Singin' with Guitars

Here's Owen and Justin's version of Old MacDonald. Warning: This video is PG because Owen needs to be ready to use the potty at a moment's notice. Don't worry, the guitar is well placed. Enjoy!

"Two in Uhlie"

Whenever anyone asks Owen how old he is, he always says, "Two in Uhlie". We weren't quite sure what he meant by that, until our niece Jordyn figured it out. He was saying, "Two in July". He actually turned two on July 12, but we had friends and family over to celebrate on Sunday, July 18th.

Owen's favorite gift was a sand and water table, which after about two minutes was a mud and mud table. :) Owen, Natalie, and Nathen spent about an hour on the deck playing. In two year old time, that's forever!

Here are some more pics of that fun day!

Lakeside Vacation!

After driving for a few more hours, we came to Lakeside, Ohio. We were so excited for a whole week of relaxing and visiting with Babu, Bibi, and Aunt Debbie. We stayed in a cute little cottage on Sycamore Street, and were within walking distance of a coffee shop, a bike shop, a beach, and a playground. What more could you want?

Owen's first order of business was the beach.

Babu, Bibi, and Aunt Debbie came with lots of early birthday presents for Owen, and we were less than patient for the actual date. :) Here's Owen playing with some new blocks.

Speaking of birthdays, Babu's birthday was July 6th. We had a small family party, and enjoyed our time together. Owen was was excited about Babu's birthday, but was too enamored by the balloons to be vocal about it.

We even had a chance to visit with our friends the Bredbergs, who live nearby in Ohio. Lucas was almost three, and Isaiah was almost one. It had been too long since we'd seen them last, so it was great to visit.

Lucas was doing his pirate face. This picture doesn't quite do it justice. :)

It was a great week, because we had plenty of opportunities to stay busy, but nothing we were obligated to do. It was the perfect blend of busy and relaxed. Here are a few snapshots of us out and about.

Visit to Illinois!

In July, all three Rimbos piled in the car for a trip out east. Our final destination was Ohio, but we had a wonderful stop in Lemont, Illinois, which is a suburb of Chicago. We stayed with Justin's cousin Christine, her husband Joe, and their three kids Nicholas, Caitlyn, and Christiana. They have a beautiful pool in their backyard, and Owen hadn't been swimming yet this summer. Last summer he wasn't a big fan of swimming, because the water was too cold for his taste, but this summer was a totally different story! He LOVED the water!

When we were in Illinois, we also had a chance to visit with lots of other Rimbos! Owen was especially enamored with his great Uncle Ricky, because he knew a lot about one of his favorite things- fire trucks! He even made a special phone call to the fire chief in Lemont to arrange a special visit to the fire station- just for Owen!

This is our whole family plus Christiana just lounging on one of the fire trucks. Owen got to sit in the driver's seat of every truck in the station!

The station had a kid-sized pressurized water canister to simulate how fire hoses work. Owen LOVED trying that out!

What is that on my head?

Looks like I've got a little growing to do..

What an unforgettable visit for Owen! Before we left, we had a great lunch with more family. Thanks, Rimbos!