Thursday, July 31, 2008

Beautiful Butterflies

Caroline spent the morning at our house, we went to the pool for most of the time, but after lunch we decided to dress up like butterflies. The girls were fluttering around the house, laughing and giggling. Yes, these two are really getting into dressing up. Fun times.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Train Ride to Discovery Place

This morning we took the light rail uptown to Discovery Place with our friends Caroline and Samuel. Ali loves riding the "Choo-choo train." There are so many things to do at Discovery Place, water tables, a grocery store, a farm, tunnels, an aquarium, etc. The Kids Place was Ali's favorite spot. It was a wonderful morning. We are definitely going to go back.

Ali and Samuel playing Dinosaurs are cool


Ali and Mommy riding the train

A visit with the Terhunes

This past weekend we got the chance to spend a few days with our dear friends Steph and Jaime Terhune and their adorable daughters Christiana (2 1/2) and Isabella (2 months). Ali loved playing with her buddy "Tiana". We spent nearly the whole weekend at the pool.

Happy Birthday Ali!


I neglected to put in an entry about Ali's 2nd birthday. She turned TWO on June 26th. We took her out for a birthday breakfast at Le Peep. Ali got a mini wooden piano for her birthday and she loves playing it! She calls it a tano. We had a little pool party at the neighborhood pool for her little buddies oh her actual birthday. She kept saying "Happy Birthday You, You" all day. She really knew that it was her special day. It was a blast.

Green is a great color for cupcakes!

"Aunt Jenny, aren't ballons great?"


Ali playing her birthday "tano"


Wednesday, July 23, 2008

4th of July at The Lake (Ohio)

Every 4th of July we make the trek up to Ohio for a Jeren family reunion. It is one week that I look forward to every year. Growing up I spent almost every day of the summer at the lake, water skiing, canoeing, swimming, camp fires. I miss it. My parents host a huge 4th of July party at our lake on the 4th. It is a wonderful chance to catch up with extended family and friends as well as my immediate family. This year was sooooooo much fun. Ali had a blast with her cousins Caris, J.J., and Liam. I even got to go water skiing for the first time in years! Here are some pics from our trip.

Mimi shows Ali how to shuck corn!

Uncle Lans and Caris in her 4th of July hat


Ali and Caris take a moment out for some girl talk.

"Mimi, I love your lake!"

Time for a swim!

Corn on the cob... yum, yum!



What a great campfire!

Making Smores.

Daddy... "flying"... more "flying"

June in Orlando - Sea World & Disney World

Lans had a conference in Orlando the second weekend of June. It was a "Family" conference, so Ali and I were allowed to come along. We had an absolute blast. Ali was an angel on the plane. We stayed at the Orlando- Ritz-Carlton... a very family friendly resort. They had fun family parties each night, the first night they had clowns, fireworks, a kiddie dance party... We went to Sea World twice and to Disney World once. We only stayed at the theme parks for a few hours each. Ali LOVED the shark encounter at Sea World, it is a giant heavy duty plastic tube that you walk through and there are giant sharks swimming all around above and on the sides of you. Very cool. She kept shouting "WOW", "BIG", "FISH!" She was absosolutely amazed, as you can see. The Kiddie Pool at the Ritz was a really neat set-up, it was a rubberized surface wading pool that was connected to a playground. Very fun! Being in Orlando in June was very hot as you can imagine, so we spent A LOT of time at the pool.

This is the life!

We went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom on my birthday for a couple of hours late in the day. What a fun way to celebrate. We took Ali on the teacups, "It's a Small World", and the Winnie the Pooh ride. Her favorite part was riding the monorail!

Ali and her Daddy enter the gates to the Magic Kingdom

Ali on the Small World boat ride

For my birthday Lans had roomservice bring up every dessert they had on the menu. They even spelled "Happy Birthday" in chocolate syrup! Fancy Schmancy!


Waiting for the dolphin and bird show the 2nd trip to Sea World!

Ali loves to dance. The last night in Orlando they had a big outdoor family dinner complete with a band. Ali literally danced the entire night away. She was moving and groovin' all night.

What a totally fun family trip!!!


Monday, July 14, 2008

Charleston, SC - 30th Birthday Weekend

Well, I am officially OLD! I turned 30 on June, 13th. Suzi (my twin sister and best friend) and I decided to ring in the new decade of our lives with a long weekend away together in Charleston, SC. Having a twin sister is truly one of the greatest gifts that God has ever blessed me with. Over the past 30 years we have had so many amazing times together. We have so many shared adventures, so many stories, the fabric of our lives are woven together... wherever I went... Suzi was right there with me. She knows me better than anyone. As kids, teenagers, and even in college, Suzi and I were inseperable. Moving away from her was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. It has been over 7 years now and it continues to be tough. But finally we had a weekend all to ourselves.... and we enjoyed every minute of it! We talked and laughed and caught up.

We celebrated the weekend before our actual birthday. We had a wonderful trip, hitting all of the Charleston hotspots. We stayed right down in the historic district and walked everywhere! We got pedicures (thanks mom!), went on a ghost tour, ate at John's, Magnolia's, Poogan's Porch (the most haunted restaurant in the US). We talked, and talked, and talked some more. We hadn't really spent any time just the two of us in years and years. Lans did an amazing job taking care of Ali for me (the best birthday present!).


Suz and I waiting for our "Ghost tour"

Lunch at Poogan's Porch - (the most haunted restaurant in the U.S.)