Kate's First Camping Trip

This weekend we joined a few other couples from our Sunday School class and camped at Pedernales Falls State Park. Since it was Kate's first camping trip, we decided to test the waters and only stay one night. We arrived on Saturday around noon, set up camp, and enjoyed lunch and a hike to the falls. The Gants let us borrow their backpack carrier, and Kate absolutely loved it. She rode in comfort and was high enough to take in all the sights.

She was so cute on her daddy's back, but I couldn't help but say over and over, "Master Blaster run Bartertown!"

Kate really loved being outdoors. Here are some photos of her enjoying the falls:

A little girl peeking out of a big tent:

On Saturday night, we enjoyed hanging out with the Lloyds, Carrells and their kids. Kate did great during the whole trip, but Saturday night was REALLY cold...it got down to 39 degrees! Even though we bundled Kate up, she still woke at 3am because of the cold. I put her into my sleeping bag with me, and she quickly warmed up and went back to sleep.

On Sunday after Kate's morning nap, we enjoyed a picnic lunch near the water. The water was far too cold to get in, but Kate did dip her toes. The weather during the day was perfect--high 70s. It was a fun weekend and wore all three of us out!

Visiting the Austin Zoo

Kate and I joined several other moms and kiddos from our Sunday School class on a trip to the Austin Zoo today. It was great fun--both the weather and kids cooperated . . .what else could you ask for? I think the most interesting part for Kate was probably the petting zoo. Kate and her little friend Adelaide had fun feeding the goats and deer, despite the goat slobber. It strikes me in these photos, particularly the one where Kate is standing up holding the fence, just how big she is getting.

PS: I just noticed my friend Sunee's blogging of this same zoo outing. She has some great pics. Check them out here.

Zooming around at 11 months!

Kate turned 11 months old today, and in honor of her birthday she decided to master the push-walker. She can now push it without any assistance from mom or dad! Here's video from this morning: