Milestones

Logically speaking, "Are You Going to San Francisco, Pt.2" should be the next post. However, today our munchkin turns 9 months old (well, technically, his b-day is the 31st, but there are a lot of months out there without 31 days, so we just do the best we can), and there is a lot going on with him!

We went to the doctor for his 9 mo. appointment today. He weighs 21 lbs., 7 oz., is 29 inches long, and his head is 18 inches around. He's in the 75th percentile in every category. As his dad tells him, "Way to be average, son." :)

About 3 weeks ago (around Sept. 10 or so), P started to vocalize A LOT. He truly went from grunting and "meh-ing" at things to busting out all sorts of consonants. He started out with a string of da-da-da, and then quickly went to ba, ma, ga, na, and ha. In fact, you can sometimes get him to sound like he's fake laughing at you because if you say "ha-ha-ha," he'll say it back to you. Pretty stinken' cute.

We are also proud to announce that 9 months later (well, technically 8 months and 29 days later when we actually found it), our little Peanut has a tooth coming in! Not that I've been hoping for teeth, as I equate teeth with biting, and no one likes biting, but I was admittedly starting to wonder if there was a possibility that there weren't any teeth hiding in there. So, just for kicks, I googled it...and I couldn't come up with a legit possibility of a baby being born without any teeth at all, although, while searching, I did come across these gems of search questions:

1) How u born with out no teeth? (How u born with out no...well, I won't go there. That's not nice.)
2) Does smoking while pregnant cause babies to be born without teeth? (Really, is this what you're the most concerned about???)
3) Raccoon care (I'm not kidding. It was the 8th link down.)

But none of that matters because we have a tooth!!! P doesn't seem to be quite as excited about it, however. J's mom has told me that none of her boys teethed gracefully, and my mom said I would sometimes run a fever when I was getting a tooth, so looks like he's coming by it honestly. He's just SUCH a content little guy most of the time that when he acts fussy, you notice.

Can you see it?!? It's on his bottom, right side.

While P still isn't crawling yet (and believe me, this momma isn't complaining about that!), he's gotten very comfortable with his balance and is able to reach for things that are far away and then regain his sitting position (most of the time). :)

Here he is showing off his mad leaning-over skills, as he tries to pet (aka, grab a fist-full of hair from) Jakers. He LOVES the cats. He always shrieks when they come in the room where he is. Elliott isn't super keen on him, but Jake loves the fact that there's another human in the house who is interested in touching him! I am grateful that our crazy little Jake has such an adoring fan. One more note on the cats - whenever P is crying, the cats always come in to find out what's going on. In fact, that's how you can rate how severe P's wails are. If it's not too bad, the cats don't show up. Kind of bad...you get one cat. Really bad...two cats.
You never want to see two cats.

Other things that are going on in P's life: he has started reaching for people that he knows...and there's nothing like being on the receiving end of those out-stretched arms. He has also has seemingly started "dancing," just grooving with his head...it's hilariously cute. More on that as it develops. :) Also, P loves hearing from his dad as J is driving home from work. I'll put the phone on speaker and show P J's picture that pops up on the screen. P always gets the biggest smile on his face and looks at me like, "How did they get Dad in that phone!?" :) So cute.

9 month pictures...living in the age of digital cameras, we tend to pick out only the best pictures to share with others, so for a moment, I'd like to change that...at least on this post. Here are a couple of Peanut out-takes:

Maybe if I close my eyes, it'll all disappear.
Practicing a pirate face? Arrrrrrrrggh!
I'm not digging the author's point of view here...

And now for our sweet Peanut...

Who me?

Smiling at dad.

Dad making him laugh.

Check out that hair.

Eating one of our current favorite books, " That's Not My Monkey,"
(not to be confused with "That's Not My Kitten" and "That's Not My Reindeer," which also exist).I think those blue eyes are going to be an effective bargaining tool with his mom...but don't tell him that.Sophie the Giraffe is still an important parts of our lives.Eating another favorite book - "Barnyard Dance."
(And yes, we do read the books, we don't just eat them...)

