Our monkey!

Caroline's new thing is climbing. She wants to climb on everything! I've even caught her trying to climb out of her crib. Below are a couple pictures of her climbing on and off our fireplace hearth. There are also a couple of random pictures.

Success!

Swimming with her buddy Parker

Pushing EK on her swing

Playing with Adelyn at the bounce house

Caroline playing in our bathroom while I was getting dressed

"Look Daddy! I found some Q-tips".


And because the dogs get overlooked now........

Miss Annabell

Oliver

Money Pit Part Two

Earlier this spring we gained a tenant. She was loud at night, mean, had 3 wild kids and never paid her rent. Last week we bought a trap and some cat food. The 1st night we put out the trap we caught one of the babies. Second night we randomly caught a possum (ugliest and meanest animal). The third night we caught TWO babies. They must have been holding hands as they walked into the trap. Last night when the mom came back to find her babies gone she went crazy. I heard her running back and forth in the attic and clawing at the floorboards trying to find them. A little while later our dogs started barking up a storm. I looked out the storm door and she was sitting at our front door hissing and showing her teeth at the dogs! (I guess she figured we stole her babies, she was going to steal ours.) She didn't even move when she saw me. I had to open the door and scare her off. I read someone's blog and they talked about having a raccoon in their attic. Her suggestion was to burn down the house because it's so hard to get rid of them. We did consider this option for a few moments but figured we'd end up with greater problems. When Reagan got home I made him watch guard while I set the trap. Luckily we caught her!

Also after waiting months our master shower renovations is complete! We love the new shower. It feels very "spa" like. Below are before and after pictures.

Momma raccoon

Before

After

Papa Redmond

Today is a celebration of my Dad's life. It marks the 2 year anniversary of his passing. I miss him so much. He was one of my favorite people and I was definitely a Daddy's girl. He was one of the most influential people in my life. He taught me how a lady should be treated. During rough times in life he was there to remind me of who I was and what I valued in life. He taught me to love myself. He was very compassionate, gentle and smart. (I can still remember the day I realized my Dad didn't know everything.)

When I would call him after I got married he would ask if I was calling to say I was pregnant. I would say, "No, when I'm thirty we'll start trying." He passed away about 3 months before I found out I was pregnant. I regret that he'll never meet Caroline. She'll never receive one of his famous stick-drawing birthday cards or try "Papa's pancakes". Which I've been told by a few family members that they don't like Papa's pancakes (I won't mention names ;-))!

I talked to him a couple hours before he passed away. He sounded very upbeat and happy. He was having a great day. We talked about his recent trip to Tulsa and how great it was to see his kids and grand-kids. It comforts me to know he was in a good place.

Mom and Dad when they were dating

Making Papa's pancakes

Dad, Sarah and me at our wedding

Father's Day dinner 2007

Weekend with Sarah

This weekend Sarah, Katie and Little Chris came to visit. Saturday we ran a memorial run for our cousin Colleen's daughter. We didn't bring the camera so there are no pictures of the run. I am proud to say I came in last place! I was there to make everyone else look good ;-). Also, I was the only person who walked the race. After we went to the run we met Reagan at Colleen's house for a BBQ. My cousin Patty has a daughter named Caraline (I did not know that before naming my Caroline) and my Caroline loved her! She must have known they had something in common because she would seek out Caraline in a crowd, get a huge smile on her face and want to go to her.

Sunday we went to the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival. It was really cool. They had a big kids section that had a ginormous sandbox, petting zoo, drum circle and climbing wall. It was really hot and sunny; to keep Caroline cool we poured water in the cup holders of her stroller. She had her own little splash park (which she thought was a blast).

Sarah, Katie and Me

Walking to the Festival

Banging on drums with Aunt Sarah

Katie playing the drums (BTW, she just cut off 10 inches of her hair!)

Chris climbing the wall

Petting the goats.

Playing in the sand

She won this hat

Chris got this necklace for his girlfriend!

Splashing in the water

There also was an actual splash park there but we didn't have our swimsuits.

Just her size swing-set

This week we got Caroline a slide/swing-set (gotta love Craigslist!). She has had so much fun sliding and swinging. Yesterday I had some of her toys slide down the slide. She thought that was hysterical. I love her laugh and hope it brightens your day too. A little later I caught her trying to get her doll to slide. It's fun to watch her actually play with her toys and not just eat them!

PS, if you can't see the videos on the e-mail go directly to our site. http://reaganandpatty.blogspot.com/

Climbing up the slide

"I love my new toy!"

She's the captain of the ship!