A visit from Aunt Helen

Helen came in town for visit this past week and, like always, we had a super fun time! We seem to go non-stop while she is here, but the busy schedule is well worth it because I like to maximize our time together. I still haven't been able to convince her to move back here, but I'm betting that once Perry can talk, he will be able to seal the deal! She just loves our little boy so much!

8 month review

9 months old...are you serious? Perry, I can't believe you are only 3 months shy of one year! You are all over the place now--opening drawers and cabinets, pulling up on all the furniture, getting into trashcans--things are very different around here. While you have developed a strong sense of independence, you have also begun to have some separation anxiety. I'm interested to see how this will play out. This month was full of travel. Except for the fact that you don't sleep well when away from home, you are such a great traveler. You do well in the car and enjoy exploring the new surroundings. This month also brought your first plane ride. All the stewardesses and passengers doted on you and complimented your good behavior!
Here is more about what you're doing:  
Motor: army crawling most of the time
Feeding: nursing 4 times/day; new foods: yogurt, green peas, cheerios
Play: love peek a boo and other surprise games; trying to imitate others; smacking lips, stick tongue out and blow bubbles
Sleep: standing up in crib when you don't want to sleep; 3 naps/day

                 lil' Pierre at his villa

                    bathing in the sink

Rewind to the 4th

To celebrate the 4th of July, Alex, Perry and I went to Toledo bend to spend the day with some of Alex's family. Alex's uncle, "Gunny", and his wife Kari hosted everyone at their camp. It was so comfortable and had perfect water views, however, the best part of the day was the company. Alex's grandparents and two sets of uncles and aunts, all from south Louisiana, we there to celebrate. We were especially excited for Pop to meet Perry for the first time!

Here we are with Momma T and Pop

We enjoyed sitting out on the porch, listening to music, and visiting while being entertained by uncle Neil as he prepared for his 6 hours of grilling. 

Perry found this cabinet and was determined to climb into it. He worked hard at it for a while and then...

Mission accomplished!

Patriotic family

We had so much fun and loved spending quality time with Alex's family who we don't see often.  Everyone was so gracious to us and extra sweet with Perry. Being with family we love made for a perfect day!

The group minus me. Perry decided to give a cheer!

Donna and Pop joined in, but were a little late :-)

A Baker's Dozen in Sonoma

I'm on vacation with Alex's family and if you want to see how much fun we are having, check out http://www.abakersdozeninsonoma.blogspot.com/

Lake Ouachita

My dad and Sheila rented a nice cabin at Lake Ouachita and invited us to come up for a little getaway. It just so happened that they had the cabin the week of Alex's birthday, so we decided to make it Alex's birthday trip. I was really looking forward to it because I hadn't been to Lake Ouachita in years and Alex had never been to the area. We had a great time hanging out around the cabin, but mostly enjoyed our time on the beautiful lake. The only bad part of the trip was when a dog came on our porch and devoured three of the four prime fillets my dad had grilled for Alex's birthday celebration. That dog had a $50 meal! It was really not funny at the time, but we had to laugh to keep from getting too mad.

This lasted about 10 seconds before Perry was back in the boat. I don't blame him...those infant life vests are not comfortable!

Why is it so hard to get a good family picture?

These next shots are from when we went to this old country barbecue place. They had lots of antique/rustic decor, so I decided to turn it into a photo op.

Cute boys!

The leak (not to be confused with the lake)

This week has been extra crazy for us and NOT in a good way! We returned home from a great weekend at Lake Ouachita (post on that later) on Monday evening and found that there had been a water leak at the house. In fact, just as Alex was finished opening his birthday presents, we discovered the problem...as you can imagine, it was not a good end to his birthday! After three days, the plumbers finally finished and the clean up was complete. The house still needs lots of repairs, mainly new wood floor in the den and hallway, but we're not going to get started on them until after our California trip. Throughout this week, I've been reflecting on a verse that came to me as it applies to our situation.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
I'm thankful to remember that the promises of heaven are true and that ultimate fulfillment will only be found in Christ and not in how pleasant, comfortable, or easy life is.