Dear Norah, (the 2nd born edition)

Dear Norah,

Hey sweet girl.  I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog to cover all the holidays and family events we've had going on lately.  I'm several months behind on documenting the happenings of you and your sister.  I'm learning that life with two kids is a bit more time consuming than life with one, thus I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll probably always be playing catch up with the blog.  I'll get to all of those updates soon, but I wanted to take a break in the action to share my heart with you, Norah Elizabeth.

I hope someday when you are bigger you'll like looking back at this blog to catch a glimpse of our family life and what things were like around here when you were a baby.  But I have a confession to make.  I'm suffering from a bit of mommy guilt.  Being the youngest child in my family, I've always given your grandma a hard time about the fact that there don't seem to be as many baby photos of me as there are of my brother and sister.  I think that's very typical of a lot of families... the oldest child is well documented and then things gradually taper off.  When I was pregnant with you I told your Daddy that we would take just as many photos of you as we did of Avery.  Things would be perfectly fair and even between the two of you in every way... including your number of appearances in the family album!  Well little one, I'm here to break it to you that I now understand why the 2nd born is usually lacking in baby photos.  When you showed up in this world you doubled my capacity to love. You doubled the joy in our house.  You also double booked my schedule. :)  I genuinely love that my hands are full and I would not want it any other way.  Don't fear, there are plenty of pictures of you!  Amidst all of the obligatory posed holiday pictures, there are lots of candid moments, toothless smiles, bath time fun, summer days outside, baby food covered cheeks... all well documented and part of our family archives.  Admittedly though, there aren't as many pictures of your every day cuteness as there are of your big sister.

You see, Norah, it's true that this time around my attention is divided.  I have two girls to love, two girls to spend time with.  That's why every moment I get with you is so precious that I'd rather be holding you than holding the camera.  I've learned that this stage, this squishy chubby little baby stage, goes by so so fast.  I've learned that I will blink my eyes and suddenly your little baby babbles and coos will turn into conversations with full sentences. Changing your diapers day in and day out will turn into me hearing the toilet flush and shouting up the stairs, "Don't forget to wash your hands!".  Reading board books to you in sing-songy rhyme will turn into signing you up for preschool.... It all happens so fast, too fast.  And don't get me wrong, every single moment is worth capturing on camera.  I would have an entire room in our house devoted to photo albums full of my little girls if I could. I don't ever want to look back and regret that I didn't snap more photos.  I'm just saying that right now, in this precious stage of life where you are my cuddly little koala bear baby, snuggling up tight every chance you get... right now, while you are full of belly laughs and peek-a-boo games... right now I just want to enjoy you.  As a mom it's easy to get pulled in a lot of different directions.  In those all too rare moments when it's just you and me and I can give you my undivided attention, I want you to have just that... my undivided attention.

So please forgive me if you look back someday and feel like the blog posts during your first year seem a little thinned out (and always months behind), or if you count more baby photos of your sister than of yourself (I'm sure any future sibling will have the same fate).  Just know that you have captured my heart in a way that no photo could ever do justice.

I love you baby Norah,
Momma

Color Me Crazy

I am not athletic. I am not a runner. I don't like to be hot and sweaty. I am not adventurous. I don't like to step out of my comfort zone. I don't like to get dirty.  So when I heard that The Color Run was coming to Columbus in the middle of July during one of the hottest summers on record.... I signed up.  Nothing about this makes sense and to this day I have no idea what got into me.  The Color Run is "the happiest 5k on the planet".  You pay a bunch of money to run 3.1 miles in the sweltering heat and as you run you get colored powdered paint thrown at you.  I know it sounds strange.  It is.  But it is also a hilariously fun time and I am so glad I did it.  Nikki, who runs several marathons a year, was a total sweetheart and signed up to run it with me.  I spent almost 3 months training and by the week of the race, sure enough, I was able to run (well, jog) the entire 3 miles without walking.  For me, this was a huge accomplishment.  I wanted to do The Color Run because it sounded crazy and fun, but I also wanted to to do it because as much as I loved my daily walk around the neighborhood pushing the girls in the double stroller, it was time for something different and a little more challenging.  By the end of the training I was actually looking forward to my early morning runs.  For me, what I learned about myself and accomplished in the 3 months leading up to The Color Run was actually more impactful than the event itself.

