Ellie Turns TWO!

Two years goes VERY quickly!! Looking back, I can't believe how {somewhat crazy} it was to have a baby in England - retelling her birth story each year is quite entertaining! We always say our best souvenir from living overseas is Miss Elizabeth Rose.

Here's what a 2 year-old does for their BDay:
Fun at Jump on In




Presents (She didn't let Linc get away with opening all the presents this year)




So excited to have PRINCESSES!






Dressed like a princess and eating raisins -what could be better?!








LOVE this one...Linc had to assist with the candle-blowing


Yep, 3 cupcakes - it's her Birthday!!


Ellie is so cheeky and spunky and keeps us all on our toes! She loves to play with (and taunt) her brother and wants to be just like him. She will do/repeat anything he says - even if it makes no sense! (Lincoln hurts his head, then Ellie says her head hurts) She talks up a storm - she is a girl who knows what she wants, and knows how to get it. She runs, she climbs, she swings - she gives me a heart attack at the park! She can count to 10. She knows all her shapes and most colors. She tells jokes and teases. She sings at the top of her lungs. We LOVE this two-year-old!

Lincoln's Creations

Lincoln loves to build. He has always had a knack for making intricate train track designs, utilizing EVERY track piece we have. His favorite is the all-straight track as seen here:


He also branched out with his PBK building set - reminds me of a parking garage in England at a mall we frequented.


{I would like to say I helped him with the building, but I was taking a nap on the playroom floor} :)

Ryan and Linc made a shed for his tanks out of Play-Doh. Very patriotic, right?!

Lucky Layover

On their way to Europe, my parents and youngest sister had an extended layover in Newark. So the kids and I met up with them and we passed the time at the nearby IKEA - food, shopping, entertainment for the kids, and ice cream - what could be better?!

Taking in a show:


The international travelers:


Playing with Nana:








Ellie tries out all the toys:


In Ellie's words: "ICE CREAM!!!!!"


We had such a great time with Nana, Pop, and Auntie Kelly - why don't you fly in every afternoon, and we do this every day?? :)

The Great Swamp

In May, the preschool lessons were about "Meet me at the Pond", so we took one last field trip to The Great Swamp. Apparently, it's a huge swamp (hence the name!), and it's only about 10 minutes away. There are nice boardwalk trails {ie: easy for strollers} and a cute nature center. We were able to see lots of wildlife - birds, fish, chipmunks, a frog, and PLENTY of bugs.

Looking for fish and water striders:


Can you spot the frog?


Lincoln + Raquel (the other kids were sick and/or had moved away)
{I think Linc has a little crush on Raquel -he always says she's cute} :)


Ellie was very interested in this turtle!

Memorial Day Weekend

On Saturday we got up early and drove out to Long Island with some friends for the Jones Beach Air Show. Anyone who knows Lincoln knows that this sounds like HEAVEN to this guy - water, jets, sand...and more jets!! It really was spectacular. The beach was totally packed with people, but the kids could play and we were all able to enjoy a great show. There was even a performance by some WWII aircraft (B-17, B-29, B-24, Mustangs - for all you WWII aircraft buffs) that Linc just LOVED, as he has been reading about all those planes for quite some time. It was perfect weather and so much fun - I think it will become an annual tradition.







These airplane pictures are mainly for Lincoln's benefit:






On Monday our town held its annual Memorial Day Parade. It's a cute little parade down our Main Street of town - mainly consisting of veterans, Boy Scouts, and the middle school marching band. We all got dressed up in our patriotic gear:


Staking out a spot with our friends AND neighbors, the Lovells.


Ellie made a friend - this girl LOVES dogs.


Ellie and Linc honoring the veterans:




Our "Little Miss Firecracker"...so fitting!

New Camera!

Ryan gave me a new camera for Mother's Day! I'm not a photographer by any means, but I feel like having a better camera elevates my picture-taking ability at least a little bit. Here's some shots of the kids - we love playing outside!!

Our Royal Couple

We were fortunate to have Ryan's sister Kimber, and her husband, Julian come all the way from England to visit us! We tried to pack in a lot of fun while they were here, especially as it was Julian's first visit to New York City.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Cool guy on the ferry


Linc loved running along the bricks in the Great Hall at Ellis Island - he thought they were train tracks


Lincoln doing his best Lady Liberty pose, not instructed by me

Empire State Building
We were able to visit Ryan's new office, and then go up to the observation deck on the 86th floor - yikes!!! My fear of heights really kicked in, not helped by my children's LACK of fear and practically dangling halfway off the roof!





Philadelphia
Just a quick 1 hr 45min drive and we were able to see all the historic sights of Philadelphia. Lincoln was especially fascinated by the Liberty Bell and kept asking why it was cracked. We were also able to visit Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin's printing office, and eat some delicious Philly Cheesesteaks.


Other Fun


Ice cream at our favorite local spot, Zita's

We all watched the Royal Wedding together - with special insights and commentary from our British guests!! SO fun!

We had a great time and reminisced fondly of our many visits together whilst living in England. Cheers!