By Geri Imler on 6/29/2009 8:30 AM

This weekend we took the girls out to Menards to check out a few things and stock up on more sand for their sandbox.  One of the things they helped to pick out was a blow up pool.  They were too funny when it came to picking one as I would put a few choices out and ask them which one they liked.  They definitely have their own opinions!  We ended up getting a pool that has an attachable slide that happens to be in the shape of a whale.  With how warm it has been, we decided it would be great to get it set up right away.  The girls got into their cute swimsuits (thanks Aunt Mimi!), and were SO patient as they watched Daddy blow up the pool and slide.  Then they helped fill it up with water, which they thought  was pretty cool.  They tried out the slide, but were more interested in sending their toys and boats down it than themselves.  They played and played in the pool, splashing and bringing different things in and out of it.  We had a snack break after a while, and both girls wanted to sit on my lap.  While we ate pretzels and vanilla wafers, they were so cute, giving hugs and kisses to each other and me!  Then it was back out to enjoy the water, though this time they used the pool to keep filling up their watering cans so they could water Daddy's plants.  Overall, I would say the new pool is a hit, and it should get quite a bit of use throughout this summer!  (And on a side note, I am now eight months along.  Hard to believe that there will be another little one before the end of summer!) 

    

The girls watching and waiting so patiently (left and middle).  Then helping to fill up the pool (right).  Abigail is on the left, and Emma is on the right in all of the photos.

  

Sending a boat down the slide (left) and playing in the water (right). Emma is on the left, and Abigail is on the right in both photos.

  

Emma giving Abigail a kiss during snack time (left) -- TOO CUTE!  And the girls watering the plants (right).

By Geri Imler on 6/24/2009 7:52 PM

This is just a random blog about how funny the girls are each day.  They have really been into getting out all of their stuffed animals lately.  They put them in laundry baskets and push them around, or line them up, or just bury themselves in them.  They have a grand ol' time with these animals, and it just makes me smile that they have such imaginations.  The other day they started piling them on the couch, got themselves up and under the animals, and played like that for a long time.  They "hid" in them, made them talk to each other, laughed and smiled.  It was super cute and just an everyday event that shows how funny the girls are.  Just an ordinary day that is made extraordinary by these fun memories, memories only two years olds can create! 

Abigail (left) and Emma (right) with some of their animals...

...and with more of their animals...

...and buried under all of those animals!

 

By Geri Imler on 6/24/2009 8:16 AM

The weekend started on Friday for us when the girls' Aunt Mimi, Uncle Ryan, PawPaw, and cousins Ethan and Austin came to visit.  The girls had been excited about them coming as we had been telling them the last few days that they would visit.  That afternoon, with it being so hot out here, we took all of the kids over the pool that is in a park by our house.  Man, was the pool packed with people!  The pool has a walk-in shallow end with tall things that dump water and gigantic sprinklers.  This was our first trip to the pool this year, so it was interesting to see how the girls would respond.  Abigail was fearless and walked right in, finding it pretty cool to walk in and out, in and out, of the shallow end.  Emma, on the other hand, was not happy with being in the water and was pretty scared of it for about a half an hour.  Then she started to watch the other kids playing and having fun, so she sat on the side and splashed her feet in it.  Pretty soon, she was ready to get in and walk around with her sister and the other people.   Both girls just loved walking around and splashing in the water, so it was definitely a lot of work keeping up with them!  They would even wade out to where it was pretty deep on them, so we had to keep a careful watch on them.  There is also several slides at the pool: a big one, a medium one, and a baby one.  Ethan liked the medium one and went on it several times while the girls went down the baby one a lot.  By the end of the afternoon, they didn't want to leave the "wa-wa!"  After a cookout and lots of good food, it was bedtime for the girls so they could be ready for their next big day, a Day Out with Thomas the Train.  My nephew, Austin, LOVES trains and especially Thomas, so for his May birthday, we got him a ticket to spend the day with Thomas, and we all came along.  So on Saturday, we packed up all of the kids and a lunch and headed to Connorsville, IN.  We had to park at the High School and then took a bus over to the event, so the girls got to ride on their first school bus!  They thought it was pretty cool, but wanted to stand up to look out the window.  When we got there, we found that there was a lot more to do than just ride on Thomas.  There were little trains running, games like putt-putt golf, a lego center, an animal area, and more.  We decided to eat the lunch we brought with us first and then get in line to wait for our train ride.  Riding on Thomas was pretty cool, and the girls enjoyed looking out the windows.  Austin loved it, which was great as it was really all for him.  When we got back, we were able to take a photo with Thomas and see him upclose.  Then we headed over to the animal area, where the kids got to pet a donkey and ride on ponies.  Let me tell you, the girls LOVED LOVED LOVED the pony ride!  They held on great by themselves (even though we walked with them), and kept laughing, smiling, and saying, "Getty-Up!" to the ponies.  After that, they got to feed a bunch of animals like goats, chickens, ducks, and a bunny.  Since it was such a hot day the kids were getting a bit worn out by the end of that, so we headed over to get drinks and go to the gift shop, where the girls got train whistles.  We took the bus back to our cars, said good-bye to our family, and headed home.  The girls were exhausted from the day, but it was well worth it!  Everyone had an awesome time and created great memories!   Beware: there are lots of photos below of our fun day with Thomas.  Oh, and now every time the girls hear or see a train, they call out, "Thomas!' -- too cute! 

