Before my parents head back home to AZ, Grandma Susan had the great idea of taking Joseph to this Kiddie Park near Brackenridge Park. Here they are getting Joseph's hand stamped at the ticket booth...

here they are getting ready to go on their first ride...

and here they are spinning around and around! With the apparent centrifugal effect on little Joseph, it's a good thing Grandma is there to hang on to!

I think the carousel was once again Joseph's favorite: lots of motion, not too fast, interesting animals to ride, and fun music to boot!





Of course, he also liked the boat ride...

and the plane ride...



and the car ride!



All in all, there wasn't much he didn't like, although a few of the jerkier rides had him a little concerned momentarily. Grandma rode most of the rides with Joseph, while Grandpa, Tim, and I took pictures, took care of Rosalie, and called roadside assistance when we realized we'd locked the keys in the van. We had just enough time to get it unlocked before Joseph wore himself out! What a fun afternoon it's been!

Rosalie is smiling at us so much more, and is even starting to coo a bit! She sure does love kisses!



When nighttime comes, though, she still tends to get a little fussy. We're lucky to have Grandma Susan here again tonight, because she's the best at soothing our tired little girl!

Here are just some fun shots of Grandpa Lloyd showing Joseph how to pull this tape measure through his shirt. What a couple of silly guys!

My parents are back in TX for the weekend in honor of my cousin Clayton's wedding in Houston. We're lucky to have them here for a day on their way there, and two on their way back! Here's Grandma Susan taking full advantage of grandkid time!

Rosalie is such a strong little girl!

I love this little outfit my mom got for Rosalie while she was here, and she is starting to look so chunky and sweet, I just couldn't resist taking some shots of her after she woke up!





She is also starting to smile sometimes when she sees me or Tim! It's always been amazing to me that way before they can talk, walk, or eat, babies can smile! It's hard to catch her doing it, though. These are the best I could get, but at least she looks happy!



Meanwhile, Joseph was helping Tim make some cookies. He dumped in the nuts and chocolate chips, and was so excited to see them come out of the oven looking like the real thing!

It's a little dark, but here's a fun video of Rosalie laughing in her sleep this afternoon!

This morning, we had decided to be ambitious and get up a little early to go watch Logan play soccer. We thought it would do us some good to feel the sunshine and do something just for fun! While we were getting ready, though, Charly called to tell us Logan was sick and wouldn't be going. Instead of giving up and going back to bed, we decided this was the perfect opportunity to head down to Poteet for its famous annual Strawberry Festival! As it turned out, getting up for the soccer game meant we arrived here at the festival right when it opened. Carpe diem!



Joseph had no idea what the "Poteet Strawberry Festival" was, but he sure was excited to go! It reminds me a lot of a state fair, with rides, food, shows, etc. None of the rides were running yet when we arrived, so we took a look around at some of the different animal displays. Here's Joseph having fun watching these bears!





Finally, it's time for Joseph's first fairground ride! There are several kiddie rides here, but we figured the carousel was the best place to start. Joseph seemed a little nervous getting on, but once his giraffe started moving, his face broke into a huge grin! He's loving it!





Getting off the carousel, Joseph almost started crying because he didn't want it to stop! We assured him, however, that he would get to ride more rides soon. I must admit that I thought Joseph might be scared on this little roller coaster, but Tim had more faith in his bravery, and we decided to give it a try. Now he's giggling and shrieking with every bump, turn, and drop!







Although we still have a few tickets left, we decided to save them for a later and give the petting zoo a try. Joseph thinks all the different animals are so funny and neat and just keeps smiling and pointing at them all. Here he is checking out the goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, rabbits, sheep, donkey, and even a camel and a llama!

Time for lunch! Although I can't say a "hot beef sundae" really appeals to me, I'm sure we'll find something else good to eat around here.



After spending a few minutes in the shade listening to a country band while eating our pizza, sirloin-on-a-stick, chicken nuggets, and funnel cakes, we're off to ride a few more rides. Joseph decided he wanted to try the carousel again, so here he is riding a monkey this time!



One last ride before heading home! This one took the form of big red fire truck that loops around in the air. Our little thrill-seeker is just giddy with delight again! I can't believe he isn't the least bit scared!

As it turns out, we hit the festival at the perfect time. It wasn't crowded at all this morning, but based on the hundreds of cars we saw backing up on the road from San Antonio as we were headed home, it will be this afternoon! So, while we we're certainly sorry Logan is sick, we're so glad we made it to the Poteet Strawberry Festival this year, even with a five-week-old along for the ride! Speaking of Rosalie, here's a cute shot of her looking really happy when she woke up after the ride home. It's been a fun morning for all of us!

Rosalie is getting just a little more alert and interested in the world around her every day. Here she is today checking out Joseph and the mobile over her swing!

This little wren has been singing and dancing along the fence above our nest box for the last few minutes, and it just flew down to take a peek in the hole. I sure hope it decides to build a nest there!

My parents are back in town again for the weekend as they make their way all the way back home to AZ from Jared's place in FL. Since they aren't so busy this time around cooking all our meals, doing all our laundry, and taking care of Joseph all the time, we decided to take some time to visit my Grandpa Hugh's grave in the Ft Sam Houston National Cemetery. It's a beautiful morning to be outside, and it's so peaceful and quiet here in the cemetery. I just love having the chance to remember my grandpa like this!

This Killdeer was scurrying all over the place during out time here. What a beautiful bird!

What can I say? Our little sweet pea is cute, cute, cute!

Today, Rosalie is one month old! I can't believe how fast time is flying by! Just after Rosalie was born, Angie sent us a little bare root rose bush with the following note: "Rosalie, Mom and Dad, A little something symbolic to resemble your birth, given name, and addition to the beautiful Allison family. Plant this rose bush and it will grow like you. Auntie Angie Rae". At the time, it was completely bare of leaves, but with the expert advice of our neighbor Ruby it has really taken off, just like our sweet little girl!

Before bed tonight, Tim's mom took these cute shots of Rosalie on the blankets she made...

and Tim must have taken this one of Rosalie with Grandma and Grandpa Allison! We have really loved having family with us for so long!

Tim's birthday is actually tomorrow, but we're celebrating tonight so we can have Tim's parents here with us. There really are 28 candles on this cake, and it took three people and some serious coordination to get them all lit without somebody getting hurt!

Tim has always loved his mom's chocolate cake, and this time she was even here to make it herself! It looks so uniform and pretty, and I'm sure it tastes delicious, too!

Joseph was so excited about having chocolate cake as part of the birthday festivities that he agreed to eat an entire slice of pizza to get some. Now that it's finally here, he's not sure whether the fork or his own fingers will yield a quicker payoff. The focus and excitement on his face are almost tangible!



Of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without a few presents! Tim's mom gave him a neat scrapbook with all his baby pictures in it, something to be treasured for generations to come. It sure is fun to celebrate all together!