Rollarcoaster? Check!

We took H and L to a children's amusement park, honestly not expecting them to go on more than one ride, and they LOVED it!  They went on almost every single ride, even the "big" rollarcoaster (which was actually a little too much), and had SO much fun.  They were so funny to watch.  They seemed so serious on the rides but if you looked at them you could see them trying to hold back smiles.  Especially Hogan.  He would accidently let a smile slip and then try to look serious again as quickly as possible.  Such a fun afternoon.

Little Farmers

Let's go pick some strawberries!

Fun with Friends

H and L had a great time at the lake with their friends Penelope, Charlotte, Mallory, and Gabriel.  There was a lot of running around, playing with sand, collecting of rocks, wading in the REALLY cold water, and laughing.  And I had a wonderful time with their wonderful Mama's :)

Thank You Grandpa and Nana

We are so grateful to you, Grandpa and Nana, for putting so much time, effort and resources into fixing up the van for us and making the fun trek back to Cleveland with us.  We had a great time with you and we appreciate everything you do to help us!

H and L had tons of fun with you while you were here and are hoping you will come visit again soon.

Thank you, thank you!  We love you.

Here are pictures of H and L eating ice cream at the Honey Hut with Nana and Grandpa.  I was sick during the whole visit (Thank you for watching the kids for me so I could rest!!) so the camera didn't come out much.

Goodbye For Now Florida

We were so blessed to be able to spend 3 months in Florida, soaking up some sunshine and most of all our family.  We have the best family in the world.  We love you all so much.  My kids are so lucky!!!  And so am I.

... Hanging out with Noni, helping her garden, riding cozy coupes, getting to know Eli the Elephant, chasing the dogs, running around in the yard, reading Droofus the Dragon 90,000 times, playing knights, playing owls, playing super heroes, Dollar Store trips with Noni, swinging on the porch swing, steering the car between Noni's house and MayMay and PopPop's house, going for walks, going swimming, playing at Mimi's house, eating Cheeze-Its and watching Family Feud with MayMay, crazy bubble baths, running circles around MayMay and PopPop's house, playing "mac-a-win" with Mimi, having gun battles with Coy and Elle, shooting bugs with water guns, lots of fun outings, having parades at Nana and Grandpa's,  going for nature walks, Luigi's pizza ...

H and L had a wonderful time.  It is so nice that in spite of how far away we live they are able to truly know their family, feel comfortable with them, LOVE them, and have so many great memories.  

Put Those Kids to Work!!!

We had pizza night at MayMay and PopPop's house and if you didn't help you didn't eat.

And their efforts paid off!

Times Flies

It seems like just yesterday that we brought this tiny, sweet, kissable little bundle of joy home from the hospital.  

And in the blink of an eye she has grown into a beautiful, sweet, opinionated, independent, lovable little two year old who can hold her own and isn't afraid to let everyone know what she thinks.

We started the morning with Birthday Biscuits because what better way is there to start it?

We love you so much Lauralee.  You are such a blessing and you amaze us every day.  

- You are so caring and full of love and compassion.  

-When Daddy leaves for work in the morning you give him a hug and a kiss and say, "Be careful Daddy!"  Then you wave to him from the big window in the living room until he is out of sight.

- You are tough.  You can hold your own, you can take a hit and keep on going...probably goes along with having a big brother.  But at the same time you are really sensitive and you truly care about everyone around you.  You worry when you hear a child crying.  You are always the first one there to kiss a boo-boo or offer a hug.

- You tell us you are ready to take a nap, give all of us happy nap hugs and kisses and then head to bed.  

- You are SO independent.  You can do so much for someone so little.

-  You are a dare devil.

- You call Hogan, "Brodder", never Hogan, always, "Brodder".  I love it.

-  You take really good care of your baby dolls.  You feed them, dress them, put them down for naps and make sure we are all quiet, take them for walks in the stroller, change their diapers, and take them shopping to buy cookies.

-  You love to play dress-up.  You have tons of pretty little dresses to choose from but Spider Man always trumps them all.

-  When you get mad you can throw a fit like none other.  When you get really annoyed with us you "blow raspberries" at us with an angry expression on your face. 

-  When you are happy you light up the room with your smile and your laugh fills my heart with joy.

-  You love to help me cook, wash dishes, vaccum, sweep... don't forget that when your older :)

-  You are fun!

You are so special, so important, so beautiful, so smart, so kind, so loving, and such a gift to our family.  You are loved more than words can say.

Good Times

The Crazy Bubble Bath

Hogan begged and begged me to let him take a "crazy bubble bath" at MayMay and PopPop's and I finally relented.  This was Lauralee's first...and it was crazy!

Does life get any better than this??  I think not.

Sunshine and Swimming Pools

When in Florida...

And we did!  By the time we left these formerly water shy kids were jumping in, going under the water, and kicking around in their water wings.  Maybe we'll be able to teach them how to swim sans floatation devices next month.  I was truly amazed by how well they did.  They had a blast!

Look at the girl go!

Disney's Animal Kingdom

We had a wonderfully fun-filled day at Animal Kingdom with Noni.   Lauralee was very worried that we would be eaten by tigers but I am very happy to report that we all made it out safely.  

Here they are, ready to make their grand entrance...

We ran in absolute fear when approached by any of the oversized Disney Characters (can you really blame them though?) but enjoyed playing the bongos to our hearts content.

We went on a "real" African Safari.  H and L loved it!!

When I got tired L took over and maneuvered the stroller through the throngs of people that are Disney.

We explored an Asian Jungle where Lauralee faced her fear of the tigers like a champ.  We watched a Lion King Performance.  We even got to ride on a TRAIN!  Yes, a train.  This was the moment Hogan had been waiting for all of his life!  And he truly enjoyed every minute of it.  Here they are as we were getting ready to depart from the station.

And before we left we ate ice cream cones as big as our heads :)

Blessed Beyond Measure

How lucky we are to have memories like these...

And there is nothing cuter than watching these three zooming around in their "flintstone mobiles", breaking down (driving off the pavement, on purpose) and then helping each other back onto the road so the party can continue.