10 Months Old!

Today Penny is 10 months old!  She has changed so much in the last month I don't even know where to begin!.  I guess I'll start with the most obvious and amazing change...PENNY. IS. WALKING. We were pleased and surprised when Penny took her first tentative steps two weeks ago...we thought she might walk early, but I really didn't think it would be this early.  Though she will take a maximum of 7 or 8 steps before she falls, or drops down on purpose, she is definitely walking.  She is also starting to CLIMB on everything.  The other day I walked into the sun room where she had crawled on top of the train table! While these feats are certainly impressive physically, I think the cutest thing about it is she always looks so proud of herself after she has walked between to points, or climbed up on something.  I suppose it is because she has one active, busy big brother to keep up with.

Penny is also trying more and more foods and is starting to drink from a cup.  She enjoys eating all kinds of things with her fingers including wagon wheel pasta, fruit, goldfish crackers, and just the other day she ate two chicken nuggets.  We haven't been pushing the cup issue, but over the last week she  has successfully taken sips from a regular cup and from a sippy cup.

Just watching Penny do more and more things, eat better, and start to express herself is such a joy.  She is fast moving toward toddler-dom...which is kind of sad!

I don't know who's idea it was to climb on to the train table first...

This sweet baby loves her baby doll and sleeps with it every night and every nap.

The Circus Comes to Town

Last night the Ringling Bros. Circus was in town, so we decided to take Cooper to see his first circus.  Show time was half an hour before Penny's bedtime, so we opted to leave her with Grandma this time.  Cooper enjoyed the elephants, the horses, the motorcycles, and the popcorn and skittles we bought him to keep him in his seat.  (It only partially worked.)  The show did run a little long, so by the end of it, Cooper was laying across both of our laps.

Cooper liked wearing the puppy dog hat that came with his $10 popcorn.

Delving into Summer

Ever since Cooper got out of school on May 18th, we haven't slowed down!  We LOVE summer and all the fun activities that go with it!  It is the perfect time of year to have fun, catch up with friends, and experience new things.  What we have been up to...

It all started on Cooper's last day of school....Cooper enjoyed his cupcake at the  last day of school picnic.

We just swim and swim and swim!

We host a summer swimming playgroup at our house every Wednesday.  Here is Penny...STANDING and now trying to walk at NINE months old.

David and I visited the Flint Hills of Kansas where Papa Kirk grew up...BEAUTIFUL country that I had never seen before.  We left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa for the entire weekend.  It was their first time with both kids overnight.

On the way to the Flint Hills, we visited the Little House on the Prairie house...which were some of my favorite books as a kid.

A long time family friend got married!  We enjoyed the entire wedding weekend!

Here comes the bride with her Dad...GORGEOUS!  Congrats to Cassy and Trey!

David got a new toy...a boat.  We took it out to the ski basin for the first time this weekend.  It was SOOO FUN!  Kids did great...Penny hated her life jacket, but both kids loved playing in the sand and swimming.  They even slept for over an hour on the boat!

Memorial Day Weekend

Welcome Summer!  We kicked off our favorite time of year by having our friends down for Memorial Day Weekend.  We packed in a lot of fun things into just 2 and a 1/2  days.  Cooper and Penny had a lot of fun playing with Hunter and Kaelyn, and Mom and Dad had a great time catching up with Paul and Marcia.

On Saturday we all swam and enjoyed a shrimp boil.  On Sunday, we divided and conquered.  The guys took the little guys to the beach while the girls took the babies shopping in Rockport.  Later our OTHER old friends came over with their two kids for homemade pizza.  It was CRAZY with four active kids and two babies running on pure adrenaline that evening, but fun.

On Monday morning, we visited the Texas State Aquarium before our friends had to head home.  We had a great time and hope we can do it again soon.

Pictures!!

Boys in the pool.

Girls in Rockport!

Watching the Aggie baseball team win the Big 12 Championship.

These two had a blast together!

This scene took about 30 seconds to create.

They just played and played and played.

Sweet, CALM girls!

"Touching" the stingrays at the aquarium.

Rare moment of standing still.