Since the run was in Columbus it meant we got to spend a weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  It was especially fun that Nikki travelled from Stow to spend part of the weekend there as well.  We love it when our Piland and Kelley families collide!  Saturday morning Nikki, Erich, and I woke up bright and early and headed to downtown Columbus to find the starting line.  We are so thankful that Grandma and Grandpa were able to watch Avery and Norah at home during the race.  There were over 10,000 runners plus all the spectators... it was insane!  I can't imagine trying to manage the girls in the midst of it.  

 Nikki and I posing for a "before" photo before we left to go downtown.  Once we got there Nikki and I headed to the starting line.  Erich went to secure a good spot at the finish line so he could be sure to capture the monumental finish on camera.  I had my cell phone in my pocket and when we were getting close to the finish I gave him a quick call to let him know to get ready with the camera.

 When Nikki and I crossed the finish line we couldn't spot Erich right away so we just hammed it up and acted like fools hoping that he was in the crowd somewhere taking our picture.  (spoiler alert: this is not a photo of that moment)  Once we finished and grabbed some water, we walked around for 30 minutes looking for Erich.  I called his cell phone at least 10 times and was getting frustrated that he wasn't answering.  It turns out, he wasn't answering because his phone was in his pocket and he was too busy holding the camera up to his face and watching the finish line like a hawk so he didn't miss taking our photo.  Except, he had already missed taking our photo.  That poor guy stood there for 30 minutes posed and ready to document this memory for his wife and sister.  All the while we were looking everywhere for him!  After we finally connected and all had a good laugh about it, Erich made us go back into the crowd of runners and cross the finish line again so he could get it on camera this time.  The above photo is our "fake finish" and I laugh at the memory every time I look at it.  I wouldn't change it for anything.

 Our "after" photo.  I am so thankful that Nikki has enough crazy in her to want to do something like this with me.  She is an amazing sister in law and friend and I loved doing this with her!

 To prevent people from ruining the interiors of their cars on the ride home, they had a "cleaning station" which was actually just a couple of guys with high powered leaf blowers that blasted us with air and blew a lot of the powder off of us.  It was hilarious and it did the trick! (Although there was still plenty of color left to scrub off later)

 Can I tell you how amazing this man is? He sacrificed his time and adjusted his plans on his days off several mornings a week in the months leading up to the race so that I could have the time I needed to go out and train while he stayed home with the girls.  He drove us to and from the event in insane traffic and then waited around by himself for us to finish it.  He knows that this was all very much out of my comfort zone and he was a constant supporter and cheerleader.  I kept telling him it wasn't a big deal, but he knows me better... he knows it was.  And because of that, he did this...

 I had no clue that Erich had made this banner and left it with my parents.  When we got back to their house I was greeted with a sign, cheers, smiles, and "The Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background. I definitely felt the love.  I've never seen a better looking team of cheerleaders... especially that little one in the middle!

Future Color Runner?  I think she pulls it off well.  That sweet baby Norah is always full of smiles.

I'm still not athletic. I'm still not a runner. I still don't like to be hot and sweaty. I'm still not adventurous. I still don't like to step out of my comfort zone. I still don't like to get dirty.  But just think of the fun I would have missed if I'd let all that stop me.  Sometimes it pays to stop focusing on all the things we're not and remind ourselves of all the things we are.  Today, I'm proud that I'm a Color Runner.

More Summer Snapshots

It's 50 degrees and raining outside.  Fall weather is officially upon us and I still have a lot of summer fun to document here on the blog in order to get caught up.  I can't say I mind... looking over these sunshiny photos is doing my heart good on a gloomy day.  My blog updates my get fewer and farther between, but I refuse to let it go.  This little corner of the internet has become a keepsake for my family and therapy for this sappy mommy who can't come to grips with how quickly it's all flying by.  Here's the second half of our summer at a glance...

We were having such a great time celebrating the 4th of July that I forgot to take photos!  We love the community we live in. One perk is that we live in such close proximity to great friends.  For the 4th, I loaded the girls in the stroller and we walked a few streets over to our friends Adam and Lindsey's house and crashed their block party for a little bit.  Avery loved running around with the other kids, eating her first snow cone, and having her face painted (which is the only photo I took the entire night).  From there, we walked down just a few more houses and joined Scott and Amy and the rest of our church home group for a party (Erich met up with us there when he got off work).  The kids had a great time running around in the sprinkler and keeping cool while the adults had fun eating too much great food and talking the night away.  Scott and Amy have a perfect view of the city fireworks from their backyard... it was the perfect place to enjoy the show without the crazy crowds.  What a wonderful night!

