Aunt Meg Strikes Again, Part Deux

So...Day II with the lovely Megan equaled WINE TASTING! Yes, we have several wineries here in our neck of the sticks. Not the kind of hoity toighty wineries that you can just drop into and expect to recieve a tasting, but you wouldn't have known the difference after our little wine tasting event!
The Taste of Willow Creek is an annual shindig where local wineries and farms come together to spread the love, wine, and local grub. This is the first year we have gotten to go, (as last year we were just a teensy bit busy, oh, planning a wedding :-) and it was fabulous.


We started off at Winnett Vineyard and were served a wonderful spread including fire roasted pizza, local olive oil with bread, and other totally yummy snacks. A highlight was a Smokey Rose which was made of grapes affected by the massive fires last summer. I guess wine experts have said that that particular crop was a disaster and a big loss, but locals around here love it as we all experienced the fire and love that the wine has a story....and it does taste smokey!

Megan even found her own Merlot at Winnett Vineyards!

From there we traversed the valley, chit chatted, and visited several other farms with local wines. All had plenty to drink and eat. Another favorite was a swirl of delish pumpkin mousse served on an organic ginger snap, home made of course! This coupled with the merlot from Dogwood Estates Vineyard was just a little sneak peak into this fun day.
We were transported from winery, to farm, to farm, to winery in vans, and, our favorite, a jeep!
By the end we were tired from the 95 degree heat and vino. Though it was so awesome to have this great event so close to home.
Forrest even got to practice his wine "sniffing" skills....no tasting yet...don't worry all moms and grandma's out there! And his verdict? "It just ain't milk mama!"

Aunt Meg strikes again

This time she even brought Trader Joe's goodies! (you know you're my favorite youngest sister, don't you Meg!?)

We hiked in the redwoods...

And Forrest had fun measuring up to Humongo Redwoods, (take a look at this month's National Geographic if you need some more of these beauties to look at!)

"One day mama, I'm gonna climb these! For now I'll stick with eating dirt though..."
(which he promptly did :-)

And then tuckered himself out at the North Country Fair in Arcata. No pictures of this fun hippie fair, but good times were had shopping for tie dye, watching the samba parade, (did you know one even existed?) and loving the sun...

Stay tuned for Aunt Meg Strikes Again Part II...

Beach Fun

My best friend Myra came to visit a couple of weeks back and she left her mark yet again...with totally awesome pictures of our baby.
THE cutest baby ever.
Though of course I may be a bit biased.
But geeze, he just looks so adorable, happy, sqeezable, and lovable in these.

These tubes were his mini playground. And aside from eating some sand, he had a great time! (And really, who cares about some ingested sand...extra minerals right!)

And this one below, my favorite....even if he does have his baby pop in his mouth, it's still perfect.

Myra's new dream/plan is to start taking classes, being mentored, and really go after possibly doing photography as a profession.

I think she's got some awesome talent...thanks a million Myra for the memorable pictures!

Gotta love the Beet face!

And after a few more bites...."Enough already mom, I feel like I've got beets spilling out my ears!"

1 year ago....

Alex and I said "I Do" in the presence of our closest friends and family.

What an awesome day and what an adventure this first year has been.
The amazing support we had at our wedding was unbelievable. And since that day, the bond between us, as partners, husband and wife, best friends, has exponentially grown.


Thanks to you all for helping us on our journey! The party continues....

Look what the post lady brought for Forrest!

From his one and only Aunt Nat...

This lovely present happened to come just after Forrest had his 6 month shots and doc appointment, so he NEEDED this surprise in a bad way! This 17 lb 3 oz baby that continues to have a head circumference in the 95th percentile grabbed the book right up, scratched it, christened it with baby drool and baby gums, and promptly announced, "EEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCCCUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGG" in the highest pitched baby shriek your hears can handle, (or CAN'T handle I should say, the kid's got some major vocal cords on him!) By the way, that's baby talk for "Awesome book Aunt Nat! I'll try to make my face extra stinky for you!"

Isn't this the best stinky face you've ever seen!

Thanks Nat for getting the best book EVER!

My fishy hubby

doing what he does best...putting friends, family, and new acquaintances on steelehead, salmon, and a great time. He's quite the amazing guy, not to mention father, husband, and firewood cutter extraordinaire.

He had an awesome couple of days on the water earlier this week and was thoroughly spent at the end of it all, but in exchange he had a boat full of happy fisherman...and plenty of memories of the fish that got away, and plenty that didn't.
Just a small part of his amazing job...

Kevin and my Uncle Ken with the biggest catch of the day!

1/2 a year....

or 182.5 days, 6 months, since Forrest has changed our lives with his presence. His tiny, (and now ever growing,) amazing, smiley, drooly, happy presence.
It has been such a crazy time! He is such an awesome baby. Everyone he meets is charmed by his happy little personality.

His life these days is filled with FOOD! Yep, life is now forever changed for Forrest. Food has entered it, and is never to leave it again. We started introducing solids about 2 weeks ago with some rice cereal and pureed summer squash, and soon after introduced pears, apples, beets, beans, corn, bananas and he loves it ALL!

He is becoming quite the hulk with his appetite. He likes them mixed, alone, with cereal, without...all of it. Milk is still of course the major part of his diet, but food has very quickly taken a close second, and corn cobs....he attacks them like a little piranha. It's pretty hilarious.
Forrest is also standing like a champ. I find him actually balancing on his own without support for several seconds at a time, testing his skills. He is also the champion sitter already. No crawling, thank goodness! But he is getting better at the rolling skills. I have a feeling we're gonna have an early mover and shaker on our hands....ughhhh....tons of baby proofing to do in this household...

He's basically an easy going baby. He does get bored and antsy, and absolutely loves the outdoors.

His favorites are his bathtub which we have been known to happen in the middle of the day on our front porch to appease our little offspring during a fussy time, and the beach down by the river. He loves to feel the sand in his toes and hands, and when mama looks away for a split second, in his mouth....yep, eating dirt already....
:-)

Fish On!

Forrest's first Steelhead.
(I know what you're thinking, how can a not even 6 month old catch a fish that's over 1/2 his weight?)
Talent....
this kids got it.
With fresh fish slime and roe to match.
ok, ok, his papa may have rowed the drift just perrrrfectly to put him on the fish,

and his mama may have set the hook for him, and maybeeee just assisted him in reeling the nice fish in,

but I tell you, Forrest was the clincher.
He brought baby luck I tell you.

Life is sweet.