Happy Birthday Matt

Laura! Happy girl!

Yesterday was Matt's birthday! He ended up having to work late so we had a make up celebration tonight. Matt said this was the first time since he'd turned 21 he was excited for a birthday. Just because Rebecca was so excited for it. So cute! We'd gotten his a french press and as Rebecca handed him his wrapped gift she said, "We got you a French Roast!" Then when he opened it she said, "You got French toast, you got French toast!"

Saturday night Matt's mom kept both girls for us. Such a treat! We stayed with the Anders in Greensboro and had the best dinner at Fishbones.

We got to visit for little while when we came to get the girls on Sunday. So many fun toys! Laura really enjoyed putting all the dominos back in the tin. She's fine when Matt and I are around but Joan said for church Sunday morning Laura refused to stay in the nursery and got so worked up she had to rock Laura until she fell asleep. Meanwhile Rebecca was totally fine in a new Sunday school class. I think it's just their personalities- Rebecca is totally fine with anything while Laura is not.

Rebecca and Elexa! This weekend we also met the Robinsons at Chick Fil A. So fun! I think we spent a good hour a half there while the girls played.

And had a Merrimont dance party!

Sweet girls

Labor Day

Rebecca! Snapping beans for supper tonight.

Matt took the girls to the grocery store so they could get the all the ingredients. And cookies.

I worked and Matt watched the girls all day. They came to visit me and we had a picnic in conference room 3. So fun!

On Friday Matt took Rebecca to the Dash game for Fireworks Friday. It was the first time Rebecca had ever seen fireworks and she was amazed. When they started she held up her hands to try to catch them- precious!

On Saturday we brought the TV outside for college football. For college football!!! So exciting.

Matt Windsor stayed with us and Sunday we had brunch at Breakfast, Of Coarse! The food was great!!

Laura! I think she ate her entire pancake. She makes the best faces!  I think this is just a funny picture but she really does make so many difference faces. She is also into cursing around but still not trying to walk. And she is such a mama's girl! Rebecca would go to anyone as a baby but not Laura. Many times she won't even go to Matt. Diva.

Rebecca' family collage. Made from whatever pictures we had already printed and the side of a diaper box. I think Rebecca is really enjoying her new class. She thinks she's big stuff now that she's upstairs at school. She says that she likes the centers in her classroom, especially home living. There were pictures up the kids had made where the teachers asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up. I saw a fire fighter, a chef, etc. Rebecca said that she wanted to be a big sister when she grows up. Sweet girl. And awesome all her dreams will come true!

Big Sista

Minnesota

Laura and Romy! This weekend we went to Minnesota for a visit and had the best time! These cute girls are only 3 weeks apart.

There were many musical performances.

And yesterday we went to the Minnesota State Fair! It was awesome! I loved it!! It really was the cleanest and best fair I have even been to in my whole life.

Laura, apparently, was not that impressed.

We saw the Okie Dokie Brothers play

Visited the Alphabet Forest

Listened to Al Frankin

Had a fair food picnic (on real grass!)

And Rebecca got to meet Lennon and Maisy!

So much fun!!

This morning Rod and Maryann came over for brunch. So great to see them!!

Sweet friends! Thank you so much for having us! We loved it!!

Happy Birthday Laura

Happy Birthday Laura!!

We had the best time celebrating Laura's first birthday at the Cracker Barrel in Elkin. Awesome.

We were so glad to have Granny Foda with us!

And Granny Marie!

The vibrating lamb from Riley was a hit!

And there was cake!!

Before the party Matt's mom watched both girls for us so we could got to the 76th annual Fiddler's Convention in Galax, Va! So fun!!

Camping and fair food and great blue grass music. It was my first night away from baby Laura. I really wasn't even that sad. I just know she is so well taken care of at her Oma's and I am so glad to finally be done nursing- woo hoo!

Sweet Rebecca!

Here she is at Laura's birthday. So silly!

Friday was Rebecca's graduation program. So cute!! Her class recited poems and sang several songs. The other night I was putting her to bed and she made up a song for me to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin". Where is Mama? Where is Mama? There she are. There she are. She is really creepy, she is really creepy. Quack, quack, quack. Quack, quack, quack. Hilarious! I'd wondered where she'd learned the word creepy and one of the poems was about bugs. Creepy. Rebecca will move up to the 3 year old classroom on Monday. Big girl!

Two big girls!

Pirates and Princesses

Laura! Pretty girl.

Here she is after discovering the bowl of ice cream Rebecca had finished.

She is definitely a good eater. I've kind of been working on sign language with her and she'll clap her hands for more and wave them in the air for all done, which I think she thinks just means mama pick me up. She can blow kisses but will never perform on command and has started saying mama and dada. Legit. She has also started standing up. But only when she's on something soft and can just fall over without taking any real steps.

Cake pops! Matt went out of town last weekend on a bachelor party and took Rebecca to Starbucks on Friday before school. She loved it!

We had fun here. This is a cute picture but the sprinkler fun lasted about one minute. Rebecca just wasn't that interested. On Saturday we went up to Elkin to visit with Oma and spontaneously decided to spend the night. I'm so glad we did! It was really fun. We went to dinner at Speedy Chef and when we were done I cleared our table. Rebecca picked up her cup and put it in the trash on her own. Oma said good job Rebecca! So she turned around took a bow. I mean, what else would you do when someone gives you a compliment? Also when I was clearing our table I apparently had not clean up quite as good as I thought I did. We were about half way through the parking lot before I realized Laura had a hamburger patty in her hand and was still eating it. Have I mentioned the fact that I have a good eater?

Sidewalk chalk fun!

Rebecca was so proud of her art. Here she is before school one morning showing off her new dress from Grandma and Pops (which she loves!) and had to be sure our artwork was also in the picture. They were talking about India at school last week and Rebecca has learned how to put her hands together, bow her head and say "Namaste" to say hello. It is so cute!

This week included a visit to the dentist. Rebecca loves the dentist! The waiting room is like the children's museum and when you go back for your cleaning you go into a big open room with several flat benches where the kids get their teeth cleaned. There are video games and toys back there. It's not scary at all. I'm glad we've found such a fun pediatric dentist.

Pirates and Princesses!! Yesterday I got to take Rebecca to a Disney show- Sofia the First and Jake and Neverland Pirates. We had a really good time! Cotton candy was 12 dollars. Ridiculous. But it was really cool. Just lots of singing and dancing and colorful costumes.

Before the show I took Rebecca and Laura to Chick Fil A by myself. The one by our house has mom's valet where you can drive through the drive-through to place your order then everything will be set up for you when you come inside- highchair and all. It's awesome.

Cousins! Rebecca got to spend the day with her cousins swimming at Granny Marie's. Matt and Laura and I met everyone for supper at Oma's new place. Yes, this is really the best picture I got. Mandy, Camden and Alison go back to Texas on Tuesday and we are so sad to see them go. Rebecca has loved spending time with her cousins!

So fun! And there was ice cream.