Daisy Days in Clarendon Hills

We love the annual Daisy Days Festival in Clarendon Hills!  This year, the day started off with a live animal show.  Cassidy (and sometimes Gavin, when he was feeling brave!) touched a giant snake, turtle, lizard, among others.  The animal handler called Cassidy up to have the lizard "comb" her hair, which she got a big kick out of.  Our kids will never tire of seeing live animals - such fun for them.  Next, we rode little coasters, flew down a giant slide with those burlap-type sacks, had some fresh lemonade, and enjoyed the scene.  We loved spending the day with Grammy & Grandpa Brown and the Tiemans.  Little Jack didn't care for the rides this time around (scary when you're only 1!)...maybe next year!

Memorial Day Weekend in Lexington

We journeyed down to Lexington for Memorial Day Weekend, meeting up at the Burkholder's home along with the Hardings and Grandma and Grandpa Reder.  What fun!  The kids adore their cousins - all their relatives for that matter - so having a giant slumber party throughout the house for the weekend is right up their alley!  They ran around in the beautiful newly finished basement, played games in the backyard, did many crafts, and had nightly book readings from their older cousins (by flashlight in the dark - nothing better).  We love making memories with family!

The Tooth Fairy's First Visit!

Last weekend, while spending the day at Grammy and Grandpa Brown's house, Cassidy lost her first tooth!  It had been wiggling for weeks, and the adult tooth had already made it's appearance right behind, so we knew it would happen any day.  It took a little twist and pull from mom, which was just a little scary, but then it popped right out.  That night, she wrote a note for the tooth fairy and placed both items under her pillow.  Wouldn't you know, the next morning we found a note from the tooth fairy along with a dollar and some shiny coins!  She even got into our sticker collection, Cassidy noticed, as she used some pink heart stickers to seal her letter that came from our sticker bag!  That sneaky little fairy.  It was a fun day and we are anxiously awaiting the next wiggly tooth...

Baby Legs

I can't get enough of 'em!  Tyler has the most adorable chubby thighs, and I know they won't last forever, so I just had to document.  Enjoy.  Ha.

Summertime!

Nothing like planting daisies in the backyard in your PJs!  We love summertime!

The school year ends!

Another school year is in the books!  We ended the year with some fun classroom parties and a special Kindergarten graduation ceremony for Cassidy.  The school year really does fly by quickly - funny how at certain times throughout the year, it might not feel that way, but then all of a sudden summer is at our doorstep and it's time to say goodbye.  It was a wonderful year - but now we are ready to celebrate a relaxing summer!

Gavin at his class party with some of his best buds!

Gavin and his beloved teacher that he has had for 2 years - Miss Sasso

The morning of Kindergarten Graduation, ready to go!

The Graduate

Cassidy receives her Kindergarten diploma

We were so thankful to share the day with Grammy and Grandpa Brown!

Cassidy and her "BFF" Emmie - so sad that she is moving away this summer - she'll be missed!

What's Tyler up to these days?

A quick Tyler update!  Here's what our little rascal has been up to the past few months...

At 6 months:
 - teeth starting to come in
 - rolling over
 - starting solid food
 - screeching for fun!
 - blowing raspberries
 - grabbing at toys, hair
 - gnawing on everything
 - reaching for my phone (he already knows it's something worth trying to grab!)

At 8 months:
 - loves his food - started cheerios at 7.5 months and is a great eater
 - yells SO loud and squeals for fun
 - says da da da da da da often
 - when on his tummy, he scrunches his body up as he tries to figure out crawling - not going anywhere just yet

Starting rice cereal

Springtime in the swing

Tyler at 7 months, with Lamby in his rocking chair

Cassidy helps feed him his first jar foods

Working on crawling - soon!

Goofing off with big bro Gavin

Awww, fast asleep.  He doesn't mind pink hand-me-down sheets, right?  Ha.

Tyler is a ball of fun and he brings us so much joy!  We are really enjoying watching him grow.