Happy Birthday, Travis!

The last couple of weeks have been packed full so I'm a *tad* bit late posting about Travis' birthday... It has actually been birthday month for the old guy, so I'm not feeling so bad :)

We kicked off the month celebrating with Travis's family in Sonora. We had a great dinner at Diamondback Bar and Grill (always delicious!) No one had a camera, so I don't have any pictures to post of the little gathering :( 

The week of Travis's birthday, my family helped me throw Travis another birthday dinner. I say "helped," but what I really mean is hosted. I was in my last few days of work for the school year (which are always so busy my head spins) and we already had plans to leave town for the weekend (more on that later), so my mom helped me out with alllll the preparation. The dinner was incredibly enjoyable, and Adaline hung in there like a champ, even though we were a half hour past her bed time (that girl is routine oriented!) 

Here are a few of pictures I was able to take from the evening.

The Birthday Boy (why yes, that is a tractor behind him...)

 The big kids teaching Adaline how to ride a bike- I LOVE Laura's expression here. It looks like she's going to crash, but I took a quick succession of shots, and she didn't. She must have expected it, though.

 Here we are, matchy-matchy again. 

Don't you love the alligator on the table?

Laura was brave and tried cucumbers (and liked them!)

The Lauras... Isn't it amazing how much my mom and sister look alike as they're both looking at Laura?

Adaline "helped" Daddy with his piece of cake- and by helped I mean ate the entire thing...

...and Trace thought it was funny that she made such a mess :)

Laura helped Travis open his gifts...

...an awesome shirt  (Dads Against Daughter's Dating)...

...and the BBQ he has been drooling over for months!

It was a great night! 

Happy Birthday, my love, I wish I could have thrown you a birthday party where all your friends and family are together, but it just wasn't in the cards this year. I fear your friends would think us strange if I invite them all over then say, "But you have to leave by 9 because that's when we fall into bed exhausted." Hopefully we'll be able to stay up later in the years to come ;P 

Dancing shoes

Look who put on her first pair of Converse...

No really, she put them on herself! 

...maybe not on the right feet, but she still managed to get them on :)

Swimsuit Season

Thanks to cousin Laura, Adaline has a plethora of swimsuit options this year. Laura passed down the first two suits and I picked up the last suit for full days in the sun.

Up until now, Adaline has had Travis's skin tone. Instead of tanning, Travis burns then freckles. I turn a little pink, but it fades into a nice tan after a day or so. I've been slathering on the sunscreen every day for fear of Adaline burning her porcelain skin. After a week on the coast, she came home with a great little tan! I was a little sad about it, too. Her unmarred skin has now been sun-kissed.
More vacation photos to come...

Spotted!

Adaline was playing and laughing and dancing around with her toys until she spotted me with the camera...then she played coy. At home, she's such a playful little girl; she laughs and talks and becomes so silly. But as soon as anyone else watches her, she runs to Travis or my side for safety. Not that many people see Adaline's true personality. I find that she responds much better to people when they sort of ignore her...when people-anyone-comes right up to her and expects a response from her she pulls back. When people approach us, say hi to her, then turn and talk to us, she spends the time studying them and assessing the situation. After a few minutes, she initiates interactions...waving hi, or sharing a toy. It's nothing personal, she's just slow to warm up. I, for one, am happy about it. It's a natural safety precaution   that I will not try to get her to change. I'd rather her be shy and safe than teach her to override her instincts. So, if you see us around, I recommend you nonchalantly say hi to her, then ignore her for a little bit...trust me when I say she'll come around quickly.

Happy Father's Day and Happy Anniversary!

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful, supportive, loving father- a man I know I can always turn to, whether it be to help fix the whatever (because he really can fix everything) or to listen when I'm having a hard time with life. My dad always has the best answer for me, and I know his answers are based in love.
Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!

I also get to wish my husband of 7 years (today!) a Happy Father's Day! He is the natural father I knew he would be. He loves Adaline with all his heart and it shows every time he looks at her.
Happy Anniversary, Travis, here's to another wonderful, eventful year!

Hair troubles...

I still don't know what to do with this hair.

Dolly

Adaline loves her Dolly. She makes sure Dolly says hi to the dogs by holding her up to the door...

She takes Dolly dancing...

And when Adaline's done playing with Dolly, she gently lays her down.

If only we all had best friends like Adaline.

The Mother of All Teddy Bears...

Adaline doesn't discriminate. She loves all stuffed animals and dolls...even the ones 5 times her size!

You never know what you'll find in your local Costco...

Memorial Weekend 2011

I can't believe I forgot to post these pictures! Over Memorial Weekend, I cashed in a Mother's Day IOU to the new ice cream shop down the street. Adaline had her first taste of ice cream shake, and she LOVED it.

After our shake, we took a break to soak up some rays in the backyard.

Usually we hike around Pinecrest Lake on Memorial Weekend, but we had other things to do this weekend, so we stuck around Turlock. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I think Adaline and Travis did, too.

Play time!

Who needs toys when you have empty boxes around?