James Birthday Party

I wasn't able to put the pictures up in the order that I wanted, but they are super cute anyway!  We had such a great time.  Baby James got lots of fun toys and was so cute eating his cake!

Here he is eating some cake

Now he is really  getting into it!

Taking a look at his cupcake.  

This is so much fun!  

Always willing to share the mess, I mean cake!

Baby James cupcake cake!

James wearing his pooh ears!

James with his daddy!

Please tell me it is time for cake! Please!

Let me at it!

JAMES TURNED ONE!

So on Wednesday James turned one.  We spent the day giving kisses and singing Happy Birthday!  I am amazed that a year has come and gone! What has happened to my sweet little baby.  Now he is a screaming, laughing, stealing toys toddler!  We went to dinner at Cici's Pizza with our neighbor James, who was also celebrating his birthday, and his wife Jessica!

Isn't this the sweetest face you've ever seen?

Lounging on the floor

Sporting his happy birthday bib.

Lookin' super cute in his birthday shirt!

He's showing us how old he is!

New York Pictures III

While we were in New York enjoying our mini Juenger reunion we were lucky enough to hold our festivities at the home of our loving Uncle Bill and Aunt Anne's house.  Now don't let their names fool you, we aren't actually related to them by blood.  Uncle Bill and Dad roomed together in college and he hasn't been able to get rid of us since.  We are actually very thankful to them for allowing us to descend  upon their lovely home and causing chaos with all of us.  Uncle Bill is a veterinarian by profession, but a turtle enthusiast by choice.  He has one of the largest private turtle collections in the world.  He has collected an amazing amount of species of turtles.  Here are a few of their pictures.  Now I don't know their names or anything so excuse the silly titles.

These are the snake neck, soft shells turtles.  They are very soft to the touch.  Uncle Bill had one who loved to be petted and would beg to be petted when you walked by!

A large turtle in a large tank.

A tortoise in the back yard. He's enjoying a dinner of grass.

Lil'Will wanting to be a turtle.

Feeding the tortoise.

Lookin' for a little lovin'.

"So, did you hear?  Toni is laying on her eggs!"

This is a mean fella.  He'd snap off your hand if given the chance.

This is a picture of Uncle Bill and a nasty lookin but nice turtle.

Another look at our big turtle friend

See he even has some of the small ones!

This is a picture of some of the tanks in his basement.  Now imagine this from wall to wall in three different rooms in his basement alone.  It is unbelievable.

These are in his garage.  He has large tanks there.  They are not only wall to wall but almost from floor to the ceiling!

Now I love this picture.  He reminds me of the turtles in Finding Nemo.  Looking for the next big wave.

Here are just a few snippets of our Fourth of July.  On base they had a carnival for the kids complete with jumpy houses and ferris wheels!  They put on a real impressive fireworks show that lasted 25 minutes.  Lil'Will really enjoyed the show, while baby James was done after 5 minutes.  It was very cute, Lil'Will called the fireworks "fire boom boom".  They aren't in any real order so enjoy!

Baby James had to get into a jumpy house as well.  He didn't jump much but enjoyed feeling like a big kid!

Lil'Will and another boy in the ferris wheel.

James being jealous that he isn't riding the ferris wheel.

A shot of the fire boom booms!

A picture of the flag cake before I out the "flag" on it.  I decided to try the new recipe which includes a layer of jello.  It was very yummy.

The flag part of the cake.

Lil'Will practicing driving a plane.

Leaving one of the many jumpy houses.

Our new camera.

Since the last one took a swim in the pool we knew that we were going to have to replace it.  So after our first successful swim lesson we went to the BX to take a look at their cameras.  We didn't think that we would buy one, we just wanted to look to see what was available.  Of course we ended up buying one.  We didn't buy anything fancy but it was being clearanced out and it is PINK!  I finally got my Barbie camera!  It has lots of interesting features that I need to take some time and learn what they do.

See what I mean.  Total Barbie phone.

Swim Lessons

We were so excited to go to swim lessons on Monday.  We talked about it for days before and we could hardly wait to get there on Monday morning.  We show up at 8 am, the time I was told, to find out no one is there.  So I see on the board that classes don't start until 8:30.  So we go and do an errand and come back.  We then find out that Will's classes doesn't start until 9:30!  So we go to breakfast and come back again!  When we get there we see all these 5 and 6 year olds getting ready to swim.  So I go up to the instructor and say I don't think my child is ready for this class.  He tells me that he will keep a good eye on him and that if it is to advanced he just pull him out and he can take the one that is lower.  I go ok, but I am still feeling unsure about it.   So sure enough they go into the water and it is way to advanced.  I wanted to go get him, but I remembered what the instructor said, that he'd make the decision.  Well sure enough they weren't watching him and he pulled away from the wall.  We watched his head bob up and down.  It was terrifying.  William then jumped into the pool and pulled Lil'Will out.  We gathered our stuff and left.  William had our camera and his cell phone in his pocket.  The camera is dead but some how his phone started to work again.  So here are some of the pictures that we were able to save from the memory card.  The pool called and talked to me later in the day to make sure that Lil'Will was ok and to say that he was placed in level one class.  So yesterday we took him back for the level one class and he did marvelous.  I was super scared the whole time and we watched him like a hawk, but the instructor almost always had him or was watching to make sure he didn't leave the side of the pool.  He loved it.  His attention span wasn't all that long, but he could do everything they asked.  I am very happy that he did well, because he really has no fears and I didn't want him to develop one with water.  So here are some pictures of Lil'Will's first swim lesson.

Here they are trying to get him to float on his back!  He wouldn't lay his legs straight. 

Looking all cute holding onto the side of pool.