Two Little Lions

2012-01-28T14:02:00.007-05:00

Christmas Afternoon with Grandpa Howe and SheShe

2012-01-27T11:52:00.003-05:00

Breakfast on Christmas Morning!
Emma got extra creative with her grapefruit. :)

2012-01-27T11:32:00.011-05:00

Christmas Morning- Opening and playing with gifts! :)

2012-01-27T11:31:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve 2011 :)

2012-01-22T11:56:00.005-05:00

A few last shots with the cousins before they headed north
We found getting a group shot was near impossible! However, pictures withUncle Kevin always seem to come out well. :) Alex and Keenan had fun eating strawberries together; although it reminded me a bit of feeding bears at the zoo. :) Em and Ethan had fun together and even took turns bossing the other around. But they worked it out and had a good time!

2012-01-22T11:55:00.002-05:00

Keenan being silly with Uncle Kevin

2012-01-22T11:54:00.003-05:00

Breaking the Gingerbread House with Ethan and Alex

2012-01-22T11:22:00.013-05:00

Christmas with GGT, Grandpa Bob, Aunt Lori, Uncle Kevin, Ethan, Alex and Grandma Sandy too!

2012-01-15T08:25:00.012-05:00

Christmas with Auntie Shell and Uncle Paul

2012-01-15T07:49:00.004-05:00

School Christmas Fun
Auntie Shell joined Emma and I at her school for a little holiday fun! Auntie Shell and I ran the games! Woohoo! We had a snowball toss, snowball relay, word search and clothes race. It was very high energy, but lots of fun!

2012-01-10T20:32:00.011-05:00

Keenan and Grandma Mary Ann on the Beach :)

2012-01-10T14:15:00.003-05:00

K-man in FL
Feeding Grandpa :) Look at those curls! Only happens down south and in the summer around here! :)

2012-01-10T14:05:00.004-05:00

Silly Boy!
These shots were taken within 60 seconds. Silly Kid. :)

2012-01-10T14:03:00.004-05:00

Keenan in Early Dec.
Decorating the tree, cuddling papa and Nikolaustag :)

2012-01-10T13:53:00.003-05:00

Emma in Early Dec.
Picking out our tree (yes, btw we did go straight from the airport to the tree farm); 1st advent presents and Nikolaustag! :) Good times!

2012-01-10T13:51:00.002-05:00

One last shot from our Germany trip...
Yup, we dragged the kids to yet another Christmas Market. :) This time in Mannheim. The weather didn't cooperate but we had fun anyway! :) Until next year!

2012-01-08T11:32:00.015-05:00

Europapark- Posing around the Park
Alex, Emma and I spent a great day at Europapark!

2012-01-08T11:27:00.004-05:00

Europapark- Random Rides
We had such fun on all the rides. We were treated to a day of no lines and mild weather! Good times!

2012-01-08T11:25:00.001-05:00

Europapark- The Ferris Wheel
Emma enjoyed this ride much more than Alex and I! :) Give me a roller-coaster any day!! :)

2012-01-08T10:13:00.002-05:00

Enjoying the Speyer Weihnachtsmarkt! :)

2012-01-08T10:07:00.006-05:00

Prost Heiko!!
Yet another birthday in Germany to celebrate! Keenan had a blast raising his glass (I think other friends and family did too! ;-). Heiko was pleased that of all the names people tried to get him to say, Keenan clearly said Heiko. I can't think of a better birthday present!

2011-12-27T11:31:00.008-05:00

Visiting the Strasbourg Christmas Market with Xaver and Lilli!
It was great meeting up with Xaver and Lilli; we miss having them so close! We started the day with a quick visit to their new home in Karlsruhe, Germany and then headed east to visit a fun Christmas market in Strasbourg, France. What a great day with great friends! :)

2011-12-26T12:54:00.003-05:00

Ludwigsburg Weihnachtsmarkt
On the way back to Heidelberg we stopped for a visit to our favorite Christmas Market.

2011-12-25T22:50:00.003-05:00

Swimming at Hotel Lauterbad :)

2011-12-25T22:45:00.006-05:00

Random Images from our trip to the Black Forest
A little hiking, a little writing, a little driving and a whole lot of eating!

2011-12-24T16:00:00.005-05:00

Our Trip to Burg Hollenzollen
We had a great day at Burg Hollenzollen! After the long climb up we were rewarded with great views, interesting artifacts and entertaining stories.

2011-12-24T14:54:00.005-05:00

Another surprise party for Joe's 40th Birthday!
Thanks to all who joined us for another great celebration! :)

2011-12-24T14:49:00.002-05:00

Hanging out with the Bu-So clan in Oberhausen :)
Opa Horst came by for a quick visit too. :)

2011-12-24T14:40:00.004-05:00

1st day in back in Germany; celebrating Tante Traudel's Birthday
(How did we not get a picture of the birthday girl?)

