Jack+Mandi+Leo

Hiding

2012-02-16T13:57:00.001-08:00

Shirtless

2012-02-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

TWO

2012-01-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

Leo is two years old!

We had a fun birthday party for Leo and invited lots of our friends. Mimi even came from Utah to spend the weekend with us. We had a great time, and Leo loved having so many little friends to play with. He loved licking the frosting off his cupcake and getting lots of new toys too.

It's hard to believe that our baby is two years old, and looking more like a little man every day. He is such a joy to everyone who knows him, and we feel so blessed to have him in our family.
We love you Leo!

Mr. Moustache

2012-01-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Leo got some Play-doh for his birthday and we've had great fun with it!

Jingle Bells

2011-12-30T11:35:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas at home this year. Jack got several days off work, and it was wonderful having some extra time with him. He and Leo had fun setting up elaborate train tracks configurations down the hallway, around the coffee table, and underneath Lincoln Log bridges.

We visited the National Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and also had some friends over. On Christmas day we opened presents, listened to a wonderful Christmas program at church, and then returned home for a nap. Our friends, the Huntsmans, came over that evening for a big dinner. Leo had fun hanging out with their three little girls, and playing with all his new toys.

We also saw some very cool Christmas lights in our area. There is a great website that lists all the addresses of the decorated houses, and even has photos. Our two favorites had all the lights synchronized to music... they were very cool! Leo was mesmerized by all the flashing lights.

We also saw the "ICE" show at the Gaylord Hotel. It's a massive set of ice sculptures created by a team of artists from China. This year's theme was the Madagascar movie. Everyone has to put on heavy parkas before going into the bubble because it's FREEZING in there. It was pretty impressive, and Leo particularly enjoyed the giant ice slides. Can you believe all those figures are made of ice?

We missed spending time with our extended families this year, but it was so nice to be at home. Mandi created a "Christmas Book" this year. It's full of stories and scriptures and we read one every night leading up to Christmas. It really helped us feel the spirit of Christmas, and kept us focused on Christ. We are so grateful for his perfect life, and for his great sacrifice for us. It's wonderful to celebrate his miraculous birth this time of year. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2011-12-11T03:32:00.001-08:00

We just returned from a two week trip to Thailand. We took over 400 photos, so I am going to attempt a "brief" overview of all the amazing things we did and saw...

We arrived in Bangkok after twolong flights- 14 hours from LA to Tokyo, and 6 hours from Tokyo to Bangkok. Leodid great on both of the long flights, and slept for the entire secondflight. The airport in Bangkok is clean, modern and filled with orchids.We took a taxi to downtown (about 30 minutes away) to ourfriends' home. (the Crawfords) They live in a huge high rise buildingthat has huge, very modern apartments, with large balconies on 3 sides.They even have a pool and semi-indoor playground area. From theirbuilding it is easy to walk to the metro, or take a taxi.

For our first day of sightseeing we went to the Grand Palace, a walled complex of the former Palace and some Buddhist Wats (temples). Leo fell asleep in the taxi and he slept for the 20 minute ride to the Grand Palace. Taxis are so cheap there- our 20 minute ride cost about $4.

The Grand Palace was incredible. The intricacy of the designs and the mosaics made of mirrored tileswere unbelievable. I had seen photos of them before, but seeing them in personwas so different. All I can say is Wow! We were there about an hour,walking around. It was very hot and humid, so we were ready to cool down afterthat.

We took a boat ride up the river, in a traditional long boat. The motoron the back of the boat looked like it was ripped right out of a car, and thenMcGuiver'ed to work on a boat. You see a lot of stuff like that here. I lovethe ingenuity and creativity. They sure know how to make do with whatthey have. It was about 20 degrees cooler on the river, and the breezereally helped us cool off. We also got to see how all the houses that line theriver are still flooded. There are huge pumps everywhere, furiously pumpingwater out of the streets and into the river. What a mess! It lookslike most of those small houses and huts will have to be rebuilt. They havebeen under 2-3 feet of water for several months now. It was very sad to see allof their belongings piled up on the roofs, or on stilts. It's hard to imagineloosing all you have, when you already have so little.

We also walked through an outdoor market, where locals buy their meat and produce, or get a bite to eat. It was a colorful and exciting thing to see.

This vendor sold every kind of dried seafood. There were some very interesting things... and the smell was a little overwhelming.

The next day I went to a Thai cooking school for a half-day ofinstruction. It was so much fun! We started by going to the market wherethey showed us the different fruits and vegetables and spices. Then we were ina small class room for a demonstration, then moved to the kitchen where we eachhad a station and cooked the dish we just learned. I had a blast, and learnedso much. The food was delicious, and I can't wait to make more of it when i gethome!

That night we swam in the pool and then Jack and I went fora couples massage. The massages are amazing there, and so cheap! $10 foran hour! (It cost about $80 at home!)

We flew up to Chiang Mai, whichis about an hour flight, and spent 3 days there. We stayed at Rimping Village- a boutique hotelmade up of little villas around a courtyard, pool, and a massive Banyan tree.Everything was lovely.The hotel had some bikes, so we rode a few blocks to arestaurant for lunch. (One of the bikes had a baby seat in the back, so it wasperfect for Leo.)

We went for a walk and stopped at themarket to buy some fruit. The fruit hereis wonderful- and there is so muchvariety. We love the pineapple, mango, papaya, and watermelon... but it's beenfun to try new ones like Dragon Fruit, and Longan. But neither of us has beenbrave enough to try the Durian or Jack Fruit. The smell of them is revolting,and I can't imagine getting close enough to actually take a bite...

Later that evening we took a walk to the Night Bazaar,which was just a few blocks from our hotel. There were lots of fun things to see and buy. Leo zonked out in the stroller, but we had fun walking around.

The next day we went to the Elephant farmwhich was about 40 min away. We saw a cool elephant show with lots of tricks andgot to see the elephants bathing in the river. The park was beautiful- its inthe mountains, and there are tons of trees and flowers. It was lovely. And Leoreally enjoyed the elephants. When we were on the bridge one of the elephantscame over and put his trunk through the railing, and touched Leo in hisstroller. He was startled at first, but then thought it was kind of cool. (see the short video below)

Weeven got to ride an elephant! It was a half-hour ride, which was very bumpy and felt like riding a very slowroller coaster. Leo kept pointing to the elephants ahead of us and behind us,saying "elephant"... and Ikept trying to tell him that he was ON an elephant... but I don't know if he really got it. Oh well. We got some great photos, and even if he doesn'tremember this day, we will have the photos and lots of stories to tell him. At the end of the ride, I guess all the swaying back andforth got the better of Leo, and he started falling asleep. (It was way pastnaptime) He couldn't even hold his head up- it was so cute.

That evening we took a Tuk-Tuk to a Khantoke dinner and show. We sat on the floor, and atetraditional northern Thai foods, which was all delicious! The show was amazing,and it was fun to see all the dancers, costumes, and hear the drums andmusic. Leo ran all over the place beforethe show started, but luckily he was interested in the show enough to sit downand watch. (which meant we could actually watch too!). We left about 9, and aswe were leaving they were lighting these giant paper lanterns and releasingthem into the night sky. It was a pretty incredible sight to see them floatingoff into the darkness. They looked like a new constellation glittering from thedark sky.

We rode our TukTuk back to the hotel, with a sleepylittle Leo on our laps. What an amazing day. I will never forget the incrediblethings we've done today, and how much fun we had riding an elephant, eatingdinner on the floor, and zipping along the highway in a Tuk Tuk with the wind in our hair. It was an amazing day!

In Chiang Mai I decided to try a Thai Massage. Theyare very different than a regular massage (what they call an "OilMassage"). You wear some loose cotton clothing while they massage yourmuscles and stretch your limbs. It felt like a combination of massage, yoga,and a chiropractic adjustment. I kept thinking "Oh, I didn't know my armcould bend like that..." At one point I was sitting up, and she wasworking on my back. All of a sudden she rolled me backwards and I was suspendedin the air with my back arched, balanced on her shins! (I still can't figureout how she got me up there!) The whole thing was very cool, but bizarretoo. She stretched my back, neck, arms and legs in ways I never thoughtpossible, and it felt great. I didn't have a touch of soreness the next day,which tells me she really knew what she was doing. I walked back to thehotel, totally relaxed and feeling loose.

We visited several Wats in Chiang Mai. The architecture is amazing. It's so intricate and beautiful.

Our last day in Chiang Mai we arranged fora car to pick us up and take us the Wat at the top of the mountain. The trafficwas terrible getting out of the city, but the drive up the mountain wasbeautiful. She dropped us off and we took the cable car up to the top. Wewalked around the Wat and other buildings. They were beautiful! And because ofthe King's birthday there were some stunning displays of flowers. They werevery impressive, and I took lots of photos. Of course, because it was aholiday weekend, the entire place was packed! The photo below (of the flowers)... you need to click on it and look at the detail. All that green stuff-- those are leaves folded into amazing shapes and forms. They were incredible!

