Strikes and smiles

Can it be August already? We've had a busy few weeks here in Rockville. Harper has reached that critical developmental stage when you learn to say "Cheese" and pictures are never the same again.



I didn't say they weren't good!



Ida Jane is onto bigger talents - like medicine. Quoth the doctor: "What I can do for you?"



A lot of special events have happened here lately, too. Uncle Steve came through on his way from Florida to Iceland (DC is a natural stopover for this journey). Harper was a big fan of Uncle Steve's narrative skills.



And our best friend Fia celebrated her birthday. Here's a picture of the girls before the "big day"




Ida Jane and Fia at "party central" aka Fia's playhouse.



Scarfing down some birthday pizza:



Uncle Jeff, Aunt Kris, and Cousins Ryan and Katie came down to Baltimore, and we spent a great day with them at Chad, Jen and cousin Sami's house. Here's the brother and sister family shot. Yes, our kids are the ones making raspberries.




Here's Ida Jane with her Uncle and Auntie. It'd been way too long since we'd seen them both!



The girls were hanging off of Auntie Kris all afternoon. Here's Sami and Ida Jane sitting with Kris.



We've also been exploring the multiple offerings of Rockville. Here are the girls cutting a rug to the point of exhaustion at a town square kids' night.



And getting cool in the kid's pool:



Finally, this morning we went bowling for the first time. Harper was a bit too small to do anything other than run around and say "cheese".



But Ida Jane loved rolling the ball.



Strike!