Welcome to LivAndIz.com!

December 30, 2015

Happy New Year! I've been hard at work catching up on all of the pictures from the past year and a half, and I'm finally done. I've inserted galleries before the previous Hawaii update to include the Summer, 2014, our road trip in 2014, and the Fall and Winter of 2014. I then caught up on the beginning of 2015, and then I added pictures since the last Hawaii update until Christmas of this year. Many of the activities are the same, but the kids are (obviously) growing up. We had a great Christmas, and I am enjoying a few days off. Olivia is eating up the sixth grade at her new middle school, and Isabella is enjoying being a "big man on campus" at Castle. Hope 2016 brings health and happiness to us all.

July 27, 2015

Well... I guess it's time to update the site with a little aloha. We had a fabulous 19 days on the lovely island of Maui with family and friends. Most of the time was spent simply relaxing next to (if not in) a body of water. They were having a bit of a heat spell the first week, but the winds picked up to a comfortable pace by the second week. We went on a snorkeling trip to Molokini Crater, and we drove the road to Hana (and around the far side of the island) with the kids. Olivia is gearing up for middle school, and Isabella is an eager fourth grader. I, obviously, can't promise when the next update will come, so enjoy the photos!

May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day! At long last, I have a photo update to share. I needed to wait until we got above 70 degrees here (which hasn't happened since October of last year...). We've got photos starting at Christmas and working our way through the winter and spring. There were several performances, and now we've got some fun outdoor activities. The girls both learned how to ride bikes and are loving the new freedom of being able to ride anywhere they like at any time of the day they desire... Well... Maybe not yet, but they are loving it. Isabella started softball and has games every Wednesday night into June. It's very, and she does really well. Olivia turned 10 a week ago, and we can't believe how grown she has become. Enjoy the photos. We're looking forward to a visit from Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara in a couple of weeks!

December 23, 2013

We're finishing the year much stronger than we began in terms of photos. It's been Performance Central here the past few weeks. Olivia had her fourth grade class holiday performance, and both girls had their dance performances this week. We finished the weekend with a swim meet and a sledding party at the Lindquists. The girls both improved their times in all of their races from 10% to over 30% since May. We're so proud of them, and they were both so thrilled to get first place in a race or two (they claimed to be on board with our "the only person you have to beat is yourself" philosophy, but who doesn't want a blue ribbon?). We're so excited about Christmas and New Years, and Sarah and I are looking forward to the 49ers' final game at the Stick tonight. If you knock and there's no answer, it 'cause we've gone Kaepernickin'! Merry Christmas, everyone!

December 8, 2013

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a really nice visit with Grammy and Grampy, and they were generous enough to let Sarah and I get away for a couple of nights in Minneapolis. Olivia had a show-choir workshop this Friday night an Saturday with her friend Bree. Then she had her piano/voice Christmas recital today. We got plenty of pictures of all of the activities. We're looking forward to Christmas and the new year, and we were very happy to see the 49ers beat Seattle today – chumps! Too bad they couldn't have brought their lame-ass 12th "man" to Candlestick today. Bahahahahaha!

November 3, 2013

We'll get right to the pictures, since it's been so long. We just had a nice weekend with Uncle Matt who surprised the girls by showing up after trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Olivia has chosen Christmas songs for her upcoming piano and voice recital. Both kids are still swimming on the YMCA “swim crew” and loving it. We're so thrilled with the girls' teachers (as we have been every other year), and both Olivia and Isabella seem to genuinely like school (suckers...). Sarah is still raising money and removing logistical barriers as the school's playground committee chair and vice president of the PTO.

The girls are watching a movie right now, and they just played "California Dreamin'," by The Mamas and The Papas. I started singing along, and Isabella was surprised that I knew the song. I said, "that's an old song probably from when Grammy and Grampy were in college." Olivia said, "That must have been in the time of the dinosaurs!" She thought she was very funny! I updated the web site in lieu of a phone call to Grammy and Grampy tonight (figured you guys would prefer the photos to my yackin'), and I wanted to share this story.

July 20, 2013

Hawaii was amazing. We all had such a fabulous and relaxing time, and we are so grateful. We came home to the sad news that we would have to put Wilson down the next day. We all got to say our goodbyes, and we are so thankful that Auntie Debbie took such good care of him when he got sick. We'll probably do a little tribute to our sweet Wilson some other time. For now, we'll focus on happy pictures from our trip and from the annual company picnic and Isabella's birthday party. Sorry for the delay in posting – my free time of late has been spent preparing a response to the IRS' false idea that we owe them money (all is well).

June 8, 2013

We just finished a nice visit from Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara; and the girls just finished the first and third grades. Hawaii is less than two weeks away, and we still have lots of fun things planned before then. Here are a few photos from the past couple of months. Spring is still taking its sweet time to arrive, and even summer is off to a slow start. Enjoy the pictures, and expect an update around mid-July or so.

April 6, 2013

Is it too late to say, "Happy New Year?" Let's get to the photos post haste. Winter is hanging on a little longer this year than it has in the past couple of years – doesn't make for fantastic photo ops (or convenient and comfortable photo ops, at least). We had a nice Easter last weekend, and Sarah and I are going out to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary tonight while Auntie Debbie stays with the girls. The school year is winding down, and both girls are going great. Olivia and Isabella are both taking the YMCA's “swim crew” class. Dance ended for them last week, and Olivia's piano and voice lessons will continue through the end of the school year. Isabella is going to start next fall. We're all looking forward to the eventual arrival of Spring; and, of course, the arrival of Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara at the end of May.

December 26, 2012

Merry Christmas! We had an awesome time with the Hurds and Hansens yesterday. The kids got to play outside in the snow for a couple of hours, and Sarah cooked another fantastic prime rib. Santa was good to the kids, and we all went snow tubing at Afton Alps on Christmas eve. The photo update will begin with some pictures of Olivia's dance recital and will continue with lots of snow-fun pictures (ready your eyes for some serious orange on white). We've got four more days with the Hurds before they go back to California, and the girls are in heaven with their cousins around. Happy New Year!

December 13, 2012

Isabella had her “Lion King” dance recital tonight, and I thought this would be a good time for a photo update. We have pictures from Halloween and visits from all of the grandparents as well, and I've got a few pictures of The Gateway Arch in St. Louis where I met up with some pals from grad school. We're anticipating Olivia's dance recital this weekend as well as a sledding party at the Lindquists (hopefully no rain!). And, of course, we've been counting down the moments until Aunt Jen, Uncle Rob, and cousins Jon and Des arrive for Christmas. I'll definitely have more photos to share. As always, it's just a matter of when I get around to sharing them... Hope you enjoy this batch!

October 14, 2012

Olivia and Isabella are fully engrossed in third and first grades and their separate dance classes. Olivia is also taking voice and piano lessons this year, and Isabella is sticking with swimming (she was learning the breast stroke this morning). I got a surprise visit from Matt last weekend, and we got to celebrate my birthday in full-Dees-style. Sarah has finished the book fair at school and is now considering the next task she wants to take on. Anyway, we're off to a good start of the school year and are looking forward to our visitors who should start flowing in with some regularity at the end of the month. Oh! I've also taken a few pictures worth sharing over the past few weeks.

July 23, 2012

I had a wonderful time on our vacation to California. Sarah and the girls are there for another week as I return to work. I got lots of pictures on our vacation, and I know that family members are eager to get a look. I'm going to update in installments to highlight each area we visited. I can't make promises about when I will finish. Bear with me! For now, I'm fueled by Debbie's tortilla soup!

• July 8-12: Family in Sonoma County
• July 12-15: Auntie Barbara's horse ranch
• July 15-16: Lassen Volcanic National Park and McArthur-Burney Falls State Park
• July 17-18: Crater Lake National Park
• July 18-19: Oregon Caves National Monument
• July 19-20: Redwoods National and State Parks
• July 20-21: Fort Bragg, CA

July 7, 2012

Happy sixth birthday, Isabella! Much has happened in the past two months since our last update, and we've got a few photos to share. The girls finished school with flying colors, and Papa got to join Isabella and a few of her chums on her year-end trip to the Como Zoo. Isabella broke her arm at school before the end of the year, but she's already made a complete recovery. Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara came out for a visit in June, and we're looking forward to seeing everyone in California starting tomorrow. Isabella finally lost that second front top tooth, and she even managed to sneak in a hair cut while Papa was in Asia. Mom put on a great birthday party for Isabella's friends, and we made the ice-cream cake from Coldstone last several sessions. It's another typical start to our summer which we can already tell will be too short.

May 6, 2012

Happy eighth birthday, Olivia! We had a few photo ops with Olivia's birthday and the girls' Spring dance recital. For Olivia's party this year, she had a few friends over to spend the night. We took all of the kids to see the “Chimpanzee” movie, and the girls all crashed on our new couches in the basement once they finally went to sleep. We all had a great time, and I was very impressed with Olivia's friends. On the night of Olivia's birthday, Auntie Debbie and Jack came over after school, and we all went to dinner at Old Chicago (Olivia's choice, of course). Then we came back to the house where Uncle Joe was waiting for us to enjoy the wonderful cake that Mommy made. This weekend, we had both the rehearsal and the actual performance for the girls' dance class. As usual, it was absolutely adorable, and Olivia and Isabella both really surprised Sarah and I with how well they did. Now that dance is over, Mommy and I will have to forgo our little Monday night hour-long date night (while the girls were at practice), but I think we'll survive. The end of school is rapidly approaching – soon we'll have a third grader and a first grader. Oh my!

