We Love to Read!

I went out to dinner a few weeks ago with my book club girls. This group has been such a blessing to me, both because I love to read and because of the friendships that have blossomed within the group. We had a great time at Abuelo's.

Here is an updated picture of our group.

Back row L to R: Kelly, Me, Janelle, Sandi, and Katie

Front row L to R: Ashley, Susan, Susie

Not pictured is Catie (we missed you!)

Mama tries to keep up with her reading while Adam snoozes.

Adam's busy keeping up with his reading too.

Four Years of Mawage!

I'm still a bit behind on my blog posts, but Phil and I celebrated our fourth anniversary on August 13. Thanks to our friends next door, we got to go out for an awesome dinner date. As an added bit of fun, a glass of dessert wine was delivered to our table courtesy of the couple sitting at the table next to ours. They said they saw us holding hands across the table, something they don't see many couples do anymore, so they wanted to give us a little treat to enjoy with our chocolate lava cake - we DID enjoy!

Here is a picture of us before we went out. We're standing in front of our wedding portrait with all of our guests' signatures on it - kind of a flashback for you, although you can't see the picture at all.

Thank you, husband, for a great four years! We have grown so much in our marriage and you are truly my best friend.

Hangin' Out with the Boys

Adam and I had friends over the other day - my friend Janelle and Adam's friends Lucas and Axel.

Look at these handsome dudes! (Axel 6 months, Adam 9 months)

A little backyard swim time.

Adam's new thing in the pool/bath: dipping his hand in the water and then sucking the water off his fingers.

"Hmmm...I think I want that duck."

We're working on sharing. "Hmmm, that guy has my boat...not sure how I feel about that."

"Oh, how I love my ducky!"

Guess Who's Nine Months Old!

"Hey, everybody, I'm nine months old!"

"Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal."

He digs playing with tupperware while Mama cooks. Other kitchen favorites are the whisk and rubber basting brushes. Future chef?

This month we've really seen a development in his personality and desire to play. We have FUN!

1. Some of his new tricks: waving, giving "high five," rolling a ball, and clapping. He's very proud of himself when he does these things - Dad and Mom are pretty proud too.

2. He is up to five teeth, with the sixth not too far off.

3. He's gone pro with the sippy cup and solid food, but is still amateur in sleeping. He's not even close to qualifying for the olympics.

4. He's been very into his books lately.

5. He's starting to outgrow his 12 month clothes.

6. We've put up child gates! He's on the move, and we're thinking of getting him one of those push carts to help him learn to take some steps. He's shown interest in them at friends' houses.

7. He babbles and always seems to have something to say.

We CANNOT believe this boy's first birthday is looming on the horizon!

Certified Swimmer!

Adam completed his summer swimming class at the YMCA on August 16th! He was the youngest in the class, but he did great! He loves being in the water, which was really the goal - success! He liked watching the other kids, and did some really good work figuring out how to paddle and kick his legs. I was skeptical when the teacher tried to teach them safety turns - basically a move to grab the side and pull their body out if they fall in the water - but Adam actually got the hang of it, and would turn his head around and grab the side when we plopped him in the water.

Adam's big moment - receiving his certificate!

A couple of videos to share. This is the song we would always sing at the end of class - My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.

We tried to teach him to blow bubbles in the water. He didn't quite get it, but loved watching us do it.

Extreme Makeover - Home Edition

I thought it was so cool that the TV show Extreme Makeover - Home Edition was coming to Beavercreek, Ohio, to do a house. The house was only about ten minutes from our neighborhood, and although I wasn't able to volunteer, Adam and I did decide on a whim to head over on the last day and see what we could see. I knew it would be really crowded, but we still had a good time and it was kind of cool to see how everything worked.

So, Adam and I were in the crowd for the "Move that Bus!" day. If you look real close, you can see them getting the family ready behind the bus for the big moment where they reveal their new house to them for the first time. I heard a bit about the family's story from a friend of mine who was able to volunteer, and they sounded truly amazing and very deserving of a new beautiful home that would meet their many needs.

They handed out hand-clappers so we could make lots of noise. Adam was all ready to go with his! He was fascinated by all the cheering, but eventually did figure out how to shake it around and make noise. He still has fun with it in the living room.

The finished house. It looked really nice, and I was also impressed that it didn't stick out too much amidst the other houses in the neighborhood. Well done. There is a huge vegetable garden in the backyard, as the mom apparently really enjoys gardening. She had a teeny tiny garden before.