So happy 9 months, sweet boy! We love you so much! :)

Are You Going to San Francisco...Pt. 1

This weekend we headed west to San Francisco to celebrate the marriage of my high school best friend, Justine, to her wonderful, now husband, Dave. It was a weekend of firsts - the first time for J to visit San Fran, the first time we left Peanut overnight, the first time to fly Virgin America, the first time to eat meat in a cone (pictures to come), the first time to visit the store "Edition" (Banana Republic's exclusive accessory store that only exists in San Francisco), the first time to eat in a strictly vegetarian restaurant, the first time to blog on a plane...it was a whirlwind 3 days, but 3 wonderful days, nonetheless.

We flew out on Friday morning at 8:00, which was great because that meant we arrived in the Bay Area around 10 AM, which gave us the entire day to bum around and see the sights. However, that also meant that we had to wake up at 4:30 after going to sleep at midnight. Needless to say we were both a little tired. Nothing like starting off a day of firsts on about 4 hours of sleep.
As I mentioned, we had never flown Virgin America before, and it is definitely an experience. Case and point: when we arrived at the airport and went in to check our bags, we were greeted by a Michael Jackson song blaring from speakers on the floor...nothing gets you going before 7 AM like hearing the "King of Pop."

Admittedly, I was kind of excited to see what all the fuss was about, and as we boarded the airplane, it was easy to see that this is definitely a different type of airline.
This is exactly what the plane looks like - not your everyday, American Airlines sort of feel. There's music playing, mood lighting, individual screens on the back of every seat. Kind of fun. Our first interaction was with a male flight attendant (who we later found out was named Justin). J asked Justin where he could hang his suit and my bridesmaid dress. Justin informed us that they didn't have anywhere to hang our things (seriously? I've never been on an airline that didn't have a place to hang jackets!) My response was to coyly/kiddingly say, "What if my bridesmaid dress gets wrinkled?," to which he responded, "Always a bridesmaid, never the bride?" (very smugly, I might add). Thankfully, even with only 4 hours of sleep, I had my wits about me and without skipping a beat, held up my left hand and said, "6 years of being the bride, thank you very much." (Strike 1 for Justin).

We make our way back to our seats, which happen to be in the 2nd to last row. No biggie. We had the entire row to ourselves, which was nice. Now to figure out what to do with our clothes. I decide to ask the nice flight attendant in the back of the plane for help. While I can't recall specifics of that conversation, I do know it felt like I was talking to someone playing a ditsy blonde flight attendant in a movie or TV show. While very pleasant, she wasn't super helpful (Strike 1 for flight attendant in the back)...beginning to wonder about the hiring practices at Virgin Airlines after these first two interactions.

Then Justin came on the overhead speaker and introduced himself as the head flight attendant (strike 2 for Justin) and the remainder of the in-flight crew as Haley (aka flight attendant in the back) and Lindsey. Lindsey looked about 21 years old and her perfume gave me a headache (Strike 1). She did offer me a beverage (+1 for Lindsey). So far Lindsey is the only attendant not in negative territory....don't worry, her time will come.

As we were taking off, I turned to J and told him that I really wasn't feeling like Justin, Haley, and Lindsey were people I could trust to save my life in the rare circumstance that we had to use those slides to exit the plane. He agreed.

For your entertainment, check out 45 seconds into their safety video. We thought it was worth a giggle when we saw it the first time (1st Class gets a live demonstration AND the video...the peons have to watch their tiny TVs).

Ironically, while searching for an image of the cabin aboard Virgin American to put on the blog, I came across the following image:
Turns out that there was a TV docu-series that aired last year called "Fly Girls" that followed 5 Virgin American flight attendants. It is important to note that the young ladies above are named Farrah, Nikole, Tasha, Louise and Mandy. I think that Justin, Haley, and Lindsey would fit in with this group nicely.

