Media McColls come to Concord

Aunt Amy and cousin Daniel stopped to visit us on their way back from their annual vacation in Maine.  We had a lovely visit with delicious food and I finally got to meet Amy's mom Carol.  Best wishes to Daniel as he begins his college career at University of Maryland in a few short days!

Birthday Celebration #1

Last week Nora & Brenna had their first birthday!  Time is really flying.  We sang to them on their actual birthday and then Aunt Holly, Uncle Rob, Cousin Craig and Cousin Julie came over to share a cupcake on Saturday.  The girls love the decorations we hung and they will probably stick around for a while.  They also liked their almond flour carrot cake cupcake with coconut icing.

We depart this weekend for birthday celebration #2.  We will meet the Grandparents and Aunt Mo and Uncle K in the Fingerlakes (about halfway between Ohio and us) for a few days.  Can't wait!

Westerners Come East

Victoria and Ehren are dear friends who we live in WA.  They made the long trek across the country to visit us for a week. Victoria was my savior when we lived there.  She would come help with the girls and indulged me in adult conversation.  The girls haven't seen them since they were 6 months old, but they warmed up so quickly and I think they definitely remembered.  We explored Concord, Boston, Holderness, and Portsmouth during their visit.  Victoria, Brenna, and Nora all put their feet in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.  We also enjoyed two meals in restaurants.  Nora and Brenna are becoming professional eaters.

More Cousin Visits

Last week Bob, Pamela, Joanna, and Victoria stopped to see us in Concord on their way back from Victoria's camp in VT.  We had a wonderful visit and even survived another restaurant experience with Nora and Brenna.  

Burlington

A few months ago I had a dream that I was hiking in the woods with my dear friend Elicia.  I called her to tell her about it and to my surprise she said "We should do that!".  I was shocked because Elicia has 4 superb kiddos that she is especially devoted to and lives in Ohio.  Our husbands loved the idea of a mom's weekend away so we went camping in Burlington, VT.  Breathtaking views, sandy beaches, long walks, and good conversation recharged me like no other.  I have felt much more calm, dedicated, motivated since our two nights away.  It definitely felt awkward at times to be away from my little girls, but I knew it was what I needed.  Grandpa Yitz came to help and keep Ted company.  The girls had a great time with them while I was away.

Nora's Curly Locks

Nora now has adorable curls in the back of her hair and the front is catching up as well.  She is quite an animated little lady.  She peers around corners to play peek a boo and loves to be upside down.  Brenna and Nora do a lot of dancing and love to clap.  They are also catching onto basic sign language very quickly.  They seem to understand most of what I say when asking them to follow my directions.  I'm amazed by their receptive speech which has encouraged me to provide more explanations.  They are both quite the walkers (and sometimes runners) these days.  They follow me around our home as I do housework and already enjoy helping.  I've been trying to spend more time in the kitchen in an effort to have family dinner. They are enjoying exploring their cupboards.  Our days are filled with silliness and laughter as well as yelling and screaming when the same toys are desired.  They are quite rough with each other which can be challenging as I can't always referee. I need to do some reading on twin/sibling rivalry.  Ted and I are thoroughly enjoying this stage.  Brenna and Nora love to make us laugh.