Lauren's 4th Birthday

Last Friday Lauren turned 4 and we had a small celebration as a family before her huge party Saturday.  She selected this colorful cupcake from a local bakery.

Grandpa couldn't be here to celebrate with us so he came a few weeks early and gave Lauren this bird feeder for our front window.  We are still waiting for the birds to find it.  I bet the cooler weather will speed up that process. 

Lauren asked for a waffle with jelly and a peanut butter candle for breakfast.

Lauren and Annie at a local art studio.  Geoff took the day off and we spent the day making art projects, going out to lunch, preparing for Lauren's party, and watching The Little Mermaid.

Using sparkle paint.

Patiently waiting to open her presents.

Looks like the Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy books were a hit.

Although I wasn't excited about the rain on the morning of Lauren's party, she was thrilled to have a chance to try her new rain boots and umbrella.

Stripes

Apparently stripes are the way to go these days...

Jeweled Acorns

Thanks to Mammie for this great craft idea!

Step 1 - Collect acorn caps while enjoying a wonderful fall walk.

Step 2 - Color the inside of the acorn caps.

Step 2 continued - Be sure to use a variety of colors, but only one color per acorn cap.

Step 3 - Ignore the marker all over your face and hands while pushing the acorn caps into Play Doh.

Step 4 - Squeeze Elmer's glue into the caps and watch the colors start to spread.

Step 5 - Throughout the next few days, watch as the acorns become jewels.  Then you can use these jewels to play matching games or even stack them.

Step 6 - Check on your baby sister.  Looks like tummy time turned into nap time!

Crystal Mountain Fun

Crystal Mountain has done a great job of increasing its  family activities  in the past few years.  Over Labor Day weekend the girls were able to get their faces painted.  Lauren wanted a "princess butterfly".

Annie got a "tiger butterfly" because they didn't have yellow paint.

And don't forget the Alpine slide.  Jon beat Geoff this time.

I barely pulled ahead of Lauren and Papa during this race.


The girls spent many hours swimming with Daddy too.  Annie loved the slide and Lauren made it across the lily pads all by herself.

Playing at the new playground was lots of fun too!

What's Annie Up to These Days?

Eating watermelon all the way down to the rind and playing with her friend, Cora.

Balancing on every thing she can.  Good thing she is in gymnastics now!

Watching Winne the Pooh - do I see a birthday theme emerging?

Playing at the beach

Reading books either with us or Lauren or all by herself.

This time she talked Aunt Stephie into reading to her.  Her favorite book at the cabin was a Barney nursery rhymes book.

Wearing many hats and dressing up in Mommy and Daddy's shoes.

Putting diapers on her babies.

Taking her babies on many, many walks.

Annie's vocabulary has really increased recently and she seems much happier now that we can understand her better.  She is becoming quite the independent little girl, especially when it comes to playing in the play room.  She still watches Lauren like a hawk though and copies her every move.  She loves "helping" me with Caroline who she still calls Baby.  It will be great to have some more one on one time with her now that Lauren is in preschool.

Caroline's Baptism and One Month Old Photo

Caroline all dressed and ready to go!  We were so blessed to be able to host her baptism at St. Ann's Church in Frankfort while on vacation in Northern Michigan last week.  It always helps to have the godparents present for a baptism and because Aunt Stephie and Uncle Jon were in town from Canifornia (as Lauren calls it) we decided to get Caroline baptized.

Not only was it wonderful to have Aunt Stephie and Uncle Jon with us, but the priest that baptized Caroline is the same priest we had at our parish near Grand Rapids growing up.  Because Steph and I went to that Catholic school as well, we have great memories of Fr. Porter.  How wonderful that Caroline was baptized by the same priest that celebrated my first communion with our family and married Steph and Jon too?

Caroline with her godparents

One day after Caroline's baptism she turned one month old.  It will be interesting to see how much she grows compared to that bear throughout the next year.  I am going to take her picture by it each month.  Thanks to the Brown Family for such a wonderful CMU teddy bear; Caroline's first bear.

Lauren's First Day of Preschool

First Day of Preschool
Sept. 5, 2012
I want to be a cheerleader and then a doctor when I grow up.

Mommy and Lauren outside of Lauren's school.

Mrs. Peecher, one of Lauren's teachers helping her write her name on her backpack.   Lauren gravitated toward this barn toy right away.  Good thing the first unit of study is farms.

Cutting and playing play dough with a new friend named Carter.

Notice the dress-up shoes, baby on her lap and Pinkalicious book?  Three of Lauren's favorite things these days.


All in all, Lauren's first day of preschool went really well.  Geoff and I were both able to be with her, which probably helped all three of us with this new milestone.  When I asked Lauren what her favorite part was she replied, "all of it!"  Here's to a great first year of school!