Hawaii 2010: Day trip to Pearl Harbor and Waikiki

During our recent trip to Oahu we were lucky enough to visit one of our nation's most special landmarks, Pearl Harbor.  It was a very educational visit and we enjoyed visiting the memorials and learning more about the sacrifices our country made on December 7, 1941 and throughout WWII.  Afterwards we visited Waikiki beach for a little dinner; the sunset was amazing!

USS Bowfin

If you look closely you can see that Canada signed on the wrong line

 

Touring the USS Missouri



USS Arizona Memorial

With our state flag

The sunset from Duke's Waikiki





Hawaii 2010: Big Baby & Little Baby

True, Abby cannot ride in the BOB stroller or be carried around in an Ergo or Bjorn.  Also true, she no longer wears diapers or sleeps in a crib.  BUT, this photographic evidence demonstrates that Abby is still the baby of the family! 

Lucy was mildly confused by this.

Milestones: Lucy Eats Solids!

While we were in Hawaii Lucy tried solids for the first time!  Her first solid ended up being bananas, even though we had planned for its to be brown rice cereal. When she lunged at one I was eating for breakfast one morning I thought we might as well let her try it.  Her first spoon was Mommy's finger.  She loved bananas and since then has expanded her repetoire to include brown rice cereal, peas, carrots, oatmeal cereal, winter squash, avocado, sweet potato, corn, plain yogurt, apple sauce and parsnips!  I have been making her baby food, which is so easy (and inexpensive).  All it requires is a steamer basket and a food processor.  Lucy is a great eater (like her Mommy and Daddy) and really enjoys holding the spoon herself. 

Trying banana.

Trying brown rice cereal

Hawaii 2010: Mele Kalikimaka

We were lucky enough to spend Christmas on the North Shore of Oahu.  It was a different, but special kind of Christmas and we had an excellent time with the Miller clan.  David and I had never been to the North Shore and we really enjoyed the relaxtion it offered.  We stayed in a private home near Haleiwa.  The beach was literally steps out the back door!  Mele Kalikimaka!

The Christmas stockings my mom made for our Hawaii Christmas.

Lucy snoozing just before we headed to Mass.

Merry Christmas!  (look how pale we are!)

Lucy getting in some Christmas sun bathing

Hanging at th ebeach with Mommy

Looking adorable on the back lawn

With Aunt B

Lucy and Daddy

Paige had a special holiday get-up for the beach.

Reno Christmas

Since we will be spending Christmas out of town this year we had our parents over on the 18th to celebrate and to watch Lucy "open" her Christmas gifts.  We had a nice meal, finally using our fine china and crystal for the first time, and really enjoyed watching Lucy's equal enthusiasm for wrapping paper (tasty!) and actual presents

Mommy helps Lucy open another box full of footed PJs while Pappy look on

The dress she is wearing was mine when I was a baby

Lucy's stocking is nearly bigger than she is

Lucy checks out My First Spanish Word Book.  Feliz Navidad!

Lucy with her loot!

Meeting Baby Priya

Lucy still seems like such a tiny baby to me, but when we rerecently went to meet her new friend Priya Donahoe, born December 3, she seemed so big!  Priya is just gorgeous and we were very excited to meet her and congratulate her ecstatic parents, Tim and Seema.  Lucy was very excited and was kind of panting and very eager to touch Priya's head.  I felt proud that she was fairly gentle and thankful that Tim and Seema (and Priya) humored her curiosity.

Tim and David have been friends since grade school!

 

Air Force Weapons School Graduation - Vegas, Baby!

A couple of weeks ago we flew to Las Vegas to attend the Air Force Weapons School Class 10B Graduation. Click here for an article with a little bit more about the program.  Our dear friend Captain Karen Barth, one of my roommates from Notre Dame, was among the graduates of this intense and prestigious program.  Karen studied at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, for months as a part of this program.  She is an Intelligence Officer and now she is also a weapons expert!  Watch it!  We had such a great time celebrating Karen's achievement and visiting with her family.  The weekend also included several firsts for Lucy: first flight, first formal dinner and first time in Vegas, baby!

A special thank you to Karen and Guy and all the members of our armed forces for serving our country.

Lucy's first flight. RNO to LAS on SWA.

Karen Receiving Her Diploma

Karen and Lucy!

Check out Karen's cumberbund!



Major Christopher "Guy" Barth, Captain Karen Barth, Courtney, Lucy, David



Guy is a natural with babies.  Lucy slept on his chest during part of the dinner.

We returned to the dinner after this and then Lucy spit up down the side of my dress.  Very glamorous!

Lucy and David retired to our hotel room after the dinner while I went out with Karen and Guy to celebrate with their friends.  When I returned I discovered them both sleeping peacefully like this.  So cute!  (Poor photo quality due to cell phone photography).

With Guy before he flew an F-16 back to Florida, where his squadron is based.

Riding on Daddy's shoulders at Caesar's