May Favorites

Here is a great recap of May in pictures...we had a lot of big changes take place this month. John Parker moved into his "Big Boy" bed. The kids love having pow-wows in his bed after naps. Claire started sitting at our the picnic table all by herself. Claire started facing forward in the car. We've decided that the row ties by the side of our home make a pretty cool jungle gym. I discovered that my kids wish they were monkeys. We love corn on the cob. We started playing in our swimsuits because it's summertime!

Let Summer Begin

What better way to kick off the summer than with a cookout with friends. We love our neighborhood and feel so blessed to live close to some really cool families. The Jacobs had a few families over for a cookout and pool time--two of my favorite summer happenings. Cheers for our favorite season!

Her First Steps

It was a perfect day in May. We'd just finished having a picnic lunch on the Square with our friends, the Clarks. The kids had loaded up on pretzels and grapes. With the weather being so wonderful, I couldn't bear to just go home for naps right after lunch. Instead, we played on the train and then decided to play in an open patch of grass on the Square. That's where it happened, folks. Claire really took off!!! It was so cute watching her wobbly legs push off the ground. She was moving towards the flowers with such determination. She loves "flawas", as she calls them. She took her first shaky steps on April 21st, but on May 17th she took off. I loved her smile and how she kept trying to find her balance everytime she would fall. She even started to push off her hands to stand. It was one special day when my baby started to really feel like a toddler. Of course, I didn't have my video camera that day, but I think these pictures captured it pretty well.

Cozy and Kissable

John took these pictures of Claire after a very long week with a double ear infection. Claire was extremely fussy that week; I have learned that I am not a very patient caregiver to sick little ones. Thankfully, after a good couple of days of antibiotics; her smile returned! These pictures make me realize that there is often a rainbow after the storm. It makes me appreciate health when I care for sick little ones. Here's to more sunshine and smiles.