Life as a Leach

Abby and Anna discovered the fun of the empty kitchen cabinet while we were on vacation.  Anna started it, but Abby caught on really quickly. Peekaboo! Silly girl! When Abby came in, Anna kept trying to push her out These girls are two peas in a pod... ...or double trouble! drumming on the shelf She thought this was the best game ever! Here's a little video of their antics....

Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far, far away from here. Forrest Gump is my all-time favorite movie.  When in the mood, I can spout off quite a few of the quotes.  So it's only natural that my daughter would act out the famous cornfield scene during the photo shoot.  She's a natural!

While we were not very far from home on our vacation, we got some glimpses of nature that we don't usually see--or take the time to see--when we're at home. This heron carried some sticks for his nest all the way across the pier where we were, then dropped it just a few feet from his nest on a piling.  It was so sad!  We all felt so badly for him! Some pretty cherry blossoms Sunset on the river At the beach front across the street from our rental house Another sunset The sky practically blew up with color.  It made for some beautiful pictures!! Another of the beach front This just proves that when you slow down and take the time to look, there is beauty all around you.

My sweet niece is a nurse-in-training!  She is always very interested in how Abby's machines work and the things we do to take care of her.  The other night while we were on vacation, I allowed her to suction Abby with me for the very first time!  (With a lot of help and supervision, of course!!!)   She has her own trach baby doll, so she practices suctioning and changing the trach on her.  She's quite a little nurse-in-training, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see her grow up to be a nurse or a doctor one day!  

3 little girls in their matching dancer pajamas

Most of our vacation was pretty chilly, but we did have one day when it was warm enough to do a little photo shoot.  Thankfully, Abby was in a great mood! Clapping at Anna being silly Channeling her inner flight attendant

Daddy with his girl Giving Momma sweet kisses The Leach Family April 3, 2012 Hard to believe 8 years ago this was all a dream!

We have been working hard with Abby on the coloring, because it's a fine motor skill that she hasn't quite gotten down.  She doesn't love it, but she tolerates it for short times. Howeverrrrrr, coloring with Anna and Sara is much  more fun!!! Yes, her shirt says I Love Lollipops.   Courtesy of my dear friend Jenn.  Perfect, right?? Coloring Hello Kitty pictures is even better!!! Anna colored a little on everybody's picture :) This girl is so sweet and hysterical!! Abby tried to make the same face :) Up to no good, I'm sure!

We went on vacation with my extended family this past week.  My sister's family shared a house with us, my cousin's family stayed in a house across the street, and my parents and two sets of aunts and uncles camped in their campers...for a grand total of 19 people!  That may sound a little nuts to you, but it was actually a ton of fun! We all had a blast!  It was really nice for the kids to have so many playmates.  There were sword fights and Nerf gun battles galore! One night, everybody came over to our house for Banana Boats ...yum!!! The kids hung out a lot at my cousin's house too Hannah and Anna got snuggly :) On Monday, the kids did some Easter crafts and had a fun Easter egg hunt. Making cute little foam Easter bunnies Showing off their creations (Caleb and his cousin Jacob--next to him--were inseparable!!) Abby's ready to hunt some eggs!  The group is ready for the hunt! ...