Celebrating 5 Years

It is hard to believe that 5 years ago today Branden and I promised our lives to each other. In ways it seems like these years have flown, but, but when I think of all that has happened--a house, 2 dogs, jobs, a baby--I realize what a wonderful life we're building together and how 5 years have changed us. I thank God every day for giving me such a loving friend and partner and can't wait to see what the next 5...10...25...50 bring us. Happy 5th Anniversary!

Girls Night Out

In one week my sister Becca will be getting married. To celebrate her last days as a bachelorette I hosted a girls night out that included a fantastic cooking class at the "Cracked Egg" cooking school. We made delicious tapas while sipping on homemade ginger ale. Congratulations Becca! We can't wait to celebrate with you next weekend.

Annika

I realized today that I hadn't updated everyone with new photos of Annika in about 2 weeks. Here are a couple just for fun

Pure Michigan

Last weekend we hosted some dear friends to the cottage for a weekend of visiting, eating, relaxing, backyard games and blueberry picking. We had a wonderful time catching up with everyone and hope our next gathering is just around the corner.

4th of July Weekend

Fourth of July weekend was full of wonderful time with family spent at both the Johnson lake house and Peckenpaugh cottage. As I've gotten older the 4th has become one of my favorite holidays. It's a celebration that doesn't require much pretense--no gifts or slaving over a stove for hours--just a relaxing summer weekend to celebrate the gift of freedom this country offers, converse over a roaring bonfire, watch fireworks and be with friends and family.

One of the highlights of the weekend was Annika getting to meet her cousin Linnea for the first time. They are just under 3 weeks apart and it was so fun to see their different personalities and imagine all the fun they'll have together on the beach in coming summers. Their first interaction just wouldn't have been the same without matching outfits and the paparazzi

Here are some other photo highlights from the weekend:

4 Months!

Annika had her four month check-up today and it just confirmed what we already knew: she is a happy, healthy baby girl. She measured in the 75th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight.

She tends to save her smiles for people, not cameras, but I tricked her into flashing one for the camera tonight.
Enjoy...

Happy Fathers Day

This past weekend we celebrated Branden's first Father's Day. One of the reasons I was first attracted to Branden was his ability to connect with kids (we met at a summer camp after all)...I knew that one day he would make a fantastic dad. Thank you Branden for being such a gift to both me and Annika

Branden and I also had the chance to celebrate with our wonderful Dads at the cottage in Sawyer and the lake house on Pine Lake. We are so thankful for both of them.

And because I can't resist...Here are some pics of Annika hanging out on the beach