Worth the Wait...

Run for Fun Race

2011-10-15T23:23:00.000-04:00

Today was the elementary school cross country race. The kids were so excited. Evan and Aidan have been training for the past several weeks after school for the race. 1st graders didn't train, but were allowed to race so Abby did. They had so much fun and did awesome! Abby placed 6th.

Showing off her ribbon;0)

Aidan wasn't going to race because he had a football game, but after he got there, he couldn't resist. So, he ran in his football pads and cleats!

Waiting to start...

Aidan finished 5th…in his football gear!!! What a crazy boy! So proud of all 3 of them for doing their best!!

Are you ready for some football???

2011-09-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure this Momma is! Whew…tackle, really?? I'm pretty sure that he's going to break something…I mean look how little he is?! But, Jeremy is excited and Aidan is LOVING it! And, he happens to be one of the best tacklers on the team. So, I guess I'm in for the long haul;0/

Pre-K

2011-09-07T23:20:00.000-04:00

Well, with everyone else back in school, Isabelle couldn't wait to get started! Finally her day;0)

I can't believe this is her last year before Kindergarten. Where has the time gone?? Looking forward to this year and some one on one time with her.

Back to School!

2011-08-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

Today the kids headed back to school…yep, even Evan. He missed his friends so much and can't wait to be back at NC! It's hard to believe these guys are 3rd graders.

And, our sassy 1st grader! So excited to go ALL day and ride the bus two times!
Here they are sitting at their desks…ready for a FABULOUS year!!

State Fair 2011

2011-08-16T22:04:00.000-04:00

Today we conned Jeremy into taking the day off and heading to the State Fair. It was the kids' last day before school starts and we wanted to spend it playing. Luckily, it was $2 Tuesday so we were able to do lots for cheap;0)

The kids loved the baby pigs;0) The big ones…not so much. You can tell we're city folk as the barn smell was a little much.

Enjoying their free ice cream from Turkey Hill.

Posing in the baseball glove by the Boy Scout exhibit.

We enjoyed "driving" the tractors and farming at the Riley Fun Park. We ate waaay too much sugar and arrived home just into time to shower and get ready for school tomorrow;0)

Team Mommy Playdate

2011-07-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

On July 18th, we had the opportunity to meet some dear friends that we'd only known through blog world. Remember Kinsey from Guatemala and her sweet family? Yep, we finally got to meet. We had a picnic at the park and several Team Mommy friends joined in. It was so great to meet in person. The kids had an awesome time playing despite the horrible heat!

Aileen brought water balloons….such a big hit with the kiddos!

Especially the big boys;0)

The whole gang….What a great day! Hope to be able to play with Reyher family again soon!

Holiday World

2011-07-26T09:38:00.009-04:00

On July 10, we headed to Holiday World with all of my sisters(minus Steph who is too far away now). It was hot, but not too crowded. We had a great time and were WORN out by the end of the day.

Regan, Haley and Jeremy riding the Liberty Launch...

Aidan, Evan and Izzy on the train...

Mike, Ryleigh, Rayanne, and Abby on the train...

Jeremy and I on the train. I was telling Jeremy that the train ride probably hasn't changed in over 25 years…it's exactly the same as I remember it as a kid;0)

Steve had to fold himself into the Hollidog Rollercoaster;0)

Sarah and Rayanne on the Hollidog rollercoaster.

Izzy and I…she loved it!

Regan and Abby…

It was a fun, tiring day and we can't wait to go back next year!

Who's ready to shop??

2011-07-25T18:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, my sewing website is up and running. It's still under a bit of construction, but working;0) Thanks to my hot IT guy for getting it up and going. Check it out, and let me know what you think…

www.sewsassybysandy.net

Also, my Thirty-One website is up and running and I am OFFICIALLY a consultant. My two pink boxes arrive tomorrow and I'm not sure who is more excited…me or Abby;0) Feel free to shop online on my website www.mythirtyone.com/75236 Or better yet, contact me and I'd love for you to host a party and get lots of goodies for half price or free!!! I'm willing to drive so don't wait to schedule to your party;0)

I've got a job...

2011-07-20T22:47:00.000-04:00

...well 3 actually! Isn't God funny?? I'm launching a sewing/embroidery business "Sew Sassy by Sandy". The website is almost ready for reveal....

I am becoming a Thirty-one consultant....so excited to do this!! I'm looking for people wanting/willing to host parties. If you aren't sure what Thirty-one is check out their website...www.thirtyonegifts.com
I'm hoping to get my website up and running by early next week!

And, finally....I'm headed back to PMCH!! I've accepted a PRN position in the ER. I'm super excited for a change of pace and learning lots of new stuff.

Almost afraid of what God will do next........;0)

Coming Soon….

2011-07-13T22:19:00.002-04:00

Stay tuned for more details…...

Here we go....AGAIN.....

2011-07-09T21:34:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I know I'm super behind on posting, but wanted to write my thoughts down before I forget them. I will go back and catch up so check below for updates in the near future. Where to start......

So, it's pretty common knowledge that Jeremy wanted to quit after 2 kids....and it's pretty common knowledge that I get whatever I want so we have/had 4 kids. But, I told God after Isabelle came home that if we were to have any more kids then he had to plant the idea in Jeremy's heart...it had to be his idea. Fast forward 3 years....

A couple of weeks ago on a normal Wednesday evening Jeremy came home from work. We were all at the table eating dinner and in conversation Jeremy busts out "I think we need another one." I'm pretty sure my face was priceless. My mouth hit the floor. I could not believe those words just came out of his mouth. Of course, he had no idea of my prayer 3 years ago....

In all honesty, I was excited, shocked and nervous. What were we thinking? We have 4 beautiful, perfect kiddos that keep us hopping. How in the world were we going to come up with the money needed? We instantly agreed that another boy was what we wanted. We started looking at domestic adoption. I'm going to be completely honest here, so please...no judging....

My first thought was.....I don't want a newborn. Now, I love babies as much as the next guy...can't wait to get my hands on my friends' babies and cuddle them...and yes, I am that baby hog.....but I just feel like God has not called us to adopt a newborn. There is a long list of childless couples waiting for a healthy baby here in the US....and our home is full of pattering feet...it's just not for us. I researched special needs babies in the US, all the different countries open to adoption and I kept coming back to Russia. Jeremy and I talked about it and there was NO WAY we could afford Russia.

