A visit from Aunty Solange!

Hi! Aunty Solange and my Great Aunt came to visit us this weekend! (Aunty Solange is actually Mom's cousin, but I thought I'd call her Aunty.) She lives in California and this is the first time we have met. Aunty Solange is painting my nails. How cool!

We went to the Rose Garden at Manito Park and wandered around. Aunty Solange is a true dog lover and insisted that we take Murphy almost everywhere we went. Murphy had a great time too.

Yes! Let's go this way!

The gardens are so beautiful! Check out the water fountain behind us!

I stood here and waited patiently till Mom took a picture. Once she was done, I said, "Thank you Mama" and walked on. :) (That's Big Bird in my hand.)

Oh look at that water! Mom told me that I wasn't allowed to go in. I spent several minutes taking off my shoes and was able to dip my toes in there. That was enough for me. I am so glad that Aunty Solange and my Great Aunt came to visit us. We had a great time buzzing around the parks, playing with playdough, eating delicious crab & shrimp that Aunty Solange brought over from Seattle, and being together. Thank you for visiting us. Come see us again!

My First Camping Trip

I went camping for the first time on my birthday and it was fun. We were near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. I'm just helping Dad set up the tent.

See? Dada needed my help. I'm holding the tension rods in place.

This is my healthy breakfast: Sun Chips and juice. Dad's enjoying some coffee.

Swing! We played and swam in the river. It was pretty chilly but very clear.

Mama is holding me afer a little dip in the river. We had a great trip and we plan on another camping trip before Summer is over!

Turning 2 Sure is Fun!

We celebrated my birthday at school last Friday. We had cupcakes!

I actually had two cupcakes. I started eating one, then changed my mind and here you'll see that I'm going for the chocolate cupcake. (That's Dada's hand trying to make sure I don't eat all the frosting. Good Luck.)

For my birthday, I got a fishtank! We went to the pet store and picked out the plants and 3 fish. We just started to cycle the tank, so we will introduce several more fish next week. The fish are all doing well and they seem to really like their new home. This is Minnie Mouse. JoJo gave her to me. I take her everywhere. I propped up Minnie Mouse here in front of the tank so she could get a good view of the fishtank. I think she's enjoying the view.

Mama and Dada also surprised me with a new kitchen! I'm stirring up some "oatmeal" and I have to be cautious because it is "berry berry hot." I spent almost an hour cooking in my kitchen. It's great to be 2!

Bird Bath

Yes, I do this to Mom sometimes. I end up in weird places and Mom nearly gasps when she finds me, like now. I climbed into the bird bath in the backyard and starting singing and having fun all by myself!

Now I'm standing in the bird bath. Even better (and safer)! I'm working on my balance here.

Mom and Dad's Getaway

Mom and Dad went away for a night for the first time while Grandma and Grandpa watched me. I barely noticed that my parents were gone, although I did ask for Mama at nap and bedtime. It looks like Mom and Dad went to Schweitzer Mtn. Idaho and went horseback riding! I bet they had a great time (without me)!

Here's Mama on her horse "Jigs." He was a sweet one.

How cute! There's Sandpoint in the background. Idaho is a beautiful state!

Check out my awesome dad with his cool helmet on his horse. Yeah! I think my parents liked getting away so much that they are planning another trip in August. Hmm...

I'm 2!

That's right! I turned 2 on July 24th/Friday! We celebrated my birthday a week early and Grandma and Grandpa came over from Shelton too. Here I am with my Dada and Mama. I insisted on putting my arms around both of my parents' shoulders for the pictures.

Oh this cake is soooo good! I'm just making sure I lick off all the frosting properly. Wouldn't want to leave any on the fork! (Like my Beaufort, SC shirt? Dad dressed me this morning. Can you tell?)

Um...I'll take both! Mom made a ladybug and butterfly cake since I love bugs and insects so much.

I talked about my birthday party for over a week. I asked Mom to sing me "Happy Birthday" oh, about 731 times a day. We practiced by blowing out a candle and we talked about who was coming to my party. Some days and moments, I couldn't stand the wait and would nearly break out into a fit, but we made it. Grandma said she even heard me say "Happy Birthday" in my sleep 3 times the night before my party. It was great and I am so glad that my friends helped celebrate!

It was a very hot day and we cooled off by playing in the pool. I of course, ended up naked. That attire seems to suit me best. ;) Yes, there's Murphy in the corner trying to stay cool.

This is my dear friend Eyaine. (Adults insist it's "Elaine." Sure.) She lives a block away and I ask to see/play with Eyaine almost every day. Glad she lives close by!

A Visit to Missoula, Montana

We went to Missoula a couple of weekends ago with my friends Elaine and Will. (Their parents came too.) We played in a pool, ran around, and had a great time in Montana! Mom's friend Lindsey grew up there and was visiting home so also got to see her. Here is Ms. Lindsey with her Dad, Mr. Bill.

Here's Mr. Chris with Will and Dada. This is just after enjoying breakfast at Paul's Pancake's Parlor.

Here are all the women posing for a picture after breakfast too. There's Ms. Amy with Elaine (or I like to call her "Eyaine"), Mom with me, Ms. Lindsey and Ms. Julie.

Eyaine and I met a friend at breakfast. I don't know his name, but he was really friendly. We thought we'd climb up on the bench to get a closer look. :)

Ms. Amy is enjoying her pancakes which resembled crepes. I had several bites. They were gooooood!

I'm having a slice of apple sans shirt (this is how I roll usually) with Ms. Lindsey. I can see why Mom considers her a great friend of many years from college. She is wonderful and kind. Thank you Ms. Lindsey and Mr. Bill for having us over. We had a great time! Come visit us too soon!