getting caught up...

alright, alright! 6+ months later and I'm ready to post on here again! I think I've taken more photos these last 6 months than I have for most of my life combined. Sharing them, however, is a step in this process I have quickly forgotten about. Without further ado, here is a look at what's been going on in our household this past half-year:


Most recently, we were able to take a family vacation to southwest Michigan. Anna had many firsts on this trip...among them, experiencing a swimming pool:










Michael heading into Lake Michigan...brrr!!



Anna and Grandpa...and just a few of the seagulls that were everywhere!

Another of Anna's firsts: discovering plastic water bottles. These things were highly entertaining for her...which made me love them!

Outside a random shop on Phoenix Street in downtown South Haven.

South Haven lighthouse...accompanied by seagulls ;)

South Haven Harbor on opening night of Harborfest

What?! We're both in a picture?!

Anna discovery #3: grass :)

Ahhhh, her daddy always gets the best smiles out of her!

Thus ends the visual tour of our vacation photos. On to more randomness:

The look Anna gives me when she's tired of riding in the car (man, she's still cute)

One of her many expressions

Oh, she loves her Zany Zoo!

One of my favorite things that she does is to prop up her legs like a little lounge queen when we go for walks in the stroller.

Going a little further back now, this was the Carmel Sprint Triathlon Michael competed in (and did incredibly well, I might add) in April

Anna has taken her sweet time getting used to baby food...this girl really just loves her bottle! So, here we have a little girl who was interested in playing in her new high chair...just not eating.

Go Cubbies!

The next several are from our trip to Vegas with friends. It was great to get away for a few days, but we did miss the little one!

Fountain show at the Bellagio

We stayed at the lovely Paris our last two nights :)

Hanging out around Fremont Street ("Old" Vegas)

and this is what it looks like flying over the Midwest

When I look at this photo, I want to close my eyes and pretend we were actually in Paris!

Fun!! This was taken from our lounge chairs poolside :)

First time trying homemade baby food (sweet potatoes)...little girl did not approve

She did, however, think that the handle of her Easter basket was simply delish.

Getting some TLC from daddy while recovering from one of her (soon-to-be-many) ear infections

First trip to the ER...that's right...bronchiolitis

First time going to BGI's Spring tent sale, and she's not too impressed yet

ER trip lead to some at-home breathing treatments. You can't tell in this photo, but that mask is a pink dragon, and she was not a fan.

Amazed as she finally discovered the crib soother that had been hanging on her crib for weeks.

Whew! That, friends, is a visual recap of this first half of 2011 for us. We are loving watching our little girl grow and begin to experience the world (we are also enjoying the small glimpses of our previously "normal" life every now and then!). Given the fact that it's taken me three separate attempts today to actually finish this post, I think I will try to keep up a little better! Be back with more soon?!?!