Maybe 45 minutes before we landed, I did happen to turn around and see Justin and Haley hugging each other in the back of the plane (Strike 3 and 2 respectively)....having never seen an episode, so I'm purely theorizing, I'm guessing this is what "The Hills" would be like if they were all flight attendants. To cap it all off, Lindsey apparently couldn't handle the rigors of her job and took up the empty row behind us watching TV and eating a snack (strike 1 - back to negative). Add that to the fact that when she sat down directly behind me and released the tray table, she woke me up (strike 2...she's in a free fall, folks). Come to think of it, they do mention in their pre-flight script that they'll do their best to stay out of our way during the flight. Maybe taking this one a little too literally, Lindsey.

Thankfully, we never had to test the theory with the exit slides and whether or not Justin, Haley, and Lindsey would have been able to earn their keep, as the flight was completely uneventful. And I have to admit, having the ability to watch TV while flying definitely made the trip seem shorter (heaven forbid I read a book) (and as J points out, great for a Sunday afternoon flight with football games on for the way back). Also, they were extremely punctual both in boarding, take off, and landing...so kudos there. Would we fly them again? Probably yes, but hopefully the details of our first flight at least made for an entertaining post. (It should be noted that the flight attendants of our next flight were named Veronica and Stephanie...at least they're consistent?) :)

(This post was a joint effort...looks like J may become a regular.) :)

Meanwhile, Not at the Ranch...

This is a much belated post. As I referenced in a previous post (Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch), while P and I were with my mom's family at the ranch, J was in Austin completing an Olympic Triathlon. I would have posted something sooner, but up until this past weekend (thanks to J's dad), I had no photographic evidence that this had actually happened...the only proof I had was the fact that my husband had the number "30" written on his leg in permanent marker (one of the ways they identify bodies of those who don't make it through the swim - kidding, sort of?), he now had another technical shirt and another swim cap, possessed one MORE water bottle (they apparently give these away like candy in triathlon SWAG bags, as we now have like 6 of them in our house), and I found a bag of Famous Amos cookies (from after the race), and an assortment of clif/power/protein bar samples. But now, I have actual proof. Great proof! :) J's dad made an awesome video, complete with an inspiring soundtrack. Before you see it, however, you must understand what it was that J knowingly and willingly put his body through...

But before you read on...let's face it. You most likely check this blog to see pictures of Peanut. So here ya go. Grammy Share got P a new bucket, you know, to spice things up a little. If you are familiar with the "Eloise" books, you'll appreciate this reference: "Buckets make very good hats."

Lovin' the bucket look.

He kind of looks like he's going off to war.

Hey, where did everybody go!?

And one more... :)

Back to the triathlon...as J makes his blogging debut.

The distances -
1500 meter swim (.93miles)
40km bike (24.9 miles)
10km run (6.2 miles)

My goal was to finish the race, but while I was at it, I might as well come up with a time to shoot for, right?...how about 3 hours? How did I come up with that? I looked at the finishing times from this race a year ago and arbitrarily chose a break point that would put me above the "slow" people (insert from L - nice, Buddy. Really nice.). I had quantified exactly how I would accomplish this. This is how my mind works (it's true)...for everything (seriously, for everything).... A 35 minute swim, 3.5 minute transition 1, 80 minute bike, 2.5 minute transition 2, and a 59 minute run. Individually, I had made all of these times in training....but together, on the same day, on the Austin hills (wait, the terrain is different in Dallas than the Hill Country?), in what was forecasted to be 20-30mph wind? That might be a different story. (when J ran his first marathon, it was also ridiculously windy...hmmm...coincidence? Maybe he has super powers and is like a wind whisperer or something - or he just has bad luck.)

