Memorial Day Weekend

I can't believe that it is already Monday night! This weekend flew by. Probably because we worked on the bathroom for a majority of it. We finished laying the tile on Saturday night. On Sunday we attempted putting in the new toilet and sink. Needless to say, we ran into a few hiccups and will be reattempting later this week. Something to do with the wax ring???!!!

Gracyn got her first set of golf clubs! Grandpa J is so proud. Her swing needs a little work, but her form is flawless! We hit the sprinkler on Saturday to cool off in the 90 degree weather. Gracyn was not so sure of the crazy caterpillar sprinkler head! On Sunday we headed over to the Heggerick's for a Memorial Day BBQ. Baby Katie is already getting so big. Gracyn also met a new friend to hang with, Jake! On Monday we ended the weekend with a BBQ at John and Julian's house. We played a little Wii Bowling, our first time, and ate some delicious cheeseburgers.

The highlight of the weekend was the toilet box. Both Gracyn, daddy, and Abe spent many moments in that box this weekend!!!

Notice the bite mark on Gracyn's left arm.....someone from her class took a big bite.....ahhhh the joy of being in the toddler room!

Exhausted!

It started out with innocently checking out the pot and literally seconds later..... a dirt pie for a snack! There is absolutely NO break for mom and dad at our house. Gracyn is getting brave and is not afraid to try anything out! We are exhausted!

We were very busy this weekend with home improvements. Luke finished laying the sod in our backyard last weekend and watered and fertilized today. We also started another big project, our bathroom. Since the housing market is so depressing, and it looks like we are not moving anytime soon, we decided to remodel our bathroom. We took out the sink, vanity, toilet, and linoleum. We then painted and prepped the floor to tile. We hope to finish within the next few weeks. Stay tuned........

Gracie and I also walked to the pool after I painted to cool off. We then headed to the Miller household for some smoked brisket and sweetcorn! Sarah and Gracie loved it!!! Lindsey served cookie desert to complete the evening!

Again.....we are exhausted.....have a great week!

Happy Mama's Day

Happy Mother's Day! Or as Gracyn would say Mama's D. We had a fun filled weekend of activities to celebrate motherhood. On Friday, Gracyn's school had a Mother's Day breakfast which included a dance party as you can see from the photo's below. Gracyn made me a photo box that says MOM! So cute! She is starting to talk like crazy...ball.....mine.....bird....bubbles.......kitty......more......NO! Saturday we hit the beach with our neighbors to enjoy the record breaking high in Ft. Lauderdale of 95 degrees!! On Sunday, I woke up to a hand made card, complements of Dada that said MAMA!! Inside was a full agenda of the Mama Day events. I woke up to french toast and strawberries, not to mention freshly brewed coffee! We then headed to Jonathan Dickenson State Park for a picnic and hike. Luke is in the kitchen right now, slaving away making me homemade spaghetti. I also need to mention that Luke also sodded the entire backyard, all 500 square feet of it, on Saturday morning. We feel so lucky to have such a wonderful little family. We hope you all enjoyed your Mama's Day as much as we did!

Teething!!!

No one talks about the getting the teeth part! Gracyn is getting 4 teeth at once and it has NOT been fun. She has been consistently running a fever of 103 degrees and is not sleeping well. She missed school Thursday and Friday but is feeling much better today. We actually ventured out of the house today, and as you can see.......the fresh air did wonders!

He's In!!!

After months of anticipation, Luke heard from Florida Atlantic University this weekend that he has been officially admitted into the Ph.D Psychology program!!! He has worked so hard for this spot and we could not be more excited an proud of him. He will be specializing in Social/Personality Psychology. For more information on the program, check out the website: http://www.psy.fau.edu/research/#Social_Personality_Psychology. What does that mean for the Schipper household??? At least two more years as residents of sunny south Florida and lots and lots of intellectual conversations. Hey, I got my undergraduate degree in Psychology too! Classes start up in August. Go OWLS!!!!!

While Luke slept in from his late night celebration, Gracyn and I headed to the beach to watch the sunrise! The weather was absolutely beautiful this weekend. On Saturday we went to play at the park where Gracyn insisted on sharing her cheerios with some big turkey ducks!

Spring Fling

Gracyn's school through their annual Spring Fling family event on Wednesday. The festivities included a petting zoo, egg hunt, bird show, bubble fun, and art & crafts. Gracie made her very own bird feeder from lard and bird seed. Yum yum! She also attempted a pin-wheel but was unsuccessful. She got the biggest kick out of the petting zoo as she bounced from cage to cage.

