Summer at the Lake

We had a wonderful and relaxing time at the Lake House.  Our friends David and Kelly with their kids came and we just enjoyed eating, relaxing and playing.  My arms are sooooo sore from tubing.  I think I am getting old or just out of shape.  It is amazing how fast you loose muscle if you don't work out.  I mean come on, it has only been since April that I stopped working out at the gym, but man it goes fast.

Ava Loving Cooper!

Nathan and Trevor

matching swim suits!

Sara Slaloming!

Jacob Wake boarding

Sara, Ava and I enjoying a tube ride

Trevor Slaloming

Andrew and Sara knee boarding

(notice Andrews left hand)

he was pulling his shorts down

so he could

MooN us!

Ugghh, boys!

how many more can they fit?

Cooper loving Ava

eating her animal crackers

Mommy and Ava

Kayaking

looking cute in her bikini

Enjoy!

Busy Week, but what else is new

Lets see, Friday Ava had an appointment at a "Bridal Shop".  Noooo, I'm not sending her off already, but she is going to be a flower girl for Toms nieces Laurens wedding.  We went to try on some dresses, and this was so fun.  Dressing her up in all of those "puffy" dresses made her look like Cinderella.

Friday night, I drove up to Wisconsin in a terrible storm to pick Trevor up from Camp Timber-lee, I got there around 9:30 at night.  We got all of his stuff in the car just before a huge downpour came.  I then drove 4 1/2 hours to Wisconsin where he was to play in a soccer tournament.  We pulled into the hotel around 2:30, but with the time change it was 3:30, man was I tired.  Trevor played very well, his team did not do good, but I am very impressed with the level of play from Trevor.  Can you say FIFA?  I wish he would?  He wants to only play football when he gets to high school.  Perhaps we can change his mind?  We came home from the Tourny to have Fathers Day with Tom.

Trevor was put onto this boy he was a Jamican from Canada

he was super fast and scored 2 quick goals, once Trevor was on him

he didn't score again.

Trevor surrounded by the offense

Trevor getting ready to score!

This week we started Vacation Bible School, we are encouraged by the number of children coming.  The Lord has been good!

Fathers Day 2010

What happened to my eye

Last night, I took Ava out in a gift from Sara.  She got this cool car, Austin put it together for me.

She loved the walk and so did Samson.

After we got home, I gave Ava a bath, which she loves now.  Tonight she even laid down in the tub and put her face in the water!  As I was giving her a bath, my eye itched and it was a little sore.  I didn't think much of it until this morning when I woke up, and I could barely open my eye.  The eye itself is not "Pink", it seems to be just the lid, but man it is swollen and it hurts.

That is the eye with me giving the wide eye look, and look it is still covering my eye.  What to do?

Older Brother

Well the Oldest Brother:  Tyler has taken Ava out on our mini motorcycle.  She loved it.  I guess my princess won't stay a princess with all of these boys around.

I LOVED IT MOM!

Ava is finally starting to grow

some hair!

Caught in the act

going thru my desk drawer

guess I need to put on drawer locks!

Camp Timber-Lee

Well on Sunday, 2 of the boys went to Camp Timber-lee again.  This week Trevor and Andrew got to go to the same week.  I have to tell you, they LOVE this camp.  We signed up for Sports Camp again this year, they get to do:  Mountain Bike Riding, Paint Balling, Archery, and many more things that I can't remember.  Those are just the high lights from the past.  It is a bit different around here without them.

Trevor with his counselor

Andrew with his counselor

Andrew on the website:

looks like they are building

a marshmallow gun

(don't know who the other boys are)

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer as much as we are!

Best Friends

Our best friends, David and Kelly

have 3 kids, that are all about the same age as our kids.  Tom and David grew up being best friends from church.  The story goes they were born 2 days apart in the same hospital, and the moms didn't know each other at that point.  A few years later, Tom and David met at church and the rest is history. When Tom was dating me, he introduced me to Kelly, and she was a bit ummm cold... she says she was tired of meeting Toms girlfriends.  Well I didn't let that bother me, we got together and went "hunting" with the guys, while they were out "hunting" we were in the truck talking and laughing.  I remember that day like it was yesterday, (wait, wait, I think I found one), after that we became best friends!   Kelly had a party at her house for Nathans Birthday, Graduation from 8th Grade, and Saras 12th Birthday.  We had a wonderful time.  Kelly captured some really great pictures of Ava playing with Kellys Dad, and Davids Dad.  Peek -a-boo anyone?

Wheres Ava?

Ava LOVES to be with Sara

I know, I know what about bonding to me,

well Sara is like her sister.

