Backyard fun

Today we finally set up a pool in the backyard. I can't believe we waited until late June to do so!

Owen loves to "swim" and to be outside :) We thought it would be easy to put him in the Bumbo but to our surprse it floats....even with Owen in it! Scratch that plan!

Emma enjoyed the afternoon and discovered just how fast you can go down the swing set slide when you are wet :) She practiced blowing bubbles in the water for swim lessons next week!

I just love this photo of my two guys. Owen loves his daddy :)

Picnic at the park

Today we took a picnic lunch out to a local park. It was such a beautiful day!

I'm so glad that we are finally using this nice picnic basket we received as a wedding gift (it had only made 5 moves before being opened)!

Emma had to go potty but unfortunately there were no public restrooms out there. Her daddy suggested that she take care of business behind a tree but she said that was "yucky". I didn't blame her. So, she and I left the guys behind for a few minutes and found a gas station :)

Here are some cute photos I took of Owen:

There are lots of ducks at the park. We tried to feed them but.....

They didn't want to get near Roxie!!! The photo below was taken just before this poor duck started quacking in distress and flapping its body like crazy! We couldn't help but laugh. The truth is that Roxie was just curious and might have even wanted to make a friend. She doesn't know that she is a dog or that she is supposed to run after other animals :)

Roxie LOVES to swim and doesn't get to often enough. In fact, the last time very well might have been when we lived in Stillwater. Upon our arrival she bolted out of the truck and dove right in! Emma was so amazed that she could swim! She is so happy in the water and had the biggest "smile" on her face:

I think she had a great time....just look at that face!

First Trophy

Tonight we celebrated the end of Emma's first Tball season with a party!!

The girl loves cupcakes :)

Emma was beyond thrilled to receive her very first trophy!! Coach Smith gave a quick speech. He said that each player did a great job and improved as the season progressed.

We are so proud of the Cameron Cubs and look forward to Tball season next year.....

Happy Father's Day!!

We had a fun filled day celebrating Jarrod :) I thank God for such a wonderful husband and daddy for my kiddos!

After church we met Grandpa James for lunch. My dad was out of state but we hope to celebrate with him next week :)

It was a gorgeous day....we stopped to take photos in a huge field of big sunflowers :)

How do you like Emma's photo skills?......

I had ordered J's main gift over 3 weeks in advance but was a little bummed when it was delivered with the wrong info enscribed on it :( It had to be re sent and the bright side is that I already have a Christmas gift ready for him!

We gave him an Under Armour jacket.....he could be a model & spokesperson for UA...it's about 99% of what he wears!

Emma picked out an A&M flag to put on his truck for game days this Fall :)

I made him a photobook entitled "The ABC's of Daddy". It includes photos since Owen's birth and has one word to describe him from A-Z. We also got him a gift certificate good toward a concealed handgun class that he has been wanting to take! Hopefully he can get it done before football season starts :)

Who needs gifts when you have curly ribbon?!

We made steak kabobs and rice for dinner and I decorated these fun brownies :)

"Dad: a son's first hero, a daghter's first love." -Unknown

Eight months old

Owen is eight months old today! That means he is 2/3 the way to his first birthday! His next well baby visit is next month but we stopped by the pedi office a couple of weeks ago (June 9) and he weighed 17 lbs 3 oz. His handsome big blue eyes melt my heart:

One of his favorite things is bath time! He usually bathes with his big sister and they have an over abundance of toys! They could play in there all day long :) Owen has started splashing water and loves his sister's Tinkerbelle plastic ball. He stretches out of the infant tub to reach it wherever it is :)

In the past month Owen has become much more stable when sitting alone. He seems much more content sitting than he ever was on his back or tummy....afterall, he can watch his sister AND the TV!

Our little guy is a tummy sleeper. If he is extra tired he will roll over his right shoulder wherever he is.....even on the changing table (this is extra tricky for his parents)! He is finally sleeping better at night. From 7:30p-7:30a he usually wakes up twice to eat. He refuses to nap in the car or away from home but will nap pretty well if we are at home. He takes one brief nap mid morning, a long one early afternoon and occasionally takes another brief one late afternoon.


Thankfully Owen has decided that he can play on the floor alone for a little while. Before now, this was not an option. He would just scream until someone picked him up. This week while Emma was at VBS and the house was quiet, I put him in the living room floor with several toys. I turned on PBS and he watched Elmo for a few moments. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he ends up being an Elmo fan like his sister, because I'm almost certain that we have every Elmo toy on the market :) Owen even danced to the Sesame Street theme song. The boy has rhythm!

He still loves his exersaucer.....as long as it is near someone :) I just love his sweet smile (& dimples)!

Sibling love is still existent in our household although I'm beginning to wonder what it will be like once Owen becomes mobile....

Owen still has no teeth but LOVES saltine crackers and Gerber puffs. He attacks crackers as though he hasn't been fed in days! He is 100% B-O-Y and loves to be messy. He grabs the spoon right out of our hand when being fed and smears baby food all over his face and clothes. He has started giggling as it happens. He is in to EVERYthing. When he wants something (whether he should have it or NOT), he keeps his eye on it and ooches his way toward it. Time to think about babyproofing the house!!

"A baby has a special way of adding joy in every single day." ~Unknown

SonQuest Rainforest VBS

Emma REALLY enjoyed VBS this week! I was a little apprehensive the first day. I walked her in and she immediately started playing with her little friends. When it was about to start I walked over and told her that I was going to leave. She offered me a kiss, then a hug and said "Bye mom"! It was definitely harder on me than it was on her. It helped that I know most of the mamas who led it! I know that VBS isn't a huge deal (it's just 3 hours each AM), but it was the first time I had ever left her alone at something like this....and she has only been potty trained for a few months (with a few oopsies here and there).

It was very bizarre having just Owen to focus on! It was the first time in almost eight months....and I think he was a little confused, too :) We played, he napped, I worked a little and exercised!! At first I felt a little guilty for enjoying my extra time...but then I realized that Emma was having a grand time! Preschool is going to be a good thing for all of us.

Here is one of Emma's pals, Kolt. He is also in our playgroup and was on her t ball team:

Here is our social butterfly with two of her very best friends, Brinley and Salma. Brinley was also on her t ball team:

The VBS theme was SonQuest Rainforest. I am so thankful that Emma had the opportunity to learn about Jesus in such a wonderful way! I have many great VBS memories from my childhood and want the same for our kids! I am also so happy that Emma did so well this week and that she enjoys being around other people experiencing new things!



Emma was so disappointed to learn that today was the last day of VBS (in her words: "Aw mannn")! She is so excited about Yoe cheer camp next month....and so am I!

Afternoon at the pool

Today we ventured out to the city pool for the first time this year. I must say that this is a cool pool, especially considering the size of Cameron! It has the best "kiddy" pool ever which accomodates the Smiths quite nicely :)

This was Owen's first trip to the pool and he LOVED it!! I was a little nervous as it was his usual nap time, but he did great! He enjoyed splashing around and watching the bigger kiddos! He didn't even seem to mind getting his face wet :) He giggled when his little hands touched the water fountains!

Emma does very well in the (huge) kiddy pool and preferred to paddle around in a floatie the whole time! She was not at all interested in the frog slide (which was a huge hit last year). She starts swimming lessons a week from Monday!

We looked pretty ridiculous walking into the facility with a couple of gigantic floaties :) Here is Owen in his. He is still a little small for it.

Owen was intrigued by the slats in the chairs!!

We enjoyed staying cool in the pool and hope to go again soon. After all, "it's Summer time, it's Summer time!", as Emma says :)