Summer Happenings so Far...

We have had a very good summer so far. Mark, Meira and I try to spend as much family time together as possible. We love going to our garden, walking, and just playing at home. Meira is getting so much more playful. She loves being eaten like a piece of corn. She goes crazy with balloons and balls. Right now she is especially focused on becoming more mobile by learning how to walk.
I made a short visit (about 4 hours...it was a day trip) to Colorado to see my grandma Rayback who is ill. She has been improving slowly and we are hoping that she will continue to feel better. It was a good visit because I got to spend time with all of my grandparents and my brother.
We were blessed to have my father, sister, and sister's boyfriend visit for a couple of days. Even more fortunate was the fact that we got to have my dad for Father's Day. We had cheese fondue, a yummy salad and root beer floats and cookies for dessert. The following day we went kayaking in the lake near our home and had a lot of fun.
We went on our yearly Taylor family vacation and had a blast in Sedona, Arizona. Everyone was there except for Jonathan and Amy because they were expecting their baby in three and a half weeks. Well, their baby came early and would have been born on the trip had they tried to come, so although we missed them it's a good thing that they followed the doctor's orders and stayed home. Audrey is so beautiful and we are so happy she is finally here and well. I have included pictures from our trip so that you can see some of the things we got to do.
Have a wonderful 4th of July. We are so blessed to be living in a free country. God bless America! We love you. Enjoy the pictures and feel free to comment. We would love to hear from you all.

My wonderful Grandpa and Grandma Cox who always look good and never look older. My buff brother, Ben.
Me, Molly, Grandpa Rayback, and My mom. Grandpa Rayback just had knee surgery, but you would never know because he is already walking around. He is so tough at 87. He looks fantastic too.

Meira really enjoyed the splash pool for her first time. We were there about 30 minutes. before we had to evacuate the pool because some kid decided it was so much fun in the splash pool that he/she would just go to the bathroom in the pool rather than go to a toilet. :-)
Meira in the bright sun showing off mommy's garden. Things are a lot bigger now.

Meira getting sprayed at the Gateway Mall fountain. Posing at the Gateway Mall. Thank Jackie's boyfriend, Phil, for taking such a great picture.
We treated everyone to dinner at Tuccanos, our favorite Brazilian steak house, to celebrate Jackie's graduation and Father's Day. We had a lot of fun and got really stuffed!
Meira and mommy ready for church. Look at Meira's pig tails.

This was a big week for Meira. Our trip was not only filled with fun, but milestones as well. Meira took her first 3 steps. She is still only able to make it to 3 steps before she topples down, but she is getting so strong. She can say many names, ball (baa), cheese (tees), cracker (cacker), and belly button (bobby bup). This little girl loves balls! She will already play catch and points and yells "baaa" whenever she sees one.
Meira on a morning walk with Mommy and Daddy.
Out to dinner at the Red Planet Diner, an alien themed diner.

We hiked on Bell Rock. Papa, Trenton, and Mark turn around to pose. I wore one of the visors that Nana got for 50 cents while bargain shopping. Way-to-go Nana!!! Thank you.

Picture perfect scenery along the way as we were walking to the rock.

This is the rock that we climbed. It is called Bell Rock because of its shape. Mark is getting in touch with his spiritual side by doing some Yoga at "vortex central." It is said that there is energy in the rocks that can give you very spiritual experiences. Mark hasn't felt quite the same since...
Trenton either.
Someone kindly marked the spot for us.

This is our tour guide for our jeep tour. We felt very safe with him and his survival skills. He tried to convince us that eating bugs is okay and that we should keep our minds open to the idea. Hmmmm...maybe if we were starving, but until then I think we'll stick to our normal diet.
Meira enjoyed the ride that was quite bouncy. Daddy had to support her head so that it would not bang on her car seat in really bumpy areas.

More than once, Meira's cousin Trenton was mistaken for a brother. They were two peas in a pod. Meira wanted to be carried everywhere with "Tenten." Daddy was throwing her in the air.

Meira liked floating on her back. After a while with Papa she was floating with only her head being supported.

This is the beautiful Grand Canyon. We walked about 2 miles along the edge of the canyon and the pictures hardly show how magnificent it looked. Nana and Papa standing just close enough to the edge so that Nana still felt safe. :-)
Meira really enjoyed the Grand Canyon too.

I always say that great vacations have great bubble baths. Meira and I both enjoyed bubble baths on the trip, but I thought that pictures of Meira would be a lot more cute. :-)

Aunt Lesli and Meira settling down for a morning nap.

The camel is so cute with his big droopy lip. The tigers were gorgeous. One of the baby zebras was born the day that we visited. The ostrich was a little bit creepy because he followed the bus and stared in at everyone. The driver told everyone to watch their cameras because the ostrich had been known to gulp them down in one quick grab from photographers who were too close up. :-)

Yes, this is a giraffe's tongue. Their tongues can get up to 18 inches long! Passengers on the bus could feed them carrots. I never got to, but it was cool to see so close.

The yawn and map in hand tell you that Meira is tired of traveling and ready to be home. Upon arrival Meira squealed and giggled when she saw her toys and familiar surroundings. She was the best little traveler though.