (I love her belly in this shot.)


Here's the cake that the rest of us ate inside with our clothes on.

Another of Jo's favorite gifts was jewelry. I am astonished daily at just how girly she is. Yesterday, I went in to get her up from her nap and I was actually wearing earrings. I was talking to her and she was just staring at my ears and reaching for my earrings saying "Eh! Eh!" which is Josie speak for "ear". I told her she couldn't grab Mommy's earring, but we could go find hers. Instant vigorous head nodding and a new word ("Eh-een") followed, as well as this little fashion show.


We're in so much trouble.

Phoebe Goes to Camp

Yes it's true. I can't believe it myself. Phoebe is now old enough to go to camp. Our diocese has a camp that goes from Wednesday to Saturday for kids who just finished 1st grade through those who just finished 3rd. Phoebe, of course, was all over it.


Here she is Wednesday morning, just waiting for the time to leave. She's so serene sitting atop her open trunk.


Here she is at camp. The first thing they were going to do after getting everything in the cabin was going to the lake to take a swim test.


Fast forward to Saturday, here's P carrying her sleeping bag, among other things, wearing the shorts she wore there on Wednesday. I thought it was kind of funny - she may have been the only girl there with a sleeping bag instead of having her bed made with sheets. My friend said, "That's just inexperienced parents packing sheets."


We stopped for lunch pretty soon after we left camp. With full bellies and a 1 1/2 hour drive ahead of them, my girls did the only sensible thing.

Holiday Fun

Sunday, July 6, our church had a "stay-cation". Since it was so close to July 4th, a lot of people were feeling patriotic and showing their colors.

There was a bounce house and snow cones for the kids. Here's P enjoying the latter having just gotten out of the former.


J had fun in the bounce house too. And, well, running around on the grass.

She got a little sweaty and red, too.


And, because I love Ms B, one of a few British ladies in our church, I had to show her my love and support. (hope she doesn't mind her face on my blog)

Life's a Beach

In mid-June we trekked to Dauphin Island, AL with 2 other families to spend a week at the beach. We had a lot of fun and the beach was gorgeous.

This picture was taken when we first arrived. After unpacking the van, we walked with the kids down to the beach just to put our toes in the water. Not to actually play in the waves or in the sand. Since we left at 1am on a Saturday, Jo was dressed in her PJs for the whole trip. We didn't change her before we went to the water. Jo likes to be in water of any kind, so she was just fine. Ask her to play in the sand and it's a whole different story.

Here's P soaked from "putting her toes in the water".


Here's J with our fabulous babysitter K. Fantastic idea taking K with us. J, as well as the rest of the kids, loves her.


Sweet baby.


OK. I know what this looks like. Especially with that look on J's face. But honestly, she was trying to help Iz up off the floor. It's kinda hard, though, because Iz weighs the same as J despite being a year younger.


Here's a close up of the gorgeous Miss Iz.



Here's Iz's big sister E. She and Jo are a couple of weeks apart in age AND she is our beautiful God-daughter. I don't know what it is, but I love this picture of her. She and Jo together make quite a pair. Jo will never have E's curls, and E will never have hair as straight as Jo's.



This was a bit of a disturbing view at first. See that little triangle sticking up out of the water?


There are 2 dorsal fins in this picture, but they're a little further out and a little harder to see. After staring for quite sometime at this group of up to 7 or 8 fins, we finally saw blow holes. Aaah. Suddenly it's really cool that there are dolphins so close to the shore.


Superstar.



Dad taking Jo out to play in the waves. She loved it and actually fell asleep one day on her dad's shoulder out in the waves.



Phoebe loved the waves and the sand and anything at all to do with the beach. We all had a great time.

And I realize there are no pictures of the photographer at the beach. If you're desperate for one, you can see one here.

New Life

I previously posted a picture of a nest with eggs in it outside one of our windows. Sadly, that nest still looks the same. The eggs are still there and will be until the nest is somehow removed.

However, two windows down, we discovered another nest of mourning doves with two eggs. Over a few weeks we watched the parent birds trade out sitting on the eggs. Those eggs were rarely exposed. While we were visiting my parents at the beginning of June, the eggs hatched. Over the next couple of weeks, I was amazed at how quickly the birds grew. I was even more amazed at the patience of the mother bird. Good grief. She sat on those babies and kept them warm. As they grew, she continued to protect them and keep them warm. As they got bigger, she could no longer sit, so she stood over them with her wings over them.

Before we left for our vacation, I took a picture of them because I was positive that they would be gone when we returned.

The mother bird is on the right in this picture and was starting to lose her patience. Time for those babes to learn to fly.

Summer Means Time Off

I didn't realize that with summer vacation I would be taking a vacation from blogging. It's not that we've been just SOOO busy around here. I've just been taking it easy. That has included not being on the computer very much.

So, I promise I will post pictures later today of everything that has been going on around here.

Later.