Summer 2012

This is a pretty long update, covering everything from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  This summer was fast and fun....and HOT!  Most of our weekends outside were spent in the water, whether it was the blow up pool or water slide in the backyard, a splash park, the city pool, a family member's pool, or a lake.  The girls are also fortunate that our sitter has a pool, and they were able to do a lot of swimming during the day.  We were excited for this summer to come since we were able to do a lot more as a family.  Last summer was a lot of divide and conquer since Paige was so little, and it was really nice to be together having so much fun.  We are loving the girls at these ages, and love watching them interact more and more with each other.  I think they are becoming pretty great friends these days. 

Autumn's first day of preschool was a clear reminder that summer is almost over, but we were able to squeeze in one more relaxing weekend at the lake over Labor Day.  We also had a great time wrapping up the summer with the Latta family at the end of August (Lattapalooza as it's now called).  We aren't quite ready for tennis shoes and jacket season.


After not making it up to G&G Church's lakehouse all last year, we were more than ready for Memorial weekend to come.  We had a great time as usual.

A typical summer day, trying to stay in the shade and in the water!

 

Another first for the girls - strawberry picking!  Paige was more interested in eating the berries rather than picking them, so we had to watch her closely :)

This was one HOT summer, so we spent a lot of time in pools and at splash parks.   The girls loved running through the water and playing with the fountains. 

Autumn got to spend a week at vacation bible school with Maddie and a whole lot of other kids.  She loved and we are still listening to the songs daily.

Happy Fourth of July!  We made it through the fireworks just before the thunderstorm rolled in.

Autumn was is heaven getting to ride in Grandpa Latta's vette! 

When it was too hot to be outside, what else is there to do except chase each other around the house with strollers!  This was an almost daily occurance for a month straight.

Autumn and Maddie in their matching horse pajama dresses.  Anytime Autumn can match with Paige or Maddie, she's in heaven. 

We spent a weekend in July visiting the Carters (college friends).  They were so nice to take us out on the boat for a few hours, and Autumn shocked us all by jumping right into the tube and going for a ride with Daddy and Mommy.  She loved it and we loved watching her be fearless about it!

 

Autumn's first day of her second year of preschool.  She was so excited and so ready to get back to school.  I have no doubt it will be another great year for her at ATC!

 

While we were in Napoleon for our Latta family gathering, we had the opportunity to visit some great friends and meet their new horses (thanks Elisa, Kate and Ava).  Maddie and Autumn couldn't wait to ride, and they both did a great job.  Jacob and Paige decided to sit it out and watch their big sisters :).

 

Paige wasn't quite ready to ride the horses, but she found someone a little more her size - Steve the goat!  It was so cute watching him follow Paige around. 

Back at the Church lakehouse, ending our summer the way it started.  After hours of playing and swimming, the girls were ready to chill out and watch a little Fox and the Hound.

Love this picture - the water was freezing and they couldn't have cared less.  I think Brady is trying to kung fu a fish or something!

Paige, on the other hand, cared a little more about the water temperature.  She found a good spot on shore playing with the sand.

Easter 2012

As I mentioned in Autumn's birthday update, Easter weekend was jam packed for us this year.  Saturday we had Autumn's party and also celebrated Easter with Nick's side of the family.  Then sunday we celebrated with my side.  I don't think the kids minded since they got some quality time with all of their grandparents and cousins, not to mention lots of goodies in their baskets!


Paige sporting super funny bunny glasses from G&G Church. 

 

...and Autumn swinging with her bunny glasses on :)

I'm pretty sure if they weren't cousins they would marry each other.  (Someday one of us is going to have to tell them that can't marry each other.) 

Brady and Autumn coloring eggs

Riley and Paige enjoying their first Easter together.  Last year at that time Riley wasn't even born....I never would've guessed that she would be walking around a year later while Paige still drug along her leg doing her strange, I mean unique and special, crawl :)

Cutie pie :)

Happy girls Easter morning when they saw that the Easter Bunny had come!

This was literally the best picture I could get of the two of them in their Easter dresses.  It is amazing how challenging of a task this is sometimes.   It might be a toss up which is harder - birthing them, or taking a picture of them together.

Getting ready for an egg hunt with Maddie and Jacob!  All ready to go with her traditional Mickey and Minnie Mouse baskets!  (Paige was napping during this egg hunt.  All the fun of the weekend wore her out).

The powers that be at Disney should be thrilled with this picture.  Autumn, hunting for eggs, while wearing a Belle dress and carrying a Mickey basket. 

