England

We made it. whew. Actually the flight was good. We had 4 seats all to ourselves so it worked out swell. Although Zara only slept for about 3 hours out of 8 but we survived. We're over our jetlag and enjoying life.

We've spent a day by the sea, shopped at the lanes, went to the lake district and have ate lots of fish and chips. Tomorrow is a no plan day so we're not sure what we're doing...might shop a bit and Garrett might go with the cousins to the go-karts so could be another busy day.

England has been a wonderful thing for Zara...she has fallen asleep in her stroller 3 times. She isn't getting her usual long afternoon naps but surviving really well without them. She's fallen and skinned her knees, forehead and nose AGAIN. She's seen lots of 'puppies' which are actually cows, ducks, sheep, birds, flowers and bugs.

Meet lots of the friends up north here. Molly, I met Ron and had a good little chat about you! We went to the farm last night for a potluck supper and a game of rounders...there were lots of people, about 60 and LOTS of good food. The weather has been crazy...its REALLLY hot, about 28 degrees today and quite humid but also had a thunderstorm that flooded Wigton...couldn't go to meeting because the farm was flooded but it's already drying up.

Anyways thats about all for now...we'll try to post again before we get back!!
Cheers...

Kicking...

My whole life we were taught not to kick...no kicking things when we got mad, no kicking balls and other objects in the house, no kicking our siblings etc. but kicking is one of the first things we ever did to our poor mothers. Kick, punch and prod was the first interaction we ever had and it was so exciting and encouraged but the moment your born it's no longer something welcoming.

Well I was in bed the other night with a sound asleep husband beside me when I realized that I was being kicked...just faint little movements but movements none the less. I was so excited and all I had to share my joy with was my suduko but we spend a lot of time together so it was okay. It's such a reassuring thing to feel your baby kick and move inside you. Makes you realize that there is something actually in there and your not getting plump for nothing and you know as well that at that moment the baby is ok and well.

I know it won't be long and I'll be discouraging all the kicking but for now little one...kick on!

These pictures were taken tonight of Islay and Zara...luckily they are NOT kicking each other yet.

Laughter

As the saying goes laughter is the best medicine. So in attempt to try and stay away from the Doctors I've purchased the Little Big Book of Laughter. It is quite a hoot. It has poems, puns, pranks, one-liners and the list goes on. I thought I'd share with you a couple poems that I read this morning. Here they are...

1) Consider the poor hippopotamus:
His life is unduly monotonous.
He lives half asleep
At the edge of the deep,
And his face is as big as his bottom is.

2) In the Garden of Eden sat Adam,
Disporting himself with his madam.
She was filled with elation,
For in all of creation
There was only one man and she had'm.

And that is just a taste at what's in there. I'm not sure however if I didn't purchase the book soon enough or if I don't read it enough or what has exactly happened but I'll be seeing quite a bit of the Doctor in the next while.... We're expanding....well I'll be the one expanding actually and soon enough our little family will no longer be 3 but 4...NO JOKE!

Blue vs. Yellow

My sister and I are doing comparisions of colors. I've been assigned blue and yellow.

Not too sure where to start but yellow is definatly a more upbeat, fresh, cheerful color. Blue is often the word used to describe being down and out, and some shades of it can be cold feeling. Although I like the color blue better as a color...its the color of a clear day and the ocean, yellow is just a little to bright. I like what yellow represents though...sunshine, cheerfulness, lemons, and sunflowers. But all in all I like a coral color best!

This is what happens when there is nothing to do on a tuesday evening sitting around Mom and Dad's. If you'd like to check out Shelby's her site is...http://shelby-olson.blogspot.com/

I've just realized that this is the first time I've wrote about something other than Zara. Clearly I need to get a life/hobby/something.

Garrett has been in between jobs now for a couple weeks so lucky for me that usually means that he's home a lot more. He has been getting up with Zara and I get to sleep in and he has been playing with her all day while I sit on the couch doing my sudoku. Needless to say I've been loving it. I don't think Garrett's minded either because Zara will now go to him without putting up a big fight. She's gone from being a Momma's girl to liking Dad too. She'll even give him cuddles and she cries when he leaves. This is what it was like when Garrett wanted a hug from Zara before.



And this is what it's like now.

Sleeping Beauty

I've always left the door cracked just a bit whenever Zara goes down for a nap. I've always gone in to check on her to make sure she is sleeping and has some covers on but now that she is older I just go in to see what kind of position she has managed to get herself into. I usually take the camera just in case its worthy of a picture. Here are a few shots that I've taken lately. The last is the after effects of sleeping...bedhead.

Payback

Anyone that knew me as a child knows that I talked non-stop. I'd keep cousins up until all hours the night, keep my family entertained on long road trips and pretty much control the dinner conversation. Well now I think its my payback now. Zara really likes to talk...all day long she blabbles about. I got a video to prove it. For all those I drove insane as a child...ENJOY!