There Goes the Neighborhood!

Today I am so happy. My brother and sister-in-law and two neices are moving to our neighborhood! Now, we just have to walk over the hill to see family. I know lots of great memories lay ahead. We are so blessed. Now, we just need to get thru the next big move- Mom and Dad!!!!! To see more of the bros new home, check out www.makingournest.blogspot.com

Two for the Road

Here are two cool dudes going out for a Sunday afternoon ride. Like father like son.

A Big Shout Out to My Honey

Hey Todd- if you are reading, which I sincerely doubt (in the nicest way) I just wanted the rest of the world to see how I still felt about you even after 18 years! Yep, that's right, this Sunday is our anniversary.....my how time flies. It is a bit blurry now, but life is sweet when you can share it with someone you truly love. Happy Anniversary Todd! You're the best.

The Letter Factory

So, finally one of my garage sale purchases paid off. I found a set of alphabet cookie cutters for a whole 25 cents recently, and voila, an afternoon of fun was found. As many of you know I am a huge fan of Leapfrog's "Letter Factory" We have moved on to the "Word Factory" and now the "Storybook Factory". This product is genius. My 3.5 year old knows all his letters now, all the sounds each letter makes, and he can even read small words (hop, pop, hat, etc.) I really just want to shout it out to the world- so there. I know, I know, my teacher is coming out- but I swear I never used a single flashcard, and we only watch the videos in the car, (ok, we are in the car a lot!) but they are just great! Ok, I really digress....back on track, So Ben wanted to make letter cookies, and thanks to a Betty crocker mix we were able to do just that! Maddie hung out and discovered the playsdough "fridge". She has also enjoyed a few cookies too.

Shout out to Sam and Corey G!

Aren't they cute!! This was taken a few weeks ago during a visit by Sam and Corey G! We were so thrilled to have them as guests- but not nearly as thrilled as Ben! We had a fun time- here we were at Wild Wings Cafe - yum. I hope to have more photos of you two as you take on adulthood- despite what others say, adulthood is quite fun, take it on full speed. Stick it out, you too. You are great for my blog- you make my posts so PURTY !

Gardening 101

I have mentioned before Ben's love of anything that grows, and tonight just bolstered that passion for him. Thanks to kind friends like Farmer Tim, (many thanks Tim and Susan!) Ben was able to sample some of natures goodness. He was especially helpful in crawling under the truck sized tomato plants to pick a beautiful yellow tomato. It is noteworthy that the plants came from seeds that were over 100 years old!! Now, if I can just get Ben to eat tomatoes, we will be in good shape. Maddie on the other hand had no problem sampling natures bounty. She had her first blackberry, and by the looks of this photo, she really enjoyed it. Don't you just love summer!

Our Trip to the ZOO!

I started to label this post as "How I Won the Au Pair Lottery", but I didn't think it would be altogether acurate, so I settled for the above. You might be wondering how I got an Au Pair for the week, well let's just say you have to ask for things you would like to have- that's what I tell Ben constantly.
Ben: "I want some milk"
Mom: "How do you get things you want in life?"
Ben: "Please may I can have some milk"
Mom: "That's my boy!"
Anyway, once again, I digress.
Last Monday I was at a lovely birthday party when I saw my friend, Tiffany, the Regional Director for Au Pair Care. We were catching up, and I jokingly said, "If you ever have an Au Pair that needs a place to stay, give me a call!" and she said, "Well...it just so happens..."

Come to find out, she had an Au Pair that had been in Oneida, TN for one month and was being switched to another family. She needed a place to stay/work for possibly 2 weeks. I jumped at the chance. Her name is Antonia, and she has been a nice addition to our family. She is from Budapest, Hungary and given her situation, she has adjusted very nicely. I have learned that I probably would not benefit from an Au Pair, as I seem to gravitate to the host role way too much! My final summation is that I would make a horrible manager! Antonia is going to move on tothe Detroit area, so we wish her well. She has about 11 more months to go!

She was interested in seeing the Zoo last Friday, so it turned out to be a lovely day. It was overcast and cloudy, so it wasn't too hot and the animals were out and about.

By the way, if you are still reading, I am an official member of the Zoo!!!

Maddie is In the House!

Maddie was having a great time the other day in the log cabin that was graciously given to us by our new neighbors. I can tell she is going to like "playing house". She loves opening and closing doors.

Swinging Fun

ok, I just thought these shots were so sweet, I wanted to share them with the world. Maddie and Ben love to swing!

A Day in the Life of Maddie

Being a 14 mo. old can have it's advantages- like your every whim being catered to.. No, really, Maddie - you are a great baby, and you have lots of fun, especially in the good ole summertime. Here you had your first popcicle and you enjoyed the 4th of July at the park! You enjoyed a lunch of ham and lemonade and you really liked to see the dogs at the park- they make you squeal with wonder! You also like the slide now, and as always, you love to swing.

Fruit Party

It's Tuesday morning, do you know where your fruit is?? Ben decided he (as he does everytime i set out a new bowl of fruit) would have a fruit party. We had a fun morning!