 For the second year in a row, we enjoyed  a free event called "Sandtastic" hosted at Levis Commons, the outdoor shopping mall down the road from our house.  They set up a huge sandbox in the middle of the street and fill it with toys for all the kids to play with. They also have sand sculpture demonstrations, live music, and other family fun.  Norah and I sat on the sidelines this year and watched Avery and Daddy  play in the sand, but I'm sure next year Norah will want to be right there in the action (this year she just would have eaten the sand).

 Avery and Daddy sporting their shades in the hot sun.

 I love that Erich got this candid moment on camera on one of our summer trips to Marysville... Avery and Grandma enjoying a lunch picnic in the middle of Grandma and Grandpa's backyard garden oasis. It's a sight to behold, and the perfect place for a picnic!

 Our church hosted a summer festival and baptism celebration in the church parking lot complete with live music, free food, huge inflatables for the kids, and most importantly... 400 people were baptized that night, including our good friend Tari!  Avery immediately zoned in on the hugest inflatable at the party, The Screamer, and declared she wanted to try it.  I was a little nervous as we waited in line... all the other kids going on this particular inflatable were twice Avery's size, this one wasn't really meant for the 3 year old crowd (It was even taller and more steep than it looks in the picture).  In order to get to the top she had to climb up a steep and difficult ladder.  I was worried that she would have a hard time making it up the ladder, or that she would get to the top and then get scared and freak out and Erich or I would have to climb up after her.  I should have known that would not be a problem for our little adventurer!  We have a video of her going down the slide but I couldn't get it to load.  In the photo above you can see tiny little Avery climbing up the ladder in her green skirt.

 In August we enjoyed a visit to a paint your own pottery studio here in town.  Avery loved painting a tile while Erich and I worked on a coffee mug with baby Norah's footprint (yes, it was a two person job!).  For his first Father's Day, I made Erich a coffee mug with Avery's baby footprint on it.  He requested that we complete the set with a Norah mug.  It was a fun little trip and I'm thankful we could support this new, locally owned business in Perrysburg.

 The first part of this post was all about what Avery has been up to, but have no fear... Norah has been having some fun of her own!  She was present at all of the previous events I mentioned, but she was usually sleeping in the stroller.  She has been plenty busy at home though, always on the move and looking for adventure.  She seems to be following in her big sister's footsteps in that she has no fear and loves to look for trouble!  She's a rough and tumble girl.  Above is a picture of her first time trying blueberries.  She liked them :)

 Avery sometimes mistakes Norah for her own real life baby doll, as evidenced by the fact that I found Avery giving Norah a (rather fast) ride in the doll stroller!  Norah was cracking up and loved it, but after  I took a photo I suggested that this might not be the safest activity for these crazy sisters.

 This busy girl is always getting into something.  One day I found her stuck in the magazine tote...

 and the next day she got stuck in the toy box.  Norah's not afraid to dive headfirst into just about anything (including the toilet once when the bathroom door got left open... yuck).  She keeps us on our toes!

 This summer was definitely double the fun with two girls to enjoy it with.  Norah is a treasure in our family and I'd argue that she might be one of the happiest babies on the planet. She's a content baby girl and doesn't have much to complain about.  I can't believe we're already approaching her 1st birthday... this has been the fastest year yet!

Vacation

We feel so blessed that we were able to spend a week in June with the Kelley side of our family (thank you Mom and Dad!!).  We stayed in a beautiful lodge right smack in the middle of the gorgeous Hocking Hills in south-eastern Ohio.  Although we were very excited to hit the road, I was a little nervous for our first vacation as a family of four.  An 8 month old baby can be a little unpredictable, especially one who just started crawling.  I pictured us spending every spare second of our "vacation" trying to get Norah to sleep, chasing her around as she curiously crawled to every nook and cranny of the lodge, and always having one eye on the perilous looking staircase so she wouldn't go tumbling down.  We knew it was going to be a great time, but we were prepared to have our work cut out for us.  Perhaps having our expectations set so low was a good thing because we were THRILLED when it didn't turn out that way at all.  Norah slept like a champ the entire week (thanks to keeping her pack n play in the walk-in closet in our bedroom).  Much to our surprise, the owners of the lodge had a large play yard there that we were able to have set up all week (picture a huge baby gate that forms a large fence in the middle of the living room giving Norah enough floor space to safely crawl around and allow the other kids to climb in and out and play with her). It was perfect!  It was such a huge relief not to be constantly worried about where Norah was. If she wasn't in someone's arms, she was in the play yard and she had a great time being in the middle of all the action.  Avery was in heaven spending the week with Grandma and Grandpa, her aunts and uncles, and all of her cousins.  We spent the mornings hiking at the various parks or visiting the local shops. The afternoons were all about relaxing... lounging around the lodge, taking naps, reading, playing pool, and playing the Wii.  The evenings may have been my favorite part... cooking and eating dinner together, a bon fire with smores, and the adults staying up late after all the kids were in bed playing party games and laughing like I haven't laughed in a long time.  I can't believe we packed so much fun into 6 days.

