Here's our little hot pepper, busy as always, with a couple of his favorite toys: a plastic container from the Tupperware cupboard in one hand, and Tim's big shoe in the other. It's always amazing to me how well Joseph can entertain himself, as long as he has access to a few basic tools!

Our busy little beaver is also so interested in helping around the house lately. He loves grabbing a pillow and a book for diaper changes, putting toys away when playtime is over, and his particular favorite is unloading the dryer!

One thing Joseph loves to do lately is give kisses to his reflection in the oven door. What a silly little goose!

Here's our big sixteen-month-old having fun with Tim this afternoon!

Once again, I find myself surprised at how fast time is passing! Joseph is sixteen months old today, and we are so grateful for the vibrant, active, happy little boy he is! He is particularly happy today, because the weather is nice enough to go outside and play with the stroller, his new favorite toy!



Well, I guess nothing really ever beats books for him! Lately, he's getting into books that rhyme and have animal sounds in them, as well as those with bright, exciting pictures. He's also been learning about dancing, which for him is pretty similar to head banging, and which he does whenever a song he likes comes on! What a big guy he's getting to be!

One thing our sweet little Joseph loves to do lately is give Tim and I hugs! He'll do it almost whenever you ask -- and we just can't get enough of it...!

Here's Josephus being a silly little goose at lunchtime today!

Today my friend Mary called and invited me out to Pandapas Pond, just North of Blacksburg, for a morning hike! The weather is gorgeous and kids and adults alike are really enjoying being out in it!







Here we are having a little snack halfway around the lake. The kids are so excited to play around in the old leaves! This is Joseph's first time wearing his little Pedoodles sandals outside, and he's really stomping around like a big guy!





There sure are plenty of birds and turtles out here, especially Canada Geese. Having grown in Arizona, I always thought of Canada Geese as being quite exotic and mysterious, yet here they are, begging for food like regular pond ducks! Based on the number of people I see around the lake with fishing gear, there must be a lot of fish, too. I guess we aren't the only ones looking for an excuse to get outside on a glorious Spring day like today!

Little Joseph is finally getting big enough that his suede-soled Robeez just aren't going to cut it anymore! Since he's still getting the hang of the whole walking thing, we didn't want to mess him up by getting him something too stiff. These Pedoodles seem like the perfect next step: the soles are rubbery, but way more flexible than most; they're pretty economical, especially because they're made to fit for around six months instead of the usual three; and, of course, they're super cute! When I put them on his feet, he stood clinging to me for a minute as if getting used to the new feeling, but then he was off running around again like usual!

We love Jim Cosgrove, so we were really excited when we heard he was coming to Blacksburg to put on a little concert! Despite our crazy day (complete with lots of rain and mud, a stuck 24-foot U-Haul, a half-packed and condemned trailer, a broken wrist, a dead cell-phone battery, several pieces of large and heavy furniture, and a sick and grumpy little hot pepper), we still made it on time and are so glad to finally be here! Joseph is enjoying the free grape juice box we got at the door, and we're all enjoying the fun music!

It's a lovely afternoon, so we just couldn't resist heading out to the playground for a while! Joseph is having a ton of fun climbing up and sliding down the slide, but doesn't seem interested the swings. He wasn't walking yet when we were here last Fall, but he can still use a bit of help now and again maneuvering over these unevenly spread wood chips. It's times like these that remind me how tricky learning to walk can be! I'm sure, though, that Joseph will be running all around this playground in no time!

Tim and I made our favorite pancakes this morning with white whole wheat flour, pecans, and a banana! The banana makes them so moist, the nuts give them such a rich flavor, and the white whole wheat flour makes them nutritious, too. Since we have Church in the early afternoon now, we have time for a lazy breakfast, and we all really enjoy it!

It's obvious that Joseph thinks playing around the hotel room is great, but his feelings about sleeping in it aren't quite that positive. Maybe next time we'll do a day trip instead of staying overnight!









While I did some work in the temple, Tim took Joseph to a park nearby, and had a great time taking some shots of our little hot pepper playing around.







When it came time for them to come and pick me up at the temple, Joseph couldn't help noticing the little, dark friend on the ground that kept following him everywhere and that he just couldn't catch!

This weekend we're off to Raleigh, NC to visit the temple there, and here we are eating lunch at a rest stop along the way! Joseph's a great little traveler now. He loves being in the car, he naps well in his seat, and he thinks eating peanut butter sandwiches outside is the best! The weather is lovely today, too, and judging by the blooming daffodils, Spring is definitely on the way!

We just started getting the "Friend" magazine, and Joseph has been really enjoying flipping through them!

He also still loves taking a bath! When Daddy tells him it's bath time, he knows exactly what to do and where to go!

Our little hot pepper always gets a little crazy just before bed: running around helter-skelter, playing peekaboo behind his bedroom door, and giggling like crazy! What a little hoot!