Pure Grace

Ringing in the New Year

2012-01-16T22:14:00.001-05:00

Over New Years weekend we drove down to North Carolina

to visit Uncle Ted, Aunt Annie, Abby and Barrett.

We had a blast visiting their new farm in Lenoir!

The cousins enjoyed running around

and playing together.

I can't believe how quickly my niece is growing up!

Aunt Annie brought along a fun toy called "stomp rockets."

First, she had to build the launch pad.

Then, Uncle Ted loaded on a rocket.

The kids took turns "stomping" the bellows

to send the nerf rocket soaring into the air...

... and then they all ran as fast as they could to the rocket.

Repeat until kids grow weary of the game.

Stet that.

The kids will never grow weary of the game...

they just grow weary.

So, you take them on a hike

to expend every last ounce of energy before loading back into the car.

The Ted Georges.

It works like a charm.

After a day of fresh air, good exercise and lots of laughter with their cousins,

the kids took amazing naps in the car.

We hope this will be the first of many, many visits to Ted's farm.

Thanks for having us, guys!

Jack-in-the-Box

2012-01-16T22:01:00.002-05:00

Grandma and Papa gave Matthew a wonderful

Jack-in-the-Box for Christmas.

Remember my last post about Matthew's emotions in visiting farm animals?

They are pretty much the same in playing with this new toy:

Anticipation.

Sheer Delight!

Hey you're only one once!

Boxing Day at Frying Pan Farm

2012-01-16T21:58:00.003-05:00

The day after Christmas was unseasonably warm -

so we decided to spend the morning at one of our favorite spots in NoVa:

Frying Pan Farm.

(Notice that the sign says Kidwell Farm.

But we all know it as Frying Pan Farm.)

Kate and Matthew enjoyed sporting their new "froggie" hats

from our wonderful nanny, Erin.

She's a smart lady

'cause the kids are easy to spot in a crowd with these matching hats!

As per usual, the tractors were a huge hit!

One should concentrate while operating heavy machinery:

These two photos pretty much sum up Matthew's emotions

while visiting farm animals:

Anticipation.

Sheer Delight.

A story from Matthew:

Sometimes you decide to crawl through a tunnel at a playground.

It looks like so much fun at first.

But then you get scared.

And you start to cry a little bit.

Then you start to cry a lot.

And your Daddy comes to the rescue.

And then you're happy.

But Daddy has to figure out how to get out of the tunnel.

The End.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:21:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Georges!

Our morning started bright and early

with a quick bottle for Matthew

while Kate helped her Miss Daisies

open the presents under their tree.

Then we were ready

to head downstairs.

Kate was absolutely delighted

with her doll bunk bed and double stroller.

She has twin baby dolls

named Anna and Ben,

in honor of her cousins.

Matthew loves his little monkey push toy!

This Rapunzel doll was #1 on Kate's wish list this year.

Both kids are loving the puppet

theater from Gran and Pop!

Kate got a princess dress

to match Rapunzels.

The kids are using the theater

for bell shows in addition to puppet shows!

Matthew loves anything that makes music...

or noise!

Sometimes stockings take

a bit of concentration...

... but the loot is worth it!

We spent a really fun afternoon at Uncle Chris and Aunt Ingrids'

with the NoVA Gleasons!

Once again I did a terrible job of taking pictures

at a family outing!

I sure would love to have the ones Aunt Ingrid took.

(Hint! Hint! Hint!)

Hope your Christmas was as merry as ours!

While the Children were Snug in Their Beds...

2011-12-25T21:07:00.003-05:00

While Kate and Matthew were snug in their beds,

Santa's elves were busy at our house!

No Christmas Eve would be complete without toy assembly.

This year the burden was pretty light -

but that was great because it's the first Christmas

that we haven't had at least one set of grandparents around to help!

Gingerbread House & Other Christmas Eve Goodies

2011-12-25T21:07:00.001-05:00

One of our favorite Christmas activities is baking!

This year (with tons of help from Grandma!)

we made 9 different varieties of cookies!

Kate is such a great little baker -

she literally spent hours cutting out

sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies

and rolling dough into perfect balls!

But, I think her favorite activity this year

was decorating the Gingerbread house on Christmas Eve!

We also made birthday cupcakes for Baby Jesus

on Christmas Eve!

I forgot to buy festive icing -

so we improvised with pink.

Nothing says "Sugar Rush" more than this face!

Matthew wasn't much help with the baking this year

but he sure does enjoy the results!

Kate & Matthew Visit Santa

2011-12-25T21:00:00.001-05:00

Kate was really excited to see Santa Claus this year!

She made two pictures for him.

Everything was going great until Matthew joined her

in his lap and then lost it...

... then she was completely mortified!

Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-25T20:55:00.004-05:00

Kate had so much fun at the preschool Christmas program -

and Matthew (and Grandma) were so proud!

Christmas Outing at Botanical Gardens

2011-12-25T20:55:00.002-05:00

We had so much fun at the Botonanical Gardens last Christmas season

that we decided to go back this year!

Grandma and Papa went with us

and we all had a blast!

I think this will become an annual event!

Thomas the train!

Hiking at Great Falls

2011-12-25T20:46:00.002-05:00

When my parents were up over Thanksgiving,

we enjoyed a fun morning at Great Falls Park.

We'd had plenty of rain -

so the falls were roaring!

Our merry band!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-25T20:42:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had so much fun hosting my parents, Tim's parents

and all the NoVA Gleasons.

I was so distracted by good food and fun

that I didn't remember to take enough pictures.

Augh!

But, did manage to catch a few of the fun moments...

Kate sat at the window for almost an hour

waiting for the relatives to arrive.

She was sooo excited!

Matthew and Great Pop

Uncle Chris with the College Boys, Lee and Brendan

Matthew and Grandma

Two Little Monkeys...

2011-12-25T20:38:00.002-05:00

Two Little Monkeys

Jumpin' in a Crib!

