Around Town

          I have lost track of the days and missed several posting opportunities.  Oh well.  What can I say?  Most nights, after getting the girls in to bed, I'm ready to go to bed myself!  So, in order to save some time, I've lumped some of our recent adventures into a slideshow below.  Some of our fun in town includes:

A trip to Homecomers' (our local carnival) where Audrey rode tons of rides by herself!

A doggie birthday party (a first-ever for our dogs - they have Audrey to thank) where Audrey and I made a doggie birthday cake.  The dogs loved it, and I think our beagle gained an immediate five pounds from her piece of cake!

Swimming with Mommy and Pa at the neighbors' pool, complete with Audrey wearing Pa's goggles and jumping off the diving board.

Audrey makes her own bracelets and creates new artistic poses for the camera (to send to Daddy, of course).

Audrey dresses all of her doggies in skirts, dresses, and accessories for a special event.

Mommy practices her first-ever french braid and Audrey keeps the braid in her hair!

Claire continues to grow, explore, and chase after her sister!

Audrey dresses up in Gram's scarf and uses Gram's jewelry and purse.

The girls hug Pa after he gets home from work!

So Stylish!

          While we've been in Missouri this summer, my parents have gone above and beyond to not only welcome us into their home and their lives, but to also help me with the girls and my dogs day in and day out while continuing to work full time.  As usual, I am amazed by their sacrifice and unconditional love.  In addition to all that is already going on, my mom has somehow managed to find time to sew.  She has made Audrey a beautiful summer dress and a skirt (with plans for a matching dress and skirt for Claire).  Audrey has been involved in the process from the start, helping us pick out the fabric my mom used to make both outfits.  Just before my mom finished the skirt, I found a shirt on sale at Target that matched it perfectly.
          So, just a few days ago, when Audrey woke up from her nap, we presented her with her new skirt and top.  She immediately put it on and twirled around the house!  A little later in the afternoon, she strolled up to my mom, put her hand on her hip, cocked her blonde little head to one side and said,
          "Gram, I'm going to be wearing this outfit a lot because it's just so stylish!"  Ah, if only a blog could capture intonation and attitude...
          And wear the outfit she did.  For the rest of that day, even when Aunt Courtney came by and took her out to see a baby donkey at Courtney's grandma's house, and then to church the next morning (after we washed it the night prior).  After sopping up some syrup from a delicious pancake breakfast, the outfit is once again clean and ready to wear.  So, thanks to Gram for keeping our 3 1/2 year old "so stylish"!

Audrey and Aunt Courtney

Mommy and Claire

Happy Anniversary!

       Seven years ago today, I married my best friend.  We have been blessed.  So blessed, in fact, that I dare not even type it out here because it would most likely overwhelm me.  As I type this, Matt and I are separated by oceans and continents.  He is sleeping (hopefully) and I am listening to my 3 year old yell my name as she is trying to get me to return to her bedroom (even though it is way past her bedtime).  Despite the separation, I am more in love with Matt than ever.  He is my best friend, my partner, my companion, my comfort.  I love sharing life with him, and I thank God for bringing us together in this world.  For those of you who don't know Matt (or don't know him well), you're missing out.  He's the best!  (Maybe I am biased a bit, but he really is).  And so, today has been hard for me.  It was definitely harder than I expected it to be.  I missed Matt more intensely today.  I realized that this is the first anniversary we have spent apart.  We've missed birthdays and major holidays, but somehow the Air Force has not separated us on one of our previous anniversaries.  So, I am thankful.  I am thankful that this is the first time in our seven years of marriage where we've been separated on our anniversary.  I am thankful for the man I get to share life with...for the man I call my husband.  I am thankful that we are over half way through this deployment.  I am thankful that we can celebrate another year of each other!  I miss you, Matt, and I love you.

          From our dating years...

The Girls!

          The past few weeks have flown by, and as I was looking through our pictures, I realized how much Claire has changed this past month.  She will be nine months old by the end of this week!  Audrey and Claire have really started enjoying each other's company.   Some of my favorite moments of the day are watching the girls play and interact together.

          Audrey and Claire play peek-a-boo (see the pictures in the slideshow where Claire is pulling the scarf off of our faces), Claire laughs at almost anything Audrey does (especially Audrey's dances), and Claire's new favorite time of day is bath time when both of them take their bath together.  Audrey gives Claire a hug and kiss before each of Claire's naps, and she willingly shares her stuffed animals with her baby sister.  No matter how long some of our days may feel, I am so thankful for these sweet sister moments where I can simply enjoy watching the girls spend time together.

The Magic House!

          In the past two weeks, I have been to the St. Louis Magic House two times!  You might laugh, but I think I loved it more than Audrey did (which is saying a lot).  I grew up going to the Magic House with my grandparents, so it holds special memories for me.  On top of that, the Magic House (a magnificent children's museum) has expanded, adding an unbelievable array of exhibits and sights for the kids.  My mom, Audrey, Claire and I made the trip on a Monday afternoon, and we had a fantastic time.  Even Claire had her own special area to explore!  Later in the week, Audrey and I made a special trip back to St. Louis to meet one of my best friends, Becky, for lunch and an afternoon at the Magic House.  Becky was passing through St. Louis on her way home, and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her! (Claire was sick, otherwise she would have joined in the fun again with us).  The Magic House is so large that we really didn't see the same things on our two separate trips.  I should have taken more pictures, especially when Becky joined us, but we were honestly just having too much fun.  If you're ever in St. Louis with children, this museum is a "must see"!

Down Time in the Heat

          Summer!  I love it, but recently, we've had such hot days that playing outside has been a chore rather than a treat.  If we brave the outdoors, we rarely last more than a few minutes unless water is involved.  I am not currently at my own house, so my usual indoor methods of play and distraction are unavailable.  Thankfully, over the course of the summer, we've amassed quite a collection of crafts and toys to use here at Gram and Pa's house.  Audrey loves craft time and will happily paint with water colors or glitter paint for some time before gearing up for the next adventure.  Most of our indoor games, though, are much more active.  Audrey's timing is impeccable, and she's always up for a game of tag or chase after one of my Saturday long runs!  Ouch for mommy!
          Claire is an easy baby to entertain.  She'll happily sit on the floor and play with her toys, crawl around and explore, or practice furniture surfing as she improves her balance and walking skills.  Lately, she's thrilled with a good game of peek-a-boo or chase.  Yup.  At 8 1/2 months old, she'll crawl as fast as she can in the opposite direction of me if I say, "I'm gonna get you."  Then she'll quick turn and start crawling after me.  Did I mention that she and Audrey like to wrestle?  Well, that's what Audrey calls it.  Claire will crawl on top of Audrey and laugh.  So far, we've only had one Claire face-plant, but I'm sure more are on their way.

Audrey glitter painting at craft time.

Audrey and I making blueberry crumb cake (yum!)