2011-11-11T20:39:00.007-05:00

Visiting with Jan Brett!
After getting a quick art lesson and listening to Jan tell us more about how she gets ideas for her books, Emma got one of her Jan Brett books signed. Emma also got one signed for her brother. She even got to meet Hedgie! What a fun, fun evening!

2011-11-11T14:06:00.006-05:00

Emma at the Sankt Martinsfeier
Emma had a great time at the St. Martin's Party. She made her lantern (and Keenan's), she sang with gusto, and she was the narrator for the play they put on. :) She did such a great job!

2011-11-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

Keenan at the Sankt Martinsfeier
He loved the ball pit! He also had fun banging the lantern on the ground until Papa stopped him. :)

2011-11-10T11:50:00.004-05:00

Beautiful Butterfly!!
After escorting Keenan to a few houses, Em and I hit up the rest of the neighborhood (all of 3 whole streets!) Emma had a great time and was quite happy with her Halloween loot. :) She made a stunning butterfly! ♥

2011-11-10T11:46:00.006-05:00

Trick or Treat!
Emma and Keenan were so cute trick or treating together! Both of them had huge grins as they walked together to the few houses Keenan visited. Cutest darn butterfly and caterpillar I have ever seen!! :)

2011-11-10T11:45:00.002-05:00

Halloween Event at the Mall (way overcrowded!!)

2011-11-10T11:40:00.003-05:00

Halloween; at School and Breakfast!

2011-11-10T11:22:00.007-05:00

Pumpkins!

2011-11-02T15:05:00.003-04:00

Pumpkin Math at School
After her Fun Run, Emma and her classmates had a fun math activity. They measured and weighed their pumpkins (estimating first of course); they also wrote about their pumpkins and got to decorate them. What a fun afternoon! :)

2011-11-02T14:49:00.005-04:00

Fun Run!
Thanks to all who contributed to Em's fun run! It was a great event and em ran quite a bit! :)

2011-11-02T14:28:00.000-04:00

K-man just being the cutie he is! :)

2011-10-30T14:12:00.004-04:00

What a lovely afternoon at Chateau Chantal!!

2011-10-30T13:31:00.007-04:00

Emma at Old Mission State Park

2011-10-30T13:29:00.002-04:00

Keenan at Old Mission State Park

2011-10-30T13:27:00.003-04:00

Beautiful Landscape!!
We all had a hard time keeping our eyes open, but it sure was lovely!!

2011-10-30T13:10:00.002-04:00

Peninsula Cellars
Our first stop on the wine tour! :)

2011-10-29T16:18:00.009-04:00

Papa Joe's Surprise 40th Birthday Party!!
Thanks to who all helped make Joe's birthday extra special! Grandma Sandy worked hard in the kitchen getting lots of yummy appetizers ready; Grandma Mary Ann and Grandpa Byron helped pick up Papa's favorite Indian food and some fun decorations; Neighbor Amy hid lots of party surprises. And an extra shout out to Guido and Sarah who helped trick Papa Joe which made the surprise even more fun! Also, Guido makes an awesome bartender! Thanks to all our guests! You guys are wonderful! Love to you all!!

2011-10-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

Keenan enjoying some play time outside

2011-10-12T12:07:00.004-04:00

Emma on the One-Room Schoolhouse Day
Oh my goodness did she look adorable! Emma and her classmates spent the day at the one-room schoolhouse they have on their campus. She had a great time, but was slightly disappointed none of her classmates had to wear the dunce cap!! :)

2011-10-12T12:06:00.001-04:00

Enjoying the Park :)

2011-10-12T11:31:00.009-04:00

Keenan on a Beautiful Day at the Apple Orchard
Keenan enjoyed his fair share of apples; at one point he had one in each hand! Such a cutie! :)

2011-10-12T11:24:00.012-04:00

Emma on Beautiful Day at the Apple Orchard
We had fabulous fall weather (80 degrees in Oct in Michigan!!!) so we took advantage of the glorious day and headed to the apple orchard. Emma loved climbing the trees and getting the apples closest to the top! :)

2011-10-09T09:57:00.002-04:00

Saline Octoberfest! :)

2011-10-09T09:56:00.004-04:00

Playing with the camera...
I have been trying a few new settings on my camera. In addition, I have been playing in photoshop a bit more too. Not that I will probably use these techniques often, it was just fun to play with.

2011-10-02T09:31:00.007-04:00

Enjoying the parks in town! :)

2011-09-26T11:58:00.001-04:00

A fun day out on Lake Michigan
We got up early and headed to Grand Haven to meet Grandpa Howe and Sheila on their boat. We had a great day with amazing fall weather!