April 15, 2012

Web site update and taxes. We've got dance photos, Grandma photos, zoo photos, and Easter photos. We had a great time at Cragun's for Easter before heading back down to the Twin Cities for and Easter dinner with the Hansens. Sarah and I upgraded the seating in our basement, and we are LOVING it! It's inspired lots of cleaning, but it's been well worth the effort. We're looking forward to Olivia's birthday as well as a visit from Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara in May.

February 26, 2012

We're surviving the mild (so far) winter and have a few photo ops in the past couple of months. Both girls just advanced another level in their swim classes. Olivia only has one more level before she is done, and Isabella has made up some ground on her. Olivia had her second grade performance last Thursday, and Auntie Debbie and Jack joined us. Isabella is reading like crazy and is so eager to keep learning. We're looking forward to a visit from Grandma in a couple of weeks, and we just realized that she will be here during their spring break!

January 1, 2012

Happy New Year! We had a party last night, and the kids made it to the midnight. Jack almost made it the whole way, but he had to poop out around 11 or so (with many of the adults). I'm posting pictures of the final ten days of 2011. Isabella had her kindergarten class holiday performance, and we went ice skating at the Hansen's on Christmas Eve. Sadly, there are no photos to share from Christmas, because I was laid up with a stomach bug. We had Christmas dinner a couple of days late, but it was still delightful. All is well as we roll in to 2012.

December 21, 2011

Happy Winter Solstice! To celebrate, I have posted some pictures from the past couple of months. It's been a typical Fall with pumpkins and candy for Halloween as well as visits from Grammy and Grampy (as well as Aunt Sue and Uncle Matt) for Thanksgiving. There has also been lots of dance. The girls enrolled in a tap/hip-hop dance class, and they just had their final performance last weekend. It was pretty cute. The girls continue their swim lessons at the Y, and they are both making incredible progress. They've got a couple more days of school, and they cannot wait until Christmas. I'm sure I'll have more pictures to share after that big day! Oh, and in case you missed it, I had added a photo gallery in October, but I never updated the main page. Hope you enjoy!

October 7, 2011

Photos from the month of September, 2011. Another busy month for the Lambs. School started for the girls, and Grandma came for a visit. While she was here, Sarah and I took a couple of days for ourselves (thanks, Grandma!) to do a little canoe camping in the Boundary Waters. We were well north and west of the Pagami Creek fire (which is still burning), and Ely was absolutely bustling with fire crews from all over. Sarah and I made it to our planned camp site and stayed in the wilderness for two days. We took an alternative route when we left the wilderness, and we were fortunate enough to see a black bear cub (we could hear its mother calling to it). We didn't get rained on, and there were no bugs since it had gotten below freezing before we got there. All in all, we were very lucky, and we had a great time. The girls, of course, had a great time with Grandma. Hope you enjoy the photos!

September 4, 2011

Photos from the month of August, 2011. It's been a busy month, and everyone is ready for school to begin on Tuesday (Wednesday, officially for our little kindergartener). We had a visit from Aunt Jen and Cousin Des in which we were introduced to the wonders of the iPad. We also sneaked a trip to the Mall of America before Jen and Des returned home. We rented a cabin at William O'Brien one Saturday night and had a great time exploring new parts of the park. We got to see (and hear!) Auntie Debbie's community choir before a visit from Grammy and Grampy. Sarah and I got to steal away to Alma, WI for a weekend, and the Tooth Fairy made two stops to our house! The girls have both met their teachers and are very excited for school to begin. We're just taking it easy this last weekend of vacation. Happy Labor Day!

Just added! Photos from the Sears portrait session. If you wish to have any printed by a third party, please let me know -- I have a copyright release that you might need.

July 30, 2011

I have not one, two, three, or even four new web galleries for you. I have five (cont them, five) new web galleries completely symmetric about our trip to Hawaii. First are some cute photos of our week prior to leaving for Hawaii. We took a canoeing class with the girls. Then we have photos of weeks 1, 2, and 3 in Hawaii. Yay! Some of these photos have been posted to Sarah's Facebook account, but there is some new material here as well. Finally, we have some photos of the Hough's (friends from grad school) visit to Minnesota right after we got back. It's been a great summer so far, and we're still looking forward to visits from Jen and Des as well as Grammy and Grampy. I'll try to keep the shutter clicking!

June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. We had a really nice day. The girls slept in until almost 8 AM this morning. We went to the IMAX theater at the zoo and also stopped in to see the bird show this afternoon – very cool on both counts. Last night, Sarah and I went to Manny's for dinner before seeing Stephanie Miller's “Sexy Liberal Show” at the State Theater in Minneapolis. We had an awesome time. It's been about a month since my last photo update, and we've had a lot of activity since then. You'll find recent photos of Isabella's preschool graduation, Grammy and Grampy's visit, our first camping trip, a visit to Fort Snelling, the OSD family picnic, and a few other random shots. Enjoy!

May 10, 2011

Alright. This is more like it! I got a bunch of cute photos so far this month thanks to Olivia's birthday, Isabella's dance “preformance,” and Mother's Day. Olivia had her 7th birthday party at the Minnesota Science Museum, and we got to see Isabella's dance performance twice thanks to a dress rehearsal. On Mother's Day, we went to Interstate State Park in Taylor's Falls, Minnesota to check out the glacial pot holes (which were VERY cool). Sarah and I got to see Bob Schneider at the Fineline on Saturday night after a lovely dinner with good company (a guy I used to work with and his wife). It was a great week, and we're looking forward to more and more time outside in the coming weeks and months.

April 29, 2011

Well... It's been a while since I posted a photo update, but here it is. The first four months of 2011. All is well here. Isabella is finishing up preschool and is well-prepared for kindergarten. Olivia is reading like crazy, and both girls are swimming pretty confidently. We still have to keep a close eye on Isabella in the pool, but Olivia is good to go anywhere she wants in the pool. We have Olivia's birthday party at the Science Museum on Sunday, and Isabella has her ballet performance (or “PREformance,” as she says) next Saturday. It should be a busy and fun couple of weeks before Grammy and Grampy and Auntie Barbara come at the end of May. The countdown to Hawaii (July 1) has begun!

January 19, 2011

Well, the first web site update of the year is going to have to be the final web site update from last year. I built a new computer and installed all new software, and that has required me to change the way I generate the web pages. I've finally figured it all out, and (at long last) I can present pictures of our final winter activities of 2010. Isabella had her final dance performance, we went sledding at the Lindquist's house, we had little holiday called Christmas, and we rang in the new year with a (cold and rainy) trip to the zoo. Olivia can now officially be anywhere in the pool by herself, and Isabella is not too far behind. Good stuff. Happy new year!

December 14, 2010

My web site laze lasted all of 2010, but at last we have an update! We’ve got pictures of Christmas decorations, our overnight trip to the “big city” with the girls, Thanksgiving with Grammy and Grampy, a trip that Sarah and I took to Duluth (thanks, Grammy and Grampy), and (of course) snow! I’ve got four more days of work before I take the rest of the year off, and I’m looking forward to spending some time at home and away from work. The girls dropped off their letters to Santa yesterday, and we watched the movie “Elf” with the girls the past weekend (being snowed-in, and all). Isabella has another ballet “performance” this week, and her preschool is taking their trip to the Children’s Theater to see a play on Friday. It’s a very exciting time of year for all!

November 7, 2010

Happy second birthday, cousin Jack!. We got photos carving pumpkins and going to Hallzooween. We, of course, also got photos of Isabella’s ballet recital – very cute. I spaced out on uploading pictures form Isabella’s pajama day at preschool, but they’ll (hopefully) make the next update. We just got back from dinner and cake at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s house for Jack’s birthday party. A good time was had by all!

October 30, 2010

October was absolutely beautiful in Minnesota this year. Photo opps were quite abundant. A "birthday party" for RMIA, a trip to Interstate State Park, a visit from Grandma, Jack Van Derlofske’s football game, and a trip to the pumpkin patch are all included. Olivia is reading like crazy, and both she and Isabella love to solve “math problems.” Isabella’s preschool had their pajama party yesterday (photos to be included in the next update), and we are going to carve our pumpkins tonight. Happy Halloween!

September 4, 2010

The end of summer is providing many photo opportunities. We started last weekend with a day trip to William O’Brien State Park and Taylors Falls all followed by fireworks at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s. We went to the State Fair on Thursday morning, and Olivia’s first tooth fell out that night (finally!). Hair cuts followed the next day, and Uncle Matty, Auntie Crystal, and their wiener dog, Brutis, showed up that night. We went to Lake Elmo Nature Preserve yesterday before Auntie Debbie, Uncle Joe, and Jack came over to let us all go to Manny’s for dinner. Whew! It’s been a busy week (and I even made it to Japan and back within that time – don’t ask…). Uncle John’s house tonight for ribs, so I’m sure we’ll get some more photos. Liv begins the first grade on Tuesday, and Isabella starts pre school next week. Everyone is ready for the new school year to begin.

August 25, 2010

Just a few snaps of the girls this week. Most of the photos are of the trip Sarah and I were able to take to a bed and breakfast in Alma, WI this past weekend. Many thanks to Aunt Jen and Desiree for coming out to care for and entertain the girls so that Mommy and I could get a really nice mini vacation. The B&B was great, and Sarah and I had the entire place to ourselves on the first night. We went on a hike on Saturday morning up to Buena Vista Park which has a really nice view of the Mississippi River and town of Alma. We spent the rest of the time just hanging out and relaxing. It was really nice. We also got the opportunity to put some miles on our new car. It’s a 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid, and we absolutely love it. The Blazer has finally gone ka-put, and it will be nice for Sarah to have something that drives decently in the snow.

