The mess is the best part...

In June mommy decided it was time to start me going on this whole solid food thing. I took one look at that nasty stuff and decided it wasn't for me. She dropped for a little while, then last month she tried again and this time she didn't give up. So I finally surrendered. I wouldn't really say that I particularly enjoy any of it yet, but I do love sitting up at the table with everyone and holding my own cup, and I love to blow raspberries back at mommy right after she gives me a spoonful. I really think mommy looks good splattered with squash!

Random

Here a few more random pictures taken while Jessi was here...

The fair and a little Smitty.

Monday night we went to the Wisconsin State Fair. Lucy, as usual, just hung out and took in the sites while Sophie enjoyed petting the cows and trying on pink cowgirl hats. We also tried the infamous Fair Cream Puffs and we even took in a free Michael W. Smith concert...now there's a blast from the past!

Zoo with Jeffi

Fearless

On Saturday night Sophie wanted to go swimming so badly so Jessi used it as another photo op and caught these pictures of her. For those of you who know her well you know that she is fearless and these pictures capured the essence of this fearlessness. Here she is, 2 years old and flying through the air into the water after being tossed by her daddy. And she doesn't just like to be thrown, she jumps in, dunks her face in, you know, all the good stuff.

I just couldn't resist...

We took Jessi downtown to the Public Market and found this great store with the best toys. I promptly walked into this little house and poked my head through the hole.

"Jeffi" came for a visit

That's right I like to call her Jeffi. Her name is Jessi and I can say that too but I prefer Jeffi. Sometimes, for fun, I even call her Stephanie....
We did all kinds of fun things! We went to the zoo, went swimming, to the Public Market, and the Wisconsin state fair. Daddy wanted to be sure she got the full Wisconsin experience but I think Lucy and I showed her a pretty good time all by ourselves!

Civil War Battlefields of Tennessee

Spencers are suckers for Battlefields of most kinds. I got to visit two this past weekend while in Tennessee for Ian Kern's wedding.



These guns here are known as the Board of Trade Battery. They were financed by the Chicago Board of Trade and given to the Union Army just prior to the Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, TN. Bunch of crooks. First Lincoln. Then Grant. Then these...sheesh.


The Battle at Stones River was one of the bloodiest of the Civil War. The Slaughter Pen was a significant contributor to this with grapeshot fired at close range. Phil Sheridan was the Union General here...and yes, he was riding Rienzi.

These are the Confederate Water Batteries which repelled the Union Ironclad attack on Fort Donelson. This battle's significance included the splitting of the Confederate heartland and the rise of U.S. Grant to fame as a Union general.