Playdates and Potty-Training

Well, when we're not working, traveling, etc., you can find us in two places: our kitchen and our backyard. Iggy has become quite the cake artist these days and Lilly loves to play souz chef. Here's a picture of just that. Here is a small harvest we picked one evening. There's just nothing better than growing your own produce. Also, this is a picture of Lilly helping mommy cut and dry fresh herbs from our garden....mmmm mint tea:) I also learned, with the tremendous help and knowledge of my amazing mom, how to can tomatoes. I've always wanted to do that and with the crazy surplus we have this year, I'm glad none of it will go to waste. (Really, is there anything my mom can't do??) Thanks mom.

July brought a lot of joy...Geoff and Caitlyn got married!! We had a splended time in Galena, where the wedding was held. We enjoyed a long weekend that started out with tornadoes in Dubuque and Galena Territory (Iggy, Lilly, and I had to take cover in a closet for 45 min while we had no power and buckets of hail dropped on our cars and cabin, and a huge tree came down on the neighbors house) the next day we met Caitlyn's family and rented a few pontoons that we took out on the beautiful lake at dusk, then Iggy baked his cakes for the reception dinner and I did hair. Sunday was a day of preparation then the most beautiful ceremony I've ever been to. We are so honored to have been a part of this special day....Thank you Geoff and Caitlyn:)

June was full of fun as well. Daddy surprised Lilly with a swing. Now we hear "me finging" all day:) love it. And we went to Siesta Key, Florida...my favorite place on earth. This was actually Lilly's second time at the beach, but the first was when she was 6 mo. old. So we were excited to see how she would like the sand and water.....she loved it. The 100 degree heat and million percent humidity didn't seem to phase her.

Wow! This summer has flown. Where do I begin? May ended nicely with all the cousins getting together for a pool party that ended up being a big puddle party:) The kids had so much fun dancing and running in the downpour, then in the flash flood. Also in May, our garden was completely planted....time to wait and watch. More on that later...

It's been awhile since we've posted. Most evenings and weekends we are spending outside playing or at Tate's baseball games. We also celebrated Tate's 8th birthday! The kids had a great time at the Putt-A-Round. This cake is just one of Iggy's many recent creations!! This one happened to be a layered mango and bailey's cheesecake for Mother's Day...yummm! He certainly inherited his mother's baking genes. Boba sent over a stack of cooking/baking magazines in German; we plan to make at least one item a week from it. We-meaning Iggy because I can't read most of the German. I make a good sous chef, though:)

Now that the weather is beginning to show some promise of Spring we have been spending every available minute outside. Iggy has started our vegetable/herb garden:) We can't wait to watch it grow. Lilly has more fun than anyone out there digging in the dirt. Here are a few pictures of the little "Mr & Mrs" Tomas and Lilly....they're best buds.

Here are some more good pics of yesterday...Enjoy. Check out Iggy's sweet wheels! You're a real American now, honey:) This is Lilly's "big girl bed." Actually it was handed down from Tate. All I had to tell her was "this was Tate's bed" and she climbed right in saying "Teet bed, Teet bed." Oh and let me explain the ipod, the only way she will wind down and go to sleep is with this silly thing! She plays games and finds youTube for puppies. I don't know who uses this more: me, Iggy, or Lilly.

Happy Easter!! Yesterday we celebrated Easter with dinner and another egg hunt at Nana and Buddy's house. The kids had so much fun finding eggs filled with candy. After we got them good and sugared up we gave them over to Buddy to take them putting on the green behind their house. The boys are good little golfers.....Lilly had more fun chasing the dog everywhere! She was so worn out....good thing because that was her first night in her "big girl bed" and she slept like a rock.

On Sunday we went to Des Moines for Iggy's final step in his naturalization process....Citizenship!! He had an interview and testing appointment on Monday, which he passed with flying colors! Then there was a small ceremony where he repeated his oath and was sworn in as a U.S. citizen. Yay!! Nine years and ten thousand dollars later and all they give you is a little American flag on your way out. In all seriousness, this is a huge accomplishment and we are so proud of him. Thank you Mom and Dad, Stacey, Amanda, for the congrats gifts and food!!
Lilly had a ball playing in the pool (around the pool) with Daddy at the hotel. And here she is snug as a bug.

Okay, just a few more pics. The green tutu was a gift from Aunt Sue...She made it and matching flip-flops! (although I wouldn't recommend baking cookies in a tutu like Lilly is doing here)

This morning we went to an Easter Egg Hunt at a local church. Tate found a "Golden Egg" and got a special surprise. I love this toothy grin:)

Today was a day filled with fun! Lilly is now 2, and though I can't hardly believe how fast it's gone, these past two years have been the best years of my life. I thank God for our Lilly and for the wonderful family and friends that surround us. Thank you to each and every one of you.
Here are some pics from today and a few from last night....The painted vanity was a surprise from Nana Pam. Lilly loves it, thinks it's a desk for coloring:) The bikini is from Nana Ann...how cute! And the huge cupcake and smaller cupcakes were made by Stacey...she's a fantastic baker...Thanks Aunt Stace!