Abigail all lit up.
Samuel and I went to a ballgame with Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle Don and Peyton.

Samuel and Abigail made friends with Fletch while we visited Uncle Ryan, Aunt Kate, and Grandma Linda in Ohio.

Memorial Weekend

The weather was uncommonly warm and sunny for a Michigan Memorial Day Weekend. (The hallmark of this particular holiday in Michigan is a sharp 30 degree temperature drop accompanied by precipitation in all its forms flying in sideways in a 40 mph gale)

Samuel loves to swing. The life jacket is just in case he flies off into the lake.

Abigail has a good view of the hike from her perch over my shoulder.

Day out with Thomas the Train.

Saturday we took a trip to the Greenfield Village in Dearborn for the Day out with Thomas the Train.

We liked the area so much we put a bid in on this house.

Apparently it was a little low, and we didn't get it.

Ewe butts!!

At the end of a long day Abigail shares an after dinner binky with her brother.

Springing!

Here are our several attempts to usher in spring over the past month.

Icecapade

Without the use of crampons or supplemental oxygen we climbed to the tops of these ice formations on the shores of Lake Michigan.
The ice-cliff was about 25 ft. high.
The expedition team.

Abigail's Birthday Party

A castle cake for the princess.
As you can see she loves the ladybugs.
Hey! What's up dawg?
Oh its time for cake you say!! I can do that, yeah!
Click on the picture to see the animation.

A visit with BOB.

Last Saturday we went to check out the Bob the Builder exhibit at The Grand Rapids Children's Museum.

Towards the end of the day Abigail was searching for someplace to get some eats.

And Samuel was looking for somewhere to hit the rack.

Christmas around our world

After Abigail saw that the tree was decorated and lit she decided we were ready to start with the festivities.

Samuel sat at the table thumping his fork and knife on the plate, thereby notifying us of his readiness to eat.

Abigail enjoyed the presents and wrappings alike.

Some present wrappers get a little too tape-happy so Abigail nominated her Papa to assist on more than a few occasions.

Samuel postulates as to what the big box contains.

Good guess. Samuel bussied himself for the rest of the day by plowing the driveway.

Rewind

Rewind to a mid October.

Cottage.

Samuel pictured here sporting a ten-gallon stocking cap.

Abigail kicks back with Papa.

Bike ride

We stopped for a snack on the bike trail. Abigail gave one-thumb-up to the pretzels.

Good bye 2, bring it on 3!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!

We celebrated Samuel's 3rd trip around the sun with a bulldozer cake this month. Thank you to Samuel's mom and his Aunt Liz for the cake. It looked and tasted great. No less than nine Tibetan sherpas were required to carry in all the frosting for the cake.

This birthday ushered in a new phase of present opening. For the first time in his short life Samuel has more interest in the thing wrapped than in the wrapping paper.

Those in attendance were Ohma, Aunt Hannah, Aunt Liz, Grandma and Grandpa, and Nana, and Papa .

Samuel, Abigail, Sarah, and I capped off the day with some pizza and The Little Mermaid.