We're melting...

So much has happened since the last post, it would be impossible to tell it all. Most importantly FI said MAMA this week. Yes, before she said DADA.

I heard it with my own ears!

Luckily for our baptismal guests who stayed with us this past week, they left just in time! The air conditioner went out and has been out now for four days. It could be another week or more. ugh. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't 98 degrees outside. The kids are wearing bandanas soaked in cold water and we are all congregating in front of one large box fan. Ah, it's like camping, without the bugs. (as Mark says).

The heat has brought us closer together though... not just in front of the box fan. Yesterday Daniel reached out and patted Soph and said "You are my best friend."

Summertime has brought an important slice of Americana to our neighborhood. The ice cream man. He comes every Wednesday night, just a little after seven o'clock, and you can hear him from a few blocks away. He was playing Christmas music from the truck until about two weeks ago. Now it is normal summertime music. Daniel gets very excited and we take our few dollars and meet the truck at the bottom of the driveway. Now Dan thinks that any white truck he sees is the ice cream man. You should have seen his face fall when he found out the van in the driveway when we pulled up was really the Cable man. There was no explaining it to him...

Daddy's Little Girl...

Sophia was baptised on June 22d at the Wren Chapel on the campus at William and Mary. Here is a website if you want to read more about the history of the chapel. It was a beautiful, small, short, heartfelt ceremony and Aunt Lynne was our honored guest and did the baptism herself. Here are some pics from the service.

This the Wren Chapel:

Susan and Catherine

Nana and Soph
Grammy and FiPop and FiTwo ladies who made the entire day possible: Celeste and MaryBeth (both of whom are the bomb diggity!)
Also a big thanks to Erin and Patrick, who saved the day in the nick of time... or at least made sure everyone got fed. If I had an awesome pic of them I'd post it. I was slow with the camera this day. We value each and every person who supported us on this special day so thank you all for coming!

Thanks to Rene for taking the great family photos! The baptism offered the family a chance to get together. And play wrestling dinosaurs with Uncle Mike.

Uncle Ken didn't waste anytime attempting to vogue for the camera with Sophia.

Aunt Lynne also got to spend quality time with us after the baptism for a few days. Here she is helping Grumpy with the baby chores.

There were long talks with Daniel about Coconuts and life on the back porch over chocolate milk...


And time to spend with Sophia (notice Fi's Brittney Spears look...)