At 5 months...

Elyse is an amazingly sweet, patient baby. She really only fusses if she is tired or hungry. She is very strong and loves to stand up! She is much more interested in toys this month, is enjoying the exersaucer, loves to pull her legs up and slam them down on the ground, will reach for your face and grab it if she's close enough, adores Henry and Ava, and generally sleeps from 7 pm has a feeding around 5 am and then sleeps in until 7 or 8 in the morning. She has also established herself as a thumb sucker and often shows she is tired by popping it in her mouth. She can roll over (both ways) but does not do it too often. Elyse, our hearts overflow with love for you!


Her favorite place to nap...our bed. She takes at least one nap per day there!



Exploring the exersaucer!



Sucking her thumb...



Doing the famous Sanders family balancing act!

Enchanted Forest

Henry's class celebrated nearing the end of school with their annual trip to Enchanted Forest. It is a local amusement park whose theme is nursery rhymes. He and I had a great time while the girls stayed with Bev (Carl's aunt). We even went on the log ride which has an ENORMOUS drop at the end. He LOVED it and has an amazingly adventursome spirit. He can't wait to go to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia someday...oh boy.


With buddy, Brianna


Loving the bumper boats



Fun on the 'There was an old woman who lived in a shoe' slide


By the giant mushrooms from Alice in Wonderland (just before the rabbit hole)



Class photo

Finally, a back blog!

Elyse's baptism was on 4/19--check it out!

Such a happy day...

Today was wonderful. I got to bask in the joy that my three children and husband are to me (Carl's card was awesome--a musical one with 'Ain't no woman like the one I Got'--so true babe--for better or worse!), was treated to a tasty lunch (thank you Mary Ann and Jim with Beryl and Louise) and delicious dinner (thank you Bev and Bruce--I didn't have to cook a thing all day!). I took a nap with sweet baby Elyse while the other two kids napped (a quiet house is a special treat!). I got a sweet card from my sister and talked to my mom (whom I get to celebrate with on Thursday--she's on her way home from Hawaii). The highlight of my day was this bouquet of wildflowers that Henry chose and arranged for me all by himself (it smells WONDERFUL) and the sweet song he sang me (sung to the tune of A Bicycle Built for Two):

Mommy, mommy don't you know I love you.
You're my mommy, nobody else will do.
Oh, mommy when we're together,
we have the best time ever.
Oh mom it's true, I do love you
Mommy nobody else will do.

Thanks to all of you who made this day so special!

Such cuteness!