~The Southern Belle~

~Laying Down~

2012-02-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Grace loves to lay down. If you say to her, "lay down", she'll crawl to a pillow or blanket she'll lay down and smile so big!

~Dr. Aylah~

2012-02-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

Aylah has been wanting a Dr.'s kit for quite some time now. This was top on her birthday wish list and Grandma made her wish come true!

~A Bundle of Sweetness~

2012-02-08T14:18:00.000-05:00

Bundling up to go on a walk in the wagon.

~Sucker~

2012-02-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure where these suckers came from, but Grace found them and enjoyed them... paper and all!

~The 1st Snow~

2012-02-08T14:14:00.001-05:00

We had our first snow and Aylah was thrilled to go outside and play in it. This is the first time she has actually wanted to play for an extended period of time, usually it is "too cold". She had a great time running, throwing snowballs, and making snow angels.

~Aylah's Christmas Tree~

2012-02-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Nanae bought this pink Christmas tree for Aylah last year when she was here for Grace's birth. Aylah had a lot of fun decorating the tree almost all by herself! She has a lot of ornaments that were mine when I was a child and a lot of new ones that she got with Nanae.

~Cool Whip Fun~

2012-02-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

~Aylah's Hairstyle~

2012-02-08T14:04:00.000-05:00

I've had a lot of fun looking at creative and fun ways to fix Aylah's hair since it is so long. I found this idea on pinterest, a half french braid with a bun. She wears her hair like this a lot now.

~Bathtub Fun~

2012-02-08T13:52:00.003-05:00

~Christmas from Papa and Nana T~

2012-02-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Aylah loved her manger scene that she recieved from Papa and Nana T. She loved putting it together and all the details of the manger. We've enjoyed playing with it throughout the season as we talk about Christ's birth.

~Cuteness~

2012-02-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

Aylah is hiding in a bookshelf that I just cleaned out.

Grace is playing with her leapfrog fridge magnetics that she absolutely loves!

~Birthday Cards~

2012-02-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

Aylah loves to makes cards for anyone for anything. Here she is making birthday cards for some of her favorite girls in the youth group, Caty and Breeana.

~Christmas Gifts from the Sanders~

2012-02-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Sander's family is always so sweet and love to get gifts for the girls. For Christmas Gracie received a purse and Aylah received a baby doll.

I love the expression on her face!

~Gracie Screaming~

2012-02-08T13:40:00.002-05:00

Gracie is beginning work on her vocal chords.

~Playdough Fun~

2012-02-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

Our dear friends Phil and Charlotte Sanders gave Aylah this doll for Christmas. She has quite a few dolls, but this one sits all by itself, which makes doing projects together much more fun!

Aylah is changing her baby's diaper.

Baby watching the playdough carefully while Aylah is away.

Baby helping Aylah make Christmas shapes.

Aylah and baby.

~Playgroup Christmas Party~

2012-02-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

We had our playgroup Christmas party at the church gym this year and we had a wonderful time.

Grace eating oreo balls.

Our Christmas book exchange.

All the moms trying to get a cookie from their forhead to their mouth without using their hands.

Paula finished and Ashley is right behind her.

Megan, Carrie and Ginna are working hard.

All the kids were lined up to get "gas" at the "gas station".

Aylah is helping me make chocolate covered marshmallows for our reindeer.

Our reindeer with Christmas trees in the middle.

Chocolate covered marshmallows with snowballs on them.

~Jingle Bells for Gracie~

2012-02-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

Jingle Bells have been one of Gracie's favorite activities around Christmas time. She loves to shake them, put them in and out of bowls over and over again, put them in a paper towel roll and egg cartons. She has found many fun things to do with them that entertain her for hours.

~Searching for Christmas Presents~

2012-02-07T14:18:00.000-05:00

Aylah was very excited about opening Christmas presents this year and was thrilled when there were finally presents under the tree. She was so thoughtful and so proud of her and Grace's presents.

~The Big Announcement~

2012-02-07T11:44:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when I found out that I was expecting another sweet little baby. I wanted to make something special to tell Michael the big news. Since it was a few days before Christmas, I decided to paint a fireplace theme. I layed it under the tree for Michael to find when he came home from church that night. He was very excited and we told Aylah and our family that same week.

~A Special Book~

2012-02-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Nanae sent the girls The Christmas Story book with her actually reading the book. Aylah was so amazed and proud. She thought it was absolutely so cool. She listened to every word intently as Nanae read. It was such a special Christmas gift that we'll treasure each year!

