Loving Summer

Gosh, I've been loving summer with the kids. Nice to have all the kids home. We got a new playset, that the kids have absolutely been loving! Regan likes the swings and slide best. Jake has taught Sydney how to "skip" on the monkey bars, and Sydney wants to show anyone that will watch. She is so proud of herself. We had a party for Jake's 7th birthday, and got an updated family picture courtesy of my sister Amy. Jake is playing TBall. He can really crack the ball, and loves to run the bases. He is not real sure if he likes the outfield, or waiting around on the sidelines...but he has fun with it :) The TBall team and families are great. Fun way to spend Friday nights.Sydney had her gymnastics show, and was very excited to show us all her new skills. Ms. Donna brought Sydney her very own flowers, which made Sydney feel so special! Thanks Donna!
Oh, and Regan is offically potty-trained! She loves being a "big girl" and thinks all of the underwear choices are great! Dora is obviously her favorite. But anything that sparkles comes in a close second.
I have lots more updates from this spring, which has been a very busy one....explaining my blogging absence. More on those things later.

The State Fair

I have to go once each year...so much fun!

Jacob goes to Camp Warren

Jake was so excited to go to Camp Warren for the first time! He told me, "Mom, I really want to go on my own vacation with other kids for a week. Really, I've always wanted to go on vacation." I am guessing he overheard me in my conversations while I was trying to decide if I should send him this summer or wait until next summer. I wasn't concerned whether or not he'd be homesick; because I knew he wouldn't be. I didn't plan on seeing anything I sent with him again. When we arrived at the bus, we was ready to get on. Had I not stopped to him and asked for a hug, I don't think I would have gotten one. He was so excited!!!! I knew he'd have an absolute blast; I spent 9 summers when I was a kid at this very same camp. And now one of the girls I used to go to camp with is the director. She assured me he was ready....so I let him go for a week, in good hands!

He came home with a big hug for me; and had all kinds of stories to tell. I later learned from some staff that he was the YOUNGEST camper all summer. He was a staff favorite, and many of the older campers took him under their wings. He has such a fun and easy going personality! Yah Jake! You did it!!!

Beach & Boating Time

This is what summer is all about! Fun in the Sun with friends and family!

August Fun

Jake cooling off...Regan wanting a turn :)LumberJack Days Tot Race finishers...
Jacob's fishing trip with Grandpa Doug; the fish weren't biting...(notice the helmet my Dad wore for his protection...)

Cabin Time!

The Past Week

Dave has been in CA the past week for an intensive seminar....I wasn't sure how the week would go; fast, super slow, somewhere in between?

I thought I would get a lot of projects done...at least that is what I'd hoped.

I did get the house cleaned up, (well kind of)
cared for a food-poisoned 4 year old,
bought a NEW TV!!, (which involved going to 4 stores w/ all 3 kids)
had 4 HS friends and our 8 kids over to play,
took Jake to Vacation Bible School,
worked out at the gym,
went to a bonfire with my HS girlfriends,
bought a new rug for the sunroom,
brought Sydney to gymnastics,
carried the new TV into the house and got it setup,
took the kids to Friday's for lunch to celebrate Father's Day,
had Dairy Queen ice cream cake w/ at my father-in-law's house,
6 loads of laundry,
I'm meeting some girls for dinner tonight, and then picking up my honey from the airport.

(I know I am missing so things we did, but I really can't remember, things are kind of blurring) The kids were great, but missed their daddy. Jake asked me on day 4 when his dad was going to be home because he REALLY missed him....sweet!

I'm excited to hear about Dave's week and hang out with him! It is the longest we've been away from each other since 1996!

Maybe tomorrow I'll go to bed super early and rest!!!!!

CHEERS TO DADDY @ FRIDAYS BELOW:

Summer has began!!!

Let the summer time fun begin! I'm so looking forward to all the fun the summer brings. Playing outside, trips to the cabin, boating, time at the beach, going to the park, playing with lots of friends, vacation bible school, soccer/t-ball camp, planting flowers, pulling weeds, riding bikes, water guns, oh, it will all be so much fun!!

Alexandria Pictures

11 Kids and 4 Moms! Good times....

We tried to get a picture of all the kids, well, that didn't work very well. There are quite a few missing from this one :)

The Beach was a big hit!

