Lake Thompson

Yesterday we were invited to take a little trip out of the city and enjoy a little break. It took us a little bit to actually find the lake. (We drove past it without realizing it.)

It was nice to enjoy the quiet of nature and just relax by the lake. Ryan and Marques caught fish, they were only guppies, but it was still something.


Liam and Kylee took advantage of the water and enjoyed playing along the shore with rocks, mud, and whatever else they could find. Kylee kept trying to eat the lake's plant life. Luckily, she has not gotten sick from it yet, so I am thinking we are home free.

Horsin' Around: Take Two

So Kurt has two weeks off before starting back to school for summer semester. There have been several trips we have talked about, but nothing has been set in stone yet.

Instead of sitting around, I decided to take advantage of having a manny (male nanny) around during the day. I dragged Kurt out to the stable yesterday so Kylee and I could enjoy the sunshine and I could enjoy riding a little.

It was great knowing that Kylee was having fun with her dad while I was enjoying doing the thing that I love: horseback riding! Plus a bonus, Teddy didn't buck me off like the last two rides. Oh boy! You can definitely tell Teddy Bear is all boy. Sorry about that.

Sand, Surf, and Sunshine

From last Thursday through Monday we were enjoying the beach of Outer Banks, North Carolina. We rented a beach house with 4 other couples (makes it SO MUCH more affordable) in Rodanthe.

(For all of those wondering, it's pronounced Row-dan-thee). There was a debate to determine how the city's name was truly pronounced. Thank you Wikipedia for clearing that up for us.

We enjoyed the beach that was down the street from our house. It was Kylee's first opportunity to get down and dirty in the sand. Her favorite pastime was to eat the sand and seashells. She even swallowed a seashell before I could get it out. Yummy. (Explain to me why kids eat the grossest things, but won't eat their vegetables??)

My favorite activity during our trip was taking the ferry to Ocracoke Island and hanging out on the beach. It's a pristine beach with white sand, clear blue water, and lots of space.

I also had the opportunity to canter a horse down the beach and ride through the surf. This might have swayed my opinion for this island a little. :) Come on, what girl that likes horses has not had dreams of this?

The one bummer of our trip was that it was windy every day and most every minute of the day. But overall, it was fun to be among friends, enjoy the beach, and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

North Carolina will be one of the things I miss for sure when we eventually move from here.

P.S. Ryan even caught something when he was fishing. It was called a skate, looks a lot like a stingray.

Bumps and Bruises

Every child gets scrapes, bumps, and bruises. It is just a part of life and of learning. So far Kylee has already had several knocks of her own. She can be such a drama queen at times though.

Today she was playing and using a window to stand up. Well, she lost her hold and nailed her head on the way down. You should have seen her reaction. You would have thought she almost died or something. (The longer she holds her breath, the worse the cry is going to be.) I gave her some comfort, the whole "Poor baby" routine (a hug and a kiss)and then sent her on her way. Kylee doesn't like to let it rest at that though. She will crawl to the scene of the crime, (in this case the window), and will start to cry when she touches it. Oh boy....we are going to have our hands full when this chicka hits her teen years. Look out!

Baltimore

This past Saturday we visited Baltimore with my friend Hayley, her boyfriend, and her brother and sister-in-law and their two cute daughters.

Kurt and I had visited the aquarium before when we first moved here, but it was a completely different experience with a baby. (Especially when they don't allow strollers in the aquarium so you are carrying a very wiggly baby everywhere.)

We had an opportunity to look at everything we wanted to and Kylee's favorite part seemed to be hanging out with Kayt and watching the dolphins swim. My favorite part were the tropical fish and the jellyfish.

After the aquarium we walked around the harbor and checked out Federal Hill, which ended up having a little park at the top. The kids played there for a little bit and then we all headed back. It turned out to be a nice day and it was nice getting out and enjoying the company.

Package for Kylee

Kylee received a package in the mail yesterday from our friends (the Cameron's). She of course needed some assistance in getting the package opened, but was very good at getting her presents out.

We were so excited about her new little outfits that we put one on here right away.

The other, she wore today.

Thank you Loretta, Lou, Dakota, and Cody!!! She looks really cute in her new outfits and she loves touching and talking about the animals on her shirts.

Spring is Here!

Kylee and I have been able to enjoy the nice weather we have been having the past two weeks. (This has made us very grateful to be missing out on the snowstorms in Utah and Idaho.) We have tried to take every opportunity to be outside for awhile every day. We have also lucked out with most everyone of our friends having nice cameras and willing to take some pictures of Kylee.
(This was definitely not one of my most attractive days, but Kylee was pretty cute.)

Kylee and I went into the city with a friend and her daughter last week to enjoy the craziness of the Cherry Blossom Festival.

There were people everywhere and we ended up getting a small ticket for parking in the grass, but it was still worth seeing all the pretty blossoms.

We have also made several trips to a neighborhood park, Fort Ward, to play in the grass and play on the swing set.