Straws

I came across this picture recently and just had to post it. Laurel is about 11 months in this picture and is sitting on the lap of Grandma Chris. At this time we were living in San Jose and drove to Fresno for a fun weekend. The significance of this picture is 2-fold. First, Laurel never drank from a bottle, ever! She drank from a straw at 4 months and never looked back. I tried and tried, but finally gave up. I remember getting all kinds of strange looks from people when they'd see this baby sucking out of a straw - it really was remarkable. But, it makes sense when you understand that she and Grandma Chris are kindred spirits for many reasons. One main reason is the love of drinks. Grandma Chris loves to stop for drinks and Laurel is always a willing participant. She also gets it from my side, too. Heidi, please enjoy a beverage at Hermies for me this week . . . I'll take crushed ice and my half/half mix! Looking forward to enjoying one with you soon! Woo - hoo!

Hooray for Grandma Chris!

Today we had to say goodbye to Grandma Chris. We enjoyed the time we spent with Grandma while she visited us in Texas. Here are some of the highlights from Grandma's trip (from Laurel's perspective):

1. Grandma took me to Sonic and the gas station for slushies and drinks

2. Going to the movies with Grandma

3. Baking cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles

4. Story time with Grandma

5. Bedtime with Grandma - Grandma was a trooper and allowed Laurel to sleep with her in the Aerobed . . . it couldn't have been comfortable, but Laurel sure enjoyed it

6. Buying green clothes together for St. Patrick's Day

There were many other wonderful things we did together. I am especially grateful for Grandma's help because she watched the kids a lot the final few days of her trip while I finished my final paper for a class. It was so fun to have Grandma around for a visit and we look forward to many more with Grandma Chris and the rest of our Grandparents!

Pumpkin Patch

Our town has a great pumpkin patch just down the road from us. We enjoyed taking both sets of grandparents to the pumpkin patch. There were hay rides, mazes, and lots of photo ops. We're already looking forward to next years patch.

May 2007 - Wharton Graduation

The long awaited day finally came! Dale graduated with honors from Wharton today. Ever since I met Dale, he has always talked of his goal to attend MBA school. Dale accomplished his goal and we are all so proud of him. The ceremony was great. Former Secretary of State James Baker spoke at the University ceremony. He did a great job. It was fun to see Dale interact with all of his friends. We have many fond memories of our time in Philadelphia and we will always remember this time in our lives. I'm so glad that Dale was able to realize his dream and especially grateful that he accomplished his goals while at Wharton. Now we're off to Dallas and our new life.

May 2007 - Phillies Game

We all went to a Philadelphi Phillies baseball game with everyone and had a great time, even though it rained part-way through the game. We enjoyed peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and a great game. Afterwards, we headed to South Philly for cheesesteaks at Ginos and Pats. We had a great day! Prior to the game, we took everyone to Reading Terminal Market and enjoyed a little food and shopping.

May 2007 - New York City

We all headed to NYC for 3 fun filled days. We visited the Manhattan Temple, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Times Square, and saw "Wicked" on Broadway. We had a wonderful time touring this great city. Laurel was particularly taken with the Statue of Liberty - you can see her holding the torch in the picture above. One of the best parts of the trip was touring Manhattan and Brooklyn on one of those tour buses. I've always thought those looked ridiculous, but I have to admit that it was the best way to see the city, especially when you're pregnant and tired!

May 2007 - Hershey and Gettysburg, PA

We drove Grandma and Papa Chris out to Hershey and Gettysburg for a day trip. We tried to eat at the famouse Hershey Hotel, but they ended up closing it 5 minutes before we arrived for a special business luncheon. We were really disappointed - it was the second time we've tried to eat at that hotel. We walked around the beautiful grounds and then toured the factory. Above is a picture of Laurel and Papa Chris riding through the Hershey tour. Directly above is a picture of Dale and his outside the Hershey Hotel.