kaceyandaaronplus2: Petoskey State Park

Here are some pics of us enjoying the beach at the Petoskey State Park. We had a great time there with Keegan, Mackenzie, and the grandparents. My mother took these photos.

Almost Three!

I can't believe that Nora is almost three years old. On July 16th, she will officially be a little girl, and it is so obvious. I find myself reasoning with her because she is so eloquent at making her argument heard. An example of this is her ability to whine and use the Berenstein Bears as a reference point to defend herself. "But brother and sister whine." I keep on reminding her that they get a "time out" for this kind of behavior, but that doesn't seem to deter her from the act. She also has an imaginary friend by the name of McDougal that she plays with from time to time. He is a blue furry monster, about 4 inches tall, with yellow eyes. The positive side to all of this is that he is actually very nice and sits on the windowsill while we play with playdough or paint. He keeps her company and she seems to enjoy him. She came up with his name as a result of Aaron and I often mentioning McDougal road which is a part of our running route--pretty unique. So, McDougal is now an extended part of our family:) Hope to see all of you soon--we can't wait for summer!

Our little person

Well, Nora is officially a toddler. She turned two in July, and every single day she manages to surprise us with a new word or a new expression. I tried to get her to "go on the potty" this afternoon, but she insisted on pointing at me and saying, "let me be." I love all of the laughter she brings into our lives:) Our summer has been fantastic--camping, exploring, beach time, and Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!? (Dr. Seuss) Both Aaron and I will be sad to see the end of August, but we are so thankful for the time we have had to spend with Nora. The first two years have flown by. There are days when I just want to sweep her away before she is all grown up...let's just say that thirteen can wait a bit longer.

Can you believe it has been a year?

Nora turned one year old on Wednesday morning...3:20am to be exact. We had a wonderful time celebrating, reflecting, and sharing the absolute best gift Aaron and I have ever received...our sweet Nora. We decided to put some rituals and traditions in place that we will be honoring each year on her birthday. She was a little overwhelmed when we let her put her hands in the chocolate cake that Grandpa Riley made her. But tonight I gave it another shot, and she is definitely a chocolate lover.

Nora is almost nine months old!