The swim: Normally what would be a very cold swim in the spring-fed Town Lake, was quite warm due to the drought and extreme heat of this summer. The swim start was incredibly easy-going--not the washing machine effect that can occur in many triathlon starts (and I remember from my previous shorter races). In fact, I even managed to draft (swim super close and slightly behind so that you can experience calmer waters immediately next to another swimmer (interpret - swim ninja)) off a guy that I realized I was swimming next to after about 100 meters. I did this until the turnaround at 750 meters. Who knows if this actually helped, but it at least sounds like I know what I'm doing, right?... Before I knew it, I was at the turnaround and was actually beginning to PASS people that had started in previous waves (this is fantastic, as he might have had the opposite experience in his first race...which may or may not have involved hanging on to a kayak...for survival...multiple times...in a swim 1/3 the distance...). I couldn't believe I was seeing people in different colored swim caps that had started 5 minutes before me. I actually enjoyed it more with others around...seemed like a race versus just swimming alone in Town Lake (that would be sketchy - I'm just sayin'!). Soon, the last turn arrived as we all headed back to shore and headed to the transition area to grab our bikes. I looked at my watch and saw 34 min, 37 sec. So far so good...ahead of pace and I didn't feel like I was pushing it to have achieved that (p.s. - it turns out that J's best event is swimming...which is pretty fantastic considering before this all started, he was a runner!) The first thing I heard was my parents cheering for me as I exited water which was really fun. L and I have previously referred to my parents as "race spectator ninjas" (this is true - they have mad skills). After now spectating at a couple of marathons, a couple of 1/2 marathons, etc, they've really got this stuff down to a science. They manage to get see you from so many places, it doesn't even seem possible (you really do think to yourself, "How are they doing this!?!"). Because triathlons all center around one transition area, this was no sweat for them to see me more than a few times during the race.

Have you made it this far?! Congrats! Your reward is a picture of Peanut.

You aren't going to stop reading about my dad's triathlon, are you???

The bike: The course was three loops through the south edge of downtown Austin. In fact, you ride down Congress Ave almost all the way down to the State Capital before one of the turnarounds. Pretty fun scenery especially after having gone to school in Austin and having spent so much time there with family living there! The second loop should have been the least eventful after knowing what to expect from the first lap and getting ready to push hard during the 3rd lap. I should have known better. My bike and I have had some recent disagreements (this is an understatement). It started in July when it looked like my whole bike was rusting over. I took it in and got a number of things replaced, including my chain. Then, during my LAST training ride before the race (3 days before), I was as far away from my car on the White Rock Lake trail as I could have been when my chain BROKE and then had to walk the remaining 3.5-4 miles back to my car (this is a true sob story) (before another rider was nice enough to pick me up in his car and take my to mine for the last 1.5 miles (side note: when did this become acceptable? To take rides from strangers? No one has given me permission to do this!). So this race was my first ride with my new chain. Fortunately, everything seemed to be functioning well until user error caused the chain to partially fall off. Fortunately, I realized it was happening and stopped and got it back on without losing much time and just a little grease on my hands. The rest of the ride was uneventful, and my final time was just about where it needed to be...80 minutes, 20 seconds (but who's counting).

Still hanging in there!? Good for you! Peanut appreciates you supporting his dad. Here's another picture:
The run: The run was actually quite pleasant and fun...but don't get me wrong, I was pretty tired.... The weather for the day was much cooler than what I'd been training in (SEVERE understatement, we're talking 78 degrees versus 108 degrees!), but still warm enough to be comfortable for the bike and swim. Considering my favorite temperature to run in is about 45 degrees from my days training for marathons in the winter (you know he's a real runner because 39 degrees is considered "a little cool" and he STILL wears shorts!), any bit cooler it is, I'll take it. I didn't know what I was in for when I started training for triathlons and then I realized that I would be running in 80+ (or even 90 or 100+) degree weather every training run and race. I think it was high 70s, so this was awesome! There were lots of encouraging people on the course (2 loop 3 mile course) and the aid stations were great. The second aid station even had everyone dressed up as Star Wars characters. I think I got water from Princess Leia...only in Austin (unfortunately/thankfully? she wasn't wearing her gold bikini). Near the end of the second loop, I realized I was close to beating my goal time of 3 hours, but I didn't know how much further after the end of the second loop it was to the finish line since it was an add on to the 2nd loop. So with about a 1/2 mile to go on the second loop, I started booking it (as much as someone in my condition can at that point). Fortunately, the finish line was one turn away and maybe 50 meters after the last turn, and I realized I would be making it. 57 minutes, 23 second on the run and 2:58:03 for the total. For my age group, I was 64th out of 114. Pretty darn respectable in my opinion for my first race of this distance (WAY more than respectable! I'm SO proud of him!!)!

