Harves Family Blog

Norris 2011 (post 3)

2011-07-30T14:14:00.002-04:00

Norris 2011 (post 2)

2011-07-30T14:10:00.003-04:00

It took a few days to convince the kids to jump off just the platform...but once they finally did, they realized how much fun it was and then they were jumping fools! Drew's favorite quickly became jumping off the top of the boat--and saying in his best Buzz Lightyear voice, "To Infinity and Beyond!"

Norris 2011 (post 1)

2011-07-30T14:06:00.002-04:00

Too many pictures for just one post! We had a great time as always!

Chloe's Curls

2011-07-30T14:00:00.003-04:00

Although our plan to avoid sibling jealousy at Drew's party back-fired completely (Chloe was a total mess the whole time Drew was getting any sort of attention), it was definitely cute to see her in her consolidation-birthday present hair curlers. And she was so excited for the end result the next morning!

Drew's 3rd Birthday

2011-07-30T13:50:00.003-04:00

Drew is so happy to finally be a "big boy" now that he is three!

Cumberland 2011

2011-07-30T13:45:00.003-04:00

The kids had a blast with the Kuenning family at Lake Cumerland this summer--Chloe's best progress of skis for the year so far was when she was in the water with Mrs. Kuenning!

Chloe's 5th Birthday

2011-07-30T13:41:00.002-04:00

Catching up on a few pics from the summer--here are some of my favorite's from Chloe's 5th birthday party! She loved being the star of the show!

Memorial Day Water Fun

2011-05-30T21:28:00.002-04:00

The kids were so worn out this weekend from the ultra-hot weather and an overabundance of outdoor activities (soccer, washing the cars, first boat trip of the season) that we set a new record for Earliest Bed Time ever....6:45pm, and not a minute too soon!! I guess that's what we get for jamming so much into the long weekend, but with such a wet and cold spring we are trying to take advantage of the warm weather as much as we can....but I guess it was a little more than they could handle!

Just one of the girls...

2011-05-30T21:24:00.002-04:00

When Drew's favorite teacher started putting pigtails in the girls' hair at school, he was so jealous that he insisted he get pig-tails in his hair too! He was so proud of these pig-tails and wanted to keep them "forever", until of course the tears of pain started flowing when I took them out before bed!

Brian's Bday & Mother's Day

2011-05-30T21:12:00.003-04:00

The highlight of our birthday/mother's day celebration was Drew's sudden fascination with Chloe's princess shoes and magic wand--we definitely plan to pull this picture out in 20 years to embarrass him fully!

Fun with Friends

2011-05-30T21:07:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pics of the kids having fun with some of their friends this spring--from a sleepover with Josie to fun during our Flying Pig weekend, Chloe and Drew are really starting to love playing with other kids--and it gives us a break, so we love it too!

Decorating Easter Eggs

2011-04-17T21:56:00.002-04:00

The kids decorated Easter Eggs in their own unique styles today...Chloe used lots of stickers and a gentle touch....Drew preferred to go a bit more abstract and squeeze the egg until all of the shell broke off! Both approaches were quite beautiful! :)

Chloe's First Sleep Over!

2011-04-17T21:42:00.003-04:00

Chloe had her very first sleep over ever at her best friend Josie's house on Saturday night! They had a great time and giggled to each other until about 9:30pm. Chloe even got to stay and have breakfast and go to church--Heather is so amazing! We knew that Chloe seemed tired from her big night out when she got home, but when she excused herself from lunch to go upstairs and take a nap, we knew it was serious! :) Here is the picture of her asleep in her own bed, with dried donut icing from church still on her cheeks!

Fun at the Jerusalem Craft Market

2011-04-09T20:45:00.004-04:00

We had fun at a nearby church's Jerusalem Market craft day today--the kids had fun hammering stamps into necklaces and painting pots, and of course eating the bread that they got to roll and shape before it was baked!

Preschool Pictures

2011-04-09T20:42:00.001-04:00

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Preschool Pictures

2011-04-09T20:41:00.001-04:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Reds Outfits

2011-04-09T20:33:00.004-04:00

It's hard to say who was more excited about Reds Opening Day this year--I honestly believe that both Chloe and Drew were just as excited as Brian! And when Chloe set her eyes on the new Reds player book, she couldn't wait to make it her new favorite bedtime story! Seriously, I promise I'm not making this up. And yes, she is my daughter!

Christmas from Iowa!

2011-02-16T21:03:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pics of the kids opening their presents from Aunt Julia and Uncle Adam...Drew knows exactly what shirts came from you guys (he mentions it each time he wears them) and Chloe is in heaven with her new beads! She is having a playdate this weekend and I think that will be the perfect opportunity to do one of the crafts that you gave her--thank you both for such thoughtful presents! We love you!