~Laundry~

2012-02-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

Aylah absolutely loves helping around the house. She has been helping do her own laundry for a few years now, but she is now asking if she can help with our laundry. How can a mother turn down that kind of help! Here she is folding a pair of pants.

~Hunting Candy Canes~

2012-02-06T21:39:00.001-05:00

We started a tradition at our house for Christmas last year and it has been so fun for all of us. We head out to Wal-Mart and buy one of all the different kinds of candy canes filled with candy. Then daddy hides them all on our Christmas tree and the girls get to find them, well more like Aylah gets to find them, maybe Grace will be able to help out more next year! Aylah has a great time hunting for the candy canes and we all enjoy eating all the candy!

~Double Pacifier~

2012-02-06T15:05:00.002-05:00

~Christmas Counting~

2012-02-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

A fun little Christmas activity for Aylah while Grace is playing with her magnetic fridge toys.

~Christmas Chocolate~

2012-02-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like finding chocolate and having a little snack while opening presents!

~Opening Christmas Presents~

2012-02-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

GET MY PHONE OUT MOMMY!

Aylah's felt house.

Gracie likes her Melissa and Doug beads.

Playing with her Tom Tom drum from China Town.

We had a wonderful Christmas and are so thankful for two beautiful daughters to share it with. Aylah really looked forward to Christmas this year, she loved every aspect of it all! Grace just liked tearing paper and playing with boxes!

~Stocking Stuffers~

2012-02-06T14:41:00.000-05:00

One of Mike's favorite things is shopping for the stocking stuffers for the girls. He has so much fun finding small things that he knows the girls will love and he is always right! We opened most of our presents on Christmas Eve since we had church the next morning, but we did save the stocking's for Christmas morning.

Aylah opening a big chocolate bar.

Aylah opening bath fizzles.

Aylah opening her snowman balloon which soon became one of her favorite gifts.

Aylah's qoute while she was opening her gifts: "My heart is feeling warmer!"

~Christmas Morning~

2012-02-06T14:39:00.001-05:00

My best attempt to take a picture on Christmas morning before we headed to church to celebrate Christ's birth!

~Snowman Building~

2012-02-06T14:39:00.000-05:00

~Snowmen~

2012-02-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

We had a beautiful snowfall while we were in Elkhart for Christmas. Daddy and Aylah decided to build not one, not two, but three snowmen!

Snow Angel

Snowball

Snow Rolling

Snowball

More snow rolling

Snowman #1

Snowman #2

Two snowmen in the front yard and one snowman in the backyard.

~Snowman Balloon~

2012-02-06T14:22:00.003-05:00

Daddy got Aylah a snowman balloon for her stocking at Christmas. Aylah spent most of the holidays blowing up this balloon over and over again. She loved to see how big she could get the snowman before daddy came home from work.

~Pretzels~

2012-02-06T14:22:00.001-05:00

Grace is starting to like pretzels. This has become one of her favorite snacks. I think they feel pretty good on her gums and this is why they have bonded so!

Mom, can I eat in peace?!

Okay, I'll act up if you want to take my picture!

~Mash Potatoes~

2012-02-06T14:22:00.000-05:00

Grace began to want to feed herself while we were at Papa and Nana T's house. She didn't quite want to do all the work, just put the spoon in her mouth, so Nana T did the rest of the work for her.

~Papa T and Nana T's~

2012-02-06T13:59:00.000-05:00

We went to Round Rock to visit Papa T and Nana T for a few days. We had a wonderful time except all 3 of us became pretty sick while we were there. Aylah had an ear and sinus infection, I had bronchitus and Grace had a cold and tummy virus. We made the most of our time there despite the sickness and we were just so thankful we were able to spend time with Papa T and Nana T.

A few of our daily activities while we were there...

Grace is finally happy sitting in Papa T's lap with her sucker.

Papa T got Gracie to take a nap, and I think he might have caught a few zzz's himself.

Aylah and Papa T making cinnamon pretzels.

Blowing bubbles outside on the back porch.

Swinging

While Papa T and Aylah spent much time outside, Grace was content playing the drums and stacking her cups.

Thanks for letting us come visit!

~Sweet Grace~

2012-02-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

We've have been enjoying our time at Nanae's house so much. Grace has been pretty sick for a few weeks now and if finally turning the corner to becoming her old sweet self again.

Getting ready to leave for church.

