Grand grandparent times !

Mom & Dad went to a concert last week, and the "grands" babysat for us. We enjoyed our date and Samuel enjoyed some "one on one" time with them !

Sunday was Grandpa's birthday. Grandma had a party for him (and for a friend from the congregation), so Samuel had another fun time visiting !

With "Uncle" Rufus

With Grandma

...and birthday boy, Grandpa

With longtime family friends from California, the Halls

Just poolin' around

Third World Parenting

* This is our overflowing garbage can (tomorrow is garbage day).
* This is our child.
* This is our child with the soda can he pulled out of the overflowing garbage can.
* This is our child with the soda can he pulled out of the overflowing garbage can and is happily trying to drink from.
* This is our child whose mother's first instinct was not to grab the "trash can" can from her child, but to grab the camera from the kitchen table.

**At least we're blessed enough that eating from the trash can is a guilty pleasure and not a necessity :>)

(And this is just thrown in as an extra---a picture of a blimp that was flying over our house; I think that's a first too....)

Family Reunion

We traveled to Mark's brother's home in Florida at the end of June for their mother's family reunion. Although a lot of the cousins didn't get to make it, there was still a good crowd of relatives Samuel had never met before, since many of them live out West. It was a fun 4 days ! Too many pics to post them all here. Samuel got to take his first airplane ride too. Although Mom is not crazy about flying, she agreed that 1.5 hours on a plane sure beat 11-12 hours in the car with Samuel and his beloved carseat :>) Samuel was very well-behaved and even made friends with some of the nearby passengers on the plane. (We had already heard a few comments in the terminal about "hoping the babies sleep", etc., so we were especially glad things went well !) We need to fly a lot before Samuel turns 5----it was really nice being able to board early regardless of our C boarding passes !


The easiest way to travel with baby.....but they wouldn't let us check him with the rest of the luggage :>)

Hanging out with Grandpa (yes, Samuel's pants are wet, but from the pool not an accident!)

On the first evening of the reunion, we all took a sunset dinner cruise on the coastal waterway. We enjoyed a buffet supper and some great scenery. We even saw dolphins several times.

With cousin Erica inside the cabin

Why aren't I moving?? Oh, Grandpa won't let go of my pants !

Outside with Great Aunt Laura and Grandma

Splashing his feet in the pool with Mom

Samuel found this water fountain fascinating

More splashin' around....

Smooching with Uncle Michael

With Aunt Linda

Oh, if they'd only take the cap off this Mountain Dew, I'd really show them what "hyper" means

Grandma Vera and her "contributions" to the family reunion

Just us

Samuel with his first cousins, Erica and Alex

The whole family that made it for the reunion

On Sunday, after worship services, we had lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the water.

Isn't Samuel a big guy, sitting beside Erica?

On the restaurant's deck in the bree-ee-ee-ze......luckily we didn't blow away.

In the plane, on the way home. Samuel was also very good on the return trip; it was late night and he slept pretty much the whole way home !

The End !