And this is how the day ended

After we got back from the Gardens, we went to the pool. The girls were loving it but were exhausted when we got home (not to mention I was exhausted as well!). Ella has been begging to share a room with "baby" but we have not been for it as I figured it would just not work.

At 6:15 pm it was time for Laney to go to bed. Ella has been staying up until 8:30 but tonight she said she would go to sleep now if she could go in baby's room. So we had made Ella a bed on the floor next to Laney's crib. We were listening on the monitor as they were cracking up and having a good time (no sleep going on here!).

Then we hear "lay down baby." Well, Ella got into Laney's crib and they were laying together. Jason got them each a pillow and blanket. We couldn't miss this picture opportunity! It's only 7pm now so I am sure they won't stay together for much longer and given that Ella wakes up before 7am and Laney doesn't get up until 8am, it would make for a long morning...I am sure Ella would wake Laney up!

Poor Laney looks so tired!

I would like for the girls to eventually share a room though--in time! But for right now...how cute is that?

Coxhall Gardens

This morning we had a great play date with friends at Coxhall Gardens. Located about 30 minutes away, it was set up like a tiny town with a bank, jail, coffee house, candy shop, general store, ATM, etc. The kids had lots of fun but their favorite part was a toss up: between the one puddle (which Ryan gladly showed the girls how to jump in) and the food.

The friends that were able to make it today included Jen (with Carly and Jack), Kristy (with Ryan--Reese was at camp), Emily (with Gabby), Kelly (with Grace and Clare) and Kelly and Kristy's dad.

What a great group of friends for both the moms and the kids! The weather was beautiful and kids were well behaved (after an hour of playing, Ella and Laney were needing naps and constantly started saying "nack", "night night" and "I wanna go home."). Sometimes it amazes me that as moms we put in so much effort to do things, they play for like 30 minutes, then are ready to move to the next adventure. Geez!

Running through the tunnels

Playing peek-a-boo at the coffee house. I told the girls this is where Auntie Cindy would be :)

Gabby and Laney taking money out from the ATM--how did they know to do that so well?

Gabby and Emily-- Such cute jailbirds.

Ryan checkin' it all out

Laney and Jack--when this pic is zoomed in, Laney is actually licking her lips.
Watch out Jack!

Another trip to the ATM

Video of them playing at the ATM--this was by far their favorite attraction.
Ella decides not to share, Laney wants to play and then just walks away.

"Cheese" outside the shop

How can she be so happy in jail?

These little buildings were so cute!

Ella baking cookies in the candy shop. She pretended to roll the dough, spread it on a plate, put it in an oven, pull them out, blow on them because they were hot, then give them to me.

Taking a water break. There was an airplane (aka, pane) in the sky.

Grace going down the slide.

Happy girls.
Thank you Kristy for these next few pics.


Look who's playing shy


Now there is my big girl

And when in doubt, sit down and take a snack break :) Ella, Laney, Jack and Carly w/ Grace in the background. Thanks Jen for being super mom and bringing enough snacks for my girls!

Who's really in timeout?

Yesterday, Laney started throwing a fit over something. Jason said, "Laney, you are going into a time out." This was Laney's first time out--ahhhh (one of many, I am sure). This made Ella sad, so the next thing I hear is the girls cracking up and Jason taking pictures. He said that Ella said that she would take a time out with Laney so Laney wouldn't be alone. It was the cutest time out ever!

I mean really....melt a mama's heart!

Ella's shirt said sweet on the front....she was definitely living up to that!

Happy 4th of July

Our 4th of July was low key but just what we needed. We saw some fireworks, had a BBQ with friends, went swimming and enjoyed a kids' concert. Nothing crazy but just relaxing!

The girls are getting ready for the kids' show: Mindy and the Fun Company.

Jason and Laney dancing to the music

Video of Laney playing before the fireworks start. She has a lot to say these days.

Your hat, my hat.

A mama is proud!

So Jason and I are sitting here watching Wimbledon. Laney is resting. We are thinking, where is Ella? Well, she is outside in her swimsuit (her 3rd outfit change by 10AM) "cleaning" her swingset. She has a spray bottle filled with water and a towel. From the swings, to the chains, to the slide, she is cleaning away. Jason refilled the water bottle for her because she has lots of cleaning to do--somehow the swingset doesn't get on my cleaning regimen. So far, she has been cleaning for over 30 minutes (a lifetime for a 3 year old).

I can even hear her singing to herself. The song is tough to make out but she seems happy with her performance--that's all that counts, right?

Makes a mom, who feels like I am always cleaning, proud :)

Maybe we should work on the outfit next time?
Only a 3 year old can pull that look off!
After this, we tried to explain what a wedgie was to El.
She thought "suit in my tooshie" was a funny thing to say.
I can't blame her.

