7 month old Iris in Clearwater, FL

She loved the ocean and the seagulls!
Maybe next year she can float on your surfboard Uncle Troy!

Check out those legs! Thanks Kim and Andy for such a cute bathing suit!!! It was perfect.

Well, Iris's first plane ride went soooo smoothly. So many people commented on how good she was on the plane after we landed. The entire ride she was smiling at everyone, laughing, and just having a grand ol' time. As for the second plane ride on the way back home, let's just say we did not get the same response and this plane was completely full. The flight attendant even came over to assist during one of her melt downs, but it was a failed attempt. Looking back on it now I can laugh at the two completely different experiences. However, at the time of the 2nd plane ride I was on the verge of tears myself and this was not the only difficult experience during this trip. The day before we left, D.J.'s grandmother went into the hospital. Thankfully, she is doing much better. Then, the day we left for FL we found out my brother, who lives in Naples, and his girlfriend were evacuated from their home due to a Forrest fire in their backyard. Then, they had a loss in the family and had to leave for Virginia. It was a very tough week for them to say the least. I was heart broken for them. However, the fire was eventually put out just a few feet away from their home. They had to deal with smoke damage, but no fire. Thank goodness. Then, I get a call from Stogey's hotel. He had been bit by a female Chocolate lab and they needed my permission to get him treatment with our vet. Poor guy. They said the lab just turned around on a dime and did it without any warning. They never saw it coming. They took the lab out of the playgroups and they said Stogey was a perfect angel. He didn't even bite back! I would have! lol. He is doing well. The bite was to his cheek and not as bad as it could have been that's for sure. Well, at least he got some extra attention out of the whole ordeal. They moved him to the "West wing" for dogs with special needs. Some of the staff told me that most of the time they would walk past his room and there was a sign posted that he was in the kitchen. The kitchen is where the staff hangs out. One of the ladies told me that one day she took her lunch into his room sat with him and fed him his lunch by hand. She said he ended up sitting his butt in her lap while she fed him by hand. Geesh-I'm surprised he wanted to leave. He was treated like a King after the altercation. haha! Well, overall the trip was a blast! We made it through the hardships and I believe Iris even grew up a little bit on the trip. She started pointing at various things throughout the day while saying, "Wha tis?" It is soooo funny. She is still saying it and will repeat it until you answer. These days she has started waving and says-da da and moma. However, I'm not sure she really knows what that means. She is getting on all fours and rocking back and forth. I'm on high alert for the possible crawling action. Boy, have I got some major baby proofing to do. Well, more to come later. Hugs and Kisses everyone!