The Peoria Zoo

Since we're now living in a new place, Wayne and I want to try to get out and see what the city has to offer.  Recently, we decided to check out the Peoria Zoo. 

It was a little pricey, especially because we stayed less than 2 hours.  It was okay, we just think that we've probably been a little spoiled by living in Orlando with its many attractions for so long.  Wayne described it as the "Water Mania of zoos."  (If you're not from Orlando, Water Mania was a pretty crappy, but relatively cheap, water park that eventually closed down.)  That sounds a little mean, but there just didn't seem to be too much to see.  They did have a really nice, new area that was pretty cool, so we'll probably go again when Anderson gets a little older.  Unfortunately, he was tired and cranky during our zoo experience.  Still, it was fun to get out and check out something new!

Love

I love this guy a bunch:

Well, both of them, but in this case I meant the older one.  He works hard and puts up with me and I think he's pretty great. 

I just love him.  So, I made him this:

Messes

Anderson makes a lot of messes these days.  Ever since he mastered crawling and using furniture to pull himself up, he's been all over the place.  He seems to enjoy making messes so much that I sometimes just let him have fun with it and then, while I'm cleaning the mess up, he's usually making another one.  At least he's super cute.  :)

Hello, Peoria!

We had some challenges getting here, but we are officially in Peoria now.  (I wonder what the proper term for us would be?  Is Peorian a word?  Illinoians?  I have no idea, but it doesn't really matter since I still/will probably always consider myself a Floridian.) 

Anyway, we loaded up a 26 ft. moving truck (with the help of our wonderful family and a few friends) and Wayne drove it from Florida to Illinois with two friends (who were also driving my car) and our dog, Wally.  The trip was going pretty well until the truck broke down about 70 miles away from Peoria.  In the middle of the road.  On a single lane ramp to the Interstate.  Completely blocking traffic.  Nice, right? 

Apparently the people in the cars behind them where less than thrilled about the situation.  Luckily, a tow truck driver arrived within the hour and towed them all the way to our house in Peoria.  (Imagine a tow truck, pulling a 26 ft moving truck, with a Mustang on a trailor behind it.)  Needless to say, the trip took a while, but they made it safe and sound.

I flew to Peoria the next day with Anderson and my mom.  We spent the next few days unpacking like crazy, but we managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing as well.  And now, we are officially residents of Illinois.  (Hey, I can say that without crying now!)  #Imissfloridasomuch

Anderson after a bath

Bridge at the Peoria Riverfront

Farm field in Peoria

Anderson and Grandma

Bye, bye, Orlando!

Unfortunately, we said good-bye to Orlando this month.  It was pretty heart-breaking for me, actually.  Wayne and I have both only ever lived in Orlando, so while the move will be an new adventure, it is also a huge change for us.  We spent the month of July spending time with our family and friends, as well as packing. 

Playing with Grandpa

Rexford and Wayne on Wayne's last night in Orlando

Anderson and Austin

Anderson eating while we packed the house

Anderson and his Grandma Vanessa

Anderson and Pop

Shannon, Anderson, and Grandma Danner

Wayne's mom and his siblings

Joey and Anderson

Anderson and his Uncle Caleb and Uncle Carter

Anderson is 6 months old!

That's right, my little guy (wasn't he a newborn just yesterday?) is half a year old!  It seems impossible that six months can go by so quickly. 

Anyway, he had his six month check-up and he weighed in at 17 pounds, 7 ounces (50%), his height was 26 1/4 (50%).  His doctor said he's doing great and can start eating more of the foods that we eat now, which is wonderful because he stares us down whenever we're eating something. 

He's learned to sit up by himself and he rarely falls over.  He loves textures and if he has one on his shirt he will run his fingers over it over and over again.

Father's Day and Trip to Peoria

For Father's Day, I wanted to take some cute pictures of Anderson to give to Wayne.  I bought some letters and pulled out Wayne's ties and voila!  I love how the pictures turned out!  (I can't take credit for the idea, though...I searched the web and came across this idea.)  Happy (first) Father's Day, Wayne!

(I'm not sure why this picture looks cut off now, but it was normal when I printed it)

In mid-June, we took a family trip to Peoria, IL.  I know, I know, it's not exactly a top vacation destination.  However, this wasn't really a vacation.  Wayne was offered a job in Peoria and we were scoping out the city/looking for a place to live.  The pressure to find a place when you're only in town for 4 days made the trip pretty stressful.  To add to the stress, Anderson was teething and therefore woke up ALL. NIGHT. LONG.  Anyway, it ended up being a successful trip and, hey, Anderson got his first tooth!

Wayne's soon-to-be office

The duplex we'll be renting in Peoria