Gramps, Owie, and I visited Owen's Farm. (Owen mistakenly believed the farm was named after him or that maybe this was his very own farm.) It was one of my favorite hangouts as a kid, being only blocks from our house growing up. It brought back so many fond childhood memories, being there with my Dad again after so many years.
This is Owen, wishing he could be a stowaway on our vacation. It was so hard to leave him, but a break was much anticipated by Mom and Dad!
Care free and having fun at The Atlantis in Nassau!
My very brave husband on the vertical drop water slide. After you plummet many stories straight down, you are shot through a glass tube surrounded by shark-infested waters. Quite a thrill!
Rachel with a mud slide is a happy Rachel!
We have about a hundred more pictures of the get-away that I will not bore you with. For those that are interested, I can arrange a private viewing.
Happy Birthday to Rachel! I turned 29 for the second time! Just kidding. 30 is not bad at all! I am happier than I have ever been in my life. God has blessed me beyond measure. I am so undeserving of His love and mercy and grace that is poured upon me every day. May I serve Him well.
Hooray!! Owen has finally crossed the threshold into a new weight class: the twenty pounders. He is now able to join his friends and face forward in the car. What fun! Passing objects are seen head-on rather than in reverse. Mama can turn around and tickle his yummy toes any time she gets the notion. Toys can be traded freely between front and back seats. Car rides are once again bearable by all parties.
The Arboretum has the most velvety soft grass I have ever felt. It is so absolutely perfect that it seems fake. Evidently, Owen did not appreciate the feel of the grass nearly as much as his Mom. He kept lifting up one leg and then the other (The boy has abs of steel!) to escape the sensation of the grass on his legs. And note the facial expression. It is one of pure disgust! That's our city slicker for ya'!
"Look! A boy sized bench just for us!"
Wesley 's gorgeous baby blues
Wesley and his sweet Mommy, Laura, pose in front of the tulips
Thanks for playing, Wesley and Laura! We had a great time!
The Birthday Girl herself
Owen is caught in the act of doing his number 1 no no, SPITTING! Many a 3 minute session in Time Out has resulted from that pesky tongue!
I think the "big kids" might have had even more fun than the little ones! Boys will be boys!
O thinks it is the most fun game to stand up and then make himself topple over. Very applause worthy!
Owie on the go! He looks ready to run a marathon, but he actually just takes one step at a time. You have never met a prouder set of parents than we are of that one tiny step!
Today, Owen and I met my sister, Caroline (AKA Auntie LouLou), for lunch in Uptown. She always knows the cool, trendy places to hit, being a cool, trendy woman without kids. We visited the Tahitian Noni Cafe on Blackburn. We enjoyed gourmet sandwiches and fruit salad, while Owie inhaled his avocado/banana delicacy prepared "a la Mama." I am so blessed to have family living here that I can closely share life with! Love you, Lou!
Owen loves on Baby Oliver. He's learning how to "be soft."
Numpy and Owie laugh at an inside joke...something about snorts and tummies and toes...way too involved for us outsiders!
That's my Boy! Some folks are visual learners, others audio. My son learns through taste.
I finally catch up with The O for a quick photo op.
Owen, Grant and Preston Black experience the Dallas Zoo
The O's famous "snort face." I have been trying to capture this face for ages and finally got it at the zoo. Do you think the funny animal smells had anything to do with it?
Owen is a huge fan...of himself, as are we all. Clapping is such a wonderful pastime, whether it be for every bite taken at lunch, prayers said before dinner, a ball successfully rolled, or for absolutely no reason at all. I love my sweet little boy who takes such delight in the simple things and is not bashful about praising himself.
Owie enjoyed a refreshing apple slice after the exhausting task of being pulled around in his wagon enjoying the view at the Arboretum.
This is the face I get when the yogurt container has been scraped dry. He is not a happy camper!
This is one of my favorite pictures of sweet Owen. He is busy contemplating life. What a precious innocent.
This is the before and after of Owie's Christmas Feast. He had a scrumptious meal of one organic biter biscuit and peaches with yogurt. Sure beats turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy, in his book anyway! I'd have to beg to differ. Owen thoroughly enjoyed himself and his food...and his bath later that evening.
