Glorious Spring!

This is what I saw when I opened Daniel's bedroom door yesterday morning. Apparently, Nicholas had gotten up, heard his brother awake, and decided to go on in and keep him company! (No complaints here, especially when it allowed us a few more minutes of precious shut-eye.)



More fun at Busch Gardens... We started taking swimsuits so that the boys could play in the water areas there.



This is how the boys stay busy while Chris is out working in the yard. What great helpers! (BTW, these are from a few weeks ago. The woods are completely green and filled in now.)

Daniel sure is strong!

Here is a quick update on the boys themselves:

Nicholas- At his four-year visit, Nicholas weighed about 40 lbs, and is 41 inches tall. This puts him in the 90th percentile for weight and the 75th for height!
We have been learning one new letter from the alphabet each week since the fall, and are now on letter Z! Nicholas is really interested in words, letter sounds, and reading signs. He also likes to count, but we still need to work on number identification.

Recently, I've been reminded that he still craves one-on-one time with me and/or Chris. Since he naps only occasionally now, I try to use part of Daniel's nap time to play games with him and spend time together. A few days ago, we were having a great time playing when I heard Daniel waking up in his room. I said, "Oh, we better go get Daniel!" and Nicholas followed me into his bedroom. We saw D. sitting up in his crib, but Nicholas quickly said, "He's still sleeping! Close the door and let's go play some more!"

Daniel- Daniel now weighs almost 30 lbs! He loves to run around, so he's lost some of those "baby rolls" on his legs, but still has plenty of chubbiness to cuddle.
Daniel is quite taken with trucks, trains, and cars lately. He really enjoys playing at the train table and watching for "diggers" and bulldozers when we are driving around.
He is also quite the chatterbox. On a recent drive, he kept a constant stream of chatter going that sounded something like this: "Hi, digger! Bye-bye digger. Ice cream truck! Ice cream truck! NO! No no no NO! NOT me! My turn. MY TURN. Stop it, honey. Hi mail truck. I like diggers. Bulldozer..." You get the idea. The funny thing is that no one said a word to him during this monologue.

We hope you're having a wonderful spring! Love, Chris, Beverly, and the Boys

A Happy Easter

He is risen indeed! We had a wonderful early service at church on Sunday, celebrating Christ's resurrection. (The weather was chilly, but I was determined to wear my sleeveless dress, and to have Daniel wear the outfit I bought Nicholas two years ago- the one he didn't get to wear because it snowed on Easter!) After church, we returned home to rest for the afternoon, then had a delicious meal with friends. After Busch Gardens on Friday and Nicholas' birthday on Saturday, we were pooped. But, meditating on the cross and the miracle of Jesus' resurrection put everything into perspective. The Easter baskets and new clothes are nice, but ultimately, we are here for His glory.

Nicholas Turns Four

Turning One Year Old, April 2006

Our "baby" turned four years old on Saturday. People told us that the time would fly, and it seems to be true. Here are some pictures from his birthday, and some from birthdays passed:

Just before his second birthday, April 2007

Turning Three, April 2008

Nicholas had an "earthworm" cake.
(Those of you familiar with Max and Ruby will understand this.)

More Busch Gardens

The characters put on a little show at the beginning and end of the meal.

Nicholas wanted to touch Ernie's shoe.

Daniel got a kick out of touching Bert's nose

The boys on one of the Sesame rides

Nicholas and Mom at breakfast

We hit B.G. again today! (We are really making the most of these unlimited summer passes.) This time, we had breakfast with "Elmo and Friends." (BTW, Daniel was considered an "infant," and got to eat for free. Chris and I thought this was hilarious since he ate more than the rest of us. They probably changed that policy after we left!)
Our expectations were exceeded in every way! Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Big Bird walked around and visited with the kids for at least 45 minutes. They joked, entertained, and danced around with the children the whole time. Nicholas thought it was great when Ernie tried to drink his juice. Daniel wasn't frightened at all this time, and judging from the number of times he said "Bert" today, I think he may have a new favorite.

A Day at Busch Gardens

There were lots of rides that the boys could do alone together.

The "kiddie" roller coaster. Chris and Nicholas are in the back row. (It looked pretty scary to me, but Nicholas wasn't frightened at all!)

Nicholas was thrilled to see his favorite characters, but Daniel was a bit more hesitant.

Ernie is Daniel's favorite, but he still didn't want to hug him.

Yesterday was just as close to perfect as you can get. The weather was warm and sunny, and we decided to take the boys to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg (about an hour away) to celebrate Nicholas' birthday early. It was the grand opening of a new Sesame Street section, and there were characters everywhere! B.G. is VERY family friendly. We spent about four hours there, and only did the kid stuff! Both boys had a great time on all the rides, and Nicholas even surprised us by wanting to try out his first roller coaster. The only thing that scared Daniel was when the characters got too close to him. It was an awesome day, and because we're Virginia residents, we get unlimited passes for the summer!

Spring Days

Sillies on the deck- can't decide which is my favorite.

Goofing on inside- the boys still aren't too old to enjoy a game of "peek-a-boo."

Nicholas LOVES his rainboots and umbrella, and asks to use them almost everyday- even when it's sunny.

Spring is here! We've been outside as much as possible. There was LOTS of rain last week, so here are some photos of the both during both a rainy and sunny day. Also, one of our projects has been watching caterpillars grow and form chrysalises. They aren't butterflies yet, but will hopefully emerge in a week or two!

Tennesee

Cute, cute Daniel

The boys with Grammie (Bev's Mom)

Riding on Grandpa's ATV

Rainforest Cafe

The Nashville Zoo

We traveled to Tennessee last week (just after the snowstorm), and it was a busy, BUSY trip! Chris had business in Knoxville, but we were able to visit my mom and Nashville and his dad and stepmom in Clark Range. While there, we went to the zoo and Rainforest Cafe (which was a big hit with both boys!), then relaxed with Grandpa and Nonna on Saturday.