Chloe Gymnastics Fall/Winter 2010

2011-02-16T20:43:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm not sure if we have a future Olympian in the Harves household, but it certainly was fun to watch Chloe enjoy gymnastics this fall--she's come a long way in just the few sessions she's taken. She's even teaching Drew how to do a summersault...off the couch while diving into a pile of pillows...oh boy!

A few holiday pics...

2011-02-16T20:33:00.003-05:00

After a long break from the blog, I'm back! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the holidays--I am on the search for a baby picture we have of Drew making the same face that he made at me when he didn't want his picture taken with all the cookie flour on it...they may grow up but some thing never change!

Festival of Lights

2010-11-28T13:55:00.003-05:00

Since we didn't make it to the Festival of Lights at the zoo last year, we thought we would go this weekend and cross it off the list before all of the craziness of December hits. So we broke out the kids new winter jackets and hit the road. Chloe somehow got over the fact that her coat has "GREY" dots on it, and Drew finally realized that no matter what, he can't take his coat off. Once they successfully angered us to almost the point of no return with their complaining about their coats, we all actually had a good time seeing the lights and holiday characters. Santa and Mrs Claus were at dinner, so we didn't see them, but Chloe was pretty excited about a real-life Gingerbread Girl. Brian and I vowed that if we go back, we'll definitely be getting the "spiked" hot chocolate.....:)

Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T13:50:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving--this is only a fraction of the total number of kids at Aunt Joanie's--needless to say it was impossible to corral all of them at the same time for a picture!

Chloe's Songs from Preschool

2010-10-27T20:25:00.002-04:00

After agreeing to my bribe of Oreos and Milk, Chloe made my day by singing her favorite preschool songs for the camera!

Julie & Adam Visit!

2010-10-26T21:06:00.003-04:00

Julie & Adam came to visit this past weekend, and we had so much fun visiting in Dayton with Great-Grandpa Creech and lots of fun fall activities back in Cincinnati! I'm so thankful we had such great weather so that we could see Great-Grandpa play catch with Drew--priceless!

Chloe's Big Goal!

2010-10-18T21:07:00.004-04:00

Tonight was Chloe's last soccer game of the season--and without a doubt, her best effort of the year! If she played with so much energy all year, going to soccer games in 90+ degree heat wouldn't have been so bad!! And to top it all off, she had her first and only goal of the season--I have honestly never seen her so proud!! So no one can ever mention to her that she scored a goal for the other team!! After all, this is YMCA soccer and we don't keep score, right?!

Big Girl Best & Best Friends

2010-09-28T21:32:00.003-04:00

A picture of Chloe's new bed--we are still amazed at how high it sits off the ground, but thankful for the new storage room under the bed, since it takes up half of Chloe's room now! We had Chloe and Drew's best friends over last weekend, and everyone had a great time--in fact, the only crying of the night was Chloe when their parents came to pick them up! There is something truly special about best friends at this age!

Chloe: Soccer Superstar

2010-09-28T21:23:00.003-04:00

Yes, yes, believe it or not....another soccer mom actually looked at me during one practice this season and said, "Wow, she is our superstar!" Now, to be fair, Chloe tends to go all-out during practice when there is no threat of physical contact, but she still shys away from the ball during the game. And she would still rather sit on the sidelines making friends, but that's OK too! (Note the large "egg" on Drew's head--courtesy of his failed attempt to jump UP the curb in the driveway!)

Trip to the Zoo

2010-09-28T21:18:00.002-04:00

On a rare cool morning this month, we took a trip to the zoo with the kids and Mama and Papa. Chloe of course loved showing off on the rhino, but Drew was a little bit unsure....I guess he thought that the rhino was going to start moving!

Chloe's First Day of Preschool

2010-08-23T21:52:00.002-04:00

Chloe's big first day at preschool was definitely a success--she is already reciting songs and things that she learned--so cute! She even told us this morning that we could just drop her off at the door and she would go up the stairs to her room all by herself--does this mean that she doesn't need us anymore?? sniff sniff!

A few more vacation pics (cont'd)

2010-08-21T13:22:00.001-04:00

A few more vacation pics....

2010-08-21T13:13:00.001-04:00

Norris Lake 2010

2010-08-21T13:06:00.001-04:00

A few pictures from our trip to Norris Lake-we did our best to capture some of the fun moments, but with all the action going on all the time it was a tall order!

Lake Cumberland July 2010

2010-07-25T22:10:00.003-04:00

Yes, that is Chloe on real, big-kid water skis! And yes, that is Chloe crying and screaming at the top of her lungs in protest! She could do it, just not willingly. Our weekend at Lake Cumberland with the Kuenning family was full of all sorts of first--from Chloe skiing to Drew swimming by himself (with the life jacket on, of course) to 12:45am kid bedtimes (oh yes, you read that right) to no naps all weekend long....oh yes, it was a fun/sun/water-filled trip that was so much fun, and so exhausting! I love it that Chloe and Drew have such good friends in Josie, Jack & baby Sam--and I'm so glad that we can make fun memories like this for them to share. Maybe next year we'll be able to get them to bed just a weeee bit earlier, though! :)

Chloe's Best "LeBron James"

2010-07-25T22:02:00.003-04:00

The picture pretty much speaks for itself, but this is Chloe's best athletic feat performed to date--a leaping jump off the couch to reach the ribbon on the balloon hanging from the ceiling. Good camera work, Daddy!