Jake learned to kayak, and was confidently cruising around after Drew gave him a quick lesson!

Campfire and Smores...

A quick movie will we got dinner ready for the masses....

Thanks to the expert meal planner Jess, the kids all stayed full and happy!

What a fun way to spend a week during the summer! Thanks girls!!!

What happened to August?

Seriously, I've barely even posted this month...it has just flown by. There has been a lot going on.

• Visited my Dad at the Cabin in Lutsen.
• Spent a few days in Alexandria with some great friends and our kids. We had 11 kids under age 6, and 4 moms....fun times! (I'll post a few pictures)
• My friend Cari, after battling breast cancer for a year was diagnosed with a brain tumor and has since had surgery to have it removed.
• Struggled to make a decision on what schooling option is best for Jake for this fall. He is a young 5, and we really wanted to have him wait to start Kindergarten until next fall. What we've decided on is a 3-day/week Kindergarten program at a Christian school. And he will most likely attend full time Kindergarten next fall.
• Regan started cruising along anything she can, and has mastered a very quick butt scoot. Or "Gorilla" scoot as Dave calls it. Because she really looks like a gorilla. Funny! This may end up being her version of crawling. We shall see.
• Spent a long day at the State Fair. The Giant slide was a big hit, so was the Little Hands Farm.
• And lots of other things....

Hard to believe next week is September. I am going to make an effort to post more regularly, at least it is one of my goals for next month :)

Fun times at the Cabin

Cabin Trip 2008

At the shore in Grand Marais. The kids had a blast throwing rocks back into the water.
Regan loved moving the rocks around...they were nice and warm!

Picking fresh raspberries around the cabin. I think they ate them all :)


Regan loved playing with Grandpa Doug. Pretty Sweet...

The kids each had their individual fishing trips with Grandpa Doug. When I asked them on the ride home what their favorite part of going to the cabin was, they both said "FISHING". Sydney caught her very first fish, her first time fishing! She couldn't stop talking about how it flopped around. Jake and Sydney each throw back a fish, and held it with there bare hands, something my dad won't even do. They were so brave.

Good Times! In the car when I was driving home Jake said he wants to go to the cabin more, so he can spend more time with his Grandpa Doug. Smart kid.

Cabin, or Not...

I've been planning to bring the kids up to Lutsen this coming weekend all summer. But, my sister Amy and I were planning to make the 5 hour trip together. She is out now, because she really hurt her back. My other two sisters aren't free either...so now I just need to decide if I am going to saddle up, and bring all 3 alone. Just thinking about it makes me feel exhausted. But, I think the kids would be sad if I didn't bring them up to see Grandpa Doug.

We'll see how much I can get done today.

Farm Camp, fun summer times...

Jake and Sydney went to Farm camp together in the mornings for two weeks in July. They both really loved it. Jake was able to show Sydney the ropes. On the last day the parents were invited to see what the kids had been up to during camp. Sydney was so excited to show me that she could ride a horse. She was SO brave, and confident. Jake was excited to show me the animals and the veggies they were growing in the garden.

It's Flying

Wow, it is already the end of June. I have been terrible this month with my blog...we've just been outside enjoying the nice days.

Jake decided the day after he turned 5 that we was going to ride his bike, without the training wheels. And he has done very well. He needs a little help getting started. I was surprised by his determination, he told me he would never quit. And just take breaks when he needed to.
Turning 5 has seemed to help Jacob feel older, and behave a little better. He suddenly seems to be wanting to be helpful, a little more mellow, following directions SOO much better, and just being more cooperative overall. I am just elated. I'm not sure if it is being 5, watching his sugar intake very closely, or he just decided...whatever the cause, I LOVE it.

Sydney is enjoying riding her "trike". And continues to be very into babies. She is like a little momma to Regan, basically like my sidekick. Sydney has enjoyed being around other little ones, and is always very aware of their needs and wants to help whenever she can. Here she is below caring for her cousin Ava.

Regan is a lot of fun. Her first 3 teeth broke through this month. Luckily they didn't seem to bother her, and she lets me feel them without a problem, she actually thinks its funny. She has been labeled a "Sit-n-Spin", because she loves to sit and spin in circles to reach various things. She is not crawling yet, but really enjoys practicing walking. Here reverse-highlights always catch her attention no matter where we are, almost everyone stops to comment. Kinda funny!