"It's a beautiful thing to be outside"

With the nicer spring weather, we've been spending more time outside.  It is so nice to live across the street from Hodag Park.  We frequently go on walks there or head over to the playground to play. It's such a pretty park with the beautiful blue lake there, freshly thawed from the winter.  We're all getting anxious for boating weather!

We knew that fencing in our backyard was a must when we moved in, but every spring I'm reminded of how wonderful it is to have the kids be able to be outside without having to worry about their safety.  Nolan has been playing out in the yard quite a bit and has been loving his sandbox and jungle gym.  When Livi and I went out to join him the other day, he came up to me and said, "Mommy, it's a beautiful thing to be outside."  Ah, the wisdom of our little ones...

Pulling up!

Lately little Livi Lu has been pulling up on everything.  And she is sooo proud when she does it, squealing and crowing to announce her accomplishment.  Here is a picture of Olivia and Nolan both around the same age, pulling up on one of their favorite toys.

Olivia, 8 months

Nolan, 9 months

She really gets a kick out of Miles, so lately she's been crawling over to his gate and harassing him, pulling his hair and poking his eyes.  Luckily he doesn't seem to mind, and happily accepts his fate as doggie babysitter.  She is so sassy about pulling up on his gate and shakes and rattles it, squealing the whole time.  Such a big personality in my little Lu Bear!

The Modes Visit!

This past weekend, we had some special visitors!  Ray, Abby, and Ada came to spend the weekend with us.  It's always nice to see them, but this was especially fun as we just found out they are expecting their second child this November!  We had fun catching up and it we enjoyed watching the kids play together.  Ada was really enamored with Olivia, so I'm sure she'll be a great big sister.  Eric and Ray attended the Hops and Vines event on Saturday night, which featured many unique brews from some of Wisconsin's best breweries.  I think they were both in heaven. It was good to see them and we look forward to meeting the newest Mode this fall!

Spring Recital

In the past year, my music studio has really grown and I now have eleven students!  It is a really nice group of kids and it is so fun to see them grow and develop their talents.  Last night, we held a recital to showcase their abilities to their families and friends.  We had a great turnout and all of the kids did a wonderful job.  Each time one of them gets up to perform I feel like it's my own child up there and I just want it to go perfectly for them.  It's such a relief when they nail that tricky spot we've been working on or they conquer their nerves and play just beautifully.  And it's so neat to mark their growth - many students in December were only playing one hand at a time, and now nearly everyone was playing with two hands together.  Needless to say, I'm a proud teacher!

Nature Walk

We FINALLY got some nice spring weather, so I took the kiddos and Miles for a "Nature Walk" in Hodag Park.  Nolan had fun coming up with a list of things to look for on our walk - a bird, an acorn, a rock, a squirrel, a stick, and a feather.  It was so nice to be outside and feel the sunshine again!

Nolan really wanted to walk Miles all by himself.  Being that Miles is excellent on a leash, I thought it was worth a try.  Nolan was so proud!

Melt my heart.

Nolan is such a sweet and sensitive guy, and he knows just how to melt his mama's heart.  (He is also keenly aware of how to drive her crazy, just for the record.)

Yesterday I was sitting and snuggling with my two precious kiddos and my son leaned over to give Livi and me a hug and said, "Mommy, it's good to be in our family."  Yes son, it is good to be in our family.  We are beyond blessed, but it was so wonderful to hear him recognize that.

Nolan's sweet streak continued in this morning. As soon as he heard Livi was awake, he went in there to greet her as he does most mornings.  She wanted her mommy and was being a little fussy, and Nolan wrapped her in a big bear hug and said, "Don't worry, Livi.  I'll keep you safe."  I LOVE how much my kids love each other.  They have such a beautiful, inseparable bond.  Olivia looks up to Nolan and beams when she sees him.  Nolan loves to play with her and is very gentle and loving.  It is quite possibly one of the most fulfilling moments in parenting.  I'm so lucky to be a mommy of such sweet kiddos!

Children's Museum

Today we got to spend a special day at the Children's Museum with Katie and Isaac.  It was so fun to watch the boys tear from room to room to experience all the cool activities.  They really got a kick of this huge bubble wand that wrapped them up in a huge bubble!

They also had fun fishing, going down the slide, playing in the glow room, and camping.  They even had a real calf named Oreo in the museum this time!  After a few hours of fun, we topped off the day with a DQ lunch and of course, some ice cream.  We were certainly grateful to have a fun day with our friends and look forward to another trip sometime soon!