tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1177112045056918332012-02-09T21:10:01.113-07:00Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.comBlogger2771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-18494797329058852172012-01-30T15:03:00.002-07:002012-01-30T15:04:28.434-07:00

Even though we had a great time at the park in the springlike January weather, we have been really happy that the second half of the month has been wintery. Finally we have some snow on the ground, and hopefully a lot more in the mountains.  The first snowstorm was just enough to go out and walk in and make tracks. The next snowstorm, though, was a lot bigger and Zeke had a

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-77734791342032059932012-01-22T15:11:00.001-07:002012-01-24T10:33:25.349-07:00

For the New Year's holiday we went to 'Freeze Fly' with Aaron's RC club. However, no freezing was required this year! The weather was beautiful, probably around 50 degrees. If it weren't for the cool breeze that blew occasionally, we would have been overdressed in our winter coats and hats and scarves.  The other great thing is that we were flying at a park instead of a model airplane airport

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-54862749653589071482012-01-13T20:37:00.000-07:002012-01-13T20:51:52.722-07:00

Nora's vocabulary is exploding! She says about 25 words now, and they are coming fast. I was thinking the other day that I don't remember Zeke's vocabulary expanding this rapidly at this age, and it didn't. He was 20 months before he said a total of 25 words (Nora is not quite 17 months). They said their first words at around the same age (14 months). In the two top-25 lists, there are 8 that

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-24472679426275028062012-01-06T14:42:00.000-07:002012-01-06T14:44:43.868-07:00

Zeke got to go to preschool for the first time this week! Miss Katie called about an opening in her class about two weeks ago, and we went to meet her and tour her classroom. Zeke thought it was pretty neat, and then he saw her train table and was totally sold. He asked many many times over the past couple of weeks when he could go and play trains with the other kids at preschool. At least he

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-64866023981455190972012-01-01T22:47:00.000-07:002012-01-01T22:52:19.494-07:00

New Years Eve we spent the morning partying with the extended family on the Loertscher side. They all go tubing in the morning but we're not fans of the cold so instead we built a huge train layout that was ready to play with when people arrived for lunch. Once Zeke got into the mode of being okay letting other people choose where the trains went, he really enjoyed playing with his second

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-67852905726738612212011-12-30T20:57:00.000-07:002011-12-30T20:59:46.082-07:00

Lots of cute little moments happened this month in-between our preparations for Christmas, closing on our house, and trying to heal from a couple different kinds of sickness. These kids make me smile. Zeke loves all things winter (except maybe the cold....). He loves snowmen, Christmas lights, pinecones, snow on the ground, presents, and the list could go on. But one of his favorites is

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-3186707648488044642011-12-30T20:34:00.000-07:002011-12-30T20:38:50.168-07:00

We went to Temple Square with the Carliles on the 23rd. We went early (around 5pm) and it wasn't nearly as cold or crowded as I had imagined. Plus the parking was free!  Christmas Eve we celebrated with the Loertschers. Quinn and Dawnie and Grandpa and Grandma did a great job at getting the perfect presents for all of us. For the first time we gave to one of the out-of-state siblings

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-76415294009722362502011-12-19T08:45:00.000-07:002011-12-19T22:23:00.366-07:00

Honestly, we're home for Christmas every year. We're blessed to live close to to a lot of family, so we can celebrate at our house and see parents and siblings all in one crazy day if we want to. But this year is just a little more special, because we just bought our first home! Buying from your landlord has its own set of  issues -- we found out after we made a purchase offer that you have to

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-43496996402701071132011-12-09T08:18:00.000-07:002011-12-13T08:14:51.655-07:00

Aaron's flying club's Christmas party is something I look forward to every year. It's a super casual, family-friendly event that's always a fun night out. They reserve a party room at a buffet-style restaurant, introduce next year's club officers, and draw door prizes for the club members. I also love that they give a small gift to all of the women who don't fly but support their husbands. I

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-83303796201328874362011-12-04T21:03:00.000-07:002011-12-04T21:05:38.333-07:00

Yesterday we stopped by the gingerbread house display and silent auction in Heber. We wandered through in kind of a random fashion (Nora was leading, and she wasn't interested in the gingerbread) but after a while we saw most of it.  There were some amazing creations,  some familiar sights,  one house done by some family  members,  and a cool train (plus a lot of others

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-72548165754793510912011-11-27T19:49:00.000-07:002011-11-27T19:49:56.038-07:00

Our Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun. Getting together with family is one of my favorite ways to spend free time, and this weekend there was lots of free time and lots of family to spend it with! It started Wednesday, when our director sent us all home at 2 and the kids and I headed to Grandma's to join the fun there. Aaron joined us after work and we bounced between home and Grandma's for

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-89810390710439202772011-11-18T20:53:00.000-07:002011-11-18T20:53:38.615-07:00

