Emily's Dedication

From Emily's Baby Dedication

Emily was finally dedicated at the Stoneham Memorial Church on August 14, 2010. We had really hoped to dedicate her earlier, like we did with Thomas, but this was the best time for family to come. And since her birthday was August 11 and Thomas' was the 21st we were able to make it one big celebration weekend. I was so happy that I was able to make her dress and bonnet. It may not have been perfect (I know where the flaws are hidden), but she looked perfect in it.

Pastor Farley did a wonderful job. It is quite evident that he enjoys children. We are so blessed to have found an awesome church and great friends! It was a really special day for us.

Catching Up

Ugh...I've been horrible about updating our blog. My apologies! But life with two wonderful little kiddos seems to keep me busy for some odd reason. Again, I will try to do better. If for no other reason, than this is the only way I have (because of the time factor, again) to document what our life is like at this part of the journey. I don't want to forget and I don't want Thomas and Emily to forget either. More than likely I will have to print these pages out instead of a scrapbook (but I'm still hoping to do a scrapbook at some point).

We are at a point where there are changes that happen so frequently, especially with Emily. Thomas is beginning to show a maturity that seems older than a four year old. I'm still amazed at how well he verbalizes things, yet he still struggles with "using words" when he's frustrated or upset. But even that is improving.

So, here we go again. We've had a wonderful summer...maybe the best one yet. It certainly was an improvement over last summer, but that wasn't to hard to accomplish. Hopefully over the next week or two you will get a glimpse of all that we have been up to lately. Love you!

Wingaersheek Beach

Today was one of those days that I've dreamed of. The kind of day that you don't want to end and never want to forget. I hope my kids remember it too. Well, Thomas will but Emily is too young. We spent the day at Wingaersheek Beach. I've heard ( read online ) many good things about it and felt it was time to go find it. I was really hoping to get there early enough for a photo shoot of the kids and then we'd enjoy the beach.
And it all went pretty much according to plan. I would have liked to get there a little earlier for softer lighting but it was still a good photo shoot. I'm going to want to go again anyways and now I know where I'm going. The kids cooperated wonderfully. They were happy on the way there, happy during the photo shoot and, of course, happy to play on the beach. The weather was BEAUTIFUL ...sunny but not hot, and a nice breeze blowing. The water was clear and cool but not frigid. And the sand was unbelievably soft, perfect for playing in all day.

We spent most of the day there, enjoying ourselves. As we were there we watched the tide go out. I've never seen so much water leave an area. In fact, Thomas asked, "Where's the drain, Mommy?" because so much water had left. He didn't really like my answer that there wasn't a drain, though. It was hard not to laugh out loud at his curiosity.

I'm already looking at my calendar trying to figure out when we can go again. But until then, I will enjoy the memories of my perfect day at the beach.

Wingaersheek Beach

Photo Shoot at Wingaersheek Beach

Storytime with Thomas

Thomas has an amazing love for books which makes me so happy since I love them too. Every morning while Mima was here he would scamper into her room and begin his day with several stories. He also has an amazing memory. He likes to "read" many of his books himself. There are many days during nap time that I can hear him in his room "reading" a book to himself (but without the book). I was finally able to capture him reading to Emily. He frequently will go up to where she is sitting and start sharing a story with her ... and she just loves listening and watching him. I love to listen to him too and find some of his pronunciations very cute ... like "delicious looking piglet" and "terrific scrubber". I also think it's great how he tries to use different voices for different characters. A great storyteller in the making for sure. You may have to listen carefully but these are two of his favorite stories.

Emily's First Bath

Emily just loves taking her bath. She doesn't get one as often as Thomas but girls don't get as dirty as boys, right?

Emily's Bathtime

Thomas at The Little Gym

Thomas continues to love his time at The Little Gym. Since we moved to Boston he has been going to class all by himself. No more Mommy! He handled the transition like a big boy. He adores his teachers and has a great time. We're still working on staying with the group but he's a curious three year old so it's to be expected. Mommy gets to sit outside and watch his progress through the glass windows. But these pictures were taken while Mima was taking him to class.

The Little Gym

Visiting Thomas the Train

Thomas the Train came to a town just an hour south of Boston and we just had to go see him. It was at a little theme park that has rides designed for little kids. Thomas had a blast. We met up with some friends in time for the train ride. I think Thomas may have enjoyed flying the planes the most. He kept wanting to go back and ride them again and again.

Thomas the Train

Catching Up

It's been a little while since I was last able to post. So, I'm going to try and catch up a little with the month of September. Mima was still here for a good part of it and we really enjoyed having her around. Enjoy the next several posts to find out what we were up to. Remember if you click on the photos it will take you a web album with all the photos for that post.

Brother & Sister

Here are some recent photographs of Thomas and Emily. The first photo session of many to come! Enjoy!

EAC&TRC

Thomas' 3rd Birthday

I can't believe that Thomas is now 3 years old. The time has gone by so quickly it seems and he is growing into such an independant little man. He likes to do most things by himself (except when he's wanting Mommy's attention) and it frustrates him when it's not working the way HE thinks it should. We have started going to The Little Gym again. I'm afraid at some point he is going to outgrow this but for now he still enjoys it. And I enjoy seeing him bounce off someone else's walls...where it's okay to do so!

Since we just moved to the area, I didn't plan a big party for him this year. We kept the birthday celebration to a quiet, family party. But he still felt very special and was excited about his big day. He really enjoyed opening everyone's gifts. In fact, he wanted to stop after each one and play with it for a while before opening the next gift. This stretched out the gift opening process over several days, but he didn't seem to mind.

I guess he's officially out of toddlerhood because he now has a big boy bike (with training wheels). He absolutely loves that thing. In my mind I can see him a few years from now biking on the trails with Daddy. It didn't take him long to get the hang of peddling it and how to brake. He's a pro now...but not ready for the training wheels to come off.

Sunday we also met up with some friends up here and went to the Aquarium. There son was turning 3 the same weekend so we thought it would be fun to enjoy a day at the aquarium together. Thomas really enjoyed seeing all the fish and other animals. I think his favorite was the penguins.

Here are some more pictures for you to see all his excitement. When you click on the picture it will take you an album with all the pictures.

TRC BDAY