Just a few fun moments from recent days...

Since Gabby has been sittin' pretty for a bit now, we decided it was time to take her first bath, "all by herself" She did alright! it got a bit slippery, though, especially when she tried rolling onto her belly. She loved it! Splashin' and rollin'. What fun!
If anyone is wondering what Granny Nanny looks like with her eyes open, here she is! It is a rare sight to get a picture of Nanny with her eyes open...the hint? Take it outside in good light so the flash doesn't go off and the sun is not in her face! :-)

And...if anyone is wondering the right way and the best way to enjoy a s'more, just watch and learn from the best! After all, Gramma Mimi has had 80-some years of practice!

Owen is taking lessons from the best!

Just sayin' hi!

Beautiful Children...

I believe (or I would think that...) all parents say their children are beautiful. We cannot plan or decide what our children will look like and i honestly never pictured what my children would look like. I look at my two little ones and am in awe of God's creation and the miracle that a child is. I dressed Owen in pink for the first time...a guy can wear pink, hey? :-) I think it is a great color for a boy...and I think Owen is all boy!
Gabby is in pink quite a bit...even her jammies are pink! Her eyes are catching up to Owen's as the bluest ever, but her skin is a bit paler with her lips a bit thinner. Other than that...they are definitely siblings!

I dont' know if all babies do this or if just mine do it...around the same age, Owen and Gabby both grabbed a blanket and wrapped themselves up. Gabby was showing off her athleticism and wrapped herself all the way up like a hot dog! Actually, wouldn't that be, like a corn dog? :-)

These two make me smile!

Can you tell which one is Gabby and which one is Owen???

A few days with Gramma and Grampa (aka "crappa")...in no particular order!

On the way back up to MN we stopped at a wayside so Owen could run around...

In motion...MOMMA, MOMMA, MOMMA!

The Milwaukee Zoo is always a favorite destination when we travel to Gramma's and Grampa's. Owen's "swimming" cousins came to see us there...and the bears put on a show!


We rode the little train around the zoo...one of Owen's favorites! When we were done, he was reluctant to leave because he wanted to go again!

It did sprinkle on us for a bit, and there were times that Owen was more interested in the construction site...too funny...

Grampa helped him peek through the fence...

Owen loved carrying his own umbrella!

The main reason for the trip was to see Auntie Emmy! She did as much squeezing, cuddling, hugging, and loving that one auntie could possibly do...we miss you Auntie Emmy!

Owen's real birthday landed on the same day as the Father Hennepin parade, so we walked to a good sittin' spot and had another great party for Owen.

The Stella's and some other friends joined us while our cousins found a spot down aways. Cami slept through most of the parade, but Owen got enough candy to share...maybe in a few years! :-)
Owen has not developed a fear of clowns...when does that happen anyways??? :-) There's mommy's float! Well, not really, but that is the A-H school district float and that's meaningful!

Grampa and Gabby had their shades well-placed!

Whew! Sure was fun and just long enough...as it was ending, owen turned to me and said, "let's go home." fun stuff!

Just a few special moments...worth sharing...

We love mom!

"mom! I'm going to school!"

um...shouldn't you put pants on first?

Grampa sure worked hard cutting down trees for us...I'm sure glad he could enjoy a moment or two with little pinky! She sure loves her grampa! Yes...strange that my son wanted to have a picnic in the bathroom! Good thing I clean almost every day! :-)
There is one of those nasty trees! Owen did his share of helping...using his new wagon he could haul branches to the pile!

Gabby just hanging out...

Owen's 3rd Birthday has come and gone, but we took time to celebrate!

The week before Owen's birthday we had a party for him with family and enjoyed good food and fun.

Owen is enjoying his new wagon that Grampa gave him and helped him put it together

I helped Owen rip into some really nice gifts! A favorite? The teeball set was a hit...literally. He's been launching balls over our heads ever since! He got some cute clothes and adorable books too! I can't wait til he is big enough to use the golf clubs he got too!
Owen got sloppy with sloppy joes and his cousins.
and...to top it all off?! Roger found him a CARS cake! And...he got to keep the cars for his collection too!
Three years old! Wow! I will say there is such a difference between 2 and 3...I think he is going to grow up so fast! He has always been very intense and I am not seeing that changing any time soon. I do see another similarity between Owen and Rog...when Rog was little, he was so shy around new people (I've been told he would cry when people would come up and talk to him at church). Owen clings and hides behind me when he meets someone new. But...Roger has grown to be quite an extrovert and very outgoing...he'll talk to anybody! So, I'll let Owen hide for now as he learns to meet and greet, but I have no worries about his development into a nice, friendly, wonderful boy!

June 23rd...my precious little girl is 6 months old!
Gabby is giggling at everything so she has a tendancy to make people feel really good about themselves and wrap mommies and daddies and grammas and grampas around her little finger. She wants to reach out and grab things like the skin fold in your neck or stroke your cheek like she wants a kiss. Her sweet temperament will have many fall in love with her. Oh, she is a beauty! Her latest nickname (from Gramma momma) is "Pinky". Butterball and all those other ones never stuck like "Pinky." Okay, so we call her Gabs and Gabby and Babe (with an emphasis on the e as Owen does). When it was just Owen, I didn't know how I was going to spread my love to another. It is not tough...Gabby is truly a gift from God...blessing upon blessing she is! Sovereign God is always good and always knows what He is doing. It is hard to ask for suffering, but that is when we really have to have faith that He is weaving an intricate plan to show Himself to us. Thank God for bringing me on this journey!

