Summer Wrap Up

Summer was very fast!  The heat seems to be winding down slowly as we head into the fall months.  Here is a look back at a few highlights including our recent overnighter to Sedona.

Owen celebrating with Chik-fil-a

It's always fun at the splash pad

Ella Diaper Ninja

Ella's first day of First Grade

Heidi and Owen posing in Sedona

Olivia giving us her best

A rare photo opportunity with all three

Sisters

Mom and the kids just finished ice cream

The closest they'll get to having a horse

Where were we?

Happy Friday!

There have been some big events since we last updated:

Owen celebrated his first birthday.
We traveled to Southern California to celebrate Tony and Erin's wedding.
Ella finished and passed kindergarten.
Owen began walking.
Heidi and the girls participated in VBS.
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit.
Olivia turned 3.
The girls got to climb in a firetruck on the Fourth of July.
We began moving into our new house and should be fully moved by the middle of the month.

Blog...

"You have a blog?"

It's been far too long since our last update.  Embarrassing, really!  Since our last update in mid-February, we've had a slew of visitors, lots of growing, lost teeth, school projects, swimming and so on.

Since February we've had the Parrotts, the Coons, and Papa come out.  We've been prepping for Aunt Erin's wedding.

Ella's lost two teeth.  Olivia went from potty-trained to back in diapers.  Owen has taken steps and is finally napping for over an hour.

Ella dressed up like Betsy Ross.  Olivia learned to swim under water.  Owen began his passion for trucks.

Ella designed her own necklace.  Olivia calls me "Prince Charming" daily.  Owen doesn't like wet diapers.

Ella's eyes are at 20/25.  Olivia can easily dress herself.  Owen likes cheese.

We've put in 2 offers on one house and walked away.  We have another in the queue...we're not holding our breath.

We've snuck in more date nights in the last three months than the previous 6 months.

Life is good.  Never easy, but good.  God continues to teach us and use challenging times to forge us into the family we are meant to be.

Hello Again

It's been far too long.  We've had visitors, school, and lots of work.  We did ring in 2012 with a new tradition that we adopted from Heidi's family in making and consuming Olibollen.  We had a great start to the new year with a big win from our beloved Wolverines in the Sugar Bowl!

Heidi has been working on her photography and gotten back in to running regularly.  She's been using the jogger-stroller to take (or pick up) Ella to school in the morning which allows her to get a solid run in with the kids.  She has also been attending Bible Study Fellowship weekly which gives her some quality adult time and a exhaustive look into God's Word.

Ella has continued to improve all of the fundamentals of the 3 Rs.  We have also seen her make great advancements in her interpersonal and communication skills.  She has continued gymnastics and is working on the art of handstands.

With Ella being gone most of the day, Olivia has been getting some good attention.  Her vocabulary has blossomed.  She might be the new joker of the family and she loves to wear headbands.

Owen is a man-child.  Having just turned 9 months old last week, he is not far off from walking.  He has seven visible teeth and is eating three meals of solid food a day in addition to supplementing with mama's milk.  He denies the bottle...no matter what it contains.

All in all, we're off to a fast and phenomenal start to 2012.  Incredibly enough, March is quickly approaching.  Enjoy your moments!

Bye Bye 2011!

2011, like the last several years, was highlighted by change.

The biggest change was welcoming Owen to the family.

The next biggest change was Ella starting school.

Ella's class Christmas party

We are truly grateful for all of the blessings, relationships, experiences, and family that we have.  Though not always a walk in the park, life is good.

2012 is certain to bring more change for us...we'll take it as it comes!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Fun!

One of our traditions is to bake and decorate cookies.  We had a great time putting them together and using more than enough sprinkles!

We made a trip to Disneyland for a retreat.  Tony and Erin met us there and weathered the gale-force winds with us.  We had a perfect time and enjoyed the happiest place on earth.

We journeyed down to San Diego for a night then headed home.  Olivia got pretty upset at all of us and proclaimed, "I'm mad at you!  I'm going to eat you all up.  YUM!  YUM!" in a rather angry voice.  Fortunately, we were able to avoid her appetite and live to laugh about her statement.

Christmas morning was a great time to reflect on why we celebrate Christmas.  Happy Birthday Jesus!

Mom and Chuck made a visit out to AZ for the week just after Christmas to close out the year!  We were so thankful for their visit as Heidi and I got to sneak away several times.  What a blessing.

Too much fun...it's never dull at our house!

A family of 5!  Yes, we're on the move changing diapers, cooking, cleaning, coloring, playing, singing, dancing, running, and laughing.

Ella blew our mind by offering to do the dishes one night...Heidi and I had an infarction.