Drew's 2nd Birthday

2010-07-25T21:51:00.002-04:00

If only there was a way to bottle up the innocent joy and happiness that comes from a 2-year old when the figure out that the party and presents are all for HIM! It took us a few days to get Drew to realize that it was HIS birthday (and not sissy's or Daddy's), and once he got it, he was just the sweetest, happiest kid in the world--not the happiness that comes from getting what he WANTS, but the happiness that comes from just getting something. So adorable, so sweet. How can I make this last?!

July 4th Party

2010-07-25T21:40:00.003-04:00

Our neighborhood July 4th party was a lot of fun for us and the kids--we were so surprised that they managed somehow (thank you, Sugar!) to stay up until the fireworks started, and I was shocked that they weren't scared--apparently our neighborhood really knows how to do fireworks right, and they were quite big and quite loud! Their staying-up-late record was soon to become tested, however, because our trip to Cumberland was right around the corner......

Our Trip to Iowa!

2010-07-25T21:32:00.003-04:00

So, catching up on some long over-due posts to the blog! Here are some pictures from our trip to Iowa--the kids and Nana and I had a great time visiting Adam and Julie! No one does a craft project like Aunt Julia, and there was some awesome rough-housing as well! It is definitely a toss-up as to who was the most tired--us or the kids!

A Day with Dad & the Car Wash!

2010-06-24T11:05:00.004-04:00

We had a great family-day for Father's Day which included a 3-mile jog (and Chloe rode her bike the WHOLE way!!), lunch and swimming at the pool...and then Chloe and Drew helped Brian wash my car. They both were sooooo into it, we seriously thought about maybe hiring them out to the neighbors! I don't know if it was the matching "Reds" hats or just the fact that they were doing something fun with Dad, but it was definitely one of those unplanned special moments that make you smile! (The last picture is what pure exhaustion looks like!)

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-24T10:57:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures from our Father's Day get together at our house. The highlight of the day no doubt was Chloe asking Gramps to play "Bingo" with her, and watching him listen to her "teach" him the rules--priceless!

Parky's Farm

2010-06-18T22:14:00.003-04:00

Chloe's party at Parky's Farm was so much fun--I never thought it would be so neat to a bunch of kids interacting together, but it was so neat to see Chloe with all her friends in one place! She honestly wasn't quite sure what to think at first, but then she figured out that being the first in line for pony rides and all the activities was pretty cool! And there has never been another child who enjoys being the center of attention like Chloe, so she was in her element!

Chloe's 4th Birthday

2010-06-18T22:07:00.001-04:00

Chloe's birthday last week was like a marathon of events--we made brownies to take to her friends at Nancy's, had a special birthday breakfast on her birthday, then opened presents and celebrated in the evening of her birthday....all before her big party over the weekend! Whew...thank goodness birthdays only come once a year--they are exhausting!

First Family Day on the new boat

2010-06-06T22:51:00.004-04:00

We had a very successful first day as a family out on the boat today--after a rainy morning we were one of the first boats out, which was just fine with me! And by early afternoon, everyone was ready for a nap! I was just glad that I had packed a "buddy" for Chloe, even it was technically Drew's (notice the blue color!)

Swinging and Jumping!

2010-06-06T22:44:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures of the kids swinging at the park and jumping on pillows at home--definitely 2 of their favorite activities!

Mother's Day & Brian's Birthday

2010-05-10T20:33:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Mother's Day and Brian's birthday in one big afternoon this past weekend--and judging by how well the kids have slept ever since (they were in bed by 7:45 tonight!!), I would say that they had a great time! Drew discovered that his new favorite past-time is lifting his legs up as his tricycle rolls down the hill in the driveway, over the curb and into the street--besides the heart attack that it gives me every time he does it, we all thought it was hilarious to watch him try it over and over!

Playground Fun

2010-05-10T20:20:00.002-04:00

The kids have a great time at Mama and Papa's every time they go--they love going to the park and playing on the playground. I think it's pretty fun that Drew (at age 2) thinks of new and interesting ways to go down the slide and then shows his big sissy (at age 4) how to do it! Monkey see, monkey do!

Hot Rod Chloe

2010-05-10T20:14:00.001-04:00

Quite possibly the highlight from Easter was Chloe taking the wheel of the neighbor's race car--I don't think there was anything more hilarious than watching her go from Miss Timid to Little Miss Danica Patrick!

2010-05-10T20:03:00.003-04:00

We had a great time at Easter with Julie & Adam in town and watching the kids go from egg hunt to egg hunt--I lost after Hunt #4....and I finally just got rid of the last of the candy!

