Two Wheels, Tulips, Tea Parties, and Tonka Trucks!!

A quick weekend with Nana and ‘Nando

2011-06-25T23:30:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed a quick weekend with Nana and Fernando about a month ago. I wish the kids knew when we were on vacation and would sleep in a little bit! But, unfortunately, they don’t and we were sitting outside enjoying the early morning sunshine by 7:30am.

The kids love Nana’s new house! They absolutely love playing around the house and playing out in the yard.

Thanks, Nana and ‘Nando!! We had an awesome weekend!!! And after such a busy weekend, we especially enjoyed the quiet trip home! :)

Hole in One!!!

2011-06-25T22:50:00.001-04:00

Darren and I were lucky enough to go golfing together on May 21st, while Nana and ‘Nando watched the kids for us.

The weather was a bit rainy and little cool, but that didn’t stop my husband from showing off his spectacular golf skills. (His skills look even more impressive when he is golfing next to me!!) :)

At any rate, on lucky hole #7 he actually put the ball in the hole in one shot!! Very cool!! :)

We couldn’t really tell if it went in from the tee off, but we couldn’t really see it anymore either. It bounced once at the edge of the green and then disappeared. We both looked at each other and said, “Did that just go in the hole?!?” As we pulled up to the hole, we could see it wedged between the cup and the flag!

Congratulations, Sweetie!! A shot of a lifetime and I’m so happy I was there to share it with you!

Mother’s Day, Outdoor Time, and the Detroit Zoo, Oh My!!

2011-06-24T00:32:00.001-04:00

Brooklyn came out of her Sunday school class and handed me a little snapdragon plant and said “Happy Valentines Day!” :)

I just love these babies to pieces!! I am so blessed to be the mom to such special little munchkins!!

With May came much warmer weather. This summer we are trying to spend every moment outside that we possibly can!! Maybe winter won’t come this year!! :)

Pop came down for a visit and we met up with the Harrison kids at the zoo. We all had a great time! It is so much fun each time we go to the zoo to see how much more the kids recognize and enjoy looking at the animals.

More May coming soon!! :)

Miscellaneous April

2011-06-02T23:35:00.001-04:00

Wrapping up the month with a few more pictorial highlights. :)

Alright Vanna and ‘Price is Right’ girls – watch out!! Here comes Brookie!!

My little kitchen helper. Can’t wait until he can do the dishes! :)

Ice cream break!! Sometimes the kids actually pretend to like each other! :)

Story time!! Shhh…the babies are sleeping!

Isn’t she so organized!!?? :)

And just a few more…

Yeah, April!! On to May!! :)

Easter 2011

2011-06-02T22:50:00.001-04:00

Slowly, but surely, we will get caught up!! :) This year we spent Easter with Pop and Grandma Mary, doing all of the traditional Easter activities. It started the night before with dyeing eggs.

Then it was off to bed, so that the Easter Bunny could come and drop off his goodies. (Thank you to all of the contributing Easter Bunny friends!)

Everything was much appreciated!

Then it was off to church in our Easter best! :) Honestly kids, all we are asking for is one nice picture. Is that too much to ask? :) Geez.

I managed to get a couple of cute shots of the kids – even though that never entails both of them actually smiling and looking at the camera together.

We had to get them out of those church clothes before they became little disasters. Kids in nice clothes are attracted to dirt like magnets! After lunch it was time for a little Easter egg hunt.

We had a lovely day! We hope everyone else had a nice Easter, too!! May God bless your family as much as he has blessed ours!! :)

The Butterfly Garden at Dow Gardens

2011-05-23T22:48:00.001-04:00

In early April, me and the kids went to visit Pop in Midland. One or two times per year, Dow Gardens turns their botanical greenhouse into a butterfly garden. I love butterfly gardens and we were certainly looking for anything we could do to get out of the house! We had a blast!

After Dow Gardens, it was back to Pop’s house to hang out for a little while. Brooklyn helped Pop check the birdhouses and then it was time for a wrestling match.

Thanks, Pop, for a great day!! We all had a wonderful time! :)

March odds and ends

2011-05-22T23:23:00.001-04:00

The rest of March was less eventful, but here are some fun and funny pictures to round out the month!

