Sunday, October 9, 2011

A Review of the Past Couple of Weeks

So, we took our first trip out to the dollar store and let the kids pick out a toy for themselves. It was interesting to see what they picked out and showed their personalities to a tee!

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We’ve always thought that Ava is going to be good at sports. She’s very aggressive and is pretty tough. She is definitely our tomboy of the group. She also is a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fanatic. She chose a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Ball. Problem is, it’s already in the trash because she picked it apart. She was very upset when I threw it away, but she’ll know better next time.

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Lily is our princess of the bunch. She is totally a girly girl. She chose a wand with a star on the top that lights up. She loves this thing. She loves to dress up in her tutu and spin around holding her wand.  She couldn’t have picked out anything more perfect to suit her personality.

 

 

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Luke was very excited and proud of the toy he picked out. He got a Hot Wheels motorcycle.  This is in addition to all the other cars, trucks, and motorcycles he has already. He is a car fanatic. He also goes nuts when his sisters touch his cars. It’s pretty much all he plays with.

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Little Miss Sarah. She is our petite little girl that loves to color and pay instruments. She is the artistic one of the bunch. She chose a tambourine. It was a bonus that it had Lightening McQueen on it. She loves it and plays with it all the time.

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This is the crew before bed that night. The are now infatuated with Blue’s Clues. They never take their eyes off the screen the whole time it is on. I think it is so cute when they talk to the TV and answer the questions Joe or Steve asks : )

Lately, I’ve had a few helpers on Saturdays when I do laundry. Luke and Lily love to help Mommy fold laundry.

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Luke loves to take clothes out of the basket…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

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and tell me who it belongs to.

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Lily on the other hand, is quite domesticated. She loves to fold the clothes. She is actually quite domesticated. Mom Mom showed her how to fold properly and she does a pretty good job. I know who’s going to like doing laundry when she gets older :)

Some other big news…..we have some members of the family that have moved here to Florida. My Aunt Susanne (my mother’s sister), Uncle John, and cousin Sean recently sold their house and have relocated to Florida. Sean started his first day of 8th grade last week and John flew back to Delaware today and will return hopefully in the months to come. He is still working up north. It is great to have so many family members move here. My cousin Dan, who is their oldest son, moved here in May. He lives a little farther north. Their middle son, Kyle, goes to Virginia Tech right now. He will be down to visit on holidays.

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Sean is very excited!

We also had someone else start school this week.

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Sarah qualified to attend to the 3 year old program in our local school district because she receives speech/language and occupational therapy. She is really coming along in those areas. We were all sad to see her go, but excited at the same time.

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As you can see, she was a little nervous at first, but now is having fun and loves her teacher (pictured above), Mrs. Turner.

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I was very sad that I could not see her off on her first day of school because I had to be at work before she had to be at school. Daddy got to take her and was very nervous for her, but he was ok.

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Have a good day Sarah!

The next day, she started riding the bus. Some of you may be saying, “What/ You let you’re almost 3 year old ride the bus?” My answer is yes. We have no choice. Me, Nick, and my Dad all have to work and my mom is at home with the other three kids. She needs to go. Plus the bus driver is great and there is an aide on there. I trust them. Plus there is only 9 other students that ride her bus and she gets picked up and dropped of right outside of my moms house. They have been extremely accommodating to us. Here are a few pictures of Sarah’s first day riding the bus.

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Mom Mom is helping her on the bus.

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Mom Mom also made sure she had her backpack and her lunch box.

I was lucky enough to get home in time to see her get off of the bus. I was glad to be there for her!

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Here comes the bus, right on time!

 

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She was as happy as could be and shouted “Hi Mommy!”

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It was a good day! Bittersweet!

We also had visitors that came in for a night to visit with the kids and give them a birthday present. Nick’s Aunt Kris and Uncle Robert were so excited to see the kids and the kids were happy to see them. Although the visit was short, a good time was had by all. They saw Sarah that night, but didn’t get to see the next day cause she had to go to school.

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Until next visit!

Yesterday, we took the kids to the county fall festival. It was a really nice day. Below are a few pictures from the festival.

There were trainers walking around with donkeys and horses and the trainer told us they were having horse rides and to come visit.

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Luke and Lily both petted the miniature horse, but Ava and Sarah wanted no parts of it.

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Luke and Sarah had a great time in the bouncy house. 

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Once again, Ava and Lily wanted no parts of it. Which is funny because at home, those two rule the roost.

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In fact, they spent the majority of the time in the strollers. They were scared of everything!

Then Luke freaked out…cause the fire truck was there. He wanted to see it, so I went over and asked if he could see inside the truck.

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Not only did he say yes, he took his hand and walked him over. Luke took his hand immediately. He was soooo excited.

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Here is a couple of pictures from the front.

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Sarah even got in. She didn’t want to get out. She kept saying “I’m driving the fire truck, I’m driving the fire truck.”

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We also went to the pumpkin patch. I tried to get a picture of them all, but they wouldn’t sit still.

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Lily LOVES Minnie Mouse!

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And we already know how Ava loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

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Finally it was time to ride the horses. When it came down to it, Luke was the only one who would do it. They had four horses there; black, white, brown, and gray. Luke chose the gray one and got on. I was waiting for him to cry once it started to move……

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But he didn’t! He was as happy and proud as could be and Daddy was sooo proud of him when I sent him the pictures. Daddy was on a horseback riding team when he was younger.

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Look like I may have found something he likes other than cars, but we’re talking an expensive hobby!

We ended our day with lunch by the water. It was a great trip. Thank you to my Mom and Aunt Susanne for going with us. I don’t think I could have ever done it myself. We were sad that Daddy didn’t come because he had to work, but I sent him lots of pictures!

