Some pictures from late summer ...

It has been a while but we're back with another post. There's lots going on as summer winds down. Nate and Ella are enjoying being 2 years old. They are back in preschool (once a week) and just started swimming lessons yesterday. Nate took to it right away; Ella was scared at first but hung in there and had a great time. Church today was also interesting. Nate let out a big "Yay!" during the quiet moment after the responsorial psalm, and also loudly recited the alphabet in the communion line. Before Mass, Ella said "God is so cute."

Here are a few more birthday shots and a picture from our recent family visit in Oregon:

Ella plays peek-a-boo at her birthday party:














Nate loves his cake, again ...



















Opening presents ...















Storytime with Aunt Karen and Uncle Ron:














The Hermans at Multnomah Falls:

We're 2 Years Old!

Happy birthday to Nate and Ella. Actually it has been about a week of festivities already with more to come. We've had multiple birthday song singings, cake, visits with Grandma and Grandpa T. and Aunt Jayne and cousin Katie.


The birthday boy and girl are doing great. Here's a recent shot, with more to come soon!

Chair & Chair Alike, & a Friend's Birthday

Amazingly, Ella and Nate are weeks away from their second birthday. Today they got an early present from Grandma and Grandpa T. -- kid chairs with their names on them! Nate and Ella really love them and already spent a lot of time in them today. Here are some shots:

The unveiling:

















Pretty comfortable!













Happy Nate:













Happy Ella:














Yesterday our big activity was a birthday party for good buddy Kian at the Children's Museum:

Birthday feast:













Ella with birthday boy Kian:













Trying out the Children's Museum's fire truck:































Settling in for story time:

















Nate on the move:

Note from the editor

Below Nate is pictured with a jaguar, not a leopard. My deeper investigation concludes that the jaguar is bigger and is native to the western hemisphere.* I guess I should stop telling Nate and Ella that he is a leopard. I was wrong after all (takes a lot to say that). Here is the conversation I had with another mom at the zoo last week.

Me, "Look Nate, a leopard!"
Other mom, "I think it is a jaguar"
Me, "I think they are the same thing. Look at the pretty leopard Ella!"

*Thank you Wikipedia for the clarification.

The Zoo

Last weekend Grandma and Papa T were in town and we all went to the zoo (Uncle Kevin joined us).


Nate and the penquins.


Nate and the leopard (jaguar? is there a difference?)


Nate with Grandma and Papa T.

As I am uploading these I realize we didn't get many shots of Ella. Rest assured, she was there. Ella loves the zoo but sometimes "gets scary" at the animals and ends up spending a lot of time in the wagon. Here is a cute pic of both kids.

Summer PJs

Tonight is one of the first really warm nights of the year. Nate and Ella are ready in their new lighter PJs, provided by Grandma T.!

Fathers Day Weekend 2010

Hello and happy Fathers Day to everyone! I've been blessed with a very nice day, which included getting to chat on the phone with my own dad and spending lots of time with Karin and the kids.

Here's a shot of Nate and Ella from today -- almost 22 months old now. Below is a shot from yesterday, of them checking out the penguins at the zoo.