Where has the time gone!!

August has been a busy month! I'm working on a post now:) I can't believe its already almost two weeks into August already! Here is a picture from my butterfly bush, it's doing its job, attracting butterfly(thanks mom)!

Exciting News:)

Brayden has started to read:) We are very proud of him!!!

I had heard about these books called BOB Books and when we took our weekly trip to the library a month or so ago I found one. The next few weeks after that we found two more. Brayden has made his way through the first book and he is so excited when he gets to flip the page. He is very easily frustrated if he can't get the word right but we are there to help him:)

We are so excited fo him!:)

Another weekend another fun day at Aunt Kellys:)

Adam came home for a few days last weekend and we went over to Kellys to see him.

The kittens are getting bigger! Alexis really likes this one and has named it marshmellow, because of its white spot on its back:)

Proud mama Pancake with the other five babies, most of their eyes are open now.
Lyndie was still home and I caught her laughing about something, really like this pic:)

Adam checking something out the kids found.

Jason testing out Adams camera

The Samuel Family:) all together!

Brayden, Adam and Lyndie hanging out by the tree

or hanging on the tree that is:)

Adam and Lyndie, It was fun to see both of you while you were home. Come back soon:):):)

Happy 1st Birthday Abigail:)

When we were on vacation, Abigail turned 1. Last Saturday we had her birthday party (and Haydens too).

She wasn't so sure of what to do with this cake in front of her at first,

but eventually she looked like this:) She kept rubbing her eyes, but LOVED her cake!
This was a gift from her grandparents(not the pony:)they already had that), a little saddle just for her little bum:) She also LOVED!!! it:)

Happy Birthday cutie pie:)

Vacation, part 3

While at the Dells, Hayden turned 4 and I celebrated a birthday too:) The kids enjoyed the little cupcakes. The only request I had was an M&M blizzard from Dairy Queen:)(It was very good!)

The kids and I on my bday
The kids spent a little quiet time coloring. Andrea gave them all a piece of gum and it was the quietest time, while they were awake, we had!!

The next day was rainy and colder so we spent the morning indoors

Andrea and I took the older kids down this tube slide. We got soaked right about now...

While the dads went after us and didn't get as wet

Brayden loves these water spouts

5 days was long enough on this vacation, especially when it ends like this:(

Thursday was a beautiful warm sunny day (we were planning on staying the whole day) and about 12:00 this black cloud appears out of nowhere and it started to pour. So we decided to go out for lunch at a yummy pizza place and head on home. Brayden slept almost all the way home, while Alexis and I snoozed quite a bit too:)

Vacation, part 2

Monday our first full day was the best and warmest day! We spent as much time in the sun that we could. I actually was able to sit in a lawn chair:)(for a little while anyways)

Alexis coming down a slide
and Brayden too.

Brayden loved the water, he did a lot of jumping in

And Hayden LOVED the water also:)

Vacation, part 1

WooHoo, I am finally getting to our vacation pictures:)

The last few years we have taken our summer vacation to Wisconsin Dells, click here. This year we only had 3 families who went and we stayed in a really neat 3 Bdrm condo. I don't know if I could go back to the hotel room style rooms after staying in these. They were super spacious and it seemed like vacationing in a home. They were also far enough away from the crowds it felt like there wasn't a ton of people. Oh yes and when you were in the condo you didn't hear people running upstairs or down the hall:) We had a neat area in front of the condo which had a putting green, pond, grills, a sand volleyball court and walking path. We grilled every night, SO good! The weather wasn't the best but we all still had fun:) The only downfall of the condo was there was only a dial up connection for Internet:( And there was no cord you had to bring your own. So that is why I am just getting to these now.

This is the kids outside the condo

Jason and Alexis walking on the path
Jason and Brayden talking about grilling
The kids played tag

and ran down the hill watching out for goose landmines:)

This is only the first night, Alexis was exhausted

can't tell can you:)

More pictures to follow... although I will warn you, most of them were taken with my old camera because I was too scared to leave my new one at the table without someone there:)

A New Adventure!?.

About a month ago I received an email I wasn't expecting at all! I will start at the beginning.

Back in February I found a pamphlet for a new school that was going to be starting in the fall. I looked at it for a few minutes and thought it sounded too good to be true. The school is called Cannon River STEM school *(click the schools name to learn more)* It is a charter school, that will involve more hands on learning, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. I contacted them a little while after that and learned a little bit more about it. Sort of put it aside, then came the end of March and I sent in an email that I wanted to sign her up for the school. I never heard anything from them. Nothing even saying they received my email. I figured there must be a reason why not, still wasn't so sure about taking her away from the school she first started in. Which is an awesome school! Time got away from me and I had forgotten I even sent in that information. Then at the end of June I got an email out of the blue from them saying "We are delighted to offer enrollment to Alexis in our 1st grade class for this upcoming school year!". I was shocked!!!

We visited the teacher a few days after that email at the grounds where the school would be. A few days later we sent in the paperwork for Alexis to join the school this fall.

The Saturday before we left for our vacation we went and helped clean up the grounds. We spent 4 hours pulling weeds, laying bark down, cutting and dragging tree branches. And lots of other misc. things. Oh yes and the weather was unseasonably cold for July(high 60's), the reason why everyone is wearing sweatshirts and pants.

Here is a picture of Alexis and her first grade teacher, Sarah Olsen

The school
Alexis 1st grade room, needs a lot of work
Helping move weeds

Brayden helping scoop the bark

Alexis too

The play area

Taking a break to eat watermelon

and getting a ride in the trailer

This will definitely be a new adventure with a lot of unknowns. But we believe this will be a great opportunity for both kids in the future.

We were gone on Vacation but now we are back:)

Post will follow sometime in the next few days!!

A warm day in July

I filled the kiddie pool last week and the kids had a blast!

I actually got them all to look at the camera:)
Abigail loved it, can't tell can you!:)

The boys helped me water the flowers when they were done swimming

Happy 14th Birthday Mitch

Last Sunday we went to Aunt Kelly's to celebrate Mitch's birthday. Jason and Emmy are Mitch's godparents.

Here is Michael, Emmy's little boy, isn't he a cutie:)
Brayden and Alexis had fun following Mitch everywhere!

Hope you have a great year Mitch