Memorial Weekend Camp Out

I feel like I have a million things to catch up with here. We've been busy. So, Here is a start, I decided to limit the number of pictures I put up so that I can increase my chances of posting everything before we go to St. Louis in a week.

We went camping with our friends the Hymas' this past weekend. We went up north to one of our favorite camping spots, and found that the bugs were pretty happy there too, all million of them =0). I am usually sweet blood for the mosquitos, but somehow I got away with just a few itchy bites. Our weekend was complete with Delicious food, and thanks to Glen and Amy, fishing! (actually I have to say the delicious food was pretty much thanks to Amy too!) Both of the girls caught their first fish....even Gwen (with help from Megan, her new best bud)! Very fun.

Little things:smells that make me happy

I am a midwest girl at heart. Whenever I get back to the humid cornfields, I feel right at home. As I fly into the St. Louis Airport to visit my parents, I look down on the farmland grid below me and just enjoy the warm, happy, full feelings it conjurs in me. I have often wondered how long it will take me to feel at "HOME" in New England. About a year ago, I realized my first "thing" in Maine that makes me feel that same way.... It's the smell of Maine....pine trees mixed with the scent of the ocean. Really Maine smells SO GOOD. Today, I was at a friends house, and as I walked past a grove of pine trees in her back yard, I thought to myself, "That has got to be one of my favorite smells on earth."

Later today, Brad was out grilling chicken on the back deck, and I was in setting the table. Liv had been taking a bucket out to the compost pile. When she came inside, she had a handful of Thyme. She showed it to me and asked if we could put it on our chicken for dinner. I bent over to smell it, and mmmmmm, I realized that the smell of fresh thyme is my other favorite scent on earth. Oh, it is smells so fresh and sweet, I love it.

So now I know my two favorite smells......a fun discovery.

8 inches later

and I look like this-->

You've got to love the quick photobooth self portrait

A bicycle built for two

We spent our weekend doing a lot of this-->

This weekend our favorite family sport expanded to include our little bicycle built for 2. Liv loves the tandem because she says it's like a "bicycle roller coaster." And it was, we didn't slow down much for her. You should have seen her speed down the hills with me. I was kind of suprised she wasn't scared. I love it because she talks to me the whole time. I also love that she can help me pedal up the hills and that she cheers me on by saying, "I think we can, I think we can, I think we can." and then, "I knew we could, I knew we could, I knew we could." And you can never beat a little Jimmies ice cream at the end of a family outing. P.S. Brad was there too, he pulled Gwen in the Chariot, and somehow got away without a picture.

Today... we engaged in battle

We both used our best strategies...but in the end.... she won... Too bad you can't force someone else to take a nap.



I'm not giving up hope. Maybe I'll come out on top tomorrow.

On a brighter side--> Today we made the official switch to underwear. And I think things went pretty well. She was sad every time she peed down her leg (success! even though it was pretty much every time she peed.) And her only poop of the day went in the potty (bug huge success I didn't have to clean it up, even if it was a complete coincidence.) Afterwards she looked in the potty and said, "Mommy, I made a wock (rock) and its in da potty. Where's my potty canny?" I gave her 2 =0).

Chalk Date

I love spring.....and the SUN! (the stubby deformed shadow on the right is me)

Disney World

We had a week full of sun, heat, swimming, and princesses, and that pretty much sums it all up. Here are the pics-->

The Belly

There is something about this that feels a little bit funny to me. But here it is. A picture of my growing belly. Baby Boy's first, non-ultrasound appearance on the BR Clan blog. I never can figure out how far along I am in months. I'm 23 weeks. So, if you are counting by the calendar, that makes me 5 months and one week, but if you are counting by every 4 weeks, that makes me 6 months on Monday. You decide =0).

You see this smile?

That means NO CAVITIES for me! WAHOO! Believe me, with a history like mine, its a relief every time!

EDIT: When I say no cavities, I mean no cavities this time around. just to clarify, I have had more fillings than I can count.