Summer Rocks!!

Nothing says summer quite like ice cream; the two go hand in hand.  Summer is here and here are a few pictures of Owen with his first ice cream cone.  I don't even have to tell you that he liked it.  The pictures say it all.

P.S.  Can I just say that my kid is becoming a Blondie? 

Wade with his Shadow

First Time Swimming

Last summer, Owen was only about 6 months old, so we really didn't go swimming much and when we did he was in one of those little float things. Well, watch out because this 18 month old is geared up and ready to go.
We were invited to go swimming with some friends, and I was very surprised how well Owen did in the water. He is such a big boy now with his little floats and donut. He doesn't even need help anymore and is so independent. It blows me away to watch him be big. And the more that time passes, the faster he is getting there.

A few funny moments from the day was when he discovered how he could jump off the side of the pool into the water with no help. And, I even caught the little stinker sneaking off to the big pool to jump in. He is fearless and full of adventure. The thing I remember most on this day was how happy he was. And I know it sounds silly, but that is what makes it such a memorable one for me. It's hard to forget that grin and the little shrills of happiness every time he would make a big splash.

Pure happiness.

Ready. Set.

GO!!!!!

A Boy and his Dog

When Owen was first born, Murphy was pushed to the side. I think this is a natural progression. She didn't mind him really at first, but when the walking began, it was on. She steered clear of his little hands as much as possible. Well, with time and maturity, the two of them have really begun to hit it off. She doesn't seem to shy away as much and he can't get enough.

There are several reasons for this new found friendship. First, she knows where the best seat in the house is at supper time . . . right under his highchair. We took her to the vet for her yearly visit and they said that she was overweight and needed to be put on a diet. At first, this made no sense. She is only fed once a day and then it hit me. Owen has been contributing to this diagnosis. We knew he would feed her often from his plate, but now we realized just how much. But even knowing she was getting a little on the heavy side, it is really the least we can all do to make it up to her for pushing her to the side the last year.

Another reason she is growing to love him so much is because he can now open doors, which includes the one that she is behind. We keep her put up most of the time during the day, but now he will go let her out all the time. And if we happen to come in from being out and have forgotten to let her out, Owen will go let her out before we get a chance.

The two of them have a long way to go before they are inseparable, but they are off to a really great start! I can hardly wait to come up the stairs and find him in bed with his Big Red Dog, for I know it is just a matter of time.

Here are some really sweet pictures from a couple of weeks back one morning when Owen thought Murphy needed a super cape. And, she really loved it too! Enjoy!

Another really funny one!

Memorial Day Weekend!

For Memorial Day weekend, we decided to go to KY on the spur of the moment. And like usual, we had a lot of fun and got to spend some quality time with family. On the way up, we stopped in Hopkinsville, KY for Wade to get to play some music with his buddies and Owen was right in the middle of things as usual. He loves music, but I guess he gets it honest being Wade's son.

For the rest of the weekend, we mostly played outside. We kicked off summer the right way with water guns, popsicles, and playing in the sprinkler. We met up with some family to eat breakfast at Shoney’s which was a real treat. Owen got three new boo-boos separately within about a 2 hour span of time. He just never ceases to amaze me. But with lots of consoling, kisses, and Neosporin, he back to his old tricks in no time.

Happy Memorial Day!!

Getting the day started right checking the blood pressure . . .

Boo-Boo

The Backyard Renovation-Part I

We are in the process of clearing our backyard. Before these pictures were taken, it was completely grown up almost to our deck. With the help of friends and family, we've managed to cut most of the brush back and break up and haul off a lot of the rock. We've hauled at least five trailer loads of rock off so far and that is just the beginning. Wade is officially on first name basis with the the guys who work at the dump if that tells you anything.

There is still a lot of work to be done before we have the backyard of our dreams, but it's coming together little by little. I wish I had done a before picture to show what a huge improvement it is already because as much as it looks like a mess now, it's nothing compared to what it was before. We still have a long way to go before we have grass and a fence, but I know with time it will get done somehow.

It took everything we had to keep the boys away.  They couldn't stand it.

Discovery Center- May 28th