~Fall Pictures~

2011-11-24T16:23:00.000-05:00

A few fall pictures that I forgot to post on the blog.

~Happy Thanksgiving~

2011-11-24T15:47:00.001-05:00

~Happy Thanksgiving~

Aylah loves to carry Grace around like this and help her "walk" around the house.

My sweet lil' pilgram

Our best efforts of creating a turkey.

I love, love, love, love my sweet lil' turkeys!

~ Our Thanksgiving Week~
Mike and Aylah always build a huge tent that fills our living room Wednesday night and watch the classic Christmas movies all night (Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns....)
We head out to the great Golden Corral with a few people from church for lunch! This is a wonderful idea considering we don't have to cook and we don't have to clean and their thanksgiving dinner is super delicious! The downfall is, we miss family and we don't have any leftovers. Watching football and getting a few odds and ends done around the house finishes the day.
Then we will head out to by our Christmas tree at Marsh! This is the best kept secret in Kokomo. They have the best trees with the best prices!

Happy Thanksgiving

~Happy 4th Birthday~

2011-11-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Aylah requested fun pancakes for breakfast. I thought that was a great idea. So I asked her which one she wanted and she said, "All of them"! Well, you can't deny a birthday girl's request, so all of them we made.

We had a great breakfast and then we headed to McDonald's for lunch and playtime.

Happy 4th Birthday Aylah

We are so proud of the wonderful girl you are. You are so sweet, loving and full of energy that goes on all day. You love to help around the house, you would much rather clean than play with toys. You ask questions all the time and are always wanted to know what words mean. You absolutely love your sister. You always want to get her out of bed and play with her, it does make you terribly sad when she cries though. You love to play outside, but since it's getting so cold outside, you ride your back up and down the hallway all day long. If you're not doing that you are bouncing on your big red ball. You also have an amazing heart to serve other's. We are so thankful for you and your love for your family and friends.

~Barbie~

2011-11-24T15:19:00.000-05:00

I keep this box of barbies in daddy's office at church so when I'm working on projects there, the girls have something that will keep them occupied. Aylah likes to change their clothes over and over again. Grace enjoys taking all the clothes out and putting them all back in. This particular day, I glanced down to find Grace just chillin' in the barbies wardrobe.

Publish Post

~The Grand Entrance~

2011-11-17T07:22:00.000-05:00

We had big plans to bring Aylah out on a throne for her birthday. She was crying and didn't want to do it. So, we put Gracie on her throne and she obviously didn't want to ride in on her throne either.

At the end of the party, we gave everyone a ride on the throne, and they had a wonderful time!

~Birthday Cake~

2011-11-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

~The Princesses Birthday~

2011-11-16T22:06:00.000-05:00

Aylah has been wanting a princess birthday party for the last 6 months. She wanted to have a party with Gracie too, which worked out beautifully and made it a lot easier on momma! Mike and I always have such a great time planning and getting things ready for their birthday! I'm thankful to everyone who came for making it such a special time!

The Castle Cake

Grace and Aylah's Cake

Grace was displayed on the table from birth to one year on these cute little crowns.

Aylah and her ballerina friends riding on the "throne".

Princess Tiffany

What would a party be without crafts.

A little coloring

Grace is reaching for her lil' cousin, Gabriella.

Mom and dad jousting.

Aylah getting ready for her jousting competition.

The sweetest little thing!

Looking for the princess dress up clothes that she thought were in the basket.

Grace had a great 1st birthday, she was passed around one by one and then crawled around all over the gym floor for the rest of the party.

Aylah said her favorite thing about the party was the dress up game. This picture totally captures how much she loved it!

Princess dress up, yes I know, these aren't the most beautiful princess shoes, but they are the only heels I have.

Go Aylah!

Blowing out the candles.

Grace really enjoyed her cake. She never got messy, just ate one bit at a time. The icing on her hands eventually started bugging her, but she just tried to feed it to her momma!

Aylah passing out the castle suckers to all the kids.

I love this pic of Gracie reading her animal book from the Fredericks.

Gracie playing with her puzzle.


Aylah was totally pumped about the presents, she waited so patiently to open them.

Happy 1st Birthday Grace!

Happy 4th Birthday Aylah!

We love you both so very much!

~Aylah Trick or Treating~

2011-11-01T13:29:00.000-04:00

Aylah had such a fantastic time Trick or Treating. While we were eating dinner, she wanted to practice what she was going to say when she got to the neighbor's door. Trick or treating must have been a huge accomplishment for her, because after she got candy from each house, she ran away yelling "I DID IT"!