We took the cable car back down, and waited for our driverto pick us back up. It was around lunch time so we got some food from somestreet vendors. A cup of strawberries, two pieces of fried chicken, and somespicy meatballs on a skewer. She picked us up a few minutes later and westarted our drive down the mountain. Leo was very sleepy, and was starting tofall asleep on my lap. He wanted a bottle of milk, but I hesitated to give itto him because he just had a full juice. Well, I did give him the milk, hopingthat it would put him to sleep. The road was very curvy, and Leo was lookingvery sleepy when all of a sudden.... bleghhhhhhhh. Hevomited 12 ounces of milk/juice all over me. It was all over him,all over Sleepy G, and all down my shirt. I cupped my hands around the liquid,trying to keep it contained, and Jack yelled at the driver to pull over. What a mess! We used about 100 baby wipes to clean ourselves off,and luckily we had our suitcases in the trunk so we could change our shirts.But poor Sleepy G was dripping wet. So gross! We tied him up in a bag until wecould wash him. Poor little Leo. A full tummy and curvy mountain roads donot mix well! Luckily, he felt fine after that. We stopped at a Silk factory and got to see how they makesilk. It was fascinating. And it was fun to see all the different colors ofsilk lined up on the shelf. Beautiful!

From there we drove to the airport, and got dropped off forour 5:30 flight. We had some dinner at a restaurant, and the food was reallygood, which is always surprising for an airport. It was an hour flightback to Bangkok. We dropped Leo off at the Crawfords so they could watch him for a couple of days while Jack and I had a little getaway. We flew down to Krabi, which is in southern Thailand, on the western shore of the Andaman Sea. This isa very touristy area, and the coast is lined with huge hotels and fancy beachresorts. But on the opposite side of the street are small local restaurants,tourist shops, massage shops, and shanty towns where the locals live.

Along the coast there are dozens of islands withhigh-cliffed sides, which are really just large limestone rocks jutting out ofthe sea. Apparently there are 154 of these islands in the Andaman Sea,but only a handful are populated.

We are staying at the Nakamanda Resort. The resort is made up ofdozens of little villas that cover the sloping hillside down to the water.There are lovely fountains, ponds,palm trees, orchids, jasmine, and every sortof tropical plant. It is an amazingly beautiful setting. And our villa wasincredible. Everything was dark teak wood, with a soapstone tiled bathroomand steam shower. There is a large bathtub with skylight above and on eitherside- pools of water with water lillies growing in them. Our king-size bed lookedout a large window with a view of the tropical gardens. Just outside ourroom was an outdoor terrace with a large lounging cushion and pillows, with aceiling fan overhead. This is definitley the nicest place we have everstayed. And the service was amazing! We spent lots of time at the pool, reading our books, taking leisurely naps, and walking on the beach. It was heavenly.

For our second day in Krabi we went scuba diving. The boat took us out to the Phi Phi islands, which took about 2hours to get to. We did two different dives, off some coral reefs next to some of the islands. The dives were great. Weloved seeing all the different shapes of coral. The colors were not as vibrantas those we saw in Belize, but lovely nonetheless. We also loved theneon colored fish. Our second dive was by another island nearby, and was aboutan hour long. It is so coolto be under the water, and to see all the fish and coral up close. We sawa sea turtle, and a Black Tipped Reef shark.

We showered and then headed out for dinner, determined to find some authentic food. We found the mosthole-in-the-wall place, with only locals eating there, and sat down. We ordered3 things that we haven't tried before, and they were all amazing! We hada papaya salad- unripe papaya is shreaded and covered with a sweet, spicyvinagrette and roasted peanuts. Yum! And we had some sort of creamycoconut milk curry, and a whole fish that was deep fried with minced shallots, greenonions, and an amazing sauce. We loved all of it. And our tolerance for spiciness seems to have increased since being here. (It's a good thing too- because everything is delicious!) The Thais are masters at balancing sweet, spicy, and sour in their cooking. All the ingredients are fresh and it's been so fun to try new dishes every day.

We flew back to Bangkok and picked up Leo. Then we flew home, with an overnight layover in Japan, which was fun. It was a VERY long flight after that, but we are so glad to be home now.

Now we're just trying to adjust to the time change, and sleep during the night, instead of being wide awake...

Thanksgiving

2011-12-11T03:04:00.001-08:00

We made our yearly pilgrimage to California for Thankgiving. We camped at the beach with my extended family and had a great time, as ususal. The weather was pretty warm, and sunny. We enjoyed taking bike rides, walking along the beach, and exploring the tide pools.

Leo had a great time splashing in the water, playing in the sand, and hanging out with his cousin Bridger.

Peek-a-Boo

2011-11-10T09:48:00.001-08:00

Dancing Boots

2011-11-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

I got these great boots for Leo at a consignment sale last week- they're minature fireman boots!
(an ode to Grandpa, who was a fireman) Leo loves pulling them on his feet and then stomping around the house. This video shows him dancing a little jig on the coffee table, which he thinks is a stage. What a cutie.

Risky Business

2011-11-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

Last week I moved everything off the floor so I could sweep and mop... Then Leo decided to recreate this classic scene from the 80s... Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

It was pretty awesome.

Fun with Dad

2011-11-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Jack and Leo have been wrestling and playing almost non-stop since Jack returned home. There is so much laughter and silliness- it is wonderful to watch. I love my two boys!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Leo was Elmo for Halloween... or as he calls him, "Melmo." He wasn't crazy about wearing the costume a few days earlier, so we didn't put it on until we arrived at the church for the Halloween activity. (He was distracted by all the other kids, so he didn't wail when we put it on him.)

They normally do a Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot, but they moved it indoors because of the rain this year. We thought it actually worked out better that way because it was warm inside and kids didn't have to wear their coats over their costumes... and it was much easier to keep an eye on Leo in a confined place. Of course, the kids got their candy, which is all they care about!

Jack and I always dress up for Halloween, but this year we didn't. We just didn't have the time to plan or execute some cool new costumes. (Jack has been gone for the last 6 months!) Maybe we should start brainstorming now so we are ready for next year!

Harvest Festival

2011-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

One of the things Jack was really looking forward to doing when he got home was going to Cox Farms for the Harvest Festival. We took Leo last year and it was fun, but Leo was too young to fully appreciate all the festivities... But Leo's almost 2 now, and we knew that he would have a blast this year.

We had lovely Fall weather today, and it was the perfect day to go to Cox Farms. Leo had a great time, and so did we!

We went on a hayride, rode some huge slides, climbed on the haystacks, drank fresh apple cider, picked out some pumpkins, and saw lots of animals.

The hayride was really fun. The tractor pulled us around the lake, and all over the farm.
Leo liked the bumpy ride.

Leo liked petting the cows and horses, but he especially liked the goats!

He kept saying "Hi Goat! Hi Goat!" (see video clip below)

Leo has been really into trains lately, so he enjoyed crawling around this toy train.

Leo loved the Kettle Korn, and ate a ton of it!

We had a wonderful day at Cox Farms today. Leo got to run and play and jump... and get really dirty. We got to watch his expressions of pure joy, and to laugh at his crazy antics. What a kid! We are so grateful that Jack is home, and that we are together as a family once again. We are so blessed.

Home Sweet Home

2011-10-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

He's home! After 6 long months, Jack is home from Iraq!

His arrival date and time changed about a dozen times, but alas, he finally arrived this morning, and we picked him up at BWI. I cried when I saw him, and couldn't believe he was really here! Leo threw his arms around Jack's neck and he didn't want to let go. It was so sweet.

We drove home, and within a few minutes Jack and Leo started wrestling and playing together in the living room. It looks like they picked up right where they left off 6 months ago...

Today has been a wonderful day. We laid in bed and watched Sponge Bob, went for a walk around the neighborhood, and just enjoyed being together as a family.
Happy, happy day!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

2011-09-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Leo and I just got back from a two week trip to Germany. We took PLANES, TRAINS and AUTOMOBILES during our fun European vacation.

We took a free military flight to Ramstein Air Base, where some friends of ours are stationed. Leo did great on the flights- as usual. This was the first time he had his own seat, so it was nice for me to have my arms free (at least for part of the time) Leo slept in my arms for half the flight, and in his seat for the other half)

We stayed with our friends, the Dannellys, at their house in the cute little village of Gries. It was surrounded by rolling green hills, fields of bright yellow rapeseed flowers, and lush pastures with roaming cows. It was lovely. Here is the view from their terrace, and a photo from the village.

Leo and I took a train down to Heidelberg to do some sightseeing. Leo loved riding on the train. He liked climbing over the seats, and looking out the window.

Heidelberg is a beautiful town. We walked around the old city, took photos from the bridge, and took the tram up the hill to the old castle, where we took a tour. Then we had lunch at an outdoor cafe in in a beautiful courtyard next to a large fountain. It was charming.

We also drove to the IKEA in Mannheim one day, which was about 40 minutes away. It was fun driving on the autobahn while we were there. In case you don't know... there isn't a speed limit on the autobahn. You can drive as fast as you want! We were doing about 90 mph, and people were passing us like we were standing still. (crazy!) We also drove to the Frankfurt temple, which was about 1 1/2 hours away.

