Creepy Crawler

Rufus has officially started crawling as of August 22nd! It's interesting how he gets around, he uses his hands and right knee and pushes off with is left foot. Anyhow, he loves exploring new areas in the house... and has discovered that he has no traction on the kitchen floor! (Hee! Hee!) Now I have to keep at least one eye on him at all times or he'll be gone before I know it!He's almost ready to move from a crawling position to sitting up on his own, but he sticks his arm out to far to do it.
A friend of mine let us borrow a bouncer that fits in a doorway. Rufus could entertain himself for hours jumping around in it!
This means we need to baby proof our house soon! Any suggestions from the veteran parents out there?

Good news... and more good news!

First off, it's taken 6 months but I've finally dropped 5 lbs. since having Rufus! Five down and fifteen to go! Secondly, I've inquired about a part-time teaching position at my previous school district. I'm waiting to hear the details of the job and therefore have not accepted it yet. I don't know how much I'll be making, how much child care will cost, or which school(s) I'll be teaching at... However, I'm excited about the idea of being able to work outside the home and still be a stay-at-home mom a majority of the time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

This post does not contain any spoilers to the book.
Like the rest of the world, I've finally gotten around to reading the final installment of Harry Potter. I must say it was difficult to wait this long. I lived in fear for weeks that I would accidentally overhear a conversation or a spoiler on TV that would ruin the ending. Thankfully, I didn't! I don't want to spoil the book for those of you out there who haven't gotten around to reading it yet. There are a few readers I've spoken with who were disappointed with the ending. However, I feel that JK Rowling did an excellent job concluding her epic story. It was detailed, but at the same time she left enough to the imagination of the reader. Whether you liked it or not, post a comment and let me know your opinion! Click here for additional details that were not included in the book.

"Oat-Mobile" Update

As we were preparing to leave for the mountains, a puddle resurfaced on the floor in the backseat of our car. We also discovered another puddle on the floor of the passenger seat! You may be asking yourself, "where is all this water coming from?" Well, after a few phone calls we pulled the carpet back on the passenger side and sure enough the tube that drains the condensation from the A/C had disconnected; and instead of dripping on the ground underneath the car it was dripping in our car. We simply reconnected the tube and "TAH DAH!" no more puddles! The carpet is still drying but at least we've solved the mystery.

Happy Holbrook

After the reunion my brother and sister left for Phoenix so they could catch a flight back home Sunday evening. Albert carpooled with them so he could go back to work Monday morning. My sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, Rufus, and I caravaned to Holbrook to spend a few days with my parents. For dinner on Sunday my nephew's helped my dad roast hotdogs over an open fire and we all enjoyed eating them. Monday my dad took my nephew's fishing while the rest of us went swimming at the public pool. Rufus and I forgot our suits so we strolled through the park to visit a friend of mine. Since Rufus didn't get a whole lot of play time while we were camping he had fun rolling around my parents house. Tuesday, my sister-in-law, nieces, and nephews left for home as did we. It rained on us about 80% of the drive but we made it back safe and sound.

"Back to Brady Park..."

Albert and I attended the Smithson Reunion which was held Friday through Sunday this last weekend. It has been over ten years since I last attended this reunion and this year the family celebrated 30 years holding the reunion at Brady Park (near Vernon, AZ). It was good to see those who I haven't seen in a long time and introduce Albert to the family. My brother and his family were able to attend as well, and surprisingly my sister flew in for the occasion! After quite a long drive, we arrived late Friday evening to a campsite drenched in rain. Needless to say we couldn't set up the tents, so we drove back to Vernon to stay at my Grandma's house. Saturday morning we headed back up the mountain and arrived in time for the biscuit and gravy breakfast. After breakfast they set up the tents and we took family pictures. We spent most of the afternoon playing card/dice games (e.g. Canasta, Farkle, Scum) and riding ATVs. My brother's oldest daughter spent most of her time hunting for bugs and frogs in and around the pond. That evening we enjoyed the traditional Navajo Taco Dinner (they just taste better when you're camping)! Albert and I spent the night back at Grandma's house, and drove back to Brady Park Sunday morning. Unfortunately during the night another storm swept through and one of the tents leaked soaking my sister and my nephew's sleeping bags. We spent the morning packing up camp after which we attended the family memory meeting. Rufus really enjoyed being outdoors which is encouraging as Albert and I would like to go camping more often.Again, despite all the rain we were still able to salvage another fantastic weekend!