If you ask Zeke his name, he will tell you  it's 'Zeke! It starts with Z for Zebra and Zeke...' He feels a kinship with zebras I think. After all, what else are you going to put with Z in an alphabet board book? That's how he's starting to associate all his letters now, actually. As he reads a letter, he'll tell us what it's for. L is for lion, N is always for Nora, X is for xylophone, E is for

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-30122086326440563822011-11-04T12:29:00.000-06:002011-11-04T12:29:26.460-06:00

Nora's first word was 'bye-bye', directed at Zeke when he was running ahead of us down the sidewalk to the mailbox. This was at about 12.5 months, but it wasn't consistent. Then she started repeating words after we said them, and her mimicking vocabulary grew a bit. In the past week or so, she has started to really talk on her own. It's the cutest thing ever! Right now she says bye-bye, hi, shoes

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-24417309358511268632011-11-04T12:23:00.001-06:002011-11-04T12:25:35.532-06:00

We're not the biggest dressing-up people around here, but we do try to come up with some sort of costume for the kids' Halloween adventures. This year Zeke was a dragon (specifically Toothless) and has had a blast running and jumping and 'flying' and eating goldfish crackers dragon-style. Nora used Zeke's Price is Right costume from a couple of years ago. Last year I had hopes that she would be a

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-22739377453676804492011-11-02T22:04:00.002-06:002011-11-02T22:11:12.847-06:00

Aaron had paid time off to use, so he took Halloween off from work. We didn't get out of the house early enough to get to the club field before the wind picked up, so we took the micro planes to a local park. We hadn't been here before but it turned out to be great flying, and a beautiful day too. Nora watching the flight. Aaron flying (the plane is there too, if you look closely).Retrieving the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-37254834581897410122011-10-28T07:28:00.000-06:002011-10-28T07:28:46.864-06:00

We did get out to take more fall pictures and play in the leaves before the cold wind blew all the leaves off the trees this week. Here is that beautiful maple outside our window. After this fall, I've decided that maple leaves are the best. They are big and crunchy so they pile up well and are tons of fun to walk through, jump in, throw... Zeke covering himself and Nora in leaves. Love that Nora

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-8695654870361903982011-10-17T08:05:00.002-06:002011-10-17T08:13:01.842-06:00

There's a maple outside my window that I have been watching turn from green to yellow and start dropping leaves. It's been so pretty. I have been thinking about taking some pictures of the kids and the leaves (remember last year - oh how things have changed!), and so one day we went out before lunch to snap some pictures. Nora just wanted to wander away, but she was good to let me place her, then

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-82038784104789193232011-10-14T11:35:00.001-06:002011-10-14T11:35:48.819-06:00

We had a fuzzy little jack rabbit visitor for a few days last week. He hung out in the flowerbeds and under the trees and cars for a couple of days and then must have moved on, because we haven't seen him since.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-21727419261919776442011-10-09T20:21:00.001-06:002011-10-09T20:22:51.878-06:00

I had forgotten about all the craziness of the new toddler stage. Those times in the grocery store where we can't really carry her because she's heavy and wiggly, but as soon as you put her down she runs off. Or she insists on pushing the cart and gets upset when you stop to pick up another item. She loves the fridge, and gladly sits on the bottom rearranging the condiments. She loves the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-22601874656776627142011-10-04T14:20:00.002-06:002011-10-04T14:22:44.674-06:00

Summer probably technically ended a few weeks ago when it started getting dark and cool early in the evening, but the days have been warm. Autumn is here, as evidenced by the leaves piling up on our patio. But before we get to that, a few more pictures of some fun things we did this summer that haven't already been shown. Zeke discovered sand castles.Irrigation day water fun.Swinging in the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-18097833070477707852011-09-28T07:39:00.005-06:002011-09-28T13:52:32.463-06:00

Nora loves cotton balls. Of all the random things. She gets them out of the bathroom drawer pretty much every day then dumps them out on the floor, puts them back in the cup, dumps them out again... over and over. It's pretty cute!

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-13307115824958270852011-09-23T19:31:00.000-06:002011-09-28T07:38:56.151-06:00

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-36151620114940956602011-09-16T11:27:00.001-06:002011-09-16T11:29:37.897-06:00

Every so often when I get Nora dressed for church, I put a headband on just to see what she does. Most of the time it doesn't make it out the door with us. If it does, she takes it off in the 5 minute ride to church. When I tried last week and the headband didn't come off immediately, I got my camera out because she is just too cute!She is such a ham. Oh what a sweet girl!Love her church shoes!

