Visiting the Wallace Family in Seattle

Jake and I flew to Seattle for a quick visit before Aiden and Quinn both started school. We miss them already! The kids played so well together.....Jake copied EVERYTHING that the big kids were doing. Can't wait to see them again in December!!

Family Vacation on the Lake

We had a great mini-vacation with my family at Lake Tulloch. We had so much fun wakeboarding and innertubing.....though Brian and I are still recovering from being bounced around so much behind the boat.....we pretty much feel like we've been in a car accident and could hardly move the next day. Jake had a blast with his whole "fan club" there.....he was not starved of attention, that's for sure!

Apple Season

Well, it's that time of year again at our house....apple season! Bailey is as happy as can be, eating dozens each day. Jake has picked up on this and has just recently started picking the apples up and eating them like a "big boy" with his teeth. Apple happens to be one of the words he can say fairly clearly, so he's even more excited that he can actually talk to us about his new discovery :)

Popsicles on the patio

It seems silly to write about having popsicles on a hot day, but it is a memory that I have from childhood that I so enjoyed "re-living" through my Jake today! I made the same kind of pop that my mom used to make for us....special family recipe, 1/2 water, 1/2 juice :) He looked like such a big boy eating it at his little table outside. My favorite part was of course when Bailey decided to share with him. Jake ended up letting Bailey finish it. An obsessive amount of pics for this very minor event, but oh well!

Brian is 30!!!

Well, I guess we're ALL getting older! Brian has joined me in the over 30 bracket :) He enjoyed a week of celebrating with friends and family with various dinners and get togethers. All of the festivities helped to dull the pain of hitting this big one!

Fairyland with the Simpsons

We made our first trip to Fairyland today with Collin, Aubrey, and Kristina Simpson. Jake tried to keep up with the "big kids" and did a pretty good job. Collin even "chaperoned" him on a ride. We went on a train ride, and enjoyed a beautiful summer day!

Swim Lessons!

Jake did swim lessons over the last couple of weeks.....basically, we got in the water together and splashed around! He was one of the brave little ones who actually put his face in the water :) I honestly think he would have been equally (if not more) happy running around on the grass outside of the pool! But, we worked on blowing bubbles and kicking feet....neither of which he mastered, but hopefully he will have done so by next summer!

Julie and Tim are MARRIED!!!`

Well, the big day has come and gone and it was great! The newlyweds are on their honeymoon now and we're all recovering from the wedding!! Everything went perfectly and fun was had by ALL! Here are some pics and if you want to see lots more, you can click on the link below.....be warned, there are a LOT of pics to look at!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=160kanh2.ktp1f86&x=0&y=vyz4kb&localeid=en_US

Jake and his pool

Jake had SO much fun swimming in his little pool today.....especially when Daddy improvised and added a slide! He was NOT happy when it was time to come inside.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a playgroup bbq at the Hoffman's house and Jake had sooo much fun with their water toys.....he went in fully dressed and was SOAKING wet....happy as a clam! Then we had our annual block party at the end of the street, where he played and watched fireworks.....he said "woooowwwww" when they went off and wasn't afraid. We were all bundled up, as it was COLD by the time it was dark out. We had a great fireworks display, thanks to our pyromaniac of a neighbor :) Another great 4th!

Trip to the zoo

We took Jake to the Oakland Zoo for the first time over the weekend. He was excited to see the larger animals like elephants, zebras and giraffes. What he enjoyed the most though, was when we let him get out of the stroller and run free. I think the stroller days may be numbered.....this kid loves to be on the move!

A day at the fair

We made our annual trip the fair with the Braga family. Jake rode a pony, the merry-go-round, and the Dumbo ride. He didn't seem to be too interested in the rides, but he didn't cry either. He was very intrigued by the ferris wheel and other large, lighted objects. I had my caramel apple and funnel cake, so I had a GREAT time! Brian did one too many rides on the tilt-o-whirl, and we called it a night ;)

Day on the boat

Jake had his first day out on Auntie Julie and Uncle Tim's boat! Took him a little while to get used to the life jacket, which acted like a bumper around him as he ran into EVERYTHING! He was so excited to be out there that he refused a nap....eventually, he gave in and fell asleep right on the boat. Had a great day!

Relay For Life 2008

This was our 3rd year doing Relay For Life and we had a great time. Our team raised $10,000 for the American Cancer Society. Brian was a cotton candy making/selling champion, as usual. Jake looked darn cute in his Superman shirt and cape.....gotta love the team spirit! Karen Braga's family flew in from Texas and Arizona, so we had lots of support on the track. This has become a great tradition that we look forward to each year.....it's a lot of work, but a great cause and we ALWAYS have fun!

Jake Dancing

Jake loves music and will often stop what he's doing to shake his booty when he hears a song playing!

First Steps

Jake took his very first steps just a few days before his first birthday.....and we actually had the video camera out!!