Last week Auntie Emmy came into town to work...and to play! We had a great time together...one story is told in the last picture below: we stopped at a consignment shop so I could sell some kid stuff. I said we could go to lunch and come back later. Auntie Emmy said, "how 'bout we brouse." um...won't say what she spent, but I will tell you there was some spoiling going on. So, the day after she left I had Owen wear one of the shirts she found for him. He decided to dress it up with some beads and a cheesy grin...and yes, those are drumsticks in his pants.

Gabby didn't mind the hugging and squeezing and spoiling either!

Thank you auntie Emmy!

I will clarify...all these clothes were for not only MY two kids, but Elodie was the most spoiled of all. It WAS her birthday, afterall! Hope you had a happy birthday little Elodie!

Watch carefully...closely...as our little girl takes some of her first steps...

Yesterday were some of the first little ones...

Tonight she got gutsy...

Such a fun time in our lives...

Tonight I listened to an author speak about life...mostly her life, but also how we have the freedom to embrace life. She gave us a homework assignment: to tell two people what makes us happy.
It's ironic; I have been searching for this. I kept thinking it needed to be complicated. She told how simple it can be. So I came home and told Roger this:
I know what will make me happy on a down day...
chocolate covered almonds (any chocolate, for that matter!)
flowers...especially brightly colored ones...
and color-I realize how much I love color!

And now I have told anyone else who reads this! :-) It really shouldn't be difficult to make us happy!
Thank you Kao Kalia Yang for that insight tonight!

Finding NEMO...to Finding OWEN!
I will not say my child is brilliant (because I know how annoying that can be...), but he pointed something out to me that I have never noticed about nemo. He picked out the Finding Nemo book, turned it upside down to show me what book he picked out, and said, "hey! it's my name: O-W-E-N!" A proud moment for me...
I guess this is the first of many moments when my children will teach me things. I am not saying that Owen has never taught me anything, but he has not intentionally taught me something.

I took the kids swimming tonight We had a good time, but we lost two of our most important toys...dophin and shark. sorry gramma. We will check lost and found, but I am not too hopeful. I went through the chore of showering/bathing all of us at the club. When we get home, Owen gets playign with his little bugs and decides he wants a bath. Who am I to argue? :-) This picture was not from tonight because Gabby was already in her jammies and ready for bed. I love my weekends...

Just playin' on a Saturday morning...hangin' out...I call this one "cheese & cheeks"

Can you tell why?

I cannot get enough of my sweet little angel. Her wiggly little body, her sweet giggle, her adoration for her big brother, her ambition, her...

I have a flirt on my hands...My little girl was not taught to smile, duck her head, and peek at whomever is trying to catch her eye...just a natural flirt. Papa Steve was across the room...she was making her way...creeping...and had to stop to give him this look. My sweet, sweet little angel...or as Roger, king of pet names, recently started calling her baby bear or sweet bear...I guess he just wants to be called papa bear. :-)

I cannot say I am always listening to everything Owen talks about in his little imaginary worlds but when I do take the time to stop, listen, and appreciate his creative inventions, man am I entertained! The other day he was stripped down to boxer briefs yet remembered his crocs and then announced to me that he was going to work: "I'm going to be a man, mom! I'm going to work because I have to be a man!" Not just once or twice; he even went out into the 55 degree Sunday morning and then came back in to remind me of where he was going with his etch-a-sketch and carrying case. First of all, if we could actually show up at work with just underwear on...hmmm...not a good thought as a middle school teacher. Second of all, if all we had to carry to work was a drawing board and a favorite toy...hmmmm...work just might be something to look forward to.

Gabby is trying to put together sounds. When Grautnie Paula was in town a week or so ago, she was putting a lot of effort into getting Gabby to say "mama" "dada" "paula"...all she got from Gabby was PBBbbbbbbb (you know, sticking out her tongue and blowing). Ironically enough that is Paula's initials! yeah Auntie!

Gabby's voice is so sweet, her smile contagious, her sweet demeanor lovable. Her snuggles melt my heart and I cannot get enough of her. She gets busy playing, but finds a way to come back to where I am...just for a hug and a bit of reassurance.

She's gentler than Owen but more outgoing. She's daintier than Owen but never let's him get the last word. She may not have as many toys, but she sees no difference...she'll play with Owen's frogs, lizards, snakes, dinosours, cars and trains!

