Family, Family, Family!!!!

This post is way long and a little overdue!!! A few weeks ago we had the annual Eldridge family reunion here in Wyoming. Meredith, Jason, Jared, Kristee & kids came a little early and visited us in Kemmerer...

I did this collage because I was so impressed with the amount of sleeping babies at our house at one time!!!

Here are some of the festivities from the reunion...horse shoe, Blongo Ball, food, a pinata...

and what would a reunion be without basketball...Chuck didn't have the right shoes...the new ones learn fast (I can attest to this fact as well as Brandon)!?

Here's some random stud making a fabulous swoosh-er!!!!

Some of the girls hanging out & catching up (actually I think we were all talking about Carli's upcoming wedding plans)!

Here's Chuck holding Max...check out Max's funny face...I think it was because of the sun...

We played some family feud and here are Jim & Jay going at it...in front of a cheese factory?!?!

roasting mallows at the pit! Jim, Carli & Chuck

Is Brinley (Steve & Wendy's youngest) not the cutest thing in the WORLD!!??!!

Right after the reunion we went to California for my dad's 60th birthday. My mom often has visiting French Ph.D Students at her lab...so she always has the best French recipes...for our first day she made strawberry Crepes!!!

Then we went for a walk at the beach....me, my brother (Peter) and my mom...

Me, Eric and Max...

The weather was beautiful in California...we cooled off by walking at the Berkeley marina...

My dad's 60th celebration....me, Eric, max, my mom, dad, brother and his girlfriend Christina.

We went all over San Francisco...hard rock, Ghiradelli (jigga-deli), Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Alcatraz...

We went to Lombard street where they were celebrating the 60th anniversary of the game Candy Land...so, they made all of Lombard street a giant Candy Land and let people play on it...too bad Max was too little (and a boy).

Ever since the furry vest guy at the Oyster Ridge Eric has loved to take pictures of random funny people...we call this, "Ode to the Wharf"...

Here we are at the same hat shop we took pictures at before we were married...

You gotta love my little Rastafarian baby!!! Ya' man!!!!!

I really thought this was a sweet moment with my dad and Max...man, first born of the first born...was Max spoiled this trip!!!!!!! He was never put down...someone was there to hold him the entire two weeks!!!

We wanted to go to Tahoe and stay at the good ol' Circus Circus...the first buffet was o.k....but that second buffet...I think I'm still full from it!

Here's Max sitting next to the bear my dad won him at Circus Circus...not only is the bear bigger than Max...it can sit without assistance, unlike a baby I know!!!! Don't let the bear intimidate you, Max!!!

Birth Order

There are many books and theories on how our personalities and once perceived idiosyncrasies are merely byproducts of our birth order.

Eric and I were both born second in our families...however, I was second of two while Eric was second of five. The book I read also goes into birth order in context to the whole family entity.

I never really thought there was that much truth to the theories but Eric seemed to think that, at least for his family, the book seemed pretty accurate.

It dawned on me today while I was making homemade white nectarine baby food (of course tasting each nectarine to make sure it was the sweetest and ripest while I ate the skin and leftover nectarines that didn't make the cut)...that perhaps there might be more to the theory than I had originally thought.

While I can not comprehend loving a child more than I love Max, or even as much, for that matter...I have been assured by my mom and mother-in-law, sister-in-laws, cousin in-laws and Eric, that I will, indeed, love all my children as much. I do, by the way, believe that I will love all of my children equally, but equally does not equate with the same. While I will love all of my future children as much as Max, they will never have my full attention and devotion, like Max has...even the youngest...I will be older, probably more tired, sleep-deprived and realistic...but for right now, I am whole-heartily enjoying my blissful obsession and complete devotion to my one and only baby boy!!!

So, I'm off to try more gourmet baby food recipes. I hope you all enjoy this video of Max eating his first taste of store bought green beans (which is what inspired me to start making my own)!!!

Oyster Ridge, Bear Lake and Adam's Birthday

Here we are at The Oyster Ridge Festival...working the Republican booth...

Eric took a picture of this guy...we had to zoom and crop the picture...we laughed and laughed! I gotta get me one of those vests!!!

If any of you are Nacho Libre fans (thanks Holly for letting us keep it for so long!) the entire time we ate this Mexican corn, we took turns saying, "I don't believe in God...I only believe in science!"

Here we are at Bear Lake for Adam's birthday (he's behind Eric holding Max). Look at the du-rag my husband is sporting...it makes a woman proud!

Jules and Carli playing with Max. He was the only grandchild there that day, so he was spoiled with love and attention!

You gotta love this picture...my favorite part of this outfit are the water shoes (thanks Lindsey!).

I thought this moment was really sweet.

This was particularly funny because Carli went to all the trouble of blowing up this water frisbee and threw it to Jim...no wind...Jim threw it right into the mud...and this was Carli's reaction...classic!!!

After the fun and sun...we enjoyed dog-o's and raspberry shakes!!

We got Adam a BYU shirt for his birthday to match Eric's. I thought they were doing some BYU touch down gesture....but, when I asked Eric, he said they were just messing around...those Phillips' boys can be a little odd!