Omaha or Bust!

The last week of May, we loaded up the girls and took our first long road trip as parents of two. We were really nervous about the drive & we had our moments, but for the most part the girls were good & we made it without major mishap.

Once there, we just played & enjoyed family and nice weather.

Papa: "You want cookie dough? Sure, you can have whatever you want, pumpkin... Don't tell Mommy."

Nana & Auntie Erin threw Mia (and Signe, Mia's second cousin) a belated birthday party.

Between the cousins, games, favors, presents, and Nana's surprise cupcakes, Mia was pretty much in heaven.

And then we all had to take turns snapping photos with the girls.

We realized as we were leaving that the next time we saw Erin & Stu, they would be parents!

Such a fun trip!

I'll Catch Up Now!

I go through phases where I am really good about keeping up with the blog & then I quit completely for several months at a time & have to play catch-up. Since it is now October & I haven't posted anything since May, this is going to be a work in progress, but I have been informed that one can only read about Nick's half marathon so many times before it gets old. I guess the grandparents could use some new material. Sorry guys. And sorry, Nick. You were never really intended to be the star of the show. You had several months to be the top story, but now it is back to the kids.

Geist Half Marathon

Nick successfully completed his second half marathon (1:42:49) around the Geist Reservoir near our house. Even though he did not have nearly as much time to train for this one (we blame Macy), he still beat his last time by 5 minutes.

Mia loves wearing the medal he got. When we got home, she wore it while running laps around the main floor, telling us how fast she was.

Great job, Nick! We're proud of you!

Mia Turns 2!

It seems like Mia turned into a toddler overnight a month or two ago, so it was good to finally make it official with the arrival of her 2nd birthday. She's so big now!

Mia loved her balloons, her "Happy Birthday" tiara, and blowing out the #2 candle on her cupcake. Grandma Sue made three different kinds of cupcakes for the party that were SO good...lemon, blackberry, and chocolate surprise (Nick's mom's recipe) Everything looked and tasted so gourmet. (I wish a had taken a picture of them!) No one could eat just one.

The rain held off long enough for us to play with some of our favorite friends and Mia's new toys in the backyard.

A baby chipmunk made a special appearance just for Mia. It's eyes were still closed and it was a little disoriented. Nick had to pull on some leather gloves to help it back into its hole. Mia thinks of this family of chipmunks as her pets. We don't have the heart to get rid of them just yet, which kind of puts a damper on my plans for a little vegetable garden this summer.

This is the life... being pushed around on your new bike by one of your favorite friends while eating a cupcake. Life is good when you're 2.

Happy Birthday, Mia! We love you!

Children's Museum with Nana Sue

Grandma Sue was able to come into town for Mia's 2nd birthday weekend & one of the things we were able to do while she was here was visit the Children's Museum. This is not your average children's museum, in fact, Indianapolis boasts the world's largest, so it was a pretty fun day for Mia. (Ok, we all had a good time.)

One of the first things you see as you enter are a bunch of famous paintings recreated entirely out of jelly beans, something you may have only seen before if you had visited the Jelly Belly factory in California (which I have... twice). Mia knew the Mona Lisa and Starry Night immediately, thanks to the art books Aunt Mary and Uncle Mike gave her when she was born. Mia appeared to be the most cultured 2 year old the museum had ever seen, and I looked like an awesome mom. Thanks, Mike & Mary!

It was a good thing Nick wasn't with us, because there was a rather impressive exhibit all about Barbie, complete with the history, a fashion design section, and lots and lots of Barbies. Mia loved it. She kept running back and wanting her picture taken with this life-size wooden version of the original. And she decided to hold Barbie's hand for the photo all on her own.

Barbie Headquarters

I did not grow up really into Barbies, but I did have one that I received as a birthday present. Great Shape Barbie (1983) and I had a nice reunion that day.

And once again, there was a polar bear that Mia could not get enough of. I can't figure out the fascination, but she really loves polar bears for some reason... Even when they look scary and threatening like this one.

The museum had a cool section called Playscapes that was for children under five years old only. Mia loved playing in the sand.

But her favorite was the water.

After a little lunch, we saved a carousel ride for the grand finale. Mia was so excited... until she actually got up on one of the animals... then she wasn't so sure. It wasn't the grand finale we had hoped for at the time, but every day since then she has asked to see the pictures of her riding the animals with Grandma Sue (we tried just about every creature on that thing in an attempt to make her more comfortable). Here is Mia on one of her favorites, a tiger.

You know it's a great museum when the adults have as much fun as the kids.

Growth Chart

As a baby shower gift, I received these cool stickers you put on your baby's onesie to document their growth each month. It's kind of fun to look back and see how much they change in a matter of weeks:

And now, weighing in at a whopping 11 lbs. 8 oz, barely hanging onto that 10th percentile...

Macy at 4 months:

It's incredible to see Macy's cute little personality emerge through the months. Despite all the challenges she's presented us with, she brings so much joy to our home and truly is a happy, sweet baby. We love you, Macy Kate!

Like Daddy, Like Daughter

Mia takes after Nick in a lot of ways.

Ahh...the informal beginnings of potty training.

Easter 2011

We had a lot more fun with Easter this year, since Mia was old enough to enjoy most of the traditions. We kicked things off with an Easter egg hunt with friends.

The younger kids got the more obvious version, while the older kids had to search through the woods.

Mia also loved the cookie decorating station. You can never have too much pink frosting or sprinkles when you are almost two.

And on Easter morning, Mia and Macy were a little bit spoiled.

Sadly, this was the best shot we got of them in their Easter dresses.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend and are grateful for everything the holiday represents.

Spring Is Here!

The cold precipitation started to slow & we could finally break out jackets instead of coats. Hooray!

Mia rediscovered our backyard & was happy with the progression of her climbing and running skills over the winter.

Papa Wally had some business in Indiana & we got a chance to visit with him.

Bubble blowing was back on the agenda.

Soon the sun started shining more regularly, and we were able to trade in our jackets for light sweaters.

I don't know if it was because of Macy's arrival in December and being stuck at home so much, but this past winter seemed really LONG. We love spring!