I can roll over!

Paije rolled over for the first time about a month ago. She finally got good enough at it that I could capture it on video for everyone's viewing pleasure! Enjoy!

Almost 6 months old

I just bought this for Paije at a garage sale and she loves it.

Just hanging out after work.

Paije in her new Pajamas. She is so tall she had out grown all of her others.

Paije and more Paije

Here are a few pictures from the past 6 weeks. Enjoy!

She loves her new Bumbo chair. She also loves to be naked!

Last week she rolled over for the first time but we haven't been able to get her to do it again since then. She loves these chain link toys.

She also LOVES to take baths. Sometimes I think she would gladly lay in the tub all day if I let her.

..and of course she loves having books read to her even though she spends most the time trying to eat them.

Our trip out West

When we got back to the United States a few weeks ago we decided to take a trip out West to see family and attend Ben's best friends wedding.

Our adventure took us first to Seattle where my parents live. Paije got to wake up her Grandma Pelton up every morning. Isn't that sweet!

My Aunt Robin also invited us to come stay with her at a house on Whidbey Island. It was amazing and had a beautiful deck right on the Puget Sound. Paije and I had fun playing in the hot tub together (don't worry I turned down the temperature).

Paije also got to meet grandpa Pelton. Don't they look like a perfect pair!

Paije was also introduced to a bumbo seat....which she totally loved. Now all I need to do is track one down on craigs list here in D.C.

She also got to spend quality time with her cousin Tate. They both love the bath!

All of her aunts LOVE her! Next stop Utah...where she met her for the first time her great-grandma Miller.
(She also met her great-grandmother Macbeth in Seattle but those pics aren't on my camera)

The trip took 15 hours in the car. Thankfully Paije was such a great travel buddy, as always. She just chilled and slept in the back the entire way there and back.

She also got to see Grandma Polly....and

experience a swing for the very first time!

We had such a wonderful trip and I wish I could post all of the pictures we took with aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was so fun to see everyone!

Just to update everyone, we are now back in Washington, D.C. Kind of anti-climactic, I know. I hope that people will continue to read our blog when there are no European travel pictures! I (Ben) finished my internship with Demolin Brulard Barthelemy (Brussels law firm) last week. The internship was a great experience, but we decided that it would be better to return to the U.S. in order for me to get more solid experience in U.S. law before working internationally again.

So now we are back in D.C. and I am back on the job hunt (anyone need a lawyer/terminator?)! We are confident that something good will work out. We could really end up going anywhere depending on where I find a job, so we are excited to see what comes next!

In the immediate future, Bonnie is flying to Seattle on Saturday and I will fly there the following Friday. We will be there for a few days and then in SLC for a wedding, and then back to D.C. We hope to see as many friends as possible, so let us know if you will be around in Seattle or Utah!

Seattle: Feb. 26-Mar. 10
Utah: Mar. 10-14
Seattle: Mar. 15-17

To Paris and Back and Everywhere in Between

For our final week in Europe we decided to do a road trip through France and Switzerland. We were lucky to have a few days of good weather. Here is the route we followed:

Naturally, the one day I get to see the Eiffel Tower it is covered in clouds. Consequently, we decided that a trip to the top was probably not worth it. Which was fine because the views from the bottom are also really amazing. I was surprised at how detailed the structure is.

Ben didn't think it was a good idea to wake Paije up from her nap to take this picture....but, now when she is older she'll know that she actually visited the Eiffel Tower.

Notre Dame

The Louvre

The entrance to Versailles

The hall of mirrors

The palace grounds...still very impressive even during the middle of winter.

More grounds.

After visiting Paris we drove through Geneva, Switzerland to visit some friends and see the mission home where Ben's parents lived. Next stop...Chamonix, France!

For those of you who don't remember we named Paije after this city in France, which meant we had to take her there for a visit. Hopefully we can all go back again someday when its a little warmer.

While we were there we stopped for a baguette.

Switzerland really is as amazing as they say.

We were so happy to see blue skies in Switzerland in February...which everyone says is rare.

In the middle of our drive through the Alps we drove our car onto a train that went through a mountain. They call it the Switzerland ferry and the experience was one of the highlights of our trip. It was pitch black inside the mountain with the exception of the little light in our car. Here we are boarding the train.

When we emerged this is what we saw.

Update on Princess Paije

The sweater Paije is wearing in this photo was actually a sweater my grandmother made for me when I was a baby.

She loves to make noise and kick around.

She also seems to know when I am taking her picture and she seems to like it.

This is Paije's favorite way to sleep, with her arms up above her head.