Feet Friday---an odd sight in the summer

What first drew my eyes to this pair of snow-boots was the dress on top. Very cute and flowery and on an adorable little girl, probably about Liam's age. And then, the hint of purple brought my eyes down to her feet. I think this wee girl dressed herself this morning, at least as far as her footwear is concerned:
Cute, huh?

stopping to smell the roses

Next to the zoo is a beautiful rose garden. Millions of roses of every color and variety. I probably could have spent the entire day wandering through it. It was a marvelous way to finish up our trip to the zoo!

ABC Wednesday---W

W is for Weddings.
I really enjoy weddings. I like that they are very joyful and beautiful occassions, I like getting dressed up, I like how everyone's wedding is uniquely theirs. I liked planning my own wedding. Here is a small collage of pictures I scanned onto my computer from my wedding album. Enjoy:
make sure you check out the rest of the ABC Wednesday contributors!

Just A Few Zoo Pictures

My friend Amy from church has season tickets to the zoo and invited the boys and I to the zoo and yesterday was the day! I haven't been to this particular zoo since October (although we went to another zoo with Pam in March) and so I was very excited to go. I love the zoo.

This wormy climbing area is pretty cool:
David and the Flamigoes:

Cracking out of an egg:

Liam and Noah watching the orangutan:

Elephant!

Thanks, Amy for bringing us to the zoo!

Feet Friday

Showing Off Our New Flip Flops

Covered In Cake

Happy Birthday, One Year Old

one year ago today:

David now:

He has become quite the little toddler, climber and all around fun time! He gets into everything...currently he is destroying my kitchen towel drawer, but he is a sweet boy and we're very grateful to have him in our lives.

ABC Wednesdays---V

V is for Vacations. Vacations are nice and necessary.
Each year, we go with my parents to a lake and spend a few days. This year will be our third time. It is relaxing and wonderful and I look forward to it every summer. Here’s a bunch of pictures from the lake:

Nana helping Liam get his toes wet(2007)
GGpa, Bonnie and Liam playing in the lake (2007)

Getting the floats ready (2007)

Rainy day fun (2008)

Liam and the doggies wishing they could go outside (2008)

Liam and I getting wet (2008)

Lounging and visiting (2007)

Liam swimming in deep water with Grandpa (2008)

David and I chilling on the dock (2008)

Liam's first canoe ride (2007)

Where do you and your family go on vacation? Is it the same, beloved place every year or a new adventure?

Be sure to check out the rest of the ABC Wednesday posters here!

Liam's Seeds Are Now Plants

Here is the latest picture of Liam's plants. The carrots never came up...boo hoo, but we have several very nice pea plants. I need to get them in the big pot before they die. ANd I think I will scatter somemore carrot seeds in the big pot while I am at it, too, and see if them won't sprout that way.
I also need to find some wire and long sticks to make a trellis for the peas to climb.
...I love the viney, wispy look of pea plants, don't you?

A New Table And A Climber Boy

So, my good friend and cowork at church, Cindy H recently bought herself a new dining table, and generously offered to give us her old one. Having no dining table, I eagerly accepted and have been waiting most excitedly for it to arrive.

That day came yesterday and I have to admit, I was not let down in the least at it's arrival or station in my home. I am most grateful and so happy to have a dining table at last.

It has served Cindy and her family for 25 years and now joins a new family for a new lifetime of dinners and memories....

Well, like I said, we got the table yesterday. And while we were setting it up, the comment was made: "it won't take long for David to figure out how to get up on top."

Well, it didn't take long at all. Here's my dear boy, just this afternoon:

Yes, he is VERY proud of himself. I'd take him off and he climb right back on. Oh my. But, really, I am SO happy to have this table, despite the obviously extra work I now have keeping David off it. In fact, this evening, while David was napping and Jon & Liam were out buying strawberry plants (wait for it, I will explain all about the strawberries in another blog), I indulged in a little sit down time with some apple juice and a book:

Feet Friday---sandy feet

While at the beach with Pamela and her family, I took a picture of Pam and my feet:

Housesitting Extravaganza!