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-11431380553822353552011-09-14T10:38:00.005-06:002011-09-14T10:54:36.833-06:00

We found out about the air show quite by accident. On Saturday morning (day of) Aaron happened to go to ksl.com, and on their recent stories list was a piece about the air show from the night before. At least we found out about it in advance this time! We have never gone because we usually don't find out about it until during or after the event, and we typically have other things going on. This

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-63289815015618858592011-09-13T12:30:00.004-06:002011-09-14T10:55:05.289-06:00

Our Labor Day weekend was a very crazy one. It started Friday, when we got through our workday as fast as possible and headed to Swiss Days for dinner, because we knew we wouldn't have another chance for Swiss Days food this year. Zeke and Aaron had knockwurst and I had Swiss chicken to share with Nora. We also got a scone, mostly for Nora but also to share. It was all so good. We walked there

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-55435082092045209232011-09-11T21:35:00.001-06:002011-09-11T21:35:56.179-06:00

Lately I often find myself looking at Nora and wondering how she grows up so fast. She went from being a baby to a big girl toddler practically overnight. Or at least in the space of only a week or two. I love all of the things she's learning. Her latest love is goldfish crackers, and over the weekend she has started saying 'ish' when we offer her a cracker. She also says 'ba-ba' and waves at

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-46509306341356039962011-09-09T08:01:00.006-06:002011-09-11T21:36:45.516-06:00

We have been working on writing a little bit as we talk about letters, but Zeke really got to this point of writing the letters mostly by himself. It's amazing how fast they learn! It's hard to see, but hiding behind the drawing board is a big smile. Zeke is so proud of writing his own name, and we are proud of him too!

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-25648492104776207082011-08-27T21:49:00.000-06:002011-08-27T21:49:13.433-06:00

We were blessed to have Aaron's whole family in town for a whole week this month. Zeke was thrilled to have all of his cousins around, and the 4 older ones were almost inseparable all week long. We were excited to meet our newest niece and have a lot of interactions to get to know all of our nieces and nephew a lot better. The kids played and played and played some more. They had pool parties

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-66477977270671269732011-08-26T21:53:00.004-06:002011-08-26T21:57:09.791-06:00

As it is back-to-school season, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about all of the learning that is going on around here, even though we aren't in school. At least not yet - Zeke is on a waiting list for an awesome preschool, and hopefully there will be a spot for him soon. Zeke is learning his alphabet, and starting to understand that letters make words. We are working on letter and

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-13420182444570249362011-08-23T12:20:00.002-06:002011-10-30T07:45:34.688-06:00

I've thought back to last August a lot this month. It's hard to believe that it's been a full year since we were getting ready for (and enduring waiting for) a brand new baby. And now we have already had her first birthday party!We had a fun gathering at home with grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and Utah cousins. Thanks to everyone for giving such perfect gifts; Nora loves them all!She

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-61327684889823986212011-08-18T21:32:00.003-06:002011-08-23T12:24:07.799-06:00

While Aaron's siblings were all in town we decided to have a night at the lake. Mom and Dad packed a picnic, and the brothers and older grandkids took turns cranking the homemade ice cream. Nora splashed in the salt-water puddles from the ice cream bucket and had a great time...that is, until she splashed herself in the face. After that, the fun was all over. After dinner we went out on the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-83940771588810273512011-08-04T14:51:00.001-06:002011-08-05T14:55:23.403-06:00

We went to our second night fly last month. We skipped last year because we didn't have a night fly plane anymore, and because I was ~35 weeks pregnant and couldn't imagine being awake past 10pm. We still don't have a night fly plane (yet), but we should have one next year. Aaron took the plane-in-progress with us and worked on it while we waited for it to get dark. We also had a BBQ dinner and

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-84780177758994999192011-08-03T22:28:00.004-06:002011-08-03T22:44:18.515-06:00

Zeke had the time of his life at the 'big' Loertscher reunion (descendants of Aaron's grandparents) last weekend. He spent most of the time with a cousin and second cousin his age and they had loads of fun. They ate outside together, played swords, played water games, played on the slide, climbed big tires, rode the big swing, played in the sand, flew a virtual starship, and of course rode the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-4211773210670949982011-07-29T08:38:00.002-06:002011-07-29T08:39:38.254-06:00

Zeke has always liked looking at the pictures on our blog, but lately he is really loving it. He has gone back through the whole blog (3 years and 240+ posts) several times in the past couple of weeks and told me about the pictures and watched the videos over and over and over again. I don't know what he loves about our WHS alumni performance of 'Homeland', but I think I have the song memorized

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-89788013145522691802011-07-22T13:00:00.003-06:002011-07-22T13:20:56.744-06:00

About a year ago I was driving to work and heard Bryan Adams' Summer of '69 on the radio. I wondered to myself if there was a 'best time' of my life that I wished I could relive. It only took the minute or so between exits on I-15 to mentally flip back through the 8 years I had known Aaron and come to a realization. There have been so many wonderful times and fond memories, but even the most

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-17995611641564068202011-07-18T14:52:00.008-06:002011-07-18T15:09:00.167-06:00

Our 20 months in Midvale were filled with challenges. We simply endured and had faith and hope that things would get better. It's true that happiness is a matter of attitude. But it's also true that staying someplace where you are not happy is probably not worth it if you have the choice. There were huge joys, despite the trials. Nora was born in the middle of our time there, and Aaron found his

