River is such an amazing big brother to baby Ray. It is clear River adores his little brother. He is always talking to Ray and trying to make him laugh.
One of our favorite activities to do as a family is going fishing in the stream near our property.
Luna and Rascal are the best of friends and always playing together. I am thinking about giving Rascal an aging down treat. I am just not ready for him to die.
River is also really close to Rascal. They love to play laser pointer together.
Ray aged up into a sunny infant. He is the perfect blend of Melody and I. He has my red hair and freckles and her blue eyes. Just like River he is a mermaid.
Ray has the happy spitter, self-soother, and picky eater infant quirks.
We have started working on tummy time together. So far Ray has not been enjoying the experience.
Melody is doing really well in her Entertainer career. She was recently promoted to C-Lister and also started gaining fame. She is already a notable newcomer. I am so proud of her.
My grandma Sabrina stops by frequently. She enjoys playing chess with her great-grandson. She has been known, however, to cheat.
My mom, Ulla, also stops by to play chess with River.
I am pleased to report that Io is still alive.
I have been working hard on training Startdust. We have been practicing our barrel racing. Stardust now has agility level 6 and I have horse riding skill level 7.
She is such a wonderful unicorn and we have become the best of friends. We haven’t entered any more equestrian competitions yet as we are working on our increasing our skills first.
I think Melody and I do a great job of balancing the parenting duties. I take care of getting Ray changed and ready for bed while she reads River a story.
Melody and I continue to sleep in the pond on the property, however as winter is approaching it is starting to get really cold. We may need to find alternative accommodations soon.
The animals love Ray. They are always taking naps next to him throughout the day.
Melody and I continue to spend several hours each day doing tummy time with Ray.
Ray has unlocked the lift head, roll over to back and roll over to tummy milestones. He can now do tummy time by himself.
River recently joined scouts and has been working on various badges. He is trying to earn the good deeds badge by making his little brother laugh.
Poor Ray recently had his first blowout. I gave him a bubble bath and got him all cleaned up.
River and I go fishing together every day after school. I recently caught a tuna to add to my collection of mounted fish.
River reached level 6 in the mental skill and acquired his first fishing skill.
I decided to give Rascal the age down treat. This way he will be with us for several years to come.
Luna had rolled in the mess from Ray’s blowout, so he needed a bath.
It is my birthday today. I am now a full blown adult.
It was also my niece Rose’s birthday. She is aging into a teenager.
She is a green fiend and cheerful. She has one of the teenager aspirations but I am not sure which one.
During the party dad really bonded with Ray. Dad held Ray throughout the party and gave him a bottle.
Since it is getting cold I added a hot springs to the property. It is a much warmer place for Melody and I to sleep. Of course we couldn’t resist having some woohoo as well.
With Melody at work during the day and River at school I am home alone with Ray. I change his diapers, get him fed, and work with him on reaching various milestones. We are currently practicing sitting.
Ray can now sit up by himself. I thought this picture was so cute with Ray sucking his thumb next to a sleeping Luna.
One afternoon my sister Clara stopped by for a visit. She offered to come stay with River, Ray, and the animals for the remainder of the winter months. I was very appreciative of the offer.
As this means Melody and I are free to return to Sulani for some much needed sunshine and time in the ocean.
We spent our days fishing on the beach.
And our nights together enjoying the warm ocean water.
We also bonded with some dolphins.
Cuddled by the fire.
Drew hearts in the sand on the beach.
Of course we had woohoo in the waterfall.
A few days later I was in the bathroom staring at a positive pregnancy test.
I shared the big news with Melody. She was thrilled to learn that we will be expanding our family.
While fishing in Copperdale is fine nothing beats fishing in Sulani at sunrise.
I completed my Angling Ace aspiration.
Here are some of the amazing photos of Melody and my time in Sulani. There was nothing better than sleeping in the warm ocean waters.
We did other things besides swim and fish. We have been spending time enjoying the beach.
We have also tried some amazing food.
One night a huge tropical storm rolled over Sulani. There was rain, terrible winds, thunder, and lightening. I was just about to use my mermaid powers to end the storm when a huge bolt of lightening flashed through the sky. I heard a terrible scream.
I look over and see that the lightening has struck Melody.
I swam towards the spot where I saw Melody go below the surface as fast as I could.
But I was too late. The grim reaper was there to take my wife away. I pleaded with him to spare her. We have two kids at home and another on the way but he wouldn’t hear of it. Melody was gone and to make matters worse her urn sunk into the dark waters and I couldn’t find it. If only I could have found her urn grandma could have used her spellcaster abilities to bring Melody back to life.
I returned to Copperdale early. How am I going to tell the boys their mother is gone? How am I going to go on without Melody?