I call them pests...he calls them fun!

Jamie has been asking me to share this with all of you for quite some time. Several weeks ago just before crawling into bed, we heard a bunch of commotion in the backyard just outside of our bedroom window. Upon pulling up the blinds, we found a mama raccoon and 5 juveniles having a hay-day in our garden and on Isabella's toys. Here's one such character! We still disagree, I call them pests, he calls them fun!

some favorites...

Just a few random favorites to share with you...

Isabella looking for sand crabs

Thumbs are good...


...but toes are even better!

Making banana bread is tasty!

A proud mama on her 32nd birthday

friends, friends, friends

This summer has been full of friends, family and fun. Here are a few pictures of the little ones enjoying the care-free life.

Isabella and her most favorite friend, Elias Leon (they're also betrothed since the womb)


Isabella finally meets Oliver Casurella

Oliver, Eliana and Isabella

The start of a friendship? Oliver and Eliana

good girlfriends, Olivia Bates and Isabella

Crazy cousin Faly

Cousins Isabella, Tanya, Faly and Cosi

Cousins Faly and Tanya

The three P's

It's official, Isabella has consistently achieved the three P's that go together so well... "peepy, poopy and potty"! This has been a long time in the making. It started over a year ago when she was just 18 months or so. We introduced the potty and she would use it and love it. Then of course, the novelty of it wore off and so we backed off. In the beginning of the year (when this picture was taken), she started using it again and had great success when she was naked, which in our house, for her at least, translates to almost all the time when she's home. Again, we didn't push as we were awaiting Eliana's arrival and didn't want to experience regressing with the potty. So a few weeks ago, we made the giant leap and started just using panties and made a big deal of it...went shopping for "special panties" with grandma created a potty chart, had a song and dance "Happy Potty Day"...you get the picture. And now we are proud parents of a potty-trained 2 1/2 year old! It's fabulous!