17 month update

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's season's. -Author unknown

I felt it was time for a "personality update." Since we hit the 12 month mark life has changed quite rapidly and remarkably. We no longer have two babies...we have toddlers. They grow to be more different and unique every day and they both simply amaze us.

Julia: fearless, but sensitive. quick to share with her sister. always a helper. carries as many things as she can fit in her arms. does a little short, finger wave. likes to lick 'touch and feel' books. has the cutest smile when she's guilty. loves blueberries. occasionally pulls her sister's hair.

Jocelyn: claps her hands whenever she's excited. loves light switches, door knobs, hinges. tries to figure out and examine the bicycle, lawn mower...i think she may be an engineer. waves with all her might with her entire arm. waves at people and especially animals. loves dessert. very laid back. loves to put shoes on...especially adult ones. occasionally bites her sister.

Both: LOVE to read books. will only watch Baby Einstein movies or one with real animals. give each other genuine hugs. can kind of throw and kick a ball. knows many objects. throws nuks down into their cribs when they wake up because they know it's the only place they can have it. using plates/bowls/forks/spoons. love using a straw...hardly breathes until it's gone. starting to climb on furniture. love their "foot book" where they touch every page with their feet. can now climb stairs. becoming independent at the playground...climbing up the equipment and going down the slide. love to brush their teeth. enjoy giving their dog, belle, treats. love to be outside.

Grandma Diana

We had a wonderful week with Grandma Diana. She helped us get all caught up and settled back into our normal routine. We enjoyed the park, the swimming pool, and many books. The highlight of the week was The Phantom of the Opera. Tim surprised Mom and I with tickets....we had a very memorable night. ;) Thanks Grandma Diana for all of your help and love!

summer spectacular

We had a wonderful three weeks visiting our families in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. The weather was unexpected at times, but the laughter and smiles were abundant. Thank you to the Loosbrock's, Rupp's, Clemens', and Radigan's for all of the love and hospitality. We really appreciate your generosity. It was a trip to remember!
We are now back in Texas and the girls are thrilled to be reunited with their Dad. We are very grateful that Grandma Diana could make the trip back to Texas with us and we get to enjoy another week together.

county fair

Pigs and horses and cows...oh my! The girls had a blast at the County Fair in Sioux Center. They saw horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, ducks, chickens, and even a llama. Most of the animals had adorable babies as well. The city girls had a wonderful time!

Dressing Up

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty..."
Sweet Abigail surprised us after we arrived at the Clemen's house by dressing up all the little girls in her old dance costumes. After parading throught the living room they then proceeded to go play outside on the swing set. Ahh, the wonderful days of childhood.
Dawn and I decided to join the fun and dress up in the dance clothes as well. It's so fun to be silly with your sister!

overally optimistic, somewhat unrealistic

Imagine: Grandma Diana, Julia, Jocelyn and I all sitting in a shower stall in the campground bathroom at 7am. We listen to reports of golf ball size hail, 60 mph sustained winds, and lightening strikes. We think how nice it would be to actually be showering after a few days. We then decide that 1) we wish we brought the camera and 2) camping might be really over rated. :)

The good news is that we fared the storm well and made some memories along the way. My sister only saw one tent fly by, thankful that we weren't the ones chasing it. Our tents flooded and I think Tim summed it up well when we called him from the shower stall to check the radar..."Dude, what are you doing?!?"

Aunt Dawn planned quite the camping adventure. The meals were awesome, campfires with s'mores, playing in the sand, and splashing in the water. We had an amazing time together. We had fun reminiscing over the many weekends we spent as kids on the same ground. We hope our children will look back and smile as well. As for the little ones...we'll be sure to remind them of Camping 2009.

(more pictures to come)

It's Independence Day

Yes, we had to wear sweatshirts. Yes, there were brillant fireworks. Of course, there were smiles.

THE girls

One amazing grandma, two gracious mothers, five miraculous grand-daughters. Life is wonderful.

Friends Forever

We met my lifelong friend Kirsten, and her adorable son Landon, at Prentis Park in Vermillion. Kirsten and I have shared many, many moments in life together. She is an extraordinary person and mother. It was absolutely precious to see our children playing along side one another.