Rocking and Rolling

We have had some big and special events in our week.  This past Friday night, Alora decided to roll over for the first time!  Of course, vigilant with my camera phone, she would do it the one time I looked away ;(  Since then, she has been busy working on her new skill at home several times.  At 31/2 months, I'm not ready for her to move to that next step yet!

Opa and Oma have been visiting the Netherlands for the past few weeks, so Ezri has been able to Skype with them on occasion and has enjoyed doing so :)

Early this week, we got to make a trip to the doctor as we had a sick little baby.  We put her to bed Tuesday evening fine and when we went to bed, she was feverish, fussy, and not feeling well.  As the night went on, things got worse, her temp rose even with Tylenol and we woke to a very uncomfortable baby.  To be safe, as she is yet so young, we checked with the doctor who wanted to see her to make sure we weren't dealing with anything serious.  Fortunately, she checked out ok and has since begun to feel better and is back to her happy, cheerful little self.  Fighting a virus that has had this Mommy voiceless for a week now :(  We were surprised to find her measurements at the doctor, however...  14 pounds, 4 ounces (less than anticipated) and 27 1/2 inches (4 inches longer than at 2 months - not surprised there!).  We head back next week for her 4 month checkup.

The week has been beautiful weather wise and we have been living outside... working in the yard, cleaning flower beds, etc. to get ready for the summer, and more importantly for the party following Alora's baptism next week.  I just completed her gown this week and am excited to put her in it!  Both girls have enjoyed being outside, as have I!

The highlight of our week was a visit to Great Grandma's house Thursday night.  We shared dinner together and then released Ezri to the farm for play :)  First mission... find Shadow!!!

 Ezri soaked up some attention from Great Grandma, and they played together on the swing for a while.

 Then Ezri was back to the cats.  Besides Shadow, there is one other friendly cat at the farm a cat affectionately called "Balls" by (Great) Uncle Fred.  All day, before going to the farm, Ezri kept talking about Shadow and saying another word we could not determine... something along the lines of Bible, or apple... we could not figure it out.  When we got to the farm and she found Shadow and Balls, she exclaimed, "There's Shadow and Eyeballs!"  Eyeballs...yup, Balls now has a new name :)  Everyone got a real good laugh about that name change :)

 Uncle Fred hauled out some tractors and toys for Ezri to play with and she got right to work digging in the dirt, hitting balls, and getting dirty!

 As we sat outside enjoying the beautiful weather that evening, Alora and Great Grandma got in some snuggle time :)  I love being able to see my girls interacting with my grandmother  and am so grateful they have the chance to know her!  Watching Ezri on the farm sure made me miss my Grandpa, though... knowing how much he would have loved these little girls, the adventures that would have ensued, the tractor rides... thing I loved about and enjoyed with my Grandpa...    Each of my grandparents who have gone would have adored the girls, I know :) 

 Alora also got to know Shadow...

 And shared a kiss (or maybe tried to chew on her ear... we'll call it a kiss) :)

We look ahead to Memorial Day Weekend and focus our thoughts and gratitude on our military service members, past and present, and are so grateful we have the ability to live and enjoy the freedoms we do!  We are especially grateful for (Uncle) Kevin and all his hard work, glad now that he is back with his family after his Tour.

Happy Mother's Day

What a beautiful week it has been!  Warmth, sunshine, beautiful girls...

Alora is getting so strong!  She holds her head up for long periods of time and is beginning to tolerate tummy time for longer stretches, exploring the world from a new point of view.  Growing and changing so quickly, our baby is soon to be out of 3 month clothes.

Hopkins had their village sales this past weekend and while Alex watched Ezri and Aubrey, I went out with Alora, Kerri, Wesley and my mom to find some deals.  I was fortunate to find an adorable Pottery Barn bedroom set (quilt, blanket, bed skirt, curtains and wall hangings) for Ezri's room for less than $15 all together!!!  After we got everything washed up and put together in her room , Ezri was excited to try taking a nap in her big bed :)  She has done so each day during nap since Sunday, though still not interested in sleeping there at night.   Ezri has also had several successful visits to the potty this week.  Our little girl is getting so big!

We celebrated Mother's Day this past weekend - my 3rd :)  We had a fairly busy day with 2 services at church because Daddy was on sound and Mommy was singing.  Nap time was definitely in order!  After that, we got a visit from Grandpa and Grandma and then delivered one of Grandma's garage sale finds to their house.  We had some very tired girls that night - Daddy and Mommy too!

Our week was fairly quiet, though with no shortage of action.  Alora has begun to enjoy bath time somewhat, so we had some fun bathing her one morning :)

We added to our baby arsonal a new double stroller on Monday and have been taking it out for walks in the evening.  Upon arriving home from our trip to get the new stroller, I ran to open the door and returned to the car to find two adorable girls giggling their hearts out!  Apparently it was quite hilarious to Alora when Ezri hit her cup on the car seat.  While anyone can get Alora to smile, and we often times can get a little laugh from her, Ezri is the only one to get her to giggle this far.  It was just too sweet!

Ezri, Alora and I went to some garage sales with Dawn and Kenny on Wednesday and Ezri returned home with a Power Wheels go cart :)  Thursday, the girls and I went to the home of a friend from church to help with some light house work while her husband is deployed.  We enjoyed the opportunity to serve, and even Ezri got in on helping :) 

Our days have been spent outside as much as possible, cleaning up the yard, re-organizing the garage, etc.  Ezri found some mud one afternoon, and...

 Yup, we had a huge mess!  Once I realized she already had muddy shoes and was beginning to dig in the mud with her hands, I just let her go, and boy did she have fun!  The clean up effort involved removing all clothing on the back porch and hosing her down in the sink, which she also thought was hilarious :)

Oh, the joys of childhood!  Despite the mess, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ezri play in the mud - why not?  In fact, in hindsight, I should have joined her!  Maybe next time I will...