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-3270784263981087892011-07-15T21:58:00.001-06:002011-07-15T22:00:50.555-06:00

Wednesday evening we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Loertscher's. It was an impromptu visit and we didn't expect to stay long, but it was so enjoyable to sit on the veranda and chat while watching the rain that we stayed until past bedtime. In addition to the rain, there was one very brave, very hungry little hummingbird that was willing to come to the feeder even with 5 adults and 2 kids

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-90176672037206504652011-07-07T21:14:00.000-06:002011-07-07T21:14:40.466-06:00

Our Fourth of July started lazy, sleeping in and having our own pancake breakfast (because there was no way we would make it to the city-hosted breakfast in time). After lunch we headed down to the post office to see Grandpa Loertscher sing for the small-town Fourth celebration.Thank goodness there were clouds, or we would have been fried. And thank goodness Grandma Loertscher had an extra

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-7613827008271454702011-07-03T20:23:00.000-06:002011-07-03T20:23:01.057-06:00

Seems like there's always someone looking away or making a funny face when I try to get a posed picture of Zeke and Nora together. Got some cute ones though; it's life as it really is!

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-24431413908188912992011-07-02T22:03:00.002-06:002011-07-03T07:33:10.514-06:00

It doesn't seem like a whole month since Memorial Day... It's gone by fast and we are still talking about all the fun we had when all of Aaron's siblings convened at Mom and Dad Loertscher's for the long weekend. Nora got to meet half of her aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time, and we got to meet Reed for the first time. We played the Wii. Zeke loved the sword-fighting games. Despite a

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-62725946211257091342011-07-02T21:48:00.002-06:002011-07-02T21:49:58.428-06:00

While at the tulip festival two years ago, Aaron noticed all of the iris plants along the riverbank, and we decided that we needed to come back when they were in bloom. So, a couple of weeks ago, we did just that. They were all so beautiful. It was fun to look at the iris and all of the other flowers and talk about what sorts of things we want to put in our flower garden.They're not iris, but

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-59276219690239409632011-06-16T16:58:00.001-06:002011-06-16T16:58:56.889-06:00

We were at Grandma's house over Memorial Day weekend and I saw Nora doing this:It was a serious flashback to photos of Zeke doing the same thing - at nearly the same age, and in nearly the same outfit!Love these kids, despite their need to scatter things far and wide. Believe it or not, Zeke is older than Nora in these pictures, even though he is smaller and not crawling yet....

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-87655271249148021772011-06-16T08:12:00.000-06:002011-06-16T08:12:46.948-06:00

Between moving, rainy weather, and no longer having a model airport (it's turning into soccer fields), we have only been flying 3 times in the past 4 months. That's rare for us, but it's been okay because we have been busy. And honestly, going flying isn't as much fun with a babe who can't walk yet - she's heavy!We've flown at 3 different places this year. The club field:the lake:and the park:As

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-686193529906968062011-05-27T09:06:00.001-06:002011-05-27T09:15:53.243-06:00

I asked Zeke what kind of birthday party he wanted, and his answer was to have cake at Grandma's house, like we did last year. So we did!Smart kid went after the presents as soon as we got there. Opening Misty Island Rescue from mom and dad.I think every present had something to do with Thomas. Or Cars. Or both. Two of Zeke's favorite things!We borrowed a Thomas DVD from the library in January

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-90678137161709962902011-05-23T08:40:00.000-06:002011-05-23T08:40:00.107-06:00

Celebrating Nora with a few fun pictures that weren't already posted in the past couple of months. She plays while she eats. The purple slinky was her favorite thing while most of the toys were already packed. This is a pretty typical view of Nora.Look how proud she is that she dumped her dry oatmeal out onto the table so she could play with her pretty green bowl. So cute even when she's making a

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-13881683100321719932011-05-22T07:37:00.001-06:002011-05-22T07:43:03.503-06:00

After many posts about Nora and her growing and changing, I thought it was time for a post about Zeke. He's growing and changing too, just not in such photographic ways. He really wants to do everything himself and gets quite upset if you do it for him. He is learning things like putting on his own seatbelt, pouring the milk on his cereal, and being careful while handling DVDs. There really

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-69508502201535043472011-05-21T21:25:00.001-06:002011-05-21T21:26:02.765-06:00

There's something about packing box after box after box - with the knowledge that I will be unpacking them later - that really takes some of the excitement out of moving. But it was worth it. Totally and completely worth the $40 for the perfect moving boxes, the 51.5 hours of paid time off it took me to get us completely out of our old place and the basics set up in our new home, several late

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-30276752973546522902011-05-03T16:44:00.002-06:002011-05-04T07:35:15.869-06:00

Easter was a low-key day for us, and that was just fine because we had spent the week before celebrating with egg hunts and candy and all sorts of fun. Plus between our two callings church is an all-day affair. Here is Nora in her cute purple dress I found on clearance, coincidentally new on Easter Sunday. She wore her headband and bow for a whole 45 minutes; I was so impressed.On Easter evening

