A Floating House for 14

A couple of months ago we packed up and headed to MeMe and Pap Steve's house in Arkansas for a week of houseboating fun.  This was not only Kendall's first time to her grandparent's house, but it was also her first flight on an airplane, and her first time meeting her cousins from Missouri.  We managed to pile 14 of us onto a houseboat for three nights and headed out on Bull Shoals Lake.  We baked ourselves in the hot sun, and swam like fish all day long.

Kendall and her cousin, Chase

Floating with MeMe

Swimming with Uncle Tony

Cousins

First jetski ride with Aunt Nikki

Caleb and Dan

Fun in Papa Steve's music room

We also purchased a camera for Kendall before we left on our trip.  It's a kid's camera, so the quality isn't the best, but she absolutely loves the thing.  We mostly ended up with blurry shots and pictures of the ipad, there were some gems in the bunch.  Here is the trip according to Kendall:

Mommy's test shot

Mommy on the airplane

Car ride to MeMe and Papa Steve's

Daddy driving

Missouri scenery

Daddy in the lake

Houseboat bathroom

Uncle Tony cutting the biggest watermelon we've ever seen

So many more photos that I could share, but I won't go through them all.  We had a great trip!!

Baby to Big Girl

In preparation for our upcoming arrival, it was time to move Kendall to a big girl bed.  She was already sleeping in her crib with the toddler rail attached, but it was just a matter of going out and getting new furniture.  We went last weekend and she helped to pick out the largest bed that she could possibly get her hands on.

Last night in the baby bed:

First night in her big girl bed:

Yes, that's a full size captain's bed, and yes it appears to swallow her up.  But there is plenty of room for her babies and stuffed animals and she's as happy as could be.  Don't ask how she gets in and out - we've devised a system that I'm sure is not approved by any parenting organization on earth.  We're working on something better, I swear.

A Big Announcement!

I guess it's about time that we finally announce that baby #2 is on the way!  She (yes, we'll have a house full of girls) will be making her big arrival sometime in late October.  My official due date is November 3rd, but given that I'll be having another C-Section, the little girl will be making her arrival a week or so before then.

A Drive around California

Dan and I recently decided that we sorely needed a vacation, and it seemed about the right time to really introduce Kendall to the joys of traveling.  We've been on a handful of trips with her before, but we've always had family there to assist with the chaos that comes along with traveling with a child.

We went back and forth for about a month on what kind of trip we wanted to take.  We finally decided that a car trip around the Golden State would be the perfect mix of fun, adventure, and relaxation.  It was all that and more!!

We started with a night at Harris Ranch.  Located in the middle of the central valley, we only had to drive about 5 hours before we could get out of the car.  Plus, we had heard stories about the great pool and wonderful food.

We then headed up to the East Bay to stay with my good friend, Rachel, and her two kids, Peyton and Riley.  We met up with some other Davis friends, and made some new friends, at a great bbq that my friend Sara and her husband Tim hosted, and we played with Peyton and Riley in downtown Livermore.

After we left Livermore, we headed to Tiburon for a couple of nights.  We took a ferry across the bay, and spent a day exploring Fisherman's Wharf.  We even met up with my friends, Carla and Tyler, for some ice cream at Ghiradelli Square and some beach time.

On our way south, we decided to break up the driving again with a quick trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and night in San Luis Obispo at the Madonna Inn.  Although we had to change rooms because of some cigarette smoke issues and weren't able to enjoy the rock shower, the nice people at the Madonna Inn upgraded us to a suite that was even better!

It was a great trip!  The longest vacation that any of us had taken in two years was a complete success!  Kendall saw some neat things and came home with stories and a stuffed shark that she named "Whale".  We know that our little (almost big) girl is a great traveller and I have no hesitations about traveling more with her over the next couple of months.  Yes, we have more trips planned for later this summer!

Swimming Lessons...Take 2

We just wrapped up our second round of swimming lessons for Kendall, and it is amazing how much progress she has made.  A new swim school and a bit of growing up seemed to make these lessons easier, AND mommy and daddy didn't have to get in the pool this time, which was a huge plus.  She may not be ready for any swim meets just yet, but we now have a certified fish that we can't seem to get out of the water.  She's learning the proper arm movements, is holding her breath underwater, and has little fear when it comes to jumping off the edge of the pool or getting thrown into the water...

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

A rabbit broke into our house a couple of weekends ago.  He brought candy and toys for Kendall...

...and even hid eggs in the yard for her to find...

...candy filled eggs!

Hope that you had a great Easter day too!