Lauren likes being tickled with feet!



Now that we've gotten the laughing out of the way, on to our not-so-regularly scheduled blog posting. James has informed me that I'm slacking on my blog posts. I have a feeling the whole summer's going to be like that. We have the busiest summer coming up that we've had in quite a while.

It officially started on Memorial Day weekend. Check out the pictures in the Kodak Gallery if you haven't already. It was great to see the Bilek side of the family, and Lauren made her first trip to an official art studio. She even managed to leave all the art intact.


Chris also got in some golf with his friends, and we had the traditional Bilek barbecue and bonfire. Lauren also met her second cousins, Cooper (Coop) and Jackson (Jack). Coop was being a bit shy so there aren't any pictures of him. Jack is one month older than Lauren. She was really jealous of all of his hair.


It was perfect weather for a bonfire, which also meant we had to make a run to Babies R Us to pick up some long-sleeved onesies, pants and socks for Lauren. Lauren also got her second tooth while we were there. She'll be ready for steak before long! Basically, this picture sums up our trips to Minnesota. This is what we do pretty much the whole time. I know, it doesn't look that exciting, but it really is a good time!


Next up: Columbus Arts Festival this weekend. Grandma Darke is taking the munchkin Friday night so we can go for a nice dinner and a stroll at the arts fest. Keep your fingers crossed for no rain!

And now for the extended calendar.

June 22-23: Double duty this weekend. The NHL Draft is in Columbus this year, so of course we have to go to that. This weekend is also Comfest, a free outdoor music festival with lots of great people watching. Going to Comfest is a tradition...ask James about the time we went when were in college and he slept under a pine tree. I don't foresee any of that going on now, but we still have to go with a picnic and some beverages to hang out in a nice park with a really diverse group of people to listen to bands I've never heard of.

June 28: Lauren's 9 month checkup. Yes, it's been almost 9 months already. Where does the time go? She's actually starting to look like a little kid instead of a baby. She's in size 18-month clothes, mostly thanks to some junk in the trunk. I'm looking forward to an official measurement of "Tiny."

July 8: I'm going for a girls night out to see Wicked. Chris could care less about musical theater, but I'm looking forward to doing something girly.

July 12-13: I'm volunteering at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, a stop on the PGA's Nationwide Tour. I'll be working in the media tent, and I also get a week long pass to the tournament, plus 2 additional passes. Of course Chris is excited, and I think he might talk James into hanging out with him as well.

July 20-22: Trip to Ann Arbor/Detroit, Michigan. We're really excited for this one. Grandma Bilek is in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, which is only a 3-4 hour drive from Columbus. And I have college friends and family in the area, so it should be a great time. This will be Lauren's first road trip since Thanksgiving. Something tells me it won't be as quiet as the November trip.

August 4-11: A week at a cabin on Sand Lake in Michigan with my mom, sister, brother-in-law and niece. We'll be near our aunts and uncles and cousins that we were so close with growing up. I can't wait to catch up with my extended family in Michigan. Since we all went to school, started our careers, and got married and had children, we've kind of lost touch. Chris won't be able to stay the whole time, but Lauren and I will be there for a full week.

September 27: Lauren's first birthday! Lots of messy cake fun to be had by all.

I think that's all we have planned for now. Throw in Father's Day, 4th of July, Labor Day and Chris' birthday and I think we're booked solid. Hopefully we'll enjoy all the craziness and won't forget where we live!