Adventures with Auntie Mel!

This weekend, Danielle and I spent the weekend with Maeta, Zofie and Linus (my nieces and nephew) while my brother, Matthew and his wife, Amy, went to run a race in Austin, TX. It was a great weekend away for them and a wonderful weekend for the 5 of us back in Chicago!

We ventured out to the Museum of Science and Industry which provided a lot of entertainment for us, including: Idea Factory time, finding out our support network, realizing how many blood vessels we have in our bodies, creating an advertisement about water, launching a rocket, trains, trains and more trains, and getting our pictures taken in a photo booth! Cool!

We also had Slumber Party 2011 which included movies, popcorn, and decorating pillowcases. Very fun and everyone's creativity exploded on their pillowcases. Linus had trains and train tracks, Danielle had a beautiful face and moons, Maeta and Zofie will now visit outer space every night, and I drew a butterfly. These will be memorable pillowcases as this was the first slumber party Maeta and Zofie have been to. :)

We ended with a french toast breakfast, a little more Bugs Bunny cartoons, and making welcome home signs for mom and dad. It was a very busy and fun weekend!

Artsy Girl

Danielle has been really into her art table this week. We have spent many hours glueing, taping, coloring, cutting, sticking, creating.....you get the picture. So many art projects have been sent in the mail this week that I am now out of stamps (and stickers!)

Today, Grandpa Luepke was spending some time creating with Danielle. They took the pipe cleaners and created beautiful flowers for everyone. Now we have a wonderful centerpiece for our kitchen table!

Thanks Grandpa and Dani!!

Sledding...again!

We have had some wonderful snowfalls this year which has allowed us to spend a lot more time on the local sledding hill. This January day, we were able to go with friends. Dani and her friend had a great time sledding, running in the snow, building a snow cat (okay...with a little help from the parents :) ), hiking on the trails, and lunch afterward.

It snowed again this week, so we will probably be out again tomorrow...as long as the temps go up a bit.

Happy Snow Day!!!

Family Pictures 2010

We were able to see family over Christmas which is always fun! What a great way to ring in the new year!

Snow Bunnies 2010!

We all love being outside. The snow just brought an added joy as we went sledding in Indy and at Clear Lake, shoveled, trudged through the snow, made snow balls and snow angels, and so much more.

Danielle has been known to stay outside for hours and only comes in at the insistance of her parents. She simply loves playing in the snow.

Next step...learning to ski!!!!

Meet Samara Irene Luepke!

We added a new member to our family this Christmas. Samara (Sam) Irene is Danielle's new baby girl. She came straight out of the Cabbage Patch. :) Many many hours of fun have been had with Sam and Lucy (my Cabbage Patch doll from my childhood.) Danielle is a great "mother" to her baby girl. We hope you get to meet Sam soon!

At the Beach

While in New York, Danielle and I were able to go to the beach a couple of times. She loved the waves crashing in to her, the sand, and the sun. Unlike her mother, Danielle gets a beautiful tan which makes it much easier to go and spend the day in the sun.

Danielle especially loved exploring the water with her cousins, Ellie and Matthew, who are avid beach goers. On our final day at the beach, Ellie caught snails, a fish, and almost captured a jelly fish. It was quite fun! We can't wait to go back!

Summer Adventures

This has been an amazing summer filled with fun at the pool and splash parks, traveling which took us to Wisconsin, Chicago, Indiana, and New York, and great memories with friends and family. Danielle is a great travler, full of life, and enjoying all the exciting things she gets to do.

Fishers Freedom Festival

This weekend was Fishers Freedom Festival -- Our town's 4th of July festival. Danielle "ran" in her first race (note the number on her stroller) and went to her first Parade. Thanks to our friends, the Probst Family, we had an excellent spot on the parade route. She is already talking about her next parade. Hmm....is there one in Freemont, Indiana?

2nd Birthday!

We celebrated Danielle's 2nd Birthday. It was a great weekend with family and friends and we gave God thanks for another year with Dani! What a blessing she is in our lives! This year Danielle was much more into the cake and ice cream. She started by blowing out the candle and then too a little frosting off the edge of the cake with her finger. She definitely would have dove into the cake, but I didn't have an extra cake for the guests, so she was limited to the frosting and then her own piece of cake with a little ice cream. YUMMY, she said! :)

She is exporing many new things and talking quite a bit. We are enjoying the daily adventures with her and look forward to what is new tomorrow.

We hope to see you soon!

Cousin Fun

Danielle's cousins came down for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. The moment they walked through the door, the fun began! The ended each day exhausted and dirty! But every moment was enjoyed! We love our family!!!

New York, New York!

We love going to New York!!! So much fun! :)