The Girls

My two little girls. They continue to amaze me. They are both full of so much energy and excitement. While their personalities are so different from each other, they absolutely love to spend time together. They giggle and laugh and follow each other from one room to the next. Build-in friends and playmates.

Little Charlotte has developed quite a personality over the past few months. She is still pretty easy-going and laid back, but we have definitely seen a little bit of temper shine through lately. She wants to do everything that Claire is doing. If Claire is washing her hands, then Charlotte needs to as well. If Claire needs a band-aid, so does Charlotte. If Claire is putting shoes on, then Charlotte needs hers on as well. Seriously, no exaggeration. It is amusing most of the time, except when things like markers and small legos are involved. Like most kids, she loves being outside. She loves digging in the dirt and sand and collecting rocks. She loves giving kisses and hugs and is still a little snuggler. She is our little peanut and I am so loving this age. And Claire, sweet Claire. I can't believe she is only a few months away from 3. She is turning into a little girl before my eyes. And a little girl she definitely is. She loves dresses and purses and mommy's high heels. She loves twirling like a ballerina and wearing her hair like a princess. That being said, she doesn't mind getting a little dirty. A trip to the park usually ends with us bringing a whole bucket of rocks home and she often looks like she has bathed in dirt when we pick her up from school. She is Miss Independent. She wants to do everything herself and is actually pretty good at getting things done on her own. She loves school and all of her friends there. She is constantly making up stories that include her little friends. It is amazing to hear her mind at work. She has an extreme fear of dogs and pretty much any animal that gets too close to her. She is still a mommy's girl most of the time, but is becoming more of a daddy's girl every day. Our little preschooler - energetic, spunky, independent.

State Fair

We headed to the State Fair bright and early Saturday morning. Claire woke up with a huge smile on her face and was super excited to go to the fair. She loved it! We met my parents at the entrance and wasted now time exploring the grounds. We hit up the Little Farm Hands and went down the big slide. We saw pigs, sheep and cows. Claire rode on several rides and we all hit up the Space Needle and carousal. We shared caramel rolls, cheese curds and Sweet Martha cookies....and while the fair has never been my favorite excursion, it was definitly fun experiencing it through Claire's eyes.

Sweet Elliott

Last Sunday we attended Elliott's baptism. While I didn't manage to get any photos of the actual baptism, I did get a few at their house beforehand. He is such a sweet, sweet baby. He is constantly smiling and has such a laid back personality. Thanks for letting us help celebrate your day, Elliott!!

Charlotte Hearts Corn

Not just any kind of corn, but corn on the cob. The first time we had it, I cut the corn off the cob and placed it on her tray and wow did she throw a fit. Whining and pointing at everyone's corn on the cob. Like most things these days, she did not want to be left out. She wanted her own cob and she wanted it now. She absolutely loved it and refused to let us take her out of her seat until she had eaten every last kernel. I'm pretty sure I've never seen anyone get their cob quite as clean as this little girl. Wish we would have discovered her love of corn a little earlier this summer. Claire likes to pretend she likes corn on the cob as much as Charlotte. After about 2-3 bites she often declares that she is done with it. She does, however, like her toast!!

Cake Smashing

We had an additional birthday celebration for Charlotte a few weekends ago. As evidenced below, the highlight of the night was Charlotte devouring her cake. She did not take the job lightly and enjoyed shoveling handfuls of frosting into her mouth. She loved every minute of it and it was a delight just to watch her.

Visitors

Kate, Jeremy and their adorable little girl Madeline came over last Saturday afternoon for a play-date and dinner. Madeline is 7.5 months old and is one of the happiest babies I have ever meet. Charlotte and her are only 5 months apart, so I imagine that they will be great friends in the upcoming years. Lets do it again soon!

Celebration #1

Charlotte hit the one year mark while we were at Grand View, so we had a little celebration. Grandma brought the most adorable animal party hats I have ever seen, which were a huge hit with everyone...even the adults! There was cake...which Charlotte absolutely devoured. She loved it. There were gifts. Charlotte could have cared less about the presents, so it was a good thing she had some other little ones to help open them for her. It was a great celebration.