My babies have been growing up so fast these past few months...

and I'm SUPER far behind on the blog!

Sorry folks!

As a Christmas gift, I'm updating tonight!

Afternoon Fun at Great Falls

2011-12-25T20:35:00.002-05:00

We had a fun photo shoot

with Bonnie of Polka Dot Portraits

at Great Falls Park

one afternoon in November.

These are a couple of my favorites!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:03:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!

We had a blast today with our precious Firefighter and Fire Dog!

We enjoyed trick-or-treating with our friends, the Upps, in their neighborhood.

Remember the last time?

It's amazing how quickly Kate and Justin have grown up!

Matthew really enjoyed getting in on the action this year

but ran out of steam long before Kate did.

We dropped Matthew off at home for bedtime with Grandma and Papa

and then took Kate out for another hour of trick-or-treating

in our neighborhood!

Classic October Fun

2011-10-31T21:56:00.002-04:00

Have I ever mentioned that October is my favorite month?

Well, it is!

And here are some pictures from my favorite October activties.

We've eaten lots and lots of apples!

(Double points for the pigtails!)

We've been to several fall festivals!

We've met lots and lots of farm animals!

It's Matthew's favorite fall activity.

The animals inspired Matthew to learn to point.

We bounced on many a moon bounce!

It's Kate's favorite fall activity...

... and Daisy's, too!

We even conquered a few fears!

At first, Kate was afraid of the height of the inflatable slides

at the various fall festivals...

...but soon she was a pro at climbing up!

We had our faces painted a few times!

We collected over a dozen tiny pumpkins!

And we spent lots of time with our family!

Weekend Play

2011-10-09T22:44:00.001-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been kinda rough.

Matthew and I were both sick for about a week and I had a ton going on a work.

So, it was really nice to enjoy a fun-filled weekend with the kiddos.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we took full advantage of it.

All in two short days, we:

- went to soccer practice;

-stopped by the Falls Church Farm Day festival to

pet some animals, paint a pumpkin and hang out with friends;

-played at the Burke Farm Pumpkin Playground;

-cheered for cousin TJ at his football game;

- went to church; and

-went to Clemyjontri Park!

Whew!

We'll all sleep well tonight!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend:

Matthew Starts Preschool

2011-10-09T22:37:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, Matthew was sick the first couple of weeks of preschool -

so his first day wasn't until the end of September.

He is attending one day a week at The Falls Church Day School

and seems to like it so far.

We took this pictures on his first day.

Apple Pickin'

2011-10-09T22:28:00.002-04:00

While we were out in Nelson County,

we found a great orchard for apple picking!

The ground was pretty darn muddy

but, otherwise, the experience was lots of fun for everyone!

Country Fun in Nelson County

2011-10-09T22:21:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we spent the weekend in Nelson County -

at the Wintergreen Resort we visited back in July.

Chuck and Rebecca went up with us

and Uncle Ted, Abby and Barret joined us for part of the time.

It was so nice to get away for some family time in the country!

We love the Farmers Market in Nellysford, Virginia.

One of the vendors gave Kate a pink flower to match her shirt.

Both kids had fun with their cowboy hats -

and wanted to wear them all weekend.

It rained most of the weekend -

but that didn't deter our hiking plans!

The kids did a great job!

The cousins also had tons of fun just playing in the house.

Gleasons Celebrate with Matthew

2011-09-30T21:50:00.002-04:00

We continued Matthew's birthday extravagenza with a Gleason family celebration!

Matthew is a lucky little guy to be surrounded by his great-grandparents, grandparents,

great aunts & uncles, and cousins...

... and to have a second birthday cake!

This time he insisted on using his fork to eat the cake.

He did pretty well actuallly!

He wants to do anything Kate does.

Have I mentioned lately that Uncle Chris is totally awesome?

He is.

And so are Aunt Ingrid and Aunt Karin!

Nana and Great Pop's choo-choo train was a big hit...

... but TJ is always the kids' favorite!

Race Car Party

2011-09-30T21:43:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Matthew's first birthday with a race car-themed party at home!

It's seemed like an appropriate theme because this kid's always on the go!

One of these days I'm going to get better at taking photos at our parties.

Meanwhile, here are some shots from the party!

Matthew with one of his first friends, Zach!

Noggle boys helped keep the theme alive

by keeping the race track active!

Not sure how Matthew felt about everyonen singing to him...

... but Kate sure was excited about cake!

We are so thankful that our friends could celebrate with us!

Happy First Birthday, Matthew!

2011-09-30T21:36:00.002-04:00

On September 17th, we celebrated Matthew's first birthday!

Matthew has been such a blessing to us this year -

he is such a sweet-natured little fella.

We love that he is so generous with his hugs, cuddles

and endearing pats on the back.

Matthew loved receiving this car for his birthday!

He's spent tons of time in it the last few weeks!

We can already tell that Matthew has a sweet tooth.

He was SUPER excited about his birthday blueberry muffin!

Don't grow up too fast, sweet boy!

Our Soccer Player

2011-09-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

Kate had her very first soccer "practice" on Saturday.

Kate got to spend a lot of time with my cousin, Erika, this summer while she was home from college.

Kate idolizes Erika and knows that she played soccer for years growing up.

So, starting sometime in June, Kate has asked me approximately 100 times

whether she is "old enough" to play soccer.

So, she was SUPER excited on Saturday...

and the new pink shin guards and new pink soccer ball

definitely added to the excitement!

Kate did a great job of following her coach's directions

and learning how to dribble.

She concentrated really hard on trying to get it right.

Here she is huddling up with her team.

Kate reports that soccer was "awesome"

and she can't wait to go back to practice soon!

Our Teenager Thinks We're Uncool

2011-09-20T21:35:00.000-04:00

We have a lot to look forward to.

Back to School!

2011-09-20T21:23:00.002-04:00

Kate and Miss Daisy had their first day of 3-year old preschool last Thursday.

This is actually their third year of preschool so they are pro's.