Family vacuuming time…I guess Brosnan was more worried about cleaning his ears than the floor!

A few more birthday presents from Aunt Kim.

Chomping at the bit to get outside!

An early morning and a bad hair day.

And a little bath time, followed by a little streaking!

When I decorated his room with monkeys, I never knew how foretelling it would be!

They are certainly keeping us on our toes!! April, here we come!!

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn!

2011-05-22T22:39:00.001-04:00

Brooklyn’s 3rd birthday fell on a Thursday this year, so we made a day of it hanging out with her Mimi and Opa. We started the day with visiting the Detroit Historical Museum and Pewabic Pottery, and then ended the day with a little birthday celebration.

The kids enjoyed checking out the seats from various car models at the historical museum.

As you saw in the Auto Show pictures, Brooklyn has a thing for the Michelin Man. :)

Mimi and Opa’s car choice…

…the kids’ car choice. :)

After the historical museum it was off to Pewabic Pottery where Brooklyn got a birthday ornament to add to the Christmas tree this year.

When we got home, Brooklyn opened up a couple of presents from her great-grandmother, Nani.

And then it was time for cake! (Thanks Aunt Katie for the perfect birthday crown!!)

On Saturday, everyone worked to get ready for the party.

Brosnan sampled the donuts…

…while Mimi and Brooklyn frosted all of the cupcakes.

Sorry, if someone ate that one… :)

Brooklyn got ready for her party, wearing the outfit from her Nani, and then took her 3-year-old bear pictures.

And then it was off to the party. A lack of planning on my part resulted in a very small crowd, but we still had a great time!

After the party, it was time for a family dinner – great day!!

And then as soon as they were here, they were gone again. Mimi and Opa, thank you for coming such a long way to celebrate our little girl’s third birthday!

Brooklyn, we love you so much! You bring happiness to every day of our lives! Happy Birthday, big girl!!

~Love, Mommy and Daddy

February 2011

2011-05-22T20:22:00.001-04:00

Even though the weather was yucky, there were still a few highlights in February, including Valentine’s Day, spending time with Pop, and the Super Bowl with friends. There was also lots of goofing off as a result of being trapped inside all of the time – and we certainly have some funny little goofballs.

…and that was February!

January in the “D”

2011-04-22T15:48:00.001-04:00

Every January the North American International Auto Show comes to Detroit. We try to get by there at least once during the 9 days it is open to check out all of the new car models coming out that year. The kids enjoyed crawling all over the cars, too! :)

True to typical Michigan winters we had snow this year, however, it seemed like this year was especially snowy. We had more snow days this year than any other year in my brief 9 year history here. I guess you know you are getting old when you dread having to go out in the snow – Brooklyn, however, loved it!! A few more years and she’ll be able to shovel the driveway all by herself! :)

Oh, to be a kid again!!! :)

Christmas with Nani, Nana, and Nando

2011-04-22T14:53:00.001-04:00

After getting back from Arkansas we had Christmas with Darren’s grandmother, mother, and Fernando. We all had a great time!

Thanks, Nani, Nana, and Nando!!! We love all of the goodies!! :)

Brooklyn – the Fashionista

2011-04-22T14:37:00.001-04:00

Fashion through the eyes of an almost 3 year old…

Need I say more?!?! Love it!! :)

Brosnan’s 1 year old bear pictures

2011-04-21T23:52:00.001-04:00

We were a couple days late getting his one year old bear pictures since we were out of town. But a couple days late is close enough, I suppose. :)

What a big boy!! :)

Happy First Birthday, Brosnan!!

2011-04-21T23:48:00.001-04:00

Our baby boy turned 1 year old 3 days after Christmas. His first year absolutely flew by!! We celebrated his birthday over a couple days. Since his birthday fell during the middle of the week, we had a little party for him on his birthday and then again with family a couple of days later. He didn’t mind – he got to have cake twice! We went and had his first haircut on his birthday, so he could look like a big boy for his parties!

Before…

…during… (thank goodness for those capes – that sucker was messy!)

…and after!! What a big boy!!

Enjoying his birthday cupcake.

A couple days later we were off to Chuck E. Cheese for a family party. We all had a great time!!

