Boo at the Zoo

Sara

This is Sara, our new friend and a true answer to some heartfelt prayers. She will be taking care of the kids 4 days/week and will be with us through next summer. I can't even begin to list everything, but she is WONDERFUL. Truly a blessing to us. Gabriella has already done much better this week having the consistency, and she has a great time with Sara. We are blessed!

Frog Towel

This adorable towel was a birthday gift from Gabby's dear friend Maggie. She now has a big towel that actually provides some coverage!

Gabriella's Perspective

This is what Gabriella sees on a typical weeknight... Daddy cooking (he does a GREAT job!) and getting things ready to eat so we can pull off a family meal.
Mommy arrives home from work, and soon after we eat!

Actual Birthday

Birthday Party Fun

Party Guests

We are so grateful for faithful friends who came to enjoy and celebrate Gabby's second birthday.

Gabby loves the "people" and fun trains, cars, boats, and aircraft that go with Legos. We won a bunch of these fun pieces on eBay and set a portion of them up so she could see them on the morning of her birthday party.

Block Tower

Sleepy Saturday

Saturday mornings often start slow around our home... Michael brought the sleeping bag up to the living room, and Gabriella is loving playing with it and having us all lay on the floor and be "in the dark" by lifting the blanket over our heads.

Circus

Gabby loved the elephants at the circus! I won some tickets, and we were able to go just a few days before her birthday. She was so expressive and often squealed with delighted.

Walking in Mommy's shoes
Michael showed Gabriella her pockets one day, and she immediately started using them!

Meeting Grandma Bea

When we were up in Chicago for the funeral for one of my grandmother's, my other grandmother was in town from Arizona. She was able to meet Gabriella and Christian!

Christian 12 weeks, Gabriella 22 months

Pedicures

My mom has professional manicure/pedicure supplies, so I (and Gabriella) were treated to pedicures last weekend on our visit.

While my mom worked on my feet, I helped Gabriella with hers. :-)

Ice Bath

Labor Day weekend we were up in Chicago, and my mom had a gathering so we could see some friends and family. Gabriella began entertaining herself by giving her dolly a bath. She submerged her, shook her off (what she's doing here), then would wrap her in a dish towel and say "Brr, chilly!"

Pacifier

Gabriella has taken it upon herself to make sure Christian gets his pacifier when he's unhappy. She has been known to be in another room and hear him crying and come running in...Like this series when she was actually on her way to get a bath. "Coming!"

Check out that look of determination! She's serious!

Ah, success and satisfaction! Quiet baby, and Gabriella made it happen.

Uncle Jon's Visit

Uncle Jon always adds so much joy when he's around. Every day he was here in August, he took Gabriella out to do something special. She LOVED playing with "unca jon."

Baptism

We were very grateful that Michael's parents and my brother were able to celebrate Christian's baptism last month. Our pastor does an incredible job and makes the sacrament very personal. Gabriella joined us up front, and she did great... At one point she reached down and grabbed my hand and then she reached over and took Michael's hand too... she wanted us to all hold hands and pray the way that we do at dinner. I only wish we had a video of the event.

We Miss Baby 'Rissa and her parents

This was taken at a going-away meal for Jason and AmyRuth and their daugther, Karissa. Gabriella has named one of her dolls "Baby 'Rissa" and often takes he doll to bed with her. Last night she made sure to flip her over onto her tummy when I put baby Risssa in bed. Gabby wanted them both to sleep on their bellies.

AmyRuth gave Gabriella this great hat. We couldn't miss the chance to photograph them both in their stylish brown hats.

Kitchen Helper

Gabriella loves to help with all sorts of tasks. She found it particularly enjoyable to stand on the "big stool" and help bake a cake in July.

Christian

great big sister

Gabby is a great big sister. She is in constant search for ways that she can help. "Help!" is one of her favorite words. Here she is learning the first part of being able to feed him his bottle. If we can get things dialed in, we are hoping she can do the 4am feeding by the time she is 2.

High Chairs

With two small children, we had to buy a second high chair. Gabby was upgraded to a fancy red chair (Officially known as the big girl chair) and Christian got Gabby's old chair. High chairs take up about 100 square feet of our 1000 square foot house.

Good times

Our good friends Jason and Amy Ruth come over with some yummy food! Notice the watermelow fruit bowl that Amy Ruth made! The presentation was great. And jackie and I both find it amazing that Amy Ruth has time to make something like this as they have their first child to take care of as well. Karissa is a cutie and I was lucky enough to get a picture with all the kids the night that they came over.

Fun in the tub!

Gabby loves tubby time. Bubbles are a HUGE part of the fun!

Saying goodbye

Laura came by to grab a few things and when we were saying goodbye, Gabby wanted to give Laura the finger kiss! (Another of the many fun ways Laura impacted our family in the short time she was here)