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-25685778009097710392011-04-23T16:16:00.002-06:002011-04-23T16:20:37.268-06:00

For playgroup this week we had an Easter Egg Hunt. We had a great turnout and lots of fun, even though it was cool and drizzling. I helped Nora find one purple egg, but really she was more interested in the grass than the egg. I didn't get any pictures of Zeke actively hunting because I was busy making sure he got something. By the time he saw an egg and decided he wanted it, someone had come by

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-14089973864868679972011-04-02T17:35:00.001-06:002011-04-02T17:35:44.786-06:00

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-86335682191480352752011-03-29T04:44:00.002-06:002011-03-29T04:46:11.187-06:00

Zeke and Nora's cousin had a pool party for her birthday last week. Nora had never been swimming, but she loves water and the pool was a big hit. I can't get enough of our bathing beauty in her adorable pink swimsuit.Zeke wasn't interested in eating, so he spent most of the party either playing with the balloons or splashing in the puddles made by people had already been in in the pool. After

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-84997984285465667522011-03-27T01:41:00.002-06:002011-03-27T01:47:56.434-06:00

I'm not sure I noticed a get-taller growth spurt at 6 months (although I feel like I'm still constantly needing to find her some bigger pajamas), but behaviorally Nora has grown up tremendously in the past month or so. I am in a state of wonder as to how my baby can be doing all of these things so soon. *Hello mobility! Nora crawls, albeit slowly and carefully, and it's already an upgrade from

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-81054289155247405082011-03-10T19:25:00.001-07:002011-03-10T19:28:16.589-07:00

I have been worried that I wouldn't get this post up before Nora started to crawl, because she's ready to go for it any minute now. It's been that way for a couple of weeks. No real crawling yet, although she's for sure mobile with a combination of reaches, lunges, scooting (backwards on belly, forward on bum), rolling, and getting herself from sitting to tummy and back again. Nora scooting

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-77193011746251016122011-03-06T19:15:00.000-07:002011-03-06T19:15:00.537-07:00

On our way home from the train festival we stopped at the museum on Hill Air Force Base. Our main objective was to take some pictures of the paint scheme of this T-28 Trojan so Aaron can re-create it on a model. We did a short walk through to see the other planes and helicopters.There was an Air Force retirement ceremony going on in one of the galleries, which was fun. We didn't observe for long,

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-58658940875014750742011-03-06T19:14:00.001-07:002011-03-06T19:16:17.758-07:00

We took some time this weekend to go to the Model Railroad Festival at Union Station in Ogden. We saw model trains of all sizes in different layouts, plus lots of vendors selling train cars in all price ranges. We didn't realize it was such a great shopping opportunity and are hoping next year to go planning to purchase. Zeke was thrilled to see that Thomas made it to the show. One of our

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-53451936514276019622011-03-04T09:35:00.004-07:002011-03-04T09:40:21.626-07:00

Zeke is getting so grown up. It's even more apparent when I see him next to Nora because it's obvious how baby-like he isn't. But every now and then there is a moment that melts my heart just because he's still so darn cute, like this one yesterday.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-10369575600918356532011-03-01T12:33:00.001-07:002011-03-01T12:46:53.599-07:00

February disappeared on me somewhere. Our calendar says we didn't have that many commitments, but that's not to say we weren't busy. I have decided that although working and taking care of the kids is more than enough to do, I'm happier when I make time to get the toys put away and keep up with the dishes, among other things. So Aaron and I have both been working on getting our space organized so

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-7856310504968349932011-02-11T23:18:00.004-07:002011-02-11T23:23:02.662-07:00

We gave Nora her first taste of Oreo recently. Of course she loved it and of course it made quite the mess. I thought we did pretty well at limiting the mess to her face, and then after we got her face wiped and bib off she started drooling chocolate. I'm so glad Aaron got the camera because it's definitely a moment to remember. As I was giving Nora her treat I was remembering Zeke's first Oreo

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-17908568323212398922011-02-07T22:12:00.001-07:002011-02-11T22:25:45.058-07:00

About a month ago Nora's pediatrician gave us the go ahead to give her 'sample solids' once or twice a day. We were excited and figured she would be too. It took a week or so to get some cereal, so in that time we had her in the high chair for meals if she was awake, and she loved it (as long as we kept her entertained, which Zeke is rather skilled at).Her first rice cereal experience was an

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-72245095526911271262011-01-26T22:04:00.002-07:002011-01-26T22:12:25.791-07:00

We've had lots of fun playing lately, particularly because Nora has learned how to play and loves it. One of her favorite toys is her butterfly.Zeke has really enjoyed recreating scenes from Cars and Cars Toons with Lightning and Mater and scenes from Thomas and Friends shows with his trains. Nora isn't such a fan of sitting or sleeping in her swing these days, but it makes a great toy.We don't

