decisions... decisions... :)

a strawberry, a cat, a drunk old man/Benjamin Button or a ladybug???
seriously though... is it scary that Mailee resembles Benjamin Button or a drunk old man in the picture of us hiking with Scott (her godfater)?
We couldn't stop laughing at it!!

Is the cheerleader outfit bad luck?

Kitty, Jeff and Gracie brought Mailee her first Hokie cheerleader outfit from Virginia when the came to visit. It is adorable... but I'm worried that it was bad luck. The day she wore it the Hokies lost to Ga. Tech. Oh well, at least she was cute in her orange and maroon. (And since Ashely's husband is a GT coach at least i'm happy for them) :)
I have to post a picture of Sahara too... it's old.. but between the two shots of her and Mailee.. i think they portray how upset we are when the hokies have an off game and lose. :(

Pumpkin Patch

Mailee's first trip to the pumpkin patch was so exciting! Just like the tulips in the spring, she was mesmerized by all of the pumpkins. It was adorable... but it also meant that I couldn't get my perfect picture of her actually looking at the camera... why would she want to when there were so many pumpkins to examine, touch and explore.

Vancouver

John and I have been wanting to getaway to Vancouver since we moved here and we finally got a chance to go since John had a long weekend. In two days we were able to visit the most popular attractions (Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, Robson St. Chinatown etc.). Mailee enjoyed all of it but when we got home she had her first fever... 103.7 YIKES! She's all better now though!

The Harpers Visit!!!

Kitty and Jeff braved a cross country flight with Gracie (14 months) to visit us! We felt honored and enjoyed every last second of their visit. It was so amusing to see the girls together and to dress them up in coordinating outfits daily! We realized we had a problem when we almost dressed a like ourselves. :)
We had outings to La Conner, San Juan Island and to Seattle. The boys spent a day fishing and us girls couldn't have been happier just hanging out, lunching, sipping wine and reminiscing. We already miss them so much!

New York - Our first trip sans Mailee!!!

Geoff and Erin were getting married in New York City so we took our first trip without Mailee to celebrate with them. Daddy had been away from Mailee before but it was the first time I had left Mailee overnight (4 days for that matter). We knew she was in good hands with Melody though so we truly enjoyed "partying" with our friends like the good old days.

Bowman Bay

Even though we had a long day at the fair on Saturday we couldn't waste another beautiful, sunny day (it is only a matter of time before we have days and days of gray). So, Sunday we spent the day at Bowman Bay near Deception Pass and couldn't believe that we hadn't been before! The views from our hike were just breathtaking!
It will certainly become one of our usual hikes now! Mailee just loves being outside and taking in the scenery.

Puyallup Fair

The day you turned 10 months old we headed 2 hours south for the annual Puyallup Fair. Mommy was quite excited, as she had fond memories of the event from her childhood when she grew up in Ft. Lewis, Washington. Daddy also enjoyed the fair in his youth too. It was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for strolling around the exhibits and munching on the famous strawberry scones. We took a picture with the giant pumpkins, which seemed appropriate since you are our little pumpkin. You weren't big enough to go on the rides, but we enjoyed watching Austin and Jack have their fun and you were zonked out by the end of the day anyway. Maybe next year you can join them on the merry-go-round.

Labor Day with Scott

We were thrilled that Scott visited us from L.A. over the Labor Day weekend. Although VT lost their first game to Alabama, we enjoyed watching the game together, reminiscing about the good old days, hiking Washington Park and fishing. Mailee seemed to take a real liking to Scott too! We already miss him.

Check out Scott's catch vs. John's catch. HA!

Thank you Logan!

Mailee received an awesome package in the mail from Logan! Lots of clothes!! Not sure if she liked the box more than the clothes themselves, but mommy sure is grateful.
Thanks Logan. We love you!!

Walking Video

OK... here it is... it isn't the best, but most of you know that Mailee doesn't like to perform for the camera. :)

It's official...she's walking!

Mailee has been taking baby steps (between 2 and 10 steps) for a few weeks now, but this week I can report that she is truly walking. Over the weekend she has really mastered this skill and can walk across the room fairly quickly. It is very exciting and I know that I have promised video to some of you and will get it up this week (hopefully). But until then, I thought it wouldn't hurt to share this photo... It is one that truly shows how coordinated she is... How many babies can walk AND pick their nose at the same time. HA HA!

Boating

Mailee went boating for the 2nd time this past weekend with her Papa, Uncle Jay, Austin, Jack, Mommy and Daddy. I wish I could report that she had a blast like her daddy said she did the first time. Of course this time mommy got to join in on the fun but Mailee just wanted out of her life jacket... daddy was entertaining the idea of buying a boat... perhaps Mailee is trying to tell him that she'd rather him save the money for a pony. HA!

A visit from Mailee's "GrandGodmother"

So we might have made that title up, but there has to be a title for Jen's mom who both Mailee and her mommy adore. Gwen came for a visit and Mailee sure did enjoy swinging, learning about gardening, talking gibberish and showing off her walking skills with her. We hope to see her again soon! (maybe in November :)