The Beach

Mommy, grandma, grandpa and I went to the beach this morning. Wish daddy had been there but he had to go into work. We took a relaxing walk down the sidewalk just by the sand and then took a detour to enjoy the swing set. I'm a little unsure of the swinging but could learn to love it.

Merry Christmas

Max, mommy, daddy and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We hope you had as wonderful a day as we had here!

Christmas Season

Grandma and Grandpa Boven are here and we're having such fun! Mommy and I picked them up on Friday. We went to the Seaport Village to meet up with an old friend of theirs and posed by the beautiful poinsettia Christmas tree.

We did a little shopping the next day. Daddy helped me at the fountain so I didn't get too wet. It was quite exciting for me. Yesterday we got a picture before we headed out for church. After many frames we ended up with one that turned out okay of all of us.

I'll be anxiously awaiting the sound of reindeer hooves tonight!

Christmas Tree

We finally got the tree up this weekend. It was great fun, I am still taste testing needles from the floor. Mommy tries to stay on top of this but I am much too quick. I really enjoy looking at the lights and touching the ornaments on the bottom level. Some of the more fragile ones have already been moved up on the tree!

Love Orange

Fast forward 15 years when daddy hands over the keys to my very own 1970 Ford Bronco... can't wait!! He has done such a great job with this restoration. This day I was cheering on the University of Tennessee football team and decided to play 'Where's Waldo' in the front seat of the truck.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all our family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Happy Birthday to Me

I turned 1 today and had a party with all my friends. We got a bouncy pink castle which was tons of fun. Mommy, daddy and I went in before my party and I just giggled and giggled with excitement. There were a lot of kids that enjoyed the bouncy, just like me.

I had a big, chocolate cake with icing butterflies on the top. I loved the icing! I tried to be dainty at first but really got my hands into it. I also got a lot of thoughtful presents, we're really filling the den up with toys. That's fine by me!

Happy 232nd, Marine Corps!

Today, the Marine Corps celebrates it's birthday. We all need to be thankful there are so many Marines around the world protecting us and allowing us to enjoy the freedoms they have fought for throughout these last 232 years.

We love having daddy back home again. He's been on leave for a couple of weeks, he certainly deserves a break. I look forward to him getting me up in the morning and feeding me my breakfast. I try to return the favor by cooking him eggs but this is as far as I've gotten.

Birch Aquarium

We went to the Birch Aquarium down in LaJolla today. There is a beautiful view of the beach and pier from the patio of the building and there are some outdoor exhibits daddy showed me. I got a kick out of the fish tanks but it may be a few more months, and some steady walking, before I really have fun with all the exhibits.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

I'm getting close to my first Halloween and we got our pumpkins ready today. Daddy carved a skeleton face, mommy carved a spider and mommy helped me to carve a face on mine. I didn't like the feel of the inside of them but didn't mind the taste of the outside.

Viva Las Vegas

We just got back from a much needed vacation to Las Vegas. With the fires in the area we wondered if we'd get a flight out of San Diego but we were able to go without delay and had a great time. The family met up with Gram and Pop and Max stayed behind. The neighbors kept an eye on any possible evacuations. You'll be happy to hear that everything is fine with our house and Max was quite excited to see us come home.

I went for my first dip in a pool. The water was cold but I was having so much fun that mommy let me play despite the intermittent shivers. We got out before my lips started changing to purple. We walked around the grounds at our hotel and saw all sorts of birds including a flock of flamingos. I especially enjoyed watching the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel, all while looking at the Eiffel Tower of the Paris Hotel. We also had a lot of fun shopping and, of course, eating at the buffet.

11 Months Old

We missed posting something yesterday because we weren't able to get on the computer. I'm learning new things every day. As you can see, I love picking out books to read now that I can pull myself up to the coffee table. One of my favorites is 'The Foot Book' by Dr. Seuss. I repeat the title after mommy says it but only she can understand me.

Homecoming

We have been in hiding since yesterday and daddy's still trying to get over his jet lag. He had to go into work last night and welcome home another platoon of his Marines. It's so wonderful to see all the guys come home.

For those of you who never experienced the joy of a military homecoming I thought I would share my experience. Since the battalion is referred to as the 'Highlanders', they were properly escorted by a bagpiper and light armored vehicles. All the wives, girlfriends and family members went crazy when the buses drove up behind them.

Daddy's company went up to the armory to hand in their weapons and marched down the hill toward us in smaller groups. He was one of the last to come down the hill. Mommy and I saw him before he saw us so we made our way through the crowd. We gave him all sorts of hugs and kisses!

He carried me around and showed everyone how big I had gotten. After a while we packed the truck up. Daddy was so excited to get home to see Max. When we got home he ran and jumped all around the yard. We are all so extremely happy to have our family back together!!

DADDY'S HOME!!!!!!

No Escape

My success and enjoyment in being mobile has really affected Max's daily life. There is no place to hide. I suppose he could get right in the middle of a bed, if need be, but he always wants to be close to mommy. He continues to be very patient with my progress and puts up with my not-so-gentle petting.

Jumperoo

A friend of mine is letting me borrow his 'Jumperoo'. I sent daddy a video to show him how I love to just jump and jump and jump. Mommy says it gives her a chance to get some things done in the kitchen without having to continually chase after me.

New Game

Mommy noticed I was trying to climb up the side of the couch. Since I can easily pull myself up to standing by it, it's the next logical step. Mommy nudges me up on the couch and I crawl back and forth. All the while we play 'momma's gonna get you'. I don't have too much room to get away so I end up getting tickled a lot. I just laugh and laugh!

Standing Up Alone

I started standing up on my own yesterday! As you can see I was quite proud of myself and was so excited by the accolades mommy was showering on me. We were both very pleased. I've done it a couple of other times since then but only in the pack and play. I'm having a hard time finding other places around the house that are sturdy enough to pull up on. Mommy's staying busy making sure I don't end up with a chair on top of me.

10 Months Old

I spent some time today watching Max through the screen door. Today I'm also celebrating 10 months old. I am excited to say that by the time I hit 11 months my daddy will be home. I will be able to show him all of my tricks and give him a big kiss.

Simple Pleasures

It never ceases to amaze mommy how, with all of the lights and sounds of my toys, that I find most pleasure in basic things around the house. This morning I had quite an exciting time playing with, hitting and tossing around a diet pepsi box. It kept me busy while mommy cleaned up the kitchen.

Road Trip

Our weekend road trip to LA was a great time, we went to visit with Auntie L. We enjoyed some lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and did some shopping. Mommy and Auntie L headed to the flea market the next morning so I was able to spend some time playing with Gram and Pop. They are such fun!

LeapFrog On Legs

I'm practicing my balancing so mommy recently put my LeapFrog on its legs. Gram and Pop are here so I've been showing off my skills. I love to play the music and have started bobbing my head back and forth to the beat (somewhat). When I can't quite keep the beat I revert back to clapping.

On The Move

I'm crawling these days and get myself in some sticky situations. I got myself into a predicament under the kitchen chair. The more I tried to get out, the further I would be under the chair. Mommy gave me some time to figure it out and gave me a hand when I got too frustrated. I'm learning so much every day.

Seaport Village

Grandma sent me some pictures we took yesterday. You can see that I wasn't too excited by the ducks, but was much more interested in playing with a brochure map of the area.