Shades

Cassidy went with Daddy to visit some friends of our church the other day, who are volunteers and live at the Jordan Valley Fish Hatchery. She came home with a gift from the hatchery: these great kid-sized sunglasses. She's had so much fun the past few days learning to put on the glasses and today she happily wore them outside to play in the sun. She thinks she is so cool!

Fun, fun, all the time

We have so much fun every day watching Cassidy find fun in everything. She spent a good amount of this morning playing with a linen napkin, wearing it as a cape, folding and refolding it, and putting it on mommy's head. This afternoon she rediscovered her nesting cups and played with them like they were the most interesting toy ever. She has a good attention span and plays independently so well. Come visit us and immerse yourself in Cassidy's world of fun!

The Apple Dress

We appreciate every piece of clothing that Kayla shares with us, but some of them stand out more than others. I remember Kayla wearing this dress and thinking she never looked so adorable. Now I'm looking at my own girl in the same dress, many months later, thinking the same thing. Thanks for sharing with us, Kayla! We think of you all the time.

Editor's Note:

After I posted these pictures, Kurt suggested I find a picture of Kayla wearing the dress too. I searched her blog and found this (warning - CUTE):

And upon further investigation, I dug up this: one of my favorite pictures of all time. In the moments shortly after Cassidy's birth, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Sheri and cousin Kayla arrived at the hospital. Kurt was in the hall and when Kayla saw him she ran down the hall to give him a hug! Sheri masterfully captured this awesome moment on camera. And look - it's the beloved apple dress! No wonder I get so choked up seeing my precious girl in this outfit. My other precious girl just happened to be wearing it the day Cassidy was born! Maybe I subconsciously remembered it being special for that reason. Thanks again, Kayla! We love you!

Pancake Monster

Cassidy wouldn't touch a pancake in her highchair, but once she saw it on mommy's plate, she wanted it. This has been happening a lot lately!

Ruby's Birthday Party

Today we drove over to Lake Leelanau to celebrate Ruby's 6th birthday. Cassidy was a little shy at first, but eventually began exploring and especially loved playing with (i.e. following around) Copper, the big golden retriever. Here she is sitting on the lap of Jake, one of her most favorite people in the world: Ruby and Alison look on as Cassidy breaks it down on the kitty piano. This kid is a future musician!Ruby was kind as usual to Cassidy, letting her play with her toys.If she's gonna be a rock star, she'll need a cool pair of shades:

Upside down is "in" this season.Cute little ponytail girl:

What better way to occupy herself on the ride home, than to play with the baby in the mirror? That bear mirror used to be hooked to the back of the seat so I could see her when she was rear-facing; now it's a favorite car toy.

Lots of love

Here are a couple more pictures of Cassidy enjoying play time and hugs with Grandpa and Grandma J. There's lots of love to go around!

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter! Christ is risen!

Here are Cassidy and Grandma, all ready to go to church. Cassidy wasn't in the smiling mood, but she looked so adorable in her pink dress and shoes. We had a beautiful day and a nice dinner together, during which Grandpa J. arrived. We are so thankful for our families and grateful that we had Kurt's folks here to celebrate this wonderful occasion with us.

Special time with Grandma J.

Grandma and Grandpa J. have been planning to come up on Easter Sunday but Grandma was able to get a ride up a few days early to help us out. Cassidy had such fun playing with her! They spent a lot of time outside together walking the yard and picking up smooth stones to carry around. Here is Cassidy getting ready to help clean the stove.Another favorite activity with Grandma: swinging!