 The lodge sat at the top of a huge steep hill and looked out over miles of gorgeous scenery.  It had a private hiking trail that led back to a cave which the kids loved.  This photo doesn't do justice to how beautiful it was or how steep that hill was! Every time we drove to the lodge we would all say a little prayer that the cars would make it up (they always did!).

 All of the cousins (minus baby Norah who was in the carrier on Erich's back).  Spencer, Katie, Karly, Will, Avery, Oliver, and Sophia.  Avery was so excited to spend a week with all of them.  They all had a great time together!

Avery and I on our hike to the Upper Falls 

Throughout the week we went hiking at Conkel's Hollow, Old Man's Cave, the Upper Falls, and a short lived stint at Cantwell Cliffs (it only took a couple of minutes to realize that taking 8 kids ages 10 and under to a trail with the word "Cliffs" in the title was not a good idea.  Thankfully none of the adults suffered heart attacks, but it was close.)  

 Erich and his girls.  What a trooper he is!  He had Norah in the carrier for every hike and at times was doing double duty with Norah on his back and Avery in his arms when her legs got tired.  He definitely got a work out.

 Norah fell asleep on one of our trips and Erich spent a good long while walking hunched over so she could get a good nap.  What a dad!

 Avery and Grandma at Old Man's Cave

 One afternoon Grandma and Grandma bravely stayed at the lodge and babysat the 7 youngest grandkids while the adults and 10 year old Spencer had quite the experience... The Hocking Hills Canopy Tour, a 3 hour zip lining adventure.  An adventure it was!  We zipped from tree to tree (some 90 feet in the air!) and made our way across some swaying rope bridges.  I'm not the adventurous type so I was pretty nervous about it but decided to boldly press ahead and give it my best shot.  That is, until we actually arrived and started the tour... which is when full out panic set in and I spent the next 3 hours with my eyes closed just trying not to cry.  Not very bold. In the end I can say I'm glad I stuck it out and did it, but I would never ever ever do it again. Just not my cup of tea.  Thankfully though the other 5 adults and Spencer loved it and had a blast. It was well worth it and I can honestly recommend it to others who enjoy a thrill. I don't.

 Erich leaning out over the edge of one of the tree platforms waaaaaay up in the air.  As our guides would say, "Trust your equipment!" (I never trusted mine)

 Up in the trees

 Aside from all of our outdoor adventures, we spent a lot of fun family time at the lodge eating, playing games, and relaxing.  Paul and Kristen brought a hilarious and fun game, "Family Bingo".  They had Bingo cards with photos of each family member as the bingo spaces. What a hoot!  The kids and adults all had a great time with it.

 Momma and Norah getting some cuddle time

 Grandpa brought rubber band airplane kits for all the kids to launch off the deck out into the woods below.  The kids loved it and I think Grandpa did too!

 With all of the constant activity the kids didn't do much sitting still, but on our last full day there they were finally starting to crash and I think they enjoyed chilling out on the couch with some snacks and watching the movie "Tangled". 

 Throughout the week we all took turns trying out the Wii.  A couple of people would play while everyone else would stand around and laugh at them... family bonding at it's finest! Grandma and Grandpa really got into it!

 The pool table provided hours of entertainment for all the guys. Norah loved to watch and cracked up laughing every time they made a move.  She definitely enjoyed the pool table.

Meal times were a lot of fun with everyone sitting around the table together.  Here are all the kids having dinner one night.  It was the evening we had the joy of celebrating Sophia's 2nd birthday with a little party, hence all the streamers and balloons.

16 people staying under one roof... 8 adults and 8 kids.  Part of me wondered if by the end of the week we'd all be sick of each other and ready to part ways.  Quite the contrary.  Although we were ready to get home to our own beds, it really was hard to leave everyone.  We had so much fun and I loved watching Avery interact and play with her cousins.  She melted into a crying mess when it was time to get in the car and head home and I got a little choked up as we pulled away.  Then a few hours later when we got home, Avery ran straight up to her room and literally hugged her bed saying, "Oh I missed you!". I understood just how she felt.  It's a good sign when you love vacation so much you don't want to leave, but love your home so much you can't wait to get there. That's just how it should be.

