Algonquin

 

We went camping for the first time this season and it was so nice to get out! It was a bit chilly (especially at night) because its pretty late in the season, but the absence of mosquitoes made it all worth it! Our friends came with us, so the kids had even more fun than usual and we enjoyed a short "double date" going out in the canoes while our friends' daughters watched our little ones. 

I love the mist coming off the lake in the morning. I also loved seeing all the stars at night, but I didn't get any pictures of that ;)

Austin took the kids out on their first canoe ride of this trip while Natalie and I watched from the shore and kept entertained throwing rocks into the lake.

The kids loved climbing all over at the shore collecting rocks, sticks, and other fun things.

Here's Heidi dancing in the woods

On the second morning I talked the kids into going out on the lake with me while the mist was still on the water. We made a trip before this one with Leif, but my camera battery was dead and we had to go back in to get a new battery.

Trevor was a good sport to share his oatmeal with Natalie, which also kept her busy and allowed me to move around without her in my arms. (She was pretty tired and fussy by this time)

 

NINETEEN MONTHS

 

 Our gorgeous girl is 19 months old and blossoming like a little flower! Natalie's speech is getting clearer and clearer as her vocabulary explodes. She runs all over the place, climbs on anything that holds the possibility of newness higher than she can reach, and just recently started sliding on her tummy (feet first of course) down the stairs because its much faster than crawling backward. Natalie is still very close to mom and insists that she goes everywhere I go, but she will play independently for quite awhile too. Her favorite games include screwing and unscrewing lids of water bottles and crawling into the cupboard where we keep the kid dishes and closing the doors so someone can come knock at her "house". For her pictures today, Natalie was a very obliging model. As soon as I brought her into the living room with the camera, she climbed up onto the couch and smiled. It was the easiest photoshoot I've done of her yet!