Busy Days

Facing another busy day.

8 months down, and still smiling!

Having a floor picnic with Daddy. The usual, of course, PBJ sandwiches!

Sunny Florida Fun!

Playing in the sand with cousin, Joshua.

At the pool with the cousins.
Grandma May and Benjamin
Aunt Stephanie, Thomas and Anna

Stroller Buddies- Benjamin and Nathan
Two brave (weary) moms

Last week Sarah took the boys to Orlando, Florida for a week of fun and sun! Sister-in-law, Annie, also braved the trip (without husband) with her little Nathan. Despite the crazy looks we received in the airport, and the terror on the faces of the people we sat near on the airplane, the travels went very smoothly with two moms and three little kids. Once in Florida, we met up with Grandpa and Grandma May, and the Maxson clan. Whew...what a relief! It was a wonderful time, topped off with absolutely beautiful, sunny weather everyday. Thomas loved, loved, loved going to the swimming pool- most mornings he would get in his stroller, and sit in his suit with his bucket of water toys, waiting to go swimming again. Oh, and the earplugs did not give us one problem- yay!

Happy Easter!

Micah, Gloria, Anna, Joshua and Thomas- "My Cousins!"
Proud Papa and Momma

Searching for eggs with Daddy.

Benjamin at 7 months already.

Happy Easter! Over the weekend, we traveled to Fort Wayne to visit the May family. It was so much fun, and so busy. Little kiddos running everywhere, and babies being passed around too. It is amazing to see how much everyone grows from month to month. Thomas loved spending time with his Maxson cousins...he even used one of his favorite words to describe them- "My cousins!" Of course, it was nice to see the twin babies on their very first long distance road trip- and I think Benjamin is anxious for them to be up and moving with him. Thomas had such a great time, he wanted Grandma and Grandpa to come home with us. Fortunately, we only have a week until we get to see them in again in Florida! Then we will get to see cousin Nathan again, also. Oh, and Thomas finally agreed to a haircut this weekend. We were able to convince him to let Grandma trim his hair with the enticement of a lollipop! Never underestimate the power of candy.

Happy Palm Sunday!

Hosanna!

All smiles!

Thomas has an indoor picnic!

Benjamin chooses his lovey- a puppy!

Ear Surgery

Waiting in the pre-op room

One more hug from Mommy

Off to see the doctor!

This week Thomas went to the hospital for a routine outpatient surgery- ear tubes! Sarah was awfully worried, but after talking to many people, and running it by friend Sonya (dad is an ENT), we felt much better. Also, thanks to Thomas' little friend, Abby, who showed him how to wear ear plugs! And a special thanks to Grandma Galiher for taking care of Benjamin the morning of surgery. The surgery was very quick, and recovery went very smoothly too. We were in and out of the hospital in no time at all. Of course, we did stop at Build-a-Bear on the way home as a special treat for the little guy. Thomas made his first bear, dressed him in a Cubs uniform, and named him Harry Beary. It is almost baseball season, isn't it? We sure have noticed around here...GO CUBBIES!

Valpo Friends

1, 2, 3 jump!

Layla, Thomas and Benjamin

Jackie and Little B

Amy and Alana

The Youngest Club

Over the weekend, we took a family trip and met two of Sarah's college friends, Jackie and Amy, in the lovely town of Crownpoint. Between the 3 of us, there were 2 babies, and 3 crazy toddlers running around. Thankfully, Sean was there to help balance the energy and keep the older kiddos occupied by wrestling, jumping, and chasing each other. It was pretty funny. Benjamin and Alana just watched the madness eagerly. The whole evening was so enjoyable, it left us wondering what took us so long to get-together. Hopefully, we will do it again soon- the kids loved it as much as us!

March Milestones

Somebody has been avoiding the Barber Shop.
The floor can be comfy- try it!
Benjamin is clearly a Galiher!
Sitting up!
Toe eating- yum!

March is here! Yay! This month has already brought many new experiences for us. Thomas continues to love learning letters, and has now mastered the sounds to go with it. He also somehow has learned what a trapezoid is...hmmm. Also, he has demonstrated a few impressive two year old tantrums (including the refusal to get a haircut), made some slow progress in the delicate art of "sharing", and is becoming more gentle in showing brotherly love. Benjamin is growing so fast- he started sitting up, eating solid foods, sleeping longer at night, and continues to work on tolerating his big brother with a smile. We have been quite amazed at Benjamin's resilience. Oh the joys of two little boys!