They say when you have children, there is something new everyday...

I've got a thumbsucker! I've been quoted saying: "you can take away a pacifier but you can't take away a thumb...so...I didn't think I wanted one...but, she has her own little comfort attached to her ltitle hand in the form of a thumb. She puts herself to sleep and can hold off eating for a few more minutes...in a few years...ask me how it's going. :-)

and...Owen is trying to use tools! :-) He saw me crawling under this thing to figure out how the toy worked...10 minutes later I saw him crawling under it himself with a screwdriver in hand. Oh, how I hope he learns...

On Monday, Memorial Day, we celebrated Roger's Birthday along with the national holiday. Rog did a good job of faking blowing out his candles...it was too windy to keep it lit, but the day was georgeous...just like the whole three-day weekend! I love having a yard to plant flowers, to water, to pick weeds...yeah, wait and see how long I'm loving all that! :-) I'll keep you posted! Well...I will try.

My beautiful little girl is so precious. She is wonderful in every way. She is so smiley, she doesn't cry too much, she hangs out without needing too much than what we give her. She loves her brother and laughs at everything he does...already! and wiggles and stretches and is overall so happy. The past two mornings I have barely heard her wake up. I go down to her room and there she is, hangin' out, suckin' her fingers or fist or arm, her legs propped up and her head propped up on her blanket. And...every once in awhile, she practices her screaming that her cousin Elodie taught her! ;-) Playful screaming, that is.
Owen, on the other hand, is wonderful in every way that is different than Gabby. He is such an entertainer and loves to be the center of attention. He wants what he wants when he wants it and that's usually sooner than we can give it to him. He's learning that you enjoy more than just the food at parties and that washing your hair is a necessity...even if he doesn't want to get his hair wet. He loves to tell us what to do and how to do it and is very creative in the "decorating" of our house. I must admit that Owen gives great hugs too! He may be a challenge, but I'm hoping that will make him a success someday...as I write this, he is saying, "I want something, momma"...I think he has said it 22 times now...23, 24...oh wait, now he's on my lap...
Our best diversion is..."do you want a piece of gum?" It works ever time!

A week ago Owen and Gabby's cousin Cali broke her leg jumping off her swingset. Imagine being or having a four-year-old who will be in a cast for much of the summer! I felt so bad, but she is sure being a trooper. Kate is taking it all with a grain of salt as well...

Just hangin' out...It seems to be impossible to keep my house in order and if I focus on the mess...I drive myself into a tither, I get really crabby, and, as Roger says...stressed out! However, when I think about it...how much does it really matter? Owen and Gabby have been so much fun lately that I really should be focused on that...enjoying them. Afterall...they do grow up so fast and this is the fun stage...right? :-) Before I know it, Gabby will be 13 and owen will be almost getting his driver's license. yikes! I don't know which will be worse to handle! ;-) Just kiddin...I'll have to enjoy that too--whatever comes our way.

Gabby is having so much fun rolling over and trying to get somewhere, trying to coordinate her hands to hold onto stuff, and just wigglin' like crazy...
Summertime is the time we get baths almost everyday and granny nanny just looked so happy with the two of them...
Owen, I believe, knows he's cute and is a ham about it!

Owen is taking his role of big brother seriously and doing well!

He helps water the flowers...and sometimes sprays baby sister...or mommy...or the house...it's so much fun when you have control over a hose! :-)
Owen also has a new thing...he likes to ask who the driver is. He wants to be the driver so bad! He hops in the driver's seat, plays with the buttons, steers, sings...it's only natural! :-)

I know, I know!!
I have so much more to blog about, but time and resources have not been available! ugh! I feel like I can't keep up with life sometimes...okay, I feel like that a lot! :-)
Here, Gabster is hangin' with Logan at the park. :-) Man, she is a peanut! He is a whole week younger than she!

I wanted to do a comparison...the top one is my recent posting of Gabby...she is 4 months this week! The bottom one...Owen at 4 months! Crazy look alike!

It's been awhile since the last update...I have begun teaching so business is my excuse...that and being tired...then Easter...then our computer keeps pooping on me...now I am at school and want to quickly post a few pictures that MB sent me. I will update with more later! :-)

Owen and Gabby get along quite well now...I think they always will because they will balance each other; Owen will run the show and Gabby will play along! Owen even sets his own blanky and bear up to "play" with Gabby!

Rog and Gabby spend a lot of time together like this. As it was with Owen too. They love to just chill...she lookin' cute in jeans and he lookin' like he got too much sun at his softball tournament!

Not too much to add about this picture...other than TOO CUTE!...

This is Owen...can you tell he is enjoying his first Marshmellow Peep??? HMMM sugar!

Not too much about this picture either...looks like she's just enjoying herself! :-)