I guess We are up to May

Things are happening too fast to keep everyone updated! I need more time, more sleep and more patience! So please bear with me! To save time, since I downloaded pics in chronological order, they of course have most recent at the top of the page. I could rearrange but that would take forever (which I have already mentioned I have no time!). So, I am going from most recent back to May!!

Heikki is doing his 2 weeks active duty for the Coast Guard down in Corpus Christi, TX. We went down to visit him for Father's Day weekend. Here we are going to breakfast on the Navy base in Corpus. Markku was having a bad day, so he wouldn't look at the camera!

Suvi was playing on the playset. Markku was off crying or pouting so no pics of him! I did mention he was having bad day! He was really tired-we kept him up late the night before, and boy did we pay (both kids were tired on Sunday as were we!). Saturday we had gone to the beach and had a perfect day! The kids were so much fun to be with! They loved swimming! They loved the waves and the sand! The water here is REALLY warm and it is around 100 degrees and Corpus is VERY humid. I really wish I could figure out how to download video as they were having such a blast and I would love to share it with y'all! But here are some photos instead (not quite as good at capturing the pure joy, but they will do!

Of course there was also planes, helicopters, kayaks, boats and you name it here on base! This is an old trainer-not used any more.

Just about 2 week before this trip, we were in Portland, OR for my sister Jenn's wedding. She and Dan finally decided to tie the knot after something like 12 years of dating. They still live in different countries, but maybe that can be rectified now! Markku was ring bearer, Suvi a flower girl and I was Matron of honor. We also visited my in-laws. Here is Suvi on Puget Island with some sort of elf hat on-something her Aunt Liisa made or wore or I don't know, I didn't get the whole story, but Suvi loved it!

Markku fits in Portland so well. He loves public transit, something Texas is sorely lacking! Here Markku is waiting for the street car-it is FREE downtown so we rode it around. Notice also he is carrying his model airplane. The streets are of course wet-it was raining. What a surprise! I just love the intent concentration-he did not want to miss that train!

Of course the reason we were there to begin with, Jenn's wedding. I don't have any of the professional photos yet, but here are some Heikki took...

This is of course the wedding party. Jenn wore a beautiful blue dress and the whole color theme was brown and blue. Even the cupcakes matched! My mom made the flowers out of felt.

Suvi loved her job as flower girl, but she preferred Jenn's bouquet-it was the biggest! Markku was very busy playing trucks and being bribed with candy to be good, be quiet, walk down the aisle, sit still, don't cry, etc to get too many pics of him! But he looked pretty cute himself!

We have seen Ukki and Mummo Frederick very little (except at the wedding), but back on May 31 we went to their house and swam and celebrated my birthday.Once again pure joy-my kids love to swim! Markku is mostly a blur and he jumps in swims, gets out and repeats over and over. He swims all the way across the pool.

Markku just jumped in-I just got the splash!

May 12 was Markku's third birthday. We celebrated with Mummo and Bill-my parents were not there and no party as both Suvi and Markku had had fevers just 2 days before! We had to cancel his party. (Don't worry, we have another one planned for July 5 and it is a pool party!)

Of course even if you have a fever you get to open presents!

Wow! A recycling truck!

Look at his cake that I made! No party but we had a really cool fire engine cake! My mom helped=but I did most of the decorating. Now I have to try again for the July 5th party! Yikes! Markku wants a yellow one next time he told me! He didn't like red Icing!

OK I think that gets everyone caught up. Now for some cute things that Markku has said:
1) We are learning the sounds that letters make (r says errrr!) So one night in the tub he asks, "What does 2 do?" I tried to explain that 2 is a number and doesn't have a sound. I am not sure he believe me!

2) We have been having some trying days sometimes. I can get overwhelmed and may have a few instances where I may raise my voice in exasperation (or desperation)! One night, I was trying to get Markku to listen and stop splashing water out of the tub and onto his sister. So I got mad after the third time. I yelled. Markku started to cry. So I explained that he has 2 choices, he can obey me with 1-2 warnings and get a nice mommy or try to push it and disobey me and get a mean mommy. "Your choice, nice mommy or mean mommy!" Well I of course felt guilty as soon as I said it, and figured he didn't really understand. But he did. The next day or so we were watching a Care Bears video and a mean ghost like creature with red eyes and a hood appears. He tells me it is scary. Then he tells me it is "mean mommy". Nice hunh??? By the way, the character's name is No Heart.

3) Markku was telling me he was all done with dinner. He says, "My belly way top!" He didn't eat much so I asked, Are you sure? He replies as he is lifting his shirt: "Yes, see?" He points to his tummy!