Theology

Here's Evy sharing the most important thing she'll ever know.

More Summer Fun

We enjoy trying to squeeze all 4 of us into pictures! We call this Evy's "pirate face."

Below, Evy is reading a bedtime story with cousins Maddie and Megan.

Violet and Grandpa are buddies. Here they're taking a nap together.

This picture just makes us laugh.

Happy Violet!

Evy likes to help in the kitchen. We're hoping she has a promising career ahead of her in the culinary arts.

We're making a salad together. Evy likes to use the salad spinner.

Last week we took advantage of the unusually cool weather and went to the zoo with Grandpa and Grandma.

This is how Evy wanted to walk all morning.

Violet enjoys relaxing on Dad's chair.

Here are a few videos for fun.
In this last video, Evy is eating a tomato. At the end she says, "Ready picture!" ("I'm ready to take a picture!")
We're having a great year with our tomato plants. Last week we had some friends over for the evening and they brought some cookies for dessert. Our friend Meredith gave Evy a chocolate chip cookie before we went out back to look at the garden. While eating her cookie outside, Evy noticed a beautiful, ripe tomato so she handed her half eaten cookie to Meredith . . . so she could pick and eat the tomato instead. Evy'd rather eat a tomato than a cookie I guess.

Violet's Newborn Pictures

Here's our little Violet, a week and a half old, posing for her newborn pictures on Daddy's guitar. Don't worry, she doesn't usually sleep on Josh's guitar; it just makes for adorable, memorable pictures!

Nana made this cute crocheted diaper and I (Mommy) made Vi's hat. A good friend of Uncle Ken and Aunt Anna's took these beautiful pictures for us.

Nana made this cocoon too.

Just look at these beautiful lips!

Big sister Evy counting Vi's "piggies."

I wonder what she's dreaming about...

Such a beautiful baby!

Welcome Violet Joy!

Here she is! Our little Violet Joy was born at 2:31pm on Thursday, April 7th, 2011. After a very smooth induction delivery, she weighed in at a healthy 8lbs and 21 1/4 inches.

We were eager to get to know each other! Such a precious picture of Daddy and his girl.

Here's Nana with her second born, and her second born with her second born.

And of course, here is big sister Evelyn meeting Violet for the first time.

Here are Violet's proud Grandpa and Grandma Nachtigall

This is the first official family picture! And the impossible - picture - taking phase begins.
It's hard enough just to get one kid to look at the camera. It is virtually impossible to get both to look at the camera.

Here we are making our escape! We were actually discharged early.

Here's little Vi with Grandpa Wilkie.

Here she is with Great Grandma Nachtigall Buller, who went to be with the Lord on July 1st. What a blessing that she and Violet were able to meet each other and share this special moment.

Evy adjusted to her new role very well overall. She was very curious about Violet. Here she is watching Daddy change Vi's diaper.

The batteries in our baby swing had died long ago but we didn't have to replace them at first because Evy pushed Violet, as she's doing in this picture below. In this picture, you can see that Evy also put her baby doll in the swing with Violet. This particular doll was one of my first baby dolls when I was little.

Below, is a picture of the girls heading out on their first stroller ride together. Evy loves to have Violet in the stroller with her!

The first several weeks of Violet's life were not easy, unfortunately. Breastfeeding, though very smooth with Evy, was complicated (to say the least!) and wrought with some tremendous challenges. BUT we got through it with a lot of prayer and help from our family, our church family, our neighbors, and our friends.

And through it all, God's protective hand remained over us. Violet came through the storm unscathed, a happy, healthy, sweet baby girl, living up to her name - Violet JOY! She's such a blessing from the Lord.

Summer

Looks like Violet is telling Evy a secret.

This next picture is fun. Evy is wearing a dress that was mine when I was little. She's also wearing cowboy boots that belonged to Josh when he was her age too.

Who says cassette tapes aren't cool anymore?! So much for Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits.

You can't quite tell in the picture but Evy is playing Josh's harmonica for Violet. Violet loves it!