Father's Day

Remember how I said I spent Mother's Day taking a nap and shopping?  Erich spent Father's Day installing the world's most complicated baby gate. We're wired a little differently.  I would have loved to give Erich the "day off" and see him lounging around, relaxing, watching movies all day.  But that's not how Erich works.  He can't rest when there is a project to be done and with Norah's new found mobility the baby gate felt like a bit of an emergency. What a great dad, sacrificing his Father's Day to keep his baby safe!  Along with installing the gate we went to church, had a great dinner, and spent some time on the deck giving Daddy his gifts.  Although we would gladly welcome a son to our family someday, I think God knew exactly what He was doing when He blessed us with two little girls.  Erich is an amazing Dad to our daughters.  He makes them feel safe and secure. He encourages them and makes them feel beautiful.  He is the perfect balance of sensitive, fun, and serious. He firmly disciplines when needed, but Avery and Norah will never ever ever doubt their Daddy's love for them.  We try our best to teach our kids about Jesus so they will grow up knowing where their hope comes from.  As important as it is for us to share that truth with them, actions speak louder than words and Erich exemplifies Christ's love to our family daily.  I am blessed to call him my husband. Avery and Norah are blessed to call him their dad.  

Daddy with his pretty girls

One of Erich's gifts was a set of books he'd had his eyes on.  Avery and I worked on a little project together and surprised him with a special bookmark (it involved a photo of Avery posing like she was dangling from a rope and she thought that was hilarious).  Avery was so excited to give it to him and so proud that she helped to make it.  What a sweet girl.

Daddy and baby Norah.  What a joy she is.

She's mobile!

Norah started crawling on May 31st at 7 months old.  She had just woken up from a nap and was still bundled up in her sleep sack when we noticed her wiggling around on the floor trying to get to a pair of Avery's shoes.  We thought, "I bet if her legs weren't caught up in that sleep sack she'd be able to crawl."  So we took her out of it and grabbed the video camera to wait and see what would happen.  This is probably one of those videos that means a whole lot more to us as parents than it would to anyone else, but if you have 50 seconds to spare, here's a glimpse of Norah's first time figuring out how to get from point A to point B. (I know I look like a mean mom as I keep scooting the shoes further and further away from her. I wanted to encourage her to go a little further, but mostly I just didn't actually want her touching those dirty shoes!)

She started out with this sort of awkward wiggle, then quickly transitioned to the army crawl. After a couple months of that she is now a full fledged crawler up on her hands and knees getting into everything!  She pulls herself up to standing, climbs up onto the fireplace, is trying to climb the stairs, and she is FAST.  If we take our eyes off of her for just a second we have to play "Where's Norah?" and hunt her down before she gets into trouble.  We've finally gotten into the habit of keeping every door on the first floor of the house closed at all times (the basement door, laundry room, bathroom, our bedroom) and Erich installed a baby gate to keep her out of the kitchen.  Let the baby proofing begin!

Happy To Be Stuck With You

"The ultimate purpose of marriage is not to make us happy, but to glorify God."

I recently read that quote and it has stuck with me.  So true, isn't it?  I smiled when I thought this over and fit it into the equation of our own marriage.  Erich and I aren't perfect people and our marriage will never be perfect.  But we make the choice to love each other through it, come what may, and our prayer is that our relationship brings glory to God.  And you know what?  We're happy.  The purpose of marriage may not be to make us happy, but I think when you are working hard to glorify God happiness is going to be found in the midst of it.  On May 26th we celebrated 5 years of marriage. What a sweet spot we're in.  Still "newlyweds" in comparison to a lot of people, still learning each other, still figuring it out.  But enough experience under our belts to know how to relax and enjoy each other, work through the tough parts together, and hopefully make God smile when He looks at our little family. When people look at us I hope they see love and happiness. But most of all, I hope they see God.

On our anniversary this year we enjoyed a delicious dinner at an awesome restaurant in downtown Toledo then finished out the night with a little putt putt golf.  It was our first time doing that together and we joked that we didn't know how we survived our dating relationship without a round of putt putt. It seems like an awkward rite of passage for young dating couples.  Our point was proven when we arrived at the course and were surrounded by flirty couples a good 10 years younger than us. It was kind of entertaining.  I will never win any trophies in the mini-golf arena (I was horrible!) but we had a great time and some good laughs.  It was a very fun way to celebrate 5 years.