But, they going to a new school this year,

The Falls Church Day School, which is operated by our church.

(We loved her old preschool but the commute to Alexandria was pretty brutal!)

Kate was so excited!

When we arrived in her classroom, one of the little girls was anxious.

Kate told her that "preschool is fun!" and asked her if she wanted to play.

Then they walked hand-in-hand to the play kitchen.

I'm so proud of her!

We celebrated with our 3rd Annual Back-to-School Ice Cream Trip!

(Only 16 more before both kids are off to college. Sniff!)

Matthew loved celebrating, too!

He was actually supposed to go to his first day of preschool today but,

unfortunately, he has a nasty cold and we decided to keep him home.

We had a second celebration when we got home from our ice cream trip:

a dance party with all Kate's stuffed animals!

Perhaps a new tradition has been born...

Weekend Fun

2011-09-04T15:06:00.002-04:00

We're having a great weekend! Here are some of the highlights:

We took Matthew for his first haircut. I'm kind of wishing we hadn't done it because I wasn't really prepared for how handsome and grown-up he would look. He's morphing from a baby to a little boy at warp speed! He was so good during the haircut!
We enjoyed having my grandparents over for dinner last night. Dr. Kate loved giving Nana a check-up...

... and both kids loved goofing around with Great Pop!

Another embarrassing "first": Matthew's first McDonald's hamburger.

To make a long story short, Kate and I were out running errands and decided to stop for a very special treat - lunch at McDonald's. We brought a burger home for Tim and Matthew started crying inconsolably until Tim handed it to him. Look how happy he is!

We may have created a monster! Good think he hasn't associated the yummy burger with the Golden Arches yet!

Also, for posterity, here are a couple of pictures from earlier in the month.

The kids have really enjoyed playing in the baby pool together this summer.

International Man of Mystery

Party at Monkey Business!

2011-08-21T21:39:00.003-04:00

We hosted Kate's birthday party at Monkey Business, a creative playroom where Kate has loved taking art & music classes with her Grandpa for the last year. At Kate's request, we implemented a Hawaiian Luau theme.
Yummy cake to eat!

Big mountains to climb!

Monkeys wearing leis!

What more could a girl want?

We're so glad that Gran could be here to help celebrate!

Fun with Nolan!

And the rest of the gang, too!

Matthew loved the music & movement class! He had so much fun that we signed him up for his first class starting in September!

Maracas are fun to shake... and to eat!

PARACHUTE!

Time to re-fuel after so much fun!

Party with the Gleasons!

2011-08-21T21:21:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite things about living in Northern Virginia is the proximity of so many family members! It's such a blessing for the kids to grow up spending time with their great-grandparents, great aunts & uncle and cousins! They all came over to help us celebrate on Kate's Birthday Eve! Here's Kate squeezing in some special birthday time with Great Pop!

Fun opening presents!

The Fam was really kind to help us blow up the little monkeys we planned to give as party favors at Kate's "friends" birthday party the next afternoon!

Great Aunts Ingrid & Karin

"Happy Birthday to Katie Bug"

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kate!

2011-08-21T21:08:00.002-04:00

I can't believe our Katie Bug turned THREE on July 30th! Our time with her has been such a blessing. She is growing up to be a sweet little girl. She loves spending time with her family and friends and would be happiest if she were surrounded at all times by her entourage - particularly, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Papa, Gran, Pop and each of her baby-sitters. Kate is certainly strong-willed but also tender-hearted and has an amazing sense of humor. Her favorite activity is working on art projects. In particular, she loves making cards for the people she loves... and sometimes dicates hilarious messages. (If you want to make her day, send something in the mail!)

Anyway, we had a wonderful time celebrating Kate on her birthday!

Kate's birthday wish list was fully developed before Christmas. (Guess I should've mentioned above that she is definitely a planner!)
#1 - Dollhouse
#2 - Cupcake toy
#3 - Twin dolls (in honor of cousins, Anna & Ben)
Kate also received a wonderful red wagon from Grandma & Papa! Matthew loves it as much as Kate and they have already spent hours playing with it together!

Matthew at 10 Months

2011-08-06T16:30:00.002-04:00

At 10 months old, Matthew weighs just under 23 pounds (75th percentile) and he's just over 30 inches tall (95th percentile). He is such a sweet baby! He gives THE best hugs and slobbery kisses. He waives "hello" and "bye-bye" and lights up the room with a smile whenever one of his favorite people walks in. Matthew loves to eat and always wants to try whatever we are eating. He loves to giggle and babble. His first word was "go!" and it's just so fitting because he is our little explorer. He always wants to be on the go - and has been know to crawl up the 2 flights of stairs in our house as many as 4 times a day. (With close supervision, of course!) Matthew crawls as fast as he can towards loud noises, open gates or uncovered electrical outlets! He's always running headlong and with exuberance into danger. He understands "no" and sometimes complies. He loves to go for rides in the wagon, to swing and to play "pat-a-cake" but his favorite entertainment by far is watching his big sister! A moment of her attention is heaven.

Home Sweet Home

2011-08-06T16:24:00.003-04:00

We had such a wonderful time on our vacation but it was definitely good to be home! In our first few days back, the kids spent plenty of time playing with and loving on Grandma and Papa.

We had a fair number of tea parties...

And we kicked Kate's birthday party planning into high gear.

Can you guess this year's theme?

Wintergreen Retreat: Family Photo Shoot

2011-08-06T14:38:00.004-04:00

Our final event of the vacation was an attempt at a family photo shoot!

My parents with all their grandkids!
Kate and Matthew with Gran and Pop

Gran and Matthew

Pop with the boys

Gran and Pop with Uncle Jon, Aunt Loren, Anna and Ben

Our family with Gran and Pop

Handsome Ben

Gran with the girls

Anna and Ben

Beautiful Anna

Anna, Matthew & Ben

You try to take a picture of a squirmy 10-month old!