Another highlight was our day-trip to France. It was just a 30 minute drive, so we had a fun day in France. (I served my mission in France, so I loved being able to speak French, read all the signs, and to eat some French food!) We went to this huge store called Cora- kind of like a Super Target. I bought a cart full of french foods that I love... Chaussons aux Pommes, Pain au Chocolat, yummy yogurt, fantastic stinky cheeses, Bastogne cookies, Ricola tesaine, Lindt chocolates, Lardons, and Emmental. I was like a kid in a candy store!

After that we stopped for lunch at a small restaurant. The nice grandma lady (that took our order) thought Leo was the cutest thing, and she kept bringing him little plates of french fries, cookies, etc. (She didn't even mind when he followed her around the restaurant, and even into the kitchen.) The food was delicious! One of the many things I love about France- even the smallest, hole-in-the-wall places have amazing food. Those frenchies sure know how to cook! I really enjoyed our little trip to France. We had planned to go to France a 2nd time while we were there (we were going to drive to Metz) but we ended up leaving to come home a day early, so it didn't work out. Oh well... I love France. *sigh*

I had to take some photos when we were at Cora. Check out the rows and rows of cheese. Those frenchies sure know how to make some yummy cheese- especially those stinky ones! Yum. The ones we get here in the states just don't taste the same.

Well, that was our crazy European vacation in a nutshell. We had a good time, but it was wonderful to get home, and sleep in our own beds again. Jack gets home from Iraq in just 10 days, so we are in the final countdown. We could not be more excited!

Rain!

2011-09-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the DC area was hit with some major rainfall. It was intense! We watched as the water built up in the backyard, and then made a river that flowed out towards the street. (see 2nd photo)

There were a few houses in our neighborhood whose basements were flooded, so we were lucky.
I found some water in our basement- a puddle, really. It wasn't too bad. Some water had infiltrated the cinderblock wall in one spot, and had formed a large puddle. Luckily, it was in the unfinished part of the basement, in a storage area where everything is in plastic bins... so there was no harm done. I sucked up all the water with the shopvac, and it was an easy fix. I will definitely be looking into waterproofing that wall in the near future!

2011-09-09T06:07:00.001-07:00

Shoes

2011-08-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

I was having a major case of cabin fever today, as we were stuck in the house, waiting for Hurricane Irene to come our way. That's when Leo decided to put on my shoes and walk around the house saying "Shoe, Shoe, Shoe". He kept me laughing for a good 20 minutes. (but don't worry- the video isn't that long) Hope you enjoy the show!

Ah, Summer.

2011-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

The weather is cooling off now, and it's made me realize that Summer is drawing to a close. I have been reflecting on some of the fun things Leo and I have done together over the last few months.

We had one visit to California to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We had two visits to Utah to visit Nana and Papa, and cousin Bridger. We've been to playgrounds and water parks, swimming pools and outdoor movies. We've been kayaking on the lake by our house, played at the beach in California, and watched fireworks in front of the Capitol on the 4th of July. We got to experience a 6.0 earthquake here in Virginia. And best of all... we're almost to the end of Jack's deployment!

Here are some of my favorite photos from this fun and crazy summer.

Super G

2011-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Nana and Papa have struck again. They sent Leo a GIGANTIC giraffe that's over 4 feet tall! (Jack has dubbed it "Super G") Leo is quite smitten with him. He hugs him, tries to climb on his back for a ride, and uses him as a new wrestling partner.

Zoo time

2011-08-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Nana and Papa took us to the zoo in Salt Lake, and Leo had a fabulous time. He was really happy to see the giraffes. (His favorite stuffed animal is a giraffe that he calls "G" so he gets very excited when he sees the real thing)

We saw lots of animals, rode the little train around the zoo, and even got to ride the carousel... on a giraffe of course!

Nana's house

2011-08-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

We went to Utah to visit Nana and Papa. Leo had a great time rolling in the grass, sitting in the birdbath, and eating raspberries right off the bushes. He also had fun playing at the park and being silly with grandpa.

Kayaking on the Lake

2011-08-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

We've been meaning to take the kayaks out on the lake by our house since we moved here a year ago. Last summer we were busy painting, doing house projects, and getting unpacked. And of course, this summer Jack has been gone, so I decided we should just go, and see how we fared doing it on our own. This was our first time kayaking without Jack, so it was a little more complicated getting the boat in and out of the water, but Leo and I managed.

It was a nice (somewhat cooler) day, and the lake setting could not have more beautiful. We enjoyed looking at all the trees, and the clear blue skies. As we paddled around I taught Leo the names of all the animals we saw: duck, goose, frog, fish, turtle. (He is really learning new words quickly now) We had a great time!

Jack's Hump Day

2011-07-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Jack has reached his hump day, the half-way point of his 6-month deployment. Hooray!

It's been very hot in Iraq. Jack sent me this photo of the thermometer in his truck. That's right, it says 122 degrees.

They had a BBQ yesterday for some co-workers that were headed home and Jack posed for this photo. The large building in the background is the Al Faw Palace, a former palace that is now used for military offices.

Jack's job changed a few months ago and he has been working on the drawdown plan for Southern Iraq. He's figuring out when to send the DCMA people home and monitoring the base handover to the Iraqis. It's a pretty interesting process. They work very long hours, 7 days a week, but Jack said it helps make the time go by more quickly.

We are counting down the weeks till Jack gets home. Leo and I can't wait to be with him again. We get to webchat with him every day, but it's just not the same as having him home and being able to wrap our arms around his neck. We miss you honey!

Rocket Man

2011-07-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Leo attended the birthday party of his little friend, Mary Harper last Saturday. It was at a local park, and the weather was actually very pleasant that day (not too humid). Leo had a great time playing on the playground. He also enjoyed playing in the sand box, and eating lots of sand.

Leo liked the cupcakes, although he just licked all the frosting off, and then switched back to his slice of watermelon.

They had a pinata full of small toys. Leo came home with a little bag of goodies, which included these cool sunglasses.

He looks like an early Elton John.

Independence Day

2011-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Leo and I couldn't think of a better place to spend Independence Day than at our Nation's capital. We spent the evening on the lawn in front of the Capitol Building watching a free concert and then the fireworks.

The fireworks show was shorter than I thought it would be, but it was still cool to see them shooting off in front of the Washington Monument. It was a pretty incredible sight. And Leo seemed to like the fireworks- he pointed at them, and opened his mouth wide, with his 'suprised' expression.

It was fun spending the evening with a few hundred thousand of our closest friends! I couldn't believe just how many people were there. It was pretty crazy.

When the show was over, we just walked back to our hotel room (We found a good deal on a hotel that was just 3 blocks from Capitol Hill) and went to bed at a semi-decent hour. I'm so glad we did, because the crowds were insane and I know it would have taken us several hours to get home on the metro!

We are so thankful to live in this great nation, and for the many freedoms we enjoy...

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Here we go again!

2011-06-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Leo is 18 months old now. I know it's cliche... but it really does seem like yesterday that we brought Leo home from the hospital. He was so tiny. And now he's a walking, talking, busy little toddler-- full of fun and mischief.

We're ready to add another little one to our family, so we started the adoption paperwork a few months ago, and have now been "approved." Now we just have to wait for a birthmother to pick us...

If you know someone who is considering adoption for her baby we hope that you will pass our information along.

Adoption really is about love. It is a blessing for both families, and we have witnessed firsthand the many miracles that occur along the way. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our little family.

Our profile on LDS Family Services website: https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/25727318/ourMessage.jsf

I came across this story on adoption today, and had to share it:
http://www.designmom.com/2010/05/adoption-story-from-anonymous/

Free Summer Fun

2011-06-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons we love the DC area is that there is always something to do: free concerts, activities for kids, and other fun stuff. Last weekend we went to a free Summer Concert at the lake that is just blocks from our house. The weather was perfect that night (the humidity was actually very low) and it was a beautiful setting, overlooking the lake. The sun was setting, and the fire flies were buzzing around. It was lovely. The band was from South Africa and they played "township" music which was fantastic. I loved it.

On Saturday we went to see "Ryan Buckle and friends" which was a free show for kids at an outdoor amphitheatre. Ryan played great songs on the guitar about animals and science... then Zelda did cool science experiments between each song. All the kids loved it. Even Leo was getting into the music. (Ryan's songs are cute and fun, without being annoying to adult ears. We bought his CD, and are excited about his new one that will be all about Space!)

Hooray for free summer fun!

Ding-Dong, it's a new door!

2011-06-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

The makeover of our front door and porch area is almost complete...

As you can see from the photo below I started by painting the door black, then replaced the porch light with something more modern. This week I installed some glass panels with a DIY kit I bought online. Was it scary to cut 3 huge holes in our front door? Absolutely! But it turned out great, and I LOVE the way it looks.

This style is authentic to the period of the house (1960s) and the best part is that it lets in a lot of light. I also removed the glass storm door (having to go through two doors with a squirming toddler and a diaper bag was not easy!). The house looks so much better without it. I'm loving our "new" door!

