Party Day!

Here are some pictures from Anna's second birthday party.

It was beautiful outside, so the kids could run off some energy before lunch.







We had pizza--



And cake--


(It's a little hard to make out in this picture, but the lettering says "Happy Birthday Anna"--the "Anna" is in blue frosting. This cake came from a local bakery called Rita's, and it was possibly the best yellow cake I've ever had).



And presents --







And there were a few balloons---



I'm disappointed that I never got all the guests together for a group picture, but little girls just seem to know the drill. They got together for this one completely on their own.



Anna had a great day and was so happy that her friends all got together to wish her a happy birthday. She was especially excited when everyone gathered around to sing "happy birthday." She really knew it was for her. We are grateful to have so many wonderful friends.

Our little girl is 2 !!

We had probably our best weather yet this year, right on time for Anna's birthday. It was in the mid to high 60s. To celebrate, we took our first trip to the park for 2011.



Anna loves this picnic table, in its own tiny "house." It's just her size.

She also mastered the slide. She must have climbed up and gone down a dozen or more times, all by herself. (No face-first attempts yet. That may be awhile still).





Later that evening, cupcake time! As you can see, she was a little concerned by the flames on her dessert.



But there was no problem eating it.



And finally, PRESENTS! She definitely understands the idea of birthday gifts now. She was very excited. Grandma and Grandpa joined us via web chat, too.





Next blog entry: The party!!

Teaching Anna some moves

One of Anna's favorite games with Grandpa. Notice at the end she asks to do it again.

Christmas memories

We had a wonderful Christmas in Tennessee.


Anna did a great job with Santa Claus at her favorite place, the library! He was a wonderful, library-friendly Santa...with a real beard. Anna needed her thumb for reassurance, but no tears, so I consider this visit a success.


Grandpa and Grandma came to celebrate with us. Anna could not have asked for a better Christmas present.


Anna was getting a little tired of pictures by this point.



And here is the tree on Christmas Eve. Anna actually went to bed on time without too much fuss, and we reminded ourselves we should enjoy this stage while it lasts.

We have had a truly blessed year. Christmas was a reflective time for us to remember and give thanks.

My Poor Neglected Blog!!

Oh dear. I haven't forgotten you. This blog has been rattling around in the back of my mind for--let's see--about four months now. Booting up the computer, uploading images from the camera and videocam, uploading them again to Blogger, editing, proofing, troubleshooting---it's all been a bit much for me to contemplate right now, not only because we have a 21 month old, but also because

we are expecting our second child in May.

We could not be happier, and personally, I could not be more tired. Well, that's not quite true, since I do remember life with a newborn. But it is true that I was wiped out for the first trimester. I slept through just about every spare moment I had, and maybe even some moments that weren't so dispensable. The great thing is that even though I'm ages behind on everything, I have not had much nausea, which is fantastic. Now that I'm well into the second trimester, I have more energy, but those 1-2 hour naps in the afternoon are just hard to give up. So I'm not making any resolutions here, so much as poking my head out and saying, Yes, we're still here, and yes, there is more to come.

As always, we appreciate your love, support, and prayers.

Where did this month go?

I realize we are well past the first day of fall, but I still have lots to share from our summer. Let's hope I can get caught up by Christmas...

Anyway, Grandma and Grandpa took us on several memorable excursions while we were visiting in New York. Among them--

Saratoga







(if you enlarge this picture, you will see that she is holding a Saratoga Springs water bottle)



And Hancock Shaker Village:






Hey--a SHADOW!!


BAA-BAAS!!!!!



When Anna sees our souvenir magnet on the refrigerator, she says "Baa-baas!" so that's definitely what made an impression on her.



Thanks for such a great trip, Grandma and Grandpa! We can't wait to see you again!

Ausable Chasm

While we were in New York, Grandma and Grandpa volunteered to take care of Anna while we took off for an overnight excursion. We chose to visit Ausable Chasm near Plattsburgh, and we were not disappointed. The location, as the website suggests, has become quite "touristy." Fortunately, the views are still spectacular.






You will probably be relieved to know this walkway is closed. The site has quite a long history, and this is a picture of one of the earlier washed-out paths.





The trails give you access to different elevations along the chasm. If you look closely near the bottom of this picture, you will see people tubing in the water. Ben and I weren't dressed for it, but it was a hot enough day to be very tempting!


Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for giving us this time to celebrate our 11 years together as husband and wife. It was a memorable and relaxing trip.