A week (or two!) in review...

So I really need to get back into this consistent blogging thing, but things have been busy, the weather has been warm and I haven't wanted to spend too much time at the computer. Anyway, here are a few things that we have been up to.. Almost two weeks ago, a big group of dental students went to the Buffalo Bills game...it was a pre-season game, so the players (2nd or 3rd string) weren't that great and the Bills lost, but it was still fun to experience it. That was both mine and David's first professional football game. There was lots of drinking and I think I heard the "F" word WAY too many times, but I guess that's normal outside of Utah!! We HIRED our first babysitter for Maia that night. We usually just swap with other people in the neighborhood when we go out, but since it was a such a long and late night I thought it would be good to have someone come to our house. And I've been wanting to get to know some of the young women in the ward better so I know about my babysitting options whenever we want to do something like this again. Maia did great! I was a little unsure of how she'd be, but she didn't even cry when we left and she didn't give the babysitter any problems. They watched Snow White together and ever since then Maia has been OBSESSED with it (and obsessed might be an understatement!) She goes around marching and singing "Hi-Ho" and talking about Princess Snow White and always wants to watch it. It has also started the PRINCESS phase where she loves and wants everything princess. WHAT?? She's not even two years old yet!! But she recognizes everything princess at the store, garage sales, etc. etc. and she wants it. She loves to dress up in princess dresses and clomp around in princess shoes. Silly girl. Anyway, I got a little sidetracked, but here are a few pictures from the Bills game....
We sat in front of some hard-core fans...so much fun.

Here's the group..not the best picture, but there were a lot of us, so what can you expect? David and I are way down at the other end.
And the princess at her best!
The weather was really warm for a few days, actually it was pretty hot and HUMID, so we took advantage of the little swimming pool and slide in the back yard. We also found some free sand for a sandbox, so David went and picked that up and put it in our yard where the sandbox will be (there is just sand right now, no box, but still fun for the kids!) Maia had so much fun going back and forth from the pool to the sand. She was SOOOO dirty when it was time to come in!
Then this past weekend was David's birthday (28 years old in case you are wondering!) so we had some great birthday fun! David's brother Darren and his wife Klea came out to visit us...long story but it was a big surprise to David (and Darren!). Klea had been planning this big surprise trip for Darren for MONTHS and called me up a while ago to tell me about it. David and Darren's birthday's are only a few days apart so Klea suggested that I keep it a surprise for David too, so of course I was all about that!! I love surprises! Anyway, David knew something was going on and was sure I was planning a big surprise party for him, but he was really surprised when he came home from the lab on Saturday and saw his brother sitting in the front room. We had a lot of fun with them. We went to Niagara Falls and did the Maid of the Mist, which we had never done before, we went out to eat at a really great restaurant on Elmwood--Cecelia's for anyone who wants to try it-- and we went to Beaver Island State Park on Sunday evening to walk around there. It was so much fun to see them! They started their trip here and then are going to Boston for some baseball games and then to NYC for a few Yankee's games. Thanks for coming Darren & Klea! We miss you already. Here are some pictures from their visit:

Maia and I getting ready to get on the boat. Her little poncho was so cute!
Family picture on the boat.
Darren, Klea, and Maia at Beaver Island..Maia loved having them around and getting all of the extra attention from them! They probably wanted a break from her, seeing how they left their 4 kids behind to have a vacation!
...And another family picture.
And one more picture, just for laughs! Some of you may have noticed that Maia has kind of a crazy eye when looking in certain directions. We noticed it when she was just a baby and took her to a ophthalmologist when she turned one. She was diagnosed with what is called Brown's Syndrome--basically it means that her left eye muscles are weaker when she is looking up and to the left, so the eye just kind of lags behind. Anyway, there isn't anything that they do for it--it really isn't a serious thing unless it gets really bad and then they have to do surgery on it, but he didn't seem that worried about Maia. I take her back in October to have it re-evaluated. But it is really funny when you catch her just right. We can now tell her to give us "the look" and she does what you see in the picture below, and we just laugh and laugh. Sometimes I think we shouldn't encourage the behavior, but it really is so funny. It does worry me a little bit though because it seems like it is more noticeable now than it was a year ago. So I'm sure it won't be a laughing matter if she needs to have surgery to correct it, but until then, we'll get our kicks out of it I guess! Mean parents huh?