Cute faces

2011-06-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

Summer in the Pool

2011-06-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood has a pool, and we debated on whether or not we should pay the membership fee this year. (It's about 400 bucks) Several friends talked me into it, and today was our first day at the pool. It was awesome!

It was over 100 degrees today, and humid to boot. So when a friend texted to see if Leo and I wanted to join her at the pool we jumped at the chance!

They have a kiddie pool that is fenced off from the larger pool, so Leo and the other toddlers were contained. And the pool is only about a foot deep so they can splash and play to their hearts' content. Part of the pool is shaded too, so we could sit at the edge and be in the shade. Nice! At one point Leo found the hose that was refilling the pool, and he thought that was the best toy of all.

It looks like we are going to be at the pool a LOT this summer. At least we'll get our money's worth...

Going back to Cali

2011-06-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Leo and I flew to California for two weeks to spend time with our family, and attend my cousin's wedding. We spent a couple days at the beach in Santa Monica, where Leo waded into the water and spent hours playing in the sand. He loves the beach.

Then we drove up to my parents' house where we got to spend lots of time with the extended family. It was great! My sister and her son Bridger also flew in for the weekend, so Leo and Bridger got to play together again.

Leo had a great time in the garage with Grandpa. He followed him around for hours, and just loved checking out all that interesting stuff. Grandpa even gave him a hammer and a board with some nails he could hammer. He was in little boy heaven.

Leo's language skills really took off during our time there. He started saying "Pa" (for Grandpa), and about 20 other words for the first time: outside, down, eat, stuff, bath, chip, sock, drink, etc.
It was amazing.

Jessie's wedding was really nice. They had tents set up next to the lake, so the setting was beautiful. The weather even cooperated, and the rain held off until the following day. (whew!)

I spent a couple of days doing the flowers, which was really fun. (I really do enjoy it- especially now that I am not doing flowers every day) It was a fun day, and I enjoyed spending time with all my cousins who had come to town for the wedding.

Follow the Leader

2011-05-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Leo's friend Mary Harper came over today for a playdate. Their favorite activity has been carrying around this green snake from both ends. They have been running back and forth, from one end of the house to the other, laughing and giggling the whole time. So cute!

You'll have to watch the video to get the full effect of their cuteness...

Watermelon

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jack loves watermelon. Seriously. On his list of top 'loves', it would have to be me and Leo at the top, and then watermelon would be a close third. During the summer, when watermelon is in season, we buy 2-3 a week. Jack will cut one up, and fill one of our large tupperware containers with the large ruby-red cubes. And then he will eat it, all day long. You've never seen watermelon disappear so quickly.

When I was at the store yesterday I saw them. A giant pallet bin-- filled to the top with the large green orbs. And I'm not going to lie- I felt a lump in my throat, and I had to choke back some tears. It made me sad to think that Jack won't be home for watermelon season this year.

I bought one anyway. And today I cut it up into large cubes, just like Jack does. I filled up a giant tupperware container, and I have been eating it all day. And guess what? Leo LOVES watermelon too. Just like his daddy.

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-05-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about 16 month old boys... but they can get into trouble in the blink of an eye. Here are just a two examples from a week in the life of Leo:

Tuesday: Mom was on the treadmill in the family room. Leo was playing in the same room, on the other side of the barrier mom made to keep him out. Leo decided to break through the barrier (which he has never done before), and in a split second was climbing onto the back of the moving treadmill. He planted one hand on it and was instantly spun backwards, doing a faceplant on the moving belt as we went down. Result: Raspberry on the end of his nose, and a big fat lip.

Saturday: Leo scratched himself when he was playing, with an unknown object. Result: Scab on the side of his nose.

Sunday: Leo was playing in nursery at church. He tripped and hit his lip on the back of a kiddie chair. Result: Lip cut open from one of his teeth, and LOTS of blood. Mom and nursery leaders very freaked out.

Needless to say, I felt like a horrible mom most of the week... I hope I can keep Leo alive until his next birthday. Should I keep a football helmet on him, or what?

Swim Lessons

2011-05-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Leo had his first swim lesson last week. He was definitely the oldest one there (16 months), and the other babies were all about 5-9 months old.

We sang songs and splashed and twirled around in the water to get the babies accoustomed to the water. Leo swam a lot last summer, so he was perfectly comfortable in the water. But he did enjoy smiling and laughing at all those babies!

I know his eyes are closed in this photo, but the expression on his face is just adorable. What a cutie.

Jack's First Helicopter Ride

2011-05-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Jack had the opportunity of riding in a helicopter for the first time last week. (It was pretty exciting since it was in Iraq.) Here he is with his boss on the flight. They were visiting another base to do some evaluations.
Now that there is a drawdown of US forces in Iraq, Jack is part of a team that is determining how to transition sites that are being returned to the department of State or the government of Iraq. He is tracking about 30 of these sites and has to coordinate how things will be shut down or moved, and handed over.

This was the first time Jack has left the base, which is surrounded by huge walls- so it was the first time he's been able to see what the surrounding countryside looks like. Here are some pictures of farmland with small towns. He sat right next to the door (that they kept open the whole time) so it was 1,500 feet straight down. (Yikes) But what a view!

Here are some Iraqi helicopters they saw on their way in. The US Air Force is training the Iraqi soldiers how to fly helicopters and airplanes.

The Places We've Been

2011-05-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Jack and I love to travel. We have been collecting sand from the places we visit since we got married almost 8 years ago. (It actually started before that, when I brought home a little bottle of sand from the beaches in Southern France, where I served my mission) Our little sand collection has grown over the years, and I searched in vain for a way to properly display our collection. I eventually made my own wall shelf, and filled it with small glass vials that I ordered online. This project is finally complete! I am so pleased with the results.

As I retyped the labels for these vials I was reminded of all the places we've been, and all the memories came flooding back. I had to call Jack so we could reminisce together. We laughed at some of the memories, and shook our heads at some of the 'adventures' we had along the way. It was so much fun to remember all of those experiences.

In short, this collection has done what we hoped it would. It stands as a reminder of the places we've been, and how life is "always an adventure"...

Our Funny Boy

2011-05-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Our funny little Leo. What a cutie! I had to share some of his photos from the last month. This first one show how his 4 top teeth are coming in. It took him a while (14 months) to finally get some teeth, but they're coming in strong now.

He has recently discovered the power of those front teeth and so he likes to bite off big chunks of food, which fill his little cheeks to capacity.

We went with some friends to a nearby park and Leo had a great time on the slides and the swing. He also got a hold of mom's hat, which was a fun new toy.

Lastly, a friend gave us this play lawn mower, which Leo has enjoyed pushing around the yard. (It might be fun for him now, but we'll see how he feels about mowing when he's 15.) I'm not sure what he's pointing at in this one, but I think it was a plane flying overhead. Leo is getting more and more interested in airplanes, which thrills his Daddy. I think Jack is already planning some trips to the Air and Space museum with Leo when he gets home.

This place is a Zoo!

2011-05-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

Leo had his first trip to the zoo this week, and he loved it. The National Zoo, which is here in DC, is on the smaller side but it has free admission, which is great. I think it will be a popular destination for us this summer.

Leo can only say 'dog' and 'cat', so he called the lions and tigers 'cat' and eveything else was a dog. I think his favorite was the monkeys and gorillas because they swung around on the ropes and bars, which was pretty exciting to Leo. He also liked the elephant, which I'm sure is the biggest animal he had ever seen.

Leo has always enjoyed pointing at things, from the time he was a baby. And the zoo sure gave him a lot of things to point at...

Dogwoods

2011-05-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

DC is known for it's famous display of Cherry blossoms, but I have to say that the real show stopper around here is the Dogwood. The beautiful flowering Dogwood- which is a tree, but happens to be Virginia's state flower- comes in many shades of pink and white.

We are lucky enough to have two of them in our front yard, and hundreds of them throughout our neighborhood. They are spectacular, and I just had to show them off!

Chillin' with Saddam

2011-05-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

Jack just had to pose with this mural of Saddam Hussein and get a photo.

(And doesn't Saddam look like a nice guy?!)

Home Improvements

2011-04-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I have been working on the exterior of the house, and the front yard. It is amazing what a difference a few changes can make. It started when I painted the front door. (I just had to get rid of that country blue color!) I also painted the original 1962 hardware, which I love for it's vintage feel.

This week I took down the shutters and window boxes so I could paint them black. But when I got the shutters down I realized that I liked the house a lot better without them. And since I'm going for a clean, mid-century modern look (like the era of the house), it makes sense. So the shutters went out to live in the shed, and the window boxes got painted and put pack up. They even got some new flowers planted in them. The house was looking so much better! I still plan to replace that carriage style porch light (yuk!) with something more modern that will go with the new house numbers I put up. It's going to look fantastic!

Next, the yard.

First I had to get rid of all those weeds in that bed along the sidewalk.

I have wanted to edge the sidewalk with some nice plants, but it was going to cost me several hundred dollars for that many plants. I wasn't ready to invest that much in it. So when I read on a blog that someone was tearing out a whole patch of lirope from their yard, I promptly emailed them to see if I could pick them up. It was an hour and a half drive to Richmond, but I got over 100 plants out of it. (Which would have cost me about $500) Sweet! And they were the exact plant I had wanted in the first place. Awesome.

