Family Reunion

We had a wonderful weekend. We were all together for the whole weekend. The pictures will tell the story. Bruce and family drove up from Kentucky on Friday and Denise and Brandon and Brayden flew in on Thursday night. This picture was taken 5 minutes before we had to leave for the airport on Sunday to take Denise and Brandon and Brayden.
Thank you family for posing for this picture. Sleeping children had to be woken up and Ryan had to hurry back from a "long distance" errand he had to run for his parents. We found a shady spot on the side of the house.....it still was too bright for Tyler. Dayna is going to have a baby in 3 weeks and Debbie in August. I have braces on my teeth that I thought I could keep out of pictures cause I will only have them for 3 months. But it is all worth it to capture the moment. Many thanks to Uncle Scott for taking the picture and to Jill for making us all smile....well at least looking forward.

We went to an indoor waterpark and the kids had a blast! This is Tyler.
Denise and Brayden.

Denise and Brandon and Brayden.

Debbie and Lauren in the Lazy River.

Chelsea on the kiddie water slide.

Brooke in a water fountain.

Devon and Carter stopped playing water basketball to pose.

Waiting in the hotel for the elevator.

Chelsea, Brayden and Natalie.

Carter and Chelsea going for a wagon ride.

Uncle Scott and Jill brought Kobe to the park. Lauren getting a Kobe lick (kiss).

A walk in the park with Kobe.

Devon playing Guitar Hero with Ryan.

Bruce had to play it too.

On Monday we went to the Morton Arboretum and the kids climbed up a treehouse.

Brooke and Chelsea just chillin'

The cousins climbed on rocks then paused to pose for a picture...the sun was really bright.

Bruce and Tiffany

Bruce and Tiffany and Devon and Carter.

More rock climbing....Devon and Natalie.

Having some ice cream before leaving for home.

Devon carrying Lauren on his back...what a good brother.

Saying good-bye is the hardest part.

I just realized Brian and Heather escaped individual pictures.....next time.

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful weekend and understanding and cooperation from all and a big thank you to Brian and Heather for opening your home for Bruce and family and for a wonderful Sunday dinner. You are all the best!!!

A Star in the Making

I have fallen behind in my picture taking. But Tiffany sent me these baseball pictures of Devon. Thanks Tiffany. You are looking good, Devon!

A Weekend in Texas

We went to visit Denise and Brandon and Brayden last weekend. It was not very warm....it was rather chilly in the mornings....but much warmer than Chicago. On the agenda was an Easter egg hunt.

You go girl!!

Happy with her prize!

Grandma and Papa with their prize!

Back at home....Heather took the kids to Navy Pier Children's museum again and this time they saw the Care Bears.......

But Natalie still didn't want to meet them. She just watched.

Another Party

We had another birthday celebration....this time for Ally's 2nd birthday. All the cousins have a fun time together....but which adult had the most fun?

Paul and baby Tyler.

Brenda cutting the yummy cake. Randy getting the first slice.

Dayna and Brooke and Ryan and baby Tyler.

Brenda was in town for a brief visit and we enjoyed seeing her before she leaves on her mission.

Happy Birthday Natalie

Today is Natalie's 3rd birthday. Brian and Heather had everyone over for dinner on Saturday night to celebrate Natalie's 3rd birthday. Here are a few pictures of her opening her presents and her cake. She was a very happy birthday girl!

Birth Order of Children

I thought everyone would get a kick out of this. Someone gave it to Dayna at work.

Your clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress-a whimper, a frown - you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifer:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins:
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

Pass this on to everyone you know who has children....or everyone who KNOWS someone who has had children....(The older the mother, the funnier this is!)

Oh What do you do in the Wintertime?

Brooke posing with a big monkey.

That's a pretty big shovel-full...but can he see where's he puttng it? A winter wonderland.

Heather took the kids to Navy Pier to see Spiderman....Natalie was content to keep her distance and just watch.

Tyler and the real deal.

Dayna and Brooke play with a big monkey.

Randy and Tyler play video games.

That's what we do in the winter-time.