Beach Bunny!

We spent a day, with The Clacks, on Anna Maria Island. As we've said before, Clare thoroughly enjoys the water. If it weren't for her pruned fingers and toes, and sand-filled diaper, I think that she would have stayed there ALL DAY.

A little slice of paradise!

Catching some waves!

The water was VERY warm, so she thought it was a big bath.

This sand feels neat...

I think I'll eat it!

Fun with the Clacks!

Our friends, Micah and Stacey Clack (and their three kids), are in Florida for a couple of weeks. We've been able to see them a couple of times, and we've had a LOT of fun. Check out their blog for some of the detailed stories and more pictures. Phil is strongly against bows and headbands. In nine months, this is only the second time that Clare has donned such apparel. Stacey snuck a barrette in Clare's hair when Phil wasn't looking. Clare's not so sure about the whole thing, but Phil is clearly opposed. FUNNY!

Clare is checking out Dylan...

Dylan's making a move...

Phil's in the background...ready to pounce on the frisky boy.

Clare thinks the barrette is getting her all kinds of special attention.

Different day...same love connection.

Who really wanted this to happen? Dylan or Stacey? :)

Hailey holding Clare

Micah was keeping things under control. :)

We can't wait until next year, Micah and Stacey! :)

9-months-old TODAY!

WOW! Clare has now been alive outside the womb as long as she was inside the womb. That is really hard for us to believe. She's getting SO BIG!
She loves her new bookshelf, but I think that I enjoy it even more than she does.

Which one do I want???

Is this a ladder?

Yes, I think I'll try climbing the shelves.

Thank you for the new shelf, Grandma and Grandpa!

What else can I pull off of here?

105 and still alive!

Our home thermometer read 105 degrees the other day. YIKES! It has been HOT and DRY down here, and we are in desperate need of rain.
Clare is waving her hand so quickly in this picture that you can't even see it. She loves seeing herself in the mirror.

Blueberry Math

Did you know that blueberries grow in Florida? Until recently, we assumed that they were not a local fruit. Boy were we mistaken! As you can see, Clare is joyfully sitting with 8.5 pounds of blueberries.
We went to a local U-Pick Blueberry Farm, and we picked 4.5 pounds in about thirty minutes. As we drove home, we ate at least a pound as we talked about what a GOOD DEAL it was to buy the blueberries at the farm rather than the grocery store.

Clare wasn't quite sure of the taste, but she loved squishing them in her hands.

We ate the 4.5 pounds in four days, so we went back for MORE. That is when we picked an additional 8.5 pounds. So, within one week, we picked 13 pounds of blueberries.

You may think it is crazy to spend $36 on blueberries, but that's nothing compared to what we would have spent at the store. I did the math, and it would have cost us $140 to buy that amount from WalMart and $200 to buy that amount from Publix. NO JOKE! Therefore, we "saved" well over $100.
Needless to say, we already have the calendar marked for next year's blueberry season. :)

Motherhood...

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there!
There's nothing like being a mother, and this special day has a whole new meaning now that we have the gift of a precious daughter. Clare brings the greatest joy to our lives, and we now have a stronger respect for our mothers.
It has been a TERRIFIC day. Phil made breakfast for me, he cleaned my bathroom (from TOP to BOTTOM), he surprised me with a few special gifts, and then he made my favorite lunch. WOW! This is almost better than my birthday or Christmas.
Thank you, Mom! You've been the greatest example of Christlike motherhood, and Clare and I are blessed because of your example.

A "Hard" Day...

Hard at PLAY...
Hard at flying on the Clareplane...

Hard at working the sippy cup and Early Twirly at the SAME time...

Hard at preparing dinner with Daddy...

Hard at reading and learning...

Hard at crawling ALL OVER the place...

Hard at pulling herself up...

Hard at slumber after a hard day's work!

Ruskin TOMATO Festival

This past weekend was the Ruskin Tomato Festival. As silly as it sounds, Phil and I were kind of excited about this event. Several years ago, we went to the Tomato Festival on one of our very first dates.
Clare wasn't quite sure what to think of all the sights, sounds, and festival-folk.

Clare has been giving kisses lately...but they are more like giant face bombs!

The food court (see in the background) was full of "delicacies" such as fried mullet, conch chowder, tomato sandwiches, elephant ears, and a few other unrecognizable treats.
We had a fun afternoon. Even though we didn't buy any tomatoes, we went home with three different types of honey and a jar of cocktail sauce. Who would have guessed that you could have that much fun in Ruskin? :)

Fun in the pool!

Phil grew up spending hours in the pool, and I grew up spending hours in the lake, so it only figures that our Clare Bear would grow up as a little fish as well.
We've been having fun in the pool, and she splashes around with glee.

For those of you who don't appreciate naked baby buns, close your eyes.

Happy Weekend!

Things have been CRAZY for the past few weeks, and this is the first weekend that we've been able to relax and enjoy some family time. YEAH! We are incredibly blessed!