Look how full my car was! (Thanks John and Sherry for hooking me up!)

It took me a couple of days to dig up the weeds, plant the lirope, cut a trench along the edge, lay down the weed cloth, and then spread the mulch. It was back-breaking work, and I am exhausted now... but it was all worth it. I am so pleased with the results.

Here is a 'before' picture of the house when we bought it a year ago. You can see it with the blue shutters. We're not quite done yet, but we have made a lot of progress...

Little Boy Blue

2011-04-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

Leo loves blueberries.

I was making a smoothie one morning, and decided to pull out a couple of frozen blueberries for Leo. I put them on his high chair tray... and it was love at first bite.

Soon his face was covered in purpley colored juice, and his hands were sticky and blue. Here he is, doing the sign for "more."

More, more, more! He just can't get enough of them.

Easter Fun

2011-04-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

It's a few weeks before Easter, but we had a Easter Egg Hunt at my sister's house on Sunday. Leo didn't grasp the concept at first, and preferred to pick up sticks and pinecones instead of eggs, but he eventually got the hang of it. And when he discovered that the eggs were full of candy he got even more enthusiastic...

Double Trouble

2011-04-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

We visited my sister in Utah and Leo had a great time with his cousin Bridger (who is 7 weeks older).

They had fun tickling each other, playing in their tunnel, and getting into trouble all over the house. Leo taught Bridger how to empty the kitchen drawers, and Bridger taught Leo how to throw things down the stairs. They were full of energy, and had lots of mischievous fun together.

Our first day in Utah felt like "Spring", but that quickly changed to a week of snow and heavy rain. Leo and I had packed our Spring clothing, so we were not prepared for such cold weather! Brrr.
Luckily, the sun came out and we enjoyed a few sunny days before coming home.

Jack in Iraq

2011-04-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

Jack made it safely to Iraq, and is getting settled in.

He had a layover in Germany, then arrived in Kuwait, where he had to wait to fly to Iraq for a couple of days. He stayed in one of these huge tents, which sleeps about 6 guys.

It took about an hour to fly up to Iraq on a C-130. Once he arrived to Baghdad he got checked in and was able to get into his new room. He's staying in a CHU (Compartmentalized Housing Unit), which is basically a big metal container separated into rooms.

He also checked in at his new office, where he got three days of on-the-job training from the guy that he's replacing (before he left for home). Fortunately, there are lots of other people in the office to help him learn the ropes.

He sent this photo of a "dust storm" which affects visibility, but is less intense than a "sand storm" (The second one is what it looked like before the dust storm.)

Luckily, we've been able to talk to Jack on the phone since he got over there. And we've also been able to web-chat a few times, which is really nice. We love you Jack! We're all praying for your safe return.

Farewell

2011-03-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jack left for Iraq yesterday. He will be gone for 6 months. Saying goodbye was heartbreaking, and we miss him already.

It will take him several days to get to Baghdad, where he will be staying. (He will be working for DCMA as an auditor of service contracts for the military.) Once he gets settled we should be able to talk on the phone and do web-chats, so we are looking forward to that. Thank goodness for modern technology that makes it so much easier to keep in touch, regardless of where you are in the world.

My aunt was telling me that when her husband went off to Vietnam that she rarely got a letter from him, and only got to talk to him once by short wave radio. (He waited in line for 2 hours to make the call, but they could hardly hear each other, she cried the whole time, and then they got cut off!) Thank goodness for modern technology!

Jack and Leo have been spending lots of quality time together the last few weeks. They've had a great time riding horse back, wrestling on the floor, and having 'tickle fiesta'. Leo sure loves his daddy!

Cherry Blossom Festival

2011-03-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

We drove into DC today to see the Cherry Blossoms festival. The blossoms are at their peak this week, and they were pretty incredible. Over 3700 trees surround the Tidal Basin, and the Jefferson Memorial.
People from all over the world were there to see the trees in all their splendor.

It was a chilly 40 degrees outside today, so that put a damper on our Spring-time revelry... but we had a great time nonetheless.

Here are some more photos of those fabulous flowering trees:

Laughing Leo

2011-03-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

Shenanigans

2011-03-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Leo is 14 months old now, and is so full of personality. He still loves pointing at things, but now he also does this funny shrugging thing, with his elbows put together, and hands put out. (as seen in the bath photos below) It is so charming.

Leo is also really into books. He loves pointing at the pictures, and bringing them to me so I can read him a story. (His attention span has improved slightly so he will actually sit still long enough to hear one.)

Leo was in his room today, playing while I was in the kitchen. It was a little too quiet in there... I should have known that he was up to something. A few mintues later he came out of his room covered in baby powder.

(at least this mess was easy to clean up!)

And for the biggest news of all... it looks like Leo is FINALLY getting some teeth!

If you look closely you can see the two on the bottom starting to push through. Yesterday afternoon he was really in pain, so I just rocked him for about a half an hour until the Tylenol kicked in, and then he took a 2 1/2 hour nap... then he was fine. Poor little guy. I'm sure there are some sleepless nights ahead.

Finally, a cute video of Leo playing with a stuffed animal.
He never ceases to amaze me with his cuteness...

100% Boy

2011-02-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

It's been suprisingly warm this week, and we are loving the 60 and 70 degree temperatures. I took Leo into the backyard yesterday, and he was having the time of his life! This was the first time he's really been outside to roam around since he started walking, so he was thrilled to be exploring everything in the backyard. He picked up every stick he came upon, waved it in the air, and then carried it along until he found another stick that he liked better. He crumbled up leaves, dug in the dirt, felt the rough bark of all the trees, and picked blades of grass. He was in little boy heaven.

Today I was outside working on a project during Leo's nap. (I'm sanding off the old finish of a coffee table I bought for $20) When he woke up a while later I brought him outside with me and he was fascinated by the sander, and the whole sanding process. I put my ear protectors on his head, and he looked so cute with his chubby cheeks squished together. And I guess he liked wearing them because he toddled off to explore the backyard while they were still on.

Leo is all boy. He loves dirt, sticks, and power tools.

Then and Now

2011-02-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

Leo had two pairs of these cute dinosaur pajamas.

One in 'newborn' and one for '12 months'.What a change, from then to now.

Now that Leo is 13 months old I guess we can't really call him a baby anymore. I'll have to change the header of our blog to just "Jack, Mandi and Leo"...

Toddler Time

2011-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Leo has embraced toddlerhood whole heartily. He has a mind of his own now, and he moves swiftly from room to room, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Drawers are emptied and shelves are cleared with hurricane force...

The good news is that he can entertain himself for hours. To him, everything is a toy, whether it is a plastic colander or a box of kleenex. My efforts to pick-up after him may be futile, but it is so fun to watch his little face as he plays and explores and makes big messes. He gets so animated, and has such a good time that it's hard for me to keep from laughing at his crazy antics. What a cutie.

Here's a photo of Leo tearing up the hotel room in Colorado, where we stayed for a few days while Jack was there on business. As you can see, the floor was littered with debris from Leo's exploits. He also enjoyed climbing in and out of the bathroom cabinet. Like I said, he can entertain himself with just about anything...

These boots were made for walkin'

2011-01-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

Leo has been perfecting his walking skills all month. He would usually take 4 or 5 steps and then decide that crawling was faster. But yesterday seemed to be his breakthrough. He kept walking and walking and walking- a little further each time. (I think he was actually showing off my for my friend Margret and her 7 year old son)

He's been talking and babbling a lot too- you can hear a bit of that in the second video. It's so cute.
Just look at him go!

Recap of Leo's 1st Year

2011-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

Leo's 1st Year

He's been on 15 flights.

He's lived in 3 states.

He's been to 9 states. (UT, CA, AL, GA, VA, MD, DC, PA, NJ)

He's been to almost every Smithsonian and monument in Washington DC.

He's been to the White House.

He's been kayaking on 2 rivers and 1 lake.

He's been to the Pacific ocean.

It looks like Leo is getting a running start to a life full of fun and adventure.

We love our little adventurer!

Happy Birthday Leo!

2011-01-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

We had a birthday party for Leo today. And since Leo was born on Elvis Presley's birthday we decided to go with an Elvis theme. We ate some of Elvis' favorite foods: grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches, fried chicken, mac n' cheese, biscuits, glazed donuts and orange soda. And we had cupcakes for the birthday boy, of course!

We had just a few friends over, and Melissa flew out from Utah. It was great having her here to celebrate Leo's birthday.

Leo really went crazy with his cupcake. He started by sucking off the frosting, which gave him a fluffy white beard! Then he just picked up the cupcake and ate it in about 4 bites! He seemed to really enjoy all that sugary goodness. (We included a short video below, if you want to see the carnage)

We can't believe that our little baby Leo is such a big boy now. He is growing up so fast! We are so grateful that Leo came into our lives a year ago. He has brought us so much joy and happiness. We just can't imagine life without him.