At the end of June we went on a much needed weekend getaway to Puerto Rico. While we were there, we decided that we were supposed to definitely adopt again....but where? How? I read through my 2 books I brought along in record speed;0) and needed a book to read for the plane ride home. I had Jeremy look up a book on the Ipad that I wanted to read about a girl adopted from Guatemala. Interestingly enough, that book was not available for the Kindle so he looked at the suggested titles that came up with that search....."The Boy from Baby House 10".....a book about a special needs boy's journey through the Russian orphanage system to a home in America. Go figure! So Jeremy downloaded the book for me. I read it all the way home and couldn't put it down. The orphanage system in Russia is disturbing. It's sad, sickening, heartbreaking....no words. I decided then and there on that plane home to my 4 precious angels, that no amount of chaos in our home could be worse than growing up in an orphanage. There is a little boy in Russia...somewhere....that needs a momma and daddy....and we feel God has picked us for that job(again).

We still have no idea how we're going to pay for it. No more eating out...and I'm looking for a part-time job, but we do know this is what we are supposed to do. So, the application has been sent to FTIA and we're gathering the information for our homestudy update....excited to see where God takes us.

Many things are the same, many things have changed since we walked this path....8 years ago. We will start with our dossier. Once it is submitted we will wait 6-12 months to find out about our little guy. Our first trip should follow immediately. We'll come home and wait for a court date(about 2-4 months) and then go back. I'll leave Jeremy in Russia after our court date to finalize everything and I'll come home to be with the other kids. It will likely be a slow process. Prayers are appreciated. Please pray for a smooth process, for me to find a job or God to send the money;0) and most importantly, pray for Little Dude....what we've been calling our little guy since we have NO IDEA what we are naming him. I'm pretty certain that he has already been born and placed in an orphanage. Please pray for his health and that someone is showing him love. That is the hardest part for me.....

The kids are super excited....all on board...and enjoying thinking up names;0) Abby and I are looking forward to our first shopping trip once we know all about him. I will update our progress along the way and covet your prayers and support. Here we go.....AGAIN......

Dance Recital Fun!!!

2011-06-10T22:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the girls' dance recital! They had sooo much fun and did an awesome job! The ballet theme was "Candyland" followed by the tap piece "Cruisin' Kids".

The Bubble gum girls waiting for show time….

Our sweet Bubble gum girl!

The Hershey's kisses!

Our lioness

And our lollipop girl;0)

The Cha-cha girls;0)

IVPS End of year Picnic

2011-06-06T20:33:00.000-04:00

Today, Evan's online school held a picnic on the East side of Indy to celebrate the end of the school year. It was HOT! But we ventured out to eat lunch and meet his teachers in person. He had a good time...

With Mrs. Moore and Mrs Abrams-Rains….

Posing by the playground…Izzy was not cooperating;0)

They loved this slide. They kept making a big train and heading down together. It was sooo cute;0)

Last Day of school

2011-06-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

Today was the last day of school at NC. Evan was invited to come in for the 2nd grade year book signing. He was so excited. The whole 2nd grade went outside, signed yearbooks, and enjoyed popsicles!

Evan and Aidan…last day as 2nd graders;0(

Evan with his teacher;0)

Waiting to sign yearbooks;0)

Earlier in the day was the awards program at NC. Aidan wanted us to attend so we all went in. Aidan won an award for missing less than 2 days of school. I was too far back to get a good pic though;0/ Abby won a PERFECT attendance award…she missed ZERO days of Kindergarten;0) She was so proud to show off her award:

So proud of my kiddos!

Fancy Nancy Tea Party

2011-05-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

Today we held a soiree to celebrate Abby's 6th birthday! She was so excited for her Fancy Nancy Tea Party! This year we let her invite 2 friends from school. Good thing too since none of the cousins ended up coming. What I thought was going to be a crazy girl party, turned out to be a nice, quiet tea party...

The girls making tea pot necklaces before lunch.
BFF's!
Our birthday girl!
Loving her Justin Bieber gifts!
Posing with her Dad...whom she dressed....just like Fancy Nancy's dad;0)

Abby is 6!!!

2011-05-20T22:35:00.001-04:00

Today our precious Abby girl turns 6! I can hardly believe it. Time is just flying. I wish I could slow time down. She was so excited to celebrate at school. She asked Jeremy to take the afternoon off so that I could volunteer in her class, and of course, he obliged;0) So I spent the afternoon helping out in her class.

Cupcakes with her friends....

That night we headed to Olive Garden for dinner and she wanted donuts instead of cake....
We also headed to Toys R Us and let her pick out her present......a big girl BIKE!!
She loves riding it and looks so grown up on it!

Abby girl, you are our sunshine, our joy, our drama, our love. We are so blessed to have you in our lives and to be able to be your parents. Happy Birthday, pretty girl!!! XOXOXOXOXOXO

Kindergarten Spring Sing

2011-05-17T20:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight Abby's class had their Spring Sing. They told us about the things they had learned in Kindergarten through songs. It was really cute. She was so proud!

Mrs. Rollins PM Kindergarten
Our happy girl!
BFF's
Friends Forever!
With Mrs. Dunn, her substitute since Mrs. Rollins has been on Maternity leave the second semester;0)

Let's go Indians!!!

2011-05-11T08:42:00.000-04:00

Aidan is having a blast playing baseball this year. Nothing makes him happier than 90 degree weather, sliding in the dirt, sunflower seeds and Gatorade! His coach this year is awesome! He has taken the time to teach the boys some much needed fundamentals....exactly what Aidan needed after his experience last year. And, so far, a winning season....a first for Aidan in any of the sports he has played. He is enjoying every minute. Never mind that they play 2-3 games per week and practice twice also. This kid LOVES sports....bring it on! Here are a few shots from his game the other day.....

It is so fun to watch this guy grow and mature. He is looking forward to a summer of fun and sports;0)

School Carnival, Jeremy's birthday, and BASEBALL!

2011-05-06T20:35:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the school's Jungle Jamboree. We didn't attend last year because we were out of town. We took the opportunity to go this year and had a great time. There were LOTS of games, food, a silent auction and face painting! We look forward to going next year!

Today was also Jeremy's birthday...which we celebrated with ice cream cake after the carnival!

Spring has come...and so has BASEBALL! Aidan is having so much fun this year. He is on the Indians team. We missed pictures so I snapped these before his game the other day....

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T20:40:00.000-04:00

We went to my parents church/house for Easter. The weather wasn't the greatest, but the rain did hold off for us to have an Easter egg hunt outside.
Family photo...
The sisters with Mom...
Hunting for eggs...

Checking out their loot....

Build-A-Bear for Charity!

