Bella's first foods

Isabella did good with her first time at food - good old rice cereal.  She was about 10 days over five months and very interested in what we eat, sitting up and had complete head support.  Within 3 days she was completely opening her mouth for the spoon and quickly moved to vegis and then fruit.  Hopefully with solid food in our tummy we can get back to sleeping through the night.

2nd Annual Girls' Birthday Bash

Yummy dinosaur cake

Grandma Gretchen snuggling with Bella while Mom and Dad play with the older girls in the bouncy house

Uncle Judd and Cierra in the bouncy house

Yes that is a child they put on the ceiling of the bouncy house

Grandma Gretchen brakes the pinata

The bowl of candy is a good place to be

The 3 babies - Bella 5 months, Charlotte 10 months, Kaydence 3 months

The girls sporting their new head lamps from Uncle Judd and Nanny Jen - later used to play midnight ghost

The 2nd annual combined girls birthday party was a huge hit.  They went with a dinosaur theme this year and had a cake that they designed and a huge brontosaurus bouncy house.  This year we did family only and spent the whole day hanging out and  having fun together.  They went with a lego theme for gifts and thanks to family have a really nice lego collection going.  Can't ever go wrong with that really.  Although it was a little cold and sprinkled here and there it was a super day and the girls did a super job once again planning their own party

Waiting for our Missionary

Kelsey got the girls a "Waiting for My Missionary" t-shirt for their birthdays.  They absolutely love them and wear them as soon as they are washed again.  Kelsey designed and personalized them online - what a clever gift.

A walking we will go

Rylee, Isabella and I try to go out for a walk several times a week while everyone else is gone for the day.  So far they love it and we will do it until the cold no longer permits.

Cierra's 6th Birthday

My kind of girl - cheesecake with fresh strawberry sauce instead of cake.  This year Cierra's main gift she wanted was a locket so she could have Nick with her at all times.  I think him being gone is affecting us all more than we sometime realize.

Kaydence is Blessed

Kaydence was blessed today.  Afterward we all went back to Andi & Jimmy's house for a nice luncheon.  What a blessing to have such good parents - these two little girls are so lucky - and to be raised in the gospel - just couldn't get any better - rich, rich blessings.  

I haven't been blogging... You ask why..........

I've been feeding.......

Isabella 4 months

At the Park with Grandma Gretchen

Cierra the climber must have climbed this contraption 50 times

Three little monkey hanging on a line, one fell off and broke their behind
Elizabeth, Cierra, Rylee

We went to the park with Grandma Gretchen while she was visiting.  How awesome it is that she is retired and spending so much time with us.  We love her and always enjoy our time together.  

Catching Butterflies

What better activity on a warm summer day than to run and catch butterflies.  We didn't have nets so the girls used the nets from the game "Elefun."  I was apprehensive as they were so excited but I really didn't think they would catch any.  I thought the day would end in bitter disappointment but they insisted so away they went.  Much to my dismay they caught quite a few.  They tried to hold them captive but finally decided it might be better to let them go.  Brooke was here for the day, so sporting her big white sun hat joined in the fun as well.  

Bella in the exersaucer - FREEDOM

Everyone loves the new found freedom of the exersaucer.  Bella loves the new toys to look at and talk to.  I love to have my arms free without having to put her in a bouncy seat or something that will rub the hair off of the back of her head!  She loved it immediately although it seems to be a new favorite toy of everyone else as well.  I often have to take her out of it to "save" her from the other children who start out gently playing with her and turn into spinning, bouncing or flinging the toys on it as fast as they possibly can.  Sometimes being the 6th child and younger than the first grandchild can be more about pure survival than real enjoyment!

Isabella is 4 months old

Isn't she cute

Rylee turns 4 years old

Rylee had her birthday today.  Hard to believe she is 4 years old.  She kept telling us all she wanted was a new pencil all her own and last week her sister gave her one and now she wants nothing.  As cute as that is can you really give your child nothing for their birthday - the answer is no if you really think about it.  I spent several weeks trying to figure something out only to get to the store the night before and get the same thing Andi and Jimmy were getting her...  We ended up with a buzz light year suit, a guitar of her very own (Elizabeth has one), a tool set and the Lucky Ducks game.  Andi and Jimmy, Brooke and Kaydence came over to eat a yummy dinner of the family favorite soy sauce pork chops and chocolate cake.  It seems our once baby is growing up...

