Midsummer Day's Dream

Olivia participated in a language research study at UT today, and since we were in Austin we took the opportunity to explore beautiful Mayfield Park. Brian and I visited this park several times when we were dating and also had our engagement photos taken here, but we had not been back since our marriage. The park is naturally beautiful and the grounds feel magical; the ponds remind me of some of my favorite childhood fairytales such as Thumbelina. We had a little picnic, and the girls invited the squirrels, peacocks, bluejays, and grackles to join us. We headed home with smiles on our faces (and sweat on our brows). We will return once the temperatures become milder...100 degrees F today with a heat index of 105! Can you imagine why we almost had the place to ourselves?

Ready for Liftoff!

Genevieve is walking now and took her first long stroll (15 steps) yesterday.
We had our camera ready to record this special moment! Check out her facial expression, especially during "landing". (She hasn't begun scaling the walls yet! I've been having a problem with Blogger rotating my video clip.)

Speaking of "liftoff", today is the last day to add your name to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. To add your name, click here.

Giddy Up and Dance!

How do you wake up in the morning? We don't have a rooster crowing, but our girls do the "Chicken Dance" to start the day!

Weekend at Grandma and Pawpaw's

Olivia and I went to Plano this past weekend to spend some time with Grandma and Pawpaw. Even though Olivia had caught a fever and was not feeling well, she would not have missed this trip for the world. She and Grandma sewed a pillow, and she and Pawpaw splashed, swam, and squirted water sprayers in the pool. Grandma and I got in some girl time (which Livy called "goofin' off") as well as a little sewing. It was fun, fun, fun, and we're already ready to plan our next trip.

Brian and Eve also had some bonding time back here in Cedar Park. He took her to ride the Cedar Rock Railroad steam train (her first train ride), and then they went out for pizza. She now calls him "Honey" (like I do!) .

Happy Birthday, Uncle Corbin! Happy Birthday Aunt Jennifer!

Olivia made you a playdough birthday cake, and Eve made you some playdough birthday cupcakes. We wish you both a happy and blessed birthday!

Vacation Bible School 2008

This week, Olivia has been attending our home church's Vacation Bible School, and the theme is "Power Lab: Discovering Jesus' Miraculous Power". Well, our budding bacteriologist (She now tells us when she grows up, she not only wants to be a scientist, but she wants to specialize in the study of bacteria!) has just had a blast learning about Jesus and also about how God is the ultimate scientist. There is music, crafts, worship, games, snack, a movie, and "homework" (suggestions for good deeds) everyday. She can't wait to go each day, and we can really see her faith growing as the week progresses. We listen to the VBS music CD on the way to/from the church and even Genevieve is trying to sing the words. We are grateful for all those who have volunteered their time to make this amazing experience possible for the children. Next year when Eve is old enough for the nursery, I will be volunteering, for sure!

Welcome, Rain!

Thanks to former Hurricane Dolly, we had some pretty good rain showers this afternoon. The girls were so excited about the rain, they hurried outside (note Olivia's inside-out T-shirt!) to splash about before naptime. Afterwards, they had a nice bubble bath in the tub, and I couldn't have asked for better naps. Welcome, Rain!

Cruising?

Can she walk or not? That is the question. We've seen Eve take several steps when she thought no one was watching but as soon as she hears the phrase "walking by yourself" (as in "Look at you, Big Girl, walking by yourself!"), she quickly gets down on all fours to crawl. We did a little test "run" yesterday to see if she had any problems taking Elmo for a stroll, and let's just say she was "power-walking"! What do you think? Can she walk and just wants us to think she can't (Who wouldn't want to be carried everywhere?)? Time will tell, but we will be watching her every move very closely!

Getting Ready

In just one month, Olivia will start Kindergarten, and we are getting prepared. We still need to get a couple more things from her school supply list as well as some school clothes (from her favorite store, Academy, of course!), but we do have a little study area set up for her in her room. We purchased an old school desk from craigslist, and she helped sand it and paint it red. She is very proud of the final product.

"Home Work"

Brian and Genevieve mowing TOGETHER!

Olivia showing her housework groove!

Yes, we admit it, we sometimes neglect our "Home Work". It's not that we don't know what we need to do (Believe me, I love making lists!), but there are always "other things" that come up and are deemed more important, plus we just want to be together on the weekends. Well, this past weekend, we decided to put yard work and housework on the top of our list of family priorities. It showed us that we can still make this a fun family experience (Honestly, we had fun!), and we can teach the girls the value of hard work and the satisfaction of a job well done. I pray we can keep the momentum going!