2011-04-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

Sunday we met Abby's Daisy Troop at Build-A-Bear for a party. The girls stuffed Bears to donate to the local Children's Hospital. This is the charity project they did with the money from selling girl scout cookies! They were so excited and had such fun.

Getting ready to stuff their bears...
Taking turns stuffing....
The girls with their finished bears!
Abby with her boy bear. She was kind enough to make a boy bear since there are sick boys too!Abby and I headed to PMCH on Saturday night and dropped the bears off...just in time for Easter surprises. Posing with her bear and a few of the nurses! Hope the kiddos enjoyed their new bears!

Art and Author Night

2011-04-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

Tonight was Art and Author Night at NC. The kids were so excited to show us their books they had written and some art work.

Abby with her book....note her title;0)
Showing off her artwork!
Aidan's Poetry Book.
And, his artwork;0)

Preschool Open House

2011-04-19T22:21:00.000-04:00

Tonight we headed to Izzy's preschool for her open house. She took us around her classroom and showed us all of her art projects.

Posing with her chickie...
Acting goofy with her best buddy, M....
Dad had to help pose with her cow!

Wedding Fun!

2011-04-17T10:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Jeremy's cousin got married. The boys' were the ring bearers. They were so cute. It was a beautiful ceremony and we are so glad we got to be a part of it. Just a few pics....

Nathaniel and Tessa
Izzy ready for the ceremony to start...
The handsome ringbearers...
Family shot...
Dancing with mom....

Beach Fun!!

2011-04-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

We spent all day today at the Beach. It was FABULOUS! Lots of soaking in the sun and the waves.

I LOVE this picture of the girls!

Busy playing in the sand.

Abby even tried out the boogie board! Such a great day!
We headed in early and cleaned up to go out to dinner with Aidan's BFF from school....yes, they were in Destin the same time! I forgot to take my camera so no pic;0(

Destin 2011!!

2011-04-02T22:43:00.000-04:00

So, on Tuesday, we decided to head to Destin, FL on Thursday night after baseball practice! Talk about a last minute trip;0) We left about 8:30pm and arrived in sunny, warm Destin about 11 am on Friday. The kids did great on the drive and slept most of the time.

Excited to hit the beach!
Trying out the pool...it was COLD, but the kids didn't mind;0)

Friday night we got ready and went putt-putt golfing. I think this was Izzy's first time. She was so funny. The kids loved this!
Today we got up and hung around the house. Evan needed to finish up some school work, so we did that while the other kids swam. Then it was off for lunch at Fudpucker's. The food was yummy and then they have a gator farm so we attempted to feed the gators.
Unfortunately, they weren't very hungry so we didn't see much action.
After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon playing at the beach. Pure heaven!

We had so much fun! The beach here is A-MA-ZING!!! White sand and crystal clear water...literally paradise!

Dinner was Papa John's pizza while we watched Butler in the final game of the NCAA tournament. A sad game....

The Wizard of Oz

2011-03-30T20:08:00.001-04:00

Aidan made his acting debut tonight as a munchkin in the school's rendition of "The Wizard of Oz". He had so much fun and is looking forward to doing it again next year. Here are a few pictures...

"Come out, come out, wherever you are...."
He did a great job saying his lines;0)

Posing after the play....

Aidan's Spring Concert

2011-03-23T20:04:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the 2nd Grade Spring Concert at Aidan's school. They sang country songs. They did a really good job. Aidan had a speaking part and did awesome. Our seats were yucko...so not very many good pictures....

Preschool Sings!

2011-03-20T19:59:00.000-04:00

Izzy's school had a little program for the parents today. They sang several songs. Izzy was so excited to go and sing for us. She ran right up on the stage and did all the motions. Soooo cute!

Waiting to start...

Isabelle's 4th Birthday Party!

2011-03-19T19:52:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated Isabelle turning 4!! She was soooo excited for her Ariel party.

Posing before the party...
...with her pretty cake....
Blow out the candles...
Opening presents....
The newest Little Mermaid! She had so much fun at her party that she lost her voice! All that screaming in excitement! Thanks to all who helped her celebrate!

Izzy's School Celebration

2011-03-17T19:48:00.000-04:00

Izzy celebrated her 4th birthday at school today. She got to be the line leader and bring snack to share with everyone. Her snack of choice: donuts and chocolate milk! Crazy girl!

She loved everyone singing to her....
...and enjoying snack....

Blue and Gold Banquet

2011-03-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the boys' annual Blue and Gold Banquet with Scouts. They received their wolf badge and are ready to move to the next rank.

It sounds like their den leader might be stepping down next year, so we think Jeremy will be stepping up! The boys are soooo excited. Should be lots of fun;0)

Art Fun!

2011-03-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

So, for Evan's art class, we got to paint...learning to make tints and shades. The other kids asked us to wait until evening so they could paint too;0)

It was a fun, messy time!

Pine Wood Derby 2011

2011-02-26T15:27:00.000-05:00

Today was the boys' Pine Wood Derby with Scouts. They were so excited to go race their cars. Aidan named his Blaze and Evan named his Spiderman;0)

Watching the races...
Blaze on the left...in the final race...
Aidan won 2nd place for our den.
They were really excited and had lots of fun!

President's Day Fun!

2011-02-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

This year our group rented a gym to play in on President's Day. It turned out to be a great idea because it was a cold, rainy, yucky day outside. But, we had a blast running, playing games, doing crafts, snacking....And, it was so great to catch up with our friends!

Bye, bye crib!

2011-02-14T08:11:00.000-05:00

Yep, you read that right...after 8 years of having a crib in our house, we parted with our last one over the weekend! Isabelle is soooooooo excited for her new big girl bed. She loves having bunk beds and sleeping on the "down one". She looks so tiny in her new bed. Bye, bye baby....hello big girl...hard to believe she'll be 4!! in just a few short weeks! Their room is still under construction, but here are some pics of their new beds!!

Girl Scout Cookies!!

2011-02-12T20:07:00.000-05:00

So I volunteered to be cookie mom for Abby's Daisy Troop. What a job! I never imagined there was so much work to selling cookies! But, it's only for a short time. Today I headed and picked up the girls' cookies. They have had so much fun selling them.

And, we have plenty...so if you need cookies, you know who to call!

Winter Review

2011-02-11T23:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the girls' Winter Review. They were both fabulous! It was Izzy's first time on stage and she did great! She enjoyed every minute of the spotlight. She even ran to Jeremy after it was over and said, "Did I do awesome?" She really loved her curly hair and her makeup;0) And, she knew all her steps;0) Made Momma very proud!