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-79019843458701455972011-01-17T09:02:00.001-07:002011-01-17T09:02:55.031-07:00

Nora reaches for the keyboard whenever we sit at the computer, which can get really irritating, but this morning I decided to just let her go at it and she was thrilled. Zeke, on the other hand, has heard us trying to keep her off of it so many times that he kept telling her to 'not play work'. You might not be able to tell, but the space bar is probably her best key. :)hbb87i/m h n.,

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-51082655471322153522011-01-15T15:22:00.001-07:002011-01-15T22:00:44.342-07:00

I stressed about Zeke's transition to primary. He's not into classroom-style activities, and he loved playing in the nursery, so I wasn't sure how it would go. But it's been fairly easy. I have gone with him and stayed until he was comfortable, and that length of time has decreased exponentially by the week. What I didn't expect that has made all the difference is the teachers who have been super

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-58079695052371264962011-01-09T08:59:00.002-07:002011-01-11T22:05:05.798-07:00

Our New Years Eve movie this year was Cars Toons. Nora slept soundly while Aaron and I watched it with Zeke, but was awake and interested when Zeke watched it again after bathtime. She loves the bright colors and constant action I think. We had already decided not to go to a Freeze Fly with Aaron's club on New Years Day like we have for several years because, well, we don't like to freeze. But it

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-51154937094984694182010-12-31T08:55:00.003-07:002010-12-31T09:04:04.069-07:00

4 months is a really fun age for a first Christmas. Nora loved the pretty boxes and ribbons. She is grabbing everything within reach these days, and she could tear the wrapping paper herself once we got it started for her. She got clothes for Christmas mostly - thanks to all of our family members who know that's what we need for a little lady whose size is more than twice her age (and growing!).

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-36731335412558564922010-12-24T05:22:00.003-07:002010-12-24T22:59:57.053-07:00

We have a tree of many varied ornaments, and as I was enjoying its peaceful glow I realized that they each hold a memory. Ornaments Aaron's mom made for her kids, ornaments received as gifts from many sources, ornaments we bought together, ornaments Zeke made at church, and more.The tree itself holds memories too. We bought it on Christmas clearance the year before we were married. The light

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-34671894775478069142010-12-20T22:38:00.001-07:002010-12-20T22:39:49.047-07:00

About a week ago we put Nora down sitting and for once she balanced for more than a fraction of a second.The next day she was a little better at it.And even better the next day.And still better the next day.She still needs her hands or boppy for balance, but she loves it.It's been fun to see her progress from day to day. We're so proud of our sweet little miss!

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-72473664946461235932010-12-11T08:57:00.005-07:002010-12-11T09:02:41.944-07:00

Our furnace died last week. A slow death, leaking carbon monoxide at an increasing rate as it went. The first time the CO detector went off, we chalked it up to an old furnace, cold weather, and being gone most of that day. When it went off twice more that same week, we called our property manager and he sent over a serviceman. The heating guy brought a brand new CO detector and instructed me to

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-70511011650661151432010-11-28T11:40:00.000-07:002010-11-28T11:40:44.438-07:00

We put up our Christmas tree this weekend. Aaron did the assembly and lights with 'help' from Zeke while I put Nora to bed. Then after she was asleep I put on a lot of the ornaments while Aaron built a train track around the tree and living room and Zeke controlled the train.Now we are all festive and Thomas and Gordon are having a grand old time being holiday trains.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-19002451321368716642010-11-25T05:17:00.003-07:002010-11-25T05:24:31.212-07:00

This week Nora is 3 months. It's gone fast, and she has grown and changed so much in a short time. She is generous with her smiles and sometimes giggles a little. She is very talkative and will carry on a conversation. She has learned to hold her head up quite well, and she likes tummy time a lot as long as she isn't too tired or hungry.She has shown that she doesn't like slow-flowing milk, being

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-75220396026065196572010-11-16T20:26:00.001-07:002010-11-16T20:27:40.747-07:00

as requested :)

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-32453719329340420472010-11-15T19:45:00.004-07:002010-11-15T19:50:58.743-07:00

So I got my first paycheck last Friday and kissed the last of it goodbye today. Started by being frivolous buying three pair of pants that don't have holes in them. Then Yesterday the cars brakes started grinding. It's amazing how fast automobile repairs will suck you dry. $600 and most of the day today and the last of my check is gone but I have brakes on the escort again :D

Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13325252265319868718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-1458845557091039202010-11-13T18:43:00.000-07:002010-11-13T18:43:35.375-07:00

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-10731424483061085242010-11-06T07:35:00.001-06:002010-11-06T07:39:50.787-06:00

Nora is just so cute - especially while she's asleep - that I could take the same pictures every day. But she's growing every day too, so they wouldn't be exactly the same....She doesn't really like to swing and certainly doesn't go to sleep in her swing; she just sleeps really well when we put her down there already asleep.For a while it was the only way she would nap. I think that may have

