Christmas in July

Hi All,
We celebrated Christmas in July at Jim's parents' home. Jim's immediate and some extended family were able to attend. We got a nice Saturday afternoon for the event, so lots of time was spent outside enjoying the company and weather.
Drew and Bree enjoyed seeing their immediate cousins, but also got the treat of hanging out with Gabrielle and Charlie, who are extended cousins. If I calculated properly, they are actually second cousins once removed. (My grandma is a genealogy buff, so I know all those rules.) At any rate, Charlie is just three months older than Drew and Bree, so they had a grand time together!
And, to top if off, the kids all received Christmas presents! Drew got a Thomas train, a flashlight dump truck and sand toys. Bree got a purse and a Dora (her favorite) mini see and say. Of course, that added to the fun!

The best part of having Christmas in July is the weather!

Bree rocking with a little help from Charlie

And a little unwanted help from Drew

 Say cheese!

A hug from cousin Charlie - so sweet!

Dad and Drew - all smiles

Jim with an energetic bunch

Time for presents!

17 Months

Hi All,
Here are my 17 month old beauties! Drew and Bree are doing great and continue to grow and learn about the world around them.

"Ahh, the chair to myself - I can stretch my legs!"

"My own chair, hooray!"

In our unofficial weigh in, Drew weighed 26.5 pounds and Bree weighed 22.5 pounds.

Bucket-head

Hi All,
Well here is one thing I forgot to add to the list of goofy things the kids like to wear on their heads. Apparently, these are much more fun than hats!

Chicago!

Hi All,
Jim and I got a quick getaway to Chicago over the weekend. We attended the Cubs vs. Cardinals game with our friends Al and Sandy on Saturday afternoon. Then, we headed to Navy Pier with friends Doug and Lisa for the evening. We grabbed dinner, took in some of the rides, and just enjoyed a nice summer evening on the pier overlooking the city.

The big anchor of Navy Pier.

Love the backdrop of the city in this one. Jim and Doug look ok too! :)

Another Tooth for Bree

Hi All,
I spotted another tooth for Bree today - it's her bottom left lateral incisor (the tooth next to the front teeth). I think that makes #4 for her. There was a faker up on top for awhile. She's doing okay with the teething, but I'm getting the feeling that it bothers her some. She wanted to be held a lot today and she did not have much of an appetite. I'm sure she will bounce back soon!

Summer in Bloom

Hi All,
We couldn't resist getting a picture of the sunflowers in bloom. They were so pretty!

Me and my sunflowers

And just a few shots of Drew and Bree this week "in full bloom". Drew has taken to hopping into the toy box to see what mischief he can find. From there, he likes to mess with the light switch and climb up to the chair arm.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in the toy box."

And here is Bree showing off her "six" pack. Their dad has been teaching Drew and Bree belly tricks.

"I've been working out!"

Family Reunion

Hi All,
We had the annual Thelen reunion this Sunday. We got to see lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Too bad I didn't get any pictures of anyone except Drew and Bree! :( In actuality, my mom took most of these. I guess I was fortunate to feel well enough to be able to get out of bed and go. Still, it was good to see and talk to many people that we don't get to see as often as we like.

Our family

Sliding with Uncle

Bree's turn

Bree loved the park swings!

And Drew loved Aunt Sarah's necklace!

Under the Weather

Hi All,
Well I felt totally crummy for a few days with a big time sore throat and achy body. Luckily, my parents were able to help with the kids and even take them to their house so I could rest for a day. But, as usual, my mom got some good shots of the kids, even though I was keeping my distance due to illness.

"We didn't think we would all fit, but we did!"

Cutie-patootie #1

Cutie-patootie #2

"Hollywood, here I come!"

While I was napping, who decides to fly over our house? President Obama! He was attending an event in Holland. At least my mom got some pictures of the presidential copters overhead from our yard.

 And the kids were off to Grandma and Grandpa's house on Saturday so that Mom could get a day of rest. There, they....

 Helped with laundry

Played some tunes

Took Grandma and Grandpa for a walk

Molar #4

Hi All,
I caught a glimpse of molar #4 for Drew this morning. This one is the lower right first molar (and the last of the first molars). Twelve teeth for Drew!

Slip, Sliding Away

Hi All,
We're having a great summer - lots of heat, sun, and fun! These are always good days to hang by the pool at Oma and Opa's house. There was a lot of slipping and sliding going on in there. But it didn't slow these two down! Jim's mom and I attended the pool party, but for the most part, stayed poolside! :)

"Come on in Mom!"

"Mmm, tasty!"

Bree at play and Drew slip, sliding away

Drew making a splash

All dried off for some indoor fun!

Sillykins

Hi All,
I think I've mentioned before that my kids are not big hat fans. They prefer wearing other silly things on their head, such as shorts. See?!?

And, flashback to Bree at her birthday party, in her "Look who's one" crown. Not a happy girl!

However, she was much happier to wear it today.

And so was Drew for that matter.

I read somewhere that your audience will quickly tire of pictures of your kids posing perfectly with perfect hair, clothes, etc. They suggested you should mix it up a bit - for example, throw in some shots of them in totally mis-matched outfits. I'm pretty sure this one fits the bill! :)

Happy 4th of July!

Hi All,
We spent 4th of July in Westphalia and enjoyed all the annual festival favorites. We started with the parade, then wandered the festival grounds, and enjoyed our favorite festival food - barbecue beef and homemade pie! We also had a nice time catching up with extended family and old friends. It was an extremely hot day, so we also took some time to relax at my parents, in the shade of the backyard.

Fun with Dad in the foof

Wishing Blanca a Happy 4th!

"Our turn, Mom!"

At the parade - "Candy over here, please!"

Relaxing at the parade

We are family

Celebrating 4th of July (One Day Early)

Hi All,
We hosted Jim's family over the weekend for an early 4th of July celebration. Summer days are made for the lake, and that is where we spent most of our day. We made just a few quick stops inside for food and Opa cookies!

Cooper and Drew - say cheese!

Bree's turn

Even the jack o lantern makes an appearance on 4th of July in our household!

Carter ready for some lake fun!

"I got the best seat in the house!"