~Trick or Treat~

2011-11-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

We went trick or treating in our neighborhood last night. Aylah ran from house to house, and Grace watched her from the wagon. Grace was completely content the entire time.

I think the sun is making her face so red.

It got a little chilly outside and I thought these little mittens were so cute on Grace's sweet little hands. Notice Grace's feet, she sits like that all the time, especially when she sits in her chair to eat.

~Trick or Treating at the Library~

2011-11-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

Our library had a Trick or Treat story and activity time and we love the children's librarian, so we headed out in Halloween style.

Ms. Courtney got the toy box out for Grace to play with.

Grace was pumped to see her favorite ball in the box.

Aylah is making a jack o lantern bag, notice the sucker hanging out her mouth.

Grace is listening to the story.

Aylah is acting out the story for Mr. Courtney, I think she is being a bat in this picture.

The box of toys. We play with this box every Wednesday after story time, so Grace is very familiar with it and totally pumped when she saw Ms. Courtney get it out.

Grace is loving to take things off, so this activity was right up her alley!

~IHBC Fall Festival~

2011-11-01T11:37:00.000-04:00

We had our church fall festival out in the beautiful country, and it was so fun, and did I mention so beautiful!

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Cody and Bill trying to count the candy corn.

~IUK Trick or Treating~

2011-11-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

IUK had a trick or treat at the campus Friday night, so we ventured out to get an early start on candy!

Quite possibly the cutest duck I've ever seen!

Grace doesn't like to wear things on her head. She did pretty good though, considering.

Painting a pumpkin

Loving on daddy, while Aylah gets some candy.

Aylah and one of her friends Kelsey.

I thought this was pretty cool, so I took a pic.

~Pulling Behind~

2011-10-27T12:35:00.000-04:00

Aylah: Mom, can you put a leash on my puppy so I can pull him on my bike.

Me: No Aylah, if you drag him, it will tear him up because the ground is rough.

Aylah: Okay

A few minutes later, I look outside and Aylah has come up with this plan all by herself so she could pull her puppy. I couldn't believe she came up with this idea and even got the string tied on enough to stay. The puppy was inside the ice chest.

~A Night in China~

2011-10-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

Our dear friends, the L family, are back in the states from China. They taught English at a university there for 3 years.

It was an amazing time and I wish you could have all been there!

A table full of things from China. The only thing I could read was a Coca-Cola wrapper.

Aylah is paying very close attention to the directions on how to hold your chopsticks correctly.

Aylah is trying to get a serving a rice with her chopsticks.

Having a good time watching everyone try using their chopsticks. Grace is a little upset, because all she cares about is food and it's not coming to her fast enough.

My sweet friends Annette and Alberta.

The Marion family working hard at using chopsticks.

Chinese treats

The L ladies singing Jesus Loves Me in Chinese.

Mr. L reading from the Chinese bible with Mrs. L translating in English.

The L family doing a skit on what it was like to be "white superstars" in China. They are waving, hello hi!

Mike is getting ready to pray for the L family!

~A for Apple, or Aylah~

2011-10-27T11:27:00.000-04:00

~Wagon Ride~

2011-10-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

I love going on a wagon ride around the neighborhood! So fun!

Aylah likes to pull Grace much more than she likes to ride.

I love how Grace is holding her baby's hand, so sweet!

~Kitchen Fun~

2011-10-27T09:58:00.000-04:00

Aylah and Grace love to play in the kitchen together. Aylah cooks us up something yummy and Grace pulls everything off the kitchen onto the floor. She's pretty intrigued by it all.

Grace will either throw things on the floor or hand it to her sister, like she is in this pic.

~This says it all~

2011-10-27T09:37:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more that Grace loves than being outside. This picture captures it all!

Grace loves to play ball. She'll catch it and roll it back and she's super duper proud of herself!

~Pumpkin Carving Ballerina Style~

2011-10-27T09:28:00.000-04:00

Carving pumpkins!

Aylah was so proud of her ballerina pumpkin! They did a great job, I was totally impressed. We read books about pumpkins and their life cycle while we carved the pumpkins. It was great to see all the seeds that pumpkins grow from, but Aylah would not touch them. She thought they were yucky!

~Playing~

2011-10-27T09:01:00.000-04:00

Meme and Papa got this fun little toy for Aylah when she turned 1.

