We're Back!

We're still here! I'm sorry it's been a looooong time since I last posted, and I really appreciate the emails and verbal comments from people who have missed us! My lack of posting was a combination of a few things--1. It was a very snowy, cold, boring winter, and there wasn't much to take pictures of 2. We got a mac computer and it took us a very long time to transfer everything, including pictures, over to it and 3. Once I got out of the habit of blogging, I kept forgetting to do it! So, here are a few pics to catch up from the winter, and then I'll post more pictures from our recent trip to Florida.

Quinn started reading this winter, sounding out words on his own and being able to read some simple sentences. It has been so much fun!! We don't work on it much because I don't want him to burn out, but we point out words here and there. Here, he's listening to a book on cd.
This winter, Quinn was into only 2 things: Transformers and what I'll introduce below. Once the weather warmed up some, we got him a big boy bike which had Optimus Prime on it. Transformers have been a whole new world for me. I knew absolutely nothing about them, but my little resident expert has taught me a lot, and now I can talk Autobots and Decepticons with the best of them! :) I bought some DVD's of the 1984 and 1985 cartoons because he prefers those to the more recent incarnations.
Quinn's other love is Playmobil figures, another blast from the past. They haven't really changed at all since we were kids! We got him this 4-foot-tall castle on a whim for Christmas because it was an incredible midnight-madness sale at Toys R Us. (Andy, the best daddy ever, didn't get home until 1:15 A.M. that night!!) It has turned out to be the best purchase we've ever made. This winter, Quinn literally spent hours playing with his knights and pirates, setting up battles, switching out their weapons, etc. I joke that they are like Barbies for boys because my contributions to his play are to make sure all their shields, weapons, capes, etc. are coordinated and all knights are accessorized well for battle, since everything is switchable. :)
(and yes, that is a Transformer band-aid on his cheek!)
And finally, Quinn shoveling snow in his Optimus Prime mask. I feel like this is all we did, all winter long--play in or shovel snow. I'm soooo happy it's now spring!!

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! :)