Autumn's 4th Birthday

Well this year was a big birthday year for Autumn.  It was her golden birthday.  In fact, she turned 4 on 4/4, so it was doubly golden!  She had school the morning of her birthday, and she got to bring in a special birthday snack and the famous birthday bucket.  She had been waiting all year for her turn to get the birthday bucket, because it meant that she got to fill it with all of her favorite things from home and tell her class all about them.

After school she had a special birthday lunch with Mom and Dad, and then she and I had a girls afternoon including her first mani/pedi, going to see The Lorax and hanging out at Barnes and Noble.  Then Shannon, Brian, Maddie and Jacob met up with us for a birthday dinner.  She had a great day, and even asked if her birthday could be on April 5th next year so it can be her golden birthday again.


                                         Autumn's first manicure!

 

....and then her first pedicure!

 

              Having fun hanging with her cousins for dinner

 

We had her party the weekend after her birthday.  It was a busy weekend with both Easter and her party, and she was one tired girl at the end of the weekend.  Her party was at The Little Gym just like last year.  We had a few more kids there this time around, and I learned that four year olds are much braver and louder than three year olds :).

 

She was thrilled to get her own yellow baby, after begging for one since Christmas.  Paige got one for Christmas and Autumn did a very good job of taking care of it until she got her own :) 

 

Having a blast on the double bars with Grace and Owen D.

 

Autumn and her friends were good listeners at circle time.

 

What a cake - she asked for a princess castle cake and that's what she got.  It was no small feat holding it in the car from home to the party, but she LOVED it! 

 

One final gift was waiting for her at home after her party, courtesy of G&G Latta.  She was so surprised she barely said anything, and kept asking what it was for and if it was really for her.   

Paige's First Birthday

Just as we were winding down from the holidays, we blinked and it was Paige's first birthday!  I say it a lot, but I cannot believe how quickly time goes and how fast this first year went.  I remember not being ready in some ways for Autumn to turn one, and I had those same feelings as Paige's birthday got closer.  At the same time, we are so excited for all of new experiences that are ahead and all of the things she will learn in this next year.  She has been an amazing and entertaining baby, and I can only imagine the laughter we will have in the months to come. 

Unfortunately she was sick with croup on her actual birthday (Jan 8th), so we laid pretty low that weekend.  Thankfully her party was scheduled for the following weekend, because she was in no shape to celebrate that day.  We felt so bad for her...we asked her how old she was (Grandma Church taught her how to hold up one finger) and she did it with the saddest little face :(

We made the most of her birthday and made mini cupcakes with our new cupcake maker the girls got from Christmas.  I'm pretty sure we made about 56 cupcakes....took a little while, but super yummy!

The following Saturday (Jan 15th) Paige was feeling back to her normal silly self and was ready to party!

Again, having so much fun opening presents and tearing off the paper.  She looked like an old pro!

Paige loved her cake.  It took her a little while to realize what it was and that she was actually allowed to eat it, but once she got going she didn't want to stop.  She also managed to get nice and messy!

Super silly birthday smile! 

I think she was pretty darn proud of herself and had no problem being the center of attention for the day.  She did a great job and had lots of fun, and it was so nice to have our whole family there to celebrate her birthday!

Christmas 2011

Yes it's almost Easter, but I thought I should wrap up my updates for 2011 with some pictures from Christmas.  We had our best Christmas yet as a family.  It was Paige's first Christmas, which made it all the more special, and we had so much fun hanging out as a family and enjoying some time off work and school.  Autumn was so excited for Christmas this year and it was awesome to see her reactions to all the traditions of the season.  We felt very blessed to have made some wonderful memories as a family, and we even managed to all stay healthy through the holidays.


Family trip to the lights at the Columbus Zoo. 

Three tired girls - Autumn, Paige, and Macy.  Relaxing over Christmas break.
                                       

That is a fine looking gingerbread train if I do say so myself.  I think it's clear by Autumn's expression that she may have eaten a little too much of the candy. Can you say sugar high?!                                                                             

All dressed up for Christmas Eve church.  Fancy shmancy!

They must have been pretty good girls because Santa made it to our house!  Autumn's Christmas list wishes were fulfilled and Paige was happy just ripping off the wrapping paper :)

Santa brought Paige a matching sled and Autumn a Scout dog to match Paige's Voilet dog.  I think we only got to use the sleds one time this year though.  What a strange, warm winter.

 I love Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

Opening presents with cousins Madde and Jacob.  Santa brought them all yo-yo's so Grandpa Latta can teach them some tricks!

 ...And more presents with our other cousins Brady and Riley.  Talk about some lucky little girls.  Their grandparents and aunts and uncles sure were nice to them this year.