Memorial Day Celebration

Hi All,
We had a great Memorial Day celebration, one day early! We heard it might rain on Monday, so we took advantage of a sunny Sunday. We spent it with family and friends and everyone got to enjoy a nice day on the lake. As you will see in the pictures, we had lots of fishers, boaters, and deck observers!
And, as always, we salute all the brave servicemen and women who have given so much for our country.

Day of Play

Hi All,
I got a much needed trip to the mall today with my sister Sarah, and the kids got to play with Grandma. As usual, their Grandma got lots of pictures of their fun. My time at the mall was also fun, even if I spent most of it getting and returning things for the kiddos!

The swings - quickly becoming a classic good time!

If you look closely, you can see the "skid marks" on Drew's face that I mentioned in the last post.

We recently got a tent from the Fergusons and it sure is a big hit!

Sarah and I after returning from our day of retail therapy!

15 Months

Hi All,
Well here we are at 15 months old! Hooray! We made it with only minor bumps and bruises. I strategically selected this picture below to share, since it hides the new skid marks on Drew's face. We were outside on the patio last night, and the poor boy tripped on the cement and did a face plant before I could catch him. The first bleeding incident with Drew and oh was I upset. I have to remind myself that this won't be the last of the scrapes and blood. But as a mom, I just want to do everything short of locking the kids in a padded cell to protect them! (And undoubtedly running recklessly on the cement is more fun that being locked in a padded cell. :)

Happy 15 months!

Drew found an interesting reading spot

My two favorite toys in the box

According to our unofficial weigh in, Drew is climbing close to 26 pounds and Bree is up to 22 pounds.

Little Miss AND Mister on the Mike

Hi All,
I posted a video of Bree singing on her microphone a while back. Well, I recently found this video from earlier this month, which is similar, but too cute to not share! Jim shot this video on a day I was out of town, as evidenced by the outfits the kiddos are wearing (CMU and Tigers). Bree is jammin' on the mike when Drew steps in and shoves his fist in her mouth. Well, then it appears she is either trying to kiss him or bite him. Any guesses as to which? Then Drew is free to "sing" or rather "blow" into the microphone as he sees fit. It makes me laugh every time I watch it!



PS - I am trying a new video setting, so please let me know if you have any problems accessing the video.

The Bows are Back!

Hi All,
Oh boy! We're working on the bows with Bree again. We seem to have the most success when we are able to distract her long enough for her to forget she is wearing one!

Distraction Technique #1: Goofy faces to get Bree to smile at camera with bow in hair

And better yet, Distraction Technique #2: Daddy airplanes!

Two-fers

Hi All,
Big news! Bree has tooth #2 on the way. The bottom right central incisor is in sight. We didn't notice too much discomfort with this one - yay!

Jeans Diapers

Hi All,
Many of you have already seen these pictures on facebook. Huggies came out with a line of diapers that are designed to look like jeans, and we thought they were quite a hoot. Jim says he feels better about letting the kids run around in just diapers on hot summer days, since these are so stylish!

Diaper model Drew - workin' it

"You want me to strike a pose? Okay!"

"I'm irresistible, I know!"

Prettiest diaper model I've ever seen!

"I know you can't see my diaper, but I'm still adorable, aren't I ?!?"

"And how do you like me now?!?"

" A pose you say? I think this is how the big shots in New York do it!"

Homegirl

Hi All,
In general, Bree and Drew are NOT hat fans. It's usually impossible to keep anything on their head that doesn't have a strap. Although, they think it's pretty comical to wear their shorts or pajama bottoms on their head. But, we can't very well have them parading around the neighborhood that way, can we? Not sure why, but Bree took a liking to Drew's baseball cap. She likes the brim flipped up, homegirl style!

Duck, Duck, Goose

Hi All,
I wanted to include a picture of our lake friends, because Drew and Bree really enjoy watching them in action. We have lots of ducks on our lake, but this picture happens to be of one of the goose families that wandered up to our beach.

Ducks and geese are ALL known as ducks in our house. And Drew and Bree are very good at saying "duck!" when they see them outside or even pictures of them in books. And, one of their all-time favorite words is "quack"! Just ask them. In no uncertain terms, they can tell you a duck says "quack, quack, quack".

And here are our happy little boaters later in the day. Seriously, this is the happiest I have seen them in their dreaded life jackets!

The Kayak is Back

Hi All,
Well, Drew and Jim are breaking in the kayak for the summer! We had a nice morning, so they decided to take a paddle. It was a quick trip, and Drew wasn't quite sure what to think of it. We'll keep practicing!

The boys gearing up

And shoving off

Ahhh... the open water!

Evening Stroll

Hi All,

We took the kiddos out for an evening stroll tonight. Sometimes, they enjoy a nice, relaxing stroll before bed. Well, actually, they enjoy a nice, relaxing stroll pretty much anytime of day!

We love our double stroller - the Baby Trend Expedition. It rides very nicely whether on the sidewalk or rougher terrain. The only issue I can think of is there is no amount of separation between the two kid compartments. So, we get a fair amount of this going on....

Lots of grabby, grabby, and sometimes the recipient is not too pleased. When we got home, we took a few pictures of us and the kids, which I'll share since we don't always make it into the posts, me especially!

Dad, Miss Bree, and Santa, of course

Mama and the Drewski

Moms Day

Hi All,
The kids and I visited my parents on Mothers Day this year. It was a chilly day, but we still enjoyed some outside time.

My mom and her kids (and Melissa)

And, me and my kids!

No big surprise; Drew and Bree were all about the swings...

And the wagon.

And, my mom insisted Drew step into the "barbers" chair for a trim.

1 Year Professional Photos

Hi All,
We had a professional photo shoot when Drew and Bree turned one. While the shoot was in progress, I was pretty nervous about what the results might be. The kids were less than cooperative and spent a lot of time running back to me and Jim when they were supposed to be posing. But, lo and behold, when we got the pictures back, they were incredible! Our photographer Katie was outstanding. Choosing what to order was difficult, because there were just so many good shots. I'm so glad we were able to capture just how precious Drew and Bree are! Here are some that I was able to share from her website....