Passing Time with the Perry's

This past week we were able to convince the Perry's to come visit us. Carli and I haven't gotten to spend more than an hour together since her wedding. It was too fun to have girl time whenever we wanted it, and both of our Kevin's were kind enough to let us spend every night chatting away. The Perry's were also lifesavers and watched Holland while I took Bennett for his stitches. I cannot thank you guys enough!

 It was so fun to finally get to meet Paige. The kids had a great time playing with each other and since they left Ben has been asking where Paige is. It was great to have them here. Come back and see us again!

(Getting three kids to sit still, by each other to take a picture...not so easy!)

My Official Welcome

 Before you have a boy everyone tells you about all the crazy things boys do and the multiple trips to the ER for various injuries. For almost three and a half years I have been pretty lucky. Sure, Bennett is a boy and does things that aren't the smartest (for instance last week he fell head first off of his toy buggy which I had told him repeatedly not to get on top of), but he has never managed to really hurt himself...until last weekend.

This past Saturday I received my official welcome to being the mother of a boy and he officially got his first battle wound. He wasn't even doing anything crazy-just slipped coming out of the shower.

He was a real sport about it all. He didn't want to go to the doctor at all, but once we were there he was wonderful. He held perfectly still through the multiple shots to numb him and the stitches. Despite his good behavior, I hope not to make any return trips any time soon.

Now if I can just convince him to try to keep this dry or wear a band-aid on it...

Wish me luck!

Labor Day

FAMILY + SHAVE ICE + SWIMMING + YUMMY FOOD =

ONE GREAT HOLIDAY!!!

Little Milestones

 Due to the outrageous cost of preschools here, we decided to form our own preschool with some friends. 

Last week all the fun started. Since then, Bennett has been begging for preschool everyday.

                                     

What three-year-old wouldn't love time with their friends singing, doing crafts and lots of other fun stuff!

(However, having pictures taken for your first day of preschool was not on his list of things he loves. Thanks Nancy for the pictures).

And, at the ripe old age of ten months, Holland has finally decided it might be worth crawling. It's amazing the things you can get to when you move. Let the bruised forehead begin!

Oops!

I think I failed to mention that we moved into our house right before we left on vacation.

And by right before, I mean 3 days before.

Yes, I have been home from vacation now for almost two months, but I am still 

unpacking...

hanging curtain rods...

trying to get the paint off the windows...

installing doorstops...

finding little this's and that's for the contractor to fix...

and having too much fun with these two...

And somewhere in the midst of everything else going on this little lady turned nine months and isn't so little anymore.

Our Summer Adventure

Because a certain someone came home from their mission...

...we flew (what felt like) across the world to see my family. We had a family reunion of sorts. We went to Lancaster County, and then we to Hershey, PA because Bennett needed to meet someone.

 We also went to two of the Smithsonian Museums. 

We discovered the museums aren't as easy to go to with two kids and short attention spans.

By far, my favorite license plate of the trip! It made it easy to remember what car we were parked by.

One of the best parts of our trip was meeting up with the Oesterle's at the National Zoo.

Kai and Bennett were like long lost friends reunited. For days afterwards Bennett kept asking when we were going to see his friend again.

Kevin had to go back to work, but I stayed with the kids for a while longer and we had lots of time to just relax and enjoy summer. It was great!

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us crash your house! 

Can we come back soon?

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

 OH!

THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!