(I failed to mention the permanent marker on his arm, too. :))
With one of the race ninjas. :)

Unfortunately, my race (triathlon) season is now over and I have to come up with other ways to motivate myself to stay in shape during the winter. I'm sure I'll figure out some way to punish myself until next spring....can't wait to do more races next summer! Next year....Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run)?....we'll see what PWE has to say about that (and PWE's mom). Thanks for reading (if you made it this far! :-))

And now for the video!

Just because...

I love that smile.
I love that inquisitive little mind.

I love that little personality.

I love those rolls.
I love those cheeks.I love this little guy.

Ten Years Later

I was at the driving range.

Not for fun...but for credit, or as my husband would probably argue (and there would be some truth to it), I showed up so I could get a grade - preferably an "A." I love "A's."

I was a senior at Trinity and was enjoying a little more relaxed final year of college - taking fewer hours, including a tough 8:30 AM Tuesday/Thursday class - golf. (Hey- I should get some credit for having an 8:30 class my senior year!) My suitemate and dear friend, Sarah, and I drove 2 minutes to the driving range that Tuesday morning and got our buckets of balls. As I walked through the door of the club house and out to the range, I remember glancing up at the TV that hung in the corner and noticing that one of the morning shows was on. When we finished up hitting all of our balls and coming back in about 45 minutes later, the TV was still on, but this time, there were horrifying images of smoke coming out the twin towers in NYC.

I had driven us there that morning, and as Sarah and I got back into the car to drive back to campus, I remember trying to find a news broadcast on the radio so we wouldn't miss any new information. I remember being terrified. I remember wondering how many more planes had been hijacked. I remember wanting to be with my family in Dallas more than anything. As most people will say when they talk about 9-11, I had never experienced anything like that before. My sense of security was shattered in an instant. One of the weirdest things I remember was talking with my friends about how this date, September 11, 2001, would be a date that would show up in history books. It would be like Pearl Harbor...a date that would live an infamy. To be totally aware of that reality, as it is unfolding around you, is bizarre.

I remember going to a service on campus led by Rev. Stephen Nickle. The small campus chapel was packed with students and staff members. We sang hymns and read God's word, and I remember being overwhelmed when reading Psalm 46 because I felt like it was written in response to what had just transpired.

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.^[c]

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields^[d] with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Be still.

Do not be afraid.

I am with you.

After the service, I remember standing outside of the chapel and somehow ending up in a circle of students and a few staff members (most notably for me, my Business teacher - Dr. Van Endy). I remember holding hands, praying, and singing, "Shout to the Lord." Anytime I hear that song, it takes me back to that moment.

In such a dark time, with all the memories that I have that are saturated with fear, I also have memories of a few days after the attacks where things were different. Where people loved on one another and cared for one another - no matter race, religion, socioeconomic status, ethnicity - just because it was the right thing to do. As Americans, we all had a shared experience that connected us, and for a moment, I remember feeling like everyone was on an equal playing field. After doing a book study this summer on following Jesus, I realize that what we experienced, even if it was just for a few fleeting days, was what I would like to believe God's kingdom looks like. A place where people love other people and care for other people and help other people and put other people before themselves...I really do believe that that's what God intended for us.

As I look back ten years, I can see how in our nation's deepest moments of despair, God allowed us to have a glimpse of what he desires for us..."Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On Earth as it is in heaven." When people ask, "Where was God on Sept. 11?" I know the answer. He was on those planes, holding those terrified passengers in His arms. He was in the towers, comforting those with no way out. He was with the first responders, giving them the strength to run into the towers when everybody else was running away from them. And He was with all of us, doing what He always does, no matter how grim the circumstances - he was taking a hopeless situation and using it for good.

There have been moments when J and I have made comments to each other about bringing a child into a world like the one in which we live, and while we are surrounded by evil and hate, I am thankful that we are more importantly surrounded by love, and mercy, and grace, and are loved unconditionally by a God who created us to desire relationships with others and with Him.