Abby was a rock star. What can I say? She did great. Her "Scatman" dance was very fast and challenging. She worked soooooo hard on it. She completely rocked it, although their teacher messed the ending up. It literally brought me to tears backstage to see her perform it sooo well. She was a nervous wreck the whole evening but ended up doing it perfectly!

The studio owner announced they are starting a jazz class for ages 6-8, so we let our teachers know she is interested in taking the class. That will put her in 3 classes! She is super, super excited! Here are a few pictures from our night:

The girls before the show...
Abby in her "Scatman" costume.
The "Scatman" girls...
Our little firefly...
The whole gang of fireflies;0) They were super, super adorable!

5 years ago...

2011-02-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

tonight we landed in Indy and become a family of 5! It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone. Abby wanted to celebrate her day at Chuck E. Cheese! Luckily, it wasn't too busy. The kids enjoyed playing and pizza.

After all the fun at Chuck E.'s she wanted to hit the Dairy Queen for her special treat;0)

Abby, You are so much fun. You are beautiful and graceful. You love dancing, dancing and dancing;0) You are independent and fun loving. You give the meanest looks and the best hugs. You are pure drama and such joy. I am so glad God picked me to be your momma. Love you!!!

Mom's Day with Izzy!

2011-02-05T22:48:00.000-05:00

Today Izzy's preschool had a special day for Moms to come to school with their kiddos. She and I went and played, they sang a few songs, and we had snack. It was such a sweet time.

Here she is showing off the flower she made me;0)
Playing Legos...I didn't get any pics of her singing with her class because I had to sit right beside her!

In other fun, Abby's teacher recently had a baby girl. I made these for her:
I am loving my new embroidery machine....just wish there were more hours in the day. Don't we all??

NHS Dance Clinic

2011-01-22T17:27:00.000-05:00

Abby attended at dance clinic at the High School today. I dropped her off at 9am and headed back to pick her up and watch her recital at 2:45! Seemed like a long day, but she had a blast! Here are a few pics from her recital....

Her ending pose! Ha! This girl learned some new moves there that this momma is not too sure about, but she had a GREAT time!

A new kind of school!

2011-01-21T14:11:00.002-05:00

Well, after much research, thought, and lots of tears, Evan and I are about to embark on a new journey. He is officially transferring to the Hoosier Academy Virtual Pilot School. Our semester starts January 31. He will be home doing all of his work with help from our online teachers, speech therapist, and occupational therapist(whom we actually have to see in person.) Fifty pounds of books arrived on Jan. 7th ready to start a new semester. He finished at Noble Crossing on January 14th and we are preparing to start our new school.

Izzy posing with half of our boxes!

We are (nervously) looking forward to starting this. It will definitely be a big change...so please bear with us....

Izzy's gotcha day!

2011-01-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated having Izzy in our arms for 3 years! I can't believe how fast the time is going. She asked for dinner and playing at Chik-fil-a, so that is what we did! After that we headed home for some Rapunzel cupcakes!

Isabelle Rose Iracema...you are such a joy! You are so funny, sweet, and stubborn! You give the best huggies! You are my best friend and I love spending every day with you. You complete our family! Love you with all my heart, Momma

Christmas with Nana and Grandad

2011-01-01T17:57:00.000-05:00

Today was our final Christmas celebration at Nana and Grandad's house. We had a great time visiting and eating and playing games.

Nana and Grandad with the grandkids...minus Hayleigh...who is waaay too old for that!
Opening presents...

My mom got us all this sweater thing called a cardishaw...there are like 5 ways you can wear it and in true Bechtel fashion...we all had to model...you know you're jealous! LOL!

Santa was here...

2010-12-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

The kids were so excited on Christmas Eve. They put out their reindeer food, cookies and milk and excitedly went to bed. Surprisingly, they were all out within 10 minutes of hitting the pillow.

And, then Santa went to work....
...all ready for Christmas morning...

The kids woke us up at 6:02...not too bad, except Jeremy and I didn't go to bed until 2 am! They were so excited to see what Santa brought....

They enjoyed opening all the presents in their stockings...

Then, we all took turns opening presents...youngest to oldest....

They had so much fun...and we spent 4 whole hours opening presents and putting things together. We opted to spend the whole day at home. It was so fun. We played, ate, played and ate;0) I made a big dinner...ham, mashed potatoes, dumplings, greenbeans, corn, and Mamaw B's homemade bread! Yummo! The girls even dressed up for the occasion in their new outfits...
The rest of us stayed in our pj's the WHOLE day! It was a perfect day! Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Jesus!!!

Christmas Eve Fun!

2010-12-24T23:53:00.000-05:00

We started the day opening one present.....

New Pajamas!!!
The kids couldn't wait any longer, so they gave Jeremy his presents from them...
Aidan got him a Philadelphia Eagles helmet and mini mug. See how excited he is in the background;0)
The kids painted this picture frame for him for his office;0) Then we got ready and headed to Bedford to visit Jeremy's grandparents.

We enjoyed visiting, however I didn't take any pics at our 2nd stop;0( Then we headed home to get ready for Santa;0)

Baking Cookies for Santa

2010-12-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight the girls and I made cut out sugar cookies for Santa. They had so much fun cutting out the cookies. The boys joined us in decorating them for Santa....and of course, one for us to eat too;0)

Christmas at Odon

2010-12-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

Today the kids and I headed to Odon to visit my grandparents. Our first stop...Mamaw and Papaw B's. The kids had a good time and we enjoyed lunch including Mamaw's yummy vegetable soup!

She made Evan acorn cut out sugar cookies. He thought they were awesome!

Our next stop was Granny and Gramps'. When we got there Gramps' truck was gone. I was afraid that Granny might have been in town and Gramps' resting so I quietly knocked, peeked in the back door, left their gift and headed home. I was sad to find out Granny was home and putting up her Christmas tree and didn't hear us. Boo!

Christmas--Round 1

2010-12-18T22:50:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated Christmas with Jeremy's family. We all had so much fun and enjoyed the yummy food!

All the grandkids...Mylee, Macee, Marcus, Evan, Isabelle(yes, she's throwing a fit), Josie, Abby and Aidan!
Andy, Heather, Marcus and Josie
Justin, Sandy, Mylee and Macee (Yes, my photographer stunk!)
Our crew...
Mamaw and Papaw with the grandkids....once again J showing off his awesome photography skills!
They all loved their presents.
And, were soooo excited!
Can you tell???
Thanks everyone for a fun day and all of our gifts. We love them!