      

Lunch time (left)!  The girls checking out what is all around them (middle).  The kids all waiting for Thomas to pull into the station (right).

        

Austin and Ethan ready for Thomas (left)!  Abigail and Emma looking out the train windows (middle).  Abigail getting a drink while watching out the window of the train (right).

     

Abigail relaxing on her Daddy while looking outside of the train (left).  Emma checking out her Thomas certificate (middle) and looking out the train's window (right). 

    

The girls with Thomas the Train (left and middle)!  Austin, Emma, and Abigail petting a donkey while waiting for the pony ride (right). 

     

Abigail riding a pony!  She kept saying, "This is fun!"

     

Emma riding a pony!  She kept saying, "Getty-Up!"

     

The girls looking at the animals (left) and feeding goats (middle and right).

     

Abigail on the bus ride back with her huge lemonade (left), and Emma peeking at us on the bus ride back (middle).  All four kiddos resting before we had to leave for home (right).

By Geri Imler on 6/24/2009 7:43 AM

So it is time to play catch up with the blog!  I will go back to last week for this one where we all went to a baseball game for Tim's program.  It was an evening game, and it was a beautiful night for it!  We sat out on the lawn again, so the girls got to run around and be "free" from sitting during the game.  They first ran up to the fence and enjoyed playing around that, and they even got some free necklaces, which they thought was pretty cool.  Then later we made our way over to a tee-pee that was set up, where did "laps" around it.  They even threw a little baseball around with some other little kids that were there.  Actually, it was really nice because the other people in the program had their kids there, too, so the girls had people to play with during the game.  They also played with their baby dolls that they brought with them, which was funny to watch as they made the babies sit by the fence and later play at the tee-pee, too.  Overall, it was such a nice night that time went by really fast, and before we knew it, it was way past bath and bedtime!  Hard to tell how late it is with how light it stays outside right now!  Check out our fun time below:

   

The girls checking out the game at the fence, and sitting together as sisters, having fun.

      

Emma admiring her necklace (far left), while Abigail tries to decide if she wants to wear hers (middle left).  Emma playing peek-a-bee with a wipe and her baby (middle right), and Abigail running around with her baby doll (right).

