Mother's Day & Hiking

Mother's Day was Sunday. Happy belated Mother's Day to all of you Moms out there! Reese sent her mom flowers on Friday and then got a new outfit (that Daddy picked out) to wear for church. She woke mommy up at 7:00 on Sunday all dressed and ready to go. Here are a few pictures after we got back from lunch.

I don't want to boast about what I got Nicole for her first Mother's Day. But let me just say, the 1st Mother's Day is quite stressful on the Dad! There's lots of pressure. And for future new dads out there, the entire day is Mother's Day. It doesn't end when the presents are all unwrapped! Better have a full agenda, even if it's letting her relax. I was glad that Nicole had a great day! She says she already knows what she's doing for Father's Day. Hmm...


Monday we took our first official trip down to Hocking Hills with Reese. It was an incredible day. Rain had gone through the area about an hour before we got there, but it was sunny and dry when we arrived at Old Man's Cave. The colors were so green and the water was running strong. It was about 65 degrees or so, which made it quite nice to hike up and down stairs and rocks into the gorge below.
Here we are out of the car and packed up, ready for the trail. We've practiced the pack a few times around the house, so Reese was already a pro. We'll see how Daddy does hiking a mile or so with the added weight.

Reese loved it from the first step. She was looking around, grabbing at trees, patting Daddy's shoulder. Nicole and I are excited that she's already showing signs of a being an outdoors girl!

Speaking of Nicole, she did make the trip! But since I was carrying Reese, she was carrying the camera. (I was also carrying all of the water bottles, diapers, and whatever else we needed, or would need, in the pack. It's a pretty cool pack, actually.) But she did manage to get into a few pictures. And we took Reese out for a bit of a break down by the Lower Falls. What an adventure!



Our friends Mark, Lorien, and Casey also came down. How interesting, Casey has a hiking pack of is own to cruise around in! He and Reese had some of their own conversations as they rode along in style. We were ready for rain, just in case, but thankfully it never came. Every once and a while we'd hear some fun squeals and giggles in the back, but mostly they were content to look around and enjoy the ride.


It's always fun to go hiking with friends! Hear that? We're just FRIENDS!

We loaded the kids up and jumped back on the trail. There were some cool tunnels to venture through, as well as a few opportunities to get off the trail just a bit and be adventurous. Nicole did some bouldering and Reese and I walked down by the river's edge. It was a great leisurely stroll. Not too many people were out, seeing that it was a Monday. The whole trail was about a mile and a half. It took us an hour and a half to hike with a few photo stops along the way. So after a trek up the trail to the Upper falls, we finally got back to our cars. Mark and I took our packs off so we could rest. Reese and Casey didn't seem too winded.



So it was a fun time had by all. Our next outdoor adventure is to go camping with folks from our Small Group. We'll have about 20 people there including 6 under 4 years old! We have a fun little tent for Reese to sleep in. We're going to start giving her naps in it now so she'll get used to it. It has a little air mattress and sleeping bag and fits inside our tent. We're even going to do a test run in our backyard sometime soon. But that's enough adventure for now. See you later!

NINE MONTHS!!!

Yesterday, Reese had her nine month appointment. I cannot believe we are almost through her first year already! Everyone was right - it's going fast. Too fast. :( John and I are amazed at how she seems to be changing and growing everyday. The last time we posted she was just learning to crawl. Now, our little chilibean races all over the house and is climbing on everything. She loves to pull herself up on anything and everything - her highchair, the dishwasher, Mommy's dresser, Daddy's shoulders, Mommy's legs, Lucy's back, the living room windows, her crib the minute we lay her down for nap or bed...the girl likes to be vertical!!! All of this new movement hasn't come without lots of bumps and falls. Sometimes she gets right up and goes, but then there are the moments where she cries - the type of cry that takes a few seconds before it actually comes out. Don't worry - Mommy and Daddy are quick to kiss and make it better. Then we're off again!!! She has learned to wave and clap. She's eating all kinds of food now - although like her Mom, she loves her breads!

We took our first family vacation this month to visit Aunt Sarah in D.C. Reese swam in the hotel pool and visited President Lincoln! Well, his memorial anyway. We drove around looking at all the beautiful old houses in Georgetown and Old Alexandria. Walking though the American History Museum was really neat. There's so much to look at! Definitely felt pride for the good old U.S.A. On vacation, John and I learned the difficulty of travelling with a baby still on the two-naps-a-day schedule. We also discovered the difficulty of trying to put the baby back on the previously mentioned schedule once vacation is over. Not so fun.

All in all, we are doing well. Spring has definitely arrived in Ohio, and the Chilis are finding ourselves outside as much as possible. We are growing a garden for the first time ever! John did a great job building the box it is contained in. It's Lucy-proofed and everything. We'll post a picture later! Reese plays in the grass while we work in the yard. Yes, I'm sure she has swallowed a blade of grass or two, but I think she'll make it. We also are taking walks over to the neighborhood playground where Reese is enjoying the baby swing. God has been so good to us, and our little family is very thankful to Him for the blessings each day brings. That sounds a little cheezy, but it is true. Simple but true.