We pulled it out for Grace and her favorite part was swinging the ball.

~Tap Dancing to Veggie Tales~

2011-10-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

This was taken in August before Aylah's tap dancing classes began. There was nothing I could think of that was better than Veggie Tales to get a little warmed up.

Please excuse the messy room. We were in the process of getting the room ready for school.

~Ballet and Tap~

2011-10-26T23:02:00.000-04:00

Grace eating paper to entertain herself while her sister dances.

Aylah is absolutely loving her dance class!

~Aylah and Scarecrow~

2011-10-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

We decorated our home for fall and Aylah absolutely loved every minute of it. She took the scarecrow outside and was very persistent on having her picture taken with him.

~Swinging~

2011-10-26T22:29:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more that Graces loves than being outside.

Add a little bit of swinging to it, and she's completely happy.

~Funny Bunny~

2011-10-26T22:26:00.000-04:00

This video was taken in May of this year. Aunt Carrie sent Aylah this bunny when she was born and it has been one of her favorite toys since we opened the box. She still plays with it today. It played a major role in helping Aylah learn to crawl. If you want to see that adorable little video, you can click here.

~The Burning Bush~

2011-10-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

Our burning bush didn't turn red last year, so I was very excited to see it "burn" this year. But, more excited to see these two beauties sit in front of it!

~Football Night~

2011-10-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

We took Grace to her first football game. The game was horrible, but we had a great time together and eating lots of food from the concession. Aylah was really intrigued by the cheerleaders and the band. Grace like EVERYTHING, as long as she is outside, she is super content!

Grace is 10 months old

~Vacation Day 8~

2011-10-26T21:27:00.001-04:00

Our last day at the beach! It was a little sad, because we had such a wonderful time. Our family from Tennessee came up to Elkhart for the week, so we called to see if they all wanted to come up and visit us for the afternoon. Of course, who would turn down a trip to the beach, so they all came up and we had a great time.

Sweet Lillian ~16 months (I think)

Precious Gabriella (almost 1)

Kari, Lillian and Ryan


Gabriella and Lillian trying to build their first sand castle.

Aunt Lori playing with Aylah.

Ryan and Tina taking a break from the sun.

Grandma and Grammy loving on Grace.

Aunt Lori and Uncle Dave taking a long walk on the beach.

The sun is setting. The view from the top of the hill by our cabin.

Aylah running down the hill. This is so totally right up Aylah's alley!

The sun setting and shining red on Aylah's face.

What a wonderful vacation!

~Vacation Day 7~

2011-10-26T21:07:00.000-04:00

Grace is helping me make coffee this morning! A great way to start the day!

We visited South Haven this day and this incredible ship was one of the first things we saw when we arrived at the beach.

On the main strip, we stopped here for some ice cream.

Puppies need to drink water too...so thoughtful!

That is some serious ice cream eating if you ask me.

Grace settled for a diaper, since she can't have ice cream yet.

Daddy and Aylah headed to the beach back at our cabin while Grace and I rested. She's headed down the hill to the beach.

A sweet family invited Aylah to play along in their family beach games. Aylah loved it.

The sun is getting ready to set for the evening.

Our theme picture to help us make it through the winter.

~High School Football~

2011-09-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

Tonight we went to Grace's first high school football game. We had a great time, except it was a little too chilly for Aylah. She stole Grace's blanket, but Grace didn't mind. She spent the majority of her time chowing down on a pretzel.

Aylah wrapping up to stay warm.

Aylah was in awe of all that was going on down on the field. Grace thought it was pretty cool too. She loved it!

~Chicago in July~

2011-09-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

Ryan, Kari and Lillian came up to visit in July, so all the adults headed to Chicago and the grandma's stayed back to babysit. We had a wonderful time and I can't wait to go again.

Jordan, Ryan, Kari, Mike, Shana, Melissa

Mike and Kari getting ready to ride the swings.

Mike and Kari in the swings.

Getting ready to ride a bike. Mike had to put a bag under his hat to make sure he didn't get any lice. He also wore this Kellogg shirt in Chinese. Which, we headed to China Town shortly after the bike ride so they could translate it for us.

The bike ride was very interesting, that's all I have to say about that.

This was a very odd site to see in the middle of Chicago.

~Chips~

2011-09-15T15:14:00.000-04:00

We went to Hacienda with our family way back in July. Gracie had her first chip. I love how she studied it very carefully before she put it in her mouth.

Hmmm?

Not bad...

