Family Fun Day!

On Saturday we had Drew home for the morning, so we decided to make the most of it! We headed downtown to check out the Austin Nature and Science Center at Zilker Park, and Lilly had a great time seeing all the animals and checking out the dino pit. 
We made a quick stop at Austin's bookstore, Book People, and then headed south to get some trailer food on South Congress. (It's an Austin thing.) On our way to the car, we spotted Big Top Candy Shop, a cool old timey candy store, right across the street, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to check it out! It was a great morning, and I was happy to hit a few more spots on my list of "things to do in Austin." 

Have we mentioned how much we love Austin?

Turtles are her favorite.

"Frigid Frog" shaved ice and curry from "Coat and Thai"!

Nap time, anyone?

Planes, Tanks & Helicopters

Last week we went with some friends to the Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry. After passing a thorough inspection in order to enter the camp (license, insurance, weapons check, etc.), we got to explore the museum and see lots of big military vehicles up close. The museum was packed with exhibits about the war history and military equipment of the Texas Military Forces over the past couple centuries! It made me feel really grateful for all those that have fought and continue to fight to protect our country and our freedoms.

 Lilly had lots of questions about the displays, and it was fun to try to explain such big concepts to a 2 year old. But at the end of the day, I'm pretty sure she was just really excited about the planes.

 

An April Update

Lilly is a month shy of 2 1/2 and she's never been more sweet. She is talkative and playful, but also shy and thoughtful. She's very aware of those around her and is always trying to help. She loves singing songs and looking at maps. She likes twirling down the sidewalk, and practicing yoga poses. Her favorite books at the moment are any of the Llama Llama series, The Kissing Hand, and a non-fiction one about the human body. She can buckle herself into her carseat without any help. Her favorite thing to say to me this week is, "But noOo." She's incredibly independent, but equally quick to obey and eager to please. 

I love all her silliness, but the quiet moments are my favorite. There is something so sweet and endearing about finding a 2 year old reading quietly by herself or completely focused on a puzzle. I usually have a hard time capturing those moments because she stops when she sees me, but I got lucky on this particular day.

(I also like these pictures because she's wearing an adorably over-sized t-shirt from her Uncle Marc in Thailand.)

A Weekend with Uncle Will

We were so happy to get to spend some time with Drew's brother, Will, this weekend. He flew down from Michigan for a short visit, and we had a great time just hanging out and doing a little sight-seeing in Austin. Lilly feigned shyness, but quickly fell in love and became her bossy little self. Will was a great playmate and even babysat on his own for a couple hours! We all had a great time!

On Friday night, Drew met up with two of his brothers (Terry didn't make it into this picture) to watch their Grandpa Wayne sing and play guitar at his Martini Club in San Antonio. They had a great time. And stayed out WAY too late. :)

Will had his phone commandeered soon after arriving.

Lilly put her water gun to use, but she was kind enough to ask for permission prior to shooting. . .

Drew bought a guitar to celebrate passing his qualifying exams, and the brothers had fun jamming.

Lilly's a big fan of the guitar.

 We went down to Austin one morning to show Will around the city. We drove down Sixth Street, hiked around a huge graffiti wall, and showed him the scenic view from Mount Bonnell.

The boys battled on the basketball court.

And Lilly read Fancy Nancy to Will because he said the words were too fancy for him. . .

We can't wait for more talking/jamming/reading time this Christmas!

Planting Seeds

A few weeks ago Lilly brought some beans home from a library storytime about "growing." She was excited to help plant them and to watch them grow.

After a couple weeks, we had some nicely sprouted bean plants of unknown variety.   

When Grandma visited, she and Lilly had fun planting some other seeds around our backyard, some flowers around the trees, lettuce around our little potted tomato plant, and a row of green beans by the kitchen window. We decided it was time for Lilly's beans to get outside, so we planted them by the other bean plants that had sprouted.

Now Lilly has a nice little row of bean plants to tend to.

I think she's turning into a pretty good little gardener.