Getting Settled

Well it has been about 6 weeks since our last post here and as I type this I am wondering if anyone is still reading it. We made the long drive from Atlanta to Gig Harbor and along the way got to hang out with Mandy's parents in the RV which was a huge help. We celebrated the 4th of July and Sam's 1st birthday with more family in Newton Iowa before stopping to visit Mandy's Grandmother in Sioux City. After that we made our way through Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone which was a first time for me and the boys. I wish we had a few extra days to explore but we had a good time and got some great pictures along the way. We have been here in Gig harbor for a about 3 weeks now and are still getting settled but things are slowly getting put back in order. Being a homeowner is a shock again with all the additional projects that I are on my to do list.

Sam at the Newton Iowa 4th of July Parade

Mt Rushmore

Yes that is a snowball that Jake threw at me.

Sapphire hot springs in Yellowstone

The boys watching TV with TOMTOM in Gig Harbor.

Happy 11 months (belated) and River Madness

Sam turned 11 months on the 4th of June so I figured I would post the monthly photo even if a little late.  He has started to stand up without assistance from other objects and has become the speedy crawler.

I can sense that the first steps are only a matter of weeks away.  The question is whether Mandy will be back in time?

Atlanta has been pretty darn hot the last few weeks with no let up in sight.  Jake and I were invited to go down to the Chattahoochee river with one of our neighbors.  The water was nice and cold but didnt seem to stop them from having a blast.

The Scooter Gang

Jake is a member of a notorious gang of troublemakers in the neighborhood.  They are usually seen riding scooters between houses and terrorizing the local plants and earthworms.  Below is the first known video of the gang in action.

Kids and Fountains

It is already getting hot in Atlanta and the pool a Piedmont park doesn't open until Memorial day but fortunately there is a really nice new fountain that has not been discovered by many people.  Both the boys had a blast getting soaked and cooling off.  There is a nice grassy area right next to it as well and we have been having a picnic the past 2 weekends.

Better than a shower

The new camera takes great action shots

wrestling with a random kid

baby + water = happy face

A few cute pictures

Jake and Sam overlooking the setup for the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park.

Picture in the sunshine of the house with a pretty flowering cherry tree.

Grandma Weezie and Sam. Jake claimed that Grandma was visiting from Louisiana "weezie-ana"

Sam is now able to pull himself up and nearly cruise with some assistance. Jake is so funny and articulate now. He still likes to run around and play. He has a group of boys on our street that he runs around with. We call them the "scooter gang" for obvious reasons. Jake is the youngest, but the older boys (oldest is 10) are so good with him, very kind and patient. I keep asking their dad how he helped them become so kind. He just shrugs and admits that he has always been that way. We're getting more and more excited to move as daily pictures come from our contractor with updates and progression on the house. We will miss aspects of our time in Atlanta...our neighbors, our church, friends from Scott's work.

Happy 10 months Sam!

Sam is definitely crawling and cruising now that he is 10 months old. He is obviously able to pull himself to standing.

He's eating most foods now including all table foods. His favorites are avocado, bread, and pears.

He is so expressive! He claps and raises his hands when we say hooray. He babbles mama and baba.

Here is Jake with his buddy from down the street, Tyler. They are the oldest and youngest members of the "scooter gang" on our street.

Happy 1o months, Sam!

Happy 9 months Sam!!

Hard to believe he is already 9 months old.  This smile was prompted by the sock-ball game with Mandy.  Not sure how it started but orginally I think Mandy and Jake would hit each other with pairs of socks when doing laundry.  A love of being pelted with socks is something both the boys seem to have in common.  We have the 9 month well baby check coming up soon but I can't remember if it involves shots.