12 months of Leo

2011-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Leo turns 1 this week-and here is his year in review.

It's amazing how much he changed from month to month. We sure love that crazy hair and darling smile.

Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T14:51:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that another year has passed, and what a year it has been. Leo was born almost a year ago, and he has grown so much! He is the joy of our lives. Jack finished up his year of school in Alabama, and we moved to the DC/Northern Virginia area. We spent several months on home improvement projects on our new house, and have been making new friends and exploring all there is to see in Washington DC. We are sure that 2011 will be another great year, and we look forward to all the adventures ahead...

We flew to California last week and spent Christmas with Mandi's family. We had a huge French dinner on Christmas Eve, with about 35 members of the family. And of course, the evening finished off with a fun white elephant game and several viewings of "A Christmas Story." (our very favorite movie--it's hilarious!) All the little girl cousins loved toting Leo around like their little mascot. We think he really liked having so many playmates.

My sister Jen and her family were there all week, also. Leo had a great time playing with his cousin Bridger, who is just 2 months older than Leo. But no matter how many toys were around, they always wanted to play with the same toy, at the same time.

Leo is getting better and better at walking. He walks behind his little airplane like a real pro. His balance has really improved, and so has his confidence. I'm sure that he will be walking on his own any day now... yikes.

We made a visit to Mandi's grandma Lucy, her dad's mom.
And here is the picture, of 4 generations!

Our last night in California we stayed in LA, so we could make it to our early flight the next day. We drove over to the beach, and made it just in time to see the sunset, and for Leo to play in the sand for a bit. He loved crawling around and getting really sandy. That kid sure loves the beach!

After that we walked around on the Santa Monica pier, and took Leo on the Ferris wheel. Even though it was already dark, the views from up there were pretty amazing. All the lights of LA on one side, and the foamy white waves of the ocean on the other side. Leo loved the flashing lights of the rides, and having all those people to look at. (People watching is one of his very favorite activities.)

The next day we flew home. Luckily, there were no weather issues so we made it home without any delays. Leo is such a good traveler. He did great on the plane, and even took a nice long nap, curled up on the seat with his favorite giraffe blanket. What a cutie!

Put your hands together...

2010-12-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Leo has been so fun lately, and so full of new tricks, that I just had to post some video and photos of it all.
He stuns us with his cuteness everyday.
We *heart* Leo.

He loves climbing over the furniture, and climbing into his toy box.

Jack has taught him to 'high-5', which really makes him laugh.

And he's learned to clap, which makes us laugh!

Is he cute or what?

Christmas in Washington DC

2010-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas here in the DC area has been so much fun! We have really tried to take advantage of everything there is to do here.

Today we went on a tour of the White House- which is incredibly beautiful on its own... but with all the Christmas decorations in place, it was magnificent. Ms. Obama's theme this for this year was "Simple Gifts" and everything was just lovely.

The two gold trees here (in the windows) are made from folded newspaper which has been painted and glittered. I read that they were patterned after some trees that were made in the 1940s, when they had very little resources (due to WWII) to decorate the White House. They were amazing. (I'm totally going to make one!) These potted trees were created with some birch branches, and were wrapped with crystal beaded garlands. The picture doesn't do them justice- they were really beautiful in person.

As you first enter the East Wing you see these large wreaths in the windows. They were made from small dried gourds, pomegranates, and artichokes.

This year's gingerbread house was not made of gingerbread... but white chocolate instead. Pretty impressive, eh?

Every room has a fireplace, and every mantel was covered in lovely garlands. This one, in the red room, was made of magnolia leaves and glittery red spheres. Again, the photos don't do it justice...There were many large garlands around mantels and doorways- and in each room they were made from different type of greenery. This room had a gold theme- the trees and garlands were stuffed with leaves and bulbs and ribbons in many shades of gold. It looked especially pretty against the gold features of the room- enormous chandeliers, large gilded mirrors, and golden wall sconces. Amazing. The East Room had a Peacock theme- and was done in deep shades of blue and purple and gold. It was so inspiring. It made me want to repaint my whole house in those lovely deep shades... Well, that was our tour. As we came out of the tour we headed to Starbucks for some hot chocolate... and it started snowing. (Our first snow!) There's nothing like snow to make things feel Christmasy.

If you're ever in Washington, I highly recommend going on the White House Tour. (Just email your Congressperson to request tickets, at least a few months in advance)

Last week we attended the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony with a couple of friends. We bundled Leo up as much as we could, then took the metro into the city. There were thousands of people there, and they had two large video screens set up so you could actually see what was going on center stage. The Obamas were there of course, and the performers were Ingrid Michaelson, BB King, and Maroon 5. We wanted to stay for the whole thing, but ended up leaving early because poor Leo was so cold. We headed to a nearby restaurant where we could warm up and have some soup for dinner.

It was a fun night. Despite the freezing temperatures, it was fun to be out there, celebrating the Christmas season in our Nation's capital. We feel so fortunate to live here.

11 months old

2010-12-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Yep. He's 11 months old.

Leo is still practicing his walking skills, learning balance and how to get his legs to move how he wants them to. And instead of just babbling Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma, he now says "Mama" or "Dada" and actually means it! It melts our hearts.

Leo is still the happiest, smiliest baby we know, and is always curious about the people we meet and the places we go. He is a joy to all who know him. We love our sweet baby boy!

Santa Claus is coming to town

2010-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

I took Leo to the mall today, and had his picture taken with Santa. All the other kids screamed when they got on Santa's lap, but Leo looked stoic. He just stared at me with those big Bambi eyes, occasionally looking at Santa with a curious stare. What a cutie!

HO.HO.HO.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Shrug and a Haircut... two bits!

2010-11-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

Leo's latest trick is shrugging his shoulders. Unfortunately, we haven't captured it on video yet, but is really is the cutest thing. Sometimes he does it when he is mad or frustrated, but sometimes he just gives you a funny look and shrugs. It's hilarious.

And last week, when we were in Carpinteria, we took Leo to get his first haircut.
We took him to the little barber shop in town that Marty owns. ("Marty the one-man-party")

Here is the "before" photo. Leo sat patiently in my lap while Marty cut his hair. What a trooper. And Marty was great. Leo posed with him for the "after" shot.

Doesn't Leo look handsome? So grown up! He doesn't look like a baby anymore...

Thanksgiving at the Beach

2010-11-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

We flew to California to spend Thanksgiving week with my family at the Carpinteria State Beach Campground. All of my extended family was there, as well as Jack's parents, who drove down from Utah. We had a great time!

This was Leo's first beach experience. He loved playing in the sand, eating sand, and splashing in the water. We had so much fun playing together, digging sand castles and moats, and just watching Leo explore. What a cutie!

Leo also enjoyed getting to know his 2nd cousins, and their kids. We all just love Carpinteria! It's a great little beach town. We had campfires every night, went on long walks along the beach, explored the tide pools, watched the sun set, and rode bikes all over town. These have been some of my favorite things to do since I was a kid, so it was wonderful to share these experiences with Leo. I hope he grows to love that place as much as I do.

It's a walker?

2010-11-17T15:43:00.001-08:00

Jack and I were sitting in the living room tonight, talking and watching Leo play on the floor in the dining room. He was holding onto the legs of his high chair when all of a sudden he started walking forward! (Like an old man with his walker) Our chins hit the floor as we gawked at Leo's new-found ability. Luckily, we were able to quickly duplicate the feat, and capture it on video.

Wow. We've almost got a walker on our hands.

Arlington National Cemetery

2010-11-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

We went on a tour of Arlington National Cemetery last weekend. It's such a beautiful place. With it's serene hilltop location and stunning views of Washington DC on the other side of the Potomac, it was especially pretty with all the trees in their Fall colors.

We saw the graves of JFK and Jackie Kennedy, and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the changing of the guard happens every hour. This tomb is guarded 24/7 by a soldier in full dress uniform. It was pretty moving to think about the thousands of men who have died in war, and whose remains were never indentified. We are so grateful for these brave men that gave their lives to defend our nation and protect the freedom of people around the world.

Leo's top 10

2010-11-09T05:28:00.001-08:00

In honor of Leo's 10 months of life, I decided to make a list of his top 10:

1) Crawling on, over, or on top of Mom & Dad
2) Putting things in his mouth (toys, paper, socks, dirt, leaves, dead moths, etc.)
3) Crawling/Exploring/Getting into stuff
4) Sightseeing in DC/People watching
5) Watching other kids
6) Babbling/Talking/Singing
7) Swinging in his backyard swing
8) Going for walks in the stroller
9) Dancing with Mom in the kitchen
10) Gumming new foods (cucumber, apples, breadsticks, carrots, celery)

Leo makes us laugh every day. He is so active and curious about everything. We can see his mind working as he tries to figure out something new, or something he hasn't seen before. And when he finally 'gets' it, his face lights up and he smiles with that beautiful toothless grin! We adore him. We are so grateful for our sweet baby boy.

Here are a few of our favorite photos from the month.

1st Halloween

2010-11-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Leo made a very cute tiger cub for his first Halloween.

He looked especially cute crawling around...

