Happy Birthday Daddy!

The boys helped celebrated Todd's 38th b-day on April 6th. We surprised Daddy at work with balloons and sushi; later, we had brownie cake with ice cream. Birthdays are always fun with kids around.

say cheese

Alright mom, I'm getting what is due. Apparently all kids go through a phase during which "cheese" does not mean smile -- rather, it means contort your face and yell. Here are some faces I got from Trevor and Joel when I said, "cheese!"

big boy bed

Another milestone! Joel is loving his new big boy, car bed. He took his first nap in it today. Trevor is a little bit jealous but is being a good sport. They found that it is just the right height to look out the window onto the patio.

florida sunshine

We're back from our Spring Break get-away at Oma and Papa's house in Florida, and the sunshine did us all some good. Todd and I were able to relax and read with the childcare help from Oma and Papa. The boys had a riot going on golf cart rides, climbing on the village playground, trying to fish, playing in the ocean, swimming in the pool, and riding bikes. Todd loved the kayak trip in the pristine waters of Turkey Creek Preserve, and I had more fun that I thought I would. We caught some Whiting (note: Jen caught 2 and Todd caught 1) in the Ocean and had them for dinner one night. The green landscape was so very nice....come soon Spring!

best babysitter ever!

Miss Jenny is amazing! She watches our boys on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- Trevor and Joel always look forward to her book bag (filled with puppets, books, crafts) and to fun, adventure time. Here are some pics she took for us of the boys:

belated merry christmas!

We had a terrific Christmas in Michigan with the Bock family. Trevor and his cousin, Ella, enjoyed being pulled on a sled by Papa's John Deere tractor. Joel is very much into his new pint-sized lacrosse stick. It was a freezing cold holiday season -- but we survived by bundling up with blankets and playing several rounds of dominos.

turkey day

For Thanksgiving, we traveled to Pennsylvania (a two day trip with the boys) where we spent time with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Tara, Uncle David, Aunt Melissa, and Uncle Troy. We also met baby Elijah -- a source of great fascination for the boys. Grandpa was happy to reconnect with Penny too. We all enjoyed a meal at Super Panda prior to making the journey home.

two boys in a tub

Trevor and Joel are big fans of the bathtub. Both like to "swim" on their bellies. Joel is always up for bubbles, Trevor about 50% of the time.

fireman and pumpkin boy

Trevor and Joel had an exciting Halloween. Auntie Erin was here to visit and helped the boys carve pumpkins and roast seeds. Everyone at the courthouse enjoyed seeing the boys in costume. The boys went trick-or-treating around the block, and then we all went to a Halloween weenie roast with some of Trevor's friends.

dental hygiene

Joel likes to brush his teeth... a huge understatement. Joel LOVES to brush his teeth.

the big kahuna

Okay, so some of our shoe choices are questionable....but Trevor remains "the big kahuna"