I can't believe it's July already!

It's been a busy few weeks. My mom arrived in late June for a visit and to help us through the transition of Joe returning from Alaska and me leaving for a work meeting in Sacramento. Soon after she arrived, Nana, Petra, Pika and I headed to the coast for a few days of sand and clouds (not really sun, yet - we were still in June-uary).

The first time we put Petra on the sand, she insisted on putting entire fistfuls of sand in her mouth! She seemed to really enjoy it (uh oh...). Luckily, the next day, she forgot all about her new favorite snack and just focused more on digging and dumping it.

Joe's return worked out nicely - we were able to overlap for a whole 24 hrs, rather than the 1 hour at the airport, or not at all, which were the other possibilities. After some initial shyness, Petra was thrilled to have her papa home.

While I alternatively broiled in Sacramento's heat or froze in the air conditioning of the hotel where our meetings were held (between World Cup matches), Joe, my parents and Petra explored Portland. They made it to the beautiful Japanese gardens, our local riverfront park,

and Petra's baby circus class, where she has been having fun learning to play on a trapeze, walk the wheelbarrow, and act like a turtle (or frog, or cat, or snake...).

After I returned, we had one full day left with Nana and Grandpa, which we spent at the zoo -- Petra's first visit. She loved the big cats, and the elephants, and bears (oh my).

She also enjoyed her first ice cream and first gelato on the same day!

Also her first dinner from a Portland food cart - although we weren't sure she would like the Mexican/Korean BBQ fusion, so they were kind enough to make a quesadilla.

Here are a few more pictures from Nana and Grandpa's visit, and from the last month.