New favorite play place

Elijah's new favorite place to play is Leah's crib.  He thinks it's so funny to be in there.  I decided to snap a video of it today as well as some pictures.  I'm sorry if it's small but hopefully you can still hear and see how much fun he's having.  

Elijah loved this mobile when he was a baby and now he's showing Leah how it works.  She was intrigued :).

"What? Do you need something? I'm busy here".

"It's a tough world out there, Leah, but I'll help you."

He is such a good big brother.

I decided to put them together for a sibling picture.  And yes, I did steal this pose from Jessica.

Elijah was so excited to cuddle with his sister...too cute!

He did this all on his own. No prompting from me!

I can not believe how big she is getting.  

So long!

Slow down, Leah. You need to be tiny for a little while longer.

Blogger Buddy

My friend Bethany passed on to me this Blogger Buddy award this week.  Thank you, Bethany, for this prestigious honor :).  Upon accepting the blogger award, one must tell 7 random things about themselves, and then pass it along to 2 other people. Read and enjoy my 7 random facts. Oh and if you so choose, Darla and Jessica it is your turn!

1.  I have taken a recent interest in baking.  I wish I were more talented in this area, but I did increase my skills recently by taking a baking class which I enjoyed.

2. I love to travel to new places.  2 of my favorite spots are Palm Springs, California and Nantucket. 

3. Though I often made fun of the cornfields of Indiana while I was in college, I still haven't left after almost 8 years and have grown to really love it.  I will miss it a lot if God calls us somewhere else.

4.  I never thought I would be a mom at this age, but it is, without a doubt, the  most fun and rewarding job I've ever had!  

5.  Besides my husband, no one knows me better than my sisters and my mom.  

6.  I love to get my hair cut and colored...I think it is one of the most relaxing things you can do with your time.  Which reminds me, it's time for my next appointment.

7.   Although I am most energized when I am around people, I have been learning the value and importance of solitude.  God speaks to me most clearly when I am willing to be still and quiet before Him.   

Cute Kids

I just have cute kids.  There's no other way to put it! I can't get enough of these 2.

I let E feed himself yogurt for breakfast and left the room for a minute.  This is what I came back to...

"Ewww" -Elijah

Cute even when covered in strawberry yogurt.

And this little one just innocently watched on...

You can't see the writing on the shirt, but it says "bundle of joy".  The perfect description of our little girl!

After having blondie Elijah, I thought I would never want a brunette, but I love all her dark hair.

Ok, prepare yourself for a whole lot of cuteness! My friend Mel MADE this adorable dress for Leah.  I can't believe how cute it is and it fits her perfectly.  I didn't leave it on her long today because I want to keep it nice and fresh for the perfect occassion (not sure what yet).  Enjoy...

I feel pretty...

I love her little legs.

So excited about my new dress!

Sooo cute!

Thanks, Mel! You're the best.

Indiana State Fair

Last night, we had our first family outing to the Indiana State Fair. We had a good time! It is seriously an event like none other I've ever been to...quite a cultural experience!  

Before we left, I wanted to take some pictures of the kids in their big brother, little sister shirts that my friend Kendra made for them.  They are too cute.   You can check out Kendra's custom made shirt designs here

Elijah didn't cooperate with the pictures at first, but Leah was wide awake so I took advantage.

"What are you looking at?"

Elijah loved all the animals at the fair.  We knew he would because he really enjoys making animal sounds and gets excited whenever he sees animals in books or on tv.  He even tried feeding the goats (with a little help from mommy).

"Hi, hi, hi!" -Elijah

Watching the swings.  E was fascinated.

My boys.

So, we were going to take Elijah on the carousel and bought the tickets for it.  Well, when we got over to the carousel, we saw he wasn't tall enough to ride it! We couldn't believe it.  So, since we already had the ride tickets, Kirk decided to go on the ride where you stand up, get strapped in, and the thing spins around really fast and goes up and down.  He had fun, but it scared Elijah to tears seeing Daddy go through it! 

hahaha...I couldn't stop laughing watching Kirk go round and round on this thing all by himself :).

This was the fair from Leah's perspective...I don't think she even knew we left the house!

Checking out the horses with daddy.  

E's mouth is wide open because he is saying "Aayyy", which is, of course, what the horses say.

They had some seriously huge horses.

I may be biased, but I think have the 2 cutest kids in the world!

We finished the night off with a corndog...you can't go to the fair and not get a corndog.

Since Elijah didn't cooperate before the fair, I wanted to take some pictures of him in his "Big Brother Elijah" shirt before bed.  Kirk can make E laugh so easily...love it!

This smile makes my heart melt.

Such a cute big brother!

Sweet Dreams.

I just think there is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby...

The Duncans and a Dunkelberger

This weekend, Kirk's parents came up to meet Leah.  It was great to have them and we are so thankful that they made the long trek up here from NC.  We were also fortunate to have Grandma Dunkelberger come see us today too! It worked out perfectly that she was in Indiana at the same time as Kirk's parents and we were so glad she could meet and hold Leah. 

Leah is Grandma's 7th great grandchild and she is a total natural with the newborns! 

Elijah jumps in too.  

Kirk and I keep looking at our two kids and saying "This is our new normal."  Crazy! 

Elijah was not interested in sitting in my lap for pictures.

The Duncans.

Kirk's wife, mom, daughter, and grandma!

Leah loves Grandma Duncan!

Kirk jumped in for a picture with these lovely ladies too!

Thank you again for making the trip! We are so happy you were able to meet Leah and look forward to being with you again.