I think I'll have some more.

~Crawling~

2011-09-15T15:03:00.000-04:00

~Backyard Fun~

2011-09-15T14:25:00.000-04:00

We were so thankful for the beautiful weather. Aylah even played in the water sprinkle for a while.

Rolling

Resting

Watching

Listening

Observing

Stretching?

~Relaxing in the Hammock~

2011-09-15T14:10:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was such a lovely day. We spent most of the afternoon in the backyard, relaxing in the hammock.

Time for milk.

~Hugs Going for a Ride~

2011-09-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

Aylah's absolute favorite thing to do is have her daddy push her on the tire swing. When he's not home, Aylah is in charge of the swing and she loves to push her animals. Today, was Hug Pugs special day.

Hug Pug is going for a ride on the tire swing. Don't worry, he has a seat belt.

Aylah giving Hugs a big push.

~My Little Ballerina~

2011-09-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Getting ready to head out to Aylah's first dance class.

Warming up before her class starts.

Watching the older kids in their point shoes (I think that's what they're called)

Listening to Ms. Jen

At the bar

I'm not sure what this is called...but she's doing something.

Tip Toes

This is also something, but I don't know what it's called. I need to get a ballet 101 book:)

This is one excited little ballerina.

Stretching

Getting ready for tap, tap, tapping.

Of course, I couldn't leave out little Grace playing while she waits for her sister to finish class.

~Nanae's Visit~

2011-09-14T21:38:00.000-04:00

All of us girls!

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My beautiful mommy!

Sweet Grace!

I'm so thankful my mom was able to come visit us for a week. We enjoyed every minute! We love you Nanae, thanks for visiting us!

~Vacation Day 6 Splash~

2011-07-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

We went to play in the water fountains today. Neither one of the girls liked it at first, but the warmed up and had a great time!

~Vacation Day 6 Water Wars~

2011-07-15T22:16:00.000-04:00

Selecting

Launching

Celebrating

Hit

Hit again

Water Wars

My trying to win a hermit crab. It didn't work, I just won 3 goldfish that we forgot to pick up.

~Vacation Day 5 Carnival Fun~

2011-07-15T14:08:00.000-04:00

The Carnival at the Venetian Festival!

We started out at the cute little Variety Store on the bluff, so Aylah could ride the horse. This horse was intense. He could buck you off, believe it or not.

The caterpillar ride

The airplane ride

The dragon rollarcoaster

The boat ride

This one is for you Aunt Melly!

The glider ride

The train ride, which Aylah loved, especially when she could ring the bell.

I'm guessing the is the bear ride.

The carousal ride

The seadoo ride

Grace's first carousal ride

The slide. After Aylah rode the big slide where you have to ride down on a sack, she thought it was necessary to ride on something for this slide as well. So inside this activity, she pulled up this piece and carried it to the top of the slide and rode down. She's so funny!

The slide.

~Vacation Day 5 Big Slide~

2011-07-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

We headed out to the Venetian Festival and since it had just opened, there were not a lot of people there. This worked out to our advantage because we didn't have to stand in line for any of the rides. Aylah rode 30 rides, but one stands out more than the rest. Which one, you might ask. Well, Aylah found the slide and rode it....

not once....

not twice...

not three times...

not four times...

not five times...

not six times...

not seven times...


BUT EIGHT TIMES....in a row!

She absolutely loved the slide and we were very thankful for the wristband, it was definitely worth it.

~Vacation Day 5~

2011-07-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

Grace sitting on the picnic table while sissy plays.

Watching the Amtrak from the bluff.

I love my family so much.


My sweet girls.

Outfit sponsored by: Carrie Martin :)

~Grace Kissing Mommy~

2011-07-13T23:46:00.000-04:00

~Train~

2011-07-13T23:26:00.002-04:00

~Vacation Day 4 Cowgirl Style~

2011-07-13T22:58:00.001-04:00

We got this cute little hat at a store downtown St. Joseph. Aylah picked pink of course! I wish the pictures turned out a little better, but with the sun directly behind her and made the color a little off.

~Vacation Day 4 Train~

2011-07-13T22:53:00.001-04:00

The Amtrak train can through on our way back to the car. Aylah really likes trains right now, so this was a super cool treat for us!

We always heard if you put money on the track, the train will flatten them out. It was true. This is the money after the train went by.

If you look carefully, you can see the circles on each side of the dark spot, where the money was.

The penny.

The quarter.