The story of this poor child’s life will be people spelling his name wrong. I’m sorry son, we just really liked the name. The bakery spelled his name – Bronson. I couldn’t fix it, so…Elmo just covered it up!!

Happy Birthday, Brosnan! We love you so much!!

Tulsa Aquarium

2011-04-21T23:26:00.001-04:00

A few days later, the kids were getting a little restless, so we took a trip to the Tulsa Aquarium. It is a great little aquarium full of native and tropical fish and wildlife. The kids enjoyed running all over the place.

We had a great time!! I highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area!! :)

Christmas 2010

2011-04-21T23:24:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that we are almost 4 months past Christmas already! I’m hoping to get the blog caught up in the next couple of days so everyone can see Easter pictures this Sunday and so Aunt Katie will be happy! :)

On the way down to Arkansas we spent the night in St. Louis with Grandpa and Grandma. We were able to exchange Christmas presents and spend a little time together. Grandma made Brooklyn a beautiful quilt for her big girl bed.

The next morning we were back on the road. A day or so later we went to a park in Ft. Smith for a very chilly walk through a light display and to see Santa again – just in case there were any last minute requests. Brooklyn was actually brave enough to sit on his lap this time – but doesn’t look like she was too excited about it. :)

The next night it was time to make some “ginger-man cookies”. I thought they turned out pretty good – some a little more “creative” than the others!

Christmas eve night with the kids in their little Christmas jammies. So cute!

Christmas morning!!! Santa was way too good to these two! :)

After opening presents at home, it was off to Uncle Larry and Aunt Suzette’s house for some family Christmas time – always fun!

Four Generations

Family is truly God’s greatest blessing!!

Around the house in December

2011-02-25T22:55:00.001-05:00

Here are just a few random pics from around the house in December. Every now and then we get a glimpse of what it would be like if Brooklyn liked her brother all of the time. :)

Brother and sister for life. I’m enjoying having a front row seat! :)

Getting ready for Christmas

2011-02-25T22:35:00.001-05:00

After getting home from Thanksgiving, we were very excited to go and pick out a Christmas tree. In addition to the family tree, Brooklyn found one just her size for her room, too.

After getting home, it was time to set up the tree and decorate it.

I just love my tree! :) A few days later, we were off to see Santa at the Henry Ford Museum. Brooklyn wrote a letter to Santa and mailed it off. She was a little more cautious of Santa this year and refused to sit on his lap. Brosnan was intrigued, though, and I still managed to get both of them in the same frame.

We are looking forward to Christmas this year. I missed going home to see my family last year, and I can’t wait to celebrate Brosnan’s 1st! :) Having kids seems to make this time of the year just a little more magical!!

Brosnan is 11 months old!

2011-02-25T21:18:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Brosnan with his bear at 11 months old. I thought Brooklyn was busy, but this little guy takes the prize!

Wow!! I fear we are in for a ride!!! :)

Two and a half months later…Thanksgiving Part 2

2011-02-24T23:03:00.001-05:00

Wow!! Am I behind!?! Let’s pick up where we left off.

So…the next day, we kept Grandpa going and headed to the Butterfly House. There were all sorts of bugs to look at and an indoor greenhouse to walk through with butterflies fluttering around everywhere. I love butterfly gardens!!

After a small meltdown…I won’t mention any names…we found something to do that makes little girls very happy – The Carousel!!

The next day was Thanksgiving day. The first few days we were there the weather was great, and then this happened!!

I managed to only snap one shot of everyone at the Thanksgiving table. I promise that we do try to teach our kids table manners…

Brosnan did say his first word, other than Momma or Dadda…”Cheese”. Apparently I take too many pictures of him! :)

The next day, or so, we just hung out around the house. The last night we went for a drive through Jellystone Park and their Winter Wonderland light display. Photos can’t really do it justice.

We had a great time Grandpa and Grandma! Thanks for letting us keep you busy for a week! :)

Thanksgiving in St. Louis – Part 1

2010-12-08T22:15:00.001-05:00

We all traveled down to St. Louis, Missouri for the week of Thanksgiving to hang out with Grandpa and Grandma. We had a great time visiting a few sites of the city and just hanging around the house. Brooklyn loves looking at all of my dad’s hunting trophies. She quickly reacquainted herself to the jackal – she wouldn’t touch him last time she saw him in July, but she had no reservations this time.

