Will and the Drill

Grandpa let Will play with the drill in the shop. Will spent a good 20-30 minutes studying it and trying to make it work. It didn't take long for him to figure out the controls. It is a real drill, of course, so it's QUITE heavy. That didn't deter our little handyman!

Will studies things very intently.

He's starting to get red in the cheeks here from lifting it.

Look at that face--such effort!

He broke a sweat. Seriously. :-)

In the Workshop

Will found his candy store in the form of my dad's woodworking shop! Will would take a room full of tools, machines, and gadgets over a room full of sweets any day/ Give him things that make noise and move and he'll be happy for hours. This made Grandpa very happy--Will could be his protege! You never know! I will say that Will does seem to have a penchant for engineering/mechanical types of things. It was fun to watch him out there...and I did have to actively watch him--he wants to figure out how everything works so there wasn't much fear...

"What's that!?" (In Will-speak: "Wah dat?")

So serious!

Will adores Jack!

Teach me your ways, Jack!

Esch Road Beach

We have many favorite beaches on Lake Michigan, and Esch Road beach in Empire is near the top of the list. We went there with Tim and fam and had a nice, long beach day. We set up our beach tent for the first time that day. What a life saver! OK, maybe not a LIFE saver, but certainly a must for two parents who LOVE long days at the beach. It made it possible for us to stay for quite a while, even with Patrick in tow. A great investment!

Will continues to love the beach. Thank goodness!

Such a happy boy!

There's a little stream that runs into Lake Michigan which was a fun, shallow place for the kids to play when they wanted a break from the waves on Lake M. 

Our wonderful beach tent on the wonderful Lake Michigan sand.

The beach tent provided a napping place for everyone!

Our blue-eyed boy. 

Will and Uncle Tim. See a resemblance?

Aunt Kerry and Will. I love this moment!

So silly!

I just didn't want to get out of the water! It was perfect that day.

The scene. Such an idyllic spot! 

I love Jack's expression in the background...so happy!

Ladies Man

We went to an outdoor concert with Patrick and Tim/Kerry/Jack/Ella while we were in Traverse City. Will was in bed--he's not a late night kinda guy (which means past 8 pm)! We met up with a bunch of Tim and Kerry's friends (my brother and sis-in-law) and they were great folks! Everyone had their kids with them. Ella was thrilled to show off her baby cousin to her friends. It was so cute seeing Patrick on the blanket surrounded by little girls. He loved it! Patrick LOVES attention and people in general. 

I just love this one! 

Such sweet girls with baby Patrick.

A happy baby listening to music!

Will turns 2!

It is such a cliche thing to write, but I really cannot believe that William is two years old. In fact, when people ask me how old he is, I automatically try to think of his age in terms of months. Then I realize that he's 25 months old and that would be a strange way to state his age! I have a two year old, and guess what!? He's not terrible. :-) I have been hearing about those "terrible twos," and yes, there are some pretty trying moments. But just look at that little face--there's just nothing terrible about it. How would I describe William? Well, it depends on the moment. ;-) He's talkative (in a somewhat intelligible, babbling sort of way), observant, easily entertained, excitable, loud, a gifted sleeper, a builder, a lover of water, shy around new people, kissable, huggable, gorgeous, adventurous, adaptable, and just plain WONDERFUL. I love my Will. 

As promised, here are photos from Will's Big #2 b-day party!


Grammy and Poppi gave Will a great new fire truck, which is definitely one of his favorite toys!

It was a joint party for Jack's 8th b-day and Will's 2nd. They were both quite serious about the lighting of the b-day candles! 

Party preparations--such cute cousins!

Cute grannies too! :)

Will's newfound interest in motorcycles was founded on this day, I think.

Patrick had to get in on the action, too!

Will got silly with Grammy!

And he spent some quality time with Grandma and the hose (da bose!). 

We had a yummy food spread!

Will is definitely better at eating cake this year compared to last year! Last year he'd barely eaten any sweets and didn't know what to make of the cake...this year he's much more experienced! :-)

Patrick enjoyed the party too...lots of people to hold him!

Poppi and the TIRED b-day boy!

Flying birthday boy!

The b-day boy and getting sleepy...

Grandpa chillin' with Patrick.

Going back in time...Will loved "helping" with the party prep!