~Vacation Day 4 Silver Beach Pier~

2011-07-13T22:43:00.001-04:00

After we played on the beach, we ventured out to the pier. It was a neat walk, especially watching the waves come in.

We walked all the way to the end of the pier and it made Grace a little sleepy. She's so sweet resting on my shoulder.

Mike and Aylah at the end of the pier. It was so neat to watch the waves come up and splash against the pier.

The lighthouse was right behind us.

Posing on the rock.

~Vacation Day 4 Silver Beach~

2011-07-13T22:37:00.001-04:00

This evening we went in to St. Joseph and spent time at Silver Beach. We had a great time and it was a beautiful evening.

We stopped off at Bob's Barn Market for some homemade plum preserves and gummy bears.

Grace eating sand again at Silver Beach.

Aylah got to play the violin.

Toes in mouth.

Playing on the playground at the beach.

Swinging on the beach. It was so neat to watch the waves come in while we swang.

The sailboats were heading out.

~Vacation Day 4~

2011-07-13T22:21:00.001-04:00

The view from the bluff.

Daddy and Aylah worked on a pretty cool sand castle, while Grace and I chilled in the hammock. It was a little cold and windy today, so we snuggled in a blanket.

Posing as the queens of the castle.

The view from our cabin deck.

~Vacation Day 3~

2011-07-12T23:12:00.001-04:00

Day 3 was absolutely perfect! It was sunny without a cloud in the sky the entire day! We spent all day on the beach, except for Grace and I, who took an afternoon nap. Aylah played her heart out. She absolutely loves, loves, loves the beach!

Grace's first time in the lake.


Grace and Aylah making funny faces with their tongue.

Watching the waves.

Grace spent much of her time whining, just like this picture.

But sometimes, she was content and so adorable!

Hanging out in the hammock by herself.

Mike and Aylah dug a hole.

Digging by the waves.

An amazing attempt at burying daddy in the sand.

Just chillin'.

Grace fell asleep while relaxing in the hammock with her daddy.

Grace is so tiny, her head barely is above the table.

We went to Silver Beach Pizza tonight and they give kids some dough to play with at the table. Mike and Aylah had a great time creating their "own" pizza.

Aylah was really impressed with her daddy's pizza making ability.

We ended the night with a ride on the carousal at Silver Beach.

~Vacation Day 2 Sand Art~

2011-07-11T23:16:00.001-04:00

We went on a walk down the beach today and Aylah found 2 sticks that she insisted we keep, because they are treasures:) Later that day, her and Mike used them to draw in the sand.

Aylah drawing a picture of mommy.

Making a double trail.

Aylah was pumped about the cherry she drew.

Writing letters.

~Vacation Day 2~

2011-07-11T23:11:00.000-04:00

Day 2 starting out with a severe thunderstorm pounding through, but by lunch time, the sky was clear and it was a beautiful day.

The storm blew in a branch and Aylah replanted it, and watered it with her water can.

Grace and Mike watching the waves come in.

Grace is saying "I love you" in sign language!

Aylah throwing sticks over the net.

Relaxing...Mike says, "I'm on vacation"!

The beautiful sunset.

Wading in the waves at sunset.

~Vacation Day 2 Gracie Meets Sand~

2011-07-11T23:00:00.000-04:00

We all went to the beach this afternoon and had a wonderful time. However, Grace was quite fussy for the first few hours we were there. No matter what I did, nothing seemed to satisfy her. Finally, I let her sit down and start playing with the sand, which I knew would adventually end up in her mouth. That's all it took. She hasn't fussed for one second since she put sand in her mouth. I guess she really liked it!

The following pictures are close to the same, but Grace has so many adorable expressions, I chose them all!

Mom, do you have any idea what it's my mouth?

I'm not quite sure if I like this or not.

Okay, I'm ready for more. Will you feed me please?

A pretty pose.

Mmmmmm!

Okay, I think I really like this stuff.

Yes, I'm sure of it! I really like this stuff.

~Vacation Day 1~

2011-07-11T09:29:00.000-04:00

We have a little condo next the beach on Lake Michigan this year. We are very excited to be by the beach, since Aylah really loves to play in the water and the sand. We arrived last night, and walked straight to the beach and stayed for a few hours. I didn't realize it would be so exciting for Aylah, so I didn't put her bathing suit on...and well, let's just say that didn't stop her from getting in the water. We loved the beautiful evening, we loved watching the sunset, we loved our time together on the beach!

