BOAT!

Our good friends, Matt & Cheryl Griffin, invited us and Jonathan down to their family's lakehouse in August. We thought it would be fun to take Abe out on the water - he loves anything that has to do with water anyway. It was a cloudy day, but it was perfect! We got to ride the boat, eat some yummy food, play, and just relax! Abe thought the boat was so much fun, and he even got to go on the tube with Daddy! Here are some pictures from the day:

I took a video of Daddy & Abe tubing...it kind of looks like Ben's feet belong to Abe. Pretty funny. :) They had a blast! 

Family

At the end of the summer Ben's brother & sister-in-law and our 2 nieces moved back to Texas! Josh has just begun a Masters program at DTS, and they are living in Wylie. It's so nice to have them back here. Our niece, Ella, will be 5 in December, and her little sister (Norah) is just a few months old! Abe calls Norah "Baby Orla." Haha. He is really fascinated with babies, so this has been pretty neat for him to experience. And he LOVES playing with cousin Ella. They've gotten to stay together at their B'Mama & Pops' house a couple of times this summer and have been together at other family events. I didn't have cousins growing up, so I'm so thankful that Abe does.

Hanging out with cousin Ella at B'Mama & Pops house in June!

Swimming with cousin Hayden at a birthday party in June!

Meeting cousin Norah for the first time!

Playing with Uncle Josh!

In August, Abe and I took a trip down to Houston to stay with Ben's cousin Kristi and her husband Taylor. They have a son who is a little younger than Abe (Carter), and we thought they would have fun playing together. We were right! :) I did a jewelry show for Kristi and some of her friends from church and we got to visit and get the boys together. It was a short trip, but SO much fun! I wish we lived closer to each other! I think Abe and Carter would be regular playmates.

Eating lunch with Carter!

Playtime! 

Bathtime & getting ready for bed! 

Best buddies!

And here's Abe with his Aunt Mary! (He calls her "Murry".) They are 2 peas in a pod! 

Dog Days of Summer

We had a PACKED summer (as usual)! It's hard to believe it's already come and gone. Abe got to experience so many fun things this summer, and he really made a lot of developmental strides. He's grown a few inches, promoted up to a new class at church, and has learned to put some phrases and (almost) sentences together. It's crazy how quickly kids grow, but it's so fun to watch. He's learned his shapes this summer and how to count to 10.

He had a few BIG firsts this summer - swimming in Granna & Papa's pool, watching fireworks, going to his first "big movie," and getting a new puppy!
 

"WIMMING!"
Abe loves to ride in his "boat" in the pool with Daddy! 

4th OF JULY with Granna & Papa at Ham's Orchards
We had a BLAST at Ham's & then went back to Granna & Papa's house to swim, make cupcakes, eat pizza, & watch fireworks! 

"BIG MOO-FEE!"
Abe got to go to his first movie in a real theater! We saw Ice Age, and he really loved it! He did pretty well. Can't wait for the next trip to the movies with him! 

Our new puppy, Scout (who is MUCH bigger than this now!)

Abe was SO excited to get a new puppy - he really loves animals. She's gotten to be MUCH bigger than he is now, but they still love playing together. He calls her "Coutie Bebe." :) 

Vacation!

So, I am MONTHS behind on blogging. I'm really terrible about blogging, and reading other people's blogs. I have no idea who even keeps up with ours anymore when I do blog, but I feel like it's a great way to "scrapbook" some of the bigger things that have been going on since we've brought Abe home. I'm still working on his baby/lifebook.

In May we took a family vacation to San Antonio, and we had a BLAST! It was so good to get away and just be our little family of 3. We stayed at our favorite place - the Hyatt Hill Country Resort & Spa. It was perfect for us and for Abe...lazy river, kids' pools, activities each day, great location. Abe really loved it! We went swimming every day, and Abe could not get enough! He is C-R-A-Z-Y in the pool! He doesn't quite realize he can't just jump in with no consequences...because we're always there to catch him. Looks like swim lessons will be in order before next summer. :) Here are a few highlights from our trip:

First stop: Wildseed Farms (Fredericksburg, TX)

Second stop: Downtown Fredericksburg (eating, playing, shopping)

Mother's Day Lunch & Shopping in San Antonio!

Pancakes @ Magnolia Pancake Haus (San Antonio) "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives" spot 

The San Antonio Zoo!!!

Exploring the Riverwalk

Swimming at the Hotel

Lots of chocolate milk on this trip!

Morgan's Wonderland (San Antonio, TX)... I highly recommend this place if you have little ones or children/teens/adults with special needs. Google it...it's such a neat place!

P.F. Changs!

Sea World!!!!!!!

The drive home...he was wiped out after such a FUN week!