Happy Summertime!

We have been very busy around here, visiting family, going to parks, taking mini-vacations, and getting ready for what promises to be a wonderful and eventful summertime. In the past few weeks, in honor of our boys turning another year older, we have taken several little trips. Our cousin Ethan (who turns 11 today!) joined us at Great Wolf Lodge where we spent two and a half days at their amazing indoor water park. While Noah loved every second of it, Ben didn't find it that fantastic. Turns out he's a little afraid of the water. Ethan had fun both at the water park as well as testing his wizarding skills in the live-action role playing adventure within the halls of the hotel. He was a huge help during that trip, and the boys really had a chance to bond with him.

Then, a couple of weeks later, we borrowed his older sister, Adina, to help out over Memorial Day Weekend. She joined us in Spring Lake, New Jersey, where we spent a bunch of time with David's side of the family. We all went to the beach, we played at the many parks in town, we cooked and ate a ton of food, we walked through the quaint shops in town, we played Taboo, we watched some movies, and we even took a 5-minute dip in the freezing cold salt-water pool by the beach. Most importantly, we all got a chance to bond with Lawson, who is simply adorable. Just like her brother, Adina was an immense help during that weekend, and we couldn't have enjoyed ourselves as much without her assistance.

Now, as the school year ends, we look forward to the summer and to our 2-week trip to Costa Rica for Jared and Karla's wedding. I am sure there will be plenty of pictures to share from that adventure, too.

Lots of love to all of you! Enjoy the pictures!

Now that the Spring is here, the we are happy to announce the birth of our new nephew / cousin, Lawson Elias Smith. Born on February 28, 2008, Lawson has been bringing much happiness to Debbie and Ethan. He's a cute little guy, and our Benjamin is particularly enamored.

With the weather now officially warmer, our two munchkins are spending as much time as possible outside. They love the playground, they love playing Frisbee, and they enjoy chasing each other throughout the neighborhood.

In other news, Noah is continuing with his RDI therapy, and we are very happy at his progress. And Benjamin has decided to become 2 years old, even though he still has a month or so to go. But he is simply the cutest kid ever, and he has an appetite that rivals his father's!

Happy Spring to all of you, and I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Now that the weather is changing, the boys have been enjoying some time outside at the park. Recently, we spent a day with our cousins, Adina and Ethan. We climbed at Unbelieva-bills, played some Laser Tag, and then we went to a playground in Ringwood, NJ. It's wet outside, and sometimes it's still cold. But our tough kids would prefer to shiver at the park than stay warm while being cooped up inside.

Greetings!

Welcome to the Landres Family Blog! Thanks to a little introduction to Ethan Smith (to whom we are very grateful), we are now going to try and bring you slices of our lives on a more regular basis. And we are very excited at the opportunity to share with everyone some of the things that make our special family special. So, enjoy, be patient with us as we explore this new technology, and I hope that you all enjoy what we have to show you!