Lizard Hunter

One of my favorite memories of spending summers at my grandparent's house is hunting for lizards.  In Florida, lizards are everywhere and as kids we'd spend hours in the backyard "hunting" them.  I remember one year I got really lucky and caught a tiny frog, too.  Good times.

While in Florida, my brother and sister kept the tradition alive took Owen lizard hunting. He LOVED it.  When they caught a lizard, my brother let Owen hold it and he did NOT want to let that thing go!  He was so proud of his lizard and held it for at least ten minutes straight.  A couple of times the lizard got away, but they caught him again. (It wasn't a very fast lizard.)  Here are some pics of Owen proudly holding his lizard.

Photo Shoot: Take 2

Remember this post when I attempted to be a professional photographer in my grandparent's backyard?

Well.... with my trusty new camera in hand, I was determined to take new photos in the same picture spots.  However, it is WAY harder to photograph an almost 2 year old than it is to photograph an almost 1 year old.

So... many of the pictures are of the back of Owen's head or of Owen looking down at the ground.  And he wasn't in a very smiley mood.... But I think I managed to get a few decent shots.

 Look at the difference 1 year makes!!

There is beauty all around...

My grandparents have the most beautiful backyard.

Don't you wish you had that view from your kitchen window?  I sure do.

Slumber Party

So..... back to our Florida trip.  :)

Imagine fitting 12 people - my mom, siblings + spouses -  in a 2 bdrm condo.  

As you can imagine, the sleeping arrangements were very cozy and we all got to know each other a lot better.  :)  In all seriousness, we had a LOT of fun.  Owen especially loved all of the air mattresses on the floor and loved visiting all of his aunts and uncles in their beds.  Here are a few pictures of Owen having fun.

Owen and "Elle"

(Notice the tile kitchen floor above their heads.  This bed was on the dining room floor.)

Owen and "Ike-uhl"

Cracker Barrel

After we got picked up from the airport, we stopped to eat at the Cracker Barrel.  We love this restaurant because it has delicious home-style Southern food and an adorable little country store filled with fun goodies.  I had to refrain from taking too many pictures because the store was so cute.  It is jam packed with vintage candy and sodas, toys, and tons of other stuff.  Needless to say, we spent quite awhile looking at all of the fun this place had to offer.

*Disclaimer* Apparently there used to be a Cracker Barrel in Lakewood, CA a long time ago and according to Rick's family, it was horrible.  This Cracker Barrel is AMAZINGLY yummy and has totally authentic Southern food.  California may be the leader for many things, but having a good Cracker Barrel is not one of them.  If you're ever in Florida or another Southern state, we highly recommend this restaurant.