In case you missed it, I posted some photos from my trip to the Boundary Waters with Matt last week. I’m still preparing a more detailed trip summary, but the trip was successful in the following ways: 1) I didn’t have to use my first aid or CPR skills. 2) We completed the most difficult route I had planned in one day less than I thought we could 3) We both want to do it again, albeit under slightly different circumstances and with the knowledge that we gained. In short, it was a lot of work, but we think we know enough now to have an even better time next time. We’ll see.

August 8, 2010

Photos from July. Sorry for the lack of captions, but I wanted to get some pictures up before I left. There are a bunch from Sarah and the girls’ trip to California, a few of my weekend trip to Wisconsin, T-ball, and Mary Kate’s birthday party. There are also a couple of shots of Uncle Matty and the girls from yesterday. He and I are off to the Boundary Waters this afternoon, so hopefully we’ll have a few more shots from that trip next week.

July 12, 2010

Wow. June came and went in a flash. I only snapped a few photos during the month due to travel, but the 4th and Isabella’s birthday provide some additional photo ops. All of the ladies are currently visiting California, so I got a chance to update the web site. Isabella’s birthday was a lot of fun, and we rented a jumpy house for her party. Her four year doctor’s appointment went well, and she’s a tall girl (42”) for her age. Sarah and I got to see Bob Schneider last Thursday night after a fine dinner at Fago De Chao all thanks to the baby sitting services of Auntie Debbie (and Uncle Joe who sacrificed his birthday evening to let us go out). I probably won’t have many pictures to share for the remainder of the month since I’m just going to be sitting around in my underwear for the next two weeks. That’s an image better left to the imagination…

June 3, 2010

Pictures from Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara's visit. Sorry -- not too verbose tonight. All is well. One more week of Kindergarden for Liv!

May 23, 2010

Pictures of some of our summer fun. Isabella finished her “Bridge to Preschool” class in the early Childhood and Family Education program, and the ECFE program had a very successful annual silent auction on Friday night. Sarah did a great job of chairing the Parental Advisory Council, and the ECFE staff has done just a phenomenal job educating the children – what a great program, and how fortunate we are to have put both girls through it. The girls are looking forward to a visit from Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara this week, and I’m sure we’ll have more pictures to share before too long.

May 22, 2010

No pictures yet, but I thought I'd share a really good waffle recipe.

Liv and Iz’s Triple Berry Vanilla Waffles (in 17 easy steps).

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups whole grain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup each blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries

Process

1. Fight about who has to stand next to Papa and who gets to stand far away from Papa at the kitchen island.
2. Fight about who is going to do the flour first. The first one to do the flour measures two quarter cups of flour into a large mixing bowl. The second one measures one quarter cup and one full cup of flour into the mixing bowl: Total of 1 3/4 cups of flour.
3. Whoever did the flour second gets to put two teaspoons of baking powder into the large mixing bowl with the flour first. Then the other places one teaspoon of baking powder into the same bowl. Be sure to fight just a little bit, even though the protocol is well-established: Total of 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
4. Salt. Ah, the salt. Everything is Even-Stephen to this point. And now the salt. That damn 1/4 teaspoon -- the smallest unit of measure. Use any means possible to get that 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the bowl as painlessly as possible – you’re on your own. I have found no solution and can offer no advice. Good luck.
5. Take turns mixing the dry ingredients and set aside.
6. Ask if you can crack the egg first. Both of you. Ask and plead as though your life depends on it. Whoever makes the most convincing case gets to crack the egg first. Separate the yoke and the white – yoke into a medium mixing bowl. The other one gets to do the same with the second egg. Set the whites aside.
7. Each one measures and pours 1/4 cup of oil in with the egg yolks. Oddly, there is no fighting at this stage. Total of 1/2 cup vegetable oil.
8. Whoever does the oil second puts two 1/4 cups of milk in with the yolks and oil. The other then puts one quarter cup and one full cup of milk in with the yolks and oil. Total of 1 3/4 cups of milk.
9. Whoever does the milk second puts in two teaspoons of vanilla. The other adds one more teaspoons of vanilla. Total of one tablespoon of vanilla.
10. Mix the yolk, oil, milk, and vanilla mixture well. Try to see how much you can slosh out of the bowl, and be sure to blame the other one for making you slosh.
11. Pour the liquid mixture in with the dry mixture and mix together. Batter should be lumpy, and helpers should be losing interest.
12. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer to scare the help off into the living room.
13. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
14. Place a quarter cup each of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries into a strainer and work as quickly as possible to rinse them and get them into the batter before the helpers return.
15. Mix the berries into the batter.
16. Pour one cup of batter into a waffle iron and cook until golden brown.
17. Serve with butter and/or syrup (and, optionally, a shot of Jack Daniels for yourself).

May 16, 2010

A very brief pictorial update. A few snaps from Liv’s party last weekend, and a few snaps of the new play set. Sarah and I got the final part for the slide, and Sarah installed it toward the end of the week. We had a really nice weekend, and Olivia is swimming all the way across the big pool without any assistance. Isabella’s teacher says that she is ready for her blue wrist band, and that means that I can toss the kids in the pool and drink beer all day long – I have arrived!

May 5, 2010

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Sarah made some awesome tacos tonight, but we skipped the margaritas (you know, Sarah’s damn running schedule!). It’s been a while, so we’ll get right to the photos. We had a great time at Uncle Matty and Auntie Crystal’s wedding at the end of April, and it was extra nice to get to see Grandma, Grammy, and Grampy. Olivia turned six years old yesterday (one third of the way to 18). She’s reading like a champion, and she’s swimming like a super big girl – almost the entire length of the big pool (before she gets too tired). She and Isabella got their play structure for the back yard installed by Uncle Joe and Mommy this past weekend. They love it, but now we’re hoping the temperature can climb out of the 50s. Olivia’s party at the bowling ally is on Saturday, and I’ll try to get better about more timely photographic updates. Everyone is looking forward to Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara coming to visit in a couple of weeks. All is well here!

April 4, 2010

One update per month. Sorry, that seems to be the recent pace. I paid for it on this one, though – lots of catching up to do. We had a lovely Easter at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s house today, and Sarah and I celebrated our twelfth wedding anniversary. I got lots of pictures today and have also included photos from back in March when I was in Asia and Sarah’s sisters came out to Minnesota. I also have a few shots from Dallas, though none of the bachelor party (cameras were forbidden – wouldn’t want you to have to see a bunch of old, tired men going to bed at 11:00). We got to see The Wizard of Oz play in Minneapolis last weekend, and the girls loved it – it was a blast. Olivia is reading like a champ, and we are now preparing for Matt and Crystal’s wedding followed by Olivia’s birthday party. Spring seems to be here, but I’m not putting the snow blower away for another couple of weeks.

March 14, 2010

It’s the third month of 2010, and this is only the third picture update of the year. Sadly, there are no pictures of the girls in this one – just a few snaps from Japan and South Korea. In Japan, we got a quick glimpse of Osaka Castle one night before heading off to Korea. I was traveling with Tracey Peacock from St. Paul, Shigeto Oiri from Japan, and Flat Stanley from California for the entire trip. We had a free Saturday in Korea, and a couple of the guys from the local team (JC Cha and BS Ko) took time out of their lives to show us a little Seoul. We went to the Namsangol Traditional Folk Village after a lovely (and plentiful) lunch, and we followed that up with some traditional Korean music at Seoul Namsan Gugakdang. By the time dinner (again, quite plentiful) was over, everyone was in agreement that it had been one of the finest days on the road.

We went to China after that, but I didn’t get any photos. It seems we were in meetings, taxis, and airplanes for most of the China leg, and I don’t think any of us need a photograph to recall the feeling of being stuffed into the back seat of a tiny cab.

I got a few snaps on our final day back in Japan after our last customer meeting. We went to a “sushi train” restaurant for dinner and then headed up to the Park Hyatt for a couple of drinks and to enjoy the view. It was another really great night with good people, food, and drink (and drink, and drink, and drink…). The trip seemed long, and I was glad to come home and see my ladies, but it was one of the best trips (in terms of both business and fun) that I’ve had in a while. I’m very fortunate to have such wonderful coworkers around the world who enjoy hanging out.

I’ll have pictures of the girls next time, I promise!

February 21, 2010

Well, I’m off to a slow start for 2010. Here is another photo gallery of our latest adventures. Grandma just left after a three week visit, and we are getting back to life without endless games and adoration. We had both the sock-hop and Olivia’s school’s annual carnival yesterday after bringing Grandma to the airport. We’ve been ice skating a couple of times, and Olivia loves it. She even went without support a few times (you’ll see the pictures). The Superbowl party at the Van Derlofske’s was a blast. I took the girls to open swim this morning, and we made use of the hot tub this afternoon. The snow has melted off the driveway, but the drift at the end of the driveway is still over my head. Should be snow on the ground for quite some time, but that’s O.K. Olivia is reading like crazy and enjoying school more than she should. With my upcoming trip to Asia, don’t expect much in terms of an update in the coming week or two – I’m sure you’ll survive…

January 26, 2010

At last: new pictures for the family! I’ve been a little photographically challenged of late, but Isabella and Mommy have picked up the slack. We’ll begin with some pictures from December that Isabella took – good stuff. I was going to do the update on Sunday, but I got caught up watching Brett Favre get pummeled by the Saints. Anyway, all is well here. Olivia swam half way across the big pool all by herself on Sunday, and Isabella is getting quite fearless in the pool. We’re looking forward to Grandma’s visit on Saturday, and the planning for Matt’s bachelor party is underway. Should be a good time.

