End of Summer Fun

Here are some other pictures of fun things we've done this summer. Sad Piper

Chris and Bash

Chinese Alwyne and Chinese Bash

Our special family dinner on Bash's last night at Kobe Steakhouse

being crazy with Tiggeman at Going Bonkers

playing with Martin and David at Boomerangs

licking the beaters

reading to little sister

at rainforest cafe, we had the best table by the elephant

Summer has officially ended. Bash has gone back to Lubbock (boo-hoo). Chris and I have been working at school and the first day is Aug. 24 (way too soon). We also start our next masters course that day. We're going to be busy, but I should be done in December with my masters. So I'm not sure when I'll post again, but I hope you enjoyed these pictures and be sure to read the other two posts I did today.

Trip to North Carolina

For my birthday Chris surprised me with a family trip to North Carolina to visit my parents. It was an awesome trip! Here are the highlights –

We visited the National Whitewater Center where they train for kayaking in the Olympics. Chris and I rode the zipline, Bash did some rock climbing, and Chris, Bash, and my dad did some flatwater kayaking. This place was so much fun! The boys enjoyed a day of golf while the girls went shopping. Friday night we went to hear a jazz singer at a wine bar and were surprised when my brother Matt (from Arizona) walked in. He was able to get his work to pay for a weekend trip to visit the family. It was great to have everyone there. We helped my other brother Craig do a little decorating in his bedroom at his new apartment. For my birthday, my parents babysat Bash and Piper while we went to dinner and then to the Rascal Flatts concert. It was a great concert at an outdoor ampitheatre. Chris and I had so much fun and realized that since we’ve been married we haven’t gone to listen to music as much as we did when we were dating, so we’re making it a new goal to get and listen to more music for some fun dates. We rode the lightrail to downtown Charlotte and strolled the streets. We also took a bike ride and went swimming. We relaxed on the porch while Bash played on the tree swing. We were busy and the kids were worn out. Every night at dinner Bash said, “I’m going to sleep good tonight.” It was such a great trip to end the summer, the day after we got back Chris had to start work again.

the boys golfing

Piper's bath in the cooler

Piper asleep at the pool


The Whitewater center

the zipline Chris and I rode

Bash rock climbing

Hangin' with Uncle Craig

4 months!

Piper is 4 months old!

Gosh - we can't believe how our little girl is growing. She is chewing on her hands all the time, giggling, rolling over both ways, grabbing her feet, blowing bubbles, scooting around on her back, and just loving life. She has gone to daycare a few times and does great while she's there. She's such a happy baby! Her current stats are - weight = 12 lbs. 9 oz. and height = 23 1/2 inches, both in the 25%. Enjoy the pictures! Being hyper after bath time!
She was squirming around and squealing so much I had trouble getting on the onesie and then she spit up. Bash kindly took a picture of his sister acting so crazy.

Bath time

smirking at dad

cuddling with her lovies

watching me cook

her 4 month picture in the lamb chair, see how her feet at touching the lamb feet

Vacation catch-up

Right before we went on vacation Piper turned 3 months old (on July 2), which makes a big difference in the life of a baby. Her accomplishments include: being very alert, possessing good head control, smiling at people and loving faces, recognizing people in the mirrors, rolling over halfway from her back to her side, understanding she has hands and enjoying stuffing them in her mouth to gag herself, drooling, clasping her hands, and giggling. While on vacation we weighed Piper using Mimi's antique spring scale that all the babies in her family had been weighed on back on the farm. It said Piper was 12 lbs. I believe it and she's moved up a size in diapers due to her thunder thighs, but they come up past her belly button and gap. It's a good thing her poop doesn't come up that high.
She's happy pretty much all the time except for the 5 minutes before she falls asleep when she won't give into the dream angels coming for her eyelids. She can imitate many sounds and likes to stick her tongue out. She also likes to hold onto our fingers and pull herself up into a sitting position. We have a great baby - such a blessing from God!

Onto our vacation - this vacation got jinxed before we even left. We were planning on leaving early July 5 for Kerrville to see grandparents/great-grandparents, but the night of July 2 our AC went out. Also Chris got a phone call that a family member had passed away. So on Friday an AC repairman came out and said we needed a whole new unit (compressor, coils, and copper wiring). We were on stand-by for a Saturday installation, well we couldn't get one on Saturday wouldn't you know it. And Chris was seriously considering cancelling our vacation because he felt that we couldn't leave a hot house and it was going to be an expensive fix. I cried at the suggestion, I'd already been packing and it was our only week off from our masters program this summer. Fortunately a guy came on Sunday and worked for 7 hours installing the new AC unit. As soon as he was gone we hit the road for Kerrville. We had planned to go to Sea World one day, but couldn't because Chris was attending a funeral. After three days in Kerrville, we were heading to Midland to see the other set of grandparents. While in Midland we were going to leave Piper and go down to Ft. Davis for a night. Well the friend we were going to see got bronchitis on Monday and took the whole week off of work. But we had a GREAT time just hanging out with grandparents. I got to truly relax and I read a book, an entire book, while on vacation. It was wonderful.

