Vacation at the Lake

Vacation to Lake Okoboji ~ 2011

We enjoyed another trip to Lake Okoboji with my family the last week in June. Beautiful views, great company, good food and surrounded by those you love... doesn't get much better than that!

Elle and me on our beach :)

Cousins! They had so much fun together!!

Elle learned how to kayak (notice Grandma about ready to get whacked by the oar)!

Sophia enjoyed her time on the pontoon... as soon as I took off her life jacket that was swallowing her. I was one nervous mom!

I was so proud of Isabelle who was so brave and got right in the lake with Uncle Jeremy!

Driving the boat with Daddy :)

We had so much fun on the boat... sightseeing, relaxing, swimming, and topping it off with a yummy treat from the official Nutty bar stand!

Isabelle and I had fun on the bumper cars!

Isabelle and Jason playing Uno Attack for the fiftieth time. She loves the game and was quite proud when she beat Daddy!

Sophia snuggling with cousin Jayda :)

I love this picture! I snapped it while we were taking a walk one morning with the kiddos.

Ready to ride the roller coaster... this would be the only smile captured as she was quickly in tears. The ride ended with Isabelle remarking, "I liked the ups but not the downs." What a wonderful metaphor for life! I love it!

Relaxing in the tube with her cousin Alexis... they are tied to the dock and thought it was the best thing ever!

Peek-a-boo!

Sophia liked chilling in her little swing down by the lake :)

The kids loved playing on the beach. They did it for hours and hours and hours!

Grandma and Sophia relaxing in the hammock!

Isabelle playing on the beach just moments after arriving :)

Me and my beautiful babies! We loved hanging out on the dock!!

Summer Recap

Sophia definitely is our little diva in training! As you may have guessed, her trainer is her big sister...

4th of July ~ We watched the fireworks with our neighbors and Isabelle was absolutely thrilled when Nate let her use his earphones as she was terrified of the noise this year!?! She and Emma watched from the "castle".

Sophia and Daddy at the 4th of July parade in Waukee. She was very interested in all of the people.

Isabelle and Jayda patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for the parade to begin.

My lil' laundry helper :)

Balloon Classic in Indianola ~ Isabelle looks forward to this every year!

Isabelle loves helping out in the kitchen. Here she was making some delicious fruit salad for our dinner.

Soph enjoyed the balloons this year too despite the heat!

Pistachio icecream... yes, she picked it and loved it! It's green and that's all that matters in the world of Belles!

Creek stompin' at Grandma and Grandpa Karwal's house... she had so much fun with her cousin Collin and Aunt Kristi! Me? I chose to stay dry on the banks taking photos ;)

Sophia LOVES the water! Weather a swimming pool or a bath, she takes every opportunity to splash. She could care less if it gets in her face. She gets so excited!

Stopping for a quick photo opp at the sculpture park in downtown Des Moines. This one is Isabelle's favorite... she's named it the ABC one.

We took the girls to the Iowa State Fair (I always drag Jason there at least once)! Sophia enjoyed all of the sights as she cruised in her stroller. Isabelle was excited to participate in all the fun. And of course we enjoyed some healthy treats... at the top of our list: dairy barn strawberry icecream, cheese curds, and mini doughnuts!

Such a silly girl :)

I love every chance I get to snuggle with both of my girls!

Enjoying a picnic at the park on a beautiful summer day!

Belles loves her dresses... especially when she can twirl in them :)

Already the best of friends. They are so loving with each other... it makes my heart melt!

We had fun at Blank Park Zoo with our neighbors. Isabelle is standing with her buds Emma and Jackson at the dinosaur exhibit.

Sophia's Baptism

We celebrated Sophia's baptism on Sunday, June 12 at St. John's Lutheran Church. We thank all of our family that was able to help make this special day even more special by their presence.

This is a picture of Sophia wearing the dress that I was baptized in. I was baptized when I was less than two months old and the dress was big on Sophia at 6 months old. ;)

Me and my two beautiful girls before church :)
Sophia wore the same dress that Isabelle wore for her baptism.

Thank you to my sis Andrea for taking photos during the baptism! Pastor Rachel Thorson-Mithelman baptized Sophia. She also married Jason and me in 2006 and baptized Isabelle in June of 2008 so we are very grateful to her! Also, in this photo is big sister Isabelle who stood with us for the ceremony and Sophia's sponsors, my mom and Jason's mom. We are very honored to have them sponsor both of our girls.

Sophia Grace

Once baptized, Sophia was introduced to the congregation with Pastor Rachel. She did very well and enjoyed the parade and looking all around at everyone.

We celebrated with all of our family at our house after church. Sophia was wide-eyed for all of the excitement! Isabelle was simply thrilled for a party with cake!

Only moments after everyone was gone, she fell asleep soundly (or rather passed out) in Daddy's arms. It was a wonderful day!

Spring

Well, I'm falling behind on my updates again! We have stayed busy as always, enjoying the beautiful weather we've had recently. The girls are both doing well. Isabelle is 3 1/2 now and Sophia turned 6 months old on June 1. I know I always say this, but I really don't know where the time goes. My girls are growing up right before my eyes... bittersweet! Sophia has her wellness check-up today so we are anxious to see how much she's grown! She recently started eating her fruits and veggies as you'll see below and enjoys them very much... much more than her bottles! We are looking forward to summer as I will be home with just the girls. We have our list of outings planned! We hope you are all doing well. Enjoy the quick glimpse into our world!!

Isabelle enjoying a warm day by cooling off in the sprinkler. Her friend Emma came over and they ran in circles screaming for well over an hour. Good times!

Sophia has become intrigued by Chloe. If only Jason would share those feelings-- ever!

Celebration!! Sophia is 6 months old!!

Sophia eating her first veggie-- peas! Yum! She doesn't seem to mind any of them but definitely has a preference for fruit. Can't say I blame her!

Big smiles :)

Isabelle got to meet Curious George and Clifford at a book fair that we went to! She was elated!

My beautiful gardener planting her flowers she picked out. She is great at remembering to water them too... sometimes a little too much!

Miss Sophia really enjoys sitting upright now. She's not doing it on her own yet but can hold strong for a while in her bumbo or booster seat!

Isabelle and I had a tea party with "real" tea! She wasn't too keen on the tea but did enjoy the treats we had!

Sophia LOVES to help with feeding time. After each bite, she helps to shove it in her mouth. It's quite fun for all ;)

Isabelle enjoying a playdate with her friends Luke and Aubrey!

Luke and Aubrey holding Sophia-- they were so loving! So sweet :)