Walking?

Lucy is very close to being able to walk. We don't have a walking toy for her to practice with, but she found a great substitute on her own!

Fence

So as most of you know (becuase it is basically all Dave talked about for weeks) we have been working on our fence. It became quite the large project. The storm ripped up half of it and we extended another section of it to enclose the side yard. It took about 6 saturdays and me doing little things through out the week to get it all done. I think it is fantastic! We worked really hard and it paid off. We estimated that we saved over a thousand bucks by doing it ourselves. The process from start to finish was:

Planning/measuring and getting permits and approval from the city and HOA
Taking down old/broken pieces, digging out stumps
Digging holes and cementing posts in place
Nailing together the cross beams and pickets
Power washing the old section (it was disgusting!)
Staining the outside
Disposing of the scraps

On paper looks do-able right? Well it was harder than it sounded but well worth it. Our backyard is now twice as big, and a major plus our kitchen window is now fenced in so we no longer look at our neighbor's garage and people can't see in as they drive by.

Here is the part that was damaged in the storm. Two of the sections had blown over and landed down the alley. The posts holding them in place had snapped at the base. We managed to salvage some of it, but we had to put in a few new posts and pickets as well.



These are the remnants of the posts that snapped. You wouldn't think it, but disposing of wood is pretty tough if you don't have a some kind of fire pit to burn it.

Here is what the front now looks like from the front of the house. Before the fence line was even with the back of the house. This also shows the stain we used called "Redwood" (in honor of California of course, but don't tell that to our Texan neighbors).



This much of the yard was added by moving the fence line (you can see the line on the grass where the fence used to be). The kitchen window now looks into the yard. Yay!

James and Lucy

Ok, one more thing about San Antonio...

The Williams have a little boy named James. Lucy and James had a blast playing together. Lucy got to do things that I would probably not let her do at home.



She really loved playing with James' toys too. He was always really nice and would bring new things over for her to try, including any pacifiers laying around. It was cute!

San Antonio (Last Installment)

On the fourth of July we went to the circus. The tickets were fairly cheap and it was really fun. At the circus if you go early you can meet some of the people, animals, and they do a pre-show. At first Lucy seemed she could care less as to what was going on. But once the jugglers came out, she was amazed. Her eyes were glued to them.



Once the pre-show ended we took our seats. Lucy really enjoyed the circus. It was full of music and colors. One sequence did scare her though, the music got loud and overwhelming to listen to. Here are some fun clips from the show.







We left after intermission because the kids were falling asleep. When we got back to the Williams' place we had a BBQ! Dave's favorite part of the Fourth of July. It was very tasty. The boys did a good job on the grill, and Dani was an excellent cook!

Sunday morning we got up early and headed home. Dave had to give the priesthood lesson that day. It's a good thing church is at 1:00! Thanks to the Williams' for the hospitality - they were great hosts!

San Antonio (Installment 2)

THE BEACH

The last time Lucy was at the beach (California) she was crying her head off. The water and sand were very cold. Well Corpus Christi is very much the exact opposite. The water was warm, almost hot, and the sand was very hot. Lucy cried for the first little bit while we setup camp. She was hot and we didn't have a canopy or anything, which apparently is a must for the Gulf of Texas but we weren't in the know on that one. Lucy was then really funny, she kept wanting to eat the sand. I think if you add up the amounts it would only equal 3 mouth fulls. Luckily it was a very clean beach! Once we all ate (including Lucy which made her much happier) we went into the water. At first Lucy was scared of the waves. But eventually she got used to them. It helps she got to sit on her mommy's lap. After she got used to the water I made drip castles with her. She really liked the feel of the water and sand mixture. This is where most of the sand eating happened. She liked to grab the sand let go and then try and lick her hands. I had to keep a close watch so that she wouldn't eat too much.

As fun as all of this sounds, it did not last long. We managed 2-3 hours before we just couldn't handle the heat. It was 108 on the beach, but with humidity made it feel like 116. Yuk! Being in the water made it a little cooler, but you can only go so deep with a 10-month-old. After reaching our collective boiling point, we decided to pack it up and head back to San Antonio.




Oh and I am happy to say I did not get sunburned! Everyone that knows me from growing up knows I can't go to the beach without being fried. It was a first and I have to say it was quite nice.

Later that night Matt and Dani had a friend come over and watch both our kids while we went out to eat on the Downtown River Walk. It was really crowded. If you've never been there it is a long strip of restuarants and clubs along a small river that meanders through downtown. The walkway is right up against the water and there aren't any safety rails or anything. I am very glad we didn't have the kids and the strollers. I felt like anyone walking by could easily bump us into the river. Once we made it into the restaurant it was nice. We were all joking that the river walk is never this busy when they come. But when they come it is always earlier in the day. We were crazy and stayed out until 10:00 PM. Whoo Hoo! Ahh married life, where 10:00 PM means staying out late.

San Antonio (Installment 1)

Over the fourth of July weekend we went down to San Antonio to visit the Williams Family, some friends Dianna and I know from college. While we were there we did some pretty fun things. We went to Sea World, the beach and the circus, not to mention just all the fun of hanging out, BBQ, and going downtown. It was fun to reconnect with our friends. Even though we aren't in college anymore, we still have so much in common. It was a blast!


SEA WORLD

I haven't been to Sea World since I was little, so that was quite a treat for me. Lucy cried for the first part because she missed her nap, but once we got her to fall asleep for a bit she was fine. She thought the dolphins were fun, but really liked the penguins. The exhibit was the only one where she sat there for several minutes watching them. I personally think it was because penguins don't move as fast as the dolphins or whales. We even bought her a squeaking penguin toy. She loves it. She really likes to chew on the beak. Our friends know one of the Beluga whale trainers at Sea World, so we got to go back stage of the show and see the animals. The whales were really cool. We all got to pet/pat them on their heads. However, when one of them made the whistling, clicking noise Lucy freaked out. She cried and cried and cried. It was loud and abrupt so I don't blame her for crying, it even startled me. Overall Sea World was a blast and I would recommend it to anyone!

If there was ever a question

Lucy is my daughter.



When I was little I would pick the fuzz off anything I could get a hold of. And sad to say I still do. My fingers always have to be busy!

Random

So here is a random video of Lucy crawling. She is really good at and can now crawl while holding things in her hands and mouth!

Pool Day

We went to our pool to see if the second time round if Lucy would like the water. She did. It took some getting used to and she needed to be held close by her daddy but she got used to it. Eventually she liked it so much she was standing on her own and playing in the water. She really likes pools now! It is fun to wrap her up in the towel and then just stroll home. It is literally a 2 minute walk.

Project

Here was a project I made. I thought it turned out pretty cool. However when looking at the picture, it sure looks crooked! oops!