December 30, 2009

We had a great Christmas! Uncle Matty and Crystal got in a little before midnight on Christmas Day (on schedule), and we spent the next day having a second day of Christmas with an awesome dinner put on by Sarah. We got to play in the snow a little, the little bit of rain we got on Christmas Day made all of the nice snow that we did get turn to ice. No snowman for Crystal. She’ll just have to come again before the snow all melts. The kids got another trip in to the MOA with our visitors, but that’s going to be it for a while. The girls are loving the Wii that Santa brought, and the adults are even having a bit of fun with it as well. We’re hosting a small New Year’s party tomorrow night, and the house is just about in order – we (meaning Sarah) got the tree down and packed away over the past two days. This will be my last update of the year, so enjoy the photos.

Happy New Year! I am so thankful and feel so lucky to have my friends and family.

December 23, 2009

Olivia just got back from her last day of school for the year. Sarah, Isabella, and I went to Olivia’s class this morning to help all of the kids get ready for their holiday program. It was really cute, and I got a few pictures. Sarah video taped the entire thing, so expect a brief video update soon (I won’t post the entire 15 minute show, but Olivia did have a speaking role). We also went sledding at Scott and Lisa’s last weekend, and the girls had a blast. We are anticipating a lovely stomach bug any time now (we are the only family who attended Scott and Lisa’s get together not to have gotten it yet), and I’m sure we’ll all be puking for Christmas. Oh well. The snow storm is beginning now, we’re totally stocked with food and videos, all of our Christmas shopping is done, and I just got the snow-blower working. Bring on the puke! I just hope Matt and Crystal are still going to want to come. The girls couldn’t be more excited!

Merry Christmas!

December 13, 2009

It’s so nice to have Mommy home! The girls are doing great and have sent their letters to Santa. We got a nice snow storm this week and got a chance to play out in the snow and cold this weekend. We also made a trip to the Children’s Museum last weekend and the Science Museum this weekend. The ladies topped the weekend off with a viewing of the new Disney movie. Selected pictures can be found here. Olivia got her report card and did not disappoint. One more week of work for me, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Minnesota Wild game on Tuesday night this week.

November 30, 2009

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Grammy and Grampy came out to Minnesota, and I snapped a bunch of pictures (of course). Sarah was in California with her family for the holiday and to help them through a tough time.

Sarah’s dad, Jim (a.k.a., Grandpa), died last night at home surrounded by his family. Sarah got to spend all week with him, and she was able to say goodbye to him on Saturday morning before she left to come back to Minnesota. We had such a nice visit when he and Grandma were out here in October, and I hadn’t seen him so vibrant and full of life in several years. He came everywhere with us, and he got to see Olivia on and off the school bus each day that he that he was here. The girls both loved it when he came to the zoo and the Science Museum with us. I think about the joy he must have felt to be with Sarah and the girls, and it makes me very happy. I think about the wonderful mother, daughter, sister, and wife that Sarah is, and I know that Jim is a large part of that fantastic creation. He is a part of my amazing daughters, and he lives on in all of us who were influenced by him. Thank you, Jim. Thank you for allowing me to bask in the loving glow of your beautiful daughter. Your legacy resides in her smile and the laughter of our very special little girls.

November 17, 2009

Another brief update. I’m not feeling entirely verbose tonight. Hope you enjoy the pictures. The girls are cute as ever!

November 9, 2009

Happy birthday, Jack and Debbie! We got a few shots of Jack’s first birthday celebration. No major news here – all is quite well.

November 1, 2009

We had a great Halloween with the Krtmans, Hansens, and Dupres. The only thing I had to carry while trick-or-treating were my camera and Bubba Keg, and life was good. Olivia’s school put on a dance on Friday night, and the girls got an extra chance to wear their costumes. 2009 will be over before any of us know it.

October 26, 2009

Haven’t seen the sun, stars, or moon in a long, long time. The leaves are at peak color, and the snow has all melted. Rain. Just rain. More BLAH. Anyway, who needs sunshine when you’ve got Olivia and Isabella? We’ve made not one, but two recent trips to the zoo, and we’ve have had a lot of fun acquiring and carving pumpkins. Details can be found in the photo gallery. Happy Halloween.

Oh, if you haven’t heard: Matt asked Crystal to marry him, and she said “yes.” It really only means one thing: Bachelor Party

October 11, 2009

It’s been a while since the last photo update. We’ve been to a few birthday parties for the kids, and now Grandma and Grandpa are here. I had a nice birthday last week as Sarah and I got to spend a night out of the house while Grandma and Grandpa graciously had a sleep over with the girls. Sarah and Clarrissa ran the first ever Twin Cities 10k and finished faster than expected. The girls are both doing great in school, and we’re all looking forward to Halloween. Off to the zoo this morning. We got our first snowfall yesterday – BLAH!

September 20, 2009

We’ll start out with a few photos from last weekend when we went to the James Page Blubber Run with the Dupres. A 5k walk up and down the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis followed by a picnic and, of course, a sampling of tasty James Page beers. During the week, I got a few shots of the girls with my new flash (still learning). Last night, the City of Oakdale put on a free out door showing of Madagascar 2 to bring the summer to a close. The girls were up about an hour and a half past their bed time, but they were up just about on schedule this morning. No pictures from today as I was preparing our deck for staining – oh boy!

September 9, 2009

Olivia is in kindergarten. I stayed home this morning, and we all had breakfast together. We then walked down the end of the road to catch the bus at 8:22 with the rest of the neighborhood kids. One of the older little girls down the road promised to be Olivia’s bus-buddy. The bus was a little late, and when it finally arrived, Olivia went running to get on without looking back – she was so excited! Sarah, Isabella, and I then all loaded up in the car and went up to her school to watch her get off the bus. The kids all lined up with their teachers and entered the building to begin their studies. Olivia had a great first day and got off the bus promptly at 3:15. And thus it begins!

Of course, I got pictures of the morning’s festivities. Also included are some pictures of “Woodbury Days” on the day I left for Taiwan. When I returned from Taiwan on Saturday, Matt and Crystal were at the airport with Sarah and the girls. Deb and Joe came over and stayed with the girls while we stole away to Manny’s. On Sunday, we went down to the Mall of America, and the girls got to go on many rides. Olivia was brave, but I don’t think she’ll be going on the log ride or roller coaster for quite some time. Isabella, however, couldn’t get enough. Crystal was quite sweet with the girls, and both she and Matt went on several of the rides with the girls. On Labor Day, we went to Afton State Park for a picnic and brief “hike” – it was a lovely day.

That’s the update. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures!

August 23, 2009

Our house is coming together. The new floors are in, the driveway is complete, and Sarah just stained our new window. I’ll crack the whip and get her on the new sliding glass door tomorrow. I’ll post more complete photos when everything is done, but there are a couple of teasers here. We went to a friend of mine’s barn-warming party on Saturday, and Sarah showed everyone how to play volleyball. I took the girls to open swim at the Y this afternoon, and they both impressed me with there skills (though Isabella was a total JERK when we were getting cleaned up). Joe helped me move the old refrigerator our into the garage tonight, and Sarah cooked a lovely corned beef dinner. Olivia is counting down to Kindergarten.

August 11, 2009

Grammy and Grampy left a couple of hours ago to head back to California. The girls had a great time, and Olivia told us how much she misses Grammy. Isabella yelled, “thanks for the peach water” as they were driving away. Very cute. Snagged a few photos, but nothing spectacular. Isabella’s cast comes off tomorrow, and she is very excited. The girls have their final summer class this week, and Olivia is gearing up for Kindergarten. Summer is coming to a quick close…

August 4, 2009

O.K. I did a little better this past weekend . We celebrated Marykate Kolb’s third birthday on Saturday, and the four girls spent hours running around and entertaining themselves. Sunday yielded a quick trip to Four Seasons Park and a visit from the Hansens and Van Derlofskes. Isabella has just about one more week with her cast, though it really doesn’t bother her anymore. Olivia started “Safety Town” yesterday in preparation for school, and she gets to ride a bus today. Grammy and Grampy should be arriving in an hour or so, and the girls are quite excited. I’m sure we’ll get more photos this week – stay tuned!

July 26, 2009

This may be a record short update this week! Only nine pictures , and most are really stretching it. Between the Facebook posts and the “grandparent’s network” I’d be surprised if there was anyone left who didn’t hear that Isabella broke her arm on Wednesday. Running to the bathroom with her pants around her ankles, Isabella tripped, tried to catch her fall, and broke her arm. Sarah had a really long day with both girls on Wednesday, and Isabella was pretty much done with life on Wednesday night. Olivia was really sweet and good, though. Isabella still has her moments of wimping it up (I carried her from the bath to the bedroom tonight because, “I have a broken arm”), but she’s pretty much good-old-Isabella most of the time. The cast comes off in three weeks.

Happy birthday to Grammy and Auntie Barbara (or Brahbrah, if anyone watches “Flight of the Conchords”) Sarah and I celebrated by finally putting up new lights above our kitchen island and a new ceiling fan above our kitchen table. It took way longer than it should have, but everything is functioning, no one got electrocuted, and there’s only a 40% chance that everything is going to come crashing down as we sleep tonight. My best Home Depot (although it was Menards) experience yet. Just wish we would have had time for Bed, Bath, and Beyond…

July 20, 2009

Cousin Jack came over a couple of times the week and provided some good photo-ops. Another typical week: swimming, parks, classes, and moderately irritated parents.

