Happy Halloween 2009!

We had a great Halloween this year! It was Sebastian's first and Helena's second. We started the day off at Kackleberry Farms in Louisville, GA with Oma, Opa, Aunty Con Con, and Audrey. Unfortunately, my camera battery died about 10 minutes after we arrived!


Helena was very excited about Kackleberry Farms!!!


Audrey was just as excited and super cute!


This giant haystack/pillow bouncing thing takes a little getting used to, especially for the little ones.



Helena quickly warmed up to it!



Catching some air!!! Then my camera died. Helena and Audrey enjoyed the Farm so much! They rode the cow train, went down the slides, swang, colored in the Chicken Coop, fed the baby goats and sheep, petted the baby chicks, and watched piggy races. Helena even rode the zip line! We enjoyed ourselves so much!

When we got home, it was time for baths, dinner, and costumes! Helena was a "Leny-bug" again, and Sebastian was a bumble bee!


Helena, always the big helper!


Sebastian thinks Helena is so funny...he'll giggle at most things that she does!



Helena helped "Bas-chin" put on his hoodie.


He didn't love the hoodie part very much.



Helena loved her wings!





Sebastian always watches...



Dancing like a ladybug!



Helena-ladybug, Owen-Ironman, Avery-Tinkerbell, Ashley-??



Helena with the neighborhood kids...they all look thrilled that "Helena's Mommy"wants to take a picture! Thanks to Denise for Helena's headband/antenna and Jill for Helena's glow wand!


Look at my candy!!!!!

A Few Updated Photos

At the request of friends and family, I am posting a few recent pictures so everyone can see how big and how cute the kids are! I will be catching up from where I left off...just not tonight.

These are our two, precious children...the fun never ends with them! Helena thinks anything with 'Bas-chin is fun! She makes him giggle like no one else can!


Helena LOVES to read books...she goes once a week to story time at the Library and always comes home with more books to read. Sebastian enjoys a different sensory experience--tasting the books; however, it appears that Daddy's soothing voice may be helping him fall asleep.


Jill, our nanny, has great ideas and plans adventures for Helena to keep her busy...this day, Jill sent Helena on a scavenger hunt and at the end was a pair of wings! Helena LOVES to fly around the house with her wings on and thinks that she's a butterfly.


Sebastian is such a happy baby...always smiling!


Sebastian has started eating more and more and more! He loves to gnaw on bread or apples and eats as much as you'll feed him! His fine motor movements are still developing, so he chases cheerios and 'stars' around his tray until he catches them and then struggles to get them in his mouth.


Helena still loves to get in bed with Sebastian...I think we may have accidentally woken him up this morning.


Here are the Tomaszewski kids sporting brand new, adorable pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa!


Cousin AddyAnn came to stay with us for almost a week after her 4th birthday party. This picture was taken the day of her party, in Chattanooga.


After Helena's birthday in September, we saved an Oscar the Grouch cupcake, in the freezer, for Addy. Aunty Cindy/Mommy pulled the cupcakes out for dessert and the girls greatly enjoyed them!


We visited a pumpkin patch while Addy was staying with us...the girls had fun picking out pumpkins and checking out all the different, weird-looking gourds.


Uncle Mikey/Daddy pulled the girls in the wagon, with their pumpkins, which was so much fun for the girls! They wanted to bring the wagon home with us...somehow we convinced them that the pumpkins were enough.


While Addy was staying with us Audrey came to stay for a few days, also. Here is a picture of Audrey helping Addy open some more birthday presents. It was definitely an eye-opening experience going from 2 to 4 children in a matter of days! Thankfully Jill was able to keep them all occupied and they played well together.



I'm closing this blog with a picture of the 'princess', as Daddy calls her, having success on her throne!

4th of July 2009

Michael wasn't at the fire station, for once!!!, for 4th of July so we headed to Ft. Gordon to watch the fireworks and to meet Oma, Opa, and Audrey.


Helena and Audrey were excited to ride the ponies! This is the same place that Helena went on her first pony ride in October of '08.


Petting her pony...



Audrey, happy to ride her pony.