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-81415853460650069702010-10-30T07:44:00.002-06:002010-10-30T08:01:46.077-06:00

We went to a neighborhood Halloween party last night. The parking lot trick-or-treating started just after sundown, meaning it was dark enough to be festive but still light enough to see - and not cold. Then we did the dinner part after. Brilliant!Zeke seemed to think the whole thing would have been more fun if I hadn't kept stopping him every few feet. He would just get up to running speed when

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-72666744820237480552010-10-29T22:38:00.001-06:002010-10-30T08:00:02.169-06:00

...before it snowed.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-86204972057915852452010-10-23T08:27:00.001-06:002010-10-23T08:31:08.116-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa found a bunch of end-of-summer monarch caterpillars a few weeks ago and have been releasing butterflies as the caterpillars changed. We were lucky enough to be at their house the day one of the last butterflies emerged, so we took Zeke and Nora and cousins out in the backyard to give this new butterfly his freedom.Grandma took him out of the jar and showed him around.Then my

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-8274720691056204612010-10-16T06:52:00.002-06:002010-10-16T06:55:25.649-06:00

Nora slept through her party. Which was okay because otherwise she would have been crying and honestly she can't eat the cookies yet anyway.Because the Loertscher family had another blessing we all had to run to, our party was just a simple mid-morning snack of cookies and banana bread and milk. Aaron gets all the credit for the idea for and creation of the candy corn cookies as well as the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-29657508908175062522010-10-16T06:39:00.001-06:002010-10-16T06:43:56.795-06:00

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-71537141679255426422010-10-01T18:55:00.001-06:002010-10-01T18:59:01.708-06:00

In the almost 6 weeks since we brought Nora home...We went to the park several times,flew planes,slept a lot,went to Swiss Days,and played at home.It's been a lot of fun to just be home all together. Next week, back to working life.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-87067769920535500462010-09-25T22:48:00.000-06:002010-09-25T22:48:27.222-06:00

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-59509170387553913772010-09-18T22:03:00.001-06:002010-09-19T01:18:22.347-06:00

When Nora did this a caouple of weeks ago,I had to snap a picture because I have a very similar one of Zeke at close to the same age.And here are Nora and Zeke at 3-4 weeks:I love that they share a lot of features (like the pinchable, kissable chubby cheeks), but they really are different. And just like with Zeke, Aaron and I have both been told that Nora 'looks just like you!'

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-72237319797740213052010-09-18T09:53:00.002-06:002010-09-18T09:56:39.924-06:00

Aaron had the great idea to hang his small planes and helicopter from our living room ceiling. This not only stores them out of the way, but it also puts them 'up in the sky' where they belong. Just ask Zeke.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-29542653503299793392010-09-14T20:19:00.003-06:002010-09-14T20:26:04.856-06:00

Nora wasn't many hours old when I realized that there was just no stopping her from growing up, starting immediately. While I'm looking forward to getting to know her better and seeing her achieve milestone after milestone, I know how fast Zeke has grown and I wouldn't mind slowing things down a bit!Sunday afternoon I was taking a few pictures because it was her first time at church and thus her

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-50156928927435467532010-09-09T19:03:00.001-06:002010-09-09T19:05:44.388-06:00

Thank goodness for naptime! Necessary for both kids and parents.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-45404974682327118392010-09-05T13:54:00.002-06:002010-09-09T19:07:01.185-06:00

Zeke was so excited to ride the Loertscher train in the parade. He carefully chose the red caboose car to ride in, which he shared with his cousin Ashlynn.And this is what Nora did while we watched the parade. She slept through motorcycles, police sirens, big trucks, and tractors. Only the bell on the classic fire engine caused her to stir a little.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-88803139284936555332010-09-01T14:48:00.001-06:002010-09-01T14:51:51.870-06:00

Zeke has settled into the big brother role with no problems at all. He helps us take care of Nora, he loves to hold and comfort her, he makes sure we know what she is doing at every moment ---- and he likes to bother her and see how she reacts. Poking her while she's asleep, dropping the burp cloth on her head, shaking the boppy as she tries to eat, trying to climb on the play yard when she is in

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-11011219846294664202010-08-27T11:24:00.003-06:002010-09-18T09:53:14.925-06:00

Hi, we're the Loertscher family and we are now a family of four.Nora is the little sister, just a few days old. She is adorable and loves to be held, particularly by Daddy. She is a great eater (as long as she stays awake) and prefers mom to the bottle. She doesn't like wet diapers, having her diaper changed, and being laid down before she is ready to sleep. Fortunately for all of us, Nora is

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-25925679942674271292010-08-27T11:22:00.004-06:002010-09-18T09:53:14.926-06:00