Mimi and Piper playing after a cup of coffee.


Piper got to meet her Pawpaw for the first time. This was the only great-grandparent she hadn't met yet and I must say Piper is the luckiest grandchild in the whole world because she has all four living great-grandparents. It's good because she's already lost one grandfather.

Piper and Pawpaw

If only my dad were in this pic, then we'd have four generations.

In Kerrville Piper got a bunny named Mr. Truffles from Eleanor. This bunny opens up like a flying squirrel and Piper loves it because the bunny can lay on top of her while she lays on her back (her most common view of the world). She also loves the texture of the bunny's fur and rolls the ears in her hands.

She really enjoys napping with Mr. Truffles.

I can't forget to mention that while we were in Kerrville Bash beat Chris at golf. It is the highlight of his young golf career. He is so proud to have current bragging rights.


On to Midland

Hanging out on the back porch with Gram and Gramps

Relaxing in Gram's lap

In Midland, Gramps took the boys to the water park in Odessa and to the best golf course Chris has ever played - Midland Country Club. I know Chris is secretly planning how we can move to Midland and join the country club because he loved the golf course so much. Our last night there we had a fun time playing putt-putt and riding go-karts.

We can't wait until next time grandparents!

Random Summer Fun

So what have we been up to lately? Well not a lot, but we've been having fun. Here are some pictures to explain. Sebashtian flashing the "Majide" sign. If you have watched "I Survived a Japenese Game Show" then you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen this show, it's really funny all the crazy things the contestants do. It's our second favorite summer show, number 1 is Wipeout. This show is hilarious and we haven't laughed so hard at something on t.v. in a long time. Watching people jump on the big balls and go flying never stops being funny.

One night Bash let me brush out his hair and give him a Fro. He thought it was funny and cool. I thought he looked like an old lady who teases her perm. He's got great curly hair though because the next morning the fro was gone and his hair had recurled itself.

Here's Piper's new do. Hopefully you can see the cute little curls and I'm loving putting clips in her hair. We're going to try to wear more when we go out.

Our male model posing on the stairs, we're hoping he can make some good money so he can pay for college.

Piper in the bumbo chair. She looks so cute sitting in this chair. It's supposed to help with posture, I think, but I believe it's taught her to raise her arms and reach for mama when she wants to get out.

Swimming with the noodle. She doesn't cry in the water, she just seems a little unsure of the whole situation.

Playing dress-up already, this is Little Bo-peep with her sheep. I thought this would be a cute Halloween costume, Chris does not and he'll probably win because I think she'll outgrow this outfit by then, even though she is petite.

Brother Sister Love

Piper and Sebashtian have been having a fun time playing with each other. Piper is really alert and loves people's faces so Bash has a great time talking to her and speaking baby talk. They're really cute together and it's so sweet when Bash asks to play with her. Before this shot Bash had been running and jumping on the blanket, "surfing" across the floors. Then he decided to pull Piper around. He went slow and was very gentle without us having to remind him.

Bash also likes to make up conversations with Piper. He's really good at this in the car when she's fussy. As you can imagine, it's really cute!

Happy Father's Day

So I think Chris had a pretty good father's day. He got to sleep in and then enjoy a lazy Sunday capped off with dinner at Blue Goose mexican restaurant. At least I really hope he enjoyed the day because he deserves a day to feel special and treated. He is so special to our family and we love him so much. I couldn't ask for a greater husband and father to our kids. I love you Chris! Piper's gift was some snuggle time with Daddy.

This was her happy chatty time in our bed this morning.

And the pictures are out of order again, but Bash created a scavenger hunt for Chris to find his gift. The first clue was in his card, then he went to the grill, the mailbox, the pantry, and the toilet before finding his new tree trimmer under Bash's bed. And I just want everyone to know this wasn't some pseudo-gift that actually means work, Chris had really been wanting a tree trimmer and after last week's storm he even went outside today to test out the trimmer and shape up one of our trees that was a little damaged.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

WE LOVE YOU CHRIS!