The First Signs of Fall...

Last weekend, we went apple and raspberry picking with our friends Courtney and Matt. The bees and mosquitos were horrible, so we kind of scurried in and scurried out, but Abel loved picking. He got a couple of things in his mouth while I was reaching for raspberries (I'm not sure what they were, but he seems to be fine now!) and he liked playing with the apples more than actually picking! The leaves are starting to change and fall really is coming...this was a great way to start the season!

Kisses!

Abel loves to give kisses...and it's the best! When either one of us gets home from work, he immediately crawls over, wants up, and gives us a big kiss. It's the best feeling! He even loves to kiss his image...and Ryan caught that on film!

Devil's Lake

This weekend, we went to Devil's Lake State Park for the day. Wisconsin seriously has beautiful state parks and this is one of them. We went with our friends Brianne and Joe and their daughter Aubrey, who is about one month younger than Abel. We had a picnic and then hiked to the top of the cliff that overlooks the lake. It was straight up the whole way, but the scenery was totally worth it when we got to the top!

Iggy!

Every dog is Iggy! When we walk in the door and Wrigley meets us, Abel yells, "Iggy!" He LOVES Wrigley! When we put Wrigs outside, Abel goes to the door and wishes he could go too! Ryan's took these shots this weekend because it's just too cute! I'm pretty sure Wrigley doesn't feel the exact same way as Abel, but he certainly loves Abel and likes to spend time in his room! Hey---how about if I use another exclamation point!

Grandma Mimi and Grandpa Bobby Babysit!

Ryan's parents came to visit last weekend so we could go to the Dave Matthews Band concert. The concert was an hour away and we didn't know how late we would be...so we asked them to come help us out. They were more than happy to spend a night with Abel Bates! Abel has found his voice and loves to just yell....long low yells...that's what he's doing in the picture with Ryan's mom! It was a short weekend visit, but lots of fun!

Table Food!

Abel is officially eating table food! He loves it. For so long, he's longingly looked at the food we are eating, and now he digs right in! He's eating everything....and doesn't seem to no like anything at this point...he LOVES green beans! Go figure! On Sat., at the Farmer's Market, one of the ladies gave him a green bean and he gnawed on that while we made our other choices! So, here are some photos of his new food explorations!

Scheeeeeeeeeeeeve!

Our friend from New York, Theresa Scheve (better known to us as Scheeeeeeeeeeeve) was in town a couple of weeks ago. It just so happens she has family in the Madison area. So, it was REALLY fun for us to see her, for her to meet Abel and to have dinner out at a Madison favorite. Abel had just found his toothbrush (he LOVES to play with his toothbrush...how lucky are we?) and simply wouldn't let it go. :)