Fun at the Lake

While in Maryland we went and took Emerson swimming at a lake while Nana and Canyon stayed at home and played. Stephen was going to jump in first, but Emerson beat him to it. Emerson had a lot of fun playing in the water. One of his favorite things to do was jump off the dock into the water.

And he's...

going in.

He also had fun being swung around in the water and thrown up "high in the sky." It was a nice warm day and the water was a lot warmer then we were expecting. It was fun to spend a little time outside and to play in the water with Emerson.

Warts and All

While at Papa's house Stephen and Emerson spent some time outside planting some shrubs. While they were working they found a frog. Actually, it might have been a toad. Emerson thought that it was pretty cool. He looked at it, smiled at it, talked to it and even touched it. Hopefully we don't see any warts show up.

Brothers

Meet the brothers. First there is Emerson, a very energetic two year old who is always on the go. He is also a bit of a chatterbox.

Then there is Canyon, he is usually happy unless he is hungry or teething and if you're giving him all your attention he's sure to give you some grins.

These two are a very sweet pair. Emerson loves his little brother and is often very concerned about Canyon's happiness. He is eager to make him smile and giggle and usually wants to help meet Canyon's needs. Canyon is definitely a fan of Emerson. No matter how many times Emerson has scared Canyon by making a loud noise or cuddled him a little too hard a simple "Hello Canyon" from his big brother will often put a smile on his face. The two are quiet the pair and I think both are eager for when Canyon gets a little older and more mobile so that they can play together.

The Park

Emerson and I let Nana spend some quality time with Canyon while we went to the park. It was a nice day - not too hot. Emerson had a great time and was reluctant to leave. While we were there Emerson spent some time on the swings....

...going down the slides...

...and bouncing around on the whale.

Emerson is a really fun little boy and it was nice to get out and spend some one-on-one time with him.

Emerson, Papa, and the Big Yellow Car

Emerson has been having lots of fun with Papa since we have been visiting. Here are some pictures of the two of them playing with a toy on the back patio. It's been a lot of fun watching Emerson interact with his grandparents. He's at that age where he's a lot of fun to play with....his imagination is just starting to blossom and he's really into playing with others and with his toys.

The Sprinkler

On our second day at papa's house Emerson had some fun running through the sprinklers. It was a nice hot day and a great way to cool off. Emerson loved it and we all had fun watching him.

Without A Camera

The day before my brother TJ left to head back to the states my camera stopped working. And of course that was the day that I was going to take Canyon's three month photos, pictures of Emerson and I was even hoping for a couple of TJ and the boys. Since my camera has stopped working it seems like there have been lots of missed opportunities. And lots of moments I've wanted to capture. It has been a rough couple weeks with no camera but finally I've got it back and I've been snap happy ever since.

Driving

Emerson loves to get in the front seat and drive so when Stephen stopped by in this car Emerson just insisited that he drive.

Bonding

My brother's not a big baby person. He likes it when kids can tell you what they want. For TJ, Emerson is at the perfect age. While he was here they played a lot together. I didn't think that Canyon should be left out and so we found opportunities for Canyon and TJ to bond. Below are a couple pictures of the two together. (In the second picture Canyon is drooling on TJ.)

This picture was for proof that TJ could soothe a baby.

London - Round 2

We made a second trip to London while TJ was here to do the 'Tourist Thing'. We left early enough to get to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards but it was canceled. So after taking some pictures around there we walked over to the building where all their military operations used to be carried out back during some of the major wars. There TJ got a picture with one of the guys in the funny suits. (They change their outfits depending on the time of year, so it wasn't the classic red coat and fluffy hat, but it was still good.)

On our way to Big Ben we took a photo in a phone booth, saw Westminster Abbey and the Palace.

We also walked across the Thames Bridge and saw the London Bridge-which was really not all that impressive. (Maybe the original is cooler, but that is now somewhere in Texas. The things people do when they have a lot of money.)

Emerson's First Sleepover

Emerson had his first ever sleepover party with his Uncle TJ one of the nights he was here. He was really excited about the opportunity to stay up and watch a movie. I think he might have made it through most of the movie because he didn't get up the next day until pretty late. Here are some pictures of them that night and then the next day.

Chili Cook-Off

The last Saturday that TJ was here we had a Chili Cool-Off at church. It was a really fun activity, full of good food, fun games and lots of convesation. Below are just a couple pictures from the activity, including a picture of this years winners.

Egg toss and egg on a spoon race. One little boy got an egg right in the face.

Emerson really enjoyed shouting out orders in the mega phone.

It was a beautiful afternoon and a perfect day for a get together.

Painting

Before Joseph left and while TJ was here we lived at our friends house while the wiring was getting redone. The Saturday before TJ left they had finally finished with everything. I thought that since we were already staying somewhere else it would be a perfect opportunity for us to paint Emerson's playroom. So I enlisted the help of my brother and Saturday morning we got the first layer of paint on the walls. Throughout the week we manged to get another layer on and then had to do one more after TJ left before we were finished. The clean white walls makes the playroom feel so light and fresh. Here are just a few photos from our painting adventures.

Grafham Water

On a nice sunny day while TJ was here we went to Grafham Water and spent a couple hours running around. We took the dogs with us and just hung out for a little while. I think everyone enjoyed a little fresh air and had fun running around a little.