Fun with Nana at Chuck E. Cheese

When the kids and I were in Michigan that first week after school was out, Nana took us to Chuck E. Cheese for Gracie's birthday. All of the kids LOVED it! Thanks for a fun and memorable time Nanny! We love you!

More fun at the cottage...

The week after school was out, I took the kids up to the cottage. Many more memories were made. We had lunch at the dam, swam, roasted marshmallows and just enjoyed one another's company.

Gracie turns 7!

Our Gracie Girl turned seven this past June 2. Crazy to think that our little girl is becoming a little lady! It seems like yesterday we just brought her home from the hospital in Baltimore. It has been fun to watch her grow and change. Gracie, we are so proud of you...continue to be a light for others! We love you so much, Mom and Dad

Memorial Day at the Cottage

We traveled to the cottage for Memorial Day. It was a beautiful weekend and everyone traveled well. It was great to spend time with everyone and the weather couldn't have been better! Isaac and Sophia would lounge on the porch. Isaac thought he could drive the boat. Grace and Sophia had a blast swimming and boating with their cousins Ben, Sam and Will. And Sophia and Isaac discovered the beauty of Lake Avalon! Thanks for the memories!

Our Two Little Peas in a Pod...15 & 16 Months old

Isaac and Sophia continue to amaze us each day. It is precious to watch them interact with one another. We have found that they are never far apart from each other. What one does, the other does or must do. Some examples of this are....Isaac LOVES for Matt to toss him in the air, Sophia, not so much, HOWEVER if Isaac does it, than Sophia must have a turn (holding her breath the entire time of course)...Sophia LOVES her fruit, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are some of her favorites, Isaac, not so much, HOWEVER if Sophia is eating it, Isaac must as well (making faces of dislike with every bite of course)...today, Sophia bumped her head on the table...I went to comfort her by picking her up and "giving her a kiss"...Isaac saw this and I said, "Is your sister okay? She bumped her head." With a look of concern, he quickly went under the table and when he stands he doesn't bump his head so he quickly just head butted it against the wall, followed by some fake whimpers in order to be comforted just as she was...silly boy! :) They are a lot of fun and they are entering one of my "favorite stages". I LOVE 18 months to about 2 1/2 years...their curiosity is so fun to watch and they just make me giggle...they are at a point where they are exploring their boundaries with you, yet are not at the point where they can sass too much. Every day they seem to learn something new, wheather it be a new trick, a new word, a new noise, or a new way something works. I love our precious babes. How far we have come...

Dance Recital...June 2010

These are pictures from the in studio dress rehearsal and a couple on stage for the actual recital. The girls had their recital at the beginning of June. It is so fun to watch the pure enjoyment on their faces when they dance! They went to Debut Dance again in North Liberty with Ms. Megan! Thanks Ms. Megan for another great year!

Finally...Ireland

So, Matt and I made a "quick trip" to Ireland at yes, the end of April (and I am finally getting around to updating my blog). We were looking at a fellowship opportunity in Dublin. The people there were INCREDIBLE and so super stinkin' nice. However, we have decided that it would not be a great fit for our family for multiple reasons. We actually are going to Cincinnati Children's for two years where Matt will do a fellowship in ENT. Nonetheless, here are some pictures of our trip.