(The heavy breathing in the video is actually me trying to contain my laughter.

He was so cute, I just couldn't keep from giggling.)

Kites on the Mall

2010-10-18T15:07:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, and very windy... so we decided to fly our kites.

We couldn't think of any parks that had a large open space (with no trees) so we decided to head over to the National Mall. The field surrounding the Washington Monument turned out to be the perfect location for flying kites. It's a large grassy area, with no trees, and it's on a small hill, so the wind was great. And you could't beat the views- the Washington Monument behind us, and the Capitol building in front of us. Incredible!

When we finished there, we walked over to the Old Post Office building, and went on a tour of the bell tower. The views of the city were great. (it was very windy up there!)

And the building itself was quite beautiful. It's hard to believe that they almost tore it down in the 1930's. Luckily, the goverment didn't have enough money to do so, so it sat vacant until the 1970's when some people fought to save it, then raised the money to renovate it. Thank goodness! I hate to see old beautiful buildings torn down.

Bath Time

2010-10-18T14:14:00.001-07:00

Check out Leo's new 'do!

I mean, who doesn't love a mohawk on a baby?

Leo's hair is getting pretty long on the top.

We couldn't resist making over his hairstyle.

And who doesn't love a good baby bath photo?

Melissa's Visit

2010-10-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

Leo's birthmom Melissa came out for a visit this weekend, and we had a great time touring the city. This was her first trip to DC, so it was fun to show her around.

We managed to see quite a lot in just a few days. We saw the Lincoln memorial, Air and Space Museum, the Capitol, Library of Congress, Museum of American History, Vietnam Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington Cemetary, and the National Archives, to see the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution. So many great things to see!

Of course, Leo was the main attraction, and I know that she really loved spending time with Leo and seeing how much he has grown. It was great having her here! We had so much fun together.

9 months and counting

2010-10-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? Leo is 9 months old, and we know that his 1st birthday will be here before we know it!

Leo did NOT want to sit still for this photo, and it took several photo shoots, on different days, to get a decent shot. He doesn't like to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. And he was determined to eat that sign. I know that these monthly photos are not going to get any easier.

Leo is into everything. Last week I found him in the bathroom. The toilet seat was splashed with water and his sleeves were soaking wet. But of course, he just looked up at me with those big Bambi eyes- so innocent looking! Needless to say, we now keep the bathroom doors tightly closed.

Leo's favorite new toy is a stand-up play table that Jack's coworker gave us. Leo just loves moving all the levers and gadgets to hear the music and see the lights. (Toys are much fancier now than when I was a kid!) He also loves standing up and feeling like a big, big boy.

We've also started feeding him some fruits and veggies. He loves bananas and avocados. And this week, while having a picnic, Jack let him gnaw on his apple. He loved it, of course.

Fall Festival

2010-10-12T04:15:00.000-07:00

We took Leo to Cox Farm on Saturday, which is about 1o miles from here. They have a huge Fall Festival every year, with a petting zoo, giant slides, a corn maze, and free apple cider and apples. We also got to pick pumpkins on our way out. It was a beautiful Fall day, and it was so nice to be outside enjoying the weather and seeing the trees start to change colors.

We had a great time, are are looking forward to taking Leo again next year, when he's a little older, and can enjoy the festivities a bit more.

Leo was all tuckered out after a fun morning at the festival, but he still didn't want to let go of his pumpkin. He fell asleep the instant we got in the car.

Oktoberfest

2010-09-27T05:02:00.001-07:00

We love to celebrate Oktoberfest, and this year we had a great one with our friends the Floyds and Kronmillers. We feasted on yummy German food while enjoying some fantastic Fall weather in our backyard.

We also had a bonfire in our new fire pit, and roasted marshmallows. After a very hot and humid summer, it was so nice to spend some time outside. It was a perfect night. (we didn't even get eaten alive by mosquitos!)

Summer Fun

2010-09-26T16:47:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we went camping at Pohick Bay. We kayaked on the bay, which is part of the Potomac river. This was Leo's 3rd kayaking experience. The first time (2 months old) he slept the whole time. The second time (4 months old) he cried the whole time. This time (8 months old) he loved it. He wanted to paddle the boat himself.

On Saturday we went to a Pakistani restaurant, where they had one of these rickshaw cars that was brightly painted.
(Jack said that I'm actually a much better driver that Leo let's on!)
.

(Note how they added vinyl text to the car: "God Bless America") Funny.

Uh oh.

2010-09-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

It's official. Leo's crawling.

He's been doing the belly crawl for about 4 weeks, and today he figured out how to get on his knees and stay there. He's also figured out that he can get from point A to point B much faster by crawling on his knees. This means he can get into stuff more quickly and efficiently.

Another development on the Eastern front- he's standing up now. I went into his room last week, and found him standing up in his crib! I don't know why, but the first time you see your child do this... it is a shock. Suddenly, your baby isn't lying in the crib where you left him, but he is standing up, holding onto the railing and looking up at you. And then it hits you like a ton of bricks.

He's not a baby anymore. *Gulp*

Don't eat that.

2010-09-18T07:00:00.001-07:00

Leo ate his first dirt yesterday.

With his new mobility, Leo is getting into everything. And my new, most-uttered phrase is: "Don't eat that." I don't know how he does it, but no matter how much I sweep and mop, he still manages to find dried leaves, dead moths, or other things to put in his mouth. Even the house plants (which he previously ignored) are now fair game. I can't take my eyes off him for a second.

Leo is curious about everything, and has been exploring every corner of the house. He is so fun to watch. I love seeing the look of wonder on his face when he discovers something new.

8 months old

2010-09-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

Leo is 8 months old, and is changing so fast. He started creeping (belly crawl) last week, and is occasionally getting up on his knees and rocking back and forth... so yes, the real crawling is just around the corner. This means big changes around our house, and we are making attempts to baby proof everything (if that is even possible). Check out the video below if you want to see the little guy in action.

Leo is becoming more active and independent. He doesn't like to sit still for diaper changes, preferring instead to twist and perform all sorts of evasive maneuvers. He also doesn't like to sit in his car seat for more than an hour, or to sit on your lap through 3 hours of church. He likes to move and explore and wriggle and twist. He is curious about everything and everyone! And of course, because he's so cute and so charming, he makes friends everywhere we go.

My parents are visiting from California, and are here for two weeks. On Monday we went on tour of Jefferson's home 'Monticello' which is about two hours from here. Monticello is lovely. We really enjoyed touring the house and the beautifully manicured gardens. Our tour guide kept losing her train of thought during her much-rehearsed script... "I'm sorry" she'd say, "but I'm distracted by this adorable baby!" (And who could blame her?)

Last week Leo and I visited the Air and Space Museum. Leo really liked the planes and cool space stuff.

I bought him a light-up toy which mesmerized him for just a few seconds before it became a chew toy.

Here's the video of Leo doing the belly crawl:

House Photos

2010-08-31T11:04:00.001-07:00

Many of you have asked for photos of our new house. Well, most of our big projects on the main floor are complete, so we finally took some photos of it. And here they are!
(I have included the "before" photos at the bottom)

BEFORE PHOTOS

We removed the various wallpaper borders, painted over the sponge-treatment walls, got rid of those bizare valances, replaced the country blue countertops and ugly tile backsplash. We painted the brick fireplace white, painted over the olive green walls, and so much more...

Master bedroom & Leo's room

Philadelphia Phun

2010-08-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

Jack had to attend a work meeting in Philadelphia last week, so Leo and I decided to tag along. (It was about a 3 hour car-ride from here.) Jack's dad is from Philly, so he's been there lots of times, but this was my second trip there, and Leo's first.

Leo and I took a tour around the city, and got to sit on the top of the double-decker bus. Leo loved the feel of the air blowing in his hair (it made him giggle), and he also liked smiling at all the foreign tourists sitting behind us. We had a great time seeing all the sites from our birds-eye view. Philadelphia has such a rich history. I'd like to go back sometime to spend more time seeing everything...

We picked Jack up after his meeting and then went to Valley Forge, where Washington and his troops encamped the Winter of 1777. (It's just outside of Philadelphia) We saw some log cabins (like those that the troops would have lived in) and the house where Washington stayed.

We enjoyed the pool at the hotel where we stayed. It's been about 2 months since Leo swam last, so he had a great time! Check out the video below, if you want to see the cute little guy swimming.

7 months and 7 years

2010-08-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

Jack and I celebrate our 7 year anniversary today, and Leo celebrates 7 months of life! It is a happy day for all of us.

Leo is still the happiest baby on the block. He has completely charmed everyone in our new ward at church. They all have to come by our pew to catch one of his million dollar smiles, and to run their fingers through his fuzzy hair. What a cutie!

Leo is talking and babbling a lot. He's discovering new sounds that he can make every day. He can just entertain himself for hours. He's rolling all over the place, and is learning to move himself closer to the object he has his eye on. And lately he's really into faces. He'll stroke your cheek, pull your nose, touch your eyes, and grab at your hair.

Leo is a whopping 18 1/2 pounds now, and is 28 1/2 inches long. He is looking less and less like a baby, and that makes us a little sad. He's growing up too fast.

