In March, Sophie and I flew to Pittsburgh to attend the funeral of my dear Great Uncle Willard. We will all miss him...
Great Grandpa and Sophie
Sophie with her Great Grandmas
Grandpa Bruce and Silly Sophie
Freeze Frame
Sophie with Seb's Dad aka Brian
Andy and Susan
Sophie with Lindsay and Alida (Andy and Susan's daughters)
Sebastien dancing in Sophie's Shoes.
Seb tied to a chair, playing in the sink
In May, we celebrated Evan's 9th Birthday!
His shirt tells his birth date.
We gave him some historical fiction to read.
Enjoying his gift of architectural blocks
Caleb came over to play.
In June, we drove to Pittsburgh for a family reunion. The only person missing was Loey's husband Craig. I'm surprised that I didn't take any photos of the whole group. I didn't even take any pictures of my mom and dad!
Baby James ( 2 yrs. old) was quite the character this year. If anyone looked at him or talked to him, he rolled his eyes. He only warmed up to me when I helped him operate the cd player. He was obsessed with changing tunes. Since Loey was getting a little tired of shooing him away from the stereo, I told him that he could ask me to help him when he wanted to operate the equipment. He quickly caught on to pushing the right buttons and holding the discs correctly. After selecting a song, he'd veg out on the couch with his blanket to listen. Upon arriving home from the reunion, Loey bought him his own personal player which he continues to be absorbed with operating. He has even learned how to count to get to the song that he wants!! Maybe he'll be a disc jockey when he grows up... Okay, okay, he'll probably be up to loftier occupations!
Noah, now three, looked up to Evan. Evan was good about involving all the kids in imaginative activities. They had a "fort" or "clubhouse" down the hill amongst a circle of bushes. They also had a "spaceship" around the air conditioner. Whenever Noah lost track of Evan, he came running into the house, questioning everyone as to his whereabouts. One time he found him in the shower and asked, "Hi Evan! What are you doing?!"
Grandpa Bruce and our boys did a little woodworking and built some stilts with which they tottered around the drive.
Grandpa B. also set up a pool on the deck which the kids splashed around in most every day.
...I just realized, we don't call my dad "Big Daddy" anymore! I wonder why?!
We also enjoyed spending time with the Great Grands both at my mom and dad's house and at the Home.
Cousins at the Childrens' Museum
Ana and Sophie playing with Clay
Jen and Seb
Loey and Baby James...He wasn't rolling his eyes!
Making Paper
Sophie Painting
Seb Painting
Cousins at the Zoo
Click here to see Seb's big boy haircut!
On the way home, we stopped at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore...
Indiana Dunes Nat.l Lakeshore
James demonstrating how to skip a rock.
Matthew trying to skip a rock.
Imagine the Chariots of Fire theme music...
Airborne!
Toasted Toes