Taking Steps!!!

This was a few days ago. Lina is now taking 4-5 steps at a time all the time!!! SO cool.

Lina's hospital stay....

Lina was in the hospital last week for 4 days. She had Rotavirus and was dehydrated because we could not keep anything in her - poor baby! She is great now!! Here are some pics...

Lina napping on daddy at the hospital.
In between pokes and sticks, she was in a good mood.
The nurse took out her IV for a little bit so she could roam around....
No pants needed....
Look at that smile, she is so cute!!!

Check out these smiles!!

Step 1 - eat the apple sauce.
Step 2 - spill the apple sauce.
Step 3 - wear the bowl as a hat!!
Step 4 - try and get the apple sauce all over mommies camera.
Step 5 - give mommy the "you can't resist me face" :)



Bell and Lina playing in their outdoor kitchen ($5 at a garage sale, so it lives on the deck!!)

The girls love the new pool Lina got for her birthday. Lina can crawl in and out of it and loves to do that over and over again!

Bell helping mommy do laundry with her baby "taking a nap" on her back.

Walking baby and dad in AR

Look at her go!! She will be walking soon!!!! 4 more days until daddy comes home - it is great to get to see daddy on the webcam.

Back to real time - yesterday!!

We plan on getting a lot of use out of hte deck in the nice weather ahead!! The weather report this morning said 80's all week and then 90's all next week!! Thank goodness for central air and swimming pools. The little pool Lina got for her birthday from Grandma and Grandpa Tuscano is all set up on the deck, and the big pool is ready and just waiting for the water to warm up a little more!! This gazebo is the best thing ever!! Is keeps all of us fair skinned ones (not counting daddy of course) out of the sun!!

T shirts and diapers were the order of the day yesterday afternoon for both girls (and we can't forget hats and sunscreen)!! Bell helped water the plants, while all Lina wanted to do was eat them (of course!!).

This is the garden I added when we moved in. Isn't it pretty!!
The new bench went out front with some flowers by the pond, on the greenest grass we have!! We had to rope that off from the dogs for weeks to grow it!! The bench and flowers went in that spot specifically so that the dogs to not short cut across that corner. As you can see, Phoebe would be more than happy to do just that a ruin the grass!! Oh, and you can see her summer buzz cut here - she is such a small dog without all her fir!!
My little monkey! If I sit next to the playyard on the ground, Bell has figured out she can us me as a ladder to get on top of the palyyard. Then she turns around and climbs over the wall to drop down to the bottom and go down the slide! No fear....

The girls were so happy to see daddy!!

The girls were so happy to see daddy!!
And daddy was so happy to see his girls!!! Before daddy went away this time (for 16 days!) we bought webcams. Now we can see and talk to daddy at night and he can see his little girls. Bell has done no fussing for daddy like she did last time since she has been able to see him - it is working out GREAT!
Aust took on the task of putting together the new bench we got from Grandma Barry.
As you can see he suceeded!
We took the cardboard box from teh bench and made a fort house out of it. we painted the inside with flowers, birds, clouds and sun. So when we put it up and Be;ll goes inside, she can see them! She had a great time!!

More party pictures...

Speaking of "what kind of face is that"..... Another person who always looks like that in pictures. Dave (the METS fan - yuck!) and Dan - my twin brothers.
Grandma in her party hat - how styling!!
Danielle, that's a far way to have to look up!! And he is only 13!!!!
The girls and their pink dogs from Katie and Emily. Something was apparently funny!!

Angelina's First Birthday

What kind of face is that???
OK, this girl has the cutest smile and laugh you have EVER seen!!! But can I get it on film?? NO, all I end up with are pictures like this!! UGH....

Grandpa, Lina and mommy.
Bell is such a good big sister!

Gardener, Artist, Musician - what will she be....

Bell planting Mothers Day gifts while Lina tries to eat the dirt!

Bell and Austin hard a work painting party hats for Lina's First Birthday.

Bell concentrating on positioning her thumb just the way daddy taught her to play his banjo!!

Our little girl loves to do things and get involved!! Hopefully she will continue to love all these things as she gets older.

We miss you guys!!!

Don & Brett (and a bunch of alcohol!!). Our old neighbors and FRIENDS Brett and Steph came to visit in May from Guam. It was great to see tehm again - who knows when the next time will be!!
Steph with Jess & Lindsay.
Brett & Steph with the girls. Bell just loved Steph and has been talking about her since!
Steph and Lina among the musical instruments.