Michigan Trip #2

Here is our second delayed post from our Michigan trip that we took for two weeks at the end of June. We had such a good time. We had time to hang out with friends at the beginning and end of our trip and spent a week with my entire family at a cottage by Lake Michigan in the middle of our trip. The weather wasn't perfect but we still had a great time playing games (1st Schemper Family Olympics), eating great food (the kids took turns cooking dinner each night), taking walks to the beach, and just hanging out together. It's not very often that we all get together so it was a treat. We took a LOT of pictures....here's just some of my favorites.

Budda and Elia posing after we just arrived

at the cottage

Kate and Elia swimming

Cohen's first experience at Lake Michigan and in

the sand.....he liked it!

Our dinner night, Brad made stuffed burgers.

They were delicious!

Celebrating Cohen's 1st birthday at the cottage.

1st Annual Schemper Olympics

The T-Bones

The Monkey Crawlers

The Good Team

Not Pictured: The Holland Squirrel Sharks: Ryan, Sarah, Paul and Elia

Playing Go Ape

Cohen had fun driving the boat with Uncle Brian, daddy got to wakeboard and I got to tube...fun times!

Michigan Trip #1

We went to Michigan at the beginning of May for a long weekend. One of Brad's college roommates, Brian Kuipers, was getting married. It was a great wedding and wonderful to see my family and catch up with friends.

Brad and Cohen with Uncle Paul

Cohen and Elia really focused on playing

Cohen with Grandma Walcott

Brad, Weaver and Paul at the Rehearsal Dinner (which was the same place

where we had our Rehearsal Dinner.)

Brad and I "hosting" the shoe game

Silly boy...

Mom and Dad at the wedding

The happy bride and groom!

Brad, Weaver and Paul wrote and sang a song

for the couple

Me and Alli

Dad and Mom J and I getting our dance on

Andy, Brad, Mikey and I

Celebrating Elia's, Brad's and Kate's Birthdays

One Year Old!

I wrote this post over a month ago and never posted it. We have a couple of posts that we need to catch up on over the next bit here. (So since this is old some things like him not walking are no longer true...you get the point.)

It is difficult to believe, but we now have a one year old! This year flew by so quickly, with lots of changes, but it was a great year and we can't imagine our lives without Cohen. He is so much fun and really just a happy kid. He is all over the place even though he isn't quite walking yet. Of course we think he could do it if he wanted to, but he just won't slow down. He loves to push things on the floor, like his cars, and make sounds for them. He loves music and dancing. He is enjoying getting into the cupboards and he especially likes to take out each and every lunch bag and spread/push them along the floor. He is still mostly just eating 3rd stage baby food. If you give him anything chunky or slimy he'll either spit it out or throw up. Cohen's doctor said we should schedule an occupational therapy evaluation for feeding...I'm hoping that he just gets over all this before we try that, we'll see. Besides the feeding issue (oh, and he had an ear infection too) Cohen was great at his 12 month appointment. His stats are as follows:

Weight: 19 lbs. 4 oz. (6%) He weighed more than this in March so I think he lost a lot of weight with his cold :(

Height: 2' 6" (59%)

Head Cir: 46.5 cm (55%)

Back to his birthday...we went up to the cabin to celebrate Cohen's birthday (and Memorial Day) with Brad's family. We had a great time and beautiful weather. We went for a walk, went on tractor rides, had great food, presents, and cake. I thought Cohen was just tired but his 12 month appointment was the next day and thats when we found out he had the ear infection. I made a cake for Cohen and one for everyone else. Cohen didn't really want much to do with his cake. Brad forced him to taste a little of it...after that he threw up all of his cake...not how I pictured it going.

Cohen and Heath watching the kids play at Payton's Birthday party.

Cohen's birthday morning! This is one of his new cheese smiles.

At the cabin for Cohen's birthday and Memorial day celebrations.

Taking a hike in the mountains.

Everyone watching the tractor rides.

Cohen's first tractor ride!

I made two Curious George cakes. I thought it

was fitting since Cohen's like our little monkey.

Cohen wasn't so sure about the cake and didn't want much to do with it.

All cleaned up after throwing up on his birthday cake.

Daddy and Cohen had to put all the toys together

and play with them as soon as we got home.

Sporting his new hat, muscle shirt and toys.