Wintergreen Retreat: Playing Inside

2011-08-06T14:26:00.005-04:00

After so much time spent in the great outdoors, we also needed plenty of time to relax and unwind indoors! The kids played really well together!
Gran and Pop with Anna

Gran read to each kid almost every day

Matthew became fully mobile

Matthew and Anna interacted a ton!

And Matthew loved to push Anna in her walker!

Pop built many a tower!

Look at Ben's gorgeous blue eyes!

Gran and Ben

Tim and Anna

Uncle Jon teasing Kate

Adorable Anna

Gran and Pop started most mornings with a visit from Kate and Matthew

Wintergreen Retreat: Playing Outside

2011-08-06T14:19:00.003-04:00

We also spent plenty of time hanging outside with the kiddos. They all loved exploring a couple of different playground.

Ben loves to swing!

Uncle Jon and Ben

Anna is all smiles with her Mom!

Bubbles are always a big hit with Kate!

Especially if they are provided by Pop!

And Uncle Jon is around to play, too!

Wintergreen Retreat: Water

2011-08-06T14:12:00.004-04:00

Another key to summer vacation success = Water!

And we had plenty of fun swimming in the pool and the lake!

Gran had fun playing with the kids both in the pool...

...and out!
Matthew is so happy!

Anna and Ben loved playing in the water and sand at the beach at the lake!

And Matthew loved being the captain of his little ship!

And Kate's favorite thing was the paddleboats!

Wintergreen Retreat: Hiking

2011-08-06T14:04:00.002-04:00

One of our favorite family activities is hiking and we were able to get in several good hikes while we were in Wintergreen! Matthew was content to participate but he's out-grown the Baby Bjorn we've used for past hikes and we haven't gotten a proper pack yet. Big mistake!

The twins, on the other hand, are still Baby Bjorn-compatible!

Kate loved being the trail leader and tried hard to be the first to spot each blaze!

Wintergreen Retreat: Nana & Great Pop

2011-08-06T11:21:00.004-04:00

Nana, Great Pop and Great Uncle Chris were also able to come out to Wintergreen for an afternoon! Such a special time for Nana and Great Pop and ALL of their great-grandchildren to be together! Doesn't happen nearly often enough!
Ben hanging out with Nana and Great Pop!

Nana and Anna

Great Pop and Ben

Matthew and Anna with Great Pop

Anna trying to eat the turtle from Nana and Great Pop

Wintergreen Retreat: The Gleasons

2011-08-06T11:12:00.002-04:00

We are so happy that Gran, Pop,

Uncle Jon, Aunt Loren, Anna and Ben

were able to join us in Wintergreen!

Anna and Ben are exactly one month younger than Matthew

and it was so fun to have all the kids together!

We can't wait for Uncle Jon and Aunt Loren

to move to Roanoke next year

so that we can spend more time with them!

Gran and Pop
Uncle Jon, Aunt Loren
Anna & Ben

Matthew with his new pal, Uncle Jon

Picnic: Twins Style

Wintergreen Retreat: Visit from Abby

2011-08-06T11:06:00.004-04:00

Grandma, Papa and Abby

were able to visit the first day of our vacation

on their way up to New York!

We hadn't seen Abby in AGES

and had so much fun playing with her!

Abby is so sweet with Matthew.

She loves entertaining him

and helping to take care of him!

Matthew was very happy to see Grandma!

Papa helped to supervise the arts & crafts portion of our afternoon.

It's the girls' favorite thing to do together!

We love you, Abby!

We can't wait to see you again soon!

Wintergreen Retreat: Intro

2011-08-06T10:57:00.005-04:00

In the time-honored tradition of American families,

we loaded up the kids and tons and tons of stuff into the car

and embarked on a summer vacation!

This year we spent 10 days at the Wintergreen Resort

in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We really enjoyed our time in the mountains

and loved spending time with our extended family!

Irving Farm

2011-07-15T22:19:00.005-04:00

My baby is gaining some independence!

She went with my parents (aka Gran and Pop)

to the Irving Farm (in Low Moor, Virginia)

WITHOUT us.

It was only for about 24 hours...

but, still, it's a big deal for her to go on an adventure without us.

And this was definitely an adventure!

The Irving Farm is the farm that my grandfather (aka Great Pop)

grew up on and that the NoVA Gleasons visit every summer

around the 4th of July.

All of us Gleason kids have tons of fond memories

of being there and fishing with my grandfather.

I am so pleased that Kate had her initiation

and that she was happy as a clam at the farm.

(Although, when we went to pick her up,

she did ask if we could go "to a museum, the library, a store or something.")

Kate and Pop (my Dad) had fun skipping rocks

in the Jackson River.

And then Kate got to go fishing with Great Pop!

The whole fam got involved in the fun!

Matthew came with Tim and me to collect Kate.

He slept through his chance to visit the Jackson River...

but he'll have his initiation soon enough!

Look, Ma!

2011-06-26T20:34:00.001-04:00

Look, Ma!

One hand!
Ta Da!

I Love My Baby Brother

2011-06-26T20:19:00.003-04:00

Kate loves her baby brother...

at least as long as he isn't touching her stuff...

or looking at her stuff...

or thinking about touching her stuff.

They are starting to play together

more and more

and it's pretty darn cute.

They have fun wrestling in the Family Room

and hanging out in the backyard.

Kate loves to play "restaurant"

and "grocery store"

and Matthew is a willing pawn in these games,

moving seamlessly among roles as

diner, shopper or cashier.

He might even get an award for "Best Actor" one day...

but only after Kate is the "Best Director."

So big!

So strong!

Ok, what parent can resist

the obligatory sibling bathtub photos?

We promises ourselves we'd never do this...

but we've broken a lot of pre-Kate

promises about parenthood.

And this was actually Kate's idea.

I promise.

So, what they heck...

So clean!

So insistent on dumping water on her brother!

So over it!

But, so stinkin' cute!

Imagine My Surprise...

