The Zoo

Yesterday we made our first trip to the zoo.  Krystal, Les and Liam invited us for a quick trip to the Naples Zoo.  We assumed we would be there an hour and a half, maybe two hours at the most.  Not the case....we spent the entire afternoon and loved every minute. 

Peyton was fueling up before her first loop around the zoo.

That's a porcupine hidden in that tree stump.

Peyton opted to sit on the bench to watch here Daddy and Les feed the fish and birds.

That is a bird that kept eyeing Peyton.  I think he thought she looked like a good candidate to grab a snack from.

The above picture was my best attempt at capturing the monkeys in action.  Unlike super prepared Krystal, I forgot my other lens.  Regardless, they were hysterical to watch. 

The zoo was so fun for kids.  It seemed like around every turn there was a little play area or mini jungle for them to enjoy.

Peyton was trying to act like the primates, swinging on the jungle gym.

Here is Liam hitching a ride on his Daddy's shoulders.  He was such a good boy yesterday!

The best picture I could get of the giraffes.

So serious!

Her turn to hitch a ride on the Daddy express.

Our final excursion of the day was a boat ride to tour the primate islands.  It was really cool and we even got to watch one of the zoo keepers feel the monkeys.

She was keeping a close eye on the crazy monkeys.

Aren't they fascinating?

It was an amazing day with our friends! We can't wait to go back soon!

Shameless Plug

So here goes my shameless plug on Peyton's blog....  but you can't blame a girl for tryin....

This past week Mike and I opened an Etsy store, selling all kinds of personalized and engraved items.  Please take a few minutes to look around and pass along to anyone who might be interested.  Thanks so much!  More Peyton pics to come soon. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GracefullySouthern

Happy Saturday

It's a beautiful day in South Florida and we are so thankful for the cool, not cold, weather. 

 So we are spending as much time outdoors as we can. 

 Peyton is spending time eating raisins and using them to fuel her car.

 And she's also getting the hang of running.

 She's pretty fast too.

 Her favorite is chasing us and then screaming when she finally catches one of us.

It's a crazy life being a 19 month old!

If there were a way...

....to stop her from growing, I would do it.  I swear she has grown 2 inches in the past month.  As each day passes she looks less like a baby and more like a little girl.  It breaks my heart and fills me with joy at the same time.  She is talking our ears off (no idea where she gets her chatiness from) and is very demanding (also no clue on that trait either).  She loves her "Ba-bies" and pushing anything with wheels, inlcuding desk chairs occupied by Mom or Dad.

 She loves to help, even if it means getting in the way and causing more harm then good.  She especially likes to help Daddy and bring him random tools that he doesn't need for the job.

 She is kind to others and is learning to share.

 She is the sweetest when she first wakes up from a nap or in the morning.

 And the grumpiest right before bedtime.

 She listens most of the time and barks orders with the best of them.

 She still never leaves the house without her blanket, no matter what!

She is perfect and amazing!

I didn't intend for this post to be a sappy update on Peyton's life but it just turned out that way, and I wanted you all know how wonderful her Dad and I think she is!  Happy Sunday!

Fun-Day Sunday

The weather was beautiful yesterday so we took full advantage.  We spent the day playing in the yard and relaxing with friends.  Peyton really enjoyed eating her lunch outside and spending the day in the sun.

 Peyton and Liam had a blast playing in the tent.  Peyton would crawl through the tunnel and surprise Liam by saying, "Heeeyyyyy".  They were so funny together!

We hope all of you got to enjoy some fun-n-sun too!