Fall Apple Hunt

The weather here in San Diego finally dipped below 85 degrees, which means Fall is here. We took a drive to Julian to pick apples and sample some apple pie.

Kamenai Yayhaaaa!!

Charley really wanted to stow away in an apple truck... ...but we caught her just in time.

Daddy's beauties sitting together on a bail of hay.

As promised, Charley braved the open ocean this weekend with a little help from her Grandpa and the dreamland at Moonstone Cove in Catalina.

Don't worry folks, a Coast Guard-approved infant-size lifevest is somewhere on the boat.

Charley and her beautiful, patriotic Mama on September 12th.

The Skipper and his First Mate discussing "wind shifts."

Bearsuit Charley and her Daddy saddling up to take the dinghy ashore for S'mores and the ring-on-a-string game.

Swimming Lessons!!

This month, Charley boldly followed in the footsteps of her Dad and Aunt, and set out to become a swimmer. She is the next step in our swimming dynasty.

Here she is, in the smallest rashguard ever made, ready to take on the shallow end at the Coronado Community Center.

The back float is not quite second-nature yet, needs a little work.

She braved the depths like a girl twice her age, and Paige and I had a blast going to the pool with her every day. Next week, she takes to the open ocean. Stay tuned!

Charley's First Summer

Charley has been so thoroughly enjoying the So Cal summer that she has been hard for her paparazzi to keep up with. (Impressive, considering she is carried everywhere by the same paparazzi.)

Here she is touring lovely Newport Harbor with her Aunt Katie on her Grandpa's boat on the 4th of July.
She loves boats but this is still her all-time favorite mode of transport.

The lady prefers her sweet potatoes homemade, and would wear them no other way.

Mama's sensible little shopper.

"Sweet Potatoes are my favorite! No, Butternut Squash! Wait, Green Beans. I'll just try them all on."

Good thing for that bib. There was almost a mess.

Best Father's Day Ever!!

For Daddy's first Father's Day, we all went to the park with a picnic basket and the baseball gloves. It was a great time, and we got Daddy to the airport for his "business trip" right on time. Here are some pictures of both of Daddy's beauties.

We think Charley might be ready for food soon, so we put together lox, cream cheese, avocado, and capers on an Everything bagel to get her started off right.

Miss Charlotte Goes to Washington

Two weeks ago, we packed up Miss Charlotte for her first Cross-Country flight to go visit Annapolis, MD. Despite our fears, she flew like a seasoned jet-setter and slept the whole way there and back.

Here is the face she made when we told her she was going on an airplane.
Charley got to spend lots of quality time with Chris and Laura Van Syckle, her sponsor-grandparents. Laura, of course, did her laundry and let her sleep on the couch.

Here is Charley taking in the Nation's Capital and the National Mall. Having been born on Inauguration Day, she has a profound sense of history.

Here she is in the background trying to help her cousin Nick finish a platter of Maryland blue crab.

Here she is as the wheels touch down in San Diego again, happy to be home and near her beloved Mr. Flippy Frog.

Charley Bug

These are just some odds and ends from the last few months. (We are told we don't post often enough.)

Babies holdin' babies.
Charley and her Mama

Surprise! Its pink shag.

This is Mr. Frog. He seems to be Charley's best friend behind Mama and Daddy.