Catch Up

I've decided to continue blogging (after taking a rest for quite a few months), not just to keep everyone up to date, but I also really enjoy looking back and seeing how much our family is growing and changing. Here are some highlights from the summer and fall...

• Took a family mini-vacation to Branson, MO

• Gramma and Papa came out for a visit!

• We found out we're expecting a baby boy around March 20th of next year!


• We celebrated Tom's 27th birthday!

• We've decided that I'll separate from the Air Force right after the baby is born, so I can be a stay at home mom. This has been something Tom and I have been discussing over the last couple of years, and it feels like the right time now. The only reason for me to stay in is money, which we've decided is not important enough to sacrifice the quality of family life that we truly desire. We have many family goals that are just not possible with both of us being in the military. I'm looking forward to being able to stay home and enjoy our children, and am so thankful for Tom being so supportive of this for us!!

Helping Daddy Make a Bean Bag Toss (or "Corn Hole" if you're from the midwest...)

Princess

I can never resist taking pictures of Julia when she is sound asleep...I think because she is SO active during the day, it just melts my heart to see her so peaceful. She's been growing up so fast lately! Here are some of her recent doings:

• Potty training is going very well! She can stay in underwear most of the day, except for long car rides and Mass, and nighttime. We've had few accidents, so I think she's just been waiting until she was really ready.



• She's learning how to ride her tricycle - we're still working on pedaling, but she is eager to learn!



• She asks lots of questions: "What are you doing?" What's that?" "You ok?"



• She can dress herself, but we're still working on matching clothes, and next shoe tying :)



• Her vocabularly has grown so much, I can't even type out a full list of all her new words!



• She's very compassionate - whenever she sees or hears anyone else crying she wants to know why they're upset and if they are ok.



• She goes to a gymnastics class once a week, and really loves do all the rolls and hanging from the bars!



• She loves to sing! She can sing the Happy Birthday song, part of the ABC song, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (and she makes her own songs up as well...).

Recent Projects

Pillowcase to match Julia's quilt

Curtain for our front door

Lunch bag and cloth napkins for Mom

Henny Penny and Six Chicks for Julia

Baby booties for a friend's soon-to-be-here baby!

Memorial Weekend Camping

Making s'mores with Daddy

Lunch time!

Julia in her very own chair :)

For Memorial Day weekend this year, we decided to go on our first camping trip with Julia! Tom and I have both been camping since we were very young, but we weren't sure how Julia would handle it. She LOVES being outside, so of course, she had a blast! She was very entertained by all the insects (at the same time, I was spraying her down constantly with bug spray!), and we had fun just relaxing together. We only stayed for one night, and I'm glad we did. Julia didn't sleep very well, so I think we need to use an air matress next time. She has always been very sensitive to the sleeping surface she is on, even when she was a newborn. We really had a blast though, and hopefully we'll get in a few more trips this summer!

Oregon - Playtime!

Sweet Hannah Joy :)

Two toddlers and only one foot on the ground...yikes!

Playing "ring around the rosie!"

Going crazy on Gramma's piano

Hannah and Papa

Oregon - Tim's Birthday!!

Tim was super sweet and let the kids help! :)

Hannah and me - I think that's a "help me!" look ;)


Gramma reading to the grandbabies

Papa and Tom playing with Julia and Hannah!

Sweet cousins!

We went to Oregon in April to see family, and also so Tom could go on the snake hunt he's missed out on for so many years! We had a great time, and although it snowed at the snake hunt, Tom had lots of fun spending time with his family. Julia really bonded with everyone, and is still asking about everyone. She found a thing of Gerber baby juice the other day and asked for it, but I said, "no, that's baby juice." She sweetly asked, "Hannah juice?". When she's upset with me she'll ask for Papa and Gramma, and she's always asking "where'd Isaac go?". It's really neat to see that she's remembering people and making those connections. We're already excited to see my parents when thye come out in the summer!!