Vacation pictures!!!

So we made it back home safely from our vacation. We had a really great time at the Baltic! The weather was awesome and Finn and Lily loved going to the beach. It helped so much that Oma and Opa came with us - that way we could take turns taking care of our fearless little water rats. As we were pulling off the highway on the way home after many hours in the car I said that we were going to be home soon. Lily was very insistent that we were NOT going home. When we asked her where we were going she said, "To the beach!" :)

We took lots of pictures so I'll have to do several posts. Here are the beach pictures for a start:

Crab I

Crab II

Crab II knocked over by a wave, rescued by Oma.

Ready to hit the waves with Finn's "whale boat", who needs the Baywatch babes? :)


Nap time under the sand blankie:



Finn insists on eating the most artificial ice cream flavor there is, Angel Blue. When you ask him what it tastes like the answer is, "Well, blue of course!"

Little sister the copy cat

Tickled pink:

Not hard to keep them busy for hours at the beach, is it.

Lily "shoveled" in:

And - a rare family pic! Never mind we are all looking some place different, we're all in it, yay!

Lily came, saw and conquered. She gracefully let us sit at the foot of that thing, but heaven forbid you tried to sit in her "bed".

Only when we distracted her with food could Oma and Opa sit down. Neil made the sand turtle by the way.

Boating on the open seas, what fun! The water was awesome. Reasonably warm (around 20C) and crystal clear. The salt content in the Baltic is very low and there are no tides - it's perfect.

Catching jelly fish with the nets Oma bought them:

On the way home from the beach:

No summer without barbecues!

Here are some pictures of a barbecue at our next door neighbors'. They are expecting their first child in September - a little girl - and we are looking forward to finally meeting her! A couple weeks ago we cleaned out our attic and took tons of baby stuff over to their house. I had forgotten just how much there was: strollers, a baby swing, a baby chair, a bassinet, toys, boxes and boxes of clothing, baby carriers - you name it we had it. We also volunteered our babysitting services so the new mother can get some rest. Finn and Lily love "parenting" the babies at the gym daycare, so they are looking forward to this new addition to our neighborhood.

Auntie Ulli

Ulli was able to spend a few days with us and we had a lot of fun. We went to the pool one morning and had a great time. Finn and Lily were on the go non-stop for the four hours we were there. We went down the slides a gazillion times. Ulli was amazed how exhausting it was. She proved her point by passing out on the couch after we got home. :)


Another day we went to the Rosenburg to watch their bird show and look at the birds of prey they raise there. Here are some pictures.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Not us!

And here's our little performer putting on a tap dance show in Ulli's shoes. :)

Wish Summer Would Never End!

We just love summer. To throw on some shorts and a t-shirt and you're dressed. To walk barefoot on soft green grass. To play in the water for hours. To eat outside, read outside, relax outside, soaking up all the fresh air and sunshine you can get. To hang out with friends at the playground and eat ice cream. To build sandcastles and bake mud cakes. Wish it would be like this all year!

We bought a bench for in front of the house. I often take the car out of the driveway so Lily and Finn can ride their bikes there and color with sidewalk chalks. I sit on the bench and watch or blow bubbles for them or read or even peel my vegetables.

A new favourite of Finn and Lily's is the solar powered fountain on the patio.

Yay!

Lily all dressed up. Sometimes she just needs some girly stuff like necklaces.

Camping in the yard was a big hit, only daddy wasn't too impressed when Lily put cookie crumbs in his sleeping bag.

And they still love to take their bikes for a spin every day.

May we proudly present ...

... Leon and Lenny of Swansea!

So after seeing how much fun Finn and Lily had with all the animals and pets in Canada we both felt it was time to get a cat again. As most of you know our beloved Aimée got run over 3 years ago. We did some research and decided on a quiet, house-bound breed called British Shorthair that does not like to roam. Luckily we found a breeder close to home who had 5 kittens for sale. We went there a few weeks ago and they were all so cute! At first Finn liked the black one best, but when he heard us call the dark grey ones "blue", it had to be one of those. We picked a little guy called Leon, but Finn quickly re-named him Blue. ☺ Blue and his siblings will be ready to go to their new homes at the end of September.


Today we went and visited Blue for the second time, and we learned that his cream colored brother Lenny was for sale again as the breeders thought the family interested in him would not be the right one for that cat. So Neil and I talked it over and decided we would get him too! The breeders were happy and we think it is nice for the cats as well. Everybody needs a sibling, right!? :)


We can't wait to bring them home!

Blue

"Lenny" for now, but we will probably name him something else. Lenny and Lily could get confusing. By the way, their eyes will change color from blue to amber as they grow.

How to make a little boy very happy

Since we will not be here for Finn's birthday (we are planning on visiting Oma and Opa for a good week at the end of August) we decided to give him his birthday present early. Now that preschool is out for the summer he can certainly put it to good use! He was so happy when he saw what it was. We put it together inside because of a shower, but later in the day he got to ride it all around. Lily raced him on her tricycle, daddy could hardly keep up with them! :)