So winter is heading our way fast. We have so many leaves to get raked and weeds to pull. Slowly it seems like we are "winterizing". Sydney even comes out to help, but she really just wants to try all the little pieces of weeds and gravel out in her mouth, so she is confined to the backpack or play yard with a sheet in the bottom so she doesn't resort to eating the "natural treasures". I really enjoy fall cleanup because I get to kill all the pesky overgrown plants and bugs die in the cold. I am finding that I am becoming more aware of summer being associated with bugs. Anywhoo...today we stacked and restacked hay for the winter and found our missing cat (who was a great mouser/outdoor cat) had been layed to rest by some wild beast. Poor Ernie. I know I will miss him. It is going to be hard to find a cat to live up to him. Sydney seems to be the only thing I take pictures of lately, but I can't help it. She is such a funny little darling.


Mommy's favorite chocolate may turn out to be Sydneys' too.

Sportin' the hat.

So this is a rocking motorcycle that was bought by grandma Garner then given to Lucus before he even thought about being a dad. Lo and behold now it is Syds.

All decked out to play out in the cold for the day. She isn't impressed by the layers.

Western Idaho Fair

Fun at the fair with Chad, Jen, and Troy and Jenny's sis's fam. Brook and Kip came later...oh yeah I still have their "shamwows". I caved this year and was sucked into a demo and bought some, but they gave us a free one so I felt good. Kip and Brook had us buy some for them too. They seem awesome.

No rides for Syd this year, but her parents sure stuffed their faces with the famous "fair food". I was in heaven.


Gotta just love the "baby stare". I love seeing babies watch each other.

Stanley in August

Sydney in her mosquito-proof pen. She really wanted to get Ellie.


Lucus with his new BBQ set his Mom-in-Law gave him. He didn't take it off for a while. I have to say that the steak was really good though.


Finally a pic of my mom. She seems to become scarce when the camera comes out.

On the top bunk of the camper. Bless the camper. Who knew stanley would be 40 degrees in august. Man...Bless the camper and its bringer (grandma Nancy).

No, they are root beer bottles. She just liked the taste on the top. What kind of parents would we be.....

. ..

ATVing

Mark came back for a week and let us all have fun at his cabin. Sydney didn't get to ride, but I sure did. Lucus was like a kid in a candy shop. He was constantly covered in dust. I think I am getting better-maybe not at the kick start racing atv, but definately the other stuff.

Even grandma nancy had a blast! Mark said she even went up a steep hill.

Camping

Sydney loved the water. Just splishin' and a splashin'... in the water with her dad. She had a serious face on the whole time though. So the only way we assumed she liked it was that she kept splashing and watching the water intently. No, we didn't take her on the tube, she was just playing in it.

Ellie has maybe lost some attention since Syd, but she doesn't even mind as long as she can go swimming once in a while. She just stayed in the current and swam, kind of like those exercise pools with the jet that lets you swim in place. I had to keep calling her back because it was hard to watch her just swim and swim and not get anywhere.

Chad and Troy.


Camping was fun, but tenting it was the low point. Let me just say on behalf of Lucus and myself... if you forget an air matress and you pass a wal-mart on your way to the camp, don't decide to "skip it and just sleep on the ground." Buy a new air matress. Sydney woke up a couple of times screaming and I know the whole camp heard her. All smiles during the day though.

Just fun times.

She is "worming" around now. Not crawling yet. But seems to get around just fine. I even have been catching her standing up on things. That is when she gets so excited she grins from ear to ear. She grabs my jeans and grunts trying to pull herself up my leg when she wants held. It is so cute. Every day she gets better and better at pulling herself up it makes me nervous. We try to tell her "no" when she gets to the DVD player, but she just looks at us and pops the tray out, her personal ladder to the TV I guess. Man we love her and are amazed by her every day. Every parents says that, but it seems like finally I understand about how kids are so amazing. Lucus rolls around on the floor with her and can make her giggle with no end with his range of voices, silly faces, and tickles.

Frozen strawberries seem to be a favorite, but once they thaw she drops the holder and cries. Works well for a while. I gave her a plain ice cube to suck on after a strawberry and she automatically dropped it. Not as good eh?

4th of July swinging away. At first she didn't know what to think. Then there were a few moments of fun, then she got bored and just lounged, no smile, no expression. Of course we were doing the enormous, way too obvious grins and overexcitement trying to get her to smile. Here is a mild attmept. Cute though.

A FIRST birthday!!

Birthday boy!

Troy loved the cake after he figured out it was for eating. Then he just wanted to play with it.

Sydney got her first taste of watermelon (which granny Mac gave her and from then on she wouldn't stop reaching for it with her mouth wide open).