The first couple of days, the weather was fantastic! Brooklyn loved playing in the dirt and running around the yard, as well as filling the bird feeders. I made it my mission all week to try and photograph some of the birds, with fair success.

On Monday, we went out to the farm and did a little fishing. I caught a fish using an artificial lour for the first time – I’m usually a worm and cricket girl. Never really thought those things worked – pretty cool! We all had a great time, including Brutus!

That evening, Brooklyn was more than willing to help Grandma make some chocolate chip cookies. And what kind of baker would she be if she didn’t taste-test her work! :)

The next day the weather was about 30-40 degrees cooler, so we headed in to town for some indoor fun. We went to a amazing place for kids called The Magic House. It is a collection of activities that encourages gross motor and fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and community role-playing for smaller kids, in addition to historical and governmental learning activities for older kids. If you are ever in or around St. Louis with young children, this is a must-see! You won’t be disappointed. We had a great time! I wish we could of had more time to spend exploring – we didn’t even get to see half of it! We will definitely be going back!

Well – that was the first few days, the rest of week coming soon! :)

This and that

2010-11-25T10:47:00.001-05:00

This is another one of those random posts. A little time outside, a little time with friends, and a little time being goofy! :)

Brookie helped me rake some of the leaves the other day. She loves being outside, and she is starting to be a pretty good little helper! :)

We went to a tree lighting ceremony at a local outdoor mall with our friends, the Harrisons. The weather was great and the kids had fun!

Who needs thumbs when you have big toes?!?! :) Look ma, no hands! :)

Geez, you can’t take your eyes off this boy, even just for a minute. Things got a little quiet one evening - “Where’s brother?…Oh!! Here’s brother!!!” No sense of fear! Can’t quite walk yet, but he sure can climb – decorating his room with monkeys must have been a little foretelling! I think we are in trouble!!

The other night Brooklyn decided that the ottoman was the best place to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Her life is so stressful!

And finally, are there any words for this? :)

And if it looks good on me – why not try it on my brother?

You can almost read his eyes as he is saying, “Really? Really???” Poor Brosnan. I’m sure this is just the beginning. :)

More from Thanksgiving week to come! See you soon! ;)

Everyday Life

2010-11-08T21:28:00.001-05:00

I know that I said that I would see you “tomorrow” after my last post, but I didn’t really have anything to add. We were a little Halloween’d out after Zoo Boo and Trunk or Treat, so we just enjoyed a evening at home and handed out a little candy on Halloween. We didn’t even put the costumes on again. At any rate, I thought it was time to throw a few pictures up on the blog again. We haven’t really done anything “special” lately, but I can’t tell you how special just everyday life is. These two are just so much fun. Here are a few snapshots of the chaos we call home. :)

So, I ran across these little ladybug slippers that Aunt Katie gave Brooklyn a while back, and asked Brooklyn if she wanted to try them on. She shoved her feet in and said that they fit “great”. :) A few minutes later, she started dragging her rocking chair down the hall from her room to the living room. I asked her what she was doing and she said that she needed to take a picture. And then she said that she needed to hold “brother”. I realized that the ladybug slippers had sparked a memory for her and she wanted to recreate a picture that she had done with her brother when he was a little over a month old. What a memory!!

I can’t believe how big they have gotten! And that’s a glimpse of everyday life in the Chilton house! :)

Halloween Fun!

2010-10-30T21:42:00.001-04:00

Seems like it has been Halloween for a couple of weeks now. It started with a fun Halloween themed box from Aunt Katie, and then continued with Zoo Boo last weekend, and Trunk or Treat tonight. Here are a few fun pics.

Guess which hand! :) Hmmmm….

Zoo Boo!! The kids were able to walk a 1/2 mile route at the Detroit Zoo, picking up various treats and checking out the pumpkin/gourd displays. The penguins were my favorite! I hope these kids learn to like taking pictures together some day.

Friends don’t let friends go through hay bale mazes alone. :)

Brooklyn’s favorite part of the night was running up and down a little hill. Go figure…

Playing around the house.

