Month: September 2010

We very much enjoyed our time in Virginia, visiting with Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Tim and Aunt Mary, Cousins Lindsey and Audrey, Aunt Tree and Uncle Dave, and Cousins John and Lily and Peter and Sam and Gianna.  We missed Aunt Sherri and Uncle Rich and Cousins Kaitlyn and Andrew but look forward to seeing them at Christmas time.  We had a blast playing on the swing set, exploring in the woods, fishing, eating wonderful family dinners, going shopping with Grandma, hitting 18 holes of golf with Grandpa, going to the Richmond Zoo (which was super awesome by the way), and playing a rousing game of Euchre (poor Grandpa…he’s my partner and we always lose but it’s still fun).

For more pictures, click on the “Family Vacation: VA” picture page to the right…

We took a 10 hour road trip to Virginia with both boys (brave, I know, but well worth it) for Xander’s baptism.

It was a beautiful ceremony…my favorite parts had to be when the priest, family, and friends made the sign of the cross on Xander’s forehead and he smiled and that he was baptized in water from the River Jordan that Grandma and Grandpa brought back from their trip to Israel.

Here are pictures of our family with the priest, Xander’s precious godparents (Uncle Tim and Lynne Robertson), and Grandma and Grandpa.

The boys and I went to the zoo with our dear friend, Lizza, and her precious new baby, Bennett.  Here’s a picture of us, hanging out with the camels in the petting zoo, and chilling in front of the newest and coolest additions to the zoo…the flamingos (or as Jonas says…the “flingamos”).

We ran into a local gymnastics coach at a playground near our house and found out, after talking with her a little bit, that they offer a free weekly class for children ages 18 months to 3 years. So, we took Jonas this weekend, and he LOVED it!!!

During circle time, he was very quiet and observant. But then he was off and running before the coach even finished introducing and releasing the parents and children to the play stations.

He was a natural on the balance beam (he didn’t really even look at his feet), quick to go through the tunnel made of mats (he has no fear), and strong on the horizontal bar (here he is doing a pull up). We all had a blast and look forward to many more, fun-filled, gymnastics Saturdays…

At twenty-two months, Jonas is: counting to ten; saying most of his ABCs (he calls them ACBs and the song is one of his favorites); flooring us with his phrase and sentence speak (God bless you baby Xander, JoJo go fast, I love DaDa too, I see baby paci, Hold MaMa hand, Xan-Man sleeping, etc.); jumping; sitting in his car seat like a big boy (forward facing) and enjoying the view; and being a wonderful big brother (taking great interest in baby’s diaper changes and feedings, bringing MaMa burp cloths and bottles and pacis for baby, sharing his cozy mama prized possession blanket with baby, putting in baby’s paci, wiping up baby’s spit up, putting baby’s diapers in the Diaper Genie, introducing baby to his toys, calming baby down if he’s crying by saying “shhh” and “okay Xander”, jumping up and down in front of his bouncy saying “hey baby” with much excitement, etc.).

We have been going to the zoo almost every week since the weather has taken a promising turn towards fall. Here is a picture of Jonas exploring one of his favorite “exhibits”, the Jungle Gym.