Kumquats and such

My very generous Uncle Jaiyoung and Aunt Younghee sent Reagan a traditional Korean 1st birthday costume. We are having a Ryu family reunion in mid-October, so they wanted to have photos of Reagan and her cousins (Dara and Cora) in their costumes. On Saturday afternoon, I dressed Reagan in this very beautiful outfit and attempted to get some pictures: She wasn't a huge fan of the headpiece, but was a very good photography subject throughout!

On Sunday afternoon, we took Nessie to dog beach down in Del Mar. There was a dog surfing competition that we just missed (DARN!), but we had a great time throwing the ball for Nessie and letting Reagan run around on the beach while trying to keep her dry. After our visit to the beach, we took Nessie for a bath and then we got some frozen yogurt. On Monday, Jessica and I took Reagan to the Safari Park (affiliated with the San Diego Zoo) out in Escondido. We got to see some amazing animals. Here are a few pictures: Took Reagan on the merry-go-round...not sure she liked it! Baby elephant born just hours before we visited! Jessica & Reagan Tallest giraffe in North America - also of note, this guy fathered 14 giraffes this year Cool donkey like creature One of 6 of these types of rhinos left in the WORLD! Zebra meeting Coolest bird ever Who doesn't love gorillas? Especially when they are babies! Last sighting of the day...meerkat ...

From 22-28 September, Reagan and I were lucky enough to take a trip to CA to visit Jessica and Sean (and to attend a wedding). I was absolutely terrified about taking a 14-month old on two 3-hour plane rides, but armed with many suggestions from moms who have flown solo with their kids, we managed to make a successful trip! Reagan shocked me with her excellent behavior on both flights there. In fact, I think she cried for a total of 30 seconds on both flights! We took stickers, snacks, juice, a portable DVD player (which really ended up being a 10-pound weight since she didn't want to watch anything), and LOTS of diapers and wipes. After the uneventful flights, Jessica picked us up in San Diego and we headed to their beautiful house to relax for the evening. I wasn't sure how Reagan was going to do with her sleeping patterns, but it wasn't terrible. She went down about an hour earlier than usual and woke up at 5...not too shabby. On Friday, we spent the day driving around...

For two and a half wonderful weeks, MIL and FIL came for a visit. During the first week, we hung out at the house and I put FIL to work on a list of projects. First, he tackled the bathtub leak that was discovered during Hurricane Irene and the ceiling damage in the kitchen. Apparently the tub had been leaking since we bought the house 2 years ago, but a 30 minute bath wasn't long enough to realize it. He found the leak and fixed it easily. Then, he worked on the ceiling - a multi-day project.  It looks great now. After that, I suggested that I'd like to put edging around the bushes in the backyard.  Unfortunately, after pricing the edging options at Lowe's, I realized that would not be feasible, so he used a shovel to dig out around the bushes (all 9) and trees (2 of them) and now they look much better. Next up on the list, installing a shower door in our bathroom. I was surprised at how easily he completed this task, particularly as MIL and I left him in charge of R...

On Friday, the weather was a bit overcast and perfect for staying inside and making a big breakfast!  Reagan helped Grandpa cook lots of great food and we all enjoyed a lazy morning. After that, we took the dogs to run along the beach. They had a blast! Of course we had to give them both a bath when we returned to the house (which they did not enjoy nearly as much). After a brief rest, we loaded up the van and drove to Southport to do a bit of shopping and wandering around. It is a cute little place and they had a great Christmas shop. We headed back to Oak Island after a short trip and picked up some corn on the cob to have with our BBQ chicken and tater tots.  The following morning, Reagan and I headed out for a short jog and found ourselves out on the beach once again. It was still overcast and perfect for running...and for feeding the birds. We saw some fishermen tossing fish heads and other bait into the air while every imaginable sea bird flocked to the area. A lit...

Early on Thursday morning, Rick and I headed out to play golf (thanks Grandma for watching Reagan!). We were the second to tee off and couldn't have asked for a better day to play. With a full cooler and no one teeing off for the next two slots, we took our time and enjoyed the game. Right before we took off, one of the guys from the pro shop said, "Hey, maybe you'll see an alligator or two."  Well, that certainly peaked my interest!! From that point on, we were on alligator patrol...and it worked! On the back nine, we came across this fellow: After a great game, we went back home to see Reagan and Grandma. I was starting to feel a cold coming on, so I rested on the couch while Reagan had a nice nap on the porch swing with Grandpa: While she was napping, Rick noticed this guy hanging out by the house next door: GROSS!! It's times like that, when you're starting to feel sick and just need a helping hand, that you are totally grateful for am...

Wednesday was our last day of amazing beach weather, so we took advantage of it.  Reagan received the cutest rash-guard bodysuit from her Great Aunt Helen and Great Uncle Dan for her birthday.  It was a perfect fit and a nice change for her as I didn't have to spray her tummy and back with that cold sunscreen. We also found a boogie board in one of the closets and took it down with us.  As soon as we set up camp, Grandpa put Reagan on the board and dragged her down to the water.  It was an immediate hit!  She had a blast riding in one inch of water.  We took turns pulling her around and when we ate lunch, she just played by herself on top of the board.  Grandma again made delicious sandwiches that attracted even MORE birds than the previous two days...this time, they even dared to land atop Grandpa's chair! Our little "surfer" girl!