Digging in the water

As you know, Miles really likes to dig. Anytime we go to a park, he wants to dig-dig-dig, and "weeeeeee" (go down the slide). Miles and I recently met a moms group at the arboretum, where there are no toys. He quickly found a spot of sand, amongst the grass, to dig.

After the sand (where I was apparently sitting on an ant hill to take these pictures), he wanted to check out the creek....my worst nightmare. I was hoping he wouldn't notice the water! So, we sat at the top of a little water fall, where I held onto his belt loops and took pictures of him "digging" in the water!

Here, he is trying to figure out what on Earth I am doing, disturbing his digging...

And just for fun, his big blue eyes :)

Cook in the Kitchen

My husband complains that he's neve on the blog. So, I'm trying to get more of him in it, though I'm probaby not in it a whole lot either, as far as pictures go...seeing as how I'm usually the one taking the pictures...

Though we often eat out (bad us....working on breaking this bad bad habit!), Ben also cooks about 1/2 the time we eat at home.

Here is Ben at work in the kitchen:

Slaving over the hot stove

Chicken stir fry over Yakisoba noodles...mmmm....

Miles thought so too!

At the park with Uncle

Recently, we met Grandma and Uncle at the park. Miles loves the park. We had a picnic and Miles, suprise surprise, dug-dug-dug the whole time.

Uncle and Grandma joined him for a while.

Drumming with Daddy

Miles,

Like Daddy,

Likes to drum.

Miles and Daddy drum sometimes.

Big Red...

TRACTOR!!!

We went up to the lake cabin again, and this time Grandma Sara had something special planned for Miles. She got out her big red, noisy tractor (Miles has a Spot book called The Noisy Tractor, I believe). He had sat on the tractor before, but I'm not sure he's ever ridden on it. Grandma inherited the tractor from her parents. I believe it was around most, if not all, of her childhood. She even has a picture of herself at about Miles' age with the tractor. I think it has been spiffed up a bit in recent years.

After Grandma turned it on, Miles was a little skeptical. It was a little noisy for him! But, with Grandma holding on tight and a quick driving lesson, he gradually eased into the idea of taking it for a spin.

So, take it for a spin, they did!

Miles was an expert helper when it came to steering the non-power-steering tractor.

They went round and round the couldesac several times.

And Miles had a blast...

Driving the Big Red Tractor.

Baby Moira and her gift

A few posts ago, I mentioned that my sister was waiting on a very special arrival. Well, shortly after my post, her arrival "arrived". Baby Moira Eileen, my newest niece, was born at 0811 on 8.12.09, weighing in at 8# 13oz! She is adorable, and we cannot wait to meet her.



While she was finishing cooking, I was working on a project for her, well, more so her Mommy (my sister). I've convinced myself, and accepted the fact that, I will have all boys. So, the fact that she had a girl is exciting to me! Another girl I get to do girly things for (I have another niece who is almost 8 months old!). Clothes are so boring and routine, so I decided to do something a little different and made my sister a scrapbook for her little girl's first year. My sister has an 19month old son, so I figured she'd be pretty busy and not have time do make one herself. I should have taken the pages out of the protectors to get better pictures, but you get the idea.



Here is the front cover, waiting for a picture of little Moira (I chose blue so the whole thing wasn't over-the-top girly).



This is the intro page, also waiting for a pic of little Moira (well, they all are...). The circle is for her first initial (which I didn't know until she was born).



The block for all her stats.

This page is to document my sister's pregnancy. The pink box inside the green box (where the picture goes) is the "directions" for the page.

It's A Girl!!! for ultrasound pictures (again the pink block with writing is "directions" for the page).

New Arrival: hospital pictures and journaling block. The green is a little pocket for her hospital bands.

Home from the hospital.

Family page (for pics of grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles).

One month old

Two months old (October)

Three months old (November)

4 Months old (December/Christmas).

Timeline for months 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Nine months, (May/Mother's day)

10 months (June/Father's day)

11 months (July, should have done red, white and blue, but I guess it ended up pink, white and blue...)

"Summer Fun" The S in the upper left corner says summer fun around it. The page will be a little less busy with a large picture in the yellow frame!

First Birthday!!!

So, that is it. The gift I made for the arrival of my sister's baby girl. I love how it turned out and really hope that they enjoy it for years to come!