By Geri Imler on 6/22/2009 7:00 AM

We had a very busy and fun weekend, but I will update on that later.  First, I wanted to talk about our Father's Day that we had here.  Tim had a wonderful day, starting out with getting to sleep in and then having a big breakfast waiting for him that the girls helped me make.  Then we just hung out here in the morning with the girls, playing with them both inside and outside of the house.  Around lunchtime, the girls gave him their presents.  Of course they helped him open them, which was funny as Emma acted like she was reading the cards to him.  The girls got him some new shirts, along with a glass business card holder for his office that was personalized with his name, chief resident, and IU on it.  Over the last few weeks, we have been working on different fun, wooden photo holders that the girls have been coloring and decorating with markers.  That was the final gift he got from them to help decorate his office: two elephants, a fish, a snail, and two little wooden people, all colored by them with their little faces as the photos.  They were super cute, and the girls were very proud of them.  After naptime, we got ready and headed to a cookout for Tim's program at someone's house, and then we headed out to eat at Abuelo's (Tim's choice, of course) for a festive Mexican dinner.  After dinner, the girls played outside for a bit and then curled up to cuddle for a movie before bath/bedtime.  Overall, it was a great day together as a family, and a special day for Tim as a Daddy.  Hope everyone else out there had a wonderful Father's Day, and again, Happy Father's Day to my dad and Tim's dad! 

  

Daddy getting a hug and kiss from Emma.

  

More hugs and kisses from Abigail for Daddy.

Emma, Daddy, and Abigail on Father's Day

By Geri Imler on 6/17/2009 5:30 PM

Today was a BIG day for us in that we found out where Tim matched for his GI fellowship.  And I am so happy to announce that he got his first choice, a GI fellowship here at IU!  He has been working hard for a long time to get into this program, and we are all so VERY proud of him!  He is the only IU resident to match into the GI program this year, and there are only five total taken from across the country.  I know he is super excited to get started but he will have to wait until he is done being Chief Resident this year.  This also means we won't be moving anytime soon so we get to stay in our comfy house and enjoy Indy for a bit longer.  It is so nice to know where we will be for the next few years, and then who knows what the future will bring.  All I know is that Tim has done an awesome job in his residency, is an outstanding doctor, and will be wonderful this year as Chief Resident and in his fellowship that follows.  Congrats to Tim!   We Love You! 

  

Tim finding out where he matched and then pointing to it on the computer screen in his office.

     

Tim with Emma and Abigail (left), Tim with Geri (middle), and our family (right) - Emma, Geri, Tim, and Abigail. 

By Geri Imler on 6/17/2009 4:46 PM

This past weekend we went to a wedding for one of Tim's cousins.  It was a beautiful wedding and a fun reception.  And it was extra special because the girls' Uncle Dan came in from California to attend it with us.  The girls did a great job of being quiet at the church, and when it got to be too much for them to listen to, they got to go play in a Kiddie Room in the church.  Then we headed to the reception where the girls were surprised by gift bags on their seats that had books, crayons, stickers, and plastic toys like dinosaurs and lizards in them.  This was an awesome idea as the girls played with those things, especially the plastic dinosaurs, for the entire reception.  We enjoyed great food, yummy cake, and fun music.  Abigail especially liked dancing out on the dance floor, while Emma really enjoyed playing around the head table and all of its decorations.  Plus, the girls looks so super cute in their fancy dresses, and the bride was absolutely beautiful!  Overall, we all had a great time and want to extend our biggest CONGRATULATIONS to Janet and Craig (and Owen)! 

      

The girls exploring the outside of the church (left).  Abigail (middle) pointing out the flowers while Emma (right) smells them.

     

The girls in their pretty dresses (left).  Abigail (middle) and Emma (right) looking adorable, as usual. 

  

A family photo - Tim, Emma, Geri, and Abigail.  And Uncle Dan with Emma and Abigail.

  

Emma playing with her plastic dinosaurs by giving them a bath in her water cup (left).  Abigail making her dinosaurs climb up the chair (right).

     

Emma playing at the head table (left), while Abigail plays on the dance floor (middle).  Emma giving Mommy a hug while Abigail plays with her dinosaurs on the dance floor (right).

  

All of the cousins (left), and Craig and Janet (right).  CONGRATS AGAIN!

