Good times with the water table

 
 
 
 

Through Claire's Eyes, Part 2

Dishwasher
 
Riley sleeping
 
Waffles
 
Hayden
 
Taking pictures with Daddy
 
New kicks
 
My daddy drinks lots of Coke
 

Before he, literally, licked the bowl clean

 

Through Claire's Eyes

We got Claire a "kid tough" digital camera for her birthday. It has a whopping 1.3 megapixels, so the images are nothing spectacular, but it's fun to see what she takes pictures of...usually her feet or her favorite toys.

 
 
 
 

Weekend in Maine - Photo Overload

Looking cute on the dock
 
They grow up so fast! :)
 
Daddy and Claire prepare for a trip on the kayak
 
Off they go!
 
Sweet face
 
Claire was FREEZING after swimming in the pond, but, as you can tell, quite happy.
 
Rainbows!
 
I couldn't leave this picture out because dang it, I look skinny! This is the whole gang, minus Uncle Jeff, who was our photographer.
 
Daddy & Claire on the boat
 
Mom & Claire on the boat
 
Mom & Hayden
 
Not a great picture of Hayden, but I'm still regretting not buying this hat!
 

Claire is THREE!

When you've given birth to a child, birthdays remind you of the day your child was born. July 3, 2004, was just another day for me. I remember the day, oddly enough, which I probably can't say about any other specific day that summer. I went to the vet in the morning to buy "doggie downers" so that the dogs wouldn’t be too traumatized by the fireworks the next night. That evening, a friend from Nashville came to visit, and we went to Davenport's, a pizza parlor in Birmingham that had rave reviews and I thought was thoroughly disappointing. Uneventful day. On the other side of the world, my daughter was being born. Was she born while I was at the vet? While I was eating bad pizza? It seems strange that I spent that day going about my everyday life, completely unaware that this particular July 3 would be one of the most significant days of my life.

Three years later, my July 3 began with a little voice whispering, "Mommy?" We got up and while I made blueberry muffins, Claire played "chase" with Hayden (he crawls, and she screams and runs away as if he's chasing her). Claire spent her day playing with Nana and Papa, going to the circus, having a spaghetti dinner, and opening a ridiculous number of presents (so many that we're having Birthday, Part II tomorrow). We finished the day with a Ben & Jerry's tie-dye birthday cake (when in Vermont…), and Claire collapsed shortly after. She didn't even wake up during the town's 20-minute fireworks extravaganza that was launched close enough to make the house shake.

We didn't play a role in Claire's actual birth day, but July 3 is day that reminds us how lucky we are that a little girl could be born halfway around the world and find her way into our family...exactly where she belongs.

 
 
 
 
 
Hayden: "Oh, this one is MINE!"