Long over due from the Outback...

I know that I have failed to post pictures. However, I finally got them off of the camera and thought... hmm... if anyone is interested!?! So, I do apologize for the lack of clarity in some of them. We decided not to take our nice camera but be content with the video camera's shots. So, enjoy!

Playing in the sand!

Walking with Daddy

Checking out water temps --- brrr!


Surfin' truck!

View from the top -- check out those waves. Sean caught quite a few despite not so wonderful conditions.

Birds and Scenery

Seaweed -- Pewee!!!!! :-(

Fishin' --Clem and Sean

More fishing... and check out those sand dunes. They stretched on and on. The camera we had simply could not do them justice. (We actually walked up one -- talk about a bun and thigh workout -- Yikes!!!)

View from the front porch of our 'shack'!

View in the other direction from the porch...

Sorry to be so "post-cardish" -- could not resist.

Cold and windy with Nana

Tuckered out from all that surfin' and fishin'

Family photo time!

Since the above photo took a rather unsightly picture of the most important member of the family, let me introduce: Bessie the dog! :) Oh yeah... and Charis!

Speaking of...!!!

Well, I have no really recent pictures of my little girl, other than ones here or there. I thought I would briefly post a few of her most recent verbal escapades, however.

As of last night... Charis decided that she needed more juice. Sean and I have been somewhat diligently telling her one word at a time how to request politely for more. So, out she comes with, " May I please have some more juice?" Wow! I was quite impressed. It was obviously thought through and stated somewhat haltingly, but...

She is pretty decent at saying her numbers 1-10 and pretty much sings her ABC song. It sometimes can be hit or miss, but... I have been quite impressed.

What else... Well, she informed a Lowes employee today that a mess was made when the lady attempted to scan my full coffee, Starbucks mug. I was sort of happy since I was thinking exactly that, and not oh so happy to have the desired contents deposited on the floor.

And then there are the many times when I am called to attention by "honey, ...mummy, ...Katie." Or:

Me: Charis are you sick?
Charis: Medicine, please?
Me: (opening to the cabinet door for a little ease the pain relief -- of which she gets a very minimal dose -- and then putting in her dropper)
Charis: Mum, close door, close door!
Me: Thinking... just give me a break. Here I am attempting to help you, and you are obsessed with the fact that things are not as neat and orderly as you might desire. LOL!

And then there are the times when Charis completely overwhelms me with her seeming smartness. There is this book that she loves to read. It is basically a picture, children's dictionary. We can spend hours in there exploring. I asked her the other day about a particular bird as to its name. Charis' answer: "Macaw." What? Even I would not know that off of the top of my head.

I have to attribute much of this to Sean's attentions. I really don't even think to teach her such things, but am getting slowly better with time. It just amazes me when I attempt to fathom the handiwork of God's creation!!!

Oh yes! And we are attempting to step into the new and wonderful world of "undies." No more diapers!!! So, after many little pairs of undies being hand washed, and a few spots on the carpet being scrubbed... Charis is learning! Yeh!

I think the 'paci' removal and big girl bed will have to wait for a while! All in good time. :)

Shocking!

OK.... so I know the picture below is rather small, but I just wanted to share that it pays to have a family member who works for Lowes. In the last two days Sean has brought home a $266 dollar carpet cleaner for less than a quarter of the price in comparison and then today.... The lamps shown below for ... can you guess!?! JUST $7!!!!!! We have had, since we were married, second-hand lamps as well as two (one of which gave up the ghost a long time ago) that I have had since I was a teen. I am still appreciative for the old but very much overwhelmed by God's providence in regard to the new lamps.