Daddy's Little Helper

Mowing the lawn was a family affair this past weekend.

Phil and Clare tore it up on the rider as I made my way around the tight corners with the push mower.  We were done in no time!  :)

Off they go...

Clare was content with a sucker in her hand.

Our Little Country Bumpkin.

Clare: "You want me to do what???"

Mommy and Daddy: "We want you to learn to mow the lawn so that we can sit back and relax for the next sixteen years."  HA!

Finally Finished!

This is a photo book of Clare's 1st year.
Yes, she just turned 2.
She'll probably be in college before I get to a book of her 2nd year.

Click here to view this photo book larger

One of those days...

And this look says it all!!!

It's only 1:49 PM, and I feel like I've already put in a full day.

Granted, the following pictures are NOT all from this morning, but they give a tiny glimpse of what my morning felt like.  I just didn't have the time to document the actual happenings of this crazy day.

In a bit of a predicament!

Just one thing after another....

My never-ending tornado girl!

Making a mess with food...

which IS a daily occurrence!

For Clare, everything is more fun when she's naked.

Why?  Why?  Why?

Even pouting on the floor is better without any clothes on.

Her new fascination includes taking off her poopy diaper (without letting me know) and walking it down to the bathroom so that she can flush it on her own.  Yes, she's missing the crucial step of simply doing the dirty on the toilet.  Where's the fun in that, right?  I do have a series of poop on the floor pictures, but my mom said that I shouldn't publish those.  Again I say, "Where's the fun in that?!"

BUT...

When I put her down for her nap a little bit ago, she said,

"Mama kiss...

Nite Nite...

Uvv Ooo (Love You)"

That effectively wiped away the stress of the morning and rejuvenated me enough to make it through the rest of the day.  I think.

2 years and 1 week

My little girl is not a baby anymore.

This is the day that Clare was born.

 This is on her first birthday.

 

This was last Friday, on her second birthday!

She also celebrated with her cousins who have August birhdays.

All smiles...a rare occurrence with the 6 grand-kids.

Practicing her "2" fingers...one on each hand.

Blowing out the candles for the fourth time.  Grandpa indulged her with a few renditions of "Happy Birthday" as well as a few pieces of cake and candle-blowing opportunities.  What are grandparents for???

Just like her Daddy...the frosting is the best part!

Phil removed his frosting mustache before the picture.  :)

VERY EXCITED about her new books, AND....

HER NEW OUTFIT!

Disclaimer: This outfit came from Aunt Marcie and Uncle Brian.  It took Phil a few moments to accept that fact that his daughter was wearing a tu-tu. 

Dancing Queen!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Clare Bear!!!

Awh, Shucks!!

Clare enjoys shucking corn almost as much as she enjoys eating it.

I'm working on loading a video, but it won't seem to work.

She wanted to be just like her big cousin.  I think Clare's baby/toddler pictures resemble Laura more than anyone else in the family.  Perhaps that is what Clare will look like in 7 or 8 years.  :)

Straight from the lake (hence the wild, unbrushed hair) to dinner.  

Isn't that what summer vacation is all about?!

While We Were Out...

Phil is known for surprising me.

Here are just a few examples from the past...

(Click on the links to see pictures.) 

1. Last summer, when I came home from Discovery Toys Convention I was thrilled to see that he had painted the kitchen, study area, and all of our hallways.

2. When Clare was just a little peanut, we went to Michigan for a long weekend.  We came home to find that the office had been completely re-done. 

3. For my birthday a few years ago, I came home to discover an amazing new garden in our backyard.  Phil had secretly taken the day off to plant an enormous garden as a gift to help me cross something off of my life list.

4. Shortly after we moved into our house, I came home from school to see a TOTALLY different dining room nook.  Phil had chosen a color, moved everything around, and completely painted the dining area while I was gone for the day.

Most recent example...

Clare and I just returned from a couple of weeks in Michigan.  Phil was home for part of the time, and he certainly kept himself busy.  In addition to working CRAZY hours at Busch, he busted his tail during the middle of the night to create a brand new room for our little peanut.  He transformed the guest room into Clare's big girl room.

Before

After

Clare was thrilled, and she's had three successful nights in her new room/bed. 

In case you don't know Phil very well, he's an amazing man...a terrific daddy...and the best husband that a woman could ever ask for.  I look forward to a lifetime full of a surprises with him.  :)

Homecomings and Going "Home"

I've been in Michigan for the past couple of weeks.  In addition to having wonderful time with my family, I've seen many dear friends.  I spent Saturday with a few of my friends from Hope College, and we had a mini-baby shower for my roommate of four years, Kim (Pett) DeJager.

Three Expectant Mamas:

Corrie (left) at 27 weeks.

Sara (middle) is still waiting to bring home her Ethiopian baby.

Kim (right) at 24 weeks.

"Fremont" Friends:

Nate and Heather Haveman with their adorable kiddos.

Lifelong Friend, Rachel (Haveman) Eriks

This last family picture was taken just minutes before Ann left for Doha.  She's returning to Qatar for another (hard to believe 5th) year of teaching.  We miss her already!!!

Putt-Putt at Buccaneers Booty

During our Delaware vacation, the two younger couples went out for a Putt-Putt Challenge.

Interestingly enough, the order in which we scored Holes-in-One was also the order in which we placed.   Who knew I was such a putter???

1st Hole-in-One AND 1st Place

Corrie

2nd Hole-in-One AND 2nd Place

Chris

3rd Hole-in-One AND 3rd Place

Phil

Her looks says it all...

Ann

Not only was I the golf champ, 

I was also the eating champ.

Check out the common theme in the next three pictures...

Phil's second Hole-in-One!

Jumpin' for Joy!

The Hillary's ended up victorious!

Why else would I post such an event???