Roll with it...

Our little girl's development is moving right along, quite literally. She has always been a squirmy little thing, but recently started to roll over from her back to her front side. She usually only does this on the bed (I think the mattress giving in a little bit helps), but it is still fun to see her grow and develop. Here are some pics of her attempts!

Hmmm... I think I'll try to roll over this morning.

Man, this is harder than it looks!

But... it's kinda fun trying!

Oh no, I'm stuck!

Grrrr... this is getting frustrating...

Ha! What a face :)

Finally made it!

I'm pooped! Come give me snuggles now mom :)

The Office

If you read my last post, then you know that Joe has been working a TON lately. So when  he asked if Maddie and I wanted to go to work with him last Monday, I was not exactly ecstatic. However, he quickly reassured me it would be an "easy day" at the coast and we'd have time to do some fun stuff. Well, he is a man of his word and he did not disappoint. Beautiful, secluded timberland. Growing trees. Vibrant flowers. The beach. Jack chasing birds. Fish tacos. Fish and chips. Salted caramels. Sunshine. And best of all, quality time with my favorites. Here are some pics from our surprisingly awesome day at Joe's "office" and Maddie's first time at the beach :)

 The hottest forester around! 

 Take your daughter, wife and dog to work day :)

 Do you think Jack likes going to work with Joe?

 Pretty fox gloves 

 Joe's work truck 

Blue skies

 That's a lot of trees! 

 And they're growing nice and big :) 

 View of Coos Bay from Lone Rock's land

 Jack excited for the beach!

 Family photo op

 LOVE his crimpy ears and blonde eyelashes

 My sweet babies

 Happy Jack :)

 The clouds burned off and it turned into a beautiful day in Coos Bay

 Jack hunting for birds...

 Found some!

 And he's off! A day at the beach is not complete until Jack gets to chase birds :)

4th of July Weekend Recap

Man, life has been busy as usual these last few weeks. Joe has been getting up at 3am for work and working 11-12 hour days. When he's not busy with that, he has been working on a huge DIY yard project that quickly escalated out of control. (Separate post to come on that bad boy.) As you can imagine, between 12 hour work-days and weekends spent working on our yard, that doesn't leave a lot of energy left to do much else.

So, I have been taking care of Maddie and managing the homefront a lot on my own these past few weeks. (A big thanks to my mom who came down to help out for a few days!) In addition, I am in full swing coaching summer soccer practices and camps. Keep in mind that I bring Maddie with me to most of these practices by strapping her into her baby carrier, so the label "working mom" has already wiggled its way into my life despite the fact it is my summer "break". 

Needless to say, we welcomed the long 4th of July weekend with open arms. A break from work, house projects, and chores in general, couldn't have come at a better time. To celebrate our nation's Independence Day, we escaped to one of our favorite destinations with some of our favorite people. We had a blast in Sunriver hanging out with Jessie, Matt, Nicole, Grant, Rachael and Adam. We hiked, rode bikes, swam, hot-tubbed, played games, and of course, FEASTED... a lot. Bacon and beer were in the regular rotation and among the favorites on the menu, in addition to burgers and brats. What better way to celebrate our great nation's independence day?

 Maddie's future dance teacher, Jessie :)

 Cutest little patriot I've ever seen!

Mama-to-be practicing with Madeline 

What a natural

 Love this kiddo like crazy!

 Beautiful Tumalo Falls

 Happy hikers 

 Jessie and Matt

Nicole, Grant, Olive and Baby Simmons in belly!

 Our little family :) 

 Group photo of our hiking bunch!

View of Mt. Bachelor and the 3 Sisters from our hike near Paulina Peak

Saturday Nights

All of you Portlanders reading this might wonder what we do for fun down here in the 'Burg. Well, to be honest, our options are pretty limited. No Blazers or Timbers games. Very few shows, concerts, or festivals. The restaurant selection is very limited and we never "go out" to bars, as they are quite depressing down here in Douglas County. We try to save movie nights and board games for the 8 months a year when the weather is terrrible, so you might be wondering what we do during summer nights. Well, we hang out outside. A lot. BBQ's and evening walks dominate our agenda, and more recently a fun ATV outing at a family friend's mountain. (Yes, down here people can own mountains.) Here are some pics from our friend's own personal campground, lake and viewpoint at Nickel Mountain, the largest nickel producing mountain in the entire country! (Little fun fact of the day there for ya...)

 My little girl and I

 Grammy Kathy and Miss Madeline

 Jack was in HEAVEN with the lake

 Jonas and his daddy

 Yes, his shirt says "gangsta" on it and is referring to Roseburg. A college football teammate from inner-city LA made this for him. Awesome, I know.

 Time for a sunset ride to the top of Nickel Mountain

 My crazy driver! 

 Windy and cold at the top, but so worth it for the view! 

 Joe is really good at self-portraits 

 There... that's better!

 So pretty 

Love this one :)