Ten years later, I am still moved to tears when I hear the personal stories of those who lost loved ones and when I see the images of the towers imploding and the streets and all those in them covered in ash. And I am thankful for all those who gave their lives on that day in order to help their brothers and sisters - even though they didn't know them - because it was the right thing to do, and I am thankful, that for even a brief moment, I saw a glimpse of God's kingdom here on earth. I will never forget that.

The Ranch, Pt. 2

2 posts in 2 days!?! What is this world coming to? :)

But there are two very good reasons (well, three very good reasons, as I should really be cleaning my house at the moment and figure this is a good way to avoid it). Another reason: Libby shared some additional pictures from the weekend which I wanted to include, and most importantly, after sharing about the wonderful time we had at the ranch, I didn't take the opportunity to say THANK YOU to the ranch owners...my Uncle Kevin (my mom's brother) and Aunt Jan, who graciously opened up their beautiful home to us and took such wonderful care of everyone while we were there.

This is my sweet Auntie Jan...with their newest family member, Cec...which is short for Cecil, which may or may not have been my mom's grandpa's name, but that's neither here nor there. Actually, Justin had a Cecil on his side of the family, too. In fact, we joked about naming P Cecil Cecil, but Cecil Cecil's Big Adventures just doesn't have the same ring to it. :) Aunt Jan is the hostess with the most-est. She makes everyone feel so comfortable and takes care of all the little details. Uncle Kevin will tell you that she's the one who has taken care of all the decorating out there - she has a real eye for that, which you will see in some additional pictures.

Uncle Kevin is on the far left in this picture. Uncle Kevin is the mastermind behind this ranch. He and his brother (my Uncle Kirk, who is on the far right in this picture) and their cousins grew up spending a lot of time hunting, fishing, and just being outdoors in general with their grandpa(s - I think it was both of them). I think he's always wanted a place where he (and his family- lucky us!) could just get out of the city and enjoy being away from it all. I don't get to see Uncle Kevin quite as much while I'm at the ranch because he's usually out working the land - cutting down cedar, watering the buffalo grass, checking the traps, and just taking care of the bigger things in general. As you will see in the pictures below, he has done a pretty incredible job with this place.

OK - now for a few more pictures...

Here we all are at dinner on Sunday night (the one that Libby helped to create out of string and bubble gum. :)) We had the most incredible meal, but the best part was just sitting around and talking and laughing with everyone.
The only piece of photographic evidence that I was, indeed, there. :)
This is the main house after the sun has set. In nice weather, I'm pretty sure I could live on that porch.

This is looking towards the main house from the barn. I love this water feature.
Here's a picture of "the barn." :) Nicest barn I've ever been in...and probably the only barn I'd be willing to sleep in. :)
And another shot of the barn.
Here's the inside of the barn. It is just such a comfortable place, and I love all the natural materials that they used - check out the ceiling beams and the sliding barn door. :)

Here's another view of the barn on the inside. This is Auntie Jan's handy-work. She's good, no?

I am so very blessed to have a family that not only enjoys being together but also loves taking care of each other. Thank you, thank you, thank you Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jan for being such gracious hosts and for sharing your beautiful home-away-from-home with us. We love you! :)

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

This past Labor Day weekend, Peanut and I decided to break away from our normal routine and head out to my Aunt and Uncle's ranch to spend some time relaxing with family. We drove down with my dad and sister on Sunday morning (Justin wasn't with us...he was on his way to Austin to compete in his first Olympic triathlon - more on that later!) and after the necessary stop at Barnard St. Bakery in Glen Rose (where I may or may not have eaten 2 Truffle cookies - i.e. chocolate chip cookies with a brownie-chocolaty center and one sugar cookie), we made it to the ranch by lunch time. While we were only there for 24 hours, it was worth the drive. We were able to see my mom's cousin, Libby, and her husband, Scot, and their son, Ben, who just recently moved to Tyler from Kansas. Peanut enjoyed seeing his aunts and uncles on my mom's side, as well as hanging out with Aunt KiKi, Grammy Share, and my dad (whose grandparent name continues to change...) So without further ado...here are the pictures. :)

Here's a picture of Peanut and his absolutely, positively favorite toy - a set of Fisher Price blocks. I honestly don't know what we would do without them. My child could play with them for hours. And hours. Thankfully they travel well. When I realized that I wasn't being asked to bring any food, I sent an e-mail saying that I felt badly for not contributing. Aunt Ann wrote back and said not to worry. I was bringing the entertainment. Too true.