Uncle Dan - Spring Break '08

Uncle Dan came out to visit us for Spring Break! Luke and Gracyn anxiously greeted Dan at the airport. It was so nice to spend time with him. We went down to the Miami Sea Aquarium on Saturday and had a blast. Gracyn and Dan loved the dolphins! We also took a trip to the beach, played at the park , watched a lot of college basketball, and took a small road trip up A1A.

This was also a very big week for Gracyn. She has transitioned into the Toddler room at school and LOVES it. It really is amazing how quickly she is learning new things. She is starting to say some more words. Her favorite is Moo, which actually sounds like Woo, and ball. She is completely fascinated with her and other's belly buttons. It's so cute to see her lift up her shirt and point to it when you ask her where her belly button is. Check out the slideshow below!

Off the Bottle, Softball , Swimming & Baby Katie

No more bottles!!!! Gracyn has officially graduated to the sippy cup exclusively this weekend. It's nice not to have to clean bottles and mix stinky formula. Yeah Gracyn!

Luke played in a softball tournament all day on Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale. They played 6 games and took 2nd place. He actually met a guy who's family has a cabin in Grand Rapids, MN!!??? Today he downed the Advil and took a short nap. We then headed to the Miller's house and went swimming. Gracyn LOVES the water. Both Gracyn and Baby Sarah are little sharks.

GIRLS RULE!!! Our friends Lisbeth and Jarrod had a baby girl (they didn't know what they were having) on Monday and I went to visit. She is absolutely beautiful! I forgot how tiny Gracyn used to be... We are so excited for them and can't wait to spend more time with Katie.

Happy Easter!

Easter weekend was quite the event. We celebrated our friend Lindsey's 6th birthday party.... bounce house, cotton candy, and cake were the big events. Gracyn and her bff Sarah loved the bounce house!

Birthday Girl! Miss Lindsey Miller

Pool Side....

Thanks to Grandma B and hot weather. . . Gracyn got to enjoy her new pool. As you can see from the slide show below, she LOVED it. Now that Gracyn is officially a toddler, her personality has exploded in the last few days. We have to keep our eye on her EVERY second. She found a new use for her music chair and has also been on the phone all weekend trying to get a hold of her Uncle Adam. Tonight we are going to a Florida Panthers Hockey game. Look for pictures to come. I have to go clean up the floor now, Gracyn has launched her strawberries and bananas!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Gracyn Ella

It's hard to believe that our 7lb 1oz baby girl is 23 lbs and on the move! We had a memorable 1st birthday party with Gracyn and a memorable 56th with Grandma B. Both Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and Schipper traveled to South Florida for the festivities. Our adventures included a trip to the Palm Beach Zoo, sunrise at the beach, a hike in the Everglades, and Wash-shoe tournaments. Despite the chilly Florida weather, 50 degrees at times, both Grandpa's managed to get a sunburn! Check out the 2 slide shows below...

Gracyn's 1st Steps!!!

This weekend was full of WALKING ~ Gracyn is officially letting go and is off....with or without us to catch her. We ended the weekend with a bruise on her chin and cheek!

Luke Still Has it in Him!!!

Luke has been playing softball for the last few months, and his team made it to the championship game this morning. Gracyn and I headed to the fields to see her dada hit one out of the park. Not only did he hit it out of the park 5 times, but he also had 2 base hits, 8 INTENTIONAL walks, and a GRANDSLAM to win the championship in a 3 game series. We couldn't be more proud! Who knew that a 30 year old could still hit like that.....I'm sure his body will be paying for it the next week!!!

We also headed to the Everglades yesterday to do a little gator and bird watching. Gracyn loved the big cranes and turtles! She also has become much braver and has made a few attempts to walk on her own. She has been taking 2 to 3 steps and then takes a tumbles.......it's only time! Please see pictures of our weekend below!

Finally....Luke Turns 30!

I am no longer 2 years older, which Luke is not shy about pointing out. We celebrated Luke's BIG 3 0 on Jan. 19th! We had several friends over to BBQ, play wash-shoes, and drink a few beers. As you can see below, Gracyn wanted in on the action!

Luke's 30th Birthday

Welcome to...

The Schipper Family Blog! After living far away from our friends and family, we decided it was time. Since we don't see you very often, we thought we'd share our Florida adventures with you.

On Sunday we took Gracyn to the beach. Sand and babies do not go well together. Needless to say....trying to feed her waffels, keeping the sippy cup sand free, and sunblock in the eyes.....it was a short visit. Unfortunately, Gracyn takes after her mama.....yes, she got a nasty rash from the ocean water. It didn't last long.

Gracyn is not walking YET, but is on the MOVE! She loves to dance and laugh. Her new thing is to point.....at everything in site.