2011-09-26T11:15:00.002-04:00

Visiting Grandma Sandy's Lake House
Joe decided to test out Emma's "jetski", while Alex, Keenan, Emma and I took a long paddle boat ride. :) Grandma Sandy also treated us to homemade Ethiopian food! Yummy! :)

2011-09-26T11:03:00.005-04:00

Making more Jam; this time Blueberry and Kiwi
Since Alex had never made jam we thought it would be fun to make some with her while she was here. Besides, I had been dying to try out how to make kiwi jam (really good, and no I am not sharing!) ever since we had tried it at Joe's cousin's home in Germany. Keenan wasn't thrilled with the process, but the rest of us had fun! :)

2011-09-25T22:27:00.010-04:00

What a great 1st day of 2nd Grade!!
Emma has 2 teachers this year that swap days, and although I was a little nervous about how this would work, it seems to being going well so far. Both teachers seem very nice and we are looking forward to a great year! After her 1st day of school, we headed back to her class in the evening for her open house. We were surprised to see some of her art work already up. Her self portraits were adorable and Emma was quite proud of them! :) Keenan really enjoyed the teacher's rocking chair during the open house and Joe and I enjoyed meeting her teachers and getting a first glimpse into her school life this year.

2011-09-25T22:24:00.004-04:00

Emma making Raspberry Jam
She helped pick the berries, smash them and stir! :) What a big helper she was!

2011-09-25T22:21:00.004-04:00

Emma all ready for her 1st day of 2nd Grade!!

2011-09-25T22:19:00.002-04:00

The morning of Emma's 1st day of 2nd Grade!
I love her big smiles!!

2011-09-14T23:09:00.002-04:00

A Little Sibling Love ♥
How perfect is this? Keenan and Emma have such a special bond. They truly care for each other and it is so incredibly sweet! Ok, it can be maddening at times when I have to ask Emma to put Keenan down a 100 times per day, but endearing nonetheless!

2011-09-14T22:59:00.004-04:00

Lake Michigan and the Dunes!
One of the best parts of living in Michigan is the opportunity to head to some of the best beaches and sand dunes around! Amazing views and lots of fun to climb!

2011-09-13T22:12:00.003-04:00

Random Lake House Shots
Keenan on the porch being a cutie; Emma helping Mama celebrate her bday with a GF chocolate cake that Grandma picked up; and Joe, Alex and Em on Pentwater beach

2011-09-13T21:17:00.001-04:00

Grandpa and Keenan; The Jam Session

2011-09-13T20:55:00.003-04:00

Pancakes with Grandpa are a lake house tradition!

2011-09-13T20:47:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandpa Byron!
So we celebrated a few days early at the lake and I am posting it a few days late on the blog. In the end it should equate to timely greetings, no? :) Love you!!

2011-09-12T08:57:00.010-04:00

Labor Day Weekend Mac Dune Ride
Alex arrived from Germany just in time to help celebrate the labor day weekend. We packed the car up and headed to Grandma and Grandpa's Lake house. First stop for fun, the Mac Dune Ride! :) Yeehaw!

2011-09-08T18:53:00.008-04:00

Day 6 in Maine; Mansel Mt and Long Pond
On our last full day on the island we decided to tackle the perpendicular trail on Mansel Mt. We all enjoyed the hike and the swim on our way back. A great way to end a great trip!

2011-09-08T15:14:00.007-04:00

Day 5 in Maine
We took a day off from hiking to visit the Oceanarium, Seal Harbor and just kick back and enjoy the scenery. :) Emma loved the touch tank. Keenan didn't seem to mind it either! :) Emma also got to put the rubber bands on the lobster's claws after the lobster talk. She was geeked, as she received a lobster tag as a bracelet afterwards! :)

2011-09-08T15:02:00.006-04:00

Day 4 in Maine; Cadillac Mt
Emma and Keenan both stayed home with Grandma Sandy so Joe and I could hike the 7 mile loop up and down Cadillac Mt. Though it is rather anticlimactic once you reach the top (since so many folks drive up there it is crowded!!!) the views heading up are beautiful. Besides there is always something fun about climbing the highest peak on the island. After we hiked to the peak we picked everyone else up and drove up to the top to show Emma were we hiked. It had gotten quite windy!! We took in the views quickly and headed back into to town for some yummy Thai food!! Emma liked hearing about how I use to get take out from Siam Orchid
on my lunch break and taking to the harbor to eat. If you ever are in the area, look it up and be sure to get the fresh spring rolls! :)

2011-09-08T14:29:00.004-04:00

Day 3 Maine, part 3
A quick trip to Bar Harbor to stock up on GF stuff. :)

2011-09-08T14:07:00.009-04:00

Day 3 Maine; Part 2- Jordan Pond take 2
After our Parkman/Bald Peak hike, I got the news that my biopsy confirmed the Celiac Diagnosis that the 3 blood tests suggested earlier this summer. Though it wasn't really a surprise, we decided to have one last Gluten-filled feast, stuffing ourselves (or well me) with the best popovers ever. The view at the Pond House isn't too shabby either! I will miss the popovers the next time we are there, but at least the view will still be rewarding! Happy also to say I have found a recipe for GF popovers I am excited to try.

