Happy Birthday 2 Year Old

Last weekend was Chase's Birthday - he is 2!!!

We had a great long weekend that started on Wednesday evening when Grandpa Randy and Grandma Donna got to town. They keep the kids Thursday and Friday while we worked. On Friday we started the weekend with a Bats baseball game...Best time Ever! Both the kids love the ballpark - but Chase was especially interested in Buddy Bat that night. He really wants to go back. Then we had a birthday party on Saturday with a few friends and neighbors. Sadly - this is the best picture of the cake I have. We did a Toy Story theme (Chase chose the plates at the party store and started it all.) So we made "Ham" the pig (well - a pig anyway) for his cake - it was really cute!

We got Chase a Toy Story big wheel for his birthday. He loves it and calls it his bike.

Later that night we finished off our fireworks from 4th of July to end our birthday celebration.

We had a great time with you Grandpa and Grandma! We miss you already!

Emma has started to take photos now - and she does a pretty good job -
just one of captures from the weekend.

Happy Birthday Chase!!!

Sleeping Arrangements

Our sleeping arrangements have changed again at our house - we no longer have any Babies! No CRIBS. I'm about to cry just typing this...

Anyway - a several weeks ago we put Chase into a toddler bed and it went suprisingly smooth. He loves being able to get in and out of his bed!

So one night - we put them to bed and this is what we found a few hours later...

I love coming in at night and seeing how the finally end up!

And then one night we had dreaded THUNDER. It was actually 2 nights in a row - and by the 2nd night they had figured out that Mom and Dad's bed is a much better place to ride out the storm - so we gave in and let them go to sleep (or start out at least - don't think I didn't throw them in their room once they were fast asleep!) in our bed. We told them - "No talking, do not get out of bed, blah blah blah - Or you have to go back into your own room." Here's how we put them to sleep - and it's EXACTLY how we found them 2 hours later!

Just a quick look at my sleeping babies! Hope you enjoyed!

Annual Hensley Camping Trip

I only took a handful of photos on our Annual Camping Trip w Zach's family. We had a good time (read "some of us had a great time, but Chase had an awful time!). The poor little guy just wasn't feeling it! He was hot and fell down about a million times. Maybe next year it will be better!

But Emma had a blast. She had a lot of fun swimming, building rock castles, playing ball and games and bubbles and more. And we got to spend some quality time with Grandma Donna, Papa Randy, Aunt Sharon Uncle Randy and Charles.

One rock castle with "snakes" and even had a sparker to top it off in the end -
she was pretty proud!

Em and Grandma Donna

Em and Papa Randy doing sparklers (sorry campgrounds - sure they're probably against the rules but we didn't start any forest fires!)


When we got home and got everything in - we started the bath water to get all cleaned up...left alone for only seconds and this is what Zach returned to find...

Sure - who needs to take off thier clothes - just jump in!
I think he was excited to get clean!!!

I'll try to be better next year and actually take some pictures!

Rewind - 4th of July

So lets just pretend it's the 4th of July and then this post won't seem so late!

We had a great 4th this year. Emma wasn't scared of fireworks - Chase...well - he didn't ruin any of the fun. Let's put it that way!

Grandpa Knute and Grandma Nesie had come into town for a long weekend. We went to the 3rd of July concert on the Waterfront as usual and then spent the 4th at our house with a few of our best friends. I'll let the pictures tell the rest!~

The 3rd of July - Waterfront Park

I'm pretending she's saying "Happy 4th" or "I Love America" - but I'm pretty sure it was just an excited scream (Or her telling me she wasn't leaving the fun water area!)

One great part of Louisville is that there always seems to be something Free down at the Waterfront. At the FREE concert - this was a FREE kids area where they could do water, bouncies and fun crafts and stuff - it's great!

Chase isn't far behind Emma - I have a feeling he'll be beating her some day soon!

This girl LOVED the fireworks - and when the got too loud -
she just snuck down in the stroller and hid a little!

Daddy and Em!

Grandpa Knute, Grandma Nesie and Chase
(who did't love the fireworks so much and was exhausted!)

The 4th of July

Grandma Nesie and Em

Grandma Nesie and Chase - I think she was more excited than him!

Best fireworks ever!

Sparklers

Papa Knute and Em


Hope you had a Great 4th of July!

A Great Book...

If you're interested in curling up with a good book (and an entire BOX of klenex) then I have a book recommendation for you. I just got done reading Two Kisses for Maddy by Matt Logelin and it was the best book I have read in a while. (It's really hard to say that a book is so good when it's filled with such heartache and tragedy.) I had heard of this book, but didn't know the background behind it until I read a friends blog. That prompted me to go to Matt's blog http://www.mattlogelin.com and read thier story (click on the "haven't been here before?" tab at the top). If you're a mom (or just alive in any way really) - this story will make your heart cry. Matt - You are Amazing. You should be extremely proud of the man that you are and of the Father that you have become for your little girl. Liz would be proud! Thank you for putting your story out there for the world to hear - and thank you for being honest! I think that's part of what I love so much about the blog and book is the honesty. And I have to agree with Matt when he says that sometimes it's our kids that make us hold everything together in life - with them around to help us out we can make it through the toughest of days!

So go grab this book, a box of Klenex and get ready to cry!!! You won't regret it!

Grandpa on Vacation = Projects Completed

Grandpa Knute and Grandma Denise were down to visit over the 4th of July - which meant that a few of my little (okay -HUGE) projects got completed at my house! While they were there we packed a lot of fun into a few days - but we also tackled 3 projects! Papa made the neighbors fence stand up straight again and we successfully installed tile on the other side (we had done one side of my yard years ago) of the yard so we wouldn't have a soggy area after a hard rain! And Grandma hemmed my bedroom curtains that have been held up with pins for oh - 2-3 years!

In the process of all this work - I only snapped two quick photos.

Peek-A-Boo!

THANK YOU Grandma and Papa! You're the Best!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We Love you!!!