Three Things

My friend Kristy tagged me on her blog to complete this meme.

Three things that:

...SCARE ME: scary movies, wasps, having my car breakdown

...I LOVE: my family, hugs, the smell of new tennis balls (seriously? YES).

...I HATE: inconsiderate people, splinters, being cold

...I'M DOING RIGHT NOW: typing this meme, watching Fool's Gold, wishing my father in law and my friend Kelly happy birthday wishes!

...I CAN DO: type super duper fast, multi task, sing

...I CAN'T DO: draw, keep up with housework, train my dog

...THAT ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS: Dairy Queen Blizzards, chocolate chip cookies, calamari

...SHOWS I WATCHED WHEN I WAS A KID: Little House on the Prairie, Family Ties, Growing Pains

People I am tagging to do this meme: Jess, Brooke, Rebecca, Sara, Emily. I am sure you have all done them recently but still, humor me!

Happy Anniversary!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am so excited that today we celebrate our 8 year anniversary! 8 years ago I married my best friend and now look at us: 2 daughters, a dog, a house, a picket fence, you know--the American dream :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So here are 8 interesting tidbits about us and our wedding day
(I got this idea from Kelly's blog).

1. Jason and I started dating when I was 15 and a junior in high school. Jason was a senior. We attended our proms, homecomings, snowball dances together.

My senior prom (Jason was a freshman at UC).
This picture was taken for the 1995 yearbook.
Notice my hair in a french twist and yes, that was a dress completely covered in sequins.

2. Jason proposed to me at my sorority formal. It was during a candlelight ceremony. For those in a sorority you probably know what these are but if you weren't here is the idea. All of the girls stand around in a circle and a candle is passed around. The first time the candle goes around, it is for lavaleer (when a guy in a fraternity gives his letters to a girl in the sorority). The girl who blows out the candle is the one that got lavaleered. If no one got lavaleered, then the candle goes around again but this time for engagement. So whoever blows out the candle got engaged. It is a very exciting time. Well, I was not engaged so I just was watching to see who was. The candle came to me and Liz, one of my best friends, took me to the middle of the circle. I was not sure what to expect. Then Jason, in front of 150 girls and their dates, proposed on one knee. I have no idea what he said, but I said yes!!

3. Jason and I got married on the most beautiful day. It was 80 degrees with a slight breeze. We both wanted to get married outside but I was nervous about the weather. If I only would have known!

Our wedding party.
Ok, so I could only find one picture of our wedding that wasn't permanently in an album
or permanently in a picture frame (the next pic). This picture was laminated and has been in my wallet for 8 years, so sorry about the blurriness. I know I have our wedding proofs "somewhere" in this house.

4. We got married at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in the small town I grew up in (Terrace Park, OH...outside of Cincinnati). This was also the church my parents got married in, both of our girls were baptized and Jason was baptized.

5. The reception was at Terrace Park Country Club. It was a day reception and was a lot of fun. We had 200 guests and felt so lucky to have so many friends and family there!


6. Our honeymoon was in Cancun. It was a perfect place to celebrate our new lives together. We stayed at an all inclusive resort, the Grand Oasis, which I highly recommend! How can you go wrong when drinks are included and there is a swim-up bar?

Here we are in Cancun. Don't we look tan? Oh the days when I could pull my hair back!

7. Since being married, we have lived in New Albany, IN (across the river from Louisville), Fort Wayne, Indiana and now Fishers, IN. Our first house was here in Fishers.

8. And the best fact: that I married my soul mate! That term is thrown around a lot but Jason truly is my soul mate. He has been my best friend since I was 14 years old and I knew that he was the one from the moment we started dating. It always seemed natural and comfortable. I feel truly blessed to have a husband who is a perfect match for me, is a wonderful provider, loves our family completely, is an amazing father, a supportive best friend and just loves me for me. What more could you ask for from a husband? I feel very lucky and blessed to have Jason and our two wonderful girls to wake up to every single day

We had agreed to just do cards this year but Jason surprised me and got me a laptop. I was really wanting one to help with blogging and e-mailing. He must really love me, given he thinks that blogging is taking too much time :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From our wedding program:

From this day forward our souls will be united, our heart embraced.
No longer will we feel with one heart, but with that of two.
May we overcome life's obstacles,
Hand in hand, heart to heart, soul to soul.

May our love become strength when we feel weak,
Happiness when we feel sad, completeness when we feel alone.
May our love be a desire to others, an inspiration to ourselves.
May today be a constant reminder of the friendship
we have built and the love we share.