2011-09-08T13:48:00.007-04:00

Day 3 Maine; Parkman Mt and Bald Peak
Emma accompanied us on another great hike! She hit two peaks, Parkman and Bald Peak, and did another amazing job! Although she did declared she wasn't a fan of the tree roots, and that she much preferred the more aggressive rock climbing done on Acadia. That's my girl!

2011-09-07T21:48:00.009-04:00

Day 2 in Maine, Part 2
Emma tackled her first real hike; Acadia Mountain. A 3 mile loop which included a lots of vertical climbing for Emma's little legs! She did awesome and was ready for more! So proud of her! :) After the hike we stopped for a quick swim at the ledges. Great place to make new memories and to reminisce about the past! I hope the island will be as special to her as it always has been for me.

2011-09-07T10:05:00.000-04:00

Day Two in Maine, part 1
We took an easy walk around Ship Harbor Trail and ventured to the Bass Harbor light house.

2011-09-07T09:13:00.005-04:00

Day One in Maine, part 2
We have always loved to head to the Jordan Pond Tea House for popovers; this year we continued the ever so yummy tradition!

2011-09-07T09:01:00.004-04:00

Day One in Maine
After a breakfast with an amazing view from our SWH condo we set off to explore the island Mama use to live on. We started with climbing the easy mountain, Beech. It was a good first hike that everyone was able to join!

2011-08-18T13:34:00.009-04:00

Emma and Lauryn at the Gardens :)
(with Mama and Keenan)

2011-08-18T13:18:00.005-04:00

Emma and Grandma Sandy Sewing!
Emma and Grandma made a bed and pillow for Emma's pet doggie, Sparkles. Emma learned how to do french knots, lazy-dazy stitches and how to operate her sewing machine. It turned out so cute and Emma was so very proud! :)

2011-08-15T21:03:00.003-04:00

Keenan going swimming at Grandma Sandy's. He had a blast!

2011-08-15T20:39:00.001-04:00

Keenan being silly! :)

2011-08-15T15:18:00.007-04:00

Hanging out with Amy at the Natural History Museum!

2011-08-14T22:30:00.003-04:00

My 2 cuties! :)

2011-08-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

Grandpa Bob comes for a visit!

2011-08-14T20:16:00.010-04:00

Aunt Lori, Uncle Kevin, Ethan and Alex come for one last visit before heading South again! Was so great to have them even if it was a quick overnight visit!

2011-08-13T20:28:00.004-04:00

Hanging out in the backyard with the neighbors! :)

2011-08-13T20:19:00.001-04:00

Having a little fun with water balloons! :)

2011-08-07T09:36:00.006-04:00

Emma's 7th Birthday Party Cute Random Shots

2011-08-07T09:34:00.002-04:00

Birthday Pie!

2011-08-04T11:44:00.002-04:00

Dolphin Bonce House!! :)

2011-08-04T11:42:00.005-04:00

Some of the Dolphin Party food...
Thanks to Grandma Sandy, Grandma Mary Ann and Auntie Shell for all their help getting the food together!! Love you guys!

2011-08-04T11:40:00.003-04:00

Ring Toss Dolphin and Coloring Dolphins...

2011-08-04T11:37:00.006-04:00

Dolphin Bead Creations! :) (or at least some of them! :)

2011-08-04T11:30:00.005-04:00

Alex, Ethan and Aunt Lori help Emma celebrate!! It was great to have our SC family in town for Em's birthday too! Miss you guys so much! Wish you would just move back to Michigan already!!

2011-08-04T11:24:00.006-04:00

Emma opening presents with some of her friends!

2011-08-04T11:21:00.003-04:00

Some more of the Party guests...

2011-08-04T10:11:00.004-04:00

A couple of early morning B-day presents...
Auntie Shell and Emma both looking cute after they rolled out of bed! Sarah and Guido dropped off Emma's present on their way to the airport at 6 a.m.!! :)
She loved them both!!

2011-08-04T09:56:00.007-04:00

Liam and Auntie Kim come to visit for Emma's Birthday Party
Trying to get Liam, Keenan and Emma together for a picture was near impossible and most of our results turned out like the one below. And although we might not have had a good one of all three of them, there were plenty other gems in there!! :) So good to see them both; just wish Uncle Grant could have joined us too! Miss you guys! Hope to see you soon!!

2011-08-04T09:52:00.002-04:00

Emma having a snack with her good friend Lauryn on the Tree House Porch! :)