Cat and Dog Days of Summer

Hi All,
Several people have asked how our pets are adjusting to the twins. Jim and I feel it's all gone pretty smoothly. The cats are pretty oblivious; they hardly acknowledge the twins and go about their usual business (sleeping 75% of the time). And Riley is mildly curious at times, sniffing them down. Riley's worst offense is her random barking which can 1) scare the twins or 2) wake them.
Now if Riley, Cue and Blanca could talk, they may have a different story! It's pretty clear to all that they have been demoted. No more lap space for Cue. Less play time for Riley. Blanca has always been the independent one, so she seems the least affected by it all.
But, all in all, we're all getting along!

You DID get this for ME, right?

I think I'll sneak up on this lap while no one's looking

Doggone Cute

Happy 5 Months!

Hi All,
Drew and Bree are 5 months old today. And, wow, they really seem to be growing up too quickly now. Drew weighs 17.5 lbs. and Bree weighs 15 lbs. (according to our unofficial home weigh in.) We're having so much fun interacting with them. They have tons of smiles and hugs to share and we love it! Here are some 5 month pictures.....

Bree giving Drew a piece of her mind

Bree goin' in for a hug, awwwWe're big kids today!

Rock and Roll!

Hi All,
We have another roller in the house! Give it up for Drew, who did a complete rollover this afternoon. Yay Drew! Here is the roll in action........

Up and Over

Now Let's Deal With This ArmSuccess!!!
Am I Cool or What?!?

And to prove what a big boy he is becoming, here's Drew also showing off his bottle holding skills.....
Way to go Drew!!!

Visitors and Visits

Hi All!
Okay, okay, we are still in catch up mode. This started as a "Week in Review" post a few weeks back. But it didn't get finished, so I am turning it into our Visitors/Visits post, since that is one reason we keep getting away from the blog these days - certainly a good cause!

We've been able to do a few day trips with the kids as of late, and we've also entertained several visitors. We feel fortunate to be able to see so many friends and introduce the twins.

Marc's Graduation - We attended honorary Uncle Marc's graduation party on June 28th. Marc graduated from law school at Michigan State. We're very proud of him and wishing him luck on his upcoming bar exam! Also, while we only went a little over 2 hours, this was the kiddos' longest road trip to date and they did wonderfully. The party was great. We enjoyed the food and company. The only mishap was Bree hurled on me as Grandpa handed her over. Grandpa found this quite humorous - me not so much!
We don't have the actual picture we took at the party (Mom's camera), but here are a few pics of Marc and the kiddos. We are thinking he must return to babysit after that pesky exam is over!

Aunt Monica and her boys, Dimitri and Ivan visited on July 2nd and Aunt Erin and Uncle Raulie came a little later the same day. The twins loved all the cuddle time!






Madelyn's birthday - We traveled to Bay City on July 3rd for Madelyn Petersen's 3rd birthday party. Another road trip for the kiddos, and we survived! Plus, we got to catch up with some good friends that we had not seen in a while.



4th of July - We celebrated the 4th with the Fergusons and the Giacomellis. It was a nice day, and we all enjoyed the lake.

Bree showing Brad how to feed her

Our little firecrackers

Good Friends from Abroad - We are so lucky that Brian, Lisa, Mateo and Xoa paid us a visit during their summer trip to Michigan. They now live in Belguim, which makes it really difficult to get together! We're so blessed that our friendship has weathered the extreme distance. This was an especially fun visit because we got to meet Xoa and their family got to meet Drew and Bree for the first time.

The Heibecks - We're so glad we got to see the Heibecks during their visit to Michigan. We wish they didn't live so far away. While we forgot the get the camera out during their visit to our home on July 12th, we did get a shot from Scott's surprise birthday party the evening before.

Work Buddy - My friend Laura stopped by after her day in the Grand Rapids office on July 15th. This was especially nice for me, as I miss talking to my work friends on a daily basis.

We love our visitors - one and all, please come on over and see us sometime!

To Teethe or Not To Teethe?

Hi All,
That is the question of the day. We're not sure, but it seems the kiddos have started into teething. There is a lot of this going on lately.....
Yes, Bree especially is constantly sucking fingers, or anything we let her suck for that matter. She got a big case of the rosy cheeks a few nights back, and there does seem to be a bit of additional irritability. Oh yeah, we're also doing lots of drooling! They seem a bit young to be starting this though. I thought teething started around 6 months. Drew and Bree are 4 1/2 months and even less if you factor in their 3 week early arrival. How long does this last? Is it going to get worse before it gets better?

In other news.....

This one was just too cute to not share!

The twins, plotting?????

Catching a nap - bouncy style

Catching a nap - Mommy style

We think Bree likes her Daddy

Dark Day

In memory of Grandma Thelen

Hi All,

My Grandma Thelen passed away earlier this morning, following a massive heart attack she suffered on Sunday. She was 95 years old, almost 96. While we can't help but be sad today, we should also celebrate this good woman and her life well lived. She and my grandpa raised 9 children; that is a feat in and of itself! I appreciate that now, more than ever. I will always remember her for her kindness, her strength through difficult times, her expert quilt making, her sharp eye when playing cards, her wonderful homemade bread and potato salad, and maybe most of all, her great sense of humor. Oh, and I can not forget her love of baseball. She loved watching my grandpa play. And, she loved listening to the Detroit Tigers on the radio. My dad told me stories of how she would even listen when he was little. My grandpa would be working in the fields, and my grandma would give him updates on the score. While, of course, I wasn't there, I can almost picture it in my head. I wonder if she got to watch any of the All Star game last night?

Grandma got to see Drew and Bree this past Saturday, and I'm so happy for that. (Unfortunately, I was not there too.) She held them and undoubtedly my mom got some pictures. While in the hospital on Monday, Grandma even joked that the twins must have been too heavy for her. Her sense of humor never left her, even in her final hours.

For any of you prone to prayer, please say an extra for Grandma Thelen that she rest in eternal peace and for our family as we deal with our loss.

Grand Father's Day

Hi All,
We celebrated Fathers Day with my dad a little late this year. I'm used to seeing my dad on Fathers Day, but this year I wanted Jim to decide how to spend his first Fathers Day as a new dad. He chose to stay at home with the kiddos. So the kids and I traveled to my parents house on the Thursday after for a day long visit.
Fathers Day has become very important to me. As some of you know, my dad is not my biological father, but he is very much my Dad in every sense of the word. I like to say family is not always biological, and he (along with his whole family) is a perfect example. I count him as one of the greatest blessings in my life. He has always given me unconditional love and endless patience no matter what. Now that we have Drew and Bree, he shows them the same love and patience I enjoy, plus a whole lot of grandpa spoiling! So, today, we honor a grandfather and a "grand" father too! We love you!!!

My dad and I preparing for our hot air ballon ride in Fall '07


Grandpa and Bree on our Grand Fathers Day


Grandpa and Drew with their "matching" shirts on our Grand Fathers Day

The kiddos and I with Grandpa and Aunt Sarah

Grandpa and the grandkids - I love how Bree is looking at him!

Happy Belated 4 Months!

Hi All!
We've had a busy week, so we got away from the blogging a bit. Drew and Bree turned 4 months old last Saturday, June 27th. We'll be back soon with a review of the week, but wanted to post the 4 month birthday pictures before more time slipped away. Thanks to our buddy Matt who helped immensely with the photo shoot!

Drew and Bree - 4 months old!

Our latest family picture

See you all again soon!