Not that I would ever want to ignore my children (of course no mother would ever ignore their children...mom!) but these two rarely want me to mind my own business...yet. Both, at 3 and 10 months, may want a bit of space and indepenence, but both want me near...so near.
God's love and wisdom and creativity are revealed to me through my children. We can train them up the way they should go, but we cannot change who they are what they choose. Why do we wish we had more control when God is so much better at controlling the situation? We should be glad he's in control! :-)

Is Owen too young for a girlfriend? Not if it is his best friend! And believe me, they are monitored very closely! :-)
These two little munchkins spend all day together at daycare. They play pretend and chase and giggle and talk and fight and run so hard. On Friday Owen burst into tears when I picked him up from daycare...wait a sec! Is that how you show your love, Owen? Actually, he was so sad to leave his little friend that the only way I could get him to leave was to say i would call her mom when we got in the car to see if she could come to our house over the weekend. I didn't know this would start so young. Over the weekend then, these two got together, barely ate lunch, made cookies, played with every toy in the yard, the play room off the kitchen and then destroyed his room...as we see in this picture:

I took them for a ride around the block and they yelled and cheered me on as I took them over as many bumps as I could find.

I can't say this was their first "date" because Carrie has "chaperoned" them on a "date" to the movies with daycare. They even sat in the same chair (it takes two to hold down the fold-down seats anyway) and held hands (perhaps because they were sharing snacks...). It's just too sad if they never know each other in school...one of us just may have to move...or open enroll! :-)

What makes Owen so entertaining?

We know why, but perhaps Gabby will tell us her version someday.

Monkey see Monkey do...Grampa was fixing his lawnmower last time they were up...guess that is one way to learn!

Another way to learn is by doing...copying daddy's handiwork...

Okay...not the way daddy did it exactly but pretty darn close!

A few weeks ago we attended a beautiful outdoor wedding at an apple orchard. There were animals, a swing set, and a buffet...perfect first wedding for the kids to attend!

hmmm...do all weddings have a swing set?

Hmmm, cool shades, huh?

Family!

The LuLu girls smiled for the camera as well! #4 was elsewhere for the photo but was also wearing an adorable dress to match her 3 older sisters!

Back to "Camp Grampa" but this time "mom" didn't leave me!

The weekend before Labor Day we took a car ride to Wisconsin to see Julie, Elodie, Lori, and Gramma & Grampa! Owen wanted to drive this car back to MN, but we had to convince him that it would take a really long time! Owen loved having his own "little-man cave"...if you can call it that. The third garage space was all his with shelves of toys, sandbox, easel, and all the balls you can imagine.

Elodie, being 6 weeks older, takes it upon herself to teach Gabby how it's done...or at least push her off and show her! :-) Just kidding, they played very nice together...

My pretty little girl wearing my pretty little dress that I wore when I was a little one. What memories are preserved in a dress! (well, not my memories, but I'm sure my own mother had a thought or two!)

This seems like ages ago when Gabby was still trying to pull herself up without tipping over. She is now pulling, climbing, and even walking along the couch. What will be next?

Even though it was 1.5 miles and Owen couldn't walk the entire way (thank you Auntie Lori for carrying Owen down a few hills...) it was one of my favorite parts of our time there. What a beautiful place! No wonder it is called a "wonderland"!

Yes, Elodie showing Gabby how it's done...again!

Julie and I enjoyed some girl time. Our little girls had fun just crawling around as we talked and laughed and just enjoyed the moment.

I've got a little lover on my hands!

And then there's my little boy...he loves animals so much! He was so excited that I found a little rhino for him to play with after our trip to the zoo, but now he is asking for a hippo and a tiger because, " I don't have one and I need one." So simply put by a three year old: he needs a hippo and a tiger. Both but he would be happy with just one ifI could find one at a garage sale or at the store or whatever. Okay owen...

THANK YOU JULIE AND ELODIE FOR MAKING THE TRIP!
THANK YOU LORI JO FOR SUGGESTING THE TRIP AND MAKING THE TRIP AS WELL!
THANK YOU, MOM AND DAD, FOR HAVING US SUCH A GREAT HOME FOR US TO COME BACK TO!

This year's pictures were taken by Amber Rishavy...we had a good time at the park and got a few good shots too! :-) Have fun taking a look at a few chosen ones! Know this, Owen did have a different shirt on, but he spilled the bubbles on it! Boys!

Can you fake innocence?