June in Review

This is one of my favorite pictures:Watching our African Children's Choir DVD and singing and dancing along with: Playing a colored shape match game - I tried this the week after the boys got home and it was disastrous! They had no problem this time:
Playing with funny hats:
Indoor sensory table on a rainy day:
Dress up costume I found at a rummage sale for $2.00 - John calls this the scary elephant costume and growls when he wears it:
Franklin the turtle:
I also found slippers for John at the rummage sale. Ryan has a Buzz Lightyear pair (thanks Tracy!) and we've been on the look out for John. It was about 90 degrees when he put these on:
Each week the Farmer's Market has a character the kids can meet. this week was Big Bird from Sesame Street. Ryan is clinging to my arm as Mike took this picture of John:
Father's Day - the boys made a hand print from a kit (thanks Ginger) and painted it for Mike:
I made a Happy Father's Day album - two pages of pictures of Mike and the boys added each year. I read about the idea in Family Fun magazine I think.
Four generations - Great Gramma, Gramma, Mommy-a, John and Ryan!
Family Zoo Day
the cousins:
everyone eating lunch:digging for dinosaur fossils at the special Dinosaur Exhibit:
standing like the raptor with wings out stretched:
having fun with a dinosaur statue:
There is a picture taken from the same angle of my niece Samantha and my Dad when she was a little younger than Ryan. We both saw this and remembered the picture and wanted to capture another with my Dad and Ryan:
Riding the Sky Lift Chair Ride:

I have ridden this ride with Samantha for as long as the ride has been there. I was so happy she still wanted to ride with me this year with the addition of Ryan. We then always try to take a self portrait of ourselves. I took about 15 pictures trying to get all three of us in:
Then finally gave up and just took a sideways picture of Samantha and Ryan!
feeding the goats:this is as close as Ryan got:
but he loved the automatic hand air dryers outside the goats' pen!
My sister discovered this place about six or seven years ago. It is incredible!!
feeding a baby calf:
a great group picture, Ryan, Gramma, Maddy Jo, John, Aunt Sarah, and Samantha:
feeding the deer:

Mommy and her boys!
the cousins - Sami made all the shirts!
There is also a wonderful hour and a half horse show. This is how Ryan looked the entire time!
petting the horses after the show:
feeding baby goats:


touching a lemur:
But one of our favorite parts was holding and playing with the kittens:


6/20/10 - Four Months

So our summer's been a little bit busy but I need to get this post in before the boys have been home five months!!
It seems like they have always been here and it's hard to remember what it sounded like before they were here. I know what it looked like - no toys scattered around - but I LOVE the obvious signs that two little boys live in this house.

John continues to learn and retain new concepts at a rapid pace, way faster than I would have anticipated. I know I am a little biased, but he is amazing! His sense of humor is coming out more and more and he knows when he is being funny. The other day while I was driving in the car, the road was curvy. He said, "Look Mommy-a" (which he frequently does and gets the answer, "I can't. I'm driving."). I looked over my shoulder and he was leaning over in the back seat like the turn in the road had been so sharp it knocked him over. And another time we were driving home late from the zoo and I said it would be alright if both boys shut there eyes and went to sleep. John closed his eyes for maybe 15 seconds, then opened them and replied matter of factly, "No, Mommy-a. I can't sleep." he them proceeded to make up songs all the way home (that's another blog!). He loves cars, being outside, cars, our little kiddie pool and the sprinkler park, riding his bike, did I mention cars?, doing projects, camping, playing at the park, going to church, Toy Story, Madagascar, Tarzan, and Ice Age, and babies (we have taught/are trying to teach him to say, "My name is John. Can I see your baby?" but he has informed us that if we had a baby in our house we could kiss it and hug it because it would be our baby!). He is friendly, outgoing, helpful, sharing (sometimes) and confident. He is a joy in our lives!

Ryan's language development has REALLY taken off - he repeats everything that is said (much to the annoyance of his brother!) and is so proud when he knows words and concepts (Mommy's Bible - my Bible). He is putting together three and four word sentences and recently when following my Mom's car he shouted, "See Gramma car again." (I was super excited about that sentence!). He LOVES to do whatever John is doing but is also developing into his own person. He loves cars, dancing (and boy does he have some great moves!), having his own way, doing everything himself, jumping belly first into the kiddie pool, climbing at the park, cuddling, flushing the toilet, glue and scissors projects, playing in dress up clothes, virtually every food we give him, Toy Story, Madagascar, Tarzan, and Ice Age, and pretending to cook. He loves to help make muffins and put clean dishes away. He is quiet in new situations but has become more adventurous. He is a goof with the cutest smile ever which is a good thing with all the tantrums he throws! However, he does not argue when we say go up to bed and come down when you are ready to make good choices. He loves to pray for each of the member in his family (Jesus, I love you - which comes out sounding like luff woo - Jesus, I love you Mommy-a, Jesus, I love you Ababa, Jesus, I love you John Eyob, Jesus, I love you my.) He is a joy in our lives.


And thank you to all who faithfully check our blog every day to see if there is a new post - that support means so much and I am going to try and do better at posting!

6/18/10 - First Sprinkler Park Visit!

Today was one of the first nice days since the sprinkler park opened on Memorial Day, so we packed a lunch, got our swim suits on, and headed out for a new adventure this morning!

This is my favorite picture because Ryan was squealing with delight as he ran through the water!
Can you find John standing underneath the falling water!?
The boys loved running through this part of the park and John came and got me shortly after arriving saying it was my turn!
They had seen these giant squirt guns on the picture of the sprinkler park I showed them on the computer yesterday. John spent all yesterday afternoon and this morning saying how he was going to squirt people!
On the way to the car:

It was a great time and the boys took a fantastic nap!
The boys in action: