What with computer failures, summer vacations, new nephews and all--our blog has become dreadfully out of date! Here are some snaps of our recent vacation to the Adirondacks. We journeyed up for a week in a cozy little cabin on Lake Eaton. We met my Mom and Dad up there and they brought my nephew Aaron up to spend a couple days with us too. I'll always remember this special week as our first "vacation" as a family of four and what fun it was to see our kiddos interact with the outdoors. Charlie absolutely loved everything about our mountain hideaway and had a gallon of sand in his pants at the end of each day to prove it. It also gave us a sweet glimpse of a budding relationship between bro and sis-- which was nice to see. They puttered around the beach together like old pals.
Ah, the boys. What entertainment they provide. There were so many funny moments that I wish I could have kept a journal of "Things Heard Around the Cabin." A couple of favorites...we kept asking Charlie how if he liked vacation and he would throw up his arms and respond with a resounding, "I do!" An Aaron anecdote...Charlie was in the bathroom and Aaron kept trying to come in. Grandma told him that he needed to stay outside since Charlie was going potty and he replied, "Grandma, I just want a closer look."
Charlie continues to be enamored with construction vehicles, especially diggers of any variety. Grandma brought this vintage bulldozer that belonged to Uncle Jon when he was little and Charlie couldn't go anywhere without it. We decided to let him bring it up on the deck of this restaurant while we got lunch since it would mean a more peaceful meal for us. He would put his food in the scoop and then lift it up to his mouth with patient precision--this from a kid who can't sit quietly through a five minute prayer at church...
Amelia loves the beach. We'd have to keep an eye on her and occasionally pluck small stones and sticks out of her mouth, but she would sit and entertain herself for hours!
The boys couldn't get enough of "sweeping the deck"--and fighting over the brooms--and swatting each other with them when the adults weren't looking.
Bob is such a good sport. I got these shirts for the boys on Father's Day--Big Guy, Little Guy. Charlie has loved his from the first moment and, if he spots it in his dresser drawer, will insist on wearing it every day (good thing it's so often in the laundry thanks to Mom's efficient housekeeping). If Bob is home that day, he will tell Dad, "You wear Big Guy." Oh come on Bob, I know you secretly love it.
I love this picture for some reason--maybe it's Mia's cute little misshapen head...
Amelia swimming with the ducks.
This trip to the lake was a while back, but I had to put some of these cute photos on because they have been some of my favorites for the season. We went out to Keuka Lake for our second annual trip with our pals Danyelle and Eric and their daughter Mallory. I just love the pure glee on the faces of the kids ... they had such a great time!
We had two weddings scheduled on the same Saturday one weekend in July and were pretty bummed that we couldn't attend both! Bob's cousin Libby got married in Albany, NY in a beautiful ceremony and one of my bestest pals, Jessie Medema, got married in Grand Rapids, MI. Somehow Bob ended up with the kids while I got to take the leisurely flight out to Michigan to meet up with my younger sis and attend Jessie's big day. Bob did great with the kids though and got some help from his cousins. One such cuz, Julie, is a professional photographer in the Dallas area (www.juliebirdseye.com) who takes awesome and unique photos. She did a little photo shoot with our rambunctious toddlers and got some great shots. Here they are preparing for the shoot...
Bob, Charlie and Bob's younger bro, Dave.
