Daddy "attempting" to tickle Ashton

I promise, this isn't an attempt at a mugshot. In fact we tried tenaciously to get a smile out of Ashton but he was so fixated on the bright light on the camera that this is what we got. I think his shirt says it all-and yes his dad picked it out. The video is of Tommy trying to get Ashton to smile for the pictures. I "accidentally" turned the camera on video mode, and caught him in action. If you listen closely you can here a small remnant of a laugh coming from Ashton. Don't let this clip fool you though, the little guy loves to laugh and he does it often-just not when he is being tickled, which is what Tommy is doing in the video. ENJOY!

It's raining it's POURING!

I don't normally get so excited about rainstorms, nor do I usually stop to take pictures, but this I had to share with everyone. Let's rewind to earlier that day. The sun was shining and we had spent time at the pool with friends. It was beautiful weather and very warm. Around 4 p.m. out of nowhere the rain started. Now this wasn't your typical storm where it drizzles a little, maybe some thunder, a little lightning-nope, just a full on downpour (notice the water literally shooting out of the gutter drains). Tommy had been out fertilizing the lawn and it definitely caught him off guard because as soon as I heard the loud downpour of water, I saw him racing up the sidewalk as quick as he could.By the time he reached the garage, he was pretty soaked. It was fun to stand in the garage with Ashton and see his reaction to all the rain. Even our neighbors and their kids came out to watch the action. It lasted a good 45 minutes until it died down to a light pitter patter. The sky eventually cleared, but we could still see a lot of lightning in the distance. All in all we are very thankful for the rain, and so is our grass :)

Where's the cow?

So this is how I found Ashton today after I went into the other room for a quick minute. I have been trying to do a better job of buckling him in his bouncy chair, because he has been very wiggly lately. I'm so glad I came back into the room before he slid all the way out. I can honestly say I have had very few "bad mom moments", but this was definitely one of them (not buckling him in). I couldn't figure out if he was just trying to wiggle his way out of the chair, or from all of his kicking he had slid down. After watching for a few seconds I realized that he had discovered the picture of the cow on the chair, and was trying very, very hard to arch his little back and take a quick look. Normally his head is resting on the cow but for some reason he discovered it today. I guess I have learned my lesson and will from now on be buckling Ashton into his chair!

Nice Kicks!

These are the shoes that Tommy bought for Ashton soon after we found out that we were having a boy. We can't believe that he finally fits into them!! Here are some pictures of Ashton and his Daddy at Tommy's baseball game, and one of all of us before the game started. The shoes matched perfectly with Ashton's cute baseball outfit. If you look closely you can see the baseball gear on his shirt! Go Red Sox (Tommy's team name)!

California Dreamin'

Our trip to California this year can be summed up into 6 words... Family, friends, food, fireworks, beach and games! It was a great time. Us and Tommy's family rented a beach house for the week of the 4th, so it was awsome. We could see the ocean from our bedroom window, and saw an amazing fireworks show from the back balcony. Tommy, Ashton and I flew in on Saturday, and got to spend the Sabbath with his Grandparents. It was so much fun visiting with them and introducing them to Ashton. We had a yummy Sunday dinner, and had a good time catching up. Monday afternoon the rest of the family arrived, and the rest of the week was a blur. It was great seeing everyone, and showing off Ashton. The place where we stayed had 3 pools. Two of them were up on the bluff overlooking the ocean and the third pool was very heated- great for those late night swims. Ashton was a great traveler. The plane rides went very smoothly. One businessman that sat across from us on one of the flights told us that he was great, and did tremendously! Tommy enjoyed playing with Ashton in the sand and water. Overall it was a blast of a week, just relaxing and visiting. Can't wait for next year. In-N-Out anyone? :)