My First Pony

Katie got her first ponytail today. It's not perfect, but darn cute!

The girls are now capable of holding things in their hands. It was a huge moment for Dan with the boys, so we photographed this moment as well. Here's a comparison. CUTE!

Here's a few more cute photos from the last couple days.

My Superhero is Batman

At our house we have superheroes. The choice superhero is currently Batman. This is mainly because I found Batman pajamas that have capes and the boys are in love. So in love that Thomas wore his to bed last night and then wore them all day today as well (as in even to a playdate). I also found Spiderman boots at Other Mother's, so the combination is pretty hilarious for the summertime. What superhero is at your house?

Saturday At Home

It doesn't happen very often. Our summers are so full, and we love it that way, but we don't get a lot done at home. This weekend we decided to stay home and catch up on household chores. Even with two adults, we don't usually get too much done, but at least one person at a time can do something. Dan has nearly finished my Mother's Day present (a raised garden bed). We also sprayed for bees and bugs since they are trying to build nests around the house. UGH! I cleaned the kitchen counters and made brownies. Not much on my end, but in my defense, I had the kids most of the day.

The girls were super cute today. They have informed me that despite the fact that I am not a fan of thumb-sucking, they fully intend to be thumb-suckers. We'll see who wins. :) They fell asleep on the floor multiple times, prompting me to take lots of pictures.

This week we started doing "school time." I bought some preschool workbooks and during the girls' afternoon naps I spend an hour or so doing schoolwork with them. This has provided them with me focusing on them alone, and they are loving it.

Dan also fixed their bikes. They were so happy.

Thankful For Great Friends

Our lawn is a wreck. It will be until we can grow grass this fall and then really fertilize and grow it in the spring. It's basically a dirt/weed filled backyard at this point. This makes playing outside no fun at all. It's extremely difficult and not what I envisioned for my summer at all. :(

Luckily, we have some great friends who let us come over to play two days in a row this week. They have an AMAZING back yard and an above ground pool that the boys adore. Suzy also is extremely gracious and holds a baby (or two) the entire time I'm there along with orchestrating activities and managing her own three children. The pool is perfect for the boys, where they can just touch but feel like they are really swimming. Their little swim shirts that are floaty make it super easy to let them swim away and not worry too much. They also did water balloons which the boys thought was very exciting. Yesterday Joshua had his first set back when he went to pick a raspberry (yes they have a garden that is to die for) and got stung by a bee. Nothing a Sonic Apple Juice Slush couldn't fix though! :)

Thanks again Suzy for having us over two days in a row!

And here are a few pictures of the girls to tide you over!

Happy Belated 8th Anniversary!

Dan and I were married on July 21, 2001. 4 kids, over 200 injections, 3 apartments, and 1 house later and here we are. From our first date in 1998 to the movie Titanic (hehehehehehe) to our date to Luigi's this week, the feelings remain the same and we are so happily married. Happy anniversary dear husband, I can't wait to see what comes in the next 8 years and those that come after that!

Katie's New Friend

Katie has a new friend...ok so I had a little extra time on my hands this weekend. :)

Happy Wedding Day!

Dan's cousin, Corey, got married this weekend just outside of Leavenworth. Dan's always viewed Corey as more of a brother than a cousin, and was a groomsman in the wedding. He left on Thursday to do boy stuff and left on Friday with the kids. I tried to plan every detail possible so the 4 hour car ride was manageable.

The trip over was easier than I had expected. We left early and stopped in Moses Lake around lunch time to stretch legs and do a baby feeding. We met up with a college friend, Heidi, and all the kids played and had a fantastic time. Can you believe we have 7 kids between the 2 of us?!

The only hairy part of the drive was Katie's hour long crying jag from Wenatchee on. Once we arrived to the wedding destination, we picked up Dan and ran to our cabin to shower, change, and stretch. This cabin was fantastic! We could've shared it with Dan's parents and sister and had plenty of room. We found it at: bluegrouse.com in case you are wondering! :) The boys had a blast at the rehearsal dinner and spent most of their time playing pool. I got some baby free time and even socialized with other adults a bit!!!

The wedding wasn't until 5:00 Saturday, so we spent the morning as a family. I took the boys down to the beach in front of our cabin. The water was chilly, but we had fun throwing rocks. The boys then enjoyed hot tubbing with Dan, and I put the girls in their swimsuits for a full 5 minutes and a hot tub shot! :) Dan went to a tea and did pictures while I stayed behind. The girls and boys decided to then vcry for the next 3 hours...ugh. I finally dressed them in their nice clothes and drove for an hour and then did my makeup and hair in the car while they all slept. The great things we do as moms. The wedding itself was beautiful. The boys got to play with cousins (Dan's cousins kids really, but we just say cousins to keep it easy). The girls did fantastic and we got some great shots!

This morning, we got up early and went to brunch with the wedding party and then headed back home. After a brief nursing stop at a gas station in Wenatchee (I'm sure everyone else filling up with gas wasn't too impressed), and a longer stop in Moses Lake, we made it home in only 5 hours! :) Everyone is exhausted and happy to be home. The girls have had a bath and are currently crashed (Molly on my chest and Katie in the swing). The boys are picking raspberries at grandmas and will be home shortly and be off to bed.

All in all, a fun weekend with some great pictures. In two weeks, we're off to Nate's wedding (my gradeschool chum) in Yakima sans Dan. Good thing I've got this under my wing as a trial run!