Our little hot pepper is learning to crawl! We had sort of hoped he'd wait to get moving until we headed back to VA, but at least he's not really zooming along yet. He can't quite get that tummy off the floor yet, but he has the right idea moving those knees and feet and hands!

Today we decided to put a few Cheerios in front of Joseph just to see what he would do with them. He was definitely interested in picking them up, and here he is doing so with a perfect pincer grasp!



He's still not sure quite what to do with those Cheerios once he grabs them, either because he doesn't realize they're for eating, or because he's not sure how to get them into his mouth. In any case, I'm sure it won't take him long to figure it all out!

I think these shots we took after church today turned out quite well! We're sure going to miss being this close to family when we're back in VA, but at least we'll have all these great memories. It's been a wonderful summer!

What a sweet little guy!

This afternoon, the power went out here at my parents' place, and while lights, refrigerator, and stove are all important, when the high temperatures have been hovering above 110 degrees, A/C is the critical item of concern! We're managing pretty well so far, though, by keeping doors closed and not moving around too much.

Well, I guess the indefatigable Josephus is still moving around quite a bit!

After all that hard work playing around, who wouldn't enjoy something sweet and juicy? We found this little self-feeding implement at the grocery store and thought Joseph would get a kick out of it. Actually, he likes it so much, it's hard to focus his attention on anything else while he's got it, even the camera!

Here he is getting those apricots all over!

We're keeping the bath water nice and cool tonight, because the power is still out, and it's starting to get pretty warm inside. Mom and Dad's deep sink is apparently just right for leaning and chewing!

As usual, Joseph is pretty happy after his bath. What a cutie!



He's not very interested in getting dressed, though! It's taking both me and Tim to keep all that wiggly energy in check!

Here we are in Tempe again for our last family visit for the summer! We've only been here a few minutes, but Joseph is already showing Grandma and Grandpa how to play his new favorite peekaboo game!

We've got apricots! The Bentleys told us that their rather larger apricot tree seldom bears fruit, but it sure is doing so this year! They also told us if there was any fruit, we could call their neighbor to come collect them. I think we'll manage just fine without her help! The apricots here may look a little green, but they are ripe, and so good!

Joseph is getting better and better at raiding the toy bin. He likes to pull all the toys out one by one, examining each one carefully before depositing it and moving on to the next!

Here's a fun shot of a roadrunner that came skulking around the yard today. He didn't stay long, but I really hustled to get the camera and it apparently paid off! Roadrunners are so cool: they are one of the few animals that can and do kill rattlesnakes. No wonder the Greater Roadrunner is the NM state bird!

The backpack carrier Jen and Allan gave us has really been coming in handy. Joseph loves being way up high in it, I guess because he can get a better view of all the interesting things we do, like eating tacos! He cranes his neck around like this so he won't miss a thing!

We finally broke down and bought Joseph a Jumperoo! Everyone that has seen the way he loves to stand up has told us: "You should get that kiddo a jumper. He'd love it!" How right they were! He'll jump and jump while I'm in the kitchen fixing food or washing dishes, but what he loves best is jumping with a partner, which is exactly how I got these fun shots! What a happy little guy!

Here's a shot of everyone at the end of our visit. What a great-looking group!

Here's Joseph looking cute at breakfast this morning!

In order to facilitate getting food into his mouth more quickly, Joseph has learned how to propel his mouth toward the spoon. What a funny little guy!

Now we're off on a hike around Lake Lyman State Park! Note the similarity between the two baby hats and backpack carriers. Can you guess where we got ours?



The trail here passes by a bunch of neat petroglyphs!

The forecast did call for rain, but it was sunny when we left the house. It looks like we'd better hurry!

The forecast was right! We all ended up getting a little wet in the rain, but it was actually pretty refreshing. In any case, the low-humidity AZ air is drying us out quickly!



Back at the Houstons', we're all enjoying a little more time in the backyard before dinner!




Joseph is so crazy about this tambourine that he'll roll over and over to get to it! How fun!

After my parents left, we followed suit and drove off for a weekend visit with the Houstons in St Johns, AZ! Tim's parents and grandmother are also here, and once again I can't help but think how nice it is to be close to family. The Houstons have a huge back yard full of big trees, and we sure are having a lot of fun being out together in it!

Here's a fun shot of Lindsey, Jen, Tim, Benjamin, Jonathan, and Taylor jumping on the trampoline. Everyone is up in the air except little Benjamin!



After all that fun outside, Joseph was definitely ready for some food. The pouty look before the food goes in the mouth and the happy look after is pretty typical nowadays!

Last but not least, here's a cute shot of Joseph playing with Grandpa Steve just before bed tonight. It's been a great day!

I snuck this shot of Joseph and Grandma Susan out in the backyard just before my parents headed off this morning. They sure were having fun together!

My parents are here for a quick visit on their way home from visiting Levi in Denver, and Mom suggested giving Joseph a bath in the sink. He is really loving it! We've known for a while that Joseph was getting too big for his baby tub and is almost ready to sit up on his own, so it's really no surprise that Joseph would find the sink a little more roomy and fun!

Here's just a cute bathtime shot of Josephus on this fine Fourth of July. Tonight he decided to lean over and see what was outside of the tub!

Grandma Cindy and the Houstons are spending the day in here in Albuquerque, and this afternoon we met them at the Albuquerque Zoo! Here's a shot of Joseph and me next to the largest owl in the world, the Eurasian Eagle Owl. The owl's handler informed us that this bird is capable of taking down small deer, and then suggested that I keep Joseph on the far side of me, which I did willingly. Just look at the way that owl is eyeing our little sausage!