Happy Fall!

We just love Fall!! Lucy is looking forward to snow - Matthew and I are just enjoying cooler weather. Lucy loves collecting leaves and acorns. We started a collection and are talking about fall. We decided to make an autumn tree to talk about the seasons and what happens during this time. The glue stick was her favorite thing!

Summer Vacation!!

Before moving we spent 2 wks. in PA - it was a great break! We had a good time on the road - Lucy is a great traveler and loves to stay in the hotel, especially if they have a pool. We were very busy doing...nothing! It was nice to just have nowhere to be and just relax. Here are a few things we did while we were home.

Zelinskie Family reunion - Pap Pap and Lucy

Fireworks in the backyard, thanks to Uncle Mark

Gone Fishin' with Uncle Bobby

Sliding down the rocket @ Knoebel's Grove

Riding the carousel at Knoebels

Bean "Ex-spear-ee-ent"

Lucy and I did a bean science ex-spear-ee-ent (experiment) this summer. We talked about seeds and how they sprout - she was excited to see this process and checked every morning. It stuck with her too - when we were picking weeds in the garden one day I showed her the bottom of the weed and asked her what it was and she said, "Roots!"

When Life Throws You Lemons...

......you make "yummy, yummy" lemonade! (quote from Lucy)

We miss....etc.

We are settling back into Cincinnati - same house, so it was a fairly easy move back. However, hard to leave so many loved ones and friends behind. We look back on our time in MI and just think of how richly blessed we really are. It was truly life-changing - and we are so thankful that God used that time to prune us. Matt worked with a great managing team at a hospital in Grand Rapids. They were a younger crew - and they were such great people. It was great getting to know them and spending time with them. It is also great to know that Matt is welcome back at any time (but we think we're going to stay put this round!) He has a wonderful opportunity back here at Bethesda and we're so thankful in God's leading on that, too. In the meantime, we've tried to have a more laid-back approach to life here in Cinci and just slow down our pace - spending a lot more family time together. Lucy and I have been hanging out with old friends - and she finally had her first trip to the zoo last week. We also had a big trip to PA last month - so we'll share some snippets of that trip later.

But....we miss.....

Dean, Kim and Tallie - there's just something so comforting just knowing that your sister is just 5 minutes away when you need her. Or just there to have a family hangout whenever. This was the toughest part of leaving Michigan.

Kathy/Sofi, Jamie/Reese/Davis, Monica/Colin/Baby Girl due in Nov!

These women are the most amazing friends I've ever had. Their positive outlook on life is so contagious. I miss them terribly - somehow we'll be making our trips to MI longer now so we can see everyone. We see some big friends/family trip to the beach in the future.


Davis is Lucy's future beau. We just know it!



Lucy's very first friend in MI was Miss Sofi, which makes her Mommy Kathy my first friend in MI also (we made it through Kath!).



See also pics below of our friends Brian, Jen and Anna. I met Jen on a social network for Mommies even before we brought our Dec. LO's into the world, and amazingly she lived in Grand Rapids. It was so great to spend time with her and her family.

And this is just a snippet of God's blessings as we were living in Michigan. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have experienced so much and, looking back, wouldn't have changed anything.

Sleepover Party

Lucy had her first sleepover party this weekend. Our friends, Jen and Brian, came over with their daughter Anna. The men got a game night together, so the girls hung out. Jen and Anna slept over. So we brought a bunch of toys up from the basement and the fun began.

Lots of fun chasing Miss Jen around the house.
Jen, Anna, and Lucy

Tallie, Anna and Lucy

being silly

Little Bakers

Tallie was with us all last week since my sister had to take a class. The girls wanted to make banana bread, and I was just the helper. These sweet, little bakers did a good job! I absolutely love these moments.

Much to Matt's dismay - I allow the girls to eat uncooked banana bread. Aren't all kids supposed to lick the beater/bowl?