We even got a glimpse of Ty (he's the one in the black and white plaid, leading the way into the house.) It was hard to get a picture of him, though, he was moving pretty fast doing all of his crazy stuff to get the crowd going!

I think the show is supposed to air near the end of October. We'll be watching for sure!

Just Some Fun Ones...

These are just some random shots that I really enjoy, but didn't make it into other posts. What can I say, Adam is just too fun!

This picture is not great, quality-wise, but how CUTE is this kid?! A little dorky, but whatever.

A couple more fun bath time shots...

Everyone loves playtime with Adam!

Crazy Aunt Grace!

Sophie's Scare

Sophie earned some extra bragging rights and became a little more "well loved" during her time in Minnesota. She still goes everywhere with Adam, so she of course accompanied him on our walk around my parents' neighborhood. Imagine our dismay when we arrived home and discovered that Sophie had fallen out of the stroller sometime during our walk! If you read our blog often, you know how important Sophie is to Adam, so Grace and I jumped in the car and began retracing our steps to find her. We finally did find her face down in the middle of the road, about a mile or so from my parents' house. Thank goodness!

Poor Sophie!

She had been run over - perhaps more than once.

After a good soak and some serious scrubbing, she was back to looking her best. Adam loves her just the same, even though her squeaker no longer works. He was just so relieved to have her back. What a life this giraffe has had!

GREAT Grandparents - Both Literally and Figuratively

Adam is so lucky to have lots of grandparents who love him! During our trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin, Adam got to spend time with ALL of his grandparents and his great grandmas. This post is dedicated to all of them. Thank you for pouring your love on this little boy - he soaks it up!

Great Grandma H. (or GG, as she likes to be called) loved playing with Adam. They had a great little game going on with GG's shoes. Lots of laughs here...

I think we have a picture of Great Grandma Boom sitting like this with every single one of her grandchildren - and now Adam too! It's her signature pose.

Adam was a fan.

Kisses from Grandma Ann. Lovin' it!

Silly time with Grandma Ann!

Chillin' with Grandpa Rob.

Grandma and Grandpa Swenson made the drive up to the cities TWICE to see us! So good to see them!

Peek - a - boo with Grandma Peg...

Peek!

We love you Grandmas and Grandpas! You really are GREAT!

Adam's Night with Unco Matty

Adam got to spend a night with his Unco Matty while we were in Minnesota - they had a blast! Adam LOVES his Unco Matty!

Adam says, "whoa, this guy is crazy...I like it!" I'm not sure who was babysitting who here...

Meanwhile...I was downstairs at Matty and Jessica's new house enjoying some girl time. Jess hosted a bridesmaids' night with some Mary Kay make-up fun. It was so great to get to know Jessica's friends - we had a great time!

Your computer screen isn't broken...Matty had just had a red slushy on his way over to my parents' house.

Thanks for an awesome time, Unco Matty! I can't wait to see you at your wedding!

Reunited!

Adam was reunited with his out-of-state buddy, Hunter, while we were back in Minnesota. It was so fun for Stacey and me to see our boys together. This visit was much more interactive than their last playdate...

The last time Hunter and Adam were together - Christmas time, 2008. Adam was about one month old and Hunter was about three months old.

Such big boys now!

On the move!

Getting reacquainted...

So excited to be together!

We went walking at the Mall of America so the mamas could have some chatting time. It was Adam's first visit to MOA, so we had to get a picture by LEGO land.

I am so lucky to share motherhood with Stacey. It's fun to share the joys and challenges of raising boys with her, and seeing our sons playing together is pretty awesome. Adam can't wait for his next visit with his friend Hunter!

Meeting His Peeps

Adam got to meet some very important people while he was in Minnesota. It was so good to see friends that I miss so much!

Adam was very excited to meet Shana (Auntie H. Bag) for the very first time. Shana made the drive from Eau Claire to see us. She brought Adam a new telephone that has wheels and lights up AND a Wisconsin Badger outfit, which Adam will unfortunately probably never wear :) I mean really, what was she thinking??? At least it wasn't Packers.

We got to see Laura and her sweet girls. Alice is her oldest and we met Emilia for the first time.

We did some playin' at Beth and John's new house. They had just closed that day, so that's why there's no furniture or anything, but it was so fun to see it. It's a pretty sweet place. You can also see their new dog, Chloe, playing with B in the bottom right corner. You can sort of see Adam playing with his new phone, too.

It's hard not living down the hall from these girls anymore - or at least in the same state! It's amazing to see how each of our lives has changed so much in the last few years with weddings, home-ownership, moving around the country, dogs, and babies. I am so lucky to have these girls!