belated summer pictures

yeah, yeah, yeah... it has been a while since the last post... especially since the last pictures of our little girl. We'll get to those....

It has been a crazy June and July. Grandma and Grandpa D were here for Sara's birthday... then Grandma D. came back a couple of weeks later to hang-out and help-out, particularly while I was traveling. That was a tremendous help. Danette has been busier and under more work-stress than I remember since we have been married this summer... these things go in cycles, and fortunately business is good, just a lot of work... add in travel for me and some illness around the house... and it was a bruising June.

July is going smoother, Grandma and Grandpa H. visited for a week around the 4th. As usual, Grandpa likes to get dirty on his vacations... in the garden, so they helped us out in an amazing way by clearing out some flower beds (filled with ubiquitous rocks in all the beds in our yard) and helping us plant some new beds. With the exception of mulching (and weeding...) and maybe some edging to do, they will hopefully be relatively low maintenance.... they are already more beautiful!

Sara got spoiled quite a bit on all these visits with being picked up early from day care by Grandma and Grandpa... in part so they cold go to the park and get on the slides and swings... big fun. Sara also clearly knows who she belongs to now... her Grandfathers! Needless to say, when a grandpa is around you know who she is going to hang out with... be it on the couch or in the dirt in the garden. Definitely pretty cute.

In other great news, two sets of friends (both of who's weddings we traveled to Europe for in 2005) have recently welcomed their own new additions. Nate and Claire welcomed Sophie Anne and Gretchen and Phil just had Libby and Alex this week. We're looking forward to lots of pictures and eventually visits with these new dual-citizen babies!

Okay, on to some much anticipated pictures...

Here's Sara and Danette at Sara's friend Jacob's birthday party..



Sara looking more grown-up sitting in her own lawn chair...



backyard fun... back 2 weeks ago when the grass was still green...



And with her Grandpa H....



who's that peeking down her new tunnel?



and yes, we now eat popsicles... especially as we are still trying to break through that 4th tooth.



and one of our new flower beds...