July 13, 2009

We had a great week and weekend. The girls began their series of summer classes put on by Oakdale, and one of the teachers today commented on how well-behaved Olivia is (Isabella was not mentioned…). Spenser had his birthday party at the Como zoo on Sunday, and we all had a great time. Isabella got her first haircut on Sunday, but it’s still pretty much a rat’s nest. We may have to go ultra-short for her.

July 6, 2009

Update: I totally forgot about the pictures from our company picnic before I left for Asia. There are also a few that Sarah got of the girls while I was gone. Enjoy!

Isabella is three years old today! I’m working on a little jet lag and was able to update the web site in three parts before the girls get up (I’m taking the day off). The first pictures are from Japan (and one from China). The second set of pictures are from July 4th. Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe hosted a party, and the girls stayed up three hours past their bed time to watch the fireworks. Everyone had a really great time, and the weather was perfect! Finally are some pictures from Isabella’s birthday party yesterday. We got another really nice day, and the kids had a blast. Mommy made another one of her famous cakes. The girls begin a summer class put on by the city today, so Sarah will start having a childless 90 minutes during the day (which I’m sure will seem like 10 minutes). The girls are cute as ever, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be home.

June 14, 2009

Happy Flag Day. I’m posting a bunch of the photos that Sarah took on the rest of her trip to California with the girls. I’ve got a few of my trip down to Dallas to see Tom , Katherine, Matt, Crystal, and Artie, and a few since we all got back. I took the girls to Fort Snelling yesterday where they were doing a special program on World War II. The obstacle course was a favorite. The Hansens and Van Derlofskes came over for dinner tonight, and everyone is pretty well tired. We’re slowly getting back in to life in Minnesota.

June 1, 2009

Pictures from our trip to California. Sarah and the girls are still there, but I had to get back to work. Needless to say, there likely won’t be a web site update next week (unless you want to see a bunch of self portraits of me sitting around in my tighty-whities). I didn’t think so. We had a great time, and the girls are in heaven being with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I hear they played miniature golf for the first time today – they were very excited. I’m sure they’ll get to go swimming in Auntie Shellie’s pool in the coming week. It’s lonely here without my ladies, and the cats are not really the company I need (especially since their fighting). Looking forward to seeing Matt, Artie, Tom, Katharine, and Crystal (Olivia will be so jealous) this weekend, though.

May 26, 2009

Olivia is done with preschool. She had her graduation, and Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara happened to be here to enjoy the ceremony. We all had a very lovely visit, and the girls are looking forward to seeing everyone in California. We got lots of cute pictures, and I’m sure there will be more to come.

May 17, 2009

This weekend was, apparently, all about finding the worst possible lighting conditions and then taking a bunch of pictures. We started on Friday night with the silent auction for ECFE. The Splatter Sisters performed, and they might as well have been The Rolling Stones featuring Jesus Christ with special guest Barack Obama in this house. On Saturday, we went to the State Theater in Minneapolis to see Dora Live – it was very high-brow. We finally got a lovely afternoon here without wind and were able to go to the park this afternoon. Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara come tomorrow, and the girls couldn’t be more excited (unless, of course, it was the Splatter Sisters).

May 11, 2009

The school year is coming to an end. Isabella had her final ECFE class today, and Olivia “graduates” next Wednesday from Sunshine Preschool. We are looking forward to a visit from Grammy, Grampy, and Auntie Barbara next week, and swimming lessons are back on for another season. I only have a few photos to share this week – I wanted to give the camera (and myself, and Sarah, and the girls) a little break from pictures. Jack showed up on Mother’s Day, though, so I had to get the camera out for that! Hope you enjoy the brief update.

May 4, 2009

Olivia is five years old, and I couldn't be more amazed. I've got to keep it short for now, but we had a great day and got a few shots today and at her zoo party yesterday.

April 25, 2009

No shots of the girls, here, but a few shots of my quick trip to DC.

April 18, 2009

I’ve been watching the girls for a few days while Mommy has been in California. She comes back tomorrow, and we’re all looking forward to seeing her. The girls and I had a great time, and there are no broken bones and only slightly bruised egos. Fortunately, the weather has been cooperating, and we’ve gotten lots of outside time. Spring is finally here! Olivia rode her bike all the way around the block on Thursday without any help from me (other than yelling at her, “Olivia! Watch where you are going!”). Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe had us over for dinner on Friday, and we got lots of pictures.

April 12, 2009

Happy Easter everyone! We had a nice afternoon over at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s house – Jack was a real sweetie! The girls got to hunt Easter eggs and eat crap – just as our version of The Bible instructs. As always, we snapped a few shots for your amusement. Hope you enjoy!

April 6, 2009

We had another nice weekend. Sarah and I celebrated out 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday and took the girls out to Pino’s to celebrate. Isabella ate three pieces of pizza! We showed our wedding video to the girls, and we all got a kick out of seeing everyone from years past. We also got to the Science Museum (where I left my driver’s license) and the Y for a little swimming. Grandma sent an Easter package, and the girls made some really tasty cupcakes. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

March 31, 2009

Matt and his lady-friend, Crystal, came for a visit this weekend. The girls were thrilled and were quick to sell Uncle Matty out for a little Crystal action. Auntie Debbie, Uncle Joe, and Baby Jack came over to stay with the girls while we went out to dinner on Saturday, and then we all got a chance to go out together on Sunday after open swim and slide at the Y. We got a few snap shots, though Olivia certainly doesn’t need them to remember Crystal.

March 22, 2009

Just a few pictures this week as we ease back into life in Minnesota. This weekend was really nice, and Olivia got a chance to ride her bike around the block on Saturday. The outdoor Christmas decorations are down, and the garage is fairly clean (though I didn’t put the snow blower away…). I took the girls swimming at the Y this morning, and we had Deb, Joe, and Jack over for a little pork and pasta tonight. Hope everyone is enjoying Spring!

March 9, 2009

Aloha! I finally got the pictures posted from our trip to Maui from the past two weeks. Cousins Jon and Des surprised us at the Maui airport with Aunt Jen and Uncle Rob, so we got an unexpected visit! The girls were quite happy to have their cousins to play with. Uncle Matty came out as well and kept the girls full of sugar.

We stayed in Wailea the first week at the Marriott (in the “free-room” section of the hotel). It was a great hotel in a great location, but we wound up spending most of our time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house (with cousins) in the private pool. Olivia and Isabella had a few sleep-overs with Grandma and Des, and Uncle Rob and I took the kids to the Maui Ocean Center one day. We were up at our condo in Kaanapalli the second week. The weather wasn’t perfect (wind like I have never seen there), but it wasn’t pouring down rain, and we were able to swim and be outside every day. Really, nothing to complain about.

Both Olivia and Isabella did great in the pools. They love to jump in (as long as they can yell “canon ball” before doing so). We got pretty comfortable with not necessarily having to be in the pool with them as long as they had a noodle tied around them. By the second week Olivia was trying to swim short distances by herself, and she was full-on swimming and taking breaths by the end of the vacation. She’s still very unsure of herself, but I know that she could survive if she ever fell in a pool (and lord knows we often let her wander by herself through fields of acres and acres of pools).

We went on a whale watching boat, and the girls had an awesome time! None of the whales were breaching, but we got to see a bunch of them, and their tails (the high-point for the kids). Later that week, we could see whales breaching from our hotel. The lens I rented showed up the morning of the whale watch, so I didn’t have much of a chance to practice with it before the whale-watch (excuses, excuses), but I did manage to get some great shots of the girls (of course) with it later in the week. I was also pleased with a shot I got of the moon with it.

I think Matt and I may have finally gotten our fill of Round Table pizza since there was a location on both parts of the island. We scarfed a medium pie on the way back to the airport, though, just to be sure. Mommy had a great birthday on the 5th, and Isabella discovered the joy of all different types of potato chips. I got to hear some Beyonce song about “Divas” about 1500 times on the radio – too cool.

The girls did great on all of the plane rides. Isabella kind of lost it as we were getting off the last plane in Maui, but she was a real trooper for it being such a long day. Both slept all the way from Honolulu back to Seattle. Isabella also slept all the way from Seattle to Minneapolis while Olivia just colored and read. We were all exhausted on Sunday afternoon, but we were able to catch up and go to school and work this morning.

It was a great vacation.

O.K. In case you didn’t go straight to the pictures in the first place, the following are links to the various galleries.

• Days 1 – 4
• Days 5 – 7
• Days 8 – 10
• Days 11 – 14

February 15, 2009

We had a great weekend. The girls had their final swimming lesson of the season on Saturday, and we hit the Minnesota Zoo on Sunday. If you’re not watching “Flight of the Conchords,” on HBO, you’re missing one of the best shows on TV. I’ve got hurt feelings…

February 3, 2009

Sorry for the delay in posting new pictures. I had a lovely little stomach bug, and now we are waiting for everyone else to get it. There might not be anything interesting to photograph this week. Time will tell!

January 26, 2009

No photo update, but I did add a guest book, in case you want to leave a message for all to see. There's a link on the left hand side of the main page as well. It's not very pretty, but it works. We'll see if it gets any use. Maybe I'll only post new photos once I get ten new entries...

January 25, 2009

Deb, Joe, and Jack have been over a couple times, and those are pretty much the only photos I’ve taken this week.

