Laine from Champaign

In college I met one of my good friends...Laine. She was from Champaign...and it was always so funny when she would say "I'm Laine from Champaign!" Yeah, typing that out now...I'm guessing that we were probably drinking at the time...

Anyways, my good friend Laine was home from Houston, Texas a couple weeks ago. So we headed to Champaign to visit with her family. The girls started off shy...but by the end of the day they were buds. It was an especially exciting visit since Laine blurted out that Baby Cipolla #2 is on the way...due the beginning of March! We can't wait to meet the newest Cipolla addition. Congrats Chris & Laine!

Attempting to get a picture where they look at the camera...so close...

This picture cracks me up...I almost deleted it and then I realized, Chloe is picking at Isabel's toe nails! Clearly bff's as I don't even pick at Isabel's toe nails ;)

Now we are excited! Isabel could hardly contain the excitement of a wagon ride. Clearly we need to get the wagon out more frequently at our house.

Chloe...giving instructions on how to ride in the wagon.

Such good little wagon riders. Isabel didn't let go one time. I think fear might have had something to do with it...

The girls...almost all posing for the camera!

This little girl was spent after her afternoon of fun with Chloe!

Vaca

We had one incredible vacation in July! My parents "rented" (read: took over) a distant cousin's home in Kimberling City, Missouri, which is on Tablerock Lake. We went a couple years ago with all of my cousins and had an incredible vacation floating and drinking. This trip was just slightly different... We simply slept, ate, slept, drank, ate, floated, drank, drank, slept, ate, drank, drank and then slept some more. I think everyone adopted to Isabel's two nap a day schedule quite well!

The housing arrangements were perfect for our family dynamic. Me, Ben and Isabel had a separate guest house, which was perfect for naps and the peanut's early bedtime. My parents stayed next door with my cousin Steve, in the home he recently built. My parents friend's, the Semelka's and Kellenberger's, stayed in one of the condos down the street. It was a fun little compound!

The weather was beautiful, the house was incredible and the company couldn't be better. It was next to perfect...I'm crossing my fingers that my Dad will someday consider a vacation home like this.

I was really nervous for our first day out on the boat. Isabel never really got to the point where the life jacket was completely zipped, fastened and ready to go...so I was apprehensive about the first ride. Needless to say, she did pretty well (the first day). She was definitely uncomfortable, but she survived.

Frozen in my arms...confused about the "straight jacket".

"Too winny"

"ohhh", Isabel's face of excitement

All the excitement tired out the baby...she was asleep by the time we got to the first cove for swimming.

On the way home we had to stop for gas...which was pushing Isabel's limits with the life jacket. So what else do you do to appease a child in this type of situation....BRIBE them. The orange push-up that Grandpa bought for her worked wonders!

Home again and ready for another nap.

Day 2...Isabel is slowly figuring things out.

"Who is the idiot that tied this thing in knots? Seriously...how are we going to use this for the anchor?"

and the picture quota has been reached...

Our non-sunshine time...doing some work

"This boat driving business is tricky..."

Floating with Grandma and checking out rocks in the lake. At this point we were at the "island" so it was really shallow water...which was a little safer with da baby!

Checkout my diaper butt...wet diapers must weigh 10 lbs...

Family photo op

Grandpa and Cousin Steve with Miss Isabel. Isabel loved on Mr. Moose so much during the week, that Steve sent the moose home with her.

Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa AND Cousin Steve!!! Can't wait for next year!!

I'm Cool...and I Know It!

I'm so excited to blog about our relaxing vacation to Tablerock...but haven't found the time yet (and I'm tired). So, here is my little joe coolette!

Ten

Can I still call her a baby at ten months? I can't believe how fast time has flown by. At ten months, I would say she is really developing a personality and toughening up. She seems to get more and more active by the day. She definitely isn't as afraid of getting hurt these days. She is also so loving. She has mastered kisses...almost too well. She will cuddle up with you and she absolutely loves her "lovey" (i.e. blanket). I had to buy a couple more for the day care and just in case of emergency.

Here is a link for our monthly pictures on Kodak.

Riding the horsey! Giddy up!

"Yumm, pudding is delicious."

I can already hear it now..."we don't have anything to eat"

Coming through

"Do you have to get married and leave me Aunt Amanda?"

Isabel's lovey...this thing works wonders (Thanks Angela)!

Miss Tough Girl

"Leave me alone mom, I'm texting my friends."

Sunny day with the Kormans

The Korman's came to town a couple weeks ago and we had play date out at the Spencer Pool. It was the perfect day for the pool...HOT. We had a nice time hanging out with the kids...I just wish we lived closer!

Addie and Isabel are only nine months apart...clearly ready to be BFF's

Obviously we underestimated how sunny it was outside!

Take 2...much better. Adelaide, Isabel and Ella

Fireworks

We started off our July with a lot of fireworks. First, Ben's sister got married! The wedding was so incredibly beautiful and personal to Amanda & Jacob...we say Yacob :) The festivities were held out at Ben's parents house and the weather was absolutely perfect. Later in the evening, there was a firework show to celebrate. We also "sent off" Chinese wish lanterns. I'm sure these things are illegal in the US as they SCREAM fire hazard...but it was beautiful to light the lanterns and watch them lift off...kind of like mini hot air balloons, minus the passengers.

I was a little busy during the wedding, so I only had a couple pictures on my camera...you would think I would have gotten a picture of the bride and groom. Thank goodness someone else was taking pictures as well. Here is Miss Iz with Grandma and Grandpa.

We also celebrate the 4th of July at the annual Crestwicke parade! It was great, Isabel loved all the decorations, fire trucks, horses, golf carts, bikes along with friends and family!

"Yay...bring on the parade!"

While we waited for the parade to start, Michaela, Maria and Macy decorated Isabel's stroller. Can you believe that I used to babysit Michaela and Maria? Now, they are Isabel's babysitters!

Isabel and Great-Grandpa

"The 4th of July rocks"

"Come on Grandpa...help me pick up the candy!"

"Check out my first car"

"Alright, I'm tired of driving...who wants to take over?"

Flush

Isabel has found the bathroom! Doesn't matter where we are at in our house...she will make a bee line for the closest bathroom. Depending on which one she is in, she will either go straight for the toilet paper, open the cabinets and pull everything out, or open all the drawers and investigate THOROUGHLY. It was cute the first and maybe second time, but since then I'm tired of hanging out in the bathroom. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she starts flushing something I value down the toilet.

"Privacy Please"

"oh, look at all this tp"

"hmm, what's this?"

"bye bye toilet paper" (note the empty roll)