McLeod Beach Trip!

Ashley's mom organized a beach trip for all us and what fun we had! We stayed at the Long Bay Resort in Myrtle Beach. I wasn't sure how Levi would do with the ocean and sand. Crazy me...he LOVED it!

This first set of pictures is courtesy of Debbie because I never remembered to take my camera when we were out at the pool or beach. The grandkids. Levi slipped in on Carey's family picture. Aren't the Harmans cute in their matching outfits?
Our toes. Levi still isn't walking other than a few steps here and there. He has started standing on his own for a 10 seconds or so but for the most part, seems content with crawling around.
Family picture.
This was Levi's (and probably Ryan's) favorite part of the resort: the silly submarine. It had knobs that the kids could turn and spray water everywhere. And the best thing was it was set in a 1 ft deep kiddie pool!
Inside the sub. If we would have let him, Levi would have stayed in there for hours! He didn't care that he was getting drenched or could hardly open his eyes because of the water.
Levi and Mallory checking out the sea monster.
The whole clan gathered for dinner.
Mallory and Levi got into the cheetos. Who knew babies would love those so much!
And Levi had his own ear of corn and loved it.
Mallory before her beach photo shoot.
Miami Vice Levi. Too cool for school!
Ryan teaching Levi a song. Levi loves Ryan, probably because Ryan has a lot of energy and is funny!
Outside on our balcony....
...watching the tractor clear the beach. Before I could even see the tractor, Levi heard it and started making his own tractor noises.
Da and Levi.
And as a treat, we stopped by McBee and the McLeod Farms. Levi got to sit on a real tractor!
Finally at home. On Sunday night Levi had a temperature of 103. Thanks to Tylenol and Motrin, it's back down. Who knows what caused it? Maybe his immunizations (chicken pox and MMR) a week ago or a virus. We let him play in the tunnel once he started cooling off.
He's a pro at crawling through now!

June Days

Levi has become an expert at getting on his riding toys. Here's the giraffe Mama and Papa gave him for Christmas. And here's his "new" John Deere gator...$10 at the consignment store and perfect to leave outside!
As always, everything is a jungle gym...climbing under the table in the hall. Not supposed to be there but he sneaks up!
Check out this hibiscus bloom! It's the size of a small plate. Incredible in our yard!

The Last Card...Levi turns 12 months/1 year!

When I was pregnant with Levi, I didn't have very many cravings. The only things I can say I truly craved were peaches. Lucky me, I married into a peach family. Unlucky for me, the great majority of my pregnancy was the off-season for peaches. Fast forward a year, and we have a box of yummy McLeod Farm peaches fresh from McBee. And it's Levi's 12 month/ 1 year birthday--June 15.

So in honor of Levi turning 1, he ate his first peach (he's had plenty sliced up but this was the first time he devoured it himself). He's wearing his shark outfit because he started swim lessons this week at Columbia College.


This is a funny picture...I think he may be a little delirious after all that peach eating. Check out how messy his outfit is (and his legs). Needless to say, I had to change his outfit.


I'd say he took care of that peach! Pit on left. Full peach on right.

Later that day, when I was carrying Levi through the kitchen, he saw the box of peaches. Pointing at them, he said over and over, "Mama mama mama." I took that as him needing/wanting another peach. And so he had TWO peaches on his birthday.
He learned this technique from birthday cake consumption!



Monday night I made tamales for the first time. It's from a recipe in the new Food Network magazine, which I love.

Don't they look great?! They were very good. More Cuban than Mexican in flavor but delicious all the same.

Levi's Birthday Party!

A year ago we were just getting used to being parents, still relying a lot on the help from my mama and Ashley's mom. Sunday we marked Levi's 1st birthday with a party for family and a few friends. Because Levi can make a topnotch tractor noise, we had a John Deere party.
Here is his cake, made by Tamara Smith of Slice of the South.
Before the cake eating, everyone played outside (despite the blazing heat). Here are Hunter and Levi with their "tough guy" faces. Melissa gave Levi this Police Car after her son Paul outgrew it. What a great thing!
Ahhh...the cake! I gave Levi the tractor wheel. Inspecting....
Smelling....
Stuffing....
Not so happy about the hat.
Break in the action...picture of the Rawls. Hunter (right) is eight months older than Levi. He enjoyed a lot of cake and cupcakes. Lyndsey, his mom, wondered if his dinner appetite would be ruined :O)
Ah...now Levi has it figured out. Black icing everywhere!
Ashley's parents with Mallory and Levi.
Sidewalk chalk outside.
Gift time! Levi actually did really well and opened everything (more or less).
This captures the cousins perfectly. Mallory is doing so great with her walking...and Levi is content with his crawling.
The pretty grandmas.
Wiffleball in our backyard.
Four generations of McLeod men-- Ashley's dad Robert, Ashley, Levi and Ashley's grandpa, Bob.
The Mitchell-McLeod family. Mama and Papa came down on Saturday to help me get ready for the party (aka play with Levi).
Notice how Carey dressed her kids in John Deere outfits for the party. What fun!
And just in case they didn't have enough food earlier, munching on the big tub of animal crackers.