Olivia is surviving her second ear infection. Last night at dinner, Olivia told us her ear was hurting. Less than a minute later we decided we should bring her to a clinic to get checked out in case it got worse during the night. Within a minute or so of that, Olivia was crying in pain. Of course it was after 5:00, so all of the clinics were closed. Sarah took Olivia to the Woodwinds emergency room, and they confirmed that Olivia had a pretty bad ear infection. Mommy got the prescription, but they failed to give Olivia anything for the pain. So, Sarah had to take Olivia (who was still crying in pain) to the drug store to get the prescription and Motrin. Thankfully (and unbelievable to me), the Motrin took all of the pain away within about 15 minutes. Happily, Olivia was in bed by about 8:30, and she hasn’t been too bothered by it since.

That’s about all the excitement we need for the week.

January 11, 2009

I got a few cute shots of the girls playing in the snow today. There are also a few shots I took horsing around with my lenses to try to get a 1:1 magnification – fun stuff. Also, if you missed it, I posted photos last week but didn’t update the main page here.

The girls are well, and we are back into the swing of school and work. We miss all of our visitors and speak of them often. Swimming has started again, and Olivia and Isabella are loving it as usual. I hope 2009 is off to a good start for everyone else.

December 31, 2008

Happy new year! This is the final installment of pictures for 2008 (1705 total pictures for the year and a grand total of 4581 since Olivia's birth). Uncle Matty leaves tomorrow, and we’re going to give the new Pino’s a try for dinner tonight. I’m lamenting the speed with which my forced vacation has gone, but I’ve still got a few more days that I’m going to relish. Matt and I are going to take the girls to an open swim (and slide) this afternoon at the Y. Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year and a very prosperous 2009.

December 26, 2008

Merry Christmas! Uncle Matty finally got to our house just after midnight on Christmas morning, and Grandma and Grandpa arrived today. Santa got many of the things the girls wanted. I think all of the week’s excitement has finally caught up with everybody, as we are all quite tired. We got a few photos as I’m sure you can imagine. Best wishes as you finish out 2008 and ring in 2009!

December 23, 2008

Here are a few more pictures before the Christmas rush. We are all excited for the arrival of Uncle Matty, Grandma, Grandpa, and (of course) Santa Clause. We got to go sledding down Scott and Lisa’s giant hill after we got about six inches of snow. Olivia is really being a huge pain in my butt right now as I type this and say the words out loud, but what else is new? Hope you enjoy the photos, I’m sure we’ll have more in the coming days.

December 13, 2008

Isabella had her first dentist appoint this week. We took her in to make sure everything was O.K. with the front tooth that she bumped a few weeks ago (and is now kind of grey). The tooth is dead, but the dentist told us there was nothing to worry about – it will fall out eventually. Isabella was AWESOME at the dentist and was very, very brave.

It was finally warm enough to go out and enjoy the snow today (it’s amazing how warm 29 degrees feels). Mommy and the girls made a cool snowman, and the girls made their versions of snow angels. One more week of work for me before our two week shutdown, and I’m looking forward to the time off at home.

December 8, 2008

A rare Monday evening update. Sarah had her book club, so I caught up on the photos I’ve been taking (after I put one sweet angel and one total jerk to bed). It’s been snowing pretty well, and we’re supposed to have 5 to 6 inches on the ground tomorrow morning (and, of course, I haven’t prepared the snow blower). It’s also COLD, and I think we are going to be in for a long winter. At least there should be enough snow on the ground for playing, so the girls will hopefully get a chance to get out in it. Stay tuned!

November 30, 2008

Another brief update because I know Grammy will be wanting the most recent photos from her trip.

November 25, 2008

Just a brief update before Thanksgiving. Grammy and Grampy got here on Saturday, and Uncle Matty will be here for dinner on Thanksgiving. I’m sure we’ll take many more pictures before the weekend is up. Happy Thanksgiving!

November 16, 2008

We welcomed Cousin Jack to the family on November 7, 2008. We’ve gotten to see him a few times now, and (of course) we have pictures to share. Isabella had her second swim class without Mommy or Papa today, and she did great (again). Olivia got rave reviews in her preschool evaluation, and we have our parent conference this week. We’re off to “The Bread Store” to redeem the free kid’s meal that Olivia “won” in a coloring contest.

November 2, 2008

Hope everyone had a nice Halloween. We had a great time going trick-or-treating with the Kretmans, and they hosted a bonfire last night. Olivia also had a pajama party and parade at school. It was really cute. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures of any of the activities. Sorry to disappoint. The kids were really cute, but you’ll just have to take my word for it. Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday!

October 26, 2008

Another awesome weekend. Sarah pulled Debbie’s baby shower off without a hitch on Saturday. I took the girls to the Science Museum during the shower, and we had a blast! Joe came over after the shower, and we all dinner together. Today was the final day of this swimming session, so we got to ride in the boat and go down the slide. Despite the snow this afternoon, the Motts held their annual pumpkin carving party. Again, we had a great time. We’re all anticipating Halloween!

October 19, 2008

We had a great (and tiring!) weekend. Uncle John came over for pizza on Friday night. On Saturday, we went to the zoo for “HallZOOween” in the morning with Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe. After finishing the grocery shopping that afternoon, we treated ourselves to a trip to the “bread store” where both girls charmed everyone in the restaurant (or, at least, everyone at the table). We went swimming this morning and made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch this afternoon. Everyone came over for chili and brats afterward, and the girls had a great time playing with everyone (and eating Auntie Debbie’s cookies). Two action-packed days without a nap for Isabella, btu she was a trooper. Olivia has caught a little cold and is wimping it up pretty good now, but I think everyone will sleep well tonight!

October 12, 2008

Uncle Matty came for a visit and broke the bank on treats for the girls. He Olivia and Isabella how to play hopscotch, and he also played “chase” and hide-and-seek until there were no more places to hide. We all had a really nice weekend. Olivia continues to love her Sunshine school, and Isabella is digging on her ECFE class. The leaves are falling fast, and we’re trying to get in as much park time as possible. For those who may have missed it, I updated the photos last week, but I didn’t announce it here.

September 21, 2008

The bunk beds are here, and we got a few pictures to share. Olivia started preschool three days a week, and Isabella (and Mommy) will start up with ECFE next Monday. Uncle Matty also stopped by for a visit last weekend, and we still have a house full of treats to show for it. Hope all is well with all of the girls’ fans!

September 7, 2008

Grandma and Grandpa returned to California yesterday, but we managed to get a few good pictures before they left. I think it’s safe to say that Isabella is pretty well potty trained – in all regards. She doesn’t even wear a pull-up at night or at nap. She’s doing a great job of “listening to her body” (as Bear would say), and she is happy to go to the potty if she can have a book and a little “privacy.” Olivia’s first day of preschool is Wednesday (with Mommy), and her first solo day is on Friday. She’s really excited about it, and we’re not anticipating any issues (although, she does seem to think that she’s going to be riding a bus).

August 26, 2008

At last an update! You can all relax now – I know you’ve been sitting on the edge of your seats. I finally sorted through all of the pictures from our recent trip to California , and I narrowed it down to 114. This post also takes us over the 4000 picture mark since the web site (and really, life itself) was created for Olivia. Enjoy!

August 3, 2008

A few more pictures from the past couple of weeks. We are deep into the dog days of summer, but it hasn’t really been too bad. I’m sure it will be nice and steamy for Grammy and Grampy’s visit this week.

I went to see Judas Priest at the Myth in Maplewood, Minnesota last night, and I have to say: IT WAS TOTTALY AWESOME! After years of driving past the Myth and making fun of it for being lame, I have to eat some crow. It’s a standing room only stage venue with room for maybe 1500 or 2000, and it was at capacity last night. Rob Halford still has an amazing voice, and I’ve never seen such an assortment of leather. I’m convinced that one of the tractor trailers parked outside is used just to transport his leather. Nothing from “Stained Class,” I’m afraid, but they covered all of the basics (Hell Bent for Leather, Breakin’ The Law, Screaming For Vengeance, etc.) as well as some new stuff. The encore performance of “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” made me realize what a truly great song that is. I hadn’t even heard the song in 15 years. Give it another listen (preferably loud and alone) – it phenomenal. I also came to the realization at the concert that there is no easier job in the world than being a bassist for an 80s heavy metal band. Think about it and consider the examples – you’ll get it.

I did get to spend some time with the girls this weekend. They are both very excited for Grammy and Grampy’s visit as well as out upcoming trip to California. Auntie Debbie gave Olivia a stuffed Babar and Isabella a stuffed Pooh Bear, and they were thrilled. They both carried their new friends around all weekend and are currently asleep with them. Olivia told us how much she loved Babar tonight before she went to bed. Too cute!

July 20, 2008

Pictures from the week. I missed a few from last week that Auntie Debbie got, so I’m including them here. Isabella had her first swim lesson without Mommy or Papa in the water with her, and she performed admirably. Olivia begins a new day camp class this week (“little Picassos”), so we’ll see how that goes. Isabella can’t stop talking about “California,” and both she and Olivia are psyched for the trip.

July 14, 2008

Another weekend in pictures. Remember when the NFL broadcast that game without any commentators? I’m trying my own version of that with this update – no witty comments! Really I’m just too lazy, and I wanted to share a few pictures quickly. We went to Olivia’s friend’s fourth birthday party on Saturday, and we all had a nice time. We did a little work outside on Sunday, and Olivia made friends with a frog (or is it a toad?). Really, I think Olivia might be more into the relationship than the frog, but such is life.

