The Secret's Path

Who says you need fancy blocks to stack? Toilet paper works just fine!

Nikki and Ben are showing off their mad teeth brushing skills.

Nikki is only 15 months old, but she already has her very own car and driver (her cousin, Parker).

This is their new favorite toy. They are too big to fit in it and kept falling over, so I had to put it away for a while.

Joe and I completed our second triathlon of the year on Sunday. It was an olympic distance race--0.9 mile swim, 24 mile bike ride, and 6.2 mile run. We both finished in under 3:30 (three and a half hours), which was our goal. Joe beat me by two and a half minutes.

The weatherman had predicted a hot, sunny day with highs in the mid 80's. Much to our (pleasant) surprise, it was cloudy/overcast, with some showers, and a high in the low to mid 70's. You lie, weatherman.

The race was in a town called North East, MD. Did I mention that there were hills? Yep, there were hills. I don't remember reading anything about that, but Joe said the website listed "a few gentle rolling hills." Gentle rolling hills my butt. They were monster hills, and they never ended. We were totally unprepared for that part. Oh well, we had fun anyway (by "we," I mean mainly me).

Yep, he can walk, drink milk, and play with his musical rolling toy at the same time.

We went to Ikea with Gram last weekend to get some furniture.

We all piled into the car



Ben had a great time at the store. They got to play in the little play area, and then they got to eat lunch (for free!).


Afterward, Nikki and Ben helped me put together the furniture.

Ah, she's definitely my little girl...

Lounging in the swing in the backyard (it was nearly 100 degrees that day).