Happy Wedding!!

We are back from a week in the mountains of Utah celebrating Uncle Terry and Aunt Emily's wedding...now there are officially two Emily Beckmans! The week was filled with family time and fun festivities. It was great to see all of the family, most of whom we have not seen in four years, since Kim and Eric's wedding. Henry most loved the swimming pool, which we were able to play in everyday. He loved dipping his head under the water and splash, splash, splashing. He showed a bit more interest in his new cousin Koleton by touching his toes and kissing his tummy. The rehearsal dinner, held mid-mountain at Deer Valley was perfect. The wedding on Saturday night was even more perfect. The setting was breathtaking...tucked in a canyon with wildflowers, a beautiful lake and roaring stream. Henry loved the ducks swimming in the lake, and the giant swing hanging on the grounds. He was a very good boy, sitting quietly (almost) in my lap during the ceremony...due in large part to plenty of strawberry puffs.

We left Utah very early Sunday morning, arriving in Chicago Sunday afternoon. Coincidentally, Grandpa Hacker had a conference Sunday through Wednesday, just as I did. So Henry got lots of MooMoo time during the days exploring the city. Though he loved splashing in fountains and waving to the trains, the highlight was the army of cement trucks they spotted while exploring Monday morning. Anything that goes, Henry loves...trucks, trains, airplanes, bicycles, fast cars...anything. While we were in Chicago, Tim left for San Francisco...so we haven't seen him since Sunday and we are eagerly awaiting his arrival home Saturday night.

It was a wonderful time away, but of course it is nice to be home. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Beckman, Terry and Emily for such a fun time in Utah. And thank you MooMoo and Papa for a great time in the big city. Can't wait to see you all again soon!!

Splash!

Happy Father's Day! We spent the day splashing in the pools at the water park. Henry LOVES to swim, and shows no fear rolling around in the water. He enjoyed some backyard pool time this week with Grandma Beckman, who comes to play every Wednesday. We're looking forward to lots of time in the water this summer with our favorite little fish.

Missouri...

We're back from a super fun week in Missouri visiting Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts and lots of friends. Henry and I spent 8 hours on the road together on Tuesday. We battled through the downpours in Indiana, and once we reached the middle of Illinois we celebrated the dry sky and pavement. Despite sleeping only 40 minutes of the entire trip, Henry was a very good traveler. We stopped to play with Great Grandma and Grandpa Shamel for the afternoon. Henry loved the fried chicken dinner Grandma prepared. Her fresh delicious hot rolls were a big hit...we are still enjoying them. While in Bolivar, Henry enjoyed swimming in the pool, banging on MooMoo's nice dishes, reading with Grandpa and loving Daisy the dog. He LOVED Daisy the dog. He also got his second big boy haircut and really does look like a big boy. He climbed on everything...even climbed up the outside of his pack and play, which I'm still trying to understand. On Saturday we celebrated sweet Baby Girl Stevens with a baby shower for Sarah. Henry wasn't so sure about all the ladies in the house...he was happy to see Grandpa return after the shower. We can't wait to meet this baby girl...she is due August 11. Thanks everyone for such a fun trip!

Summer!

We've had two weekends of perfect summer weather. We spent Memorial Day weekend here at home working in the yard. Henry was very busy pulling weeds, planting more flowers and putting sticks into his new red wheelbarrow. He was quite a helper, and so eager to contribute. He loves to play outside...climbing, running, swinging, swimming and dancing, of course. He loves his new backyard pool - thanks Dave and Erica! He can now climb the miniature climbing wall up to his slide and enjoys sliding down on his belly, backward, head-first...anything but straight down on his bottom. We enjoyed an afternoon with friends at the park during the week and Henry was eager to run through the splash park, giggling with delight at each surprise spray of water. He continues to be a great sleeper...he plays hard and sleeps hard. We still rely on two naps a day, and 12 hours at night. It seems like a lot, but when he's up, it is non-stop fun. We're working on new words...banana is a favorite. He likes to sit in his big boy chair and read all by himself. The trouble is, however, getting into the chair with book in hand. He usually ends up sitting on his book, asking for help. Once situated, though, he holds the book on his lap by flexing his feet...it is really very cute. He also likes to stand on his head (see picture) and he still drools (also see picture). We spent this past weekend at the lake with Grandma and Grandpa Beckman, Aunt Emily and Uncle Terry. Tim and I celebrated a very happy 5 year anniversary on Saturday as we also celebrated Terry and Emily's engagement and upcoming wedding with a party on the Ohio River. Tim and I were treated to an evening out on Friday night, and it was perfect...complete with a fried chicken dinner. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! Henry loved swimming in the lake with daddy. They swam off the dock on Saturday and played on the beach on Sunday. It was my kind of weekend filled with hot sunshine, cool water, good food and family time...tomorrow we're off to Missouri for more!