Reds Fever!

2010-05-10T19:52:00.003-04:00

We've been having a lot of fun with getting the kids excited about the Reds this year--Brian took Chloe to her first "real" baseball game where they sat in the stands, ate peanuts and Dip'nDots and watched Joey Votto--Chloe's self-proclaimed favorite player!!

Fun in the Snow!

2010-02-07T16:24:00.003-05:00

We only got about 3 inches from the snow storm system this weekend, but it was enough for the kids to have tons of fun outside in the snow! Chloe was dying to make "Chloe and Drew Snowmen" so we rounded up all the extra hats, mittens, etc. that we could find and we made matching snowmen--doesn't she look so proud? And yes, that is Drew still carrying his shoes....ahhhhh....sighhhhhh.

January Catch Up #2

2010-01-31T15:39:00.003-05:00

A few more pictures as part of my January catch up post...we are still cracking up at Drew's latest attachment (he has been going through a phase where he attaches himself to something for a few days and then moves on)....his shoes! He has to carry them around the house everywhere he goes, and he even has to take them to bed with him (which makes us question the cleanliness issue of this attachment, but in the end we gave in to the screaming for "shoes! shoes!") I took the kids to a very humid Krohn's Conservatory yesterday where they had fun running through the cave and throwing pennies in the waterfall--I just wish that Drew could tolerate sitting in the stroller for more than 30 seconds because he is a handful to take anywhere these days!

January Catch Up!

2010-01-31T15:33:00.003-05:00

Just catching up on some fun moments from January--I think we were so overloaded with picture taking over the holidays that we really cut back in January, but we did manage to dust off the camera a few times and take a few pics. We couldn't resist Chloe showing off her Hollywood sunglasses in the middle of winter or eating her "snow cake"! I wish we would have had more pictures of Julie & Adam's visit a couple weeks ago....hopefully next time everyone will be a little more healthy! And I almost forgot to document Chloe's first successful trip to the dentist (her first trip 6 months ago didn't go so well--but she was an awesome patient this time around!)

Drew Dancing

2009-12-28T14:40:00.002-05:00

Drew is a dancing fool...until Chloe distracts him and he ends up smacking right into the glass door--oops!!

Santa brings Chloe's dollhouse

2009-12-28T14:22:00.002-05:00

Christmas morning

2009-12-28T14:03:00.003-05:00

The kids had a great Christmas morning--Chloe was so excited about the dollhouse which was such a great thrill for us, because we had prepared for a mediocre reaction or even worse, a complaint that the dollhouse wasn't pink. But she surprised us all and was completely in love with it, so that made it all worthwhile. And Drew was just in love with the packaging and saying "cheese" for the camera whenever he could!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T13:39:00.006-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve--Santa's first visit to Chloe and Drew was full of excitement! Chloe and Drew "just missed" seeing Santa when they drove out looking for him, but he left lots of packages for them to open when they got back to Tom & Cheryl's house. While Drew amused himself with bows and countless jumps up and down on all the packages, Chloe had fun with her remote controlled car and new bean bag chair. The jack-in-the-box created some touching moments as they played so well together with it, but then ended tragically as Drew just couldn't take it anymore and let Chloe know exactly how he felt. Ahh, yes, what fun!

FINISHED!!

2009-12-24T13:26:00.002-05:00

The dollhouse is officially finished!! We can't believe that we made it....the official hours total is over 60...30 of which came within the last 3 days! Now we just can't wait to see Chloe's face tomorrow morning when she sees it!

Dollhouse Update--the race is on!

2009-12-21T21:34:00.003-05:00

Only 2 more days to finish the dollhouse--yikes! It certainly has come a long long way from when we started. At this point, Santa could give Chloe the dollhouse along with a bag of "extra" parts that the elves didn't finish...but then Brian would have to work on it after Christmas, which I am quite certain there is no way in the world that will happen!

First Snow

2009-12-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

Chloe was never more excited to snow in her life--and we were completely shocked when she woke up on Saturday, rushed to the window, and wanted to go play in the snow IMMEDIATELY! She's come a long way from the last 2 winters when 5 minutes in the snow was more than she could bear. Looks like we'll be in a fun winter if we get a lot more of the white stuff!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2009-12-21T20:23:00.003-05:00

Christmas preparations have definitely been underway at our house--December has completely flown by thanks to all the holiday activities and events! Chloe was a great helper in the kitchen this year for making cookies (and I actually mean that), and we had a great time at the Columbus holiday party (yes, Brian is a beautiful Hannah Montana!). And the visit with Santa was quite memorable!

Dollhouse Update: Hours 3-20

2009-12-06T21:25:00.003-05:00

Well, we are about 20 hours into the dollhouse project so far. These pictures were taken at the beginning of the weekend so they actually don't do justice to all the progress Brian has made in the last few days. The roof is almost completely on now, which I think means that the process of gluing the 1,000+ shingles will begin any day now. 19 days and counting to Christmas! Think we'll make it??