Brosnan is 10 months old! Despite several attempts, these were the only 2 quality bear shots to speak of. :)

Tonight we went to Trunk or Treat at our church. We did a couple of crafts and tried to take some sibling pics again with little success. And then we went out to the parking lot to see all of the cars. There were some very cute “trunks”, including a huge mouth, an 80’s rock band, and the Polar Express. Very creative!

Dorothy or Little Red Riding Hood? :)

Which one first?…Tough decision! :) Brosnan says he like Smarties.

And it’s not even Halloween yet!! Whew!! See you tomorrow! :)

48 hours and 164 pictures later…

2010-10-17T18:48:00.001-04:00

Just trying to stay current! I snapped a few pictures on Friday afternoon, and a few more yesterday at Dow Gardens.

We were playing around in the house earlier today. Brooklyn is so silly, and Brosnan showed off his climbing and self-feeding skills.

And, as if that wasn’t enough blogging fun, we also went outside and took some pictures in all of the leaves in our front yard. Our red maple is the first tree to change color and to drop all of its leaves in the neighborhood. It stinks that we lose our shade so early, but it makes for a great picture backdrop. Sorry for all of the pictures – I had too many favorites! Enjoy!!

My beautiful little punkin’s! :)

Fall is here!!!

2010-10-15T15:17:00.001-04:00

October is such a pretty month! All of the trees are changing and the air is a little more crisp – I like fall! The kids have been busy. Here are some of our October pictures thus far. :)

Go Blue!! (We lost, but we’re still fans!)

Enjoying a little time outside.

They are so silly!

Pumpkin shopping!

Our beautiful maple tree!

Bed bugs!

Today – yes, I said today – we went to an apple orchard, cider mill, and pumpkin patch. I went with some of my friends of work and their kids. We all had a great time!

That picture made the whole trip worth it! Fun day! And now you are completely up to date! Can’t believe it! :) See you soon! Hope your day is as beautiful as ours!

Adventures in September

2010-10-10T21:57:00.001-04:00

We had a lot of fun in September. We went up North for Labor Day weekend with our friends, we went and spent the night in Midland and went to the Children’s Garden at Dow Gardens, and Brooklyn turned 2 1/2 and Brosnan turned 9 months! Lots of fun! :)

Let’s start with Labor Day. We returned for our biannual visit to Hubbard Lake to our friends’ cabin. We love spending the long weekends here and the kids love playing together. Six adults and 5, soon to be 6, kids = contained chaos. :) The weather was a little rainy and windy, but we still had a great time. We went to a huge arts and crafts festival and then traveled over a few miles to see the waters of Lake Huron. Great friends, great food, great times!

The kids played hide and seek. Needless to say, they are still trying to master the concept.

Our favorite part…the kettle corn!!!!

We had a little time to rest…

and then the next day we had breakfast at Big Boy and then we went downtown to Royal Oak for their new festival, Arts, Beats, & Eats. Brooklyn loves Ferris wheels – don’t panic – I was holding on tight! :)

Maybe she will be a doctor…

…and maybe he will be a window-washer! :)

Everyone likes Dora!

All together now…eeewwww! Why do they even makes such things for babies??!!???

Brookie and her 2 1/2 year bear pictures! She is so big, and so silly!

Brosnan is really enjoying his toys more these days, even if they are hand-me-downs from his sister.

The next weekend, we went up to Darren’s dad’s place in Midland. It was good family time!

The last little bit of September consisted of a little bit of this and that. Brosnan turned 9 months old, Nana came to visit for a day, and Brooklyn showed her daddy how to vacuum.

Thumbs up on the rice krispie treats!

Brooklyn got her first really big bruise. She tripped and fell outside of Olive Garden and managed to fall just far enough to bump her chin on the sidewalk. Ouch!

Brosnan’s bear pictures are impossible! After several attempts, I managed to get one decent shot!

Now, believe or not, we are in the current month!! Let’s see if I can get the events of October in before the end of October!! :) Woohoo!

August 2010

2010-10-08T18:23:00.001-04:00

Well, not too much happened in August. We hung out with family and friends a little, but all and all it was fairly uneventful month. I did manage to still take a million pictures, though, and got quite a few cute ones – at least I think so! :)

Darren snuggles with the kids every chance he gets, even if that means he has to cram himself into a toddler size bed. :)

Maybe he’s not the only one… :)

We had quite a bit of nice weather in August and tried to enjoy it every chance we got. Brooklyn loves being outside!