2011-06-12T22:46:00.002-04:00

Imagine my surprise

when I went to collect Mr. Matthew from his nap

and found this:

That's right! He's standing!

And mighty proud of himself, too!

In the span of a week,

he learned to stand, cruise,

clap and wave "hello."

I'm not ready for my baby to grow up!

It seems like only yesterday that Miss Kate

was at this stage.

Summer Fun

2011-06-12T22:41:00.002-04:00

The summer has just begun -

but we've already enjoyed many trips

to the playground and the pool.

Matthew enjoyed his first carousel ride
at Clemyjontri Park.

And I can't help but share this goofy picture

of Katie Bug

in her ballerina bathing suit

and typical bandaids -

with Miss Daisy in tow, of course!

Playing School

2011-06-12T22:36:00.003-04:00

Kate is really "in" to imaginative play these days!

One of her favorite games is playing school -

and her Miss Daisies make the perfect students!

Today was "picture day" in Miss Kate's class.

So, she and her teaching assistant, Miss Meerkat,

rounded up the bunnies for the class picture.

Memorial Day in Williamsburg

2011-06-12T21:53:00.009-04:00

We had a fun family weekend in Williamsburg over Memorial Day weekend!

It was really nice to have a change of scenery for a couple of days

and to spend so much time together.

Kate was really excited to go on vacation

and stay in a hotel!

As usual, Matthew was just happy to be along for the ride.

Here are some of the highlights:

Certainly one of the most exciting parts of our trip

was riding the tram

from the parking lot to the Busch Gardens.

Seriously worth the price of admission!

Matthew thought the wind whipping through his hair

was really funny!

Another favorite was riding the skybuckets!

I think Kate rode them 4 times!

Although we didn't spend as much time

hanging around Colonial Williamsburg

as we thought we would,

we definitely enjoyed walking around the historic sites!

We hope to go back to explore it more

when the weather is a little cooler.

My beautiful baby!

Dancin' as usual!

On Monday morning,

we went back to Busch Gardens.

Kate loved watching Daddy

on the log ride!

By far, the biggest highlight of our trip was

Lunch with Elmo!

I've never seen Kate so happy!

She gave Elmo a big hug and said,

"You're may favorite furry friend!"

Awwww...

Dancin' again

(this time with Cookie Monster!)

Everybody Dance Now!

2011-05-21T22:01:00.002-04:00

Kate brings so much fun and light into our lives!

She is very tender-hearted...

but can also be such a goof-ball.

Here she is, encouraging me to

"Take a break, Mom.

Let's dance."

Time to Visit the Elephants!

2011-05-21T21:53:00.002-04:00

We FINALLY had a gorgeous Saturday morning -

so decided to spend the morning

re-connecting with our friends,

the elephants at the National Zoo!

Kate was so excited that she FINALLY let us take some pictures of her!

(There may or may not have been a bribe involved.

I dunno.)

So Happy Together

2011-05-21T21:38:00.004-04:00

Kate is becoming a really sweet big sister!

This afternoon she wanted a turn pushing Matthew in the swing.

And Matthew absolutely adores her.

We've never seen him happier than this moment

with his big sis.

In case you're wondering

what's all over Kate's face and clothes...

The creative process requires deep concentration.

But the results are fun!

(Co-Created by Tim and Kate)

Look Who's Standing!

2011-05-21T21:25:00.002-04:00

Highly motivated by the opportunity to knock down

the towers Kate makes with her blocks,

Matthew learned to pull himself up to standing

last weekend!

(And he's pretty darn proud of himself!)

A Very Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T21:53:00.002-04:00

We had a very fun and action-packed weekend -

but the highlight for me was some special time I had with Matthew.

See, the trouble with being a second child

is that one-on-one time with Mom

is really hard to come by.

I am very blessed that my kids generally nap

at the same time

but, on Sunday, it didn't work out that way.

(Matthew boycotted nap time in the nursery at church

and got off the nap routine.)

So, I ended up with almost two hours of uninterrupted time

with my sweet baby boy.

See how happy he is!!!

Teething biscuits are Matthew's favorite treat!
And swinging is one of Matthew's new favorite activities.

Another highlight of the weekend was hosting my grandmother,

aunt and the rest of the NoVA Gleasons

for a Mother's Day dinner.

We love spending time with our family!

Gran's Visit

2011-04-27T22:40:00.003-04:00

We are so happy that my Mom was able to spend Easter weekend with us!

As you can see from the previous posts,

we kept her pretty busy!

In between the many weekend events,

she squeezed in lots of quality with the kids

and even dyed a few Easter eggs!

We love you, Mom!

Bonding with Great Pop

2011-04-27T22:35:00.001-04:00

Matthew is a HUGE fan of his great-grandfather!

He saves some of his best smiles for Great Pop

and

reaches out his arms for Great Pop to pick him up!

Easter Fun with the Gleasons

2011-04-27T22:28:00.003-04:00

We spent a wonderful afternoon with the Gleasons

on Easter.

My aunt and uncle were gracious to host all of us

for their neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

and a yummy dinner.

Easter Baskets

2011-04-27T22:21:00.002-04:00

Nearly every morning for the last two weeks,

Kate has asked me,

"Is it Easter, yet, Mommy?"

Finally, I was able to say "yes!"

And she ran down the stairs!

I think the kids enjoyed their Easter baskets

almost as much as I enjoyed putting them together. Matthew loved the train toy Kate picked out for him.

And thought it was really fun to pull things out of his basket.

Second Annual Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-27T22:14:00.002-04:00

We had so much fun hosting our Easter Egg Hunt last year

that we decided to do it again this year!

Unfortunately, the yard was absolutely soaked

from the torrential downpour on Friday afternoon!

So, we ended up hiding the eggs in our basement instead.

The kids didn't seem to mind too much!

We had a blast with our friends -

so much so that I forgot to take many pictures.

Bummer!

Watching The Kids Grow

2011-04-27T22:00:00.004-04:00

I know I've been MIA on the blog for the last few months.