Who-Dey!

2009-11-29T15:09:00.002-05:00

Slugger Drew

2009-11-29T14:31:00.002-05:00

Chloe's new haircut

2009-11-15T21:35:00.003-05:00

What a diva! Chloe, who was supposed to be taking a nap, was instead making herself right at home playing "sleepover" with her dolls and blankets all over the floor in our room...which was all a complete surprise to me when I stepped out of the shower! Honestly she was just too cute in her favorite little hat for me to be too upset--and she actually agreed to smile for the camera if I wouldn't make her go back to bed---what a deal maker she is turning out to be!

Dollhouse: Hours 1-3

2009-11-15T21:24:00.003-05:00

When we decided to buy a dollhouse kit for Chloe's big present from Santa this year (ok, ok, when I BEGGED Brian to buy this dollhouse kit for Chloe's big present from Santa), we knew it was going to be a lot of work from the looks of the house on the box. But it wasn't until I heard Brian laughing out loud when he read the first sentence of the instruction book...this dollhouse will take approx. 30 HOURS to build...did I realize that we were really in trouble!! We are now 3 hours into the project and we've successfully unloaded the millions of pieces in the box and checked them off to the parts list (the instructions say this is actually the most important step), and we've bought the supplies we needed--so much for the box saying that everything you need is included!! In case you can't tell from the pictures, NOTHING is painted, there are over 1,000 shingles and 200 spindles for the porches, and there is WAY more than 30 hours worth of work here! Any guesses on what the final tally will be? Any guesses on what the final number of beers that Brian will consume during the project will be?? :)

Raking Leaves

2009-11-15T21:17:00.002-05:00

We had some fun playing in the leaves this weekend--and despite how it looks, all of "work" that Chloe and Drew were doing was completely voluntary, and completely for the purpose of making the leaf pile higher so they could jump it. Drew was quite clever and figured out that his bat is easier to use than a long-handled rake. And we appreciated the fact that he was not trying to navigate a big rake around too!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-11T20:43:00.003-05:00

Trick-or-treat was a lot of fun for us this year, but it was an exhausting night as well. Despite all the excitement and anticipation this year, Chloe sort of lost interest after just about 10 houses. That's about the time when Drew just started to figure out how fun it was to hold out a bucket and have people put stuff in it--and he started to really get into it. He could have kept going all night if not for his big sister practically begging to go home!

Back at home, Drew got his first taste of candy---and I think it's safe to say that he is a fan for life. He physically tackled anyone and everyone who stood in the way of him getting another piece--and let me just say that we paid the price with some pretty awful diapers! But he also had so much fun handing out candy--the scary costumes didn't even phase him, he was so happy to put candy in buckets--it was so fun for us to watch. The next day can only be described as Halloween Hangover in our house as the kids crashed from their candy highs---but it was worth it for the laughs we had!

More Fall Fun

2009-11-11T20:37:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more pics of the kids from October. Drew has developed a complete fascination for doing anything, and everything, that Chloe does. So it's no surprise to us that he loves to sit at her easel and color---if only we could convince him that crayons are for PAPER and not his mouth, the walls, the carpet, etc.! We're not quite sure how they both sat so good next to each other with their Bengals gear on--this may just be our Christmas picture for the year I think! Most of the time Chloe just tries to get away from Drew--in the last picture she was enjoying some time on her "puter" away from Drew. Ahhh, let's hope this is just a phase!

Pumpkin Fun

2009-11-11T20:32:00.003-05:00

Chloe and Drew loved their visit to the Pumpkin Patch--despite the fact that it was more of a "mud patch" than a pumpkin patch. After several days of hard rain prior to our visit, the parking lot and surrounding areas were completely full of mud--the mud was so deep on the hayride that it came right up to the top of the tires on the tractor! Any guesses on what Chloe said as we pulled into the parking lot? "Hey, we're at Bloomsbury Farm!!" Turns out their introduction to the pumpkin patch in Iowa left a lasting impression!

October pics

2009-10-19T20:47:00.004-04:00

Here are some sort-of random fall pics:

Chloe got a giant lollipop from her good friend Miss Sarah,

...showing off her medal from soccer,

Drew is showing off his new haircut,

Chloe's last soccer game,

and a good pic of the stitches on Drew's nose (bruise on forehead is from an unrelated incident). Oh yes, he is keeping us on our toes, quite literally!

Drew's First Haircut

2009-10-19T20:34:00.002-04:00

(before haircut)

As you can tell from the "helmet" that his hair had quite literally become on his head, it was clearly time for Drew to get his haircut. Brian bravely volunteered to do the duties, and off they went! The whole experience was a total invasion of personal space for poor Drew, and just like Chloe, he hated the cape covering his hands, but we all love the result! I think he looks 6 months older--an instant "big boy"!