I think Brooklyn has finally decided that she might like her little brother after 7-8 months – at least a little bit. I got more pictures of them together this month than I ever have!

Brosnan is so busy these days. He’s pulling up on furniture and crawling all over the place. He also turned 8 months at the end of month. He is a lot of fun right now!

Brooklyn is getting to be such a big girl. I think she looks older every day – I wish I could slow that down!

You are almost caught up! They are growing faster than I can keep up with – but they are so much fun! We are so blessed! :)

…and let’s continue

2010-09-18T22:13:00.001-04:00

So, the next day, we went to Greenfield Village. The Village is a collection of historical buildings and items that were brought in from all over the country. The collection includes a working steam locomotive, a working farm, several working model T’s, a covered bridge, Edison’s laboratories, and several other buildings and vehicles and stuff. It was a lot of walking, but we had a great time!

After a long day of learning, we ended the day with a yummy dinner in Hamtramck at the Polish Village Cafe. It is located in the basement of an old house – talk about atmosphere!! :)

The next morning, it was time for breakfast at our favorite breakfast joint, The Original Pancake House. (I told you we ate a lot of good food!!)

After breakfast, we were off to the Henry Ford Museum. It was built by Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. It is the home of the Rosa Parks bus, the chair that President Lincoln was sitting in when he was assassinated, and the presidential motorcade cars that Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were in when they were shot, trains, planes, cars, and numerous other historical items – too many list – a few pictures hardly does it justice. This place is a must-see if you are ever in the Detroit area.

That was a big day! We all went to bed early that night! The next day we went down to Detroit to the Eastern Market. It is a huge semi-outdoor farmer’s market. Andrew was in heaven!

And then it was off to Mexican Village for lunch as Xochimilco. Andrew continued his food adventures and had cactus for lunch!

Later that afternoon, Darren and Andrew ventured South of the border to Canada – that’s right, South – look at a map. The rest of us went home and enjoyed being outside. Mamaw helped me and Brooklyn work in the yard, and I left Papaw in charge of Brosnan.

After dinner that evening, we had one last hoorah and headed to downtown Detroit to the Riverwalk. The weather was great and Brooklyn loved the little carousel.

Whew!! Now you are all caught up with July! It was such an amazing week! I felt so spoiled to be able to have my grandparents to myself for a whole week! We had so much fun! Thank you, Mamaw and Papaw for making the long trip to Michigan to see us – I love you both so much! Thank you, Andrew, for being the chauffeur, the babysitter, the photographer, and the chef! I really enjoyed having you here and you were such a huge help! Can’t wait to do it again!

August is coming soon to a blog near you!! :)

July: Part 2

2010-09-17T22:21:00.001-04:00

Let’s continue on from where we left off. Once we returned from Arkansas, we had to catch up with our Michigan friends.

We were home for a week or so…

…and then Mamaw, Papaw, and Andrew came for a visit! This was their first trip to Detroit! We spent a fantastic week together, doing everything Michigan! We visited lots of fun places and ate a lot of great food! The first night, we just hung out around the house and then went and grabbed a little dinner at Red, Hot, and Blue.

The next day, we were off to Bronner’s and Frankenmuth – Michigan’s Little Bavaria. We had lunch at the famous Zehnder’s…

…and then we had takeout dinner from Hippo’s Hotdogs – the best Chicago-style hotdog outside of Chicago!! Mmmm, mmmm,mmmm!!!!

The next day, we were off to pick some raspberries and blackberries. Brooklyn didn’t contribute too much to the overall amount that we gathered, since she ate everything that she picked! :)

When we got back to the house that afternoon, Andrew was in charge of dinner, and he’s quite the chef! He even used some of our berries to make a very yummy raspberry sauce for our ice cream. We were all a little spoiled that week!

Brosnan also turned 7 months old that day! He is getting so big and a lot busier! Reminds me of a little girl that I know!

Brooklyn was very shy with Andrew, initially, but she soon warmed up to him. They hung out quite a bit during the week and she still talks about him every now and then.