I'm not gonna lie -

we're struggling to find a good stride

in juggling our busy careers and expanded family.

Don't worry!

We are having lots of fun watching the kids grow up!

Matthew has changed so much lately.

He's sitting up and working hard on the crawling thing.

He has a couple of teeth.

He's really enjoying his solid foods and tormenting Kate.

And, he's absolutely adorable!

Don't take my word for it...

Kate has also been busy learning and growing!

She loves working on her art projects.

She's learning to count and spell some basic words.

She has a very vivid imagination and

concentrates very hard on developing

elaborate stories and plans.

But -

she's going through a phase in which she

absolutely hates having her picture taken!

Exhibit A:

But, trust me, she's absolutely adorable, too!

Peek-A-Boo

2011-04-03T22:16:00.002-04:00

Matthew is a really happy little baby with a hilarious laugh. Through this link, you should be able to watch a video of him cracking up during a game of "Peek-A-Boo" last weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o9JtpJ1TJo

More Polka Dot Portraits

2011-03-06T17:00:00.002-05:00

More great photos from "Matthew's"

3-month photo shoot with Bonnie!

3 Month Photos

2011-03-06T16:49:00.003-05:00

Our beloved photographer, Bonnie Miller,

came over in early January for Matthew's 3-month photo shoot.

I can't believe how much he's grown and changed

over the intervening weeks -

so these photos already represent special memories for us!

Bonnie took tons of beautiful shorts.

Here are a few favorites!

My Sweet Valentines

2011-02-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

Look at my sweet Valentines!
We had fun celebrating with the kids
before work this morning.

Matthew enjoyed bouncing around in his new jumper.

In other news,

check out the gorgeous jungle quilt

Grandma made for Matthew!

Rice Cereal: It's All Uphill from Here

2011-02-14T21:08:00.002-05:00

After months of enviously watching us eat,

Matthew finally got his chance.

Unfortunately,

he had to start with rice cereal.

"What IS this stuff?

Where's the Snap, Crackle & Pop?"
"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

"Are you for real???"

"On second thought... it's not so bad."

The good thing about starting with rice cereal?

It's all uphill from here!

Back to Work

2011-02-05T16:53:00.002-05:00

I am so thankful for my nice, long maternity leave!

After four months at home,

it was time to head back to the salt mines on Monday.

The first week back went well.

Even though I missed the kiddos terribly,

I was excited to dive back into my practice

and, ya know, have an excuse to shower!

I think the hard part is going to be traveling

tomorrow through Wednesday.

I've never been away from Kate or Matthew that long!

Thanks to my wonderful husband

and his wonderful parents -

the kids will be in amazing hands.

So, don't waste any of your worrying on them...

I'm the one who might need it!

Fond Farewell

2011-02-05T16:48:00.002-05:00

Uncle Ted, Aunt Annie and cousins, Abby & Barrett,

are moving back to Charlotte this weekend.

We really hate to see them go -

but did enjoy a couple of final play dates

as neighbors to ease the pain!

Tim, Kate and Abby enjoyed playing "fashion designer"

with scraps of fabric from Grandma's quilts

and, of course,

everyone loves a good snack!

We miss you guys!

Can't wait to visit you in Charlotte!

Purple Princess is Two and a Half

2011-01-30T15:40:00.003-05:00

Happy Half-Birthday, Kate!

You are so silly in your purple princess outfit!

The day we met you two and half years ago,

our lives were changed forever.

You fill our hearts with love, joy and laughter.

We will love you all of your days!

Meeting in the Middle

2011-01-30T15:23:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, we rented a minivan,

loaded up the kids,

swung by Springfield to pick up my grandparents

and hit the road to Charlottesville.

The occasion???

My brother, sister-in-law and their adorable twins

were in Roanoke for a few days

and could meet us in the middle for the afternoon.

This was the first time Nana and Great Pop
met Anna and Ben...
and it was the first time Matthew met Uncle Jon
(who was in Africa during our Thanksgiving trip).
So, it was a very special day!
Nana and Great Pop were absolutely delighted
to be surrounded by 2 of 5 grandkids
and 4 of 4 great-grandkids!

Nana and Great Pop say "hello" to Ben.

Great Pop cuddles with Anna

3 infants = Lots and lots of bottles

My brother and I traded for a few minutes

Looking forward to a lifetime of play dates!

Aunt Loren entertaining Kate at dinner

Nana and Anna

Snow Days

2011-01-30T14:57:00.004-05:00

This week's snow days gave me the perfect excuse

to spend the last few days of my maternity leave

snuggling and playing with my babies!

We had all kinds of fun around the house.

Kate hosted lots of tea parties!

We had a pretend beach trip!

We basked in the sun while lying on our "beach blankets."

We had lots of tickle sessions!

And some tummy time.

Baby Stella finally got a turn in the Jumperoo.

Sometimes we were just plain silly!

We got out the old ball tent.

Kate played with the wonderful cloth "paper dolls"

that Grandma made for her...

... and got in plenty of quality time

with Thomas the Train!

Grandma and Papa made some

amazing sugar cookies in the shape of trains

to help celebrate Kate's 1/2 birthday.

And everyone knows that

you need a glass of milk

with your cookies!

We made paper bag animals.

And we practiced our smiles!

Definitely time well spent!

Morning at Tysons

2011-01-30T14:49:00.003-05:00

My Katie Bug loves the mall!

So, we spent a fun morning there together

on Wednesday.

I let Kate set the agenda for our trip.

Here's what she came up with:

#1 - Run around in indoor playground

#2 - Ride the train

#3 - Purchase bumblebee pillow pet "so that I can sleep in the car"

#4 - Peruse dollhouse display in her favorite store,

Pottery Barn Kids

#5 - Visit catfish at LLBean aquarium

#6 - Re-fuel with a pretzel and frozen lemonade

My first baby is sweet and vivacious!

I love spending time with her!