July 7, 2008

Our little girl is two. We had a great weekend with The Dees, and everybody was sad to see him leave (although, I think we could all use a little more sleep and a lot less sugar). We’re talking about Hawaii already, though, and we know the time will come soon. Isabella had a great birthday yesterday, and she even enjoyed the fireworks (from inside) on the 4th. Olivia braved the fireworks outside (though she wouldn’t remove her fingers from her ears).

June 29, 2008

Another week in pictures. The girls are cute and talking. There’s really nothing left to say.

June 22, 2008

We just got back from a fun afternoon and evening at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s. Sarah just put the finishing touches on the treat baskets that she and the girls prepared (I cleaned up) to celebrate my good news with my coworkers, and now we are finally chilling out and enjoying some of the photos from the week.

We had our company picnic on Wednesday night, and the girls had an awesome time! Olivia spent most of her time in the inflatable slide, and Isabella spent her time in the bouncy tent. I got to serve beers and ice cream with John, and we even managed to serve a few of the patrons.

Isabella rarely has accidents of the #1 variety (nor do we really give her the chance), but #2 is becoming an issue. Such is life. Olivia took a one week “dinosaur” class (I guess it was more of a 90 minute day camp), and she loved it. She’s going to take an art class and some other kind of animal class later this summer. Both girls are back in swimming classes, and we are all counting the minutes until Hawaii next winter!

June 15, 2008

I took last week off but have posted some pictures today. We are having a nice father’s day. I took the girls to the Como Zoo this morning, and we’re going to be the Van Derlofske’s for open swim at the Y after Isabella gets up from her nap.

Isabella is doing great on the potty and rarely has any accidents with #1. We are very good about getting her on the potty after a certain amount of time, but she is now telling us when she needs to pee. #2 is a different story, but that was expected. Enough said.

It’s hard to believe that it was 19 years ago today that Sarah and I decided to start going out. Good stuff. I hope all the fathers out there have a nice day.

June 1, 2008

Let’s just say that only family members are going to enjoy this pictorial update, which is a bit of a content stretch. Isabella is making incredible progress on the potty and didn’t have any accidents on Saturday. I think Mommy and Papa are probably more trained than Isabella, but she is definitely getting it. Olivia has been an angel (as usual) as Isabella learns. We had our last day of swimming today, and both girls went down the slide several times (Olivia with the teacher!). We hit the park “by the school” both days this weekend and had a blast. Spring and summer may finally have arrived (although, our furnace was on one morning this past week).

May 26, 2008

Sorry for the delay in the photo update. I know you’ve been on the edge of your seat to find out what been going on in our lives. Isabella has used the potty for both of the primary purposes this past weekend (I just edited myself – believe me, the first rev was much more crude). Sarah is on her own tomorrow, but I’m sure Olivia will be a huge help in getting Isabella potty-trained. Actually, Olivia has been very patient with us and Isabella as we venture down this path. I couldn’t be more proud of both of my little girls.

May 11, 2008

Happy Mother’s Day! We had a great weekend and capped it off with a trip to the “Bread Store.” Olivia is enjoying being four, and Isabella made it through her first experience with throwing up! Fortunately for you, we’ve documented every moment! Hope you enjoy!!!

May 4, 2008

Our little girl is four years old today. I’ll post pictures from today in a separate update, but we had her party yesterday. Hopefully, these will tide you over until I post pictures from her actual birthday today. Right now, Olivia, Isabella, Mommy, Auntie Debbie, and Uncle Joe are all watching Olivia’s new Dora video starring Olivia (after dinner at Olivia’s favorite, Chili’s). It’s a pretty exciting moment! It will soon be bed time for the girls (with Mommy and Papa shortly behind), so I’ll sign off.

April 20, 2008

Pictures from the past week. Olivia had her first dentist appointment on Thursday, and it went smashingly thanks to Nancy, the hygienist (with whom Olivia is in love). The weather was horrible all week until this afternoon when we were finally able to get to the park. Poor Grandma and Grandpa never really got a super nice day while they were here. Swimming lessons continue at the Y (Sundays, instead of Saturdays this session), and the girls are becoming more secure in the water than I. Hope you enjoy the photos!

April 13, 2008

I’m really stretching it for an update this week, but here are a few photos from the past few days. Olivia thinks it’s fun to take pictures, so I’m afraid we may have a new category of annoying photos for you. All is well here except for the snow which can’t seem to stop!

April 6, 2008

Sarah and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on Friday, and Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe enabled us to celebrate by watching the girls. We had a beautiful day on Saturday and were able to spend some time at the park after Isabella’s (and Olivia’s and Papa’s) nap. Sadly, I forgot my camera, but I’m sure we’ll have more park pictures than anyone can handle before long. The girls weren’t really that cute, anyway. With all the rain we got today, the Children’s Museum was our only option. I remembered the camera.

March 30, 2008

We had a really nice weekend. Uncle John came over after work on Friday, and Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe came over Saturday after swimming to share the pasta sauce and brownies that we made. We hit the zoo this morning and got to see and feed some of the baby animals at the farm. The moose were in rare form, and Olivia was captivated by the diver in the giant fish tank. Steaks and treats (of course) were provided tonight by Uncle John who has been bach’n it the past couple of days. Soon we hope to be able to go to the park!

March 25, 2008

Sorry for the delay in getting Easter pictures posted. We had an awesome ham at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s, and the girls helped Mommy make a carrot cake. I managed a couple of shots of the moon as we transitioned from Winter to Spring – there is still snow on the ground. It’s melting fast, but I think we’re due for a little more later in the week. Oh boy!

March 16, 2008

And a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! We had a great weekend and got to celebrate St. Patty’s day with a little corned beef on Saturday. It was nice enough (i.e., above 35 degrees) to go to the Como Zoo this afternoon. Of course, everybody in the state of Minnesota was there, but that only added to the fun. Naturally, I brought my camera with me, and you can see details of our exciting weekend here. Have a great week!

March 11, 2008

Happy Birthday (tomorrow), Grampy! I hope some new pictures will suffice for a birthday gift! There is no real special theme or occasion for the newest pictures – just another installment in our boring old lives.

March 1, 2008

Warning! Olivia has had her hair cut. Prepare yourself mentally, and be prepared to weep!

See the new gallery here

The first picture in this new gallery is picture number 3100 on this site. I hope it's enough to keep you interested! I know there are a few issues with the new layout of the web site. Please bear with me as I learn!

February 28, 2008

Believe it or not, but not much has really happened since June of last year. Really I’ve just been too lazy to write about anything. Hopefully the pictorial updates have been able to keep you up to date on the most fascinating aspects of our thrilling lives.

As you can see, I’ve made a few modifications to the web site. Pictures and now videos can be accessed from the menu on the left. Links to full resolution pictures have now been added for every gallery in 2007 and 2008. I’m working my way back to eventually get all of the high resolution pictures posted, but I don’t know when that will be completed.

It’s getting very late for this old man, so that will be it. All is well, and the girls are cute as ever!

June 18, 2007

Well, I guess a written update is in order. Isabella is walking like a champ and seems to make progress in the order of minutes rather than hours or days. Sarah and I are looking forward to her being able to play outside without having to crawl like a dog. Isabella is vastly interested in table food and cares less and less about her baby food. Also a good thing. Isabella is definitely more daring and coordinated that Olivia. She’s learning how to scale the stairs, and Sarah and I even supervise her sometimes.

Olivia is looking forward to her swimming lessons that start up again on Saturday. She knows that she will be swimming with the teacher (instead of with Mommy or Papa), and she claims to be cool with it. We’ll just see what happens on Saturday. Olivia has a tendency to pleasantly surprise us, but I’m not still not predicting good things for the first lesson. We’ll see.

We don’t have any major summer plans. We finally finished staining the deck, and it looks great! The sandbox is back in-play, and we busted out the inflatable pool to round out our outdoor play options. Of course, there is no lack of desire to go to the park as often as possible. Isabella is getting more active at the park, and Olivia is getting really good a climbing.

Not much of an update, but at least we keep the photos coming. Sarah and I marked the 18th anniversary of our first date this past Saturday. It’s weird to think about what another 18 years will bring. I can’t possibly get better than this, can it?

April 23, 2007

O.K. I got a little obsessed with posting all of the historical web pages (starting with Olivia’s birth), and I think I have finally succeeded! The web pages should now all be in the same (admittedly bare-bones) format and easily navigable. There are over 2000 individual pictures in more than 80 galleries. I hope you’ve got some time to check some of them out. I’ve had a blast reacquainting myself with some of the material from Olivia’s early years. It amazing how even some of the early Isabella stuff seems so long ago. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the stroll down memory lane. It should be easier for me to keep current with the existing system (which utilizes a bizarre combination of Photoshop, Excel, and Visual Basic for Applications to automate the html files) now, too.

I couldn’t really tell you how Sarah and the girls are doing because I’ve been working on this web site so much. Just kidding. Olivia gets more and more amazing every day. You can actually have a fairly complex conversation with her, and she is more than happy to hold up her end of that conversation! We are all anticipating the Curious George birthday party that Mommy is planning (and Olivia keeps talking about). I’m sure we’ll have pictures to take after the Cinco de Mayo. The weather has been hit or miss, but we’ve gotten to go to the park several times, and Olivia LOVES it. She climbs like a monkey and swings like a bee.

