Heba and Ed

At the end of September, Heba and Ed came to visit us in Charleston. They hadn't seen Owen in many months, but they were fast friends again in no time.
Aunt Heba plants a smooch on Owen:
Owen LOVES kissing a purty lady, so he grabs her cheeks and plants one on her right back, Français-style (Ed considers whether he needs to step in):
Post-smooch crack up:
Uncle Ed and Owen (Ed is whispering to Owen that THIS time was a freebie, but that if he ever pulls a stunt like that again, there will be words...Owen just laughs and laughs):
For days after they left, Owen would say, "See Uncle Ed!" and "Heba and Ed are here!" and "Bless you, Ed!" (Ed sneezed once during their visit, and I guess it made an impression).

Come again soon!

Going in for the Kiss: A Flip Book

Scroll through these pictures really fast, and you'll see a scene from one Friday morning in early September:
(Owen is the only member of our household 1. in blissful ignorance of the all the unspeakable things that have ever been in Bruno's mouth, and therefore 2. willing to give him a smooch. Owen is also probably the healthiest member of our family, so maybe he's onto something. Perhaps kissing Bruno is like our very own homegrown flu shot.)

On the Swings

Looking back at these photos, I am amazed that we were outside during the day smack-dab in the middle of August. But there we were. We were a touch warm, but we were having fun on the swings at Waterfront Park:

Just Waking Up

Taking in an August morning with a pass and some Richard Scarry:

Bob Dindin

One day in August, this happened over lunch:


The love has already secured its place in the next generation...

Russells in Charleston

Brad and Amy came to visit us the first weekend in August, and PapaRuss, Pooh, and Mimi joined in the fun on Sunday.

Here are Owen and Mimi perusing the car selection:
Sweet Mimi - she has the best laugh, and I can hear it when I look at this picture:
Owen helping Uncle Brad open some early birthday gifts:
The whole gang at Red's for lunch:
After lunch, Pooh takes Owen outside for a change of scenery:
Uncle Brad, Aunt Amy, Pooh, and Owen checking out the boats:
Owen is a big fan of the sloped dock at Red's. Below, he takes Brad and Amy on a few rounds up and down.
PapaRuss and Owen giving goodbye hugs after way too short a visit:
And THEN, a few days after our visit, Brad sent us THIS.

See you in December!

Tickling the Ivories

Bill took these photos of Owen on keys one afternoon...

Outtakes

To get some recent pictures for Owen's second birthday party invitation, we had a photo shoot one morning at the end of July. Here are the outtakes:
And here is the finished product:
More on the actual birthday celebration to come!