Adios Summer

In honor of the fact that I whole-heartedly think (I mean hope!) that Summer 2009 in Phoenix is officially on the way out the door - I'm dedicating this blog as a tribute to summer. I guess you could also look at it as a catch-up on our happenings since Costa Rica :).

So, basically, we've been sticking closer to home these last 2 months and enjoying lots of little, local adventures. Silas is talking up a storm - and I have a few little video clips to give you peek into his ever expanding vocabulary. Unfortunately, I have not captured any of his most recent (and favorite!) phrases which include: "I need that!" "Go that way!" and the classic "Noooooooo!". The driving directions ("go that way") are the most hilarious and seemingly random . We had a pretty funny discussion in the car this morning where I was trying to explain why I had to keep driving straight (instead of turning everywhere he told me to). Maybe I should follow his directions sometime and see where it takes us. Hmmmmmm.

We went on our "2nd Annual" Bear Jaw/San Francisco Peaks camping trip with the Conways in early August. The scenery and solitude were fabulous. And, of course, the company was wonderful. Really, the only thing that was unexpected was the very cold night-time temps. I guess because we'd gone to the same place at the same time the year before, I assume the weather would be similar. And while there was no rain, it happened to be a particularly cool weekend. Which meant I slept even less because I was extra worried about Silas being cold. (I know...it is really dumb to worry about thing that haven't really happened yet.) Still, I was cold in my down sleeping bag so I figured he was cold too - in his pack'n play and tossing off his blankets. Anyhow, when he finally woke up, I decided to layer him in every extra piece of clothing I could. So he ended up wearing 3 pairs of his pants, 2 of his long-sleeve shirts, and 3 of my shirts (which were like little dresses. It was quite a sight! Too bad I didn't take photos.) The days were a lovely escape from the Phoenix heat, though...check it out:

Over Labor Day weekend, Karen & I took Silas for a day-hike up to Horton Creek (Payson-area). It was really fun and it was Silas' first "big hike".

Silas and I also went to Flagstaff a couple weeks ago for Pickin' in the Pines (bluegrass fest). It was a wonderful weekend - we enjoyed staying with two different sets of friends (Fri/Sat nights). And we had a bunch of our Phx friends that went to the Festival. Unfortunately, I had my hands full (literally!) that day so I didn't bring the camera. (Actually - I also didn't capture a day-trip to Slide Rock and an all-girls backpacking trip - both in August!) I did capture a couple photos at Heritage Square where one of the bands was playing Friday afternoon. Silas sure likes "workin' the crowd" and making new friends!

Silas had so much fun - he had to take a nap! (Ha ha - I think he was just enjoying the nice, flat rock.)
And, of course, we've had some fun at home too. Story-time with Daddy (and all the fury friends) is always a big hit.And he's also had fun with our make-shift fort. That kid really likes to play "poof". Some would say he's practicing for a great wrestling career.

So now it's official. We're ready for Fall. yahooooooooo!!!