1st vacation with "the girls"!

So, Alex and I decided to take advantage of me being on maternity leave and get on the road for a road trip with the girls. We took the opportunity to visit some of our friends. Chuck and Jennifer who live in Redding, and Amie and Ira (and her folks) who live in Vancouver, WA. Amie and I grew up living next door together and played everyday. We always brought her on family vacations with us, she was the one who helped me shave my legs for the first time, it's safe to say, we just shared an awful lot of good times together. It was great to see her, and it was funny that even though we drifted apart the last few years before she moved to WA, it was like no time had passed at all. Alex and I had a great time visiting with her and her husband Ira, and Josie and their daughter Hannah played very well together also. Talk about coming full circle. Our daughters are playing together, just like we used to. And, because Amie's mom saved many of Amie's old toys, the girls were playing with some of the same stuff we used to play with. It was so cool.

I love how Josie's pony tails prove how hard she was playing with Ira.


Josie helping to feed Dana.

These rhodedendrums (sp?) are everywhere up there, I thought they were beautiful.

Amie and Dana.

Beautiful falls in Oregon.

Kaleb, Dana and Josie on one of those 100 degree days we had. Kaleb lives up north, and we wish we could see him more often.

Uncle Chuck is very good at reading to the kids.

She's my daughter!

Here is Josie eating a pickle and a banana at the same time. Gosh...that is so me! I eat weird combinations like that quite often. Josie has also added "pickle" to her vocabulary. Alex and I are amazed at the sudden explosion of her vocabulary. This age is so much fun. Everyday we are like, " did you just hear her say that"....I LOVE IT!

Below are some pictures from our visit with Corey and Megan last weekend. Josie loved playing with the water sprinkler toys. Of course, that's when it was like 100 degrees a week ago. Boy I miss that weather already.








Why is it only cute when little girls butt cheeks hang out of bathing suits, and not so much when mine do?

A day at the park!

Joey with his newest cousin Dana. Out of habit, Joey still calls Josie "baby Josie", we are trying to retrain him.


Josie eating a popsicle with bestest neighbor Natalie. By looking at her face, I'd say she's not used to that kind of cold yet.







We went to Happy Hallow Park in San Jose this week. What a cute, but old place. Very similiar to Fairyland in Oakland. Anyway, Josie wasn't scared of the goats at all. One goat chewed on her dress twice. I wish I had it on video, because she pulled her dress from the goat, and then started shaking her finger at the goat while giving him a piece of her mind. She was going on and on to the goat, while laughing. She thought it was so funny. Of course it happened, after I turned the video camera off. Why, God Why?

Mother's Day Weekend!

It's weekends like this that remind me how lucky I am to have two beautiful daughters and Alex to call my family.



We went to walk on a trail here in town and came across this really cool hollow tree. The tree had a hole in it to look out, and we took a ton of fun pictures there.
Here are 3 generations of Stagnaro women on Mother's Day.

Also, Josie doing what mommy calls her "Laura Ingalls impression".

Say cheese!

Dana smiles all the time now. I get such a high when she smiles. Last night I am sure I heard her laugh for the first time. It was small, but it was very much her letting out a little giggle.







We all went to the Oakland Zoo Sunday with Alex's parents. It was an incredibly hot day.



Josie looking at the Siamangs, which are apes. The Siamangs were SO active, swinging from rope to rope.



Josie's 1st Fenton's Ice Cream! If she is anything like her mommy and daddy, it won't be her last!