Magical Balloon

Mommy is amazed at the longevity of this balloon. I got it almost two weeks ago, Max has swatted it around and I have bounced it off all the walls in the house. Not only is is still in one piece but seems to have as much helium in it as the day it was brought home. Any bets on how long it will take to either pop or float to the ground?

Gone Swimming

Part of my morning routine includes taking a bath while mommy gets ready for our day. I prefer taking a bath in the big bathtub because it's fun to pretend I'm in the pool. I 'swim' back and forth and practice floating on my back while making my way through the bubbles. Can't think of a better way to start my day.

Love My Fruit

Just relaxing and enjoying an apple. Mommy is happy to report that when I'm hungry I often grab a piece of fruit. The same cannot be said of veggies but that's a work in progress.

Afternoon at the Beach

Our adventure today was filled with beach wildlife. We were the only people on the beach and seemed to be the interest of all the animals around. We saw the sea lions again and they continue to peek up to see what we're up to from time to time. The crabs were crawling around just trying to escape the hovering birds but the seagulls were much to concerned with the possibility of leftovers from our Subway sandwich. They kept getting closer and closer to us on our blanket. Guess they're used to handouts but we didn't have a crumb to spare.

For those of you not from California, the summer is not really the best time to visit because there is often a 'marine layer' that hangs low in the sky all day along the coast. That's why all the recent beach pictures seem to be a bit dreary. If you want to come see us and have a better chance of seeing the sun, feel free to call us in a month or two.

Early Goodbyes

We brought daddy to base at 2:30 this morning to begin his long trip to Afghanistan. The middle of the night departures are always a bit mysterious to mommy. There must be some logic behind those decisions or so she hopes. We had about 30 minutes to say our goodbyes and then daddy headed to the armory. He called us this afternoon with a travel update, he's doing fine. The countdown has begun!

Ventura County Fair

It was time for the Ventura County Fair again so we decided to spend our last day before daddy deployed enjoying some rides, animals, a quick spin on a pony and funnel cake. The location of the fair is amazing, right beside the beach. We especially like going on the ferris wheel because there is such a great view from the top. Mommy and daddy also took turns taking me down a large slide on a burlap sack. I can't decide what I liked more, that or the carousel. It's definately a toss-up. What a wonderful way to spend the day!

Visiting with Friends

We had a weekend full of great friends and fun times. Friday, I went to play with Auntie Laurye for the afternoon while mommy and daddy spent time with Trey and Ashley at their hotel's pool. They were in town for a wedding and were able to spend the day relaxing and catching up. That night we all met back up for dinner and walked around the Promenade in Santa Monica.

Saturday, we headed down to Long Beach to meet up with the Mitchell's, Clark, Mindy, Richard and Everett. We had a big breakfast by the harbor and made our way to the Aquarium of the Pacific. The boys were such fun to play with and we had a great time at the hands-on displays. I never ended up touching the small sharks and sting rays, although I did touch some star fish. We were so happy to spend some time with them!

Saturday evening we met up with the Haines', Aaron, Trudy and Dylan. They happened to be staying at a beach house in town for the weekend. I'm sad to say that I didn't have the camera with me for that visit but we had a great time catching up. Although I needed constant reminders about the intensity of my 'playing' with a 14 month old, Dylan and I played with his toys and enjoyed the beach view from their terrace.

Daddy's Little Girl