Jamaica comes to an end...

2009-09-18T20:38:00.003-04:00

Ahh, well it's back to reality now and our trip has come to an end--but it was so refreshing to take some time for just the two of us--even though it was a lot of work to get there...it was definitely worth it and we hope to do it again, someday!

More From Jamaica, Mon!

2009-09-18T20:32:00.002-04:00

Jamaica was just as beautiful as we remembered it, and while we did a lot of familiar things that we had done on our honeymoon, we also took up a few new adventures--such as water skiing and wake boarding in the ocean! I honestly was surprised at how fun that would be...the water was as smooth as the lake (and the boat didn't die!)

Jamaica 2009

2009-09-16T22:07:00.002-04:00

Words just can't describe what a wonderful trip we had to Jamaica last week--it was a perfect anniversary trip full of relaxation and a little bit of Jamaican adventure sprinkled in! Here are just a few pictures from the trip--the amazing sunset, and the view of the beach from our room--more to come soon!

E&Y Summer Outing

2009-08-23T21:42:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from Brian's softball outing for work this weekend. Chloe could have jumped in the Moonbounce for hours...and Drew was trying his best to hit the ball like Daddy. I realized that whoever created the concept of party favors must have surely had a daughter like Chloe--her eyes totally lit up when she opened her goody bag of sunglasses, bouncy ball and yo-yo---in fact, she has them all tucked in with her tonight in bed!

Drew's First Birthday

2009-07-17T21:11:00.003-04:00

Drew's first birthday party over the weekend was such fun! The Harves' clan from Indiana joined our usual cast of characters and made the day super special--Chloe was in heaven because there were so many people she could show off to, and Drew was in heaven because he could walk from person to person, eating food off their plate. Oh yeah, Chloe was also in heaven because she could take her piggy bank around to person after person and ask for spare change! (We're so proud!) You can see that Drew enjoyed his cake--the chocolate icing was absolutely everywhere, but it was totally worth it! It is so bittersweet that our baby is now 1 and not really a baby anymore...it was sort of surreal for me as we were singing to him and watching him dive into his birthday cake--as excited as I was for him to be reaching such a milestone, I was sad to see my baby get so big!

Drew is Walking!

2009-07-07T21:01:00.003-04:00

It's official! We are in trouble now! Drew is still crawling as his primary "speed" method of transportation, but he is quickly figuring out this walking thing! Especially when Daddy teases him with the remote--that kid can't resist it! (I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree....)

More Norris Pics

2009-07-07T20:47:00.003-04:00

There were just too many pictures to choose from, so here are a few more. You can see that Chloe was most proud of learning how to use the squirt gun--our favorite was hearing her say..."you better hurry before I fill it up!" And she meant it, too. And Drew is already learning how to ham it up for the camera....such a ladies man already!

Norris Lake Pictures

2009-07-07T20:38:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to Norris Lake--it was such a fun and relaxing week! Chloe had a great time on her skiis, despite all her protests! We never actually got her to jump in the water from the dock or the boat, but the fact that she had fun on her skiis was worth all the effort in trying to convince her! Poor Drew was working on a tooth all week, but it finally paid off as it broke through on the last day...and he was so happy to get home on dry land that he took his first steps when we got home! We had a great time with Tom and Cheryl and Julie and Adam...definitely could not have had such a fun trip without them all!

Chloe Skiing on Norris Lake

2009-07-05T21:44:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful time on vacation this past week...we are still recovering from all the unpacking and being off our schedule, but here is a quick video of one of the highlights of the trip--Chloe skiing! I'll post more pics this week as I get caught up, so stay tuned!

Chloe's 3rd Birthday

2009-06-09T22:28:00.003-04:00

What a weekend! Chloe's "Dora" birthday party was a ton of fun, despite the fact that we were worried since she hadn't napped at all before the party! But she of course put on a great show as she opened her gifts, and she surprised us all at how well she could ride her new bike! It was awesome to see her on it...she is officially a big girl now, there's no going back! And yes, there are 2 pieces of cake on her plate...she was the birthday girl after all! :) And she only eats the icing...apparently she is a girl after Ma-ma's heart!

Coney Island

2009-06-09T22:20:00.003-04:00

My company's picnic was at Coney Island this year, and we had a great afternoon--Chloe and Drew absolutely loved it. Chloe rode almost every single ride that she was tall enough for--yes, even the Scrambler! And you can see the change in her facial expression from the first trip down the giant slide with Brian to the end of day when I took her down--she was having way too much fun to leave! And Drew loved it when she got out of the wagon so he could swipe her drink...we could barely keep him contained, as evidenced by the fact that he climbed completely out of the wagon when we weren't watching!

Ball Popper

2009-05-27T22:01:00.004-04:00

Here is new video of Drew squealing at the start of the ball popper. He has the same reaction every single time, it absolutely cracks us up. And this is the same shrill squealing noise that he is famous for at dinner time--unfortunately for us he only has one volume level so far!

