Noah up close and personal

The Irony

We were so pleased with our new lawn that Matt finished Sunday afternoon. Then came Monday evening. There were sirens and ominous clouds so we the scooped the babies out of their cribs and headed to the basement. When we came upstairs this is what we found when we stepped out onto the back porch.

Luckily, the tree fell in the perfect place so we had very minimal damage, however it did manage to cover the entire yard, new sod included. Matt and I cleared the branches, him with a trusty hand saw and me as the trusty branch hauler.

In the end, the house remains intact and our friendly tree man came today to grind up the trunk. And in case you are wondering, the sod fared well and it looks just fine.

Ella says, "Thanks to Dad, we have a new lawn!"

It finally happened folks. In the last year, the spot that has been home to a swing set, 5 cubic yards of mulch, weeds (many weeds) and most recently the family of rabbits. But thanks to good weather, compliant babies and a very hard working husband, we now have a back yard that is covered in green grass. Thanks hon!

Ella had a lovely time checking it out.

Not his father's son

Things that Noah would like to do instead of eating oatmeal
(the thing that his father eats every morning):

Smile and look cute

Chew on his thumb

Attempt to chew on the table

Later in the day...

Give the kid some peas
(one of the worst foods in his father's mind)
and voila, he is a huge fan of eating!

Go figure.

Tired at the table

The kiddos had their 6 month appointment recently. All is well and as we already knew, they are officially small babies. Anyways, both of them were pretty exhausted after their shots. I was feeding Ella at the table and she usually sits up and grabs at the spoon. Instead, she just held on to the front of her seat and rested her chin on the table between bites.

(Don't worry --they are feeling much better today.)

Ta-Da!

We are the twins!

Favorite pictures from our afternoon

A day in the life (take two)

Thanks to our fabulous community group in NC, we have a pack and play. Of course, it comes with us when we need a bed away from home, but it also has spent a bit of time outside. Often, the babes 'join us' when we are working in the yard. For the time being, I've set it up on the screened in porch so that we can all get some fresh air.

And a few other random shots from the last week:

Mom gave us these new toys called sippy cups...not sure what to do with them, but they make great noises when we throw them on the floor.
-Ella

If only I could get this whole thing in my mouth.
-Noah

It was all too much for me.
-Ella

Six

Noah and Ella are six months old today.

Things Noah is good at: smiling, making funny faces, playing on the floor, finding the edge of a blanket to chew on, rolling over, taking walks, kicking his legs, talking to his toys, standing, taking Ella's pacifier out of her mouth, looking at books, croaking like a frog.

Things that Ella is good at: giggling, being carried, giving piercing stares, sitting for a few seconds and then toppling over, taking her pacifier out of her mouth and putting it back in, rolling over on Noah, taking naps, hugging her stuffed animals, eating solid foods, cuddling, telling stories.

Six Great Years

It's our six year anniversary today.
I honestly can't really remember what life was like before that day.

I love you Nicole.

-Your Hubby

What a wonderful day it was six years ago today:

Cantigny Visit

I've been meaning to post this for a few weeks, but alas, time is not always on my side. A couple of weeks ago, Jenny and Monique, roomates from Covenant came for a visit. It was wonderful, especially since Pish was in London for work. Jenny and I took the kids to Cantigny one morning. Whenever I visit I feel like I have stepped out of the suburbs and on to a peaceful island. Here are a few shots.

Noah's new friend Gigi

Chicago bound

Mel, my dear friend from high school, connected me with two of her friends that recently moved to the area. One of them I knew from Kansas and the other was totally new to me. We've been chatting over email for a while now and it was high time to meet, so Ella, Noah, and I made the trip into the city. For them, it was a first.

As you can see, they were just thrilled with the tall buildings (you have to look in the little mirrors...they are sleeping).

Mindy, Nicole and Rachel

Ella reclining and Judah, Rachel's son, moving in on her.
In the background you can see Alice, a friend from Covenant Pres. Chicago, and her son Kade. They were also able to join us.

The Adventures of Moses in Nature (er, our backyard)

I'm a bit behind in postings about our lives, but I did want to make note of the adventures of our favorite canine. In the last week, he has shown his true doggie self to us. It started last Wednesday. I was tying up loose ends around the house and not paying much attention to the amount of time Moses had spent outside that morning. I'm thinking that two hours had passed when I realized that I needed him to come inside so that we could leave. He finally came in after much coaxing. As I was getting the kids in their car seats I realized that Moses was proudly standing by a dead chipmunk that he had gingerly placed in the babies' play blanket. Just what Ella and Noah have been wanting! Needless to say, I was less than thrilled --Matt was not at his desk when I called (what else am I going to do when there is a dead furry thing in the middle of my living room?) and I'd love to hear the message that I left him. I was less than composed...

Item number two: Moses has an ongoing fascination with the bunnies that live around our house. He chases them around that yard, and they taunt him once they make it to the other side of our picket fence (ie. wiggle their little noses at him and graze on the lovely patches of clover that cover our lawn). I looked out this morning to see Moses digging in the pile of mulch that is sitting in the middle of our back yard. Not a good sign. Below is what I found when I went out for closer examination. I don't think that he would harm them (and I don't think that he killed little Alvin either, may he rest in peace) --I think that they just smelled nice and his curiosity got the best of him. I personally like the the one in the middle that insists on snuggling under his siblings. I did not really know what to do, but I covered them loosely with the mulch. Moses will be taking more walks until the nest is empty.

A favorite shot of mama and Ella