September Phone Pics

September was another super busy month for us. Olivia had her first full month of school and she and I celebrated our birthdays (5 and 32, respectively). We also made an impromptu trip to North Carolina to see my Pop Pop one last time and say goodbye. Ever since his stroke in March, his health had continued to decline. We were there when he passed away on September 11. As sad as his death makes me, I am grateful we were able to see him one more time and that he was surrounded by loved ones as he died. Here are some pictures from September.

checking out the dew on a spiderweb

bowling over Labor Day weekend

Alter Fest

Holiday at Home parade

Greek Festival

too much fun at Greek Festival = many hours of
waiting at children's and five stitches!

suture removal day

Natalie's first art class

apple picking at Monnin's fruit farm

what 64 apples looks like

last night as a 4 year old ;(

Vicki's Wedding/Detroit

We headed up to Detroit to celebrate the wedding of Vicki, one of Yusaku's friends from DePauw. We had never been to Detroit before and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was. Our hotel was right along the river and we had an AMAZING view from our hotel room!

can you spy Olivia?

We didn't go the ceremony, but went to the cocktail hour and reception, which were beautiful. Despite, skipping a nap that day, Natalie managed to hold up fairly well. The kids made it through the toasts and dinner to get to their favorite part of the evening - music and dancing. They stayed up way past their bedtimes but had a blast!

Before heading back to Dayton on Sunday, we checked out Belle Isle's Nature Center and stopped at Eastern Market for a delicious lunch from some food trucks. It was a huge, awesome market!

August Phone Pics

We sure managed to cram a lot of fun and exciting things into the month of August. Yusaku turned 33, Natalie turned 2, and Olivia started kindergarten!

plate of noodles bigger than her head ;)

loving her new dress from Leslee, Jon, Quinn, and Connor

Yusaku's birthday

Olivia helping Yusaku make gyoza

playing with Ian at the Fraze

swedish pancakes for her birthday breakfast

she learned how to do the monkey bars all by herself this summer

silly faces with Maga on Natalie's real birthday

watching Daddy at the alumni soccer game

listening the Giving Strings concert

meeting her teacher a few days before kindergarten started

last day of summer fun at Possum Creek with friends

checking out a toad they found

helping make eggplant parmasean

fun with friends at a Smith Garden Blanket Concert

hugs at the bus stop

cucumber from our garden (her baby)