Nora was born Monday, 8 lb 5 oz and 21.5 inches long, and perfect. Here's how she got here:I was induced at one week past my due date. We got started at night, taking the slow and patient route because of my previous cesarean. It was a long night (hospital beds are so uncomfortable, and I'm sure the couch Aaron was on wasn't much better) but we had made progress by morning. My dr broke my water

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-30132761196195298612010-08-26T02:15:00.000-06:002010-08-26T02:17:02.538-06:00

Dear aunts and uncles and cousins who live far away,I'm sorry I missed you while you were visiting last week. Next time you come I'll be ready to play!love, Nora

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-71308700743597653962010-08-22T13:39:00.001-06:002010-08-22T13:40:41.015-06:00

Here we are as we started this journey last November....and here we are today.So much growth in so many different ways!And we're only at the beginning of another journey now: our family is about to grow.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-32581390133894470882010-08-19T20:23:00.000-06:002010-08-19T20:23:34.127-06:00

Although our little lady is still safely and stubbornly tucked away, there is another brand new baby in the family. We got a new niece and Zeke a new cousin almost 2 weeks ago. Much to my happy surprise, Zeke has loved to hold her. He is so careful with her and just adores her. I know he'll be a good big brother but I wasn't expecting him to be willing to sit still for so long just to hold the

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-37431952945468699532010-08-17T21:38:00.003-06:002010-08-17T21:58:19.287-06:00

All of Aaron's siblings are in town this week and so we have been very much enjoying being together. Today we went to a farm, where we saw the animals, let the kids ride ponies, and ate ice cream while we took turns waiting in line to ride ponies again.After a picnic lunch we walked through the children's garden. Not as enjoyable on a hot August afternoon as it could be other times, but still

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-62993553988196692472010-08-09T09:01:00.002-06:002011-08-05T15:07:02.620-06:00

Expecting a new arrival 'any day now' is an interesting experience. Aaron described it yesterday as being in pause mode, which fits perfectly. We have to be (and we are) ready at any time to drop our normal routine and bring this baby here. Plus there are several things that are on hold until our little lady makes her appearance. However, the catch is we have to keep living our normal routine

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-28292203061983132352010-08-02T21:29:00.000-06:002010-08-08T20:53:56.448-06:00

Now we're really ready -- I finished this quilt yesterday. Now it is washed and in her crib, all ready to snuggle our beautiful baby girl when she comes.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-4669004457685757692010-08-01T15:16:00.003-06:002011-08-05T15:07:27.234-06:00

According to traditional textbook definitions, our 'could have a baby anytime' started a week ago. Now we can say with certainty that she has an August birthday. It's not a huge consolation, but it is one thing in the world of unknowns that is expecting a new arrival. We keep telling her that anytime is fine with us and soon would be great!That's not to say there has been no progress. I've been

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-60155236468199893392010-07-31T11:35:00.000-06:002010-07-31T11:35:51.794-06:00

I had plans to give Zeke lots of water play time this summer...but they got derailed when those same hot days that are so good for water just make me want to stay inside where I'm more comfortable. But we did get the pool out, and Zeke had a blast.It's like a gigantic puddle!And of course, you have to take the water to other parts of the yard.Making Zeke tracks on the sidewalk.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-82814107824879295222010-07-18T20:17:00.003-06:002010-07-18T20:21:57.839-06:00

We started our third of July celebration with rocket launch. Aaron flew his plane, and we watched the rest of the fam launch rockets.The kids loved to help, when they weren't on the playground.We finished our day with an outdoor dinner, s'mores and popcorn, and watching the fireworks from the backyard. Zeke is still asking to go to Grandma's for rockets and fireworks.

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-23934423861384499682010-07-18T19:34:00.002-06:002010-07-18T19:38:06.519-06:00

Yay for summer camping with the Loertschers! Zeke had a blast playing with his cousin (for more cousin pictures see Heather's blog)exploring the world through magnifying glass,exploring the nature trail, playing with sticks, rocks, grass, and leaves, and getting as dirty as possible.The whole trip was made more pleasant by being able to trailer camp rather than sleep on the ground (thank you

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-28612960711339496072010-07-06T23:07:00.001-06:002010-07-08T21:08:09.115-06:00

What have we been doing when we're not outside playing in the dirt, inside working, going to a family event, or going to yet another doctor appointment? We take short walks down the street to the elementary school so Zeke can play on the slides. We've loved being so close to the playground, especially because our backyard leaves much to be desired (like grass). A great way to spend summer

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117711204505691833.post-769806578697535702010-06-13T11:14:00.003-06:002010-06-13T11:23:34.544-06:00

The catalyst for the DC/Maryland/Virginia trip was Draper and Carrie's ring ceremony and wedding reception. So after a few days in Washington DC and Maryland, we headed for Virginia for some more wedding fun.It rained hard the morning of the reception, then let up into a misty drizzle by afternoon.Zeke loved the fountain so much. Here he is driving his cars and trucks through it.The ceremony was

Manndihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02895253432353189824noreply@blogger.com0