Peanut loves hanging out with his (insert grandpa name here). :) Grandpa Ron just doesn't sound right...then he was going to be Daddy Ron, but we decided that could be confusing (leave your name suggestion as a comment. :))

Reading on the porch with Aunt KiKi and Grandpa Ron.

P has pretty much mastered sitting up, but we decided not to test out that theory on the concrete porch. Thankfully, there were plenty of volunteers to make sure that he was okay. And in his hand is another one of his favorite toys. It has a suction cup on the bottom and serves as his entertainment on his highchair while I'm getting his breakfast or dinner ready. It plays a very nice classical tune whenever it is moved. Two things I know for sure: 1) baby toys do not come with one and off buttons and 2) toys that are activated by motion are probably not the best idea on long car rides...I'm sure that thing was making noise the entire drive out there. Thankfully, you just start to block things like that out after a while. :)

Hanging out on the porch with everybody. One day soon, P is going to LOVE being in those big rocking chairs...as my Aunt Jan pointed out, it'll be like Edith Ann on Sesame Street. :) And that's the truth...

A view towards the fish pond (or after this summer, is that the fish puddle?) from the porch.

"He's gone hog-wild!"
This is an actual feral hog that used to live on the land around the ranch. Don't feel too sorry for him...those things are NASTY and destroy the surrounding ecosystem because they eat everything in sight and are not native to Texas. I should also note that it is strategically located in the bathroom in the "Garage-Mahal." If you need something scared out of you... :)

Lookin' like a little man. P enjoyed hanging out with Scot.

Hey, where did everybody go!?

What's going on up there?

Playing with Aunt KiKi. We've really missed being with her since school started back up.

More reading with Aunt KiKi and Libby.

Libby has 4 fantastic kids of her own...P could sense that she is a super mom...and a super cook! As quoted by my Aunt Jan, "She walked into the kitchen with a stick of gum and some string and walked out with homemade peach cobbler, coleslaw, potato salad, a huge beautiful salad... do you know people who can do that? It was amazing."

PWE also loved hanging out with his Aunt Ann. She is the mom to my 2 wonderful cousins, and you can tell that P really likes being with her (and I think the feeling is mutual). :) We wished she lived closer!

While the guys were out dove hunting, the girls (and Peanut) were watching "Most Eligible Dallas." Makes you proud to be from Big D. Really, I was using it as a teaching tool to show my child what not to do. Case and point: one dude on the show said his mom taught him to "walk into a room and own it." Ugh. Who says that? Although, at the current moment, I believe my child might, indeed, walk (or at least be carried) into a room and own it. Sigh. You just can't fight it. The kid's a cutie.
Sunrise looking out from the barn. Why was I up to see the sun rise, you ask? The kid who owns the room woke me up at 5:30.

The barn a little after sunrise.

Doesn't he look like he's raring and ready to go? I think the 5:30 start time was catching up with him here...nothing like needing a nap at 7:15 AM.

Also, please note that my child is wearing a sweatshirt. In Texas. On Sept. 5. The day before it had been over 100. A cool front came through, and people were talking crazy and saying things like, "I'm cold." I think I honestly thought that I would never feel cold weather like that ever again. Unfortunately with that cold front came lots of wild fires all across the state because of the dry conditions, high winds, and low humidity.

Just a cool bird's nest that my Uncle Kevin found...

These little flowers popped up out of no where on Monday morning. My Aunt Jan mentioned that she had seen the little green shoots coming up the day before and watered them. It was like they were saying, "Ahhh...now this weather is more like it!"

We had such a wonderful time being out in God's creation and relaxing with our wonderful family. I am thankful for the cooler temperatures, spending time with those I love, and the opportunity to surround my sweet son with people who adore him. God is good.