Home again.

Skylar and I took a trip to the Rue Family Farm in Leavenworth last week. We had a great time! There are way too many pictures to post them all, so here are a few. Skylar was enamored with the horses, and while I was taking her picture she was trying to see around me so she could watch them in the pasture:
Gayle decided Skylar needed a swing, so we went shopping for one. When we got back, Bill stopped everything he was doing and hung it in the tree for us so she could start using it right away.

She loved it of course.
While Bill worked on the swing, Gayle washed out a horse trough to use as a swimming pool....
...and she loved that too! She kept one eye on the horses while she swam.
What farm experience would be complete without a ride on the John Deere? When she gets older she can ride on the wagon behind it.
Bill made lots of tasty grilled things for us to eat, and we were able to see Gwen and Mike, and Skylar's Great Aunts Patty and Karen. Skylar has started doing elephant noises, like a bear, monkey and elephant. Here's a shot of her doing a very specialized baby trick called the "double elephant" (apparently it has two trunks, not just one).

We went to Union Station in Kansas City to see the Narnia exhibit, which I thought was really interesting.

Then we had lunch at Fritz's, where the food is brought to you by train.

Skylar thought it was amazing. She hasn't been the best in restraunts lately, so even though the food was nothing to brag about, at least we got to eat in peace!

This was by far Skylar's favorite part of our visit:

When the horses would leave the barn, or when she could see them in the pasture and she wanted to pet them, she would do this fake cry:
Every morning and evening, we would go down to the barn with Gayle and watch her feed the horses, and clean the stalls/paddock. Skylar would point to each horse and we would go say hi before moving on the next one. She would stick her finger in their noses, and she put her whole fist up poor Flash's nostril, which he didn't really appreciate.

She kept trying to jump off this ladder to go see the horses.
We also got to see Marie, Ainsley and Addison while we were there! Of course, that was the day I forgot my camera so I have no pictures to post, but we had a great time. Addison is the sweetest thing, and Ainsley is adorable--I just wish we lived closer!

So after the worst flight of my life (courtesy of Skylar without a nap, extreme turbulence, an untimely poopie diaper that had to be changed in an airplane bathroom, and a very large lady next to us who took up half of our seat too) we're home again.

While we were gone, Nicole moved to her new apartment in an old victorian house downtown. We affectionately refer to it as the "Hobbit Hole" with it's low doorknobs, slanty walls, and a little room off the kitchen that can only be reached by ladder through a minature doorway. It's cute and has character, which is what she was wanting.

After 2 months of anticipation and a harrowing interview process, my parents are the new OCF reps at West Point and are moving to Highland Falls in 6 weeks! They'll be living in the Fellowship House, and 9 bedroom victorian built in the early 1800's, with plenty of room for everyone to stay at once over the holidays. I'm excited for purely selfish reason--I can't wait to drop Skylar off and go to the city or travel around New England.

Meanwhile Skylar is getting her molars, so we are short on sleep these days. Last night I was up with her from 12:00-3:15. Two have broken through, and a third is almost there. I can't wait for it to be over!!! I can't get her to eat much of anything besides frozen peas, which is totally gross but must feel good on her gums. Hey, whatever works.....