I'm finally ready to post about my housesitting adventure! It was a great week of fun, fun and more fun! Are you ready? Here we go:

Although we arrived at my parent's house on Friday night, Sunday was when the housesitting really started. We bid goodbye to my parents and Jonathan and began our week of adventuring. I took the boys to the church I grew up going to, which was an amazing blast of nostalgia. After service, we went downtown to Sluy's Bakery, where I bought the boys and I the giant donut men (David and I shared one and Liam had one all to himself). After indulging in the pre-lunch treat, we went for a walk along the downtown pier and walking path. Grabbed McDonalds for lunch and then spent a quiet afternoon at the house.
My parents have a gravel pile that is a main feature for the boys' outdoor play at my parents. I had to keep a close eye on David, who was pretty tricky about chewing on rocks:

Monday started the daily visits with Pamela and her family. Monday afternoon the boys' and I went over to their house for a Memorial Day BBQ. That afternoon, Liam rode a two wheeled bike for the first time! He was a little rickety, but I think he will be ready for a two wheeler of his own around his next birthday!

We all got into the bike riding that afternoon, and I even gave David a ride on the trike!

The kids had so much fun together. One of Pam's neighbor girls gave them all a ride on her family's tractor, and they had so much fun being silly and making faces.

Tuesday afternoon, Pam and her kids came over to my parents and we played, hung out and ate tacos. That was the night Josh somehow found some advil and we got to call poison control, YIKES! (he was fine by the way!)

Wednesday we went to the beach and that was a blast. We had a picnic lunch at the beach and all got a wee bit pink.

The tide was way out, and since where we went is a wildlife preserve as well, we got to see all sorts of birds and other animals.

Pamela took a stick and wrote our names and the date in the sand. I of course, had to take a picture!

Thursday we took the kiddoes and went to the Marine Science Center, where both Pamela and I had volunteered when we were teenagers (although not together) It was fun to see how they've remodeled and all the exhibits they have now.

We got to see the volunteers feeding the animals, and even got to see their octopus, Sam, eating a crab! The kids colored some pictures and we watched a short movie! What fun!

The Science Center had found the beached whale, and went through the process of saving the bones for this skeleton while I was volunteering. How fun to see it still there!

After the Science Center, we took the kids to the park and got a little more pink. We took Natalie to her ballet class and then back home for a visit with Daniel and Faith!

Friday we played at Pam's house, and then Pam and I left the three big boys with Bob and while David along for the ride, took Natalie to dance class and then had a quiet hour at Starbucks, enjoying cold drinks and delicious treats.

On Saturday, Jonathan came back over. We took the dog for a walk in downtown Kingston (even got to wander through the farmers market, how cool!) and then had a nice BBQ with Pam's family and Daniel. Spent the evening visiting and enjoying our last night with friends and then Sunday morning my parents got home and we spent the day with them, looking at their photos and hearing their stories and telling them ours.

Sunday night we came home and have settled back into life here! It was a great week; I so enjoyed getting to see my friend every day and enjoy some leisurely fun time!

ABC Wednesdays---U

U is for Ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are a fun and wonderful invention. I always looked forward to the ultrasounds when I was pregnant with the boys; it was always a treat to “see” them before they were born.

Here are the 20-week ultrasound pictures from each of my boys. Enjoy:

(Liam)

(David)

Now, head on over to the ABC Wednesday home page and check out what the rest of the group have done for the letter U!

The Same, But Different---Basket Boys

I'm still trying to get my pictures from my housesitting trip picniked and ready, and it's taking longer than I had planned.
So, I thought I'd bring you all another installment of "the same, but different." Enjoy:

hot

I'm hot. As in sweating, sticky, uncomfortable, stinky, too close to the sun warmth.

My apartment...well, let's just say I could make ALOT of money renting it out as a sauna right now. Or a "hot yoga" studio. You get the idea.

Nursing David brings a whole new level of ickiness, as our body heat mingles and we both become even warmer and sweatier and stickier than we were before.

Sleeping is difficult, as it is hard to get rest with the warmth. It took incredibly long to get David to settle down and actually sleep this evening!

And, I hear tomorrow's supposed to get even hotter.

Oh my.

I am grateful for the warmth, blue skies and sunshine, really I am. This last winter was too much for me.
At the same time, I am SO UNCOMFORTABLY WARM!

Yikes!

(there is a post about my week of housesitting coming, complete with pictures. I promise. I've just been too darn hot!)