Nearly Three

Tommy turns three in a week and we can't believe it! We had a very fun and busy summer...baseball games, playdates, vacation to the beach, visiting with cousins and aunts and uncles, and lots of playing in the backyard!

Showing off his giant sunflowers that we grew from seed. You cannot see clearly the largest one that drooped down like a showerhead - he loved it. Each day we'd check to see how much they had grown.

Painting faces at the zoo

Enjoying an apple cider donut at the orchard

Perfect fall day!

Handsome

July

Tommy has been quite the traveler this month. We have been to visit family in Milwaukee and Iowa and Grandma has spent a lot of time with us as well. Summer is flying by and before we know it, Tommy will be starting preschool in September!

Tommy and cousin Henry giving themselves a shower at the water table

Checking out the cockpit on a WWII bomber plane

Charlie, Henry, and Tommy in new matching outfits from Grandma - impossible to get them to pose

Doing some spelunking at the children's museum in Waterloo, Iowa

So proud of his lightning bugs!

Cute!

Dalmation

We have a dalmation in our house now....that's what Tommy calls himself when we talk about his "spotted" feet! When he first started wearing his Crocs earlier this summer, I noticed spots on his feet one night and thought it was dirt, but no, it is Crocs tan lines. It cracks me up - these pictures are from about 3 weeks ago, so the "spots" are much more visible now. It is too cute!

More Summer Fun

We enjoyed a mini vacation to St Louis at the end of June and Tommy was a great traveler. We spent time with old friends, visited a great children's museum and went to a Cardinals game. Such a fun weekend - we can't way to do it again next year!

June

Some pics from the past month.....

His favorite fruit - watermelon - we told him to not eat the seeds or he'll have watermelons growing out of his ears (it's what my grandpa used to tell me) and now he repeats it everytime he eats it!

Hanging with his friend Sarah - they act a lot like brother and sister!

Nicholas (almost 4) and Tommy - it was nearly impossible to get them to stand still.

Something happened here with Blogger -- Tommy likes to "read" the newspaper just like Doug does every morning - these are the nice photos -- what happens after this is he rips up the newspaper and has black newsprint on his hands. He recognizes Barack Obama on the news and in the paper and will scream, "Barack Obama" over and over when he sees his picture.

Catching Up

I've been remiss in updating this blog, mainly due to the much smaller number of pictures I take of Tommy lately. He either does a "cheese" smile when he sees the camera OR he runs the other way.

We've been visiting many parks now that the weather is nicer (though we have had a ton of rainy, dreary days) and having playdates, going to the library, etc. We also enjoy trips to the zoo about twice a month - last month one of the zoo's two elephants passed away so the entire house was closed. When we went to see them and I told him they were sleeping he said, "It's ok, I'll wake them up!"

Tommy amazes us with his large vocabulary and outgoing personality.

Have a great summer and enjoy some pictures from the last two months!

Ryan Family "reunion" - Memorial Day 2009

Eating Avanti's with cousin Ryan

Tommy was not interested in a Ryan grandchildren photo opportunity!

He grabbed the globe and said, "look Mommy, Tommy born in Vietnam" - so cute - he is very interested in looking at the globe and having us point out Vietnam, Chicago, and Boston.

Touch a Truck Day - cool dude in his new sneakers and toting his snack cup

Touch a Truck Day

Enjoying some delicious limoncello gelato

Easter 2009 - with Uncle Doug

our first bowling adventure with Tommy's friend Sarah

CHEESE at Mykha's on Tommy's adoption day

Two Years

Two years ago this morning we scrambled to the Hanoi airport with three other families to catch a flight to Danang. The other three families left immediately to meet their children, while Doug and I had to wait at the hotel all morning and into the early afternoon to make our drive to Tam Ky. Who knew we would be so lucky that day?

We love you Tommy!

Lots of Catching Up

I will admit that I have not been the best blogger as of late. It's nearly impossible to get a good photo of Tommy, so I rarely have my camera out - and then I have been taking a long time to download pics, etc....but here are some from the past month or so....enjoy!

Cousin Caroline, Uncle Nathan, and Tommy enjoying Tante Angie's famous Whoopee Pies - it was Tommy's first and of course he loved the chocolate deliciousness Caroline and Tommy chowing on Whoopee Pies

Pops, Tommy, and Doug shoveling the last of Ipswich's 12" snowfall in March - just two days later we were at the beach!

Before his last haircut - being a stinker

Happy Valentine's Day! We made cupcakes and Tommy really liked the frosting

At dinner

His new trick - chugging a drink from a straw and holding it in his mouth

Checking out the Giant Sea Turtles at Shedd Aquarium

Checking out the rowboat at the Aquarium

Sweet boy

On March 29, it will be two years since we departed for Vietnam. We can't believe it. The time has flown by. We are amazed at what a little miracle Tommy is and how lucky we are to be his parents. We read to him his "lifebook" we created after his adoption and I always say, "When Mommy and Daddy met you, we were so happy," and now when he looks at the book he repeats the line. I know it's just mimicking, but it melts my heart.