September and October

Getting there...

In the throes of Benjamin's school days, FINALLY done potty-training!!! Emily has some great new classes this fall (playing at Connolly Ranch with the animals/in the dirt and music on Fridays) and gearing up for Halloween. Unusually warm fall weather here in Napa made for beautiful days and a lot of outside time to enjoy!


A sore (we thought broken but never showed a fracture on X-Ray) arm never slowed Emily's cheese-eating habit


Fun at the Farmer's Market


"Wagoneering" near the Farm by our old house


Very cute new firefighter in Napa




Check out those big boy underwear!! (Cars 2 and Toy Story 3...)



Pool time in our new backyard



At Connolly Ranch for "Sounds of Silence" class (which I have renamed "Sounds of Emily" as she is always making some sort of noise!)




Checking out her new "play area" (really more of a "baby jail" but that sounded too mean)



Ben at "track" - doing the not-so-long jump!



Emily's eye versus the bathtub - bathtub won, but she doesn't seem to mind too much!



Eye getting a little better...tough girl!



All dolled up for school pictures with big brother (who had run off by this point!)

August and Birthdays

Both of the kids celebrated birthdays in August. We were en route back from Michigan on Emily's special day (her FIRST birthday on the 2nd) but made the most of it with several days of cupcake and cake eating. Ben celebrated his THIRD birthday on the 26th, and we partied with some friends over Labor Day weekend. Fun times...and cute kids, if I may say so.


Cute birthday dress!!


A little help with the candle from big brother


Prenjents (as coined by Ben) can be extra fun when they have lots of bows and paper



Birthday Boy!! I am three years old today.


First day of preschool in his "Big Boy" classroom

Birthday Party time!!

Pondering the candle blowing-out strategy

"Big Girl" partying with the real big girls

Birthday treats

Movie time with our pals - Finding Nemo!!

Visit to Michigan

The end of July brought us to Michigan for 2 weeks. Mommy forgot her camera, but captured a few gems with her cell phone camera. Topped it all off with an early celebration for Emily's first birthday.

Quiet airplane movie time


What happens when you throw up in bed in the middle of the night and get a "wipes bath" around 1am, followed by a morning bath...



Daddy built a huge train set for Ben in Granna and Papa's living room (Thanks to the Gagie School 1st grade!)

Birthdays and cupcakes

June/July

Fun in the warm weather, teeth coming in, Emily is driving & cooking, and a visit to Brian's office from the "Hudson Hornet" (an exact replica from the Cars movie, with which, in case you haven't heard, Benjamin is obsessed!)



(And, P.S. she loves cheese too,, just like big brother!)




FOURTH OF JULY pride





And a little morning yoga...

April/May 2011

Yes, it has been a while. We finished out the school year, celebrated the kids' birthdays (Emily is 1, Ben is 3) and moved to a new house in Napa. Settled in, gearing up for Halloween...so have started another school year, started classes with Emily and Brian is officially in the throes of another high school football season which keeps him very busy at work.

Some of our finest from the last several months...

Trying out some underwear



Ben's school pictures



Easter Fun




These are from Emily's Baptism, which we were able to have at Mt. LaSalle, the church where we were married and Benjamin was baptized.