Sara is AWESOME with Ava

Ava did great that whole night!

Oh and Sara even got her to eat:

Watermelon, Cantelope, Honey Dew

and the best part:

Sara got Ava to drink lemonade

out of a straw!

My Cute little watermelon

Could she be any cuter?  I don't think so!

Trevor and Ava jumping on the Trampoline

My 5lb Maltese, with a Big Name - Samson -

and now a Killer t-shirt

Poor dog

We are doing well, Ava  is adjusting nicely, we are still giving baby food to her, as she won't take things from us.  She did however have her Cheerios in milk today!  That is a huge step.

BLACKHAWKS WIN! New Toy to Play with

Yes, the Stanley Cup is here in Chicago!  Congratulations Hawks, what a well deserved win!
Tom brought home this big round roller thing that had wires around it.  Well it is THE new favorite toy for all of the boys and Ava.  The boys love to stand on it and roll it like a log roller, and Miss Ava loves to go thru it, roll on it on her belly, stand it on end and sit in it and play Peek-a-Boo.  Then I found Miss Ava actually petting (used lightly) Samson.  He wasn't too sure what she was going to do, but she did pet (again used lightly) and then proceeded to pull his ears.  Now I did catch her petting Cooper, but with him being over 100 lbs, it did seem like she was petting him.

Andrew rolling around in the big round roller thing

Ava crawling thru it

"Petting" Samson

Daddy and Ava doing balancing on his hands

Cute outfit provided by Whitney!

Another one down

Well the summer is here, and we are enjoying it.  The boys were able to sleep in today, and just "hang".  Now normally, I don't really like to have them do that because they can get into a lot of trouble sometimes.  Today, however, I took away the video games and now they can play.  We did run into a little bit of a snag this weekend.  Tom took Andrew to his soccer game on Sunday morning, I got one of those great phone calls, Tom said, "I think I need to take Andrew to the hospital!"  "What, are you kidding me?"  "Nope", "Andrew split the side of his knee wide open and he is going to need stitches."  Come on, how come all the bad things happen when YOU have them?   Well needless to say, Andrew was kicked in the knee while he was playing goalie, and the cleat dug into his leg, they even took an x-ray because it was so deep.  The doc said it is a good thing it didn't hit the tendon, just need 9 stitches.  3 internal because it was deep and 6 outside.  Oh brother, now he is hobbling around on crutches.  They don't want him to bend his knee for 2 days.  He is done with soccer for the year, the doc said no more for 10 days.  Bummer thing is he is supposed to go to camp on Sunday, and stitches don't come out till wednesday.  Perhaps we will just leave them in for the extra 3 days.

Before Stitches:

After Stitches

Have I mentioned that my Nephew Matthew

Is Awesome and SINGLE

Yes, if anyone knows of a 20 something girl

who is a nice Christian, send them to me

Ava eating her yogart

Playing with a garbage can

Who needs toys?

Kelly and Ava,

Celebrating all the kids birthdays

at Dave and Busters

Ava is doing great, I really am blessed to be able to parent this child.  She seems to take everything we do in stride and just goes with the flow.

More Lake House Pics, End of School Year Celebrations

I truly am glad that the end of school year is here.  I love it when school is in session, but don't like all the end of year activities.  My boys will be bored within the week I'm sure.  Tell me, how many hours can they play video games?  I have signed them up for some summer camps that take place in June so that will help with them getting into each others faces all day long.

Ava is doing remarkably well.  We are so blessed to have this precious Angel in our family.  She has brought out some of the best qualities in the boys, it is a joy to watch them with her.  She is spoiled beyond belief by them.  She is growing some hair now, and her personality is just so cute.  She LOVES music and we have a dancing session every morning.  She understands so much already, but still is not saying a whole lot.  Ava also is still preferring to eat baby food only with some people food like Cherrios, Gerber puffs, pretzels, vanilla waffers, jello, gold fish crackers, ice cream, but not much more.  It is funny how she will eat any kind of baby food, but when I give her a piece of bread or pancake she spits it out.  I'm thinking it is a sensory issue with her, but I can see her growing so I know she is getting some great nutrients in her.

I go in today for another round of mouth surgery, I'm hoping that I recover quickly from it like last time.  The boys have said that they will help me out with whatever Ava needs.

Getting ready to go swimming

Swimming with daddy

after this picture she started

splashing and getting much

more comfortable in the water.

She even jumped in to daddy later

Riding the Wave Runner

Andrew being silly

He used Avas doll stroller

as a helmet!

Andrew and Ava at Field Day

Mommy and Ava watching Andrew Run