Rainy Wednesday Photoshoot

Madee got some new bloomers from Auntie Dani...

They are super cute!


Oh no! Not the black box again!

Sweet sleepy angel...

I love to be there when she wakes up.



This is her Bubsy Bunny.

He is her first lovey.


Goodness.

No Place Like Home

So we didn't make it to Utah. We said "forget it! just get home!"

This is what the baby looked like for most of the trip...

But we knew our time was running out.

Anyway, Sedona was ...weird.

It was pretty, but there was a lot of construction going on and that just ruins a landscape...

Unless this guy is in it.

Or you crop out all the crappy stuff...


It was good to get out and stretch our legs a bit...



And eat a hot dog. A napkin makes a very good hat.


Then we hopped in the car and headed for the Grand Canyon.

It was awesome. Knee shaking awesome. It was just so huge. It was misty and rainy and beautiful. And a little chilly.


It was incredible.


So now we are home and unpacked and getting settled back into the house. Thanks to everybody who made Van Derven Roadtrip 2008 so awesome.

We miss you all already!

On the Road Home

So this is my first official blog-in-motion, and we are in the car driving through Arizona heading toward Sedona. It sounds like there will be good shopping and tooling around town.

Then we are headed to the Grand Canyon.

We had such a great time in Alabama, it was hard to leave...

But it was easier to get on the road knowing we were headed to Granddaddy and Mitch's house!

They live in Hartselle in this awesome house that was ordered in 1910 out of a Sears Roebuck catalog.

It is easiest the coolest house I know...

It was awesome for Madee to meet her great grandparents - they are the only set she has and they are super special!


Here they are swinging on the front porch.

It was awesome to see them and get some pictures!


Then we wentover to visit Bob and Kathy. Of course Kathy has been itching to get her hands on Madelyn...they were awful cute together.

I have lots of pictures of Kathy with me as a baby. It was sweet to see her with Mad. It is so cool to visit people you have known your whole life and share your children with them.


I wonder whose children will be bringing their new family to come visit us when the are older...

***************************************************

So now we are on our way home.

Here is a list of the states that Madelyn has been to...

1. California
2. Nevada
3. Florida
4. Illinois
5. Wisconsin
6. Minnesota
7. Indiana
8. Kentucky
9. Tennessee
10. Georgia
11. Alabama
12. Mississippi
13. Arkansas
14. Oklahoma
15. Texas
16. New Mexico
17. Arizona

Oh yeah...she has been to more states than many adults...

With Utah on her plate for tomorrow, she will have 18 states by the time we get home.

That's 18 states in 19 weeks. (She turned 19 weeks yesterday.)

Here she is in a park with her Daddy in Oklahoma.


And here they are in front of the waving wheat...

Just beautiful...

Kickin' it Lakeside...

Oh that wild little child!
She is loving the swimsuits, sunhats, fishing, and sunning in her laid back lake life.
Don't worry she wears lots of sunscreen and stays in the shade of her sunscreened tent!

Here she is in her new pfd* that Granddaddy picked out for her.


Yes, she is just that vibrant in real life.

We didn't get a chance to spend much time with the grandparents, but we did get in a nice walk up Smith Mountain in the rain.

It was lovely.

Ono loves running around free like a country dog. She lounges on the deck and watches the lake all day...

OOH! Cuteness again in the pfd!

Speaking of pfd's - here is Zeus trying one on for size.

He's a really great wakeboarder...

It has been super chill and relaxing...it is great to watch Charlie work from the deck, taking calls out on the dock where there is reception.

We are so lucky to get to stay here...and to come back someday too!

Here's Mad kicking it lakeside...

And chilling up in the house...it gets hot in the middle of the day so we have to get up and cool off in the heat of the afternoon...

Zeus spends lots of time chasing sticks and fish in the water.

He is totally soaking up the whole lake!

Here's my favorite kind of fish...

And his fresh catch! After a little wrestling match with the Lake Martin monster and the loss of the first rod and reel, he sure showed that lake who is boss!

My buddies in the sun tent making bunny ears...

This has been the best part of our trip so far!

Thanks for lettiing us stay a while Granddaddy!



* pfd = personal floatation device

One in the Oven

Here is a sneak peek of my first maternity shoot...

It was a super inpromptu thing, no backdrops, no props, and I think they turned out quite lovely...

Thanks Abby and Michael! You guys were awesome, and I can't wait to get my lens on your little baby girl!

4 months old!

So at this point it is hard to say who has survived for four months...there are days when she is smarter than me, stronger than me, and certainly funnier than me.

In fact, she is turning out to be quite a little handful of fun!

We went to the coast today, to get the doggies out in the salty sea water...

Madee took the opportunity to pose with her Granddaddy while we packed the car...


Dogs were not allowed on the beach, so we had to stay on the Indian River side of things.

It was nice because we found some shade to sit in...so we could stay cool and keep Madee's precious skin out of the sun.


She was decked out in her sunhat and sweet sunglasses...



Seriously, could she be any cooler in this heat?


We didn't stay too long, just enough to throw the frisbee, watch Zoie play Jaws, and get a little lazy in the heat.

She slept the whole way home...the sun really makes us all sleepy!

After a good nap, she was up and ready to celebrate her 4 month-iversary with her first try at a bowl of rice cereal.

She ate it like she had been using a spoon for quite a while.


And not only was it yummy, it was fun!

Mommy and Daddy love you little cereal killah...

Florida Time!

Florida is hot and sticky...but fun!

We have so much to do and so many people to do things with...

First thing we did?

Introduced Ono to her little half brother, Lowell...

But she was way more happy to see Uncle Isaac . I mean, it has been 2 years!
Madee is doing a great job of holding up her head...

Her Bumbo time is getting lots more fun and interactive.

She just loves to sit up like a big girl!


And she is very busy lately. She has mastered the art of grabbing stuff, In fact this morning she grabbed my hair with 2 hands and pulled me in for a kiss!

Sometimes she justs watches as her hands play with each other...


Mad LOVES her aunties...

She woke them up this morning with kisses and squeals in bed.

I am pretty sure she is their new favorite alarm clock!

Dad's been working, but he comes back tomorrow.

His girls miss him like crazy, like always...