Lake Babies

The whole Meneley family had a great Memorial Day weekend filled with fun festivities with great friends but the icinig on the cake was taking the boys down to the lake for their first dip! They loved it (to be read they didn't scream at all) so we're hopeful this is a sign of good things to come. Here are just a few of the great photos we took.


Here is the link to the May 2011 photos.

Reas, hanging out with Dad.


PJ, resting in his boat

4.5 months update

PJ and Reas,
4.5 months and counting. You are getting so big. At the last weigh in PJ (in blue) was 13.2lbs and Reas (in yellow) was 14.6lbs. You are smiling all the time now (encouragement that you already think Mom and Dad are hilarious). As a gift to me for Mother's Day you started sleeping through the night. We are constantly amazed at all that you are able to do. PJ, you love to lay under the activity mat and reach for all the things dangling above your head. Reas, you are content to watch your brother push those things around. You both are starting to be more vocal which is good and bad.

You spent your first Easter at Grandma and Grandpa Reas' house and had a great time. They got each of you a book that they read and recorded and you love them. You always pay attention when those books are out. You also loved the Peeps grandma got for you... or someone did.

Grandma and Grandpa Meneley came to visit you for a week and you were so good for them - this really helped because they were running out of things to brag about for you :).

You are also very into each other. You will sit in your Bumbos and have a staring contest or hold hands on the activity mat. It is so fun to see your brotherly love begin to take hold.
We love you both so much and look forward to a great summer with you!
Love, Mom & Dad
April Photo Link

"Don't lick the babies"

Having children and having a dog has been an interesting adventure. When MJ and I found out we were having babies we knew that it would be an adjustment for us but we didn't anticipate how much of an adjustment it would be for Kaia. For the most part she loves the babies and doesn't bother them too much but we often find ourselves saying "Don't lick the babies." Kaia is also a big fan of formula and is always hovering during feeding time in hopes that she will reap the rewards of a spit up. I hope Kaia is ready for these two to grow up and terrorize her.

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields and, Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

You know those people in your life who come and go and no matter how long it has been since you've seen them it feels like yesterday? That is Mary Dennis. Mary and I worked together at the Purdue Alumni Association for five years and she is such a dear friend. I feel so blessed to know her and her family. She came to visit and of course the boys fell in love with her and her Irish accent. Here she is holding PJ and making Reas smile.

Her visit was the beginning of a great weekend. The photos can be viewed here.

Crafty Lady

In my pre-baby days I was an avid crafter. Notice I said avid, not good. I believe its the effort that counts. Regardless, my time for crafting has declined a bit since the boys arrived but I saw this letter collage on a great interior design blog I follow and thought I would give it a try and a little twist. You can see the original project and steps here. Overall I think it came out pretty great.

Blessings

Eleven years ago I met nine of the most amazing women. Little did I know during the summer of 2000 when we were training in Indianapolis and NOT parking cars on our lawn that these women would continue to play a huge role in my life for years to come. In the 11 years since our stint as Collegiate Leadership Consultants we have religiously gotten together at least two times a year. We've shared many joys and some sorrows together and through it all we've shared a lot of laughter and love. The blessing I feel to be a part of this wonderful group has no words. We spent this last weekend together in Indianapolis with some of our children and I already can't wait for our next gathering.

When people ask me why I believe so strongly in the sorority experience this is the example I use. We did not go to college together so we didn't share four years of fun in a sorority house. We had one month of living together, a year of shared experiences and now we'll have a lifetime of friendship. That is the power of the sorority experience.

Here are the photos from our weekend.

3 months update

Reas and PJ turned 3 months this week. They are definitely becoming more active and aware of what is around them. We are getting a lot more smiles and conversation.

They love bath time and swinging in their swing and sitting in their pappasan chairs. It has been a great three months for us as well. We are very blessed with wonderful friends and family. This weekend's visitors were Brian and Corrine Sipich and Ben Jennings & Erin Rossier. We had a great time watching the Butler Bulldogs advance to the final game of the NCAA Tournament.