A Kiss at Sunset

Mike is taking a picture of us from the top of the hill, by our condo.

The beautiful walkway from our condo to the beach.

Aylah taking off in the water.

Posing for her daddy.

We found this little chair on the beach and Grace had a great time playing it it. She even pulled herself over to look off the side of the chair.

Sweet lil' toes

~7 Months~

2011-07-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

~7 Months~

Grace, you are absolutely lovely! We love you so much and enjoy every minute with you. You are sitting all by yourself now, saying ma ma, da da, ba ba and a lot of noises in between. You love music, especially when someone sings to you. You love your family, especially your sweet sister who loves you so very much! You are such a happy baby. You love morning time where you sit in front of your toy basket and take out all your toys one by one. You like to knock your blocks over, chew on noah's ark animals, spin things, you love your ducky and like to watch me roll balls to you. Your favorite thing is sitting outside. You enjoy it so much. You're so content and relaxed, it's so funny to watch how your demeanor changes as soon as we take you outside. You eat great and sleep great, except you wake up a little too early for me, but I don't mind at all! We are so very thankful for each day with you!

~6 Months~

~5 Months~

~4 Months~

~3 Months~

~2 Months~

~1 Month~

~2 Weeks~

~Kokomo Speedway~

2011-07-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

Lori and Dave, Mike's sister and brother-n-law, have been race fans for a long time. They drove down to Kokomo last weekend for the big race at Kokomo Speedway. Who knew there was a speedway in Kokomo?! They invited us to go, so we thought we'd check it out. To my surprise, I really liked it. It was a blast. I think it helped that the track was short, so you could always see the action and the races didn't last long. Aylah liked it a lot too. She was a little unsure about the noise, but once Lori hooked her up with ear muffs, he was good to go!

Sprint cars, my favorite of the night! We saw two of them flip in the air!

~The first Sawyer Race Car Event~

Aylah is proud of her ear muffs.

Standing in front of the dirt track. The cars would zoom by and throw dirt all over us. It was interesting.

Pumped to have a checkered flag of her own.

Coming around the corner.

Cheering them on.

~Aylah Dancing~

2011-07-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

The Mark White Band lead the week in worship at camp.

Aylah had a great time dancing to the beat!

~Opening Gifts from Nanae~

2011-07-09T07:27:00.000-04:00

Nanae sent the girls 4th of July outfits and bows of course!

Aylah is always extremely excited when we get a package at the door, plus a package with bows!

~Highland Lakes Camp~

2011-07-08T23:09:00.000-04:00

Our family went with the youth and children for camp this year at Highland Lakes Camp. I spent most of my time playing with the girls while Mike served and helped out with the camp, but he was able to spend a lot of time with us as well. We enjoyed every minute!

Aylah is riding one of her friends tricycle. She loved riding her bike in the huge parking lot.

Heading to the pool with daddy.

Playing in the grass while we watched daddy blob people in the pond.

Sweet little toes and hands.

Daddy got blobbed!

Our sweet new friend Britt, took Aylah for a ride in the canoe!

Aylah really enjoyed the canoe ride.

Grace's first time in a pool. She didn't like it at first, but later she just sat on the steps in the pool and splashed around. She liked that much better.

Aylah loved jumping from her daddy's shoulders.

Grace is just chillin!

Aylah had a great time on the Dora the Explorer hunt with her friend Bella.

Aylah posing at the new welcome center looking over the pond.

~Backwards~

2011-07-08T21:02:00.000-04:00

~Bath Tub Slide~

2011-07-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

~Slide Diving~

2011-07-08T20:08:00.000-04:00

Aylah came up with this idea all on her own. She is pretty daring!

~Funny Face~

2011-07-08T19:24:00.000-04:00

A sweet friend watched the girls for us while Mike and I went out to dinner for our anniversary. When we came home, I picked up Grace and she immediately went for my necklace. Then she started making this funny face that just absolutely cracked me up!

~The 4th of July~

2011-07-08T19:20:00.000-04:00

We went to the Cicero Firework Show this year and we had a wonderful time. We played on the grassy hill for a few hours while we waited for the sun to set.

~Sparklers~

Grace decided she would rather play with her keys instead of the sparklers.

Kasie rocked Grace to sleep for me and snuggled with her for a long time.

Sitting like a lady.

Aylah was a little skeptical of the loud booms, but loved it by the time the show was over.

Grace watched the entire show, but wasn't quite sure what she thought about it.