Friday, June 19, 2009

"THE" Purple Bike

Last Thursday Jed's work had their annual family picnic. We always have such a good time at this picnic. They have tons of fun picnic food, door prizes and the kids love all of the huge blow up toys/games/mazes that they get to go in. This year Kyra was one of 4 lucky kids to win a gift certificate for a bike! She had told us about two days ealier (without any knowlege of these door prizes) that she was ready to have a big bike and it needed to be purple. Well, Jed took her to the store to pick out her bike out of a cataloge and get it ordered. Well, they didn't have any purple bikes but they had the next best thing - a princess bike. So, she told them she wanted that. Two days later it arrived and Jed picked it up, brought it home and to Kyra's amazement not only was it princess but it was also purple - that girl is in heaven!









Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Cherish Every Moment

99 Balloons...Baby Eliot

I saw this YouTube video on tv today and even though it made me cry like crazy it also made me realize how truly blessed I am for all that I have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qILw1iFzmIE

Monday, June 15, 2009

Gavin's Camp Fire Party

Gavin wanted to have a camp fire and roast marshmallows. He invited the whole family (almost without Mom and Dad knowing about it) only to find out he didn't have any marshmallows. So, after a quick trip to town we were able to have our camp fire and roast marshmallows.

Kyra enjoying her first smore of the night. I think she ended up eating about 8 marshmallows - needless to say, she had the most energy around the camp fire!

Gavin liked preparing the marshmallows but then pawned them off on other people when they ended up getting "a little" over done!Dad in the middle of all the craziness.Uncle Bryon and Carley getting her marshmallow ready. She roasted a lot of marshmallows but didn't eat a single one!Carley...roasting another marshmallow that she has no intention of eating.This was Carley's attempt to sit on the log at the campfire. I guess it bucked her off.Kyra thoroughly enjoying ANOTHER marshmallow.

Chin licking good! Needless to say, they all needed baths when this event was over.Gavin had the biggest smore I have ever seen (compliments of Uncle Brandon and Aunt Stacy's "HUGE Mexican Marshmallows).


Thanks for the camp fire party Gavin!

Reagan Two Weeks & More Random Pictures

Carley (I mean Reagan) :-) has been a part of our family for over two weeks already. She is still a GREAT sleeper and such an easy baby. Here are some random pics of her with her siblings.

Two weeks old!Kyra is enjoying this photo session and snuggle time more than Reagan is... Gavin and Reagan - he actually put her to sleep this time!


Carley loves to hold Reagan - and would do it 20 times a day if I let her...but her interest runs out at about 25 seconds and then she tends to dump Reagan off of her lap and head on her way. Ahhh...sisterly love.This is Reagan's favorite position - upright on someones tummy. Jed is having a hard time finding quiality time with Reagan. Gavin, Kyra, Carley and Mommy tend to grab Reagan first - so we are trying to give Dad more time with her!Just hanging out on a lazy Sunday afternoon.







Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Weekend with Nana & Papa

We enjoyed a quick visit from Nana and Papa this weekend. They arrived Saturday morning with their camper, dog and food for the whole weekend. We were taken good care of all weekend! It rained and was COLD all weekend but we enjoyed visiting, playing, taking long afternoon naps and Gavin and Kyra even got to go "camping" Sunday night and spend the night in the camper. We postponed the campfire/marshmallow roast until later in the summer when it is hopefully warmer and dryer!
Thanks for coming to visit us last weekend Nana and Papa and thanks for all the gifts/goodies and food!
I am serious when I say I had to take 14 pictures to get these two group pictures (and the young kids were NOT the problem). Gavin needs to teach Nana and Papa how to keep their eyes open for pictures! :-) Nana and Reagan spending quality time together!

Nana showing Kyra and Carley pictures of their cousins. Kyra was Nana's little buddy all weekend. Kyra REALLY liked Nana's purple coat (she is a crazy 3 year old when it comes to purple).


Papa, Carley and Reagan hanging out.

Papa, Gavin, Carley and Reagan watching a horse race on TV. Kyra's other favorite love (a close second to the color purple) is horses so she was directly in front of the tv and unavailable for pictures. :-)

Jed and Reagan taking a cat nap. Reagan is still proving to be our easiest baby BY FAR! We continue to wait for that to come to a screeching halt any day now. She had her two week checkup today and weighs 7 lbs. 8 oz!






Thursday, June 4, 2009

One Week With Reagan

Reagan has been with us for one week already! So, thought I would share some photos from this past week.

Reagan is proving to be such an easy baby for us so far. We are both waiting for the other shoe to fall! She sleeps all day long and has been waking up only one or two times a night and sometimes I am the one having to do the waking up even at that and she rarely crys (Although if she makes any noise or hiccup the kids all go running and yelling, "Mom, Mom get her, she's fussing." We have tried to explain that it's okay if a baby crys a little bit and that Reagan will have times that she crys but THIS is not one of those times. Their caring nature drives us crazy but we wouldn't have it any other way, we just have to smile each time they are "looking out" for her). My Mom says that I finally have a good sleeper but I had to pay for it with the other three!


Kyra spending time with her before bed. Kyra has to get her love each morning when Reagan wakes up and each evening before Kyra goes to bed. She holds her for a while and then gives her a kiss on the head and tells Reagan she loves her.


Carley loves to hold Reagan too and surprisingly this lasts more than 2 seconds at a time! But you have to watch her because when she is done, she is done and Reagan just gets tipped off of Carley's lap.

Gavin spending quality time with Reagan. Look - her eyes are actually open. This is a rare thing.
The girls!
Jed is getting a taste of "stay at home Mom life" this week as he is off of work all week to help out with kids, dishes, laundry, and giving Mom a break in general. Somehow he finds he isn't getting quite as much accomplished on his "to do" list as he had anticipated. Imagine that!
This is a big part of the reason he isn't getting as much done as planned. Kid #1, #2 and #3 have been keeping him busy playing. Sunday we spent some time at Grandma and Grandpa's house so Uncle Britton and Lacy could spend time with Reagan before heading back to LaCrosse. The kids thought this was an ideal time to wrestle, play horse and any other rough house activities since Grandma and Grandpa's house has more floor space to do this kind of "activity". Doesn't it look like Jed is having fun?
And on that note...it's time for a nap.
Jed decided that this week was the week to put a new window and door in Gavin's bedroom. These projects did need to be done but I had been bugging him about the door for months and he kept talking about getting the window put in. Anyway he began this window Monday morning and told Gavin, "I'll be done when your nap is over this afternoon." He finished Wednesday at supper time! But in his defense it does look nice and we finally have a window that actually opens in that room.
Gavin had to help with clean up. He used his dump truck and skidloader to pick up pieces of sheetrock. Not sure where he hauled them to.
Last night we saw a hot air balloon right by Brandon and Stacy and Grandma and Grandpa's houses. This balloon is around pretty frequently in the spring/summer/fall and the kids NEVER get tired of watching it.