Saturday, July 11, 2009
Picture Time
I decided this week that the kids needed their pictures made. What was I thinking??! Actually, some of them turned out really cute, especially the individual shots. There was never a good group photo where everyone was sitting where they should have been and being still, but we still got some cute ones. Thankfully, neither Kyle nor I are perfectionists, so we didn't really care that the kids aren't posed great in the group shot. Seriously, what can you expect with 4 young kids? We also learned that when you have 2 timid 18-month olds, photo shoots are nearly impossible. So after Elizabeth and Ryan stopped screaming and crying because we expected them to get out of our laps in an unfamiliar place, this is what we got.......
How cute are they?!
Elizabeth and Ryan are still sharing a crib. They sometimes fight over blankets and their little puppy dogs and they occasionally keep each other awake but every time I think about separating them, I walk in to see this. I think they're adorable and should stay together. What do you think?
The summer is flying by!
I would apologize for the length of time between my blog posts, but I warned you early on that I'm an excellent procrastinator and have trouble following through on tasks. That being said, here's what we've been up to so far in July.......
We went to our church's July 4th event to celebrate Independence Day. They had a small train ride,
moonwalks, 
camel and pony rides, 
lots and lots of food, a small concert, and then the city fireworks. (Sorry, there are no pictures of Ryan. He was off playing with my niece for awhile, so he must have missed picture-taking time.) The kids loved it, of course! We always enjoy sitting outside with friends and family to watch the fireworks.
The weather here has been so miserably hot that we try to spend lots of time in the pool or indoors. So we've been to the nearby beach-entry pool the kids enjoy and had friends over to swim in the backyard with us. The kids get more comfortable in the water each time. Andy can now swim underwater and likes to swim between our legs.
Colin still has trouble remembering to move his arms and legs at the same time, but he's trying. 
Ryan still loves the water and Elizabeth is actually enjoying it more.
I had the fun of enjoying a Girls' Night Out recently with some good friends.
This past week was fairly eventful for us. Kyle's car died while he was driving to work one day, so we got to make a trip across town to get him. A new timing belt and $1200 later, it's running great again. So far, at least. We also learned that Andy will be having surgery in early August to repair an inguinal hernia. It's a minor procedure and should only take half an hour, but he still must be put under general anesthesia. I'm not really worried about the actual surgery, but because I'm his mother, I just don't want him to hurt or be scared. So I admit I'm a little nervous.
But we have lots to look forward to as well! This next week, my college roommate, Jill, is coming to spend a few days with us and bringing her 3 children. So we're excited about having them to play with and getting to know the kids better. And two other college friends are coming to join us one morning for a pool party! I'm very excited about this next week!
The following week we're taking a little family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge, a hotel/waterpark that's completely geared towards children. Reports from friends say it's lots of fun, so we're looking forward to trying it out!
That's all I have for now. Hope everyone is having a fun summer and staying cool!
We went to our church's July 4th event to celebrate Independence Day. They had a small train ride,
moonwalks, 
camel and pony rides, 
lots and lots of food, a small concert, and then the city fireworks. (Sorry, there are no pictures of Ryan. He was off playing with my niece for awhile, so he must have missed picture-taking time.) The kids loved it, of course! We always enjoy sitting outside with friends and family to watch the fireworks. The weather here has been so miserably hot that we try to spend lots of time in the pool or indoors. So we've been to the nearby beach-entry pool the kids enjoy and had friends over to swim in the backyard with us. The kids get more comfortable in the water each time. Andy can now swim underwater and likes to swim between our legs.
Colin still has trouble remembering to move his arms and legs at the same time, but he's trying. 
Ryan still loves the water and Elizabeth is actually enjoying it more.
I had the fun of enjoying a Girls' Night Out recently with some good friends.
This past week was fairly eventful for us. Kyle's car died while he was driving to work one day, so we got to make a trip across town to get him. A new timing belt and $1200 later, it's running great again. So far, at least. We also learned that Andy will be having surgery in early August to repair an inguinal hernia. It's a minor procedure and should only take half an hour, but he still must be put under general anesthesia. I'm not really worried about the actual surgery, but because I'm his mother, I just don't want him to hurt or be scared. So I admit I'm a little nervous.
But we have lots to look forward to as well! This next week, my college roommate, Jill, is coming to spend a few days with us and bringing her 3 children. So we're excited about having them to play with and getting to know the kids better. And two other college friends are coming to join us one morning for a pool party! I'm very excited about this next week!
The following week we're taking a little family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge, a hotel/waterpark that's completely geared towards children. Reports from friends say it's lots of fun, so we're looking forward to trying it out!
That's all I have for now. Hope everyone is having a fun summer and staying cool!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Catching Up, Again
See, this is why I was really hesitant to start a blog. After awhile, I just forget to do it, fall behind, and then just put it off longer because I'm behind. So rather than try to download and sort pictures for you, I'm just going to catch up once and for all and forget about organizing photos.
We've had a pretty busy summer so far. Two weeks ago, we participated in Vacation Bible School at our church and had a lot of fun there. It wasn't exactly a break for me since I was working VBS as 1st grade hall director, but it did allow for a lot of socializing time with some friends. So we all had fun!
We also took a little trip to Waco last week to visit my aunt and uncle. My sisters and I usually take our kids there a few times during the summer as a sort of cheap and easy vacation. My aunt and uncle have a pool and dirt pile for the kids to play in, plus we discovered a new water park that was perfect for the younger crowd. It had water slides, a whirlpool, lazy river, and never got deeper than 3 1/2 feet. And it was super cheap! It may be our new Waco hangout.
