Merry Christmas!

We are so grateful for the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the best gift of all.
Love, the Alberts :)

Happy 4th Birthday!

I don't have time to blog much, but I did want to get a few pics posted from Quinn's birthday party last week. Of course, it is impossible to believe that my baby boy is 4 years old. Strangers have been guessing he is 4 or even 5 years old for awhile now due to how tall he is, but it will take me awhile to adjust to the new number. We had his family birthday party last Sunday, and it was a very fun day. It was snowing hard, but everyone made it to and from our party safely.

This year, Quinn wanted a knight birthday. In keeping with the 4-year tradition, I bought themed hats for everyone to wear in the group picture, so we are all wearing crowns for the royal theme, while Quinn wears his "Armor of God".

I decided to make his cake for the first time this year, and while it wasn't professional, I thought it turned our really well. My sister Carolyn spent over 2 hours with me on Saturday figuring out how to assemble it and decorate it. I compiled several pictures I found on the internet to achieve the castle look.

I love this one of Quinn blowing out the candle.

I appreciate more than ever what a miracle Quinn is. God has blessed us with a little guy that is pure joy and sunshine. He is just so sweet, kind, loving, fun, and smart. If I had made a list of everything I dreamed I'd have in a child, I still couldn't have imagined such a blessing of a child.

We've Got the Beat

Andy has a few vacation days that must be used before the end of the year, so we took a spontaneous trip downtown last week. We weren't sure what we were going to do because some of our usual places, like the Children's Museum, are closed on Mondays. Luckily, while doing a little online searching, I stumbled across the Rhythm! Discovery Center. I think it's a little known gem, and if you are local, you really should check it out! It was a dream come true for Quinn--tons and tons of percussion instruments, mostly all available to play to his little heart's content. And I can't lie--Andy and I had a blast too. The above picture is one of the first things you see as you enter the museum, and it sets the tone for a great time. How irrestible is that huge drum?!

Next, check out these super huge windchimes!

There are 2 soundproof rooms where you can sit and bang away on snare drums, bongos, xylophones, cymbals, cow bells (my personal favorites), etc. I've always wanted to try the huge cymbals!

This drum set was obviously Quinn's favorite. He played and played and played. You can also record yourself in the rooms to hear back what you play. So fun!!

Of course, our visit was made even more great because we had the entire place to ourselves until the end, when one other parent came in with one child. There are online coupons, and kids under 5 are free with a paying adult. If you are in the area, check it out! :)

Summer Photography Session

Since I'm so behind in posting, I thought I'd post some of my favorites from a photography session we did in early August. A friend of ours has recently started a photography business, so we jumped at the chance of having some professional pics taken outdoors. Unfortunately, it was roasting hot that night. Even at 7 p.m., it was 93 degrees! Still, we were very happy with the results. I loved how Quinn's spirit was really captured. That's what I wanted to record from this stage of life--his smile, his running everywhere, our little close-knit family, etc.

If you're local and are interested in our friend's business, check out http://www.joetography.us/blog/.

Happy Halloween!

I really am motivated to keep this blog more updated, so instead of waiting to post pics in chronological order, I'll post the ones from today and then post later with pics from earlier in the month.

Quinn was obviously a firefighter this year. I was so thankful that he chose this one from our collection because it was nice and warm for trick or treating on a chilly night. Earlier this month, I was a bit worried that it would be too warm of a costume, since so many days this month were above-normal temps. Tonight was very seasonal!

Right before we left to get pictures at my sister's house, Quinn came up with the idea of Andy being the fire truck. Andy was already wearing a red fleece, so he grabbed one of Quinn's red fireman hats also. We've had this pop-open fire truck for a long time and never even considered how it was the perfect accessory to Q's costume until Quinn mentioned it! :)

Quinn's cousins were Princess Daisy and Princess Peach from Mario Brothers. They looked gorgeous!

It's a little hard to see, but Oliver wore a pumpkin costume. Needless to say, he didn't like it very much.

We're Back!

After a several month break from blogging, mostly due to the fact that life has gotten very busy and our computer has become very slow, leaving me limited time to upload pics, I am hoping to get caught up soon! Thank you so much to the people who have noticed my absence! Here are some recent fall pics. I'll post more soon! :)

Our Family

I've meant to post this ever since Quinn drew it a few months ago. I think I will love this drawing for my entire life. This is our family. The orange guy with the "crazy hair" is Daddy. The red person is me, as shown by the eyelashes. I am holding some jello. :) The light blue one is Oliver, though Quinn was disappointed that it looked a little like a mouse when he was finished (I told him that was okay, however, because Oliver really isn't much bigger than a mouse!) The dark blue guy is Quinn, because blue is his favorite color. I adore Quinn's drawings. I remember thinking a year or two ago how fun it would be once he could draw people, and it really is great!

AHHHHH, summer

Andy playing with Quinn in the pool this evening

Fabulous 4th of July!

So far this summer, we haven't had lazy, hazy days, but we have had crazy-fun days! For the 4th of July weekend, we went up to the South Bend area to enjoy a very traditionally hot and sunny summer weekend. We haven't had a 4th like this for years, so it was great. We went out on the boat with Papa Bruce, Aunt Amy, and cousin Kamryn, and the next day we visited Grandma Mary and Grandpa Dennis and Gigi and went to the county fair. Then we watched fireworks, with Quinn sitting out the sunroof of our vehicle to try to avoid getting chewed up by mosquitoes. I really loved the pictures I got of him enjoying the fireworks against the night sky.

Grandma Mary and Quinn on the Dizzy Dragon

Andy and I loved being back in Culver! We used to go there every summer when we were dating.

Quinn and Andy waving from the very top of the Ferris Wheel

Enjoying the fireworks

On the tube with Papa Bruce

Being silly wearing fun glasses with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Dennis at Grandma's store