Memorial Day party

Grandpa's deck is another fun place to be!

First Boat Ride!

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Port Huron and on Grandpa's boat. What fun! Cassidy had a great time and especially loved going fast and feeling the wind in her face!

All that wind and speed makes a little girl verrrrrrry sleepy!

18 months

We're already halfway through Cassidy's second year of life. It feels like we were just enjoying her first birthday party. How time flies! In the last 6 months, she's gone from cruising to walking to running to climbing - what's next?! We can't wait to find out!

Mother's Day

For a long time, Mother's Day was a very sad day for me. Everyone around me was so happy, celebrating their special moms, bringing them to church and taking them out for fancy brunches. The day only reminded me that my mom is gone. But now I have my own child and the day has taken on new meaning. Now I am the one who feels special. I thank God that I get to be the mom of this awesome, beautiful, glowing little girl:
I get to enjoy her wonder in every little thing. I get to be with her every single day, watching her grow.

I'm honored to be the one she calls out for when she needs love. And on Mother's Day I get to wake up to this: my wonderful husband, my precious baby girl (and my baby on the way kicking from the inside), fresh lilacs, and lots of love. Happy Mother's Day to all! I know it's a happy day for this mommy!

The Early Morning Routine

I (Sarah) am happy to be married to an early riser who, since he wants to be up at that time anyway, is usually the one to be up with Cassidy at 6-ish a.m. Often I hear stories of her early morning adventures when I wake up. She's ready to get down and play right when she gets out of her crib and wants some milk ASAP. Daddy attempts to tame her wild bedhead hair, sometimes with multiple barrettes, and the results usually make me smile (see below for an example). Today while waiting for Daddy to brush his teeth, Cassidy grabbed her monkey and climbed into a bin in the bathroom. She still likes to find small spaces just big enough for her to climb into! Now I just need to teach her how to make Mommy breakfast in bed!

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!