Crap, I’m late for the monthly pic post! My apologies as July proved to be a busy month for the Andersons.

As promised, we got out of the house a bit with the camera and snapped some pictures of Sloane at her first wedding (I told her she only had to wait another 30 years). Sloane also had her first swim in the pool, which she loved. She also enjoyed some time in the Johnny-Jump-Up! My parents raved about this doorway bouncer that they used with us kids, so we had to check it out ourselves. It was a big hit and we’re pretty sure it’ll continue to be a favorite over the next few months.

In the middle of July, Jeff found himself in the Newport News area on a training excursion from his class out in Vegas. Since he had yet to meet Sloane, we cruised on down and had a fun time over dinner and then coffee the next morning. We also hooked up with Suzi’s brother, Brian, who we also haven’t seen in a while. Oh yeah. Eric and I made a trip to St. Augustine with my parents in early July to help Matt with some home renovation. We had a great time doing demo in a bathroom and then rebuilding some of the walls. I’m not sure I inherited the craftsman skills from my Dad when it comes to woodworking, but there is something really enjoyable about the occasional, heavy manual labor and the immediate results at the end of the day.

There are also some pics of Sloane and Liv. We’re pretty impressed with the way Liv has responded to her new responsibility. She rarely lets Sloane out of her sight, and pretty much knows where she is at all times. In fact, she refuses to go on a walk (which is completely unheard of) unless Suzi or I bring Sloane along. In a house that sometimes has 4 other dogs running around, Liv is the gatekeeper. She uses her shepherding skills, and sometimes an aggressive attitude, if one of the other dogs happen to wander by Suzi and Sloane. If Sloane is sleeping, you’ll find Liv in the bedroom doorway, refusing entry to most anybody but her parents or grandparents. Then the big toughie gets soft. She often lays right next to Sloane when she’s playing in her jungle gym, and allows her to yank on various parts of her face and neck hair. Olivia doesn’t blink. We are of course teaching Sloane to “be gentle” with her furry sister. Even in a family that already treats our four-legged companions as special members, the concern and intelligence of man’s best friend is amazing to witness.

I’ll try to make up for the late posting in the next week or so. Hope everyone is well.