The Farm & Old Family Friends

Erica is a family friend that we have known since birth. My dad went to their farm as a kid, and now we are excited to take the kids to see Erica and a real farm...



Holly and I brought the kids. And mom came too.



Erica got to meet Ezra for the first time.



We talked. Erica and Chase tossed the ball around. Asher found the piano.



Then it was off to see the various animals around the farm.

new jammies

Well the boys just keep growing bigger and bigger. As much as we go to garage sales, sometimes you have to go to the mall. Got some new PJs for the boys... yellow dot clearance of course ;)

Asher was excited because he and brother were "matching." Although the jammies weren't exactly the same, Asher noticed that he and Ezra had the same characters.

Here they are after Ezra got some new dinosaur PJs:

I just love seeing Ezra smile now when Asher gives him a hug!

And here are Ezra and Asher in their new jungle animal jammies:

Can't believe how big they are getting!

throwing candy

Asher has been enjoying watching parades this summer, but for Heritage Days he decided he wanted to throw candy. So, we decorated the red wagon and joined some other moms and kids from play group to walk in the parade. We walked with the Mothers Of Preschoolers (MOPs) group, and Asher had a great time throwing candy in the parade.


He was so cute waving and smiling. I guess the parade was really long... good news for Asher. He got the best of both worlds: throwing candy and then sitting with grandpa to watch the last 1/2 of the parade and gather his own candy too.

they really do love each other

Who had fun on vacation?

When taking Ezra's monthly picture, Asher wanted mom to take one of him and brother...

...it's so great to see that they enjoy each other already. Ezra has started looking for Asher when he hears his voice. The latest fun moment has been hearing Ezra laugh when we play with him.

two choo choos!

We all had a great time getting away for a long weekend. I think Asher liked every part of the vacation. He always gets really excited to sleep in his own "big bed" at a hotel. Here he is riding on the luggage cart:

Realizing we've rarely had a picture of all of us together, since Ezra was born, I had someone at the hotel take our picture:

We started out in NE at the zoo in Omaha. Asher was really excited to see all the animals, especially since we rode a train to get to the far side of the zoo:

His favorite animal changes daily from the penguins to the white alligator. Grandpa gave Asher some fun money to pick out a treat. In addition to a cute Emperor Penguin stuffed animal, Asher picked out the biggest sucker he could find:

Later we went to Boone, IA to ride a real steam engine. It was a big train and Asher loved it. He talked about it daily before we left, and I think he enjoyed every aspect of the museum and the train ride. Here he is at the museum and exploring trains outside the museum:


Al and Asher seemed to love the high bridge. They said it was really cool how the steam from the engine made a rainbow under the trestle. I didn't care to look out the open window, being sooo far above the river. I think we all thought it was cool when we got to see the engine drive past the passenger cars, when switching to the other end to go back to the station:

Al got a great picture of Asher looking out the train window:

After we were done, Asher informed us that it was "a little bit loud, but not too loud" when the train tooted the horn. When I tell people that we went on vacation to ride a train, Asher makes sure they know we rode "two trains!" one at the zoo and one in Boone. It's fun to see the kids' enthusiasm. Asher had just as much fun visiting Val and Larry and playing at a park in Ames. Ezra, of course, doesn't do much, but he seemed to enjoy himself too:

making stars

Tried to get a picture of the boys before, and after, the parade. Couldn't get them both to be awake and happy at the same time, so here are separate pics...


Asher had fun at the parade, aside from covering his ears when the firetrucks went by. We didn't watch fireworks at SR because they'll be shooting them off for Heritage Days in Waverly. We plan on waking Asher and watching together from his bedroom window. Asher did have his first experience with sparklers though. He loved it!

Asher says, "It's like making stars!"

Growing Up So Fast

Seems like a big deal that baby Ezra joined us at the table for supper tonight. He didn't always like the bouncy seat on the floor. So, we pulled him up with us, and Ezra smiled and "talked" while we all ate together.

At first he wasn't so sure about the high chair...


Sooo big! (Can't believe Ezra is going to be 3 months already next week!)


Yes, he thinks the new high chair is a great idea...


Big achievement for Asher today too. He took an interest again in the "vintage" Radio Flier tricycle. And today Asher decided to finally pedal. He just pedaled and pedaled and pedaled. Yeah! Wonder if he'll want to get the bicycle out again soon.

Still rockin'

Well, the ukulele (or as Asher has named it, "my birthday guitar") is still functioning... just barely. Grandpa has lovingly glued it back together twice now, and daddy finally had to resort to some clear packaging tape. But it is still a favorite! Luckily, Holly also got Asher a guitar. He also loves his electric guitar and being a "rock star" who can "rock and roll!"

Here is a picture from a relaxing Saturday:

Daddy catching up on soccer scores and Asher rockin' out. Well, until he saw the camera and got all shy on me ;)

Asher also likes to tell me how daddy has two guitars... one for him and one for baby Ezra... when they "grow up." But he will still take any chance now that he can get to play daddy's real, big electric guitar:

Hold Your Head High

Ezra continues to work on holding his head up...


It's been fun to see him focusing and tracking the things he sees and hears. He has figured out the kick 'n play and that he can bat at toys in his crib or on his play mats and make them move. He consistently turns toward us and smiles, and Ezra coos at us during his alert time. Al even got him to laugh recently! Here is another picture of his great smile:

Brotherly Love

I am trying to make sure I do something special for Ezra, just like I did for Asher. So, each month I take a picture of him in the same place on the couch. After 12 months I'll scrapbook a page for him, and we can see how he has grown. Can't believe Ezra is 2 months old already this week. Here are some pictures from this morning...

Asher is our big helper. This morning, he and daddy jumped around mommy with her camera making silly sounds and touching Ezra's cheek to try and get him to look in our direction and to smile. Asher agreed to some pictures holding baby brother.



I was so touched, when I was done taking pictures, when Asher said he wasn't done holding Ezra and they just sat there together for a little while longer.

Bigger and bigger

The boys are just growing so fast! Almost immediately after he arrived, Ezra (like his brother, Asher) started trying to hold his head up.

I can't believe Ezra is 2 months old already this week. It has been so great to see him grow and change so much already. At his check up, Ezra weighed in at 11 pounds 9 ounces! He has started to express himself more in the last month. We just love how he can track our voices, look in the direction of the person talking, and has started cooing and smiling.

Asher still sings to brother, brings Ezra lovey bear or a toy when he cries, talks to him throughout the day, and touches Ezra's cheek to try to get him to smile at him. Speaking of growing up, Asher certainly continues to amaze us. He finally gained a pound (now he's up to 35 pounds) in addition to growing taller and taller. Lots of people ask if he is three because of his height, and Asher loves to talk about how he will be three in "September" and will be going to "preschool in Shell Rock in my birthday month." Oh, and Asher has decided he is old enough to drive now. Here he is with grandpa...

Water, water, water!

Mid-May Asher was excited to have a day hot enough to get out the sprinkler. Running through the water was fun, but so was trying to spray dad with the hose!


In anticipation of Asher starting swimming lessons for the 1st time, we took Asher and Katelyn swimming at the W. We were glad to see that Katelyn's enthusiasm was contagious. He was a little hesitant the first day of lessons, but soon he was kicking his feet and trying to float with dad.

Asher tends to be too busy with pretend play to want to swim on vacation. So, I was surprised last weekend (when we were at the hotel in St. Paul) that Asher asked with disappointment why we had not brought his swim trunks so he could swim in the hotel's swimming pool. I think we will have a lot more days spent at the Waverly and Shell Rock swimming pools now that they are open and Asher is so ready to get in the water!