Happy 5th Anniversary

June 5th marked 5 years of marital bliss! To celebrate, we got a babysitter to watch the kids while we took a picnic lunch to a nearby state park and spent the afternoon biking and canoeing...

We couldn't believe how wonderful it was to be alone! And quiet! It was a refreshing two hours of just us and nature. We decided that this should be our annual anniversary celebration. It costs practically nothing, and being outdoors is probably the one thing David and I really do like to do together!

It's been a wonderful five years of marriage. And it's just the beginning, I know! I wonder what lies ahead.

Chicago Getaway

Our two days in Chicago were exhausting! Remind me never to go sightseeing at the end of May...LOTS of school field trips! I don't think I've ever seen so many school age children in one place before. By that, I mean Shedd Aquarium and Navy Pier. My fatigue is probably the reason why I have so few pictures! Some highlights from the trip...


Our lovely view from the apartment we rented. Right on Michigan avenue across from the Museum Campus.

Goofing off after naptime...

At Buckingham Fountain.

Back home in Normal enjoying Grandpa Cuesta's homemade mango smoothies. He brought several Philippine mangoes grown on his Florida farm. Yum!

Kate, try this

A video of Kate trying to feed herself a Mum Mum "rice rusk" (whatever that is). I apologize for the abrupt ending of the clip...my camera malfunctioned!

8 months

Kate is pretty close to crawling.

She continues to expand her culinary palette!

She sleeps from 8pm to 5am, nurses, then goes back to bed till 7:30.

She takes two, sometimes three naps

She is really squirmy! She could barely sit still for me to take these pictures!

Here is the typical progression of her movement when I put her down on her quilt. She is usually sitting in the middle of it, in this case with Ethan watching a video.

Then she slowly makes her way BACKWARDS...

Pushing up...then falling down, ever so gradually moving backwards...

Until she soon finds herself on the kitchen tiled floor!

Up on all fours. It won't be long now till Ethan has some real trouble to contend with!