Happy 4th of July!

We had such a wonderful holiday weekend! We were so busy that we felt like we had been on vacation. We also got to spend time with Elliot and meet his sweet girlfriend Laura.

Here we are on the 3rd of July. Milwaukee has a large fireworks display at the lake front that night. We visited Joel & Arlene's beautiful home with a gorgeous view of the lake & art museum.

Another one for the Josh & Stephan collection...

After we visited with everyone at Joel & Arlene's home, we went next door to meet Gramps & Jude at Dick & Judy's lovely home to watch the fireworks on their balcony. I tried to take pictures of Stephan & Ari enjoying the fun, but my camera was on the wrong setting...

The next morning we went to the 4th of July parade. Stephan had a front row seat to collect candy!

sleepy girl...

A familiar image at Young family gatherings!

Pops & Liza

At the parade with Julia, Jack, Grace & Sam
That night we went to a fun gathering at Grandma & Grandpa's house, but I forgot my
camera! :( After dinner, we made it home just in time to catch the fireworks from our yard.

At the pool. Norah is sucking on a lemon if you can believe it. She grabbed it out of my water. Before I could get it from her, she stuck it in her mouth & loved it!

Josh, Sam & Stephan let the "mammarazzi" snap a pic before the went down the water slide again.

summer fun

I am sorry we have not posted new pictures in so long! We had computer troubles. Here are a few photos from the last couple of weeks...

On the farm! We went to a local dairy breakfast where I represented my office. There were hay rides, tractors to climb & cows to feed. And lots of pancakes & cheese curds to eat!!

Norah has been very interested in playing with everything that is not a toy...like empty juice containers, wallets, cups, spoons, etc.

Stephan and his new guitar. The day he got it, he wrote the words to a sweet little song.

And, of course, the "mammarazzi" had to take a million pictures...

Our house in summer. We decided to see what grew & we've been surprised by roses, strawberries, irises, tulips, daffodils and lilies.

Playing in the baby pool out back...

We went to a little festival in our community. Norah slept most of the time while...

Stephan fed animals, we listened to music and ate lunch at one of our favorite new lunch restaurants. We also ran into our old neighbors, Barb & Debbie!

Norah woke up just in time to see Hello Kitty walking down the street. I think she thought it was very strange! H.K. didn't even get a wave from Norah.

10 months old!

Miss Norah is 10 months old! It is hard to believe she will be one in just two months. It is exciting, but also makes me a little sad. I want her to stay our little peanut for just a while longer. Norah is a happy girl who is generous with her smiles and waves, but if you do not know her well, her shy side comes out and she probably won't let you hold her. She waves with great enthusiasm wherever we go. If she simply hears the words "wave," "hi" or "good-bye," her little hand gets going. It is the same with clapping. She claps for everything that makes her happy or if she hears you say "Yay!" It is fun to see that she can understand more words. "Kiss" and "baby" are words she has known for a long time, but now if you ask her to find her toes, she reaches for her pointed toes, or points out the window if you ask about the trees. She loves to bounce to music and clap her knees with her hands. She is a great eater, loves vegetables & different types of cheese, and will try anything that is on my plate. She is very eager to walk. She wants to be on the ground just about all the time now crawling or walking along while holding our hands.

waving hello!

clapping for herself because she is standing

Norah loves to splish splash in the bath

playing in her room

cousin time!

Molly and the girls came down to visit and celebrate Molly and Grammy's birthdays.

Evie loved Lily! She followed her around the house, walked her on her leash in the yard and gave her treats. Norah and Evie also had a lot of fun clapping together. Unfortunately, it started to rain, which meant Lily hid the rest of the time in the basement.

Grammy with all of the kids! Stephan, Norah, Kate, Evie and Cassie

Kate, Stephan & Cassie busy making their club.

Berries and Books

Well...it appears I lost my camera. I hope I am wrong because I am just beside myself! I take pictures every single day. I feel lost without it. Now I can only tell you what we have been up to this weekend instead of showing you.

We went to a farm near our new home to pick strawberries and sugar snap peas. It is a farm I have been going to since I was a kid, & I take Stephan there every fall for apples and pumpkins. We picked almost 8 pounds of peas (!!!), but not as many strawberries because we got a little tired in the hot sun. Stephan picked the majority of our yummy produce. The folks at the farm were so impressed they told him to come back when he is 12 to get a job! Stephan is a good little worker. When we went on our ranch trip, the ranch manager was shocked when Stephan got up at the crack of dawn to help the ranch hands with their chores. Now if we could only make it as fun to clean his room....

Stephan was thrilled to get a library card in our new community. He carefully chose his books & in less than a day finished a 100+ page book. He is a reading machine these days.

And, of course, Norah was a doll as she watched Stephan pick berries and books. She was very happy to see her Daddy tonight. Casey has been working hard on an 8 day training trip. He drove many hours to see us briefly and spend the night before he heads back to training tomorrow. Norah just snuggled her head on his shoulder all night.

Cross your fingers that I find my camera hiding in a corner somewhere!

What we've been up to....

I have been a terrible blogger lately! Finally a few new snapshots. These kids are getting hard to photograph! Now that Norah is on the move, it's a major challenge to get a picture. There are so many precious moments I cannot capture with my camera. Like when the two of them look at each other nose to nose. They just adore each other. And last night, Norah climbed all over Stephan. He spread out on the floor, and she crawled back and forth over his legs. When she got to each side, she stopped to wave at me. (I realize that is what the video camera is for, but I didn't think of it in time!)

Here are a few pictures of what the kids have been doing this week...

Looking lovely in the grass....

Spending every waking minute outside....

Discovering...

(look at those strawberry swirls!)

Riding bikes...
(Although you cannot tell in this picture, I do nag him to make sure his helmet is on straight. We like his head.)

Eating toys...

(That is nothing new!)

Falling asleep before dinner from all of the fun!

Stephan started junior golf this week. It is his 4th summer in the program. He also has tennis lessons this summer and a golf camp.

Goodbye Lake Bluff!

The last day of school was bittersweet. Stephan was excited to complete 4th grade and think about the adventure of starting a new school in a new community, but it is difficult to leave the halls of Lake Bluff. It is hard to describe what makes Lake Bluff, and more specifically the mixed age classrooms, so special. It makes me a little sad Norah won't go to school there like her big brother. We know we will enjoy the new school though. Below are a few pictures from Stephan's years at Lake Bluff.

Third grade

This is an incredible clock his class made with an artist in residence during third grade. It hangs in the front hall of the school. It is decoupaged with pictures drawn by the kids.

Second grade

First grade (look at that little face!)

Five year old kindergarten

We are incredibly proud of Stephan. I have been listening to the Rascal Flatts song "My Wish" a lot...it makes me think of Stephan and all that we hope for him.

"My Wish"

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.