We ended up sitting really close to my good friend Jamie Goulet's family. Jamie, Helena, and I came to the fireworks together last year, so it was fun to see her family here this year. This is a picture of Helena with Jamie's niece, Jalin. Jalin was so sweet to share with Helena! Later on, Jamie's parents shared some of their glow necklace with Helena and Audrey. Thank you!!!



The Tomaszewski family on 4th of July. Typical Helena, will not look at the camera, and typical Michael, pretending to smile when all he really wants to do is eat his hot dog.




Helena, loving (little-girl-handling) Sebastian while she eats her plain bun.



The kids waiting for the fireworks to begin!



Oma and Opa had the right idea...they brought their super comfy pool recliner chairs. Not fun to carry out to the field, but definitely worth it while watching the fireworks!





Helena using her glow bracelets as a teether...that's safe right?



Daddy/Uncle Mikey holding the girls while they watch the great fireworks!

Happy 4th of July, 2009!!!

Visiting Will and Krystal in Charlotte, NC

In June, Will and Krystal were in Charlotte on a business trip. As soon as Krystal told me they were coming, I made plans for us to meet them! It had been much too long since we had seen them...Will and Krystal, Matt and Megan took an Eastern road trip a few weeks after Helena was born, so we saw them in October of 2007. It was soooo good to see these 2...we love them immensely!!!

On Friday when we arrived, Krystal met us at our hotel. Soon, Will was done at his meeting downtown so we all drove to pick him up. We went back to Will and Krystal's hotel to swim in their pool. After cooling off, we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Krystal, and Will, but especially Krystal, LOVES sweet tea...plus it was fish fry Friday. We headed back to our hotel to put our kids to bed...I, fortunately, packed our video monitor so we were able to hang out in the lobby with Will and Krystal after the kids were asleep. It was so fun to be with adults, especially people that we have known and loved for so long! Krystal and I met, in 1998, while working on our Bachelor's degrees in Speech Pathology Loma Linda University and have been friends ever since!

Saturday morning we met for breakfast at the Original House of Pancakes. That was so delicious....if you ever eat there you HAVE to try the Dutch Baby. It sounds very strange, but is surprisingly really good. After breakfast we dropped Will off at his meeting and headed for the Discovery Place museum.

Krystal helping Helena identify the animals.




Helena enjoyed the play area...she's is quite the adventurer.




They happened to have a circus exhibit the day we were visiting...here are Michael and Sebastian trying on some circus-wear.


About the time we were done with the museum, Will called and said he was done also. We picked him up and headed for the Billy Graham Library. It was such a hot day, but it was well worth the sweating and heat. What an impact this man had for the Lord!

Krystal and I...the grounds are beautiful and that barn! You have to see it, if you're in Charlotte. It's gorgeous!




Smiley girls! I do realize that I have very few pictures of this trip and I am so embarrassed. Thinking back, I kind of think the problem was having to wrangle Helena, who is so inquisitive and into everything, as well as taking care of Sebastian, who had just turned 5 months old. Maybe it was the heat, too.



While at the library, we all went on the tour. Helena lasted, maybe, 15 minutes. So...she and I went on the back porch of the library and played. They had rocking chairs, tables and chairs for employees to eat lunch, and a beautiful grassy yard to play in.







My little girl...she has the 'baby' face still here. Oh, how I love her imagination and energy!


After the tour we headed to Waffle House, yes, you read that correctly, for lunch. Not my favorite place to eat, but (I'm pretty sure) Will and Krystal hadn't eaten there before. We headed back to their hotel for more swimming before we had to say good-bye. It was so nice to be with them. We really missed not seeing the Matt and Megan play with Helena and Sebastian, but that means we have something to look forward to! Love you, Stauffers!!!

Happy Father's Day, Michael

Michael, you have given me the most beautiful children a Mommy could dream of...I love you!

This is our first Father's Day together, Daddy. Happy Father's Day!




Happy Father's Day, Daddy! I love you!!



For Father's Day, I took Michael and the children to our favorite brunch spot--the Marriott in downtown Augusta. The buffet includes bagels, cream cheese, and lox, fresh berries, melons, and citrus, cheese grits, biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, yogurt, Belgian waffles, and made-to-order eggs. Yum!





We love you, Michael! Thank you for working so hard for us...we appreciate you and all your sacrifices for us.
Love,
Cindy, Helena, and Sebastian