Jumperoo

2011-01-25T20:56:00.002-05:00

Matthew is getting stronger and stronger every day.

So, we decided to drag the Jumperoo out of the attic.

He was a little suspicious at first -

but warmed up to it really fast.

Personally, I'm a HUGE fan -

after all the exercise,

Matthew slept 13 hours!

"Whoa! Did you see that!"
"Tastes like chicken!"

"C-c-cool, man!"

Kate was a big helper with the Jumperoo assembly project!

Buddies

2011-01-25T20:50:00.002-05:00

Matthew just loves his Papa -

and saves many of his best smiles for him!

Don't they look like best pals for life???

Kesslers!

2011-01-17T21:47:00.002-05:00

Last week, Matthew and I ventured to Columbus, Ohio

to spend a few days with our dear friends, the Kesslers!

It was a long drive in less than ideal conditions

but Matthew was a merry little traveling companion

and it was all worth it

to FINALLY get my hands on the adorable

Miss Audrey Jane!

At just shy of 10-months,

she is full of light and life -

just like her precious Mama!

We really miss you guys

and hope to see you again really soon!

Meanwhile, here are some fun photos of the kiddos meeting:

After saying "hello" and spending a few minutes getting to know one another,
Miss Audrey thought she might relieve Matthew of his paci...

... but Matthew didn't mind one bit!

(Look at that smooth move!)

Griffin kept careful watch over the babies

so that Laura and I could visit.

"Wow, Mom! Look what Audrey can do!!!"

Matthew really seemed to like Griffin -

I guess he seemed like a big stuffed animal.

Maybe we'll have to look into getting a dog one of these days...

Snow!

2011-01-12T21:56:00.003-05:00

I'm amazed at how much excitement can be wrought

by such a small amount of snow!

Kate was absolutely delighted to see snow

when she woke up this morning -

and didn't matter one bit

that there wasn't very much of it.

She just wanted to play!

So, my precious hubby took her outside at 7:30 AM

and gave her a "sleigh" ride through

less than an inch of snow.

All she had to say was "Mush!"

I've fallen behind in my blog posting!

I'm hoping to catch up with pictures of Uncle Francis' visit,

Tim's birthday,

our trip to see the dolphin show at the National Aquarium,

and other exciting events.

I'm even hoping to learn how to post video clips

from our new video camera.

So, stay tuned!

Sweet Baby Boy!

2011-01-12T21:48:00.002-05:00

What can I say?

Matthew is the sweetest baby boy!

He loves to smile, giggle and "talk" to us!

He loves to study the world around him.

He couldn't be more precious to me!

Recovery

2010-12-29T22:13:00.005-05:00

We are so thankful that Tim's company is officially closed this week!

Hurrah!

That means the he could join us for some

much-needed

post-holiday

R&R!

We spent most of the first part of the week just lounging around.

Then, today, we finally got out of our pajamas

and headed over to the Gaylord hotel at National Harbor.
Matthew was adorable in his puppy paws
and hat!

For those of you who remember

our botched circus/train trip back in March,

check this out!

Kate was filled with anticipation as we waited

for our turn to ride the Potomac Express Train.

She could hardly contain her excitement.

Only this time...

... she actually got on the train...

... stayed on the train...

... and had a blast!

Sweet kisses for baby brother

Third Christmas!

2010-12-29T15:29:00.002-05:00

After naps on Christmas Day,

we (finally) got out of our pajamas

and headed to Springfield for a third Christmas celebration -

this time with the NoVA Gleasons!

Aunt Karin was the Elf!
Nana and Great Pop

Cousins Lee and Brendan

Kate was delighted with her pillow pet!

And a soft bowling set!

Thanks, guys!

Second Christmas!

2010-12-29T15:12:00.006-05:00

As soon as the last presents were unwrapped on Christmas morning,

it was time to get ready for our Second Christmas

with Uncle Ted, Aunt Annie, Abby and Barrett!

We all enjoyed a yummy brunch...

... and another round of opening presents!

Then, we got out Kate's new parachute!

I think it was hit...

but take a look at these pictures

and let me know what you think.

Just in case the kids weren't hyper enough

from the present-opening and parachute-play,

we decided to serve some dessert before naps!

In theory, the Jello Jigglers were for the kids

and Aunt Annie's impressive cherpumple was for the adults

but there was plenty of cross-over!

For those of you that don't read the Wall Street Journal,

a "cherpumple" is a layered dessert

that combines a cherry pie baked inside of a white cake,

a pumpkin pie baked inside of a yellow cake,

and an apple pie baked inside a spice cake.

The result is pure gluttony!

As per usual, Matthew slept through most of the festivities!

First Christmas!

2010-12-29T14:53:00.004-05:00

Christmas really is a special time with the kids!

Kate, in particular, is at a fun age for it.

She learned the story about the birth of Jesus

and can tell you all about mangers, shephers and angels.

Her sweet singing of Christmas carols and hymns

often filled the house.

She was very interested in all of the preparation at home.

She helped with the baking, decorating and wrapping.

She was very thoughtful when selecting a present for Matthew

(which, by the way, was a Little Tykes basketball hoop!).

So, when Christmas morning finally came,

she knew what to expect

and was filled with joyful anticipation!

She insisted that each and every Miss Daisy
participate in the Christmas morning fun!

Matthew also played his role of sweet infant perfectly!

Of course, he was completely oblivious

about what all the ruckus was about...

but he loved watching his big sister run around

and he was perfectly content with this milk!

Matthew received many nice gifts

but, so far, Bo (the bear) and Banjo (the doggie) are favorites!

In fact, I think Banjo may become Matthew's "Miss Daisy" equivalent!

Kate enjoyed opening her own gifts...

... and Grandma's...

... and Papa's!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-29T14:17:00.006-05:00

Christmas Eve was a fun and busy day!

We started off the day with a trip to see the airplanes and space shuttle

at the Udvar-Hazy Center

of the National Air and Space Museum.

