Fourth of July & Summer Family Fun!!

Remember how I said she would make a few lurches and then go SPLAT...well SPLAT no more, we are on the move!! Brooklyn is a crawling machine!! She is zooming down the hallway and out of our sight in just seconds!! I love the way her hands sound as they slap the hard surfaced floors...however, she doesn't like the way her head sounds when it "slaps" the floor. Poor little thing still goes SPLAT every now and then and has her first little knot on the forehead!!

So her first "boo-boo" didn't photograph very well...but if you look carefully you will see the red/blue spot above her left eye. We even got out the frozen "boo-boo" bunny, Brooklyn wasn't a fan....

just a 'wonky' hair picture...got out a headband to keep the hair out of her face ...it was cute while it lasted...

For the 4th of July we took Brooklyn to a dusty parking lot. While our intentions were good, this was not our initial plan. We were headed out to watching fireworks at Lackland AFB...and then saw a crowd on the side of the road gathered to watch the festivities at Sea World. Turned out to be a gravel parking lot, which included clouds of dust every time the wind blew or a car entered. Anyways...we perched on the back of our car...patiently waiting. Then they began...and the were so crummy!! They weren't shot up high in the sky and they weren't loud. Not that I was wanting to traumatize our child with loud BOOMS, but it is part of the experience!! Then all of a sudden we heard BOOMS and big fireworks in the sky...but they were coming from behind us. The Hyatt Hill Country definitely upstaged Sea World...so at least she got a somewhat decent firework experience.

we all know fireworks are quite difficult to take pictures of...so here is the best of her 1st 4th of July Fireworks!!

However, next year we will be more organized and are DEFINITELY going to Landa Park in New Braunfels...my all time favorite place to be for the 4th of July!! A fun park to run around in, sit and enjoy the families...and just hang out in one of the all time best places in the world (ok, I might be a bit biased because of memories...but it is pretty great).

ahhh, yes...this was 4th of July in Landa Park many many years ago with Carinne and Scottie...and the infamous "ball of fingers"...that is a whole story in itself...

My Mom and I went up to New Braunfels on Sunday to visit Aunt Jo and her cousin, John. Brooklyn had a blast playing with Aunt Jo's oxygen tubing...and Aunt Jo always enjoys seeing her. She is her surrogate Mame...so I want them to visit as much as possible!! My Mom's other cousin, Mary Lynn...and Tim, Katherine and Drew also came to see us...so it was quite a nice afternoon!!

Aunt Jo & Brooklyn has so much fun swinging her tubing...if only they could have found someone to jump rope!!

...and for this reason we are glad that she is still toothless

(so far she is following her mother's teething pattern...I was 1 year)

Brooklyn was trying to grab the camera and crawl into it...and for some reason I just like these pictures...nothing special (other than what's in them!)

How could I resist capturing this face???
Hangin' out with Cousin John

(psst...wanna know a secret?? that fabric in the picture below is my very own Christmas Stocking that he is making just for ME!! Isn't is beautiful!!! He must love me a whole bunch!!!)

Still studying Cousin Mary Lynn's glasses...they are red, how fun!!

I don't know why she won't share...

Timmy & I...and I'm getting sleepy...

Cousin Katherine...she was so much fun!! We twirled and twirled together!!!

Brooks and I took her to the baby pool this past week and she splished and splashed!! We got her a little floaty seat and she liked being able to wander around the pool on her own...but she couldn't reach the water with her hands...so it hindered her splashing and she didn't last very long in it...

Do you see this piece of paper I found???

Now you see it...Now you don't...because it is in my mouth, as is EVERYTHING now days...

and I am so proud of my accomplishment!!! Silly Girl...

Now for a more impressive accomplishment...watch me GO!!

Hey, this seat is kinda nice...a new found freedom in the water!!!

I can't SPLASH!! I thought the seat was supposed to make this pool business more fun!!

Ahh, a book!! Maybe I can read in the pool...

That's better...out of the tube and splishing and splashing!!!

Ooops, I got water in my face!!

Trying to catch Daddy's toes!!

...and this is my "post" pig-tail hair do...with the lovely part down the center...

Daddy's Girl!!! For some reason I love the bottom picture...

Mommy & Me!!

One hot, tired, sweaty, sun-screeny baby...

I forgot to mention Brooklyn's favorite word "ooohhh"...she loves to "oooh" and "aah." ...and she does it with such inflection!! It is as if she is having a conversation with herself...but she will allow us to chime in, as long as we use the same vocabulary. It is truly priceless! Especially in the car...it makes us smile from ear to ear...