May pictures

2009-05-27T21:29:00.003-04:00

Here are a couple pictures of the kids from this month...Chloe is showing off the balloon that she got me for Mother's Day (but let's face it, it was her balloon!), Drew is sporting his Reds gear, and he is showing off his new skill of smashing food all over his highchair, tray, and oh yes, his hair. I wonder if this is his way of "signing" back to me--so much for trying new ways to communicate!

Dinning room project - complete!

2009-05-18T22:09:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share some pictures of the recently completed renovation of the dinning room. It has taken several weekends to complete, but the finished project is definitely worth it. Jenny did a fabulous job of decorating it (despite the change in color incident). A huge thanks to Pa Pa for all his help (and to MaMa for giving him up) and also to "Mr. Ed" the carpenter. The furniture is being delivered on Friday and Jenny can't hardly stand it she is so excited.

"Make Me a Deal"

2009-05-18T05:22:00.003-04:00

Some recent pictures of the kids...Drew is having fun with golf balls (you should see him crawl with them in his hands!), and Chloe is making sure that her baby is fed and that there are no monsters in the basement. Chloe had the quote from the weekend....when she asked for her standard "special treat" after going number 2 in the potty, I tried to get out of it since she already had cookies for dessert. Well, you can imagine how that went over. But instead of totally throwing a fit, she pouted, crossed her arms, and said, "Well, then, make me a deal". So I did. A special treat in return for cleaning up her toys. Now that is compromise at its best!

Drew is Cruising Now!

2009-05-17T21:53:00.003-04:00

Here is some video from the weekend--Drew is loving his push toy now! He was pretty unsure about it a couple weeks ago, but now he is loving the fact that he can walk to where he wants to go...until he runs into something and gets stuck! As usual, you'll hear Chloe in the background trying to upstage the attention Drew is getting...somehow I don't think she is all that deprived!

There are no words for this one....

2009-05-10T21:33:00.002-04:00

You know how sometimes the most hilarious pictures are the ones that you take when no one is "posing" for the picture? Well, this is certainly one of those moments. While Chloe is definitely the "pick" of this photo, my favorite part is actually how Drew is peeking out from behind her in the background....that boy always has to be part of the action! He has learned how to point to what he wants now, and can stand on his own for a few seconds. And, just as if to melt my heart on Mother's Day, he learned how to point to me and say "ma ma ma ma ma".....what could be better?!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T21:26:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from our family get together for Mother's Day and Brian's birthday. Brian had a great time using his new flash for the camera, and I'm having fun learning about how to crop and edit our pictures in our new software. It's time consuming but a lot of fun! Anyway, we had a great time and it was a beautiful weekend!

It's in the genes...

2009-04-19T21:09:00.002-04:00

Chloe was a big helper to Papa and Daddy this weekend as they kicked off the first home improvement project of 2009...painting the dining room. Chloe was a natural with the drywall mud...except when it came in contact with her fingers or face, and then it was icky!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-15T20:55:00.003-04:00

Easter was full of entertainment this year! From Drew showing off his new ability to crawl anywhere and pull himself up on virtually anything, to Chloe's true performance as the princess of the day--it was not lacking in excitement! Chloe loved her own personal egg hunt, and Drew loved getting into all of her stuff. We all had a great day but I think we are still recovering from how worn out we were!

Visit with Aunt "Julia"

2009-04-15T20:51:00.002-04:00

We had a great time during Aunt Julie's (ie. Aunt "Julia" as Chloe calls her) visit over Easter weekend. As usual it was jam packed with activities, but we had a wonderful visit and the time went by way too fast! Thanks for such a great time, Aunt Julia!

Newest Reds Fan

2009-04-15T20:48:00.003-04:00

Drew celebrated Opening Day by sporting his new Reds shirt....ok, it's actually a hand-me-down from Chloe, but that's just a technicality. There certainly aren't many more things that she can pass down to him at this point...so we certainly enjoyed seeing him ham it up in his new shirt!

A weekend of wonders...

2009-03-22T20:30:00.003-04:00

We just had a feeling that this would be the weekend that Drew starts to crawl...he has been sooo angry and frustrated that he can't get what he wants when he wants it. So just like that, he figured it out tonight and it's like he has been crawling for months! We took this video right before bed, after several hours of coaxing him to crawl, so his patience was a bit tried. Drew also decided this weekend that he no longer will tolerate baby food--in fact, he throws an absolute fit when we try to feed him anything other than the "real stuff" (that is, whatever we are eating). He is a big boy already! And Chloe...well, she might as well be a toddler going on a teenager. I coaxed her into going to the carwash with Daddy so that I could nurse Drew in peace today by bribing her with a sucker...and when Daddy heard her chomping on the sucker instead of licking it, she simply rolled her eyes, sighed heavily and said, "Just drive, Daddy". It's like we can already see what she will be like in 15 years!

Here we go....