Snow Day!

2010-12-14T10:34:00.000-05:00

Sunday night we got several inches of snow which lead to a school closing yesterday and a two hour delay today! The kids were soooo excited to get out and play.

This was the first year that we actually played outside LONGER than it took us to get ready to go out! What a fun day.

Gingerbread House fun

2010-12-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

Last night the girls were DYING to build our gingerbread house. The boys had no desire to help so they went to work.

The finished product...
They had so much fun making a big mess and eating the candy....of course, the boys did want to help with that part!

Jolly Days at the Children's Museum

2010-12-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

Today after church, we braved the snowy weather and headed downtown to the holiday festivities at the Children's museum. It ended up being a GREAT day to visit!

First on the agenda....the slide..waiting for our turn.
Then we visited the reindeer....
...and did a little ice skating;0)
Then we did the slide AGAIN....note Evan's excitement. He was sooooooo happy to beat Aidan!
Still excited...even if he did LOSE!
And, for the first time, Izzy was big enough to go by herself! She LOVED it! So much, that we did it AGAIN!
Building boats...
...and playing in the construction area.
And, of course, no visit is complete without a spin on the carousel!

Gingerbread House Exhibit at Conner Prairie

2010-12-11T22:24:00.000-05:00

Today Abby and I went with her Daisy troop to see the Gingerbread houses at Conner Prairie. We were AMAZED at how beautiful they were!

Most of the Daisies!

Abby's favorite! The books on the shelves are made from Fig Newtons. There are 159 total!
We also liked the Queen of Hearts Castle...
...a closer look!

Cookies and Caroling...

2010-12-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

with our Daisy Troop! Tonight we headed to our troop leader's house where we decorated Christmas cookies and caroled in her neighborhood. The girls had so much fun spreading good cheer;0)

Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-04T14:09:00.000-05:00

This morning we headed to the Heart Center's breakfast with Santa. It's always so much fun. The kids enjoyed seeing Santa....

and his reindeer, Fruitcake...
Then we made some reindeer food and crafts....
Wrote Santa a letter about what we wanted for Christmas...
and got our faces painted....

What a great way to start the Christmas season!

Launching Evan's Rocket

2010-12-03T22:04:00.000-05:00

We got Evan this rocket for his birthday, but because of the fire ban this fall, we just now were able to get it launched. Evan was soooo excited....can you tell??

Ready for take off...
The countdown...
And, blast off!
Luckily, we were able to retrieve it and launch it again! Soooo much fun!

Deck the Halls

2010-11-29T15:16:00.005-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. We have so many blessings to be thankful for. We enjoyed spending time with family, eating, and shopping! We also spent the weekend getting our house decorated for Christmas. It was such a fun time.
Little Elves ready to put up the trees!
Jeremy getting the lights working.
Finally, ornament time!

Abby putting the star on the tree.
The finished tree...which now has tons of presents under it;0)
The girls with their tree.
The boys with their tree. Can you tell who is excited??? Hee hee!

My Prayer Babies List...

2010-11-17T10:28:00.002-05:00

Remember that list of Prayer Babies I started waaaaaaaaay back when we were praying Isabelle out of PGN?? Well, there are still two babies on it. It's still on the side bar and I still pray for those little girls and their waiting families. Guess what? One of them exited PGN on Monday! FINALLY!!! There are still a few steps before she can come home, but I'm praying that little Kinsey is home for Christmas! Wouldn't that be a wonderful Christmas miracle??

Grandparent's Day

2010-11-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

Blogger is all crazy so my pictures are in a random order. I'm too lazy to fix them so it will just be a crazy post;0)

Today was Grandparent's Day at the kids school. The boys wrote letters to their grandparents or special person. Aidan was one of two second graders picked to read his letter at the program. He HATES to talk in front of people, but he did really well. There were a little under 500 people there!

Reading his letter
Evan is in that mass of kiddos on the right....
Aidan before the program...Evan in his classroom...

Abby's program was in the afternoon and luckily Mamaw and Papaw got to come;0)
Waiting with her class for the program to start.
That might be the worst pic Abby has ever taken!
Painting hands
and making handprints!

Thanks Mamaw and Papaw for coming to my special day! Love, Abby

Abby photo shoot

2010-11-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we went to get pics for my mom for Christmas. I decided to take advantage of Abby being dressed up to try to get some shots of her since I didn't end up with too many at our last photo shoot. I haven't taken the time to edit them yet...

She's growing up so fast....

Daddy's Day

2010-11-06T21:43:00.000-04:00

Today was Dad's Day at Isabelle's preschool. She was sooooo excited to take Jeremy to her school. They dressed up and headed out. They played puzzles, sang songs and had snack. She was in heaven!

Trick-or-Treat!

2010-10-31T22:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! Tonight we headed over to the Tiek's house for dinner and some trick-or-treating. Jeremy helped Brandon move their washer and dryer to their new house and then we took the kids to their old neighborhood to trick-or-treat. They were CRAZY excited!!

Mario...
Joseph Addai...
Our cat...
...and our little Colts cheerleader. This pic cracks me up!
All of the kiddos doing their "poses".

All night Aidan held Izzy's hand and they went to the doors together. It was soooo cute;0)

Visiting Sarah's Jail

2010-10-30T21:48:00.000-04:00

The kids were on fall break Thursday and Friday so we packed up and headed to Evansville to visit Aunt Sarah and Uncle Steve. Sarah works in an old jail and the boys have been dying to visit it. We got there Friday afternoon and one of the attorneys gave us a tour of the building.

Of course, the kids were most interested in the jail cell.
Aidan loved the underground tunnel to the Court House across the street.

Even Izzy liked the scarey, dark tunnel.

They're a little too happy to be behind bars, huh???
After our jail visit, we headed to New Harmony to see Sarah's new house and spend the night. We had a great time playing at the park in all the leaves.

Thanks Sarah for letting us come see your jail and new house! We had a great time.

Zoo Boo!

2010-10-27T21:27:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday we packed the kids up and headed downtown to the Zoo for their annual Zoo Boo. The kids had a great time dressing up and because it was cooler all the animals were very active;0)

Darth Vader(Aidan), Aurora(Izzy), Tiana(Abby) and Mario(Evan)
Petting the sharks...

The Cheetahs were very active...
Abby posing with the elephants.
Evan loving the big spider! Izzy wasn't going near that thing!

The kids are on fall break the rest of the week. Yea!! We're heading to Evansville to visit Aunt Sarah;0)

Izzy's new glasses!!!

