June: Family, Flowers, and the Windy City

The month started out with a dreamy visit from the Quinns.

Ann Arbor

We finally made it to the Arboretum, which is a huge park right down town in Ann Arbor. 

Timing was perfect for the Peony garden.

This stud just got back from his 2 year mission in Mexico.  It was so good to chill with him again! 

Small boy, or gargantuan flower?  

Exploring Detroit

The Heidelberg Project

This is how I feel a lot these days.

We were lucky enough to discuss the street art with the artist himself, Tyree Guyton.

Motown Museum (after the Temple, which is why everyone looks like they're on their way home from church.)

Hot dog taste test.  Lafeyette takes the cake over American Coney again. 

New Shephard Fairey mural!

Back in our neighborhood: This place was so, so good, especially with Mckay to guide us through the menu.

Then Valine, Paul and Mckay helped us get ready for the baby and make up for my lack of gardening, with hours of work in the dirt.

Before:  The finger enhances the horridness of our desert, tulip and daffodil deadheads front yard.

After:  They also did the sides and back of the house, weeding, planting flowers, and mulching.  Then they helped us make several extremely delicious frozen meals for after the baby's born, though I admit to delving into them a bit early.  

Family is the best!

Random summer fun

The boys wrapped up swimming lessons.  Eliot picked up a few tips in the girls locker room in effective hair drying.

Relief Society Garden Party.

Everyone who was due around the same time as me, have already had their babies.  Hmmm...

Hanging out at the Ann Arbor Arts Festival with our friend Dennis, who was visiting for his dissertation defense.

Strawberry picking with our friend Josette on her birthday!

Hanging out in the basement during a Tornado warning at 2 a.m.  It was sighted about 35 minutes away.  The boys were pretty thrilled, but when it was time to go back to bed, Eliot was pretty afraid that the "Taeto" would come and get us.

I'm really not a fan of taking belly shots of myself, until I look unnaturally and comically large.  We're at that point, so sorry for cramming in 9 months worth of shots in one post.  But here it goes.

Size.  It's all about the angle.

Sharon as a legless, bouncing, fictional creature.

Anthony and I went on our first extended date/ kidless road trip in two years.  The boys were with our friends the Evelands.

Chicago!

Illinois Institute of Art

This place was amazing!  And as much as I love taking the boys to museums, it had been a while since we'd been to a good art museum where we weren't constantly stressing about keeping little fingers away from priceless pieces of artwork.

Pizza at Lou Malnati's with cousin James!

It was fun to meet up with him for excellent food and music.

U2 Concert!  O.k. this was the whole reason we drove 4 hours from home while just about to hit my 39th week of pregnancy.  I know.  So irresponsible.  But it was amazing!  I've always wanted to hit a U2 concert, but it's never worked out, and it was everything and more I hoped for.  The music was phenomenal, the show was creative and beautiful, and there was enough of that typical U2 "change the world for good," pep talk stuff, that my big pregnant self cried at least twice. 

We were grateful to make it home without going into labor, though it was convenient that our hotel was right across the street from a hospital with the largest midwifery practice in the midwest.  And one of the midwifes just happened to be the guy who delivered Ira in Pittsburgh.  So that was all extremely comforting.  But now that we're back in MI, I'd be fine with this baby coming any time.

Happy July everyone!

May

We decided to begin May with exploration, and drove across Michigan to Grand Rapids and Holland.

First stop, The Grand Rapids Children's Museum.

Strolling in the city.

This was taken in honor or Anthony's brother McKay, who came home from his mission this month!

We made our way across this bridge while playing tag, when we realized that we probably photo bombed about a dozen kids' prom pictures.

The next morning we drove to Holland, MI.  The boys spent some of their birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa Ellsworth on pirate swords and maps for the trip.  I was kind of hoping they'd choose something more appropriate for long car rides, but it turns out they were the perfect choice for treasure hunting at the beach.  

Breakfast at de Boer's.  So scrumptious.  This place was packed, so instead of waiting an hour to be seated, we ordered some goodies at the bakery and ate outside.

Being there for the Holland Tulip Festival meant there were lots of fun things going on in town, including opportunities to hang out on emergency vehicles, a free petting zoo, an arts and craft fair, and of course, lots of tulips.

The night before in Grand Rapids, I got the boys to sleep by telling them a story about a magical "fire tulip," and now Ira is really into flowers, especially tulips that are red, yellow, and orange.

Mutant!

More fire tulips.

I'd do this again.  Holland and Grand Rapids?  We approve. 

 Back home

  Spring has brought with it lots of bugs.  And Ira's started collecting them....in our house.

Cute dad rough housing in the grass.

Mother's day was really sweet.  The kids brought me breakfast in bed for the first time.

Yes, that is a homemade fire tulip.

Speaking of mothers, I was invited to have a booth at Babies R Us for my birth classes, during a "Baby Fair."  I may have been at the very back of the store, facing the back wall, but it was still fun with good exposure.

I was able to help out with and observe another beautiful birth by these amazing people: the Felts.

If you're hungry during labor, don't forget to eat!

Mom and Coach were incredible!

Ira's last day of preschool!

Ira and his best friend Wyatt pretending to be dragons of course. 

Grandma Eileen and Grandma Virginia

Miss Mieke

Ira was too shy/sad to pose with any of these amazing people.

In other news Ira, got his first cavity, which stinks.  But he did a great job while it got drilled and capped.  Now I'm afraid that getting a silver tooth is a really cool incentive for bad oral hygiene.

Eliot finally had his surgery after a hernia has been an issue for a very long time.  It took us several months just to realize what it was.  This is the first surgery our little family has had to go through, so I was pretty nervous, but tried to make it sound like it would be an exciting adventure.  The night before, I told Eliot that we'd be going to the hospital the next day.  His response: arms up in the air and a loud "YAAAAAY!!!!"

Getting ready

We opted out of the meds that would have given him temporary amnesia, and opted for my presence during the anesthesia administration.  He was so chill!  He thought the operation room looked cool, and the medical team pretended that it was a space ship preparing for take off as they strapped him down. They warned me that as he started breathing the gas he may start flaying or acting as if he was having a seizure.  Instead he just smiled and closed his eyes.

Several hours later, they warned me he may act very strange or terrified as he woke up, but instead he just opened his eyes and looked pretty week.  But by the time we got home, and by the time he had a real meal in about 19 hours, he was running around like nothing happened.

Getting ready for the baby!  The boys and I tie dyed a load of onesies and shirts for the family to match.  We'll give most of these away to my students, but I'm hoping that matching shirts will make the boys feel unified with baby #3...even if it's a girl.  They're not to excited about the possibility of more estrogen in the house.

And finally, playing in the rain with a rainbow.

Life is good.  We've been busy, but happy and loving life.

Let the Summer begin!