Summer fun...

.
Here are a bunch of random memories we captured throughout the summer (and obviously didn't get around to posting until now!)...

One morning I came home from an early-morning breakfast with a friend to find Julia tucked in bed with Chad.  Apparently, she had woken soon after I had left, and he brought her into our bedroom in hopes of both of them settling back into some sleep.  She climbed all over him for about 45 minutes, and then just sort of fell over where she was sitting into a deep sleep.  It reminded us of one of our new favorite children's books, "Sometimes I Like to Curl up in a Ball"...  How kids can be this flexible, I'll never know!

Julia enjoying two newfound loves -- brass music at an outdoor concert, and raisins!

This summer, she started giving hugs...often and enthusiastically!

As always, daddies come up with different games than mommies do...

This is Julia's first stolen cookie.  Didn't realize she could now reach the table (and have an intentional agenda) when I set them out to cool...

A little trick she and I have perfected during bathtime...

And she's getting much better at brushing her teeth!

Well, sort of... ;)

She loved every time we headed to the Farmer's Market...but always wanted to carry something that I was buying...

And she really started actually PLAYING, which has been fun (and pretty hilarious) to witness.

 Now, if she would just not try to walk around with the blanket OVER her head...

One of her favorites -- carrying things and hoarding them in "special spots."  We lost a shoe one day, and I asked her if she knew where it was...she walked right over and took it out of the microwave in her play kitchen! 

She loves to mimic...and especially loves screaming "BYE!!!" on her play phone at the end of a conversation one of us is having... 

She loves trying things on...

 ...No matter HOW silly!

And an extra-special newfound favorite...BUGS! 

This is her "playing" with a cricket in our kitchen before I could catch it. Now, every time I catch a bug in a glass to dump outside (which I do with larger, less-scary varieties of bugs I find), she yells "Jump!" and wants me to let it go so she can play. She did NOT get this genre of fearlessness from me, I can tell you that...

It's been a great summer, with lots of special memories happening just in our everyday life and routine.  It's a regular riot watching her grow up...bugs, dirt, and all!

.