Isabella is crawling around like crazy and is pulling herself up on everything. She enjoys the new found freedom as do we. She will crawl off by herself and be perfectly content playing (or watching Olivia). We have to be better about making sure all of our broken whiskey bottles and narcotics needles are picked up, but life is all about compromise. Seriously, though, we do find ourselves having to pay much closer attention to what has been left on the floor. For some reason, we didn’t have this problem when Olivia was crawling. I wonder what could possibly have changed? Olivia is not too thrilled with Isabella’s mobility, but she is adapting by.

Sarah and I are going to see Southern Culture on the Skids at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis next Saturday night. We used to see them all the time when we lived in Huntsville, and it will be good to get out again. John and Liz are going to come, too. Auntie Debbie has graciously offered to sit with the girls while we go out. We’re already getting nervous about staying out past out 9:30 PM bed time. I hope we don’t turn in to pumpkins staying out so late. If there is never another update to this web site, you’ll know what happened…

March 8, 2007

Greetings from Maui, Hawaii. Our vacation is winding down, and we are not looking forward to the long trip home tomorrow. It’s been a great time, and we just took Uncle Matt back to the airport. Olivia has had a blast, and Isabella has had some good moments and some bad moments (unfortunately, all of the bad moments have been between 2 and 6 AM). We certainly have asked a lot of our 8-month old. All in all, though, there are no complaints. We are the luckiest family in the world!

Olivia really loved spending time with her cousins, Nate and Nick. Isabella and Matt are thick as thieves, and, most importantly, the bartenders around here are all happy. Mommy and Papa didn’t get a whole lot of rest, but that’s not what it is really all about. “Next time,” has been our mantra.

Olivia has gotten so tan! I don’t really want to post any pictures of our little nudey, but suffice to say she is a full three shades darker than when we left the frozen tundra.

I hope you enjoy the photos and the new format. I don’t have any software, so I did all of the html manually. I hope everything is working (I actually like the simplified format tremendously).

Aloha!

February 24, 2007

Hello. Welcome to our new web site, LivAndIz.com. Sorry for all of the confusion about the location of the site recently, but we’ve finally settled on a host and domain name, and I don’t expect them to change any time soon. There are still no fancy bells and whistles on the web site, but I think it’s still useful for sharing pictures and a little information. The good news is that we have TONS of space on this server, and I should be able to add every site that we’ve ever done (once I get some spare time…)

We’ve been having a great year so far. Both girls have been taking swimming lessons at the Y, and Isabella has enjoyed it thoroughly. Olivia is getting more and more brave, and she even kind of swims by herself for seconds at a time. We’re going to put the lessons to good use in the coming weeks when we go to Maui. We’re all very excited!

Olivia got her first ear infection a few days ago. I think she’s feeling a little better now, but she was not doing so well on Thursday night. Needless to say, none of us did too well on Thursday night!

I found a cool book publishing, printing, and distribution web site called Lulu and have generated a book of pictures of Olivia’s first year. You can download it for free (in PDF format), or you can buy a hard copy for $15 (they rape you on shipping charges – I’d use the USPO media rate). Don’t fear: despite the fact that I’m sure I could make a tremendous sum of money off of our daughters, I have selected a $0 royalty for this book. There are two captions that have errors, but other than that it’s pretty cool. I’m actually planning to expand this to more than Olivia’s fist year, and I have since learned some tools I can use to make the book hard-bound (Olivia has already pretty much destroyed our copy) and include other content besides just pictures and captions. The short story is that I wouldn’t buy a copy yet as I plan to make improvements, but you can check it out. I think the service is really cool.

Gotta scoot. Aloha!

December 24, 2006

Howdy. All is well here in the not-so-frozen North. It looks like were going to have a brown Christmas with just a little ice left over from a pretty wimpy snow shower. That has not curbed Olivia’s enthusiasm, however. She is ready for Santa to come and “bring lots of presents.” We’re all heading over to Auntie Debbie and Uncle Joe’s house this afternoon for Christmas Eve dinner, and they will come over to our house tomorrow for a little prime rib (oh yeah!).

Isabella continues to grow and put on weight, which is helping her sleep at night. We’ve been getting her down by 7 PM or so, and she doesn’t usually get up until about 1 or 2 AM. With Olivia down religiously at 7:30, Sarah and I are getting some nice adult time together before bed (although our conversation usually steers toward the girls anyway). Isabella is sitting up for seconds at a time, and she is eating solid food with vigor (she had her first biter biscuit last night and she threw a pretty good fit when it was gone).

Olivia’s swimming lass finished up last Saturday at the Y, and the next session begins after the new year. I’ve been taking her on Saturdays after the grocery shopping, and we’re going to start Isabella early next year once she turns six months. Olivia’s ECFE class also finished for the year, but some of the kids have still been getting together during the break. Maggie and Marykate Kolb have been in the playtime rotation, and it’s really fun for all of the girls to have chums who are so close in age.

I hear that Olivia has gotten up from her nap (which is becoming less and less realistic), so I’m going to close. Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m sure we’ll have a few more photos to share after tomorrow.

October 31, 2006

Sorry for the delay in updating this section. We just got done with Halloween, and Olivia had a good time trick or treating. I was originally just going to take her to two or three houses of neighbors that we know, but she kept saying, “More doors.” So we went to a few more houses until we both got too cold. Olivia then helped us hand out candy until it was time for bed. Isabella didn’t venture out in the cold, but she did get a chance to wear the chicken outfit at the zoo on Saturday.

Isabella is really starting to show a personality now. She spends a lot of time playing, smiling, and talking. It’s funny because I always thought that Olivia and Isabella would look the same but have totally different personalities. It seems like the opposite is coming true. Isabella loves to babble on, and she looks less and less like Olivia every day. Isabella has been sleeping fairly well (last night was an exception). We’ve been trying to get her down before 9 (thanks to the time change), and she doesn’t need to eat again until after 2 or 3 in the morning. Sometimes she wakes up uncomfortable between midnight and 1, but I am able to rock her back to sleep pretty easily without a feeding.

Olivia and Mommy have class tomorrow, and I’m going to stay home with Isabella in the morning. Olivia will begin her swim class at the Y on Saturday, and Isabella has her four month check-up on Friday. We’re hoping to introduce rice cereal this weekend (and maybe some prunes). It’s all going so much faster this time around, but there are still some times that seem to drag (like at 1 in the morning when Isabella wants to be wide awake!). It’s hard to believe that Olivia will be closer to three years than two years next week. She’s getting so big (physically and emotionally).

Happy Halloween, everyone!

September 16, 2006

Our little Toiletier is hard at it. Olivia rarely has any accidents and can often wear the same pair of big-girl underwear all day long. We even go out of the house without a diaper, and tonight she went on the big girl potty at a restaurant! We couldn’t be more proud. We still need to work on #2 (of which she is still afraid on the potty), but we’re confident in her.

Isabella continues to be more alert and is actually checking things out more and more. She’s developing a little personality, and she slept from 8:30 PM last night until 3:00 AM this morning. I think we’re on our way to a full night’s sleep soon. Everything is going so much faster this time around.

Mommy is still doing great, and there have been no signs of postpartum – we may be out of the woods. Papa is recovering from his vasectomy and should be tip-top by tomorrow. John comes to town tomorrow night to begin work at 3M on Monday and is going to stay with us until his temporary housing is available in early October.

September 4, 2006

Happy Labor Day. I am enjoying the long weekend, and we continue to potty train Olivia. She is now holding her pee as long as she can, but she has yet to have a real good flow into the potty – the floor is still far more attractive to her. We are being as patient as possible, and we know that Olivia just needs to have one success.

Isabella remains fairly mellow but does get the grumps from time to time. She goes from about 6:30 PM until about 1:30 or 2:30 the next morning without eating, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference if she eats at 10 PM or not. She has her two month check up next week, but it is clear that she is gaining weight!

Grandma and Grandpa arrived a few days ago, and Grandpa and Olivia have been busting their humps doing all of the yard work that I have put off all summer. Matt is also in town and opened his new business in the Mall of America a couple of days ago. Things are going O.K., but he is anxious to find someone who knows how to sell.

July 30, 2006

Isabella had her first bottle on Saturday morning and got it down like a champ. We haven’t given her one since, but I’ll hopefully be able to take a night-time feeding sometime to give Sarah a little rest. In other news, Olivia took her first shower today. Also, Olivia is sitting on her potty chair (pantless) and has worked out a few really good farts (which she and I think are hysterical). She is very interested in her big-girl Elmo underpants. And so it begins!

Got to run. “Entourage” starts in a couple of minutes…

July 25, 2006

I added this section today to provide more than just a pictorial update for our friends and family. Unfortunately, “news” might be a little bit of a stretch as our lives are pretty boring right now. That’s just fine with us, though. Naps, meals, and diapers are more than enough excitement for us right now!

Isabella continues to be a mellow child. She sleeps for up to four hours (five one night) at a time and really doesn’t fuss too much. She allows us to sit and rock with her which is a wonderful relief after having to walk miles with Olivia when she was an infant.

Olivia is getting used to the idea that Isabella is going to be around for a while, and her fits are getting less frequent as she understands that she is really still running the show. Mommy and Isabella went over to Auntie Debbie’s house for “Movie Night,” and Papa and Olivia had pizza and then went out for ice cream. Olivia is a very sweet girl, and we can only hope that Isabella turns out as wonderful as Olivia.

Uncle Matt came for a visit for the past few days, and he was thrilled to get to see the girls. He and Olivia played, read, and shared treats (of course). He even helped us with Isabella’s bath on Sunday night. We were all sad to see him leave but are hopeful that he will be back soon.

Happy Birthday to Grammy and Auntie Barbara tomorrow!