Hi, what's been happening?

You know all about the phone. Here you are pretending to talk on the phone. Anything that is shaped like a phone and has buttons, like a remote control, you say "hi" and hold it in the general area of your ear...yesterday, you heard papa's phone ring and even though you didn't have it in your hand, you still started talking as if you were answering it. It's hilarious. Apparently you see us on the phone a lot.

cousin love

Last weekend the whole family got together at a cabin in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia to celebrate three birthdays, 60, 59 and 31 (your guess which one is me). There are tons of pictures and stories to report and share, but do I have the time? Blogging requires a specific state of mind and mood for me - I can't be mentally spent which is how I feel most evenings. So, the pictures, the stories, will have to come in bits and pieces, here and there, when I find that special moment.

In the above picture, Miles, who was quiet ill during the entire weekend, was being entertained by his sweet cousins Violette and Louise. If we could only see them more.

is it really already (almost) Monday again?

another milestone is here

Today was the day you took your first steps, just like that. Four steps! I was holding my breath. As simple as walking is, it's amazing to see you do it for the very first time. Bravo Miles!

It's hot!

Haiii

It's official, your first word is "hi." Most of the time you say it when we are out in public. At a restaurant you will say "haiii" to the waitress. At a store, you say "haiii" to the person next to us in line, followed by your sweet grin.

Perfect like strawberries and a post with lots of pictures!

An additional day off makes such a big difference. There is time for some of everything, running errands, having friends over for dinner, starting a new book, playing, and relaxing. The highlight of our weekend was visiting a berry farm not far from here. Not only were we eating while picking deliciously warm-from-the-sun strawberries, we got to ride on a big truck out to the fields, watch silly stinky pigs race, hungry sheeps, cute bunnies and an air castle. A kid's dream! Miles was mashing the strawberries in his hands getting juice all over himself (and us). His hair was truly strawberry blond after that!

Speaking of a kids dream, we did some rearranging downstairs to create more of a kid-friendly space for playing. We moved the dining room into what was the TV room (who has time for watching TV?) and extended the living room area. Now, we can wind-up a car and really let it go, without it hitting dining room chairs, speakers, etc. Ahh, a big relief. I am sure Miles didn't care, but it was bothering the little kid in me...and I am sure he doesn't mind.

After the farm, we checked out a new restaurant located nearby on a lake. The weather couldn't have been more pleasant and we got a table close to the water without a wait. I love it when everything works out without much effort. After dinner we walked to the nearby playgrounds - yes, we WALKED! Well with some help, but Miles is getting really good at it and more importantly carries a big smile while forging ahead.

Can't wait to see what next weekend will bring.