By Geri Imler on 6/16/2009 7:16 AM

Sorry I have not updated lately!  Last week was really busy for us, so I didn't get a chance.  This blog is actually from last week when it was really hot out here one afternoon.  We put the girls in their swimsuits and let them have fun in the water outside.  First they helped Daddy to plant some sunflower seeds in pots.  These were to be "their plants" to help take care of by planting and watering them.  They did a great job patting down the soil and putting in the seeds.  And of course, they loved watering them with their little watering cans.  The sad update to this is that the pots have been attacked several times by squirrels in our backyard, and the seeds have been eaten up already.  So, unfortunately even though these plants had a great start from the girls' hard work, they won't survive due to our squirrel "infestation."  After doing this, we put out a sprinkler type thing that shoots water everywhere.  Now the girls were a bit afraid of it at first, so Tim ran through it with them.  After a little bit, Abigail was brave enough to try on her own, but Emma continued to stay away.  The funny part is that even though they didn't really enjoy the sprinkler thing that much, they didn't want us to turn it off because they liked watching it go everywhere.  Then they filled buckets with the hose, as well as their watering cans.  They LOVE to do this for some reason.  They just love to hold the hose and fill things up, dump them out, and do it again (not the most conservative thing in terms of water).  During this time, Emma found it funny to spray the hose on Abigail, so Abigail returned the favor by dumping a watering can on Emma's head!  Too funny, and they both laughed about it!  Lastly, they figured out that they could "drink" from hose, which was absolutely hilarious to watch as they couldn't really figure out just how to get the water in their mouths, so they sat there with their tongues hanging out.  At one point, they both tried to drink at the same time, so they were head to head with the hose between them.  Check it out below!  Too cute!  It was a great summer afternoon playing outside with water and seeds.  (Warning: Lots of cute photos below!) 

     

Abigail checking out the seeds and the pot they will go in (left and middle).  Emma checking out the seeds (right).

        

The girls filling their watering cans (left), Emma and Abigail watering the new seeds (middle), and Emma looking oh-so-cute with the hose as she fills her bucket (right).

     

Abigail looking adorable (left), and closeups of Emma (middle) and Abigail (right). 

     

The girls playing with the hose and having a wonderful time!   Aren't they just too cute?!?

  

The girls having fun - Emma on the left, Abigail on the right.

     

Attempting to drink from the hose - too funny!

  

Drinking from the hose together and having a great time!  So adorable!

By Geri Imler on 6/7/2009 8:18 PM

This weekend we were invited to a cookout at Tim's program director's house.  Mostly it was for the chief residents and their families, though there were also other program directors there.  It was nice because there were other kids there, and we could kind of just sit back and chat with other adults while they all played together.  Cookout food is always great, and the girls loved the swing set they had in their backyard.  They are both getting to be champs at climbing up ladders to go down slides!  And Emma especially is great at climbing up the slide to go back down it.  I love watching them interact with other kids, especially ones that are not their age.  Overall, we ate, played on the swing set, chatted with lots of people, and played football in their yard (I'm told I have quite the arm!).  It was really nice to just be able to relax and get to know some of the people Tim is around a little better.  Oh, and the girls looked super adorable in some summer dresses and hair clips.  Here are some fun photos from their time playing there:

    

Emma enjoying the slide.

  

Abigail enjoying the swing.

     

Abigail (right), both girls, and Emma (left) having fun on a plastic teeter totter.

By Geri Imler on 6/2/2009 12:43 PM

It was pretty warm out here yesterday, and I suggested to the girls that we play outside in the water with their friends after their naptime.  Well, as soon as they woke up, they had three words for me: "Friends...Water...Outside!"  They didn't forget, so I called their friends, and we met up over at their house.  The girls suited up and headed outside to play in the water table, enjoy some popsicles, fill up buckets with the hose, and run around being silly.  Meanwhile, I got to chat and catch up with my friend over a nice, cool cup of Starbucks blended lemonade.  It was a great afternoon, and it is always such a treat to see the girls with their friends (especially all grown up in their swimsuits!).  We are all so lucky to have that family of friends in our lives! 

  

All of the girls playing in the water table, and Emma taking a break while keeping an eye on the action.

     

Abigail (left), all of the girls enjoying popsicles together (middle), and Emma (right).

  

Emma with her popsicle, and Abigail enjoying her popsicle.

  

All of the girls filling buckets with the hose, and Abigail playing on the deck.