Well, that is just the beginning! There is so much more to come! See you soon when we are off to Greenfield Village, the Henry Ford Museum, and the Eastern Market!! :)

July: Part 1

2010-09-10T22:32:00.001-04:00

July was a very busy month! It may take a couple of blogs to get you through it! :) Our July started with a trip to Arkansas, via Missouri, to visit my family.

On the way down to Arkansas, we stopped to stay with my dad and his wife, Kathy, it their new house, just outside of St. Louis.

Brooklyn got to pet Grandpa’s leopard trophy that he got a couple of years ago in Africa! She wasn’t afraid of this, but didn’t want to go anywhere near the little stuffed jackal! Go figure.

We made a quick trip to the neighborhood playground before we had to hit the road again. Not sure who the kids are in this picture! :)

The kids did as well as could be expected in the car. Napping here and there, snacking here and there. Brooklyn was very happy to have the new minivan so that she could watch Mickey Mouse and Dora for hours at a time. And Brosnan discovered that he liked pineapple...

After two days and a total of 16 hours, plus stops, in the car, we finally we made it! The next day was the fourth of July. We enjoyed a do-it-yourself fireworks show. No one set fire to themselves, so I would say that it was a success. While we were waiting for dusk, Aunt Katie helped Brooklyn work on her golf game.

Then it was time for sparklers and fountains!

On the fifth, we headed up to Branson for an couple of nights. Before we left, I outfitted them in their post-holiday duds.

That night we went to see Noah’s Ark, the musical. It was a great show with an amazing set. Lots of real animals, which Brooklyn loved! The next morning, we went for a quick dip in the hotel pool.

We had a little family get-together the day before we had to go home. The food was awesome! We enjoyed getting to see everyone, and the kids definitely enjoyed the special attention. I sure do miss getting to see everyone more than a couple times a year. I’m looking forward to Christmas!

And then it was back on the road again, back to Michigan. Now you are through the first part of July. Part 2 and maybe 3 are yet to come…stay tuned! :)

…and here is the rest of June

2010-08-19T22:37:00.001-04:00

Well, it is going to take me a little while to catch you up, so we will do this a little at a time. :) Let’s start with June. :)

Nana came for a quick visit. We went to the Eastern Market – one of my favorite places in Detroit.

For some reason, Brosnan thinks he should be in a hurry to grow up. So, before he was even 6 months old, he thought he should start pushing up on his hands and knees and trying to scoot around on his belly!! Crazy kid!! :)

We have started working on potty training, but I think Brooklyn might be 10 years old before it actually works! :) We are occasionally successful, but right now it usually just results in some piece of furniture covered in pee because she forgets she isn’t wearing a diaper. Would love some pointers if anyone has any!! :)

Brooklyn was happy to help her Daddy open his Father’s Day gift.

Just a couple of pics of Brooklyn after church that day.

The weather has been great this month, so we have tried to spend as much time outside as possible.

These munchkins love their Daddy!

We went to the Sigma Gamma Fireworks at the Eleanor and Edsel Ford Mansion – a fundraiser for my work. It is always a very nice event, with a beautiful fireworks display at dark. I brought the earmuffs for Brosnan in case he was scared of the noise, but Brooklyn ended up wearing them instead. Go figure…

Brosnan turned 6 months old this month! So big!

And here are just a few more pictures of my busy little bees…

Now you are one month closer to being caught up! See you soon! :)

Just a Saturday in June…

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We decided to go to the zoo today. The Walkenhorsts met us there and we spent a few hours wandering around. The animals were pretty active today for it being so warm, so there was lots to see. Here are just a few pictures.

After the zoo, we came home and took a nap. Then after dinner this evening, Brooklyn and I went out and worked in the yard. My Mamaw and Papaw would be so proud to see my little garden!

Brooklyn loves being outside and loves to get dirty! She cracks me up! I hope she always enjoys working in the yard with me.

She’s the best! :)

Just because…

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I thought of few pictures of Brosnan might be nice. Trying to keep up with Brooklyn demands 99% of our attention sometimes and when I take 2 seconds to pay attention, I realize that he is growing up so fast! And for some reason, he seems to be in a hurry to get there! Brosnan was up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth last night. I think we are in trouble! :) Here are couple of random pictures of our sweet little cutie pie! :)

We are so blessed!