2010-10-25T13:32:00.002-04:00

Finally, I know the grandmas have been waiting. Friday we picked Isabelle's new glasses up. She is doing really well with them. I took her to the eye dr since Abby's vision was so bad, but never expected her to end up needing glasses too! She is nearsighted in her left eye and has some astigmatism in her right eye. She loves her blue Princess Tiana glasses!

The ear pieces have flowers on them. She is ridiculously cute with them on!!!

Kindergarten field trip to Russell Farm

2010-10-22T15:19:00.000-04:00

Today Abby's Kindergarten class had their first field trip. They went to Russell Farm and learned about animals and farming. They also took a wagon ride and picked a pumpkin. She has a crazy class with 15 boys and 5 girls! We had a great time.

Abby with her friends, Rylyn and Ellie.
Picking her pumpkin.
Doing their "chores" on the farm...loading the hay into the barn.
Getting the corn in the Grain Bin.
And changing the straw in the cow pen.

Stuckey Farm Field Trip

2010-10-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Abby and I got to tag along on Izzy's very first preschool field trip. Her class went to Stuckey Farm. It is an apple orchard. We had never been there before. We had a great time.

The girls were so excited to ride the bus!
Waiting to try an apple.
Mmmmm...yummy!
They loved the apple cider.

This day was also hat day at Abby's school. She asked me to take her picture while we were waiting for her teacher:

Celebrating Evan and Aidan!

2010-10-17T19:45:00.003-04:00

We've basically spent the whole weekend celebrating Aidan and Evan's 8th birthday! Friday night after school, we let the boys open their presents from us....mostly because Jeremy couldn't wait any longer;0)

(Note Abby's excitement in the background.)

Evan spent the weekend running the tires off his remote control monster truck. He absolutely LOVES it!
Aidan got football gear...and he LOVES it! He spent the whole weekend doing kicks....

Saturday was their actual birthday. In true, mean mom fashion....I made them get all dressed up and do a little photo shoot at Forest Park.

Those are just a few of the 300 pictures I took! They did really great and it was fun to mess around with my camera and new computer. After the photos we did lunch at Arni's and then the boys wanted to hit Monkey Joe's. It was crazy busy, but the kids all had a blast. Even Izzy....Aidan had her going up and down all the big slides with him!

After Monkey Joe's we hit Dillon Park for a little football kicking, playground and remote control car racing. Then it was home for dinner...

...the boys wanted PB&J and used their pretzel sticks for candles...CRAZY boys! After dinner we played a couple mean games of corn hole, courtesy of Uncle Justin!
Finally, ice cream cupcakes from Maggie Moo's!

A great end to a perfect day! Happy 8th Birthday guys! Hope you had a fun filled weekend...we sure did. We love you so much! What did we ever do before you?

A look back in time...

2010-10-15T14:01:00.002-04:00

Something about the boys turning 8 is hard for me. Yes, that's right...tomorrow they turn 8 years old!! They are so grown up and so independent now. They are so smart and so funny. They are pure joy and craziness all rolled into two perfect, fabulous boys! I was looking back at old pictures today....wow, how much they've grown....

Aidan(Jan. 2004...right after they came home)
Aidan and Evan(1/04)
Look at Ev's cheeks;0)(1/04)
Aidan hiding(1/04)
Aidan(4/04)
Bath fun!(4/04)
Evan(4/04)
It's amazing to think back to all the fun(chaos) that surrounded our life after they came home. I can never relate the emotions of them being placed into our arms forever. I am forever grateful to their birthmom, T, for choosing life for these precious little guys. I wonder often about her and pray that she is safe and somehow knows these little guys are so loved. I'm so thankful for a God who brought these two boys into our lives. They were sooooooo worth the wait! I love you guys more than words....

Run for Fun Race

2010-10-13T17:22:00.002-04:00

The boys have been training twice a week since the start of school for a cross country race involving all of the elementary schools in Noblesville. As I mentioned previously, Saturday was the big race. There were LOTS of kiddos and they raced by grade level. The second graders ran a mile. The boys had a great time. Aidan finished 7th!!! As you can see below, there were lots of runners! Not sure where Evan finished, but he had a great time.

Aidan's finish time....minus a few seconds for my camera delay;0)
Happy to be done;0)
Evan's time...minus a few seconds;0)
Showing off their ribbons! Way to go boys...so very proud of you!!

Scooby Doo Mystery Party

2010-10-10T09:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had crazy busy day. The day started off with the boys running their first cross country race. I'll post about that later. Then it was off for Aidan's last football game. After the game, we celebrated Evan and Aidan's upcoming birthday with a Scooby Doo Mystery Party. What fun! The party started off with someone snatching the goody bags and leaving a clue that led the kids from game to game. They had so much fun!

Here they are getting wrapped up as mummy's. First team to empty their toilet paper roll wins.

Another game was collecting Scooby snacks....

The kids loved this relay game.

Aidan with his buddies...
Getting ready to blow out the candles.

Opening presents....

What a great day...the boys loved having everyone over and all their gifts. Thanks so much!!!

Guess what we're selling???

2010-10-04T09:25:00.001-04:00

If you guessed yummy Boy Scout popcorn....you are RIGHT! Let us know if you want some!

Steph's Homecoming

2010-10-03T09:18:00.000-04:00

Friday night Stephanie was queen contestant for her HS homecoming. She didn't win, but she looked beautiful and had a great time! Lucky for us, the sun was shining right in our eyes but I thought the pics turned out pretty good anyway!

Riding around the field

I love this pic.
Being her dorky self...

Whew, what a week!

2010-09-19T20:43:00.002-04:00

This past week/weekend we held our annual TM Garage Sale. It was a lot of work, but sooo worth it. We raised a little over $1500 to send to Guatemala! Plus, donated what we had leftover to some great charities. Thanks Kate for hosting us again! You rock!

On Friday night we headed over to Michelle and Brandon's house to hang out with Linnett. She is the house mom at the baby house at Casa Bernabe! It was so great to see her and hear about all the kiddos. She's on vacation in the States for about a month. So glad we got to spend time with her. It was also good to get together with our mission trip buddies. We haven't all been together since we got back in June. Thanks Michelle for having for us!

The mommas with Linnett and her friend, Kitty.

Jeremy and Robbie

The kiddos swimming.

And making smores. YUM!!

My two front teeth

2010-09-12T20:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday before Aidan's football game he showed me that he had two loose teeth...not just loose, but barely hanging on. After a small tug...they both came right out! So, he lost two teeth in one day!!!

