spring has sprung

we finally have gorgeous spring weather! 

and this little munchkin loves every minute of it!

she is finally sitting up all by herself, and really likes just sitting in the grass and watching her brother run around the yard.

her pale, pale skin is going to be sporting the shade all spring and summer, as i'm afraid this gal will not respond well to the sunshine.

good thing she looks adorable is a sun bonnet!

love her faces.

she has so much personality.

and is so happy all the time!

love you, sweet pea!

and can't wait to spend more gorgeous spring mornings outside!

time to move on

three years ago my hubby and i began our biggest adventure to date as we signed the papers making us the proud homeowners of 212 south hazel avenue.  

this house was my first adult home.

it was where my two babies were born.

it has been transformed on nearly every surface by our dreams, our imagination and our hard work.

and it has transformed me.

it has taught me about responsibility and reality.  

and today, as we placed a for sale sign in the front yard, i simply reflect on all our good times and memories here......

and i look forward to what it is in store for my little family!

i have sure loved you, 212 south hazel.

now it is someone else's turn.

sibling comparison

hubby took this photo of my little blaire bell and i this past weekend.

thought it was fun to dig out this photo that was taken of hendrix at the same age.

can you tell that they are siblings?!?!

six months

i can't believe that my baby girl is already halfway to a year!

happy six months blaire robyn baumgartner!

beach babes

here are some photos from our fun vacation to the wisconsin dells over spring break.

my kids are both little fishies.....

we had a blast!

sun bathing gals

wave splashing boys

naps in the sun

swimming is hard work.....

can't wait for them to get this worn out on a regular basis this summer!  ;)

swimsuit body {update}

well it has been six weeks now, and i am making good progress!

as i was uploading my "weight loss" photos this week i couldn't help but chuckle about the title i had given the folder on my computer back when i first joined weight watchers, "operation swimsuit body".  

that really did work for me as my motivation in the beginning.  

with each week that passes, and more pounds melt away at my weekly weigh-ins, that is what continues to motivate me! ;)

weight watchers has been a really great fit for me.  i feel confident that i am losing weight at a rate that doesn't compromise my ability to nurse blaire, or deprive me of all the foods i enjoy.  

i have had to learn to say no to lots of things that i like to eat (pastas, breads, desserts, chocolate), but i have discovered new found loves for better choices (grilled chicken, tossed salads, rice krispie treats, frozen yogurt).

at the very beginning it seemed like every pound i lost was just coming off my midsection (thank goodness as i had lots of extra there and wasn't a big fan of the muffin top thing i had going on!); but now it has moved to others areas, and i am noticing a significant change in my face, arms, and legs.

i have had so much fun digging out clothes that i haven't work in literally years, and even shopping for some new clothes to reward my efforts!

my current weight of 132.6 finally puts me back into the healthy weight range for my height (yeap, i'm a shortie!), and though i haven't quite decided what my ultimate goal is yet, i have a tentative target to lose 10 more pounds. 

i am feeling like a new person, and am really, really looking forward to having this extra energy to run around with my kids this summer.  ;)

our little bookworm

so my independant reader now has a handful of books memorized and he likes to be able to read to us.  it is fun to have the tables reversed for a change!

he does enjoy a variety in his books, but we go through phases with favorites.  for right now it is "rexerella", "brown bear, brown bear" & "the very hungry caterpillar".

he has also taken an interest in reading stories to blaire, which is super fun because she likes to sit my lap and look at the pictures.  it is a very fun activity for them to do together!

both our kids seem to love reading, which makes this bookworm-mama's heart melt.  i finally am starting to feel like i can make a lil' time to read for myself also....

and just bought the new jodi picoult e-book, 'the storyteller' to read on my iPad.  

how about you?  do you enjoy reading for yourself?  

and if so, what is on your current bookshelf?  

i am always looking for new suggestions!

slush

we have had some gorgeous days lately, and all our snow is melting away.  in fact, as i peer outside the windows this morning, i can't see any snow anywhere....even those big piles that were sitting in the shade of the garage have disappeared!  

i love that sign that spring is on the way!

and so does hendrix.

he has spent a good deal of time in his rainboots lately.

as we were coming in from the van yesterday, he just sighs and says, 'mommy, i love being outside!'

i hear you pal, me too ;)

you might remember that hendrix used to have a slight obsession with horses.  over time that obsession has dwindled a bit, though he is still fascinated by them whenever we see them.  well, the mamas at the horse barns down the street have all had their lil' babes now and we enjoyed wandering over there to peek at the colts.

he proudly told blaire all about the barns and what horses like to eat and what they say.....it was fun to see him sharing a space that he was proud of with her ;)

love his spirit.  love his energy. and really love his smile!

happy spring puddles to you, too! ;)

easter 2013

so on saturday night before easter morning, we all snuggled up for a family movie night.  we watched 'the rise of the guardians', which was a really fun family flick, and it really got hendrix talking about the easter bunny.

he told us that he was going to see the easter bunny, and he went to bed very excited for morning.  

his enthusiasm sure was contagious as i giddily put together the kiddos' baskets - filled with some clothes and toys that i had been stockpiling.

and then daddy and i hid a bunch of candy-filled eggs down in his playroom, wondering how much he would enjoy the hunt, and hoping that he would teach blaire all about it!  lol

they both woke up happy and smiley, and we bounced downstairs together.  hendrix was so pumped about the things in his basket, that we had to open them and play with them right away.  his favorite item was the sidewalk chalk, which we did use on his chalkboard in the playroom then, and also outside later on in the day when the sun came out ;)

blaire liked her new sippy cup, and actually she has been gripping it and swinging it around today.  maybe i will be able to get her to take milk from a sippy since she won't take a bottle?!?  lol

they both got new umbrellas, and hendrix has been obsessed with carrying both of them around the house.  he loves that blaire's has minnie on it (from his beloved mickey mouse clubhouse show), and he keeps telling me that he 'thinks it is raining'.

my happy girl loved watching hendrix run around collecting eggs 

and of course, it didn't take him long to realize that the fun part was opening them up to gather and taste his loot!  

my kiddos do clean up nicely! 

oh, and this one is all cheese for the camera!

i was thrilled that we got ready with enough time to take a few photos before church.  

i love the precious interactions between my two little babes.

such sweet siblings.

they are my joy!

my boys.

and us girls!

then we came home to the first ham i have ever cooked (it turned out great!)  

it ended up being just our small little family of four for the day; and while i missed seeing our families, it was really nice to just enjoy each other!  

this little man kept us chuckling and counting our blessings all day long!

happy easter!