It's a perfect place to take toddlers on cold or rainy days

because there is plenty of room to run around

and because the museum's observation tower

is a SUPER fun place to watch planes

land at Dulles airport!

Matthew really enjoyed all the new sights and sounds -
and then he crashed!

Matthew looks so grown up in his new "big boy" car seat!

(Can you believe that he has already outgrown the infant carrier???)

(Oh - and kindly ignore the tantrum occuring to the right -

guess it was naptime!)

In the afternoon (after naps!),

we enjoyed a Christmas Eve service designed especially for kids

at our church.

And then we went home to decorate cupcakes

for our birthday party for Jesus!

I wish I had pictures of our yummy Christmas Eve meal!

We found some new recipes that I'll definitely use againIn all the hustle and bustle,

it was really hard to get a good picture of the entire family!

This is the closest we got -

while reading to the kids right before bedtime.

After the children were nestled all snug in their beds,

we participated in another time-honored Christmas Eve tradition...

TOY ASSEMBLY!

This years "some assembly required" toy

was a train table.

It took 4 grown-ups to get it all figured out.

But the results were pretty magnificent!

And then it was time to sleep!

Quiet Family Evening at Home

2010-12-29T14:08:00.003-05:00

On December 23rd, we enjoyed a quiet evening at home with the kids.

First, we carried on our holiday tradition of building a gingerbread house.

Kate really loved helping this year!We don't have many pictures of the actual decorating part

because supervising Kate with all that candy

was an "all hands on deck" project!

Then, we had a casual meal.

Finally, we read the last of our Advent devotions.

I can't believe how quickly December went this year!

Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-23T21:46:00.002-05:00

We had a fun Christmas play date

with cousins Abby and Barret

this morning!

Grandma made adorable Dr. Seuss aprons

for each of the kids -

the girls wanted to leave them on all morning!

By the way,

I dare you to try to get 3 kids to

stand still

and look at the camera

AND smile

at the same time!

But, you get the idea!

Matthew enjoyed hanging out in his bouncy seat...

... while the older kids decorated Christmas cookies

And made Christmas cards!

Kate, Matthew & One Miss Daisy Visit Santa

2010-12-23T21:28:00.002-05:00

So, Kate was a little timid

when it came time to sit on Santa's lap this year.

But it was definitely more fun than last year!

Kate was pretty chatty with Santa.

She apologized that we left her letter on the kitchen counter

(oops! that was definitely my fault!),

told him that she would like a

Thomas set and a pillow pet

for Christmas,

and promised to be a good girl!

Matthew, on the other hand, didn't say much.

Early Christmas!

2010-12-23T21:16:00.002-05:00

Christmas came early this year

in the form of a visit with Gran and Pop!

While they were here,

we enjoyed a fun family dinner

at Nana and Great Pop's house.

(Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures!

Guess I had my hands full with the kiddos!)

And my parents gave Kate and Matthew
their Christmas presents!
What a great art easel?!?

Here is Matthew opening his very first Christmas present!

This isn't a great picture by any means -

but it does show just how tall Matthew is!

Kinda amazing, huh?

These are 9-month pajamas!

Let it Snow!

2010-12-23T21:05:00.004-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Kate was so excited when it snowed last week!

It was a pretty light dusting -

but that didn't put a damper on Kate's enthusiasm -

or her insistence that we build a snowman!

Pop went to great lengths to help make that happen for her.

The snow was pretty dry -

and there wasn't much of it.

So, our attempt at a traditional, vertical

snowman was a bit sad.

So, Pop put on this thinking cap

and came up with an alternative!

The bas relief snowman!

Brilliant!

(And, apparently, Frosty is a Bulldawg!)

Forty Years!

2010-12-23T20:54:00.003-05:00

December 11th was Tim's parents' 40th wedding anniversary!

To celebrate, we planned a family outing

to the U.S. Botanic Garden -

which was beautifully decorated for the holidays.

We all had a blast

and definitely plan to repeat this holiday outing next December!

The Thomas trains were a highlight of the trip.

These girls are so sweet with each other!

Happy anniversary, Grandma & Papa!

Thank you for loving each other

(and all of us)

so well!

Our Baking Ballerina

2010-12-23T20:49:00.003-05:00

Kate cracks us up!

Here she is combining two of her favorite activities -

playing dress-up and baking!

Three Months Old!

2010-12-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

Can you believe that Matthew is already 3 months old???

Neither can I!

Matthew continues to be a dream baby.

He is so sweet and smiley -

even when he had an eye infection and nasty cold last week

he was quick to smile and gave us lots of giggles!

And he's an amazing sleeper -

he's down for at least 10 (and sometimes 12!) hours a night!

Matthew's favorite activity is watching his big sister -
and Kate is really sweet with him.
She helps us with his bath every night
and gives him lots and lots of kisses.

Matthew is also getting really strong.
He is enjoying time in his bumbo chair.

And we're enjoying his company at the dinner table.

Guess he'll be eating solids before we know it!

Driving the Tractor

2010-12-11T22:57:00.003-05:00

While we were visiting my folks in Mississippi over Thanksgiving,

our good friend, Johnny Larson,

treated Kate to a tractor ride!

She loved it!

She often remembers "Farmer Johnny"

in her prayers these days -

and thanks God for his tractors!

Cousins!

2010-12-11T22:38:00.003-05:00

I just realized that I never posted these adorable pictures

recording the first time Kate & Matthew

got to hang-out with their cousins, Anna & Ben!

Sure to be best buddies!

One of the few decent pictures we've managed to get

of Kate & Matthew!

Matthew is exactly one month older than Anna & Ben.

Double-y sweet!

My new hero, Aunt Loren!

Matthew's Baptism

2010-12-02T10:19:00.004-05:00

While we were in Clarksdale,

we celebrated Matthew's baptism.

We were blessed that my Dad could officiate

and to be surrounded by family

as we dedicated Matthew's life to God

and claimed His promises for our precious son.

All the Gleason grandkids