He forgot that he had four front teeth missing and ordered corn on the cob for dinner. It was so funny trying to watch him eat it using his side teeth;0)

Hector...

2010-09-10T16:05:00.000-04:00

...makes me smile! We got these pics from his house mom of him opening his stuff we sent a few weeks ago. She said he loved all of his gifts and will share them with the other kids, but everyone in the house knows that they belong to Hector. Sweet...

Can't wait for the day when we can go back to Guatemala and visit him;0)

Izzy's First day of Preschool!

2010-09-08T10:40:00.001-04:00

Izzy started preschool yesterday! She was so excited to go to her OWN school. Abby and I dropped her off and she did great. She kept waving bye to us.
All ready to go!Abby took this pic of us;0)

The teachers came out and got them and then walked them down the hall to their classroom. She grabbed hold of her teacher's hand and took off.

...and never looked back...

She had a fabulous day, but was really mad that they didn't get to play on the playground. She did enjoy playing with purple playdough and eating snack;0)

Time to DANCE!!!!

2010-09-07T17:26:00.000-04:00

Today the girls started their dance year! Izzy was so excited for her turn to dance and Abby....well, that girl lives for the dance floor. (Un)fortunately, we were the only ones that showed up for our class(except the instructor's daughter) so we got lots of one on one attention! Here are just a few pics of our fun day!
Ready to dance...

Izzy, Viv, and Abby

Showing off her passe.

And, a turn to do leaps;0)

Shaseing.....yea...that's spelled wrong;0)

Tapping...the girl loves tapping!

Walking like a ballerina...

Sotee's...again spelled wrong;0)

Leaps....

...and an arabesque...

We are so excited for a new dance year. Looking forward to lots of fun!!!

Go Colts!

2010-09-03T09:12:00.000-04:00

Last night Jeremy took Evan, Aidan and Abby to the game. It was Abby and Evan's first time to a Colts game. They loved it. Aidan did a lot of booing Painter and Evan spent the night asking for a Bud LIGHT! Too funny!!

Football Fun

2010-08-29T08:47:00.000-04:00

Aidan is really enjoying playing in the Elementary Football League. Their team is 0-3 but they are having a lot of fun. I finally remembered to bring my camera to a game.

Looking forward to the rest of the season!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

2010-08-16T09:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after church, Jeremy and Aidan headed downtown to the Colts first preseason game. Aidan was sooooooooooo excited. He decided he wanted a Joseph Addai jersey for his birthday and this momma just happened to find out they were on sale last week at the Pro Shop so he got his present a little early and just in time for the fun!
Getting ready to head out...

Lovin' his jersey!

They had a great time and he can't wait to go back to a game in their "real season". I think we've officially created a Colts monster!

Applique Craziness!

2010-08-15T20:59:00.000-04:00

My sister asked me to applique some shirts for my nieces. I had only barely done applique, but said sure. Then she brought me 12 shirts! And, of course, I couldn't pick easy projects;0) but I got them all done today and they are cute!

Go OWLS!

My favorite....

Hope they love them!

First Day of School!

2010-08-12T21:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the boys' first day of 2nd grade! They were so excited. I took them to school and they went straight to their classes and sat down and started chatting with friends. This is the first time they have had the experience of returning to the same school. It was so much easier to see them excited and not nervous. They both had great days and were so excited to find out....NO HOMEWORK until next week!

It was very muggy out and my camera lens kept fogging up;0(

Today was Abby's first day of Kindergarten. We had orientation yesterday and afterwards Abby said she was so scared and nervous. Boo....I was afraid that would mean lots of tears at drop off. The day started out great...she was so excited when she woke up and smiled all morning....until lunch time. She told me she couldn't eat. She was too nervous. Uh, oh....but when we got to the school she asked me to walk her up and she went right to line up with her class. No tears! I waited until they entered the school to leave. She kept waving and blowing kisses to me. Such a sweetie. I shed a few tears on the way back to the van. Still can't believe she's in kindergarten.....

All ready to go...

Lined up with her friends.

The kids are riding the bus home this year. Abby was so excited. She had a great day and made a new friend. Her favorite part of the day....RECESS!

Running from the bus stop...

Izzy was so glad to see Abby. She told me "I miss Abby...not Evan and Aidan";0) I love that girl! We're ready for a great school year!

Back to School Ice Cream Social

2010-08-09T23:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight was our school's ice cream social to celebrate the start of the new year. We were able to go and find out who our teachers are and see our new classes. Luckily, both boys have friends from last year in their new classes. We love all of our teachers and are looking forward to a fun year!
Aidan by his locker;0)

..with his teacher, Mrs. Fields.

Evan by his locker;0)

...with his teacher, Mrs. Caudill.

Aidan was sad that his best friend, Evan, isn't in his class, but he was happy to see him and can't wait to play at recess with him.

Abby with Mrs. Rollins. She is very excited to go to Kindergarten and meet new friends!

Dance Open House and Mylee turns 1!

2010-08-08T11:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after the football jamboree, we took Abby and Isabelle to their dance open house. Izzy got fitted for her first ballet slippers and the girls did some crafts and enjoyed catching up with their teachers. They are so ready for dance to start up!

Working on their bead necklaces and bracelets.

After the open house, we headed to southern IN to celebrate Mylee's first birthday. The kids had a great time.

She wasn't too fond of her cake and even gagged when the icing got all over her hands. Poor girl!

Football Jamboree

2010-08-07T22:53:00.000-04:00

Today was the pancake breakfast and opening jamboree for Aidan's football league. The kids had a great time. They held a punt, kick, pass contest for the flag teams. Aidan enjoyed this.

The other kids were excited to jump in the bounce houses;0) Next week is his first game...as a Dallas Cowboy! He is soooo excited!

Blue Spring Caverns

2010-08-04T22:17:00.000-04:00

On our way back from Holiday World, Jeremy thought it would be a good idea to stop at Blue Spring Caverns and go in the cave. Since the heat index was 105 and the cave was a whopping 54 degrees, how could I argue?
We took a boat ride into the cave. It was chilly, but the kids thought it was great. Even Izzy enjoyed it.

The boat ride was about an hour long. We saw some cool formations, a bat, and some crawlfish.

After the cave, we headed to mamaw and papaw's to pick up Max and Jake and celebrate Mamaw's birthday. It was great to see everyone.

On the way home, we had to put the windows down through town because Max barks like a crazy man and it is deafening. The kids were acting like they were on a roller coaster. Hilarious!

