A Race to the Finish

The finish line is in sight! With just under four weeks to go, I am feeling tired, big, excited, nervous . . . . Having a toddler to finish this home stretch with has made the going a bit more challenging, but I am trying to take it one day at a time. Katie shows a great deal of affection and caregiving to her bear (swaddling him, cleaning him with damp clothes, trying to give him juice and cheerios, etc.) I am hoping this caring extends to her little sister. She also seems fascinated by the baby things that have slowly been re-appearing. Whether it is the bouncy seat, the car seat, books, or newborn toys, she is either trying to put one of her stuffed animals or if given the opportunity, herself, into the seats or enjoying re-discovering a well loved cloth book. It is hard right now to remember her being that small!

We are doing well here and are looking forward to baby Leonard's arrival on or around August 21st. Here are two picture Ben took today. I really was smiling . . . Ben just fiddled with the camera long enough to capture the worn down remnant of a smile! :-)

Celebrating Five Years

On July 3rd, Ben and I celebrated five years of marriage. Where did all that time go? As a surpise, Ben saved up for all three of us to go to a beautiful, colonial town called Villa de Leyva, that is about three hours outside of Bogota. While we managed to bring Bogota weather with us (i.e. cloudy/drizzly/cold), we still enjoyed our two days there. We braved the slightly heated outdoor pool at the hotel we stayed in, wandered through the many artisan shops, enjoyed snacks at the French bakery, and reminsced about previous visits we had made to Villa de Leyva with friends who have since moved to the states.

La Granja in Tenjo

Two weeks ago, several of the families from baby group went out to a restaurant called La Granja in a small town called Tenjo. The magic or the draw of the restaurant is that there is a small zoo, large playground, and children's workshops all over the property. Daddy and Katie made cookies together in one of the workshops, and we all enjoyed the zoo and playground.