What have we been up to?

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I think a better question might be “What haven’t we been up to!” :) We have had a few action-packed weeks and I am happy to share them with you! :)

Let’s start with Brosnan’s first Royal Oak bike night! We went downtown on a Thursday night to take in the action of all of the sport bikes. I wonder if he will like motorcycles like his daddy?

Brooklyn did her best to get into everything she could. :) She is such a little adventurer!

And then here are a couple of random pictures…she loves her books and I love her sense of style!

On the Saturday before Mother’s day, we went to visit Nana and Nani in Battle Creek. In addition to spending time with her grandmothers, Brooklyn made friends with one of the kitties and loved hanging out with her aunt Kimmie.

On Mother’s Day, I received some beautiful flowers!

…and then we had the baby dedication at church.

Later that day, Brosnan had his first taste of solid foods. I think I was only able to get half of it to stay in – but he seemed to enjoy it…sort-of. :)

Here are a few “everyday life in the Chilton house” pictures.

Pop came to visit the following weekend and we went to Greenfield Village. We had a blast! Brookie loved the carousel and the chickens!

Getting ready for bed one night.

On May 28th, Brosnan turned 5 months old!! Of course, Brookie still can’t stand it for her brother to have his picture taken with the bear and not have a few pictures of her taken too!

This past weekend, for Memorial Day, we went up North to our friend’s cottage on Hubbard Lake. Dan and Katie have been so sweet to invite us up each year. We love our time there and this year, the weather was the best it has been in at least the past 5 years! Brooklyn had an awesome time with Nate and Ella and we enjoyed every minute of relaxation we were able to squeeze in!

The guys made a few repairs to the dock, with a couple of little supervisors.

A couple of us spent a little time in the “Beauty Shop”. :) (Thanks Katie, I love my hair!!)

…others tried get a nap in when they had the chance.

I can think of worse places to play as a kid. :)

Sometimes you just have to make due with what you have…

The next day, the jet ski came out! With their curiosity peaked, Brookie was the first one to be brave enough to go for a ride.

I call this picture “Anticipation” as Nate and Brooklyn wait patiently for the sprinkler to come on.

Here are a couple more cute and/or cool shots.

I love this picture of Parker and also of Ella learning to fly.

Such an awesome weekend!! And with a new little Walkenhorst on the way, the crew just continues to grow!

And finally, the day after we came back (as if we hadn’t been busy enough) we went to a Tigers baseball game. (The game the night before the controversial un”perfect” game.) :)

After riding the carousel and Ferris wheel and having a ball park hot dog, we made it to our seats for the last 3 and a 1/2 innings.

And finally, here are a couple of pictures from today. Brooklyn looked fabulous in the accessories that her Mimi sent her and brother is doing his best to figure out how to start moving.

Now you are up to date and that’s what I call a blog!! :) Brooklyn and Brosnan bring so much “life” to our life! I can’t wait to see what they do tomorrow! :)

Hanging out with Pop

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The weather was awesome this weekend – well, most of Friday and Saturday anyway. Pop came down Friday to hang out with us while Darren was in Grand Rapids. He took the kids for a walk while I did some yard work.

Brosnan loved the walk! They walked for over an hour and he never made a peep! When they returned, Brooklyn was more than happy to play in the dirt with her mother. :)

Then it was naptime and bath time. It was a fun day!

And then yesterday, we went to visit Pop in Midland and go to Dow Gardens. This still ranks in my top 10 favorite places in Michigan! (Sorry it is like a million pictures – I couldn’t choose my favorites!)

Thanks, Pop!! We had a great day!

Brosnan is 4 months old!

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Our little man is four months old today! He is growing up so quickly! Here are a few of his bear pictures…

Look who has teeth! I discovered a couple of little bottom teeth the other day when he chomped down on my hand. :)

I have a question. Why do we even try to give kids baths? It took about 4.5 seconds after we wrapped him in his towel for him to barf on himself. Uggghhh……

I think Brooklyn is a little jealous of having to share the spotlight. She definitely wants you to take her picture when you are taking pictures of her brother, but she has no desire to have pictures actually made with her brother.

But then every now and then – I catch a moment like this.

Life with kids sure is certainly an adventure…

…but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Just a few more…

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