2 Years Old!

Happy Birthday, Miles! Our little man turned 2 yesterday and he continues to entertain and amaze us! Last year at this time he was just starting to walk. This year he is jumping off of anything in sight, repeating words that we say, and trying to dress himself. Miles continues to be very focused when working on things: puzzles, blocks, Marbulous, etc. We have learned that he likes everything in its place: drawers closed with nothing hanging out, chairs pushed into the table, doors closed, and all things buckled (car seat, stroller, shopping cart.) Our magic words for him right now are "We need your help!" and he is ready to jump into washing veggies, setting the table, picking up sticks in the yard, or whatever 'work' we create. We plan to cash in on this trend when our yard is full of fallen apples in fall. Miles is affectionate, always hugging and kissing everyone good bye at day care every day. He is spirited and expressive in everything he does, excited or angry. One more thing, he's cute as the dickens!!

Every night when we go to bed we talk about how much we love Miles even when he's being naughty. We can't imagine life without him and are thankful for our healthy spunky little man. Happy Birthday, Miles!

Welcome, Austrians!

This weekend we had the pleasure of hosting Katie's Uncle Rolf, Aunt Ingrid, and their friends, Willie & Hermi from Linz, Austria. Rolf & Ingrid hosted us last June and we were eager to repay their kindness. We enjoyed sharing Miles and Minneapolis with them. On Saturday, the ladies treated us to a huge Austrian dinner complete with wienerschnitzel. On Sunday we had an all-American day with a trip to the Twins game and steak on the grill. This crowd is in the U.S. for one month and they're off to the Black Hills of South Dakota from here. We can't wait for Tanja & Andreas to visit us next!

Happy 1st Birthday, Nolan!

Last weekend we were so happy to be in Wisconsin Rapids to celebrate our nephew, Nolan's 1st birthday with Katie's family! He didn't let us down getting into the cake smashing and tossing. Good thing we were outside for it all. It was a beautiful day to let the kids play outside and kick back with family. We posted lots of photos in our Picasa album (link to the right) and are excited to do it all over again very soon to celebrate Miles' 2nd Birthday! Happy Birthday, Nolan!!

Dancing Brownie Face?

If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will. Miles was eating brownies at the counter with the Breeders on the radio and he burst into dancing! He keeps looking to his left (where the radio is) when the music changes. Happy 23 months to our favorite little man today!

Reading about Cougars

Our great friend, Kevin, brings Miles a book almost every times he sees him. In December, Kevin brought Miles a book about cougars with an inscription that reads "Dear Miles, Your father's love of cougars has led to some great things. I hope you enjoy this book!" So, Kevin, we wanted to let you know that a) you are hilarious and b) yes, Miles does read it!

Toddler Bowling?

Yep, that's right. Miles went bowling for the first time tonight with us and our friends, the Gears family. As you can see, he got in the groove pretty quickly, wanted to carry his own 6 lb. ball to the lane, and the most fun of all was the ball return! It was the perfect way for the kids to blow off some steam in this winter that never ends.

More recent photos on the links to the right. When will spring be here?!

The Little Gym

Last night we were invited by some friends to join their daughter's class as a guest at The Little Gym. Miles ran right into the room to explore and play with the other kids - no hesitation whatsoever. As you can see, we had fun helping him explore all of the gym elements. I suspect that we'll be back there soon. Dang, he's growing up quickly!