Camping Trip

This is the one and only picture that David took of his & Lance's first Father-Son Camp out. I was really bummed that he didn't get more pictures, but apparently they had lots of fun. This picture is documenting the eating of Lance's favorite treat--licorice. And the only reason David remembered to take this picture is our bishop threatened to take a picture of dirty little Lance for blackmailing purposes. David decided to take the picture himself (before Lance got really dirty).

I was told by many people at church on Sunday that my wonderful husband took absolutely great care of our little happy boy. They slept in David's truck, & the concerned daddy had taken the top part of the cradle and put it in the back seat of his truck for Lance to sleep in. He also made sure that he wasn't too comfy so that he would be sure to wake up if it was cold. He turned the truck on every couple hours to warm it up for his baby boy--what a dad. David had packed for him & Lance, & from the amount of stuff he took, you would have thought it was a week long outing. But that's David--always prepared (or over-prepared).

When my two guys finally got home from their big outing, my exhausted little guy fell asleep immediately (before he even got a bath). He smelled of camp fire, sunscreen, & mosquito repellent, & he was dirty enough that I could tell he had a great time. He was the youngest camper--and I'm guessing also the cutest. :) They did some hiking, fishing, & lots of playing.

Lance, who usually just wants Daddy, was so excited to get home & see Mommy. I was absolutely thrilled. Because he sees me every day, I don't usually get the amount of excitement reserved for Dad. So I survived my first night without my baby. I would have even slept great except that I was freaked out by every noise I heard. I guess I'm used to having David here keeping all the boogie men away.

Shooting Weekend

What a CUTIE!! I know I'm prejudiced, but c'mon, admit it...he's pretty darn cute! I especially love the way the ear muffs squish his little fat cheeks. He loves being outdoors, so it was no wonder that he was so happy on our little mountain outing this last weekend.

A few days ago David finally took me out shooting. I've been wanting to take my shotgun out to shoot some clay pigeons. David had never shot skeet before, so I was really excited to show him up--which I did. Yes, they call me "Dead-eye." We didn't exactly keep score, but since I can hit a clay pigeon with one shot & it takes David 3 or 4 shots...I think I won. And don't let David convince you that I'm exaggerating because he probably doesn't like to be shown up by his wife. :)

We really had a good time. The mountains were beautiful, the weather was nice, and the shooting was fun. The summer is almost gone, & we're finally starting to enjoy the outdoors of Jackson. Too bad we didn't start to enjoy it sooner. But we do plan on doing some more fishing & camping before the summer's over. David is taking Lance to our ward's father & son outing this weekend--overnight. It will be mom's first night without her baby :( but David assures me he'll take good care of Lance (of course). I don't know what I'll do with a whole night to myself. I can't wait to blog that trip--I told David to get lots of pictures.

Captain Lance & his Trusty Sidekick Daddy

I love to watch David & Lance together. It's so fun to see the way David plays with his baby boy. They play so rough & silly, but David is such a big softy when Lance is sad. Daddy takes his son everywhere: to the video store, to wash his truck, to the store, & even to take out the trash. When David gets home from work, he goes straight to Lance, picks him up, & takes him to the bathroom where Lance sits in a little seat while Daddy showers. David sings & talks to Lance the whole time. And while Lance can't see his daddy, he's happy to be able to hear him (just knowing that he's home). For the rest of the night they're inseparable.

The picture above was taken about a month ago at a family reunion, and the picture to the right was taken quite a while ago this winter. And no, the picture was not set up in any way. This is just how I found them sleeping.























I had to share this because I think it is just too cute. A couple weeks ago Lance was having a hard time falling asleep. We've had a playpen set up in our bedroom because his crib has been in the living room while my brother stayed with us for the summer. Anyway, I sent David to check on a screaming Lance. It took a while and the crying finally stopped, but David did not reappear from the bedroom. I peeked in on them to find David sleeping with Lance...in Lance's crib (and then had to get the camera). Apparently Daddy had finally climbed into the playpen and fallen asleep. Lance was not asleep, but he was very pleased with the sleeping arrangements. He was grinning from ear to ear when I found them. Later David told me that he had tried to lay down next to the playpen, but that didn't appease our little prince, so David climbed into the playpen. I have to say that I never would have thought to climb into the playpen with Lance. David & Lance are quite a pair, & I love them so much. What would I do without my two guys?

Hide the Baby

Here's David's favorite game to play with Lance. He gets a kick out of finding small & unusual places to hide him. I get a laugh or two, but I do admit that when Lance was only a couple months old I was very distressed by this game. I always panicked when David would say, "Where's Lance?" I made up a few of my own rules mostly having to do with where not to hide the baby. The refrigerator, oven, & microwave were outlawed as hiding places (only after seeing David try to fit Lance in each one). It just didn't seem right to put the baby in the major appliances. Mostly he has been hidden in plain sight & in safe places like under the crib, or on the floor under an upside-down laundry basket. One very obvious hiding place was on the couch with a fortress of pillows around him. He was only a month old at the time & no pillows were on top of him, but as unconcealed as he was, I still completely missed him--thus the distress of the whole game.


My crazy (but wonderful) husband likes to give me a hard time (ALL the time), and one day told me that Lance fit in the fridge perfectly. This & the refrigerator items on the floor gave me great alarm. Looking into the kitchen--which is pretty small--I couldn't see Lance. Of course I yelled at David, & he started laughing. David was holding Lance on the counter top next to the fridge (which was behind the fridge from my vantage point). Whew!! What a scare.


The kitchen cupboard was the most recent hiding place. David was thrilled that Lance fit on the shelf. He held the cupboard closed for baby safety (like that made me feel better), and I could hear a faint scratching from the inside of the cupboard. Lance usually gives away his hiding places with little scratches or faint baby noises (sometimes very loud baby noises). And as you can see, he was fine and actually smiling and laughing at the game. Thankfully, we live in an apartment, & I think David is out of hiding spots. But I must admit that at times I have enjoyed the game. After my initial fear of "what has David thought of now," I usually laugh long and hard at his very creative game.

Finally a Blogger

David's Aunt Heidi has been telling me for quite a while to start a blog, & since I do so enjoy reading hers (I read it religiously), I thought I would give it a try. Grandma Ruth Ann has also been encouraging a blog spot so that she can see her grandson whenever she wants...so, voile! here it is.

This is us, the Shelley's. We have lived in beautiful Jackson, Wyoming for a little over a year. Our happy & very handsome son is nine months old & brings us absolute joy. Luckily for us, he's also a very easy baby--sleeps for hours & hours, takes wonderful long naps, & is still too lazy to get into much. David is a complete nut, & I love him for it. He works hard & just adores his son (he's a complete sucker when it comes to his boy). As for me, I'm just happy to be able to stay home & take care of Lance. And I couldn't be happier or more blessed.