Happy Six Months Ayame!

I have no excuse. Oh, wait, I do: new baby, graduate program, preschool co-op, church calling. Hence, no posts for months and months. I'll try to be better but there's no way to catch up. So we'll just start here.

A bit of summer fun...

Another little random video clip to share that I just realized I had loaded but not posted...

More summer fun

Aren't these desserts amazing? I wish I could give credit to the chef but alas--I don't know her name! She is the friend of my friend Christine--who threw a great one year birthday party for her baby girl Addison.

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Summer Fun

A few photos of our summer adventures:



Not a great photo but this is of North Beach, Maryland--a great Chesapeake Bay beach only 1.5 hrs away. We went with our great friends the Wilks family and the blob you see in the water is Nate with Yumi riding on his back.

We frequently meet Nate for lunch at the nearby Reston Town Center. Can you spot Yumi?

With the addition of an infant carrier in the grocery cart, Yumi has been promoted.

Yumi and Emi both ADORE Ayame.

One of my best friends in the whole world Marliss came to visit her family in Maryland several weeks ago--and nicely came into DC and out to us in Northern Virginia for fun times. Here we have all the girls--Banner, the token boy, is out of the picture--at the zoo. From left to right (and forgive me mispellings!): Bria (Marliss), Emi and Yumi (mine), Melia (Marliss) and Eden (Marliss's sister Elaine and also a great friend of mine).

Yankee Doodle Sweethearts

We had a great day! Ward pancake breakfast, visit to the farm, and a multi-family BBQ at our home in the afternoon/evening, culminating in an amateur fireworks show in front of our house.

More cuteness

At Frying Pan Park today. I went on my own (sort of); my awesome friend Nicolina meet up with me and totally helped me manage my girls...but Aya was A GEM and was pleasantly and peacefully awake the whole time.

Our homecoming earlier this week:

Deep thoughts....

Happy Birthday Baby Aya

Baby Aya was born today! 8 days late, she decided to make up for lost time and was born after only 3.5 hrs of labor at 6:23am. Yikes! Also--8lbs 7oz--most of that in her cheeks. For the record, her name is Ayame (ah-yah-may) Mariam Ayer. Enjoy the photos!

April!

What a busy month! Nate came home, we had many fun times with the girls and their friends, we celebrated Easter, built a castle in the backyard, bought a car...the list goes on. Here are a few (ha!) photos in completely random order--as I still cannot manipulate the blogger photo system.

Emiko, with our great friend Abby, at an Easter Egg hunt at Rachel's home. Below that, Mayumi's and her best friend Juliette.

Mayumi and Aiden, hunting for eggs.

My two beautiful girls--I can't help taking pictures of them at the most random of times.

Emi has taken after her sister in wanting to wipe off all wet/dirty surfaces. She took the towel from the kitchen and wiped off the bike seat on her own initiative.

Mayumi LOVES babies. Loves them. Here she is, 'nuggling' my friend Nicolina's daughter, Baby Mary.

Once again, with cute Abby at her home. Her family (the Wilsons) spent nearly every Monday evening with me when Nate was gone. I love these guys.

Mayumi's betrothed, Wyatt. Can you believe this photo? We did not set this up--this is exactly how she looked on the back of his battery-powered bike.

The kids table (General Conference brunch). Apparently Emi wasn't old enough to merit her own plate....

Mayumi's darling friend Juliette invited us to her 3rd birthday party. None of us thought in advance how hard it might be for Yumi to watch a peer receive a bunch of presents...and not receive any of her own. I was proud of both girls and how they handled it. Here is Mayumi, trying hard to be brave and share in her friend's joy in receiving a princess outfit.

These girls really do love each other.

Same pair, different day--enjoying a dress-up trade. Mayumi is wearing the above-mentioned princess outfit and Juliette is wearing Mayumi's fairy costume. Happy as can be.

Mayumi, Wyatt, and future sister-in-law Bekah.

I have cute nieces and nephews!

So, Nate came home! Yay! We enjoyed a get-away to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Reunion with the girls.

The new car!

The 'castle' (as Yumi calls it) that Nate built (from his own design) in our backyard. Amazing, isn't it??

My friend Stephanie (the seamstress that coached me through the quilt and quiet book adventures) is ALSO an amazing dance teacher and owner of her own studio. Mayumi is own of her students and these are a few photos I took on 'parent appreciation day.'