Goofballs!

Holiday World

2010-08-03T21:56:00.000-04:00

Today we headed to Holiday World and boy was it HOT!!! We spent lots of time in the water park because 1.) it was HOT! and 2.) Izzy was too short to ride the rides;0(
Riding the Holidog Coaster!

Driving the safari jeep

Izzy LOVED these fish. Unfortunately, I didn't get a very good pic of her on it;0(

Not too many pics of the water park. The big kids loved the water slides. Izzy and I enjoyed hanging out in the wave pool and splashing in the sprinklers! What fun!

A lot of love...

2010-08-02T10:03:00.002-04:00

...packed into this little bag! Friday Michelle emailed me to see if we wanted to send some things to Hector. She found a group travelling to Guatemala on August 7th willing to take some things for us. Since last week was his 4th birthday, we jumped at the chance!
So I spent all weekend shopping for our little guy! It was so fun! Here's what we stuffed into his bag...

Aren't those green tennis shoes the cutest?? There is a whole lotta love stuffed in there too! Happy birthday, Hector!!!

Izzy meets her teachers!

2010-07-31T09:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we took Izzy to her preschool to see her classroom and meet her teachers. She was so excited...until it was time to go. Then she said, "I not going!" After I convinced her that Abby and I were going to stay with her, she was ready to go again. She loved her class and cried that we had to leave. Hopefully, she'll be this excited in September!
Checking out her classroom.

with Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Reynolds.

Loving the playground.

Can't believe she's really heading to preschool. She starts the Tuesday after Labor Day!

The boys room is done!

2010-07-30T21:56:00.000-04:00

Finally! It took 14 months, but they finally have their room all decorated. They love their new space room!

I made their curtains. They turned out so well...especially for my first time.

New Glasses

2010-07-29T15:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Evan and Aidan went for their annual checkup with their eye dr. They both did great, got good reports, their prescriptions improved and they got new glasses! What a day! For the first time, they decided that they didn't want the same glasses. Cute, but sad...they are growing up! So, they both had fun picking out their own...
Aidan got blue glasses.

Evan got a charcoal gray color. They both look so handsome. They can't wait until their new frames come in....just in time for 2nd grade!

Girl's Day Out

2010-07-24T15:25:00.000-04:00

Today Abby and I headed out for a "Girl's Day Out". First stop...Target! We did a little shopping and then headed over to see 'Ramona and Beezus'. It was so fun to hang out with just Abby. We had a blast!
Showing off her bargains.

Excited for the movie. I read all of the 'Ramona Quimby' books when I was a girl. It was fun to watch the movie. Abby and I both cried, but loved it!

Girls just wanna have fun! Thanks Abby for such a fun girls day! (And, thanks Daddy for keeping everyone else so we could hang out just us! You are the best!)

Kid Wash at Kate's!

2010-07-22T18:16:00.000-04:00

Today Kate invited us over for a kid wash. Mr. Jeff built a cool water contraption that the kids can ride their bikes through like a car wash. The kids LOVED it!
Abby riding through...

Evan playing in the water.

Kate also got the slip-n-slide out which Evan LOVED!! But, a storm came through so we packed it all in and headed inside to play.

Izzy and Maria having a tea party. What a fun day! Thanks Kate for having us!!

Checking off our list....

2010-07-21T18:10:00.000-04:00

...of things to do before we head back to school. We're only a few weeks away. One of the things the kids have been asking to do all summer is hit BounceTown so today we did just that! I met a friend there that is considering adoption. She wanted to get together and chat. So chat we did while the kids bounced and played. We had a great day!
Aidan sliding

Crazy Izzy

Evan and Abby in between jumps!

Kokomo Firestation Playdate

2010-07-15T21:49:00.001-04:00

Today we headed to Kokomo for a trip to the Fire Station and then lunch at a little ice cream shop called Daisy's Dip-n-Sip. It was so fun! Thanks Paula for organizing!
The whole gang at the Fire Station

...learning about fire safety

Lot of the girls danced in ballet recitals this past spring so we decided to let the girls wear their costumes to lunch;0) They loved it!

Checking out the ice cream! What a fun day!

Rock Stars, Cars & Guitars

2010-07-08T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today we headed to see the new exhibit at the Children's Museum: Rock Stars, Cars & Guitars. The kids loved it. We ended up closing the place down.
in the "recording studio"

they were karaoking to a Hannah Montana song;0)

Crazy Ev

Our littlest Rock Star

Mr. Cool

Taking a spin...

It was a great day! Hoping to sneak another trip in before school starts...

On the way home from the museum we stopped in at Toys R Us for some backpack shopping. I can't believe it's time to think about school already....

She asked me to take this pic...silly girl;0)

CarmelFest

2010-07-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

Today we walked in our final parade for the weekend. This was by far, the HOTTEST day! Whew! We walked in the CarmelFest parade with the Heart Center. The kids loved passing out frisbees to the crowds. We even saw several people we knew along the way;0)
Waiting for the parade to start...

Boomer was there!

After the parade, we headed to Steak-N-Shake for a quick lunch. The milkshakes were perfect on such a hot day!

After lunch it was home to nap....all that parading wore us out!

And, random...but here is Abby's new skirt I made her...mostly out of scraps. I think we'll save it for our first day of Kindergarten;0/

She loves it cause it has some MAJOR twirl factor;0)

Noblesville Parade/Festival

2010-07-04T23:33:00.000-04:00

Today the boys walked in the Noblesville Parade with the Cub Scouts. It was HOT! But, they had a great time. The girls got to be spectators and catch candy which they LOVED!
Jeremy and I before the parade.

With his girls...

Crazy girls...they kept wanting their picture taken;0)

My pics are out of order...sorry...

After the parade we headed to the festival at the school and then watched the fireworks. It was a fun evening.

Eating kettle corn while waiting for the fireworks... The girls waiting for the parade to start...

The boy scouts... Evan

and Aidan

Professional Parade Walkers??

2010-07-03T16:28:00.000-04:00

Today was our first of three parades that we are part of this holiday weekend. Yea, we're just lucky like that;0) Anyway, we headed to Brownsburg this morning to help our friend, Bobby, promote his new plumbing business. We had so much fun. The weather was beautiful!
Evan, Abby, Aidan and Matthew waiting for the parade to start.

Jeremy ready to go;0)

Abby waving during the parade.

Amy and Susan hanging with the kiddos.

Izzy and Evan

After the parade we headed back to Bobby and Susan's for a yummy picnic. It was great!

Thanks for letting us join in the fun!