For dinner Will got to eat off of the Special plate. He was very excited that he got the special plate tonight. We're also going out for ice cream (even though it's supposed to snow....) Enjoy the picture of Will telling Daddy what the plate says. It would be great for people to leave comments for Will!!!
Lauren on her new bike. She loves to ride her bike outside. 
The boys getting ready for their first ride. 
Joe and the kids 
And they're off! 
Goodbye! Have a great ride!
The first cut! 
She didn't love her hair cut, but she did a great job sitting still. She only cried toward the end. 
Lauren in her pink jeep. 
Will, of course, had to ride a motorcycle while he waited. Lauren eating lunch (it seems to be the only time she sits still these days....). 
Her hair is getting longer....
Here is a picture of me and Charlie in our seats. Aren't we big? 
Here is me at Rupp Arena! We were really close to the floor! 
Daddy and me at the game. Happy Birthday, Daddy! 
I got to eat popcorn and drink lemonade. It was great! 
This is a picture of the silly basketball players.
Lauren and I made Daddy's cake this morning. 
I love to crack the eggs! I'm very good at it! 
Lauren put the cake mix into the bowl and she watched mommy and me mix the cake.
Lauren likes to play with the measuring cups
Will has really been into playing Legos. He's really starting to build things and then he uses his imagination and plays with his buildings.
Our happy boy playing with his Legos.
Speaking of imaginary play, Will has been grilling up a storm this week. 
Even Lauren got in on the fun.
Will loves to paint on his easel. He's been very creative this week.
This is Will's pig... It's a side image of a pig with the nose and two ears on the right side and a big squiggle tail on the left. He also included some legs on the bottom.
Last night Will really got into his play-doh. He played with his play-doh while I got Lauren ready for bed. He was very involved in his little play-doh world. He's really growing up!
Lauren seemed to know that it was her turn to swim when we got her in her suit. She sat in Joe's lap and waited her turn to swim. When it was time to get into the water she was so excited. She finally got to participate in something instead of just watching!! 
Lauren laughed most of the way through her class. It was mostly a "get your baby used to the water" class, which is different than the baby swim class that Will took (Lauren has a different teacher). Lauren loved to kick her legs and play with her little rubber duck. She was actually one of the oldest kids in the class (there was one boy that was 17 months), though you couldn't tell by her size. She really is a tiny little girl. 
Practicing jumping in from the side. She didn't like sitting out the first time we did it (maybe she thought it meant class was over), but she got the hang of it pretty quickly. Here's a short video of Lauren swimming. I never even thought of taking video of swimming class... I'll have to get some video of Will to post next week so everyone can see his excellent swimming skills.
In dealing with his passing, we have all been thinking about his wonderful life. He was blessed to have a wonderful wife for 61 years, three children (all there with him the day he died), seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Not only did he "have" all of these people, but we all loved him greatly. He was the cornerstone to our family and we all loved and respected him.
This past year has been a great one for my Grandparents. It all began Christmas of 2006, when we all got together to celebrate their 60th anniversary and my Grandpa's 85th birthday (both which occur on Christmas Day). We had a small celebration for them in the basement of my Uncle David and Aunt Jeanette's home and gave them a trip to Norway as a gift. My Grandpa is from Norway and he's written a genealogy book about his family. His three children and their spouses took my grandparents to Norway so my Grandpa could learn more about his roots. It was a trip of a lifetime and everyone had a great time. You can read about it in my May blogs. In June, my grandparents traveled (with my mom) down to Santa Barbara to be a part of my second cousin Allison's wedding. In July, my mom and I tackled a 10 day trip out to California and Oregon so that my family could become better acquainted with our kids. Plus, I wanted to get Lauren out to see everyone while she was in that cute baby stage. We spent about three days at my grandparent's house and I am so glad that we made that trip. You can read about our trip in my July blogs. I know that my grandparents have been very busy with my younger cousins (Allison, Jenna, and Tyler) and that they really enjoy watching Soccer games and hanging out at the Pepper house. In December, my cousin Nicole graduated from the University of Arizona and Grandpa and Grandma were there to support her (they've made it to all of our graduations, - San Luis Obispo (CA),Lexington, Boston, and Tuscon. I know they have had many more travels than the ones that I mention.... they travel so much it's hard to keep up with where they are. My point being.... My Grandpa had a very FULL life right up until the day of his stroke.
the days that we were waiting to see the outcome of his stroke, our family kept thinking about his wonderful life here on Earth. I guess when you think about death as a child it can be very scary, but as I grow up it becomes more of an "exciting" thing... not the leaving, but the going. My Grandpa is in Heaven with his Maker - and that is just an awesome thing. Yeah, we're all going to miss him around here, but sooner or later we'll all join him for eternity and that will just be an awesome day. 
