Summertime!

Okay, I'm the worst blogger ever! No updates in over a month!

The months of April and May have brought many changes in our house. Sammy started physical therapy and his progress is amazing!! In just three weeks he's gone from not being able to move anywhere to crawling all over the place!! He's even pulling up!

Summer has officially arrived! We've been spending so much time at the beach and out on the boat. We are so fortunate to live where we do. Water, water everywhere!

Here are some pictures of our first trip out on our friends' boat. Michael loves to ride up front and get splashed by the water. Sam is content to hang out with his buddy Rowan. Doesn't he look adorable in his life jacket?

On the Hunt

Believe it or not, today was Michael's first egg hunt. This will be his third Easter, and we have never been on an egg hunt. He wasn't quite sure what to expect, but once he figured it out then he was on a roll. He had a blast! Our friends Van and Jodie went all out for this event. I swear they must have hidden at least 300 eggs, all filled with candy. Thanks for a wonderful time guys!
You can also see that I tried to get an adorable picture of Sam and his friends Rowan and Stephen David. Since the other two boys are crawling, Sam was the only one who sat still. It's impossible to get a decent picture of young children!!

Pirate Stuff

Michael is obsessed with pirates. He can spot a skull and crossbones from a mile away. Each day when I go out to get the mail he dives into any catalogs looking for anything pirates. Last week a Company Kids catalog came with 2 pages of pirate bedding. The thing is falling apart, but Michael sits and "reads" it almost everyday.
Anyway, here is a picture of his pirate garb that he wears daily. It consists of his pirate hat, pirate sword, pirate treasure (necklace), and his pirate glasses (from Mr. Potato Head). When we walk in the door the first words out of his mouth are "Mama, where's my pirate stuff". I love that he loves it!

Patio Helper

Recently we considered putting our house on the market, but after a realtor told us it wasn't worth it (she said it much more professionally) we decided we'd wait until next year. Instead, we're using some tax refund money to make some improvements to our backyard. My dad is building a patio for us and arrived this past weekend to get started. Michael was so excited to help Opa and we spent the entire day outside. My dad brought a shovel with him just for Michael and he enjoyed filling in all the holes Opa dug. Not much help, huh? Michael mimicked almost everything my father did which was so great to watch. My favorite moment was when my dad was writing out a list for a trip to Lowes. Michael turned to me and said "wait here mama", he went inside and came back with a MagnaDoodle and sat down and pretended he was also writing out a list for Lowes. Precious!
I wish I had taken pictures, but the stupid camera battery ran out and I left it on the charger all day. I'll post pics of the finished project as soon as it's done!

Playing Catch Up

Margaret is going to kill me for not keeping up with my blog!! It's been 2 months and I swore I was going to be better!!
Here are some pics of us taking a trip to the circus with our friends Margaret, Bean, and Grayson. Michael had a blast, but fell asleep during the tiger performance which of course was what he was talking about all week before the show.
The circus was almost two months ago. I'm so far behind. I'll be catching everyone up over the next couple of days :)

Sitting Sam

I've had been worrying about Sam's gross motor skills. He was slow to roll over and only just recently starting rolling from tummy to back. Yesterday was the first time he sat up all by himself with no support!! Sam's still wobbly, but he's getting so strong! He seems to like his new vantage point. I even gave him a bath for the first time in the big tub tonight. Doesn't he look adorable in the penguin towel?
BTW - I hope no one thinks we ignore Michael while we're taking all these pictures of Sam. Michael REFUSES to sit for a picture and runs as soon as he sees the camera!

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

Mike spent a weekend playing golf in Myrtle Beach with his friends. I took the boys to my parents' house and Michael enjoyed some time outside with Opa. He got to fly a Mickey Mouse kite. I could tell my dad really enjoyed it, he was sharing stories of how he used to build huge kites as a child. Opa is definitely a kite flying professional! Check out my kick ass minivan in the background!

Christmas Time

Michael and Sam had a very good Christmas. Michael seemed to understand the idea of Santa Claus and loved reading Christmas books, especially The Night Before Christmas. Michael was also adorable helping Sam open presents. He would hand them to Sam, who just sat and drooled, and say "Wow!" when Sam's gift was revealed. Michael then immediately took possession of Sam's gifts by stating "Mine", classic two year old. Santa came to our house, PopPop's house, and Oma's house. By the end of Christmas, Michael was a pro at opening presents!

Worst Blogger Ever!

When I started blogging again I promised that I would do a much better job at keeping it up-to-date. Well, I dropped the ball and it's been a month since I've posted anything. Christmas has come and gone, Sam's 7 months old and rolling over (finally!), Michael is doing well on the potty, and I am now the proud owner of a Honda Odyssey. Driving a minivan is the best and I LOVE my car. Even though I'm getting teased about my van, I drive it proudly! The following posts will get everything back on track. Enjoy!