Pretty Girls and Parades

A glimpse into Alora's 3 month photo shoot from a few weeks back...

Make your own photo album

Last Friday I pulled out my old baby doll to show an old friend.  Since I had it out, I just had to put Alora with it for a picture :)  

 Sweet and compliant as ever, Alora just went along with it, smiling the whole time!

 Our weekend got pretty busy for us.  Saturday, Alex and my Dad worked hard at getting the garage wired and Kritex's new CNC machine assembled.  While the guys were busy, the girls, myself and my Mom went to some garage sales... and came home so packed in the car we could hardly move! (No really, it was almost that serious - toys in the front seat, truck packed, stuff on the floors wherever people were not, Mom in the back with the girls...) :)

Sunday, we headed to church for the morning and then back home for some time outside.  Ezri wore a "new" (handed down at least twice before her) dress with a "pretty" and even left the "pretty in her hair the whole time!

 It was a rainy afternoon, so we got out Ezri's new rain gear and she had a great time splashing and playing around in the rain!

 Alora got in on the fun by trying out Ezri's new $5 garage sale bike when Ezri was not on it...

 That didn't last too long before Ezri wanted it back :)

 Alex completed the assembly and placement of the CNC machine with help from Andy, and now the learning and work can begin.  We are excited and hopeful for the opportunities this will bring Kritex!

 My little kitchen helper has been busy again this week.  One night we had Spaghetti for supper.  While I was busy setting the table and making salads, she got right to work helping herself to the bowl of spaghetti and had quite a meal before we sat down to eat.

 Lately she has been very determined to help Tucker eat as well, taking his bowl and sitting down to feed him piece by piece.  Fortunately, Tucker is so laid back with her and just goes along with it :)

 One morning this week, Ezri declared to me, "That's my Alora.  I love Alora!"  Aww...

 Ezri had a couple of successful trips to the potty this week, so we are beginning some more serious potty training.  We put up two papers on the bathroom walls, one for success and one for tries, and she really enjoys putting a sticker up each time.

Thursday, the girls and I headed to Holland for some Tulip Time fun with Grandma, Aunt Kerri, Aubrey and Wesley.  Ezri thoroughly enjoyed herself :)

 She really liked watching the dancers and was attentive through the whole dance.  I think she especially like the wooden shoes and the noise they made.

 Then we settled in for the parade.  This was Ezri's first parade experience that she was not actually in the parade, but just watching.  She did great!  After a little lunch from the food vendors - her first corn dog :) - she was all set to go for watching the parade.

 Her favorite parts of the parade were the bands.  She would dance and clap her hands and get excited when they came by... it was so cute to watch!

Alora slept through much of the afternoon cuddled up in the carrier on my chest.  The sun was out, it was nice and warm, and we had a really great day together.  It made me miss the whole marching band, dutch dancing, Tulip Time experience that was a big part of my high school life.  It also made me feel quite dated to think that I have been out of high school for nearly 14 years already - eek!  I really enjoyed sharing the experience with my girls :)

3 and 26

Another week with babies getting older...  Ezri made it to 26 months and Alora to 3 months!!!  

Alora is growing so fast!  She loves laying on her playmat and is becoming more and more able to grasp toys when she reaches for them, often pulling them down.  She kicks and plays and coos and talks... and nearly rolls over, spinning circles as she twists around to look at stuff behind and beside her.  Too Fast!!!  We are hearing more and more talk from her and just love her sweet smile and chatter :)

This past Saturday the girls and I got to spend the day with Grandma, Aunt Kerri, Aubrey and Wesley, followed later by Grandpa, Daddy and Uncle Mike.  The girls all went for a little garage saleing and I found the cutest little rain coat, boots and umbrella for Ezri :)  Then we got in some play time at McDonalds followed by an afternoon at Grandpa and Grandmas and then dinner.  What a busy day!!!

We had some beautiful - almost too hot - days again this week.  We were able to enjoy a beautiful Sunday with friends and the week shaped up very nicely as it went on.  The girls and I spent several afternoons outside cleaning the yard, weeding, and just playing.  We set Alora up in her portable bed and she just took it all in, watching the leaves sway in the breeze and her sister running amok...

 I caught Ezri catching a rest near Alora and it was just too cute!

 Sweet little Alora just loved the fresh air and warmth - as did we all!

 She even fell asleep outside... until big sister joined her, then it got a little crowded and she wasn't so sure about it.

 One of the things we did while outside was get our fountains back in working order.  We got them uncovered, filled up with water and plugged in and away they went!  Of course, Ezri never missed a beat, right back in the water again!

 Dirty as can be, our little princess was in heaven outside :)

We had some fun with matching outfits again this week.  With the weather so warm, we dug out warm weather clothes and discovered that one of Alora's 3 month outfits matched an 18 month outfit that Ezri still fit into :)

 Ezri loves her little sister so much and thinks it is great to wear matching clothes.  We have yet to experience any jealousy or meanness toward Alora on Ezri's part, for which we are so thankful!  Alora has plugged right into our family as if she's always been a part of it and we are so grateful for the blessings of our two precious little girls!
We did get in some inside play time this week too, and Ezri hammed it right up, putting on a concert for us, playing her guitar and singing into her microphone.  A little diva in the making...

This weekend is sure to be filled with action as Kritex got a new CNC machine which now needs to be assembled and put in place so it can be put to use.  This means lots of cleaning and organizing for us, but we are very excited about the potential and new opportunities this brings Kritex.  God is truly in this as our business continues to grow against odds and economy, a true faith walk many times, but a testimony to God's ability to take what we think is impossible and make it fully possible.