Birthday Party for Peyton (2) & Jaidyn (3)

Since Susan and Karen has their girls on the same exact day, just a year apart, they thought it would be fun to have a joint birthday party for them this year.  Jaidyn turned three and Peyton turned two.  Aunt Patty's house is pretty much smack dab in the middle for everyone, and she has a pool (perfect for summer birthdays!) so I actually got to attend a party for Karen's kids for the first time!  It worked out wonderfully and no one had to drive more than 4(ish) hours.  Each of the girls had their own party theme and they did the cakes separate with each family and Jaidyn included a few friends too.  The weather turned out perfectly...and everyone had a great time.

Pool Party fun:

Jaidyn & Lauren liked the baby pool and slip n slide...

Yes, they are drinking from the slip n slide

Lauren loves the water!

Karen with Peyton & Lauren

Liam

Hannah

Liam & Hannah had such a fun time playing together - I can't wait to be at the beach with them together. They did not want to leave each other when it was time to go home.

Jon & Lauren

Susan & Lauren

Lauren playing "house"

Jaidyn's Party:

Happy Birthday Jaidyn

Blow out the candles

Susan, Jaidyn & Gary

Lauren....going after some cake

Peyton's Party:

Peyton was not thrilled to be the center of attention

Uncle Daniel with Lauren

Hannah & Liam were excited to get cake twice!

Liam & Mommy helped blow out the candles

 

I didn't get any pictures of either of the girls opening presents, as they did it over by the pool and I was off having too much fun playing (and chasing kids around).  However, they both got some really nice things and everyone had a good time visiting with each other.

Just Chillin'

Feet on the table for breakfast?

Lauren seems to think she rules the roost at our house.

Sprinkler!

We got out the sprinkler for some summer fun....but Lauren didn't quite know what to make of it once the water got high.

Hannah was loving it!

Lauren preferred to watch her big sis from the "safety" of the patio.

Hannah & Addie's Fishing Trip

Jon and our friend, John Stark, took Hannah & John's daughter, Addie fishing.  The girls were super-excited for an outing with their dads.  They each had their own fishing poles and we'd packed some special snacks for an evening fishing trip to a pond about an hour away.  The girls both caught a bunch of sunfish and had a great time.

Jon's version of their outing goes like this:

 

Three scenes from Fishing at the Pond with Hannah.

Scene 1: I'm fishing in the pond while Hannah stands next to me and throws rocks in the water.
Me: Hannah, stop that. You are going to scare off all the fish.
Hannah: Dad, fish love rocks. The make their houses of rocks. This will BRING the fish to us.
Scene 2: Hannah is crouched behind my SUV trying to pee, while I hold her hands.
Hannah: Dad, am I peeing on my shorts?
(she is peeing on her shorts, but I do not have any other shorts.)
Me: Nope. Your shorts are just a little wet from when you fell in the pond a little.
     Hannah: I didn't fall in.
     Me: you just forget.
     Hannah: OK. I probably forgot.
    Scene 3: Five minutes after scene two, Hannah says she has to pee again. She assures me she does not    have to poop. She is crouching again behind my SUV, while I hold her hands.
    Me: Hannah are you gonna poop?
    Hannah: (grunting) No.
    Me: Hannah! You're pooping. Outside. Behind my car!
    Hannah: Guess I did have to poop some. HA! HA! I was just teasing when I said I didn't have to poop.
 

They didn't get home with the girls until almost 10pm! Thank goodness it's summer and the kids can stay up a little later than usual.

Sonika & Mike's Babies' Welcome Lunch

I took a quick trip to Pittsburgh with the girls to attend the "Welcome Luncheon" for my college roommate Sonika's twins that were born in January.  Sonika and her husband, Mike, traveled a long road before having these babies (and not by c-section - even though baby B was breach!) in January.  They were definitely excited to have these babies and their enthusiasm to show them off to their friends and family showed in the preparations for the lunch - it was decorated like a wedding reception (actually nicer than some wedding receptions - including mine).  There were tons of appetizers, an Indian feast for a late lunch, cake, videos and time to visit with friends. The only other W&J person there was our friend, Stacie...and I'm SO GLAD she was there to help corral my kids!

Stacie with the girls enjoying appetizers

(actually, Lauren enjoyed everything, including the Indian lunch - Hannah had cheese and crackers followed by a lunch of rice and bread....good thing I had a pack of applesauce in the diaper bag!)

The Cake

The story behind the decorations is that they didn't learn the sex before the babies were born. They referred to them as "peanut" and "jelly bean" & were able to carry that through with decorations.

Framed Pictures of the kids

Sonika actually gave me two of those beautiful table decorations - the ones one the tables where people ate had pictures of the kids hanging on them as ornaments.  Sonika made them all.  Apparently, that is what happens when a Hematologist-Oncologist finishes her fellowship and only has two babies to care for while she jobs hunts.....

Lots of people!

Hannah was actually scared of the Sikh men in their turbans. She kept calling them "artists" and telling me their hats were scary. I did my best to explain to her... Thankfully, Sonika thought it was funny ; )

Waiting for a train to come by

Sonika & Michael

 

Sonika & Mike with Nayla & Arjan

Hannah loves seeing Sonika and asking to hold those babies!  We're so glad we were able to make the trip to celebrate.  A funny story about the trip over to PA - I took the girls by myself and left Thursday night after work.  The idea was that the girls would sleep & I'd arrive at Josh & Danila's and be able to just throw them into bed.  Instead, Hannah viewed the trip as one-on-one time with Mommy after Lauren feel asleep before we hit downtown Columbus.  Hannah talked to me ALMOST THE ENTIRE WAY.  She fell asleep just past 9:30pm just past Washington, PA.  In Washington, I called Danila to give her an ETA -- Hannah asked why I was calling Aunt D as the phone was dialing and when I told Hannah it was to give her an idea of when we'd be there, she responded "(audible SNIFF) We must be close. I can SMELL her."  HILARIOUS!!  (But apparently we weren't close enough for Hannah to make it that last hour.)