For our anniversary Jack and I went on a real date! My friend Candace watched Leo, and we drove into DC. We had dinner at the Bistro Bis on Capitol Hill (Yummy French food) and then went on the "Monuments by Moonlight" tour. It was very cool to see all the monuments at night, all lit up. (I love Washington, and am so excited to be living here.)

It was wonderful to spend the evening with Jack, and to have some one on one time. He is still my sweetheart, and I love him with all my heart. Happy Anniversary honey! Seven years of wedded bliss. We have had so many wonderful experiences together, and we look forward to many, many more.

Fun with Leo

2010-08-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to get some video of Leo's talking and babbling... Here are a couple.
He sure loves chewing on that green spatula while he watches me cook in the kitchen. And look at that crazy hair!

Here are a few of our favorite photos from this month:
(His chubby legs get stuck in the Bumbo chair when we lift him out, so it looks like he has a big blue booty!)

Big Things for July

2010-07-31T04:49:00.000-07:00

July was a busy month for our family. We bought a new house, and moved from Alabama to DC. Leo turned 6 months old. We finalized his adoption. We painted every room in our new house, and unpacked a LOT of boxes. We went to Utah for a week for Leo's sealing and baby blessing. Jack started his new job at the Pentagon. It's been a wonderful and busy month.

We'll post some photos of the new house, just as soon as we're finished with a few more projects...

Families are Forever

2010-07-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last week we took Leo to the Salt Lake Temple and were sealed together as a family. It was such a special day. We thank God for blessing us with Leo, and that we are now an eternal family. We are so blessed.

Oh Happy Day

2010-07-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

Our adoption of Leo finalized today. We could not be more thrilled! We are so blessed.

We thank God for all the little miracles that have happened over the last week (and months) to make this day possible. And we thank all our friends and family for their prayers and support.

We love our baby Leo, and are so happy to be a family.

Happy happy day!

Videos of the boy

2010-07-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Jack has been busy with the video camera the last few weeks. Here are some of his favorites:

Leo has become increasing ticklish lately, which is really fun for us. Sometimes just the anticipation of being tickled will make him laugh... it's so cute!

Leo goes through phases where he'll blow raspberries... and then forget about it for a few weeks. Then he will suddenly rediscover the art of raspberry blowing, and will do it all day long!

Leo still goes crazy in his jumper. He's learned to really get those arms pumping, and legs jumping... he gets a major workout.

5 months old

2010-06-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Leo turns 5 months old today, and he is getting huge. He is 17 pounds, and 271/4 inches long. Everywhere we go, people think he's 8 or 9 months old. He is a big, big boy! His hair is growing too-- it sticks straight up, so he looks a little bit like a dandelion.

Leo loves to look in the mirror and laugh at that funny baby he sees. He loves to jump and bounce and play. He loves watching other kids. He loves blowing raspberries, and being tickled.

Last week he rolled over for the first time, from his back to his stomach. His legs are very strong too. For the last month or so, he can stand up on his legs. We hold his hands, and he can support all his own weight. We get so excited about these small milestones, but we also get scared that our little baby is growing up too fast.

Graduation Day

2010-06-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Jack graduated from Air Command and Staff College yesterday. This means that he now has a second Masters Degree under his belt, and that we will soon be leaving Alabama and heading to DC.
Leo and I attended the graduation ceremony yesterday, and all the officers looked great in their service dress uniforms. (No mortar boards with tassels for this group!) Luckily, it was a short ceremony because there were some families that had their cars idling in the parking lot, already packed to the ceiling with luggage, pillows, and house plants. (Oh, the joys of moving) Our movers don't come for a few more weeks, so we have some time before that adventure begins...

4 months old

2010-05-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Leo turned 4 months old on May 8th, and he is getting very big! 27" long, and 16 pounds!

He is getting cuter and cuter by the day. His new tricks are sticking out his tongue, playing with his feet, and making a kkkkcccckkkk sound in the back of his throat. He has also started laughing- real, laugh-out-loud laughter! It's the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.

Nana and Grandpa drove out here to Alabama (from Utah) for a visit week before last. As usual, they spoiled Leo rotten, and loved every minute with him.

While they were here we made a trip to Toy-R-Us and they bought Leo a jumper toy that he is just crazy about. His legs are getting pretty strong now, and he loves to stand up, to kick and bounce... so this is perfect for him at this stage.

Check out the video below for all the exciting action...

Leo's first Swim

2010-05-10T08:14:00.001-07:00

We took Leo to the pool for the first time last week. He seemed perplexed by the water and unsure how he felt about it. But he sure looked cute in his swimming gear!

HAPPY Mother's Day.

2010-05-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

During our years of infertility struggles, Mother's day was NOT my favorite day. I would try to keep a stiff upper lip, but half way through church I would start bawling like a baby. I just couldn't listen to all those talks about motherhood, while the fear of NEVER becoming a mother grew in my chest, until I could hardly breathe.

One night, as I was telling my friend about the dread of an upcoming Mother's Day, she told me: "You know, you don't have to go to church that day." And it was like a revelation. So the next two years, I just didn't go to church on Mother's Day, and it was a much easier day.

Of course, this Mother's Day was very different. As I hugged my sweet little boy, my heart was full of gratitude for the privilege of being Leo's mom. And I didn't have to hide when they were passing out flowers to all the moms. Like a trophy, I happily accepted the tiny plant in a Styrofoam cup.

Our hearts were also full of gratitude for Leo's birth mother, Melissa. We will be eternally grateful that she gave Leo life, and that she chose us to be his family. She is a very special mother (in every sense of the word), and the most selfless person we know. We love you Mimi!

Arghh Matey

2010-05-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Jack has always been fascinated with eye patches. He snaps photos of mysterious patch-wearing strangers everywhere we go. (He's seen all types: simple black patches, the leather piratey type, or the doctor-issued gauze ones.) On one trip to France we saw about 5 guys with eye patches in one day! We figured they must have had a sale at the eye clinic that day...

Well, today Jack became one of those mysterious patch-wearing strangers. Here he is, sporting his lovely new eye wear. Say cheese, Jack!

Jack got a stye in his eye, right after Leo was born. It was a huge red bump on edge of his eyelid, that just would not go away. We did the Epson salt thing, but two months later, it was still there. He went to the clinic and got a prescription for some eyedrops, and some ointment. But neither worked. So now, it's FOUR months later, and he finally gets back into the clinic. They had to cut it open and let it drain. (ouch.)

He's so glad that it is finally gone, and that people won't be staring at it when he's talking to them anymore... And of course, he got a really cool eye patch out of it.

Giggly Boy

2010-05-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Nursery

2010-05-03T10:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I finally got around to shooting some photos of Leo's room. And here they are. I am so excited to do his room in the new house because 1) we can paint the walls (no more beige!), and 2) we know that he is a boy, and can decorate accordingly. But for our short time here, this has been a nice place for Leo to lay his head. Leo loves to stare at the brightly colored vinyl dots on the wall, and we've had lots of wonderful moments in that rocking chair for feeding time, and reading books.

The frame with Leo's name was made by my best friend, Kristen, who is a very talented artist (and recently, children's book illustrator/writer).

Cute Buns

2010-04-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Leo will probably be very embarassed by this photo when he is older... but for now, it's just too cute!

New Digs

2010-04-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

We're moving to the DC area mid-July, and Jack will be working at the Pentagon for the next 4 years. I have been house-hunting online for the last 2 months, but I flew out here for the weekend to see some houses in person.
A new house came on the market the day that I got here. I went to see it yesterday, made an offer last night, and they accepted it this afternoon! It is a great house, and we are very excited! It's a nice, brick rambler that was built in 1962. It's in a great neighborhood, at the Springfield/Annandale border, just 1 mile from the Beltway... so Jack's commute won't be too bad. It needs a little bit of work (replacing the pink toilet and bathtub in the hall bathroom, for example) but for the most part, it is in really great shape. It even has a swing set in the backyard, that Leo will love... in a few years.
Happy, and relieved that we found a house, I hopped on the Metro for an afternoon of sight-seeing. I walked around the national monuments and spent a few hours at the Museum of American History. I saw a fabulous exhibit of the First Ladies' Innagural Gowns, Fonzie's jacket, Dorothy's ruby slippers, and Julia Child's kitchen. So cool. I have been to DC a few times, but living here will be great-- I want to see everything!

Random Videos

2010-04-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some random videos of the cutest baby in the world!

Yawn.... Giggle.......Yawn.

Three months old

2010-04-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Leo turned 3 months old yesterday. He is changing so much every day. He has started grabbing things (fingers, toys, blankets... anything he can get his hands on) He can sit in his Boppy chair, holding his head up on his own. And as of this week, he can sleep through the night. (Yahoo!)

Our neighborhood pool opened this week, and we were excited to take him swimming for the first time. We got him all suited up... but when we got down there the water was way too cold to go in. So, we came back home and took a swim in the bathtub. Someone gave us this cool bath toy, a blue star that spins, has flashing lights, and sprays water. Leo thinks it's pretty cool.