Sophie's first year

1 year old!

She's a year old today! Here are some of my favorite photos from her first year. What a wonderful, sweet person she is! We're so glad she was born!!

11 months

10 months

9 months

8 months

6 months

5 months

3 months

2 months

1 month

1 day old

Christmas season 2014

Christmas morning

 This post includes photos from the whole Christmas season. The kids very much loved the tree and all the festive decorations. Here they are the day we put the tree up, helping decorate it.

Columbus Zoo lights

festive shirts

dressed like Santa...

...to meet Santa

He's 4!

Has it really only been 4 years since this dynamo joined our family? I can't seem to remember ever NOT knowing him.
Currently Gavin loves: anything transformers, swimming, watching Netflix on the iPad or Kindle, chocolate, his sister, the color blue, trying to make jokes, Wendy's and using his imagination.

This summer Gavin played soccer...

...and started swim classes (which have been
infinitely more successful than soccer)...

...and played tee-ball.

And now, in no particular order, the best photos of Gavin from the last 6 months. 

11 months

Sophie is only a month from turning 1! She's getting even more delightful every day. We love the crazy teeth formation she's got going on (5 teeth), and we love her wave. Some of Sophie's favorite things are key lime Chobani, dancing, her brother, talking to Daddy on Skype (but SO GLAD he's home now), chewing, swimming, people, waving and smiling.

oblivious to the cereal on her face

not a fan of snow

(pre-) birthday celebrations

This was my first time making and using marshmallow fondant. It's not perfect,
but it did the trick. 

Last week we had a little birthday celebration with some of Gavin's friends. I didn't get great pictures, but here are a few. His little friends are so adorable, and it was fun for Gavin to have them all here to sing and eat cake.

Food items included this deceptiCORN, energon cubes (sandwiches),
meteorites (clementines) and autobot fuel (beverage).

This concept was maybe never 4-year-old friendly, but I thought it was cute. :)

A favorite gift: Optimus Prime that easily transforms

Halloween 2014

 We had a fun Halloween this year. The above greeting was irresistible with Sophie's 'fangs' having grown in just in time.

Gavin was a firefighter; Sophie was a strawberry. Gavin insisted Jacob and I also dress up, so I was a strawberry farmer and Jacob was a person in a burning building in need of rescue. :)

I made this costume. Mostly I'm grateful I found something warm for her to wear!

At every single house he asked "do you got a fire?" Grammar aside, it was adorable.