Isabelle's first political rally

Today we headed out to Greensboro to hear Barack Obama and Joe Biden speak. There were about 20,000 people there, and even though we couldn't see very well, it was worth the drive!

Belle all buckled in and ready to go.

Our "view" of the stage. I circled Obama in orange, but even the circle is little!

Belle spent a good deal of the rally sitting on the pavement at my feet. There was a little girl named Bella two people over, so the two girls sat together, stared at one another, and gave an occasional high five.

Fun with a swim cap

Pig-tails, part two

Aunt Kate and I were talking this morning about how cute Belle looks with pig-tails. Unfortunately, Bellie doesn't have much patience for me putting them in. But somehow this morning she was distracted and I managed to get some in there and snap some pics. The only problem is that they really make her look like a toddler! (Or a doggy, as she believes.)

New fall jammies!

Bellie-boo got some new owl pj's for fall and was very excited to wear them for the first time last night. There's actually a pair of pj pants in the same print in my size... so I might have to get them. That would be a hoot! (You can groan, that was bad.)

Surfside Beach 2008

We just spent a week with Gramma, Aunt Tanya, and the Fringers at Surfside Beach in SC. Belle enjoyed the sand and surf again, went on her first carousel ride, and had fun with her cousins (despite the look on her face in the pic here).

17 months old

Avocado everywhere.













It's always better when you share.













Romping with her favorite guy...














...with this one she's a little shy.



















These pics sum up Belle's life and personality fairly well right now. She's a little firecracker - and mischief maker. Her new favorite activity is to step into the dogs' water bowls. When we notice and try various methods of telling her "no" she laughs this throaty old-man-jazz-singer laugh and goes right back for the bowls with renewed purpose. Same goes for the avocado mess on her tray. And pulling the dogs' tails or fur. Or sitting on the dogs. It's hard not to laugh most of the time because her hearty little snicker is so funny.

It's taken me a while, but here are some pics from our trip out to CO for my cousin's wedding. The trip included time in Castle Rock, where Belle met Jay's cousin's kiddos; a trip to the Denver Zoo; a trip to the Denver Museum of Life and Science; and a few days at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby for my cousin's wedding - where Belle also met my other cousin's kiddos.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I didn't have a chance to go back and edit the way this player put the pics in... so some are a bit cut-off or poorly situtated, but it'll have to do for now! I'll post a few of my favorites below as well.

A day in the life...

Some of Isabelle's latest forms of entertainment:

1. The new/old swing set that our neighbors brought over for us this weekend. Isabelle now stands by the window saying "ning, ning" to request a swing (the mosquito bites for both of us are an added pleasure).

2. Climbing into - and falling out of - her shopping cart.

3. Taking a break on her garden "seat" for a drink of milk. (She pulls all of the veggies out to make some room for her tush.)