Week's photos--rolling and reading

This week Sabrina decided she liked looking at pictures in a picture book all by herself. She would even turn the pages! To get around, she rolls from blanket to blanket. Sometimes she even stops and has a little nap.

Taste of Charleston video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ2IZRN2sBY

Taste of Charleston

To get a feel for some of the area food, we went to the Taste if Charleston at Boone Hall. This is an old plantation that now has events on the grounds. We understand that the original house has been rebuilt. The old servant quarters are now set up as rooms in a museum. One room displayed woven pots and quilts used in the era.

While walking the grounds, we saw our first cardinal and a huge Pileated Woodpecker! Bugs must be good here! The variety of flowers was spectacular! The setting was fabulous!

Tour of Charleston

The first full day we were in Charleston, we decided to get acquainted via a carriage ride. The draft horse who pulled us was named SAM which stands for "Slow As Molasses". Sam often wanted to turn around a wrong street and head towards the barn, just as most horses do! We saw a church that was in an earthquake in the 1700s which has caused the steeple to lean. The street where it sits is called Church Street. There were five cobblestone streets that were original to the city and some old houses. Most of the original houses have burned down as they were constructed out of a pine which is very oily and flammable. Some houses were reclaimed from the slum district and revived. These houses were painted brightly and are known as Rainbow Row. Around the corner from Rainbow Row is where some of the large mansion estates are located. These run right down the waterfront. Across the street from these mansions is a walking path that is lined with oleander, a toxic plant. Story goes that during the Revolutionary War when Redcoats made settlers board them, the ladies of the houses would serve oleander tea. Needless to say, the Redcoats stays were numbered.

Globe Trotter

The latest stage in Sabrina's development is rolling. She has learned how to roll and travel around the room. Literally, the room is tiled with blankets over the carpet so that she keeps on a "clean" surface and doesn't spit up on the carpet. Another fun part of her currents stage is the discovery of her feet. During diaper changes, she grabs her toes and curls up to help the person changing her. Also at bed time she will amuse herself by playing with her feet. How cute!

Sabrina three months

We had some pictures from the week. Sabrina is already three months! Hard to believe how quickly time flies!

Guten Fahrt Party

"Guten Fahrt" in German means "Good Trip" and we were surprised on our way home from Seattle with a Guten Fahrt party for Randy. We thought we were stopping at Randy's sister's house for a family meal and "surprise!" . We were joined by the Davis Family and Earl for a good trip party for Randy. Fun was had by all. Even Joey had fun drinking cocoa nut milk straight from the nut!

Ferry to Bremerton

This summer is the summer of ferry rides. This last ride was from Seattle to Bremerton and we chose to walk on and enjoy the ride. Surprisingly, we discovered a wonderful trip through the Puget Sound that was scenic and enjoyable. Tagging behind the ferry were seagulls, begging for food and sometime swooping down on unexpecting passengers. This trip was so enjoyable that we plan on returning sometime.

Remembering Grandma

One of the main reasons we vacationed on the Northern Oregon Coast was to be close to Grandma who lived in Astoria. And driving through Astoria and seeing some of her old houses, church, The Custard King and Pig n' Pancake brought back a flood of great memories. I remember we use to go to the Astor Column once a year and climb the stairs after spending time on the old homestead or at Aunt Dorothy's house. At the end of our family vacation we had a memorial service which had a nice slideshow of Grandma's life. She certainly had a full life of 99 years. After the service, we had a reception and caught up with family friends and relatives. From there, we went to the cematary and put flowers on Grandma and Grandpa's graves. Again, more memories came to service as we walked around. My brother and I used to run around and look at headstones as my mom and Grandma would put flowers on Grandpa's grave and her families' grave. We would be able to find our way back if we got lost once we found the Indian statue that marked the graves of several Indians from the region.
Grandma is finally able to rest next to Grandpa. I bet she is having fun in Heaven looking down on her family who loved her dearly.

Astor Column

As children my brother and I used to race up the winding stairs of the Astor Column. Randy had been there as a teen but it had been a long time for both of us. We decided to visit on our way to my Grandma's memorial. With Sabrina in a pack on Randy we made our way slowly up the staircase. On this particular trip I could relate to Jimmy Stewart in VERTIGO. I got a little dizzy going up the first thirty feet. The view from the top was spectacular, showing the mouth of the Columbia as it emptied in the Pacific Ocean. Looking out was easier than looking down. On the outside of the column was the story of Explorers coming to the Pacific. On the surrounding grounds was a time capsile that is to be opened in about forty more years.

Campfires

Arthur was super interested in lighting campfires. He was able to talk his dad and uncle into campfires several nights. Cousins also joined them in their fun.

Family vacation in Gearheart

For over thirty years, my julie's mom's side of the family has rented a beach house in Gearheart, Oregon. Sadly, the old house we used to rent was sold and not available. However we were all able to go, including Annie the german shepard to another house three blocks from the old house.
We spent hours each day playing in the sand. Each morning started with the mandatory dog walk and ended with a campfire on a few nights.

Thumb sucking

During weeks ten and eleven, Sabrina found her thumb and mastered the art of sucking it and other fingers. She also grew in length. We figure she has grown about six inches since birth.