Baltimore Inner Harbor

Jake's parents came out for a conference in Baltimore which is about an hour and a half from our place.  Since they were so close we got to visit them.  We went up and hung around the Inner Harbor with them and saw the sites.  It's gorgeous there!  They had quite the eventful trip while they were here.  While in Baltimore this area had a rare earthquake.  Joyce (who grew up in California) was an earthquake pro, but everyone else around was quite shaken (ha. ha. ha.).  

Pictures of the harbor:

Paige was so happy to see Grandma and Grandpa:

We went to the Baltimore Aquarium, which is AMAZING.  I'm really glad we got to go see it.

This pictures cracks me up! 

Paige riding around on Grandpa's shoulders. 

Cuddling with Grandma:

Being Girly

I love having a little girl. Here are some pictures of us being girly.

French Braids:

Matching painted toe nails (and matching flip-flop tan lines!):

Moving

After living with Paige for a year and a half in our one bedroom apartment we finally moved to a bigger apartment. Paige loved the moving process. She loved playing in the boxes:

And climbing around places she couldn't play before (because there were shelves in the way):

She was actually a really good helper with packing because she likes putting things away. I would show her a pile of things and ask her to put them in a box for me. She would bring them over and drop them in the boxes while I organized that box. It was awesome to have such a cute little helper!

We moved up the road about 2 miles. We're further away from the metro stop (which is very inconvenient) but we're also further from the center of town (slightly less crowded) and closer to other great things (like the Fowles' house!). Our new apartment complex is awesome. It has a pool (but so did our last one), a fitness center, and a park. Our apartment has two bedrooms and a washer and dryer. We couldn't be happier!

Chicago

I attended the Visitor Studies Association conference in Chicago this year.  Paige and my mom came along with me.  

Paige on the "L" train.  She LOVED riding this train because she got a good view of the city as we went by.

Posing with Paige in Millennium Park:

Paige and Grandma:

Some of the streets of Chicago:

Too much sight seeing makes Paige tired!

Caren (of Oberg Research.. the best visitor studies company ever!) and Paige:

There's a water fountain in Millennium Park (a couple blocks from our hotel) that Paige LOVED playing in. She looked so dang cute walking and splashing through the water.

Butterfly Pavillion

Every Tuesday, the National Museum of Natural History lets visitors go to the Butterfly Pavilion for free.  One week we went down with playgroup. 

Harrison, Alex, Paige, Gabbi, and Abby:

Singing songs while waiting in line:

Eve, Alex, Paige and Me:

Paige was a bit freaked out by the butterflies flying everywhere and didn't want to be set down.  I thought it was neat though!

A Lot of Rain

It rains a lot out here in Virginia.  Our apartment overlooks the loading dock on our building.  One day it was raining a ton, and the drain at the bottom of the ramp on the loading dock got clogged so the loading dock filled up with water.   Paige and I watched fascinated from the balcony as the water level rose and the maintenance team tried to clear it.  It got to be about chest high and was kind of delightful to watch.  

Summer Fun

Paige and I had a lot of fun this summer (poor Jake, had to work...). I picked up an extra job over the summer nannying two kids, Jake and Kaley. Most days, Paige and I would go over to their house and wake them up and take them to school/summer camp. Then in the afternoons we'd pick them up and stay with them until their dad got home.

Some days they spent the whole day with us and we did some fun things, like go to a splash park or swimming pool. Jake and Kaley were great with Paige and loved playing with her.

We also did a lot of fun things with our friends. Here's the gang at a splash park:

Gabbi and Alex:

Gabbi and Paige:

Gabbi and Abby:

Abby, Hayden, Gabbi, and Paige:

Paige loving the fountains:

Kate enjoying the fountain:

Paige doing the sign for "more" when the fountains stopped. She LOVED getting sprayed.