He came, He saw, He conquered.  That's right folks, Mr. Piland got a hole in one.  That's my husband!

Sweet Summertime

Summer is well underway and I'm behind on updating the blog, so in an effort to catch up, here are a couple months worth of photos of our summertime fun.  We've been spending a lot of time soaking up the sun, hanging at the pool, enjoying lazy summer days around the house, and taking advantage of the fun events our cute town has to offer.  In the midst of all that, we went on a family vacation (a post of it's own), Avery has been taking a couple of classes at the Y ("Kids in the Kitchen" and "Gym and Swim") and I've been training for a 5k. Norah has fallen into an awesome napping/sleeping routine and is generally pretty happy most of the time (unless she's teething). Erich is working hard as usual at the hospital and always seems to have a project to tackle around the house when he's at home.  We got a new grill this year after going without one for a couple of summers and I've enjoyed reaping the benefits of Erich perfecting his grilling skills. Yum!  One benefit of Erich working 12 hour shifts is that he has 3 full days off every week which allows us to spend a lot of quality family time together.  What a fantastic summer it has been so far!

 Avery got her first bike this summer, a princess bike handed down from a friend whose daughter had outgrown it.  Erich cleaned it up and it looks brand new - Avery thinks it's wonderful and would much rather spend her time ringing the fancy bell on the handlebars than actually riding it, but we're working on that.

 Norah has graduated to sitting up in the "big girl" tub instead of getting a baby bath and now the girls take all of their baths together.  It's faster and easier for us that way and they have a great time in the water together.  Bath time is a fun event in our house.

 I had to include this photo of Avery.  Erich walked past our bedroom a while back and saw Avery in this candid moment... laying in our bed, "reading" the book off my nightstand with her shades on.  This child cracks us up!  I love relaxing days at home that allow for these types of moments.

 On the first Friday of every month during the summer, adorable downtown Perrysburg hosts a family festival aptly called, "First Friday".  They have popcorn and cotton candy, a clown giving out balloon animals (we skipped that since Avery was terrified of him), arts and crafts, a jump house, games and activities for the kids, live entertainment, and more. And it's all completely FREE.  We love our town!  Here are the girls and I enjoying a train ride. They loved it. (These photos were taken on June 1st. It was freezing cold and rainy.  We were shivering.  Hard to believe that just a few weeks later we were sweating it out in 100+ degree temps. Ohio weather is crazy)

 The Perrysburg Fire Department was there. Avery was super excited to sit in a real firetruck... until she realized it wouldn't actually be going anywhere.  She thought they were going to drive her around.  

 If Norah could talk, I'm pretty sure she'd tell you her favorite thing about this summer has been her swing in the backyard. It was a great garage sale find. We cleaned it up and Erich hung it from the perfect branch on the big tree in the yard.  I love that I can sit on the steps of the deck and push her in it. She's all smiles and could stay in there for hours. 

 It's almost inevitable that every swing ride ends up looking like this.  She just can't resist dosing off.  I'd probably do the same thing if I had the lulling back and forth motion of the swing and a nice cool breeze.  It sounds pretty good to me.

Our backyard has been put to good use this summer.  With the new grill, some comfortable furniture on the deck (a cushioned porch swing was our anniversary gift to each other this year!), the sprinkler for Avery, and the swing for Norah.... we have loved getting great use out of the yard.  I joke that the deck is my favorite room in the house. But seriously, I love it.  We had a stretch in May and June where we were out there pretty much daily, but with the July heat wave it's just been too hot, even for the sprinkler.  Hopefully things cool off soon and we can get back to our oasis!

 What's summer without some zucchini bread??  Avery loved helping to bake a few loaves.  She looks so grown up to me in this photo.

 Our friend, Nadine, has a pool and is kind enough to invite us over to enjoy it each summer. We love getting together with Nadine and her granddaughter, Avery, as well as Shiloh and her kids, Seth and Melanie.  Nadine, Shiloh, and Erich all used to work together (Erich and Shiloh still do).  Avery, Avery, and Seth were all born very close together which makes for fun playdates.  

Our friends gave us that raft for Norah and it has been such a huge help this summer.  It has holes for her legs to go through, kind of like an exersaucer, and she just kicks her feet and floats around all over the pool (with a parent always right next to her of course!).  I'm thankful that Avery and Norah both enjoy the water so much. We have a great time!