Eye Surgery Day is finally here

Rylee had surgery today on her left eye to hopefully fix her brown's syndrome.  Things went well.  We couldn't have asked for better situation.  The Children's Hospital at UW Madison was amazing and does such a great job with pediatrics.  Dr Gamm is just awesome to say the least.  We feel so blessed to have found him.  Grandma Ann and Andrea came to help with the kiddos.  Andi handled the older ones and her little ones and Grandma had Isabella who didn't even wake up that day until 8:45 am.  We were done with surgery by 9:15 and were home by 1:00 that afternoon just in time to feed again.  Rylee was tired and has some swelling to her eye but is expected to make a speedy recovery and although will never be 100% will be able to look up using her left eye for the first time in her life!  Life is good.

Camping and Blueberry Picking

Uncle Judd, Cierra, Rylee and Elizabeth getting ready for breakfast

We went camping at Indiana Dunes and then blueberry picking in Michigan.  We ended up bringing home 23 pounds of delicious blueberries.  It was a great trip, with the exception of Judd and Jen totalling their car on the way home when hitting a dear.  So thankful that they both were alright.  Unfortunately it was a crappy ending to a fabulous time.  More pics to come soon. 

Puppet Show

The girls put on a puppet show for the family while spending a day at Grandma Gretchen's house.  We swam in the pool, played some bocci ball and ghosts in the graveyard once dark.  It was a good time.  We have been so fortunate to spend so much time with Grandma since her retirement and Uncle Judd and Jen since Jen landed her new awesome job as a special ed teacher.  The three of them having summers off has really benefitted us and we have taken advantage of every minute we can with them.

Independence Day

Matt kite flying

Uncle Judd carrying all the older girls to the house

We spent our fourth of July being eaten by mosquitos in front of the lake with Uncle Judd and Jen, Andi & Jimmy, Brooklyn and Kaydence.  Even the babies were well behaved despite all the bites and the rain of about 15 minutes or so.  Earlier in the day we had a cook out and made ourselves sick with Italian sodas.  We looked up and tried many many different concoctions.  Some were good and some were not so much.  The next day we goofed around the house and then went to the park to play capture the flag and our old stand by kite flying - then for pizza, the Wii and Culvers red raspberry - yum, yum.  We were grateful that Judd and Jen could make it back from out west just in time for the day and that both babies allowed us to see the fireworks.  Good family times together.

We love this missionary

Once in a while you meet a missionary that really impacts your life.  Elder Skousen was surely that.  This was his last night here and we sure will miss him.  He came shortly after Nick left and really found a special place in our hearts.  Just a great, mature, kind young man.  He helped us deal with Nick being gone and better understanding the life of a missionary which helped us feel closer to Nick.  We will miss him a great deal.

Kaydence Irene is born!

Our second grandchild, Kaydence Irene, was born yesterday.  Andi's labor was a little longer than one would have liked but ended up being a wonderful experience.  Mom and baby are doing wonderful.  Brooke is excited about her new little sister and we are all excited to finally meet her.

Isabella's last bath in the sink

So we have been giving Isabella a bath in the bathroom sink .... it was easier when trying to recover from c-section. However you can see that she really doesn't fit anymore and this has got to be her last time in this sink!

Happy Anniversary

So for all of you that have helped me make the decision to finally let Matt get me a wedding ring here it is.  It was extremely hard decision as I don't really wear jewelry and didn't really want to spend money or let him spend money on me for something so worldly.  Once I made the decision it was hard to let it go through.  I know that seems almost ridiculous when you see the extravagant ring he bought and I accepted but after trying on many different options it was the combination of everything I have been looking at for the last 15 years.  When I finally said yes Matt got tears in his eyes.  I had no idea that for so long he had felt guilty for not getting me a "proper" ring.  However, he can no longer feel guilty in any sense of the word  for he has more than made up for it for sure.