Indianapolis

 We spent the day Friday in Indianapolis because our sister-in-law Melissa had a conference there. So we got to see her, my brother Mike and their adorable 3-month-old baby Nora (short for Eleanor). It was a fantastic day!

cousin kisses!

We spent the bulk of the day at the zoo, which was fun. I love to see Gavin watching the animals, and it's fun to hear him talking about them. So here's a zoo picture overload. The zoo was fun, but the company was the highlight!

 Apparently the fish were most memorable for Gavin because many hours (and some sleep) later, the last thing he said before bed was "I saw Nemo. I saw Dory."

He loves penguins. We love to hear him say it. :)

imitating the meerkat standing behind him
(on the mound)

up close and personal with the tiger

They let you touch these sharks. (slimy, if you're wondering)

Easter 2013

I love Easter; it's by far my favorite holiday. Today was made extra-special because we spent most of the day with Emily, Joel, Brinly and Jane. The kids enjoyed their cousin time, and we combined our efforts for a really amazing meal. 

 It's such a beautiful holiday, we just don't want the candy to become the focus (and Gavin would be candy-obsessed). So we opted for a candy-free Easter. We had an egg hunt but filled our eggs with candy alternatives:

stickers!

dinosaur toys--because dinosaurs hatch(ed) from eggs, right?

turtle bath toys (also egg-hatchers)

Other contents (not pictured): tiny play-dough containers, clementines, blueberries and coloring pages. I made these sugar cookies, mostly to take to people. But we did enjoy a couple.

We also had a pretty decadent meal, including Eton Mess for dessert. I made the meringue nests myself, which turned out pretty close to the ones you buy in shops in England. They also made cute table decorations. 

\

 bacon-wrapped asparagus

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Ice and snow

It was still rain at about 8:30pm last night. Somehow we managed to get 9 inches of snow last night! Jacob didn't have to go to work today as a result, so instead he and Gavin made the most of the snow this morning.

Who doesn't love eating snow?

meltdown: because he hates wearing gloves

The snow was too powdery for a vertical snowperson, so here's the
3D horizontal one Jacob and Gavin made instead. 

After so much cold, Gavin was eager for his hot chocolate. 

 Less than 2 weeks ago we had a huge ice storm. Here are some photos of that event. Not quite as fun to play in...

same swing--and this morning I measured 6.5" of snow on top (even the longest icicle doesn't compare to that)

(Posting the snow pictures made me think of some posts from last winter: here and here.)

February trip

at the Dayton airport, pre-takeoff

My Mom visited for a few weeks in January; then at the beginning of February we set off on a fun trip to visit family. We started in Albuquerque with my brother Bob's family. He and his wife Emily have 3 little boys, and Gavin loved spending time with his cousins Dean, Isaac and Ellis.

three little men in a tub
Gavin is exactly between Dean and Isaac in age--all are 2.

tired, but chunky and adorable, Ellis

We also visited my grandparents in southern Utah, which was fun. They loved having Gavin in their house, and I loved seeing my grandparents interact with him.

Gavin's sitting in the 100-year-old high chair. 

He began wearing these undies
at great-Grandma and great-Grandpa's house.
And he never stopped playing with these tracks
the entire time we were there. 

Then we visited my older brother Mike's family in Wyoming. He and his wife Melissa just had a baby girl, Eleanor (aka Nora Lu). My Dad also met us for this leg of the trip, and it was fantastic to see him.

Isn't she beautiful?!

maybe my favorite picture from the trip...
Grandma and Gavin watching a movie while Grandpa sleeps nearby

While in Laramie we enjoyed the University of Wyoming Geological Museum. Newly renovated, the museum is small but worthwhile. We loved the (mostly dinosaur-related) exhibits.

He's saying "PENGUINS" (I promise).

Gavin recently acquired the movie Happy Feet, a story about some penguins. And he's obsessed. He never stops asking me if he can watch it, but his pronunciation is about the funniest thing I've ever heard. Just check out the below video.

(WARNING to those who might be offended at the mention of male body parts: you might give this a skip. 

Or just lighten up.)

Our house

We're so grateful our 3 months of living out of suitcases in hotels has ended, and we have a great house! To be honest, I'm not very committed to continuing the blog now that we don't have fun trips every month. But here's a post about our house, and who knows what the future holds for the blog.

In the backyard is this great play area + sandbox, which Gavin has enjoyed (on days it's warm and dry enough). There's also a park just a few houses away, which Gavin can navigate to without help.

in his sandbox 

Jacob is a rock-star homeowner who has already made several substantial home improvements. He's painted lots of the house so far, and Gavin's room was the biggest chore because it was the only one that wasn't already neutral.

before: sky blue with a PINK closet

This photo serves as before and after--the new color is to the left of Jacob.

Part of the fun of having a new house is getting a few new things--
we LOVE our mango-wood dining room table.

When the movers brought our things, they dumped the contents of each box so they could haul the boxes away. So here's a before and after of our master closet, probably the most impressive 'room' in the house. (Gavin is in the 'before' shot--colorful PJs...wearing a headband.)

I'm a big fan of the master bathroom; it's very spacious.

We bought the house with the basement completely unfinished. Since the day we moved in we've had contractors here finishing part of the basement with a family room, a full bathroom and a guest room. So if you come to Ohio to stay with us (I know, it's not at all as appealing as England!), we assure you we'll have a place for you to sleep. Soon.

We've met our neighbors, and everyone seems nice. We're looking forward to warmer weather when kids are out playing. And the neighborhood pool is open.

Second birthday

Gavin is 2 years old! His maternal grandparents are here in Ohio to help celebrate, and his cousins Brinly and Jane came over (along with their parents Emily and Joel) for cake and ice cream. 

As a special birthday treat, Gavin got to see the Budweiser Clydesdales at the Air Force Museum. He loved it. He also enjoyed the airplanes, but we'll have to go back some other time so he can fully explore the AF Museum. 

Part I of Gavin's birthday party took place when we visited his paternal grandparents in early November. We were surrounded by his aunts and uncles and cousins, and it was great!

Grandma Lund and Aunt Jennie made the most adorable cupcakes, and the animal theme was totally in line with Gavin's current interests. You can tell by the above photo that Gavin really enjoyed the icing, especially the black stuff from the zebra.

He also loves his new trucks.