Lately

 There are some tender moments. 

It's been a while since I have posted. Life has been a little busy and while we have been doing fun things, I haven't taken many pictures.  It has been a HOT summer and we are grateful for the community pool. We go at least two or three times a week and hope to go even more before the end of summer. Jane is working on building her confidence in the water and enjoys swimming around with her floaties. She is also a big fan of the slides and looks forward to the day she can go off the diving board and go down the water slides.

In the fall I am going to be doing a preschool coop with a few friends. Jane is SO excited and I am too. We have a great group of kids and moms to work with and it should be a fun year. The other day we were at the grocery store and Jane said, "Mom, I am not going to be able to sit in the shopping cart because I am going to preschool and I will be too big." Yes Jane, you are growing up and will soon be too big.

Jane is all girl right now. She often tells us that pink and purple are her best (favorite). She likes to accessorize and be "fancy." An outfit is not complete without a bow, sunglasses or a necklace. She is into tutu's, tap shoes, dancing (aka spinning in circles until she falls down on the floor). She is also quite the little mommy and loves her babies. She is getting a little more adventurous with food, but if it were up to her she would eat chicken nuggets, pasta and cheese for most meals. Jane enjoys riding her bike or sitting on the back of her dad's bike when they ride to the park, beach or just around the neighborhood. She is a good sister to Cate and only gets anxious when she is grabbing her stuff. I am sure this is only the beginning. Here are a few pictures from today.

I told her to open her eyes and so, she did.

Cate has a mouth full of teeth and is not afraid to use them. She likes to chew on my clavicle and took a big bite of Jane's leg a few weeks ago. It didn't go over very well with Jane. Cate is our good eater and has the chunky thighs and yummy cheeks to show for it. I love it! So far there hasn't been a thing she will not eat. Cate loves the water and I call her my little fish. She has no fear when we go to the pool and enjoys playing with the fountains or cruising around on her tummy. She is parroting like crazy and can growl like a tiger. She can pull her self to standing - which allows her to climb in the dishwasher and cook at the play kitchen. She is still army crawling but has become quite proficient. She is a curious little girl and I have a feeling we are in trouble when this little girls starts walking. We love this little girl and the joy she brings to our family.

 Cate was more interested in chewing on the lens cap.

Trever and I have lives too. The past few weeks have been filled with the usual things and a lot of Olympic watching. In July, Trever took the young men from our church on a camping trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in America, and Trever definitely agrees. He also managed to squeeze in a visit with his brother Eric, while on a business trip to North Carolina. They did boys stuff, like watch Batman and shoot guns.

I just finished taking a photography class in Chicago and am hoping to improve my skills in the weeks to come. I am gearing up for preschool with Jane and trying to enjoy the last few weeks of summer.  The girls keep me quite busy and the days always go better when I get enough sleep. ;)
That is all for now, hopefully my next post will be soon.