Unfortunately, we've also had our share of illnesses lately, but thankfully nothing serious. I took Elizabeth to the doctor last week thinking she may have strep throat, but it was just a virus. Then Kyle got it. Then Colin got it. Then Ryan got it, but his was a little worse. He threw up in church on Sunday and got both himself and Elizabeth kicked out of the nursery (just in case she had the germs as well). But thankfully, everyone was fever-free today and doing much better! Andy was happy he avoided it all.
We've also been swimming a lot in the backyard. I'm happy to report that the boys are swimming much better this summer than last! Having a pool is finally paying off! Andy is now a fairly competent swimmer, in my opinion, because he can jump off the diving board and swim to the other end. He spends more time under the water than above, as long as he has goggles. He doesn't use a proper stroke, but I don't really care, as long as he can have fun and save himself. Colin has lost most of his fear and is trying really hard, bless his heart, but he still doesn't go too far. But he's trying really hard and really enjoying it, and he even jumps off the diving board! So I'm confident he'll get there eventually. Ryan absolutely LOVES to go swimming and stands at the window to the backyard all day long asking to go "wimming." He's the scary one around the water because, once the gate is unlocked, he walks right into the water. He needs lots of supervision. Elizabeth just prefers to look cute in her swimsuit and stay dry. :)
So that's been our summer so far. We're trying to keep busy, stay entertained, and avoid the scorching heat outside. We hope you're all having a wonderful summer as well!
We've had a pretty busy summer so far. Two weeks ago, we participated in Vacation Bible School at our church and had a lot of fun there. It wasn't exactly a break for me since I was working VBS as 1st grade hall director, but it did allow for a lot of socializing time with some friends. So we all had fun!
We also took a little trip to Waco last week to visit my aunt and uncle. My sisters and I usually take our kids there a few times during the summer as a sort of cheap and easy vacation. My aunt and uncle have a pool and dirt pile for the kids to play in, plus we discovered a new water park that was perfect for the younger crowd. It had water slides, a whirlpool, lazy river, and never got deeper than 3 1/2 feet. And it was super cheap! It may be our new Waco hangout.
Unfortunately, we've also had our share of illnesses lately, but thankfully nothing serious. I took Elizabeth to the doctor last week thinking she may have strep throat, but it was just a virus. Then Kyle got it. Then Colin got it. Then Ryan got it, but his was a little worse. He threw up in church on Sunday and got both himself and Elizabeth kicked out of the nursery (just in case she had the germs as well). But thankfully, everyone was fever-free today and doing much better! Andy was happy he avoided it all.
We've also been swimming a lot in the backyard. I'm happy to report that the boys are swimming much better this summer than last! Having a pool is finally paying off! Andy is now a fairly competent swimmer, in my opinion, because he can jump off the diving board and swim to the other end. He spends more time under the water than above, as long as he has goggles. He doesn't use a proper stroke, but I don't really care, as long as he can have fun and save himself. Colin has lost most of his fear and is trying really hard, bless his heart, but he still doesn't go too far. But he's trying really hard and really enjoying it, and he even jumps off the diving board! So I'm confident he'll get there eventually. Ryan absolutely LOVES to go swimming and stands at the window to the backyard all day long asking to go "wimming." He's the scary one around the water because, once the gate is unlocked, he walks right into the water. He needs lots of supervision. Elizabeth just prefers to look cute in her swimsuit and stay dry. :)
So that's been our summer so far. We're trying to keep busy, stay entertained, and avoid the scorching heat outside. We hope you're all having a wonderful summer as well!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Summer is Here!
Summer is finally here! We celebrated with a trip the zoo yesterday with my good friend Sarah and her two boys, Jacob and Luke. It was really hot but thankfully not very crowded. My 8-year old niece, Morgan, went with us and we all had a great time. I'm very sad to say that we didn't think to get a picture of all the kids together, so you'll have to go to Sarah's blog to see if she has any. And even though we had only 2 adults with 7 children, I think everyone behaved wonderfully and there was minimal chaos. Of course, Ryan and Elizabeth were not allowed out of the stroller, but hey, they still had a good time!
Now, if we can only find more fun things to do for the summer......... Any suggestions??!
Now, if we can only find more fun things to do for the summer......... Any suggestions??!
Brad's Wedding
This past weekend, we attended Kyle's college roommate's wedding. We were able to talk our family into watching the kids for us so we could spend the night after the wedding and have a little get-away and visit with friends longer. We had such a fun weekend! The wedding was beautiful and the reception was tons of fun. It was so nice to catch up with people we don't get to see often and don't talk to nearly as much as we should. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy. Congratulations to Brad and Jamie!
And even though I can't prove it, I think there is a strong possibility that Michael got ahold of my camera. I do not remember taking the picture of Joseph but thought he looked so cute in this latest fashion that I felt compelled to include it.
And even though I can't prove it, I think there is a strong possibility that Michael got ahold of my camera. I do not remember taking the picture of Joseph but thought he looked so cute in this latest fashion that I felt compelled to include it.
Baseball Closing Ceremonies
Not only was it the last week of school (last week), but it was also the last week for baseball. Andy thoroughly enjoyed his first season of tee-ball and cannot wait until he can join the Houston Astros. He practices daily. His team came in 2nd place in their division and they played a great season. We were very proud of the Cardinals!
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