Playdough Celebration!

Claire LOVES Playdough!! Today, we had what I'll call a Playdough Celebration. Let me explain.... Since May, Claire has not been sleeping well - getting up numerous times after I initially put her to bed, getting up 3-5 times in the middle of the night every night, then waking up earlier than ever before. Needless to say, it's been a trying experience for me. Anyway, when I discovered how much she loves playdough, I decided to save it as a reward for when she does a good job staying in her bed. Last night, she had a GREAT night, so we celebrated this morning with PLAYDOUGH!!


This was her first reaction...



Here are a few pictures of my little sculptor at work...

Stone Harbor Vacation

As I wrote in my last post, my family went to Stone Harbor, NJ for a week's vacation in the beginning of August. Here are a few highlights from our vacation...

Chillin' in the pool (thanks to Gabi & Isabella who let us borrow their swimming pool for the week)


Luke & Sara in the pool with Claire


Having lunch with a friend (Claire & Sara)



We walked on the beach one day to find an enormous pile of sand and tons of people working to build a sand village


Then we made our own sand village

Watching the guys play ladder golf (thanks to Erica & Tim who brought this really fun game)

It's the kids' turn!

Enjoying a cup of "Cookie Monster" ice cream (thankfully, it came out in the wash!)

Summer Update

We've been strangers again...sorry about that. It's been a crazy summer with travel, all sorts of activities, and not much sleep in between. Here is a little update on what we've been up to since my last post. First, Claire seems to really enjoy wearing shower caps around the house. Here are a few pictures.












Also, my niece, Isabella, turned 3 July 9th. Yeah, Isabella! Here are some pictures from her fun birthday party.




















Claire went to Bible School at Mimi and Pap's church in mid-July. The theme was Rain forest Adventure. Here is a picture of Claire with a rain forest bird mask that she made. She wanted to wear it constantly!







I was so blessed to go to the beach over the weekend in late July with some close friends and without kids. Thanks to all of the daddies for making that weekend possible! We were actually able to take long walks on the beach, talk without interruptions, sit, relax, and read on the beach. These things just don't happen with kids around. We all love our little ones dearly, and we were all happy to see them again when we got home, but it was refreshing to get some time away, encourage one another in the faith, and prepare our hearts for the tasks that awaited us at home.



Well, that's about it for now. Claire and I just got back from another beach trip Friday night, so I'll devote the next few posts to that trip. Bye for now!