2009-03-17T21:09:00.002-04:00

Hopefully this fun video of Drew's new favorite activity (rolling into a sitting position) will help to make up for the fact that I haven't blogged in so long! It has been a challenging month with my dad's heart attack and extra travel related to that, in addition to a busy time at work. So check back soon for my best attempts at making up for lost time! We are so excited about Drew's new talent, although it comes with its own set of challenges--um, like what we do at bed time when we lay him in his crib and he just rolls into a sitting position and smiles up at us! Uh-oh, we sure are in for it!

Chlo & Jos

2009-02-15T21:19:00.002-05:00

Chloe attended her first birthday party for a friend of her own today, and it was a true experience for all of us! The party was for her friend Jack (from Nancy's house), but besides being friends with Jack, Chloe is beyond obsessed with Jack's older sister Josie. Chloe and Josie have been best friends at Nancy's house since Chloe first started going to Nancy's...so practically her whole life. Chloe emulates everything that Josie does, and it is a true joy for us to watch how she acts around Josie. I love seeing her hold onto Josie's hand and show her things that she's excited about. They even had to go to the bathroom together! Here are a couple pictures of the "bff" girls at the party...and in case you are curious about the title of the post, Josie calls Chloe "Chlo", so Chloe calls Josie "Jos". It's so funny...they even have their own little language!

More new pics

2009-02-08T09:39:00.002-05:00

Here are some more new pictures of Chloe & Drew. Drew's favorite new activity is standing up holding on to the music table--it is amazing to us because Chloe was so much older when she first started being able to stand up by holding on to something. Drew absolutely loves to be able to stand and see more of what is going on--he gets so excited that he starts waving his arms and then falls down...but he is always more than eager to get back up again! Thanks to Nana for suggesting that we try standing him up! Also, he is loving his Stage 3 food--we have yet to find something that he won't eat!

Snow Days

2009-02-07T21:22:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from the big ice storm that hit last week...after 36 hours without power and several days of dicey drives into and home from work, we finally had some real fun in the snow. Chloe experienced the joy of snow angels and rolling around in the snow. Oh, and of course the joy of throwing it! Especially on her brother...which you can tell from the new picture at the top of the blog! Brian took a few neat pictures of the ice that coated everything--it was pretty to look at for sure, but it became all too real for us when the whole neighborhood lost power due to a tree falling on the main line to the street. Luckily we only had to survive one night of "camping" in the family room, all huddled around the space heater that was running off the generator. Who would have thought we would need that again so soon after we bought it in September??? Well, it certainly is an adventure we won't forget anytime soon!

Drew is 6 Months!

2009-01-25T07:51:00.003-05:00

I know it is cliche is say how fast time flies, but when you are referring to the time that your second child is a little baby, that saying is definitely true. We just can't believe that our little baby Drew is now getting so big...we've even stopped calling him "baby Drew" most of the time--now he's just our "Drew-man". He loves to sit all by himself (although we finally figured out that a fall-safe pillow behind him was a good idea) and he can pick up his passy at will and put it in his mouth. He lunges forward for whatever is in front of him (even Chloe's Island Princess doll!), which occasionally results in a face plant to the ground! He is eating all sorts of fruits and veggies now, and the doctor told us to even start him on Stage 3 meats. Despite eating CONSTANTLY, he's still in the 50% for weight, although we're starting to see some "chunk" on his thighs! He is still the happiest, sweetest baby I've ever seen (except of course when he is hungry!) and he loves his big sister the most. I can't believe that half of his first year is over already...I'm half finished with nursing...and he's half of the way toward another birthday! Here are some new pictures of just how big he is getting...right before our eyes!

I'm a Beautiful Princess!

2009-01-25T07:46:00.004-05:00

Here is a picture of Chloe showing off her new princess dress-up outfit from Santa. This was the first time that she had the whole get-up on...since this picture was taken about a week ago she has to put her princess shoes on whenever we are downstairs, and she loves to point her wand at Daddy's head and say "bippity, boppity, boo!". My favorite part is how she puts the shoes on and says so proudly, "I'm a booot-i-ful princess!". I most certainly agree with that!

"Say 'Moo!' Cow!!!"

2009-01-02T16:01:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful New Year's Day with the Harves' clan in Indiana. Despite Chloe's ear infection and Drew's chest congestion (which the doctor confirmed today is just a bad cold, thank goodness!!!), we had a great time visiting with 0ur extended family--Chloe of course made herself right at home with Nicholaus' toys and his GIANT bag of crayons, and she even got to visit the barn...her very first farm adventure! She was a little unsure of riding in Greg's big diesel truck, but the promise of seeing the kittens in the barn was enough to keep her going. She got to sit in the tractor and pet the kitty's....but she just couldn't understand why the cows wouldn't "moo". The wouldn't even do it when she demanded to them---"Say Moo, Cow! Moo!!!" I guess cows just prefer to moo when they darn well please!