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Stay tuned for next week’s blog as we have their three year old check up on tomorrow,  Nana and Pop Pop are coming down on Wednesday, and we are having their 3rd Birthday party on Sunday. I can’t believe they will be 3 years old on Tuesday! Boy time really does fly!

Till next time!

Kelly

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Are We Alive?

Yes! By golly we are. I could say we’ve been busy for the last 7 months, and while yes that is true, I have been a little on the lazy side also.

We moved out of my parents house in January and back into our own which we rented out when we found out I was pregnant. I did not have a computer when we moved back in, but kept online using my phone and my work laptop. We did, however recently purchase a new computer.

So lets get right to it shall we? I’ll do the fastest version of the past eight months that I can.

January

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Although January was a good month. There were some sad moments. As most mom’s know, that time of the year is a beast for viruses. Nick and I were supposed to go on a trip to Kansas for Moni’s 30th Birthday Party with 15 other Quad couples. Nick’s Mom came in to help my Mom with the kids while we were gone, but we had to cancel our trip. All the kids were sick. Luke had bronchitis, Lily had croup, Sarah had RSV, and Ava was the worst off. Since she was diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease in the NICU, she is more likely to getting the sickest of the sick. She ended up with RSV and Pneumonia. We had to take her to the hospital, therefore missing our trip. She ended up in the hospital for 5 days. We were so upset that we missed the trip, but happy that we were here for Ava an she is doing much better now!

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We were also glad that Nana was there to help. It was a rough couple of weeks. Nana read lots of stories to them and played with them.

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She also took them on frequent walks. They love taking walks!

 

 

 

 

Grand pop and Mom Mom also come over to visit quite frequently. Even though they live right down the street, they can’t get enough of them.

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February

February was a better month. No one got sick and we had another visitor. My friend Kara came to visit. We played a lot and went to the part when she came down.

 

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Sarah & Lily

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Luke & Ava

While Kara was down visiting, I was looking at new cars. I’ve had a mini SUV since before the kids were born thinking ahead. Thinking, this would be a great family car for 2 or even 3 kids. Little did I know, I was going to grow to a family of 6. So, finally after finagling ways to get around, Nick and I purchased a 2011, Honda Odyssey. At first I did not want a minivan. Now, I can’t see having anything else! I absolutely love it and recommend it for anyone who has more that 2 kids. The room is amazing and the trunk space is unbelievable.

 

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And here we are at a different park. They love the slide! Thank you for the shirts for the kids, Casey! They still wear them. For those that have multiples or just one or know someone that is pregnant, check out Designed for Babies. She has some fantastic things!

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March

In the month of March we had a few play dates with my friend Brandy and her three kids Aidan, Connor, and Emma. Emma was born exactly 3 months before my kids. She is a doll baby. I also had the opportunity to be Connor’s Kindergarten teacher this past year. Here are a few play date pictures.

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Brandy & Emma

(Ava in the background)

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Connor, Aidan, & Emma

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All the 2 year olds drawing and coloring! Can you guess who is who from above?

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Pajama and Movie Time!

Thanks for having us over and letting us be kids and mess up your house!

Also in March, we took our first trip to the Zoo. They kids had fun, but of course for some reason, the day we chose to go, it happened to be one of the hottest days. It was unseasonably hot! Sarah was not feeling very well got a little over heated. She ended up sleeping through half of the trip.

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Daddy and Sarah checking out the Zebras.

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Lily had a great time as you can see! She was excited the whole trip.

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They had a few favorite animals!

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They loved the momma monkey and her baby!

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They couldn’t stop laughing at the penguins!

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Ava & Luke loved the Giraffes!

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Sarah & Lily could not stop talking about how pretty the flamingoes were!

Even though Sarah was not feeling her best. She was a trooper. Overall they had such a good time. We plan to go back again sometime in the fall.

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April

April was a pretty busy month. We went to a barbeque, had quite a few visitors and had a special visit from the Easter Bunny!

Early in the month, we went to a Barbeque hosted by our friends Amanda and Christian and their two beautiful children Gracie and Ian.

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We had a great time. There were lots of children, lots of chatting and lots of food. Below are some pictures of the barbeque.

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Reilly swinging Lily and her mommy Jolene reading with Ava.

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All the girls Playing while Like enjoys the swing! Then he finally decides to join in.

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Luke’s girlfriend Emma seem a little upset that he’s playing with other girls!

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She seems to get over it pretty fast and decides to play with Lily insteadSmile

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Daddy decided to play some soccer with some of the bigger kids….so did Sarah!

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At the end of the day, the kids were tired and had a great time! The mom’s did as well!

The following week, we had a lot of visitors come in to visit. My Grandmom, Aunt Lynnie & Uncle Steve, and my Aunt Kathie & Uncle Bob. My Aunt Lynnie and Aunt Kathie are my Dad’s sisters. My Dad’s other sister,  Aunt Jeri, lives here (right around the corner), in Florida.

Here are some pictures from their trip down………

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The girls were facinated by Aunt Kathie’s jewelry. She finally let them play with it, and of course, they broke it! Sorry Aunt Kathie!

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We also took a trip out for lunch with everyone…the kids missed their naptime, but they were troopers, considering!

Sarah & Ava decided to try lemons for the first time! LOL!

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Sarah kept trying it (silly goose), but Ava knew right away it was nooo good!

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The kids spent a lot of time playing with their Great Aunts and Uncles.

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Aunt Lynnie reading a book with Ava and looking at the stars with Sarah.

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Uncle Steve playing with Lily! They were looking at the stars tooSmile

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Luke had a great time playing cars with Uncle Bob!

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Aunt Lynnie, Aunt Jeri, and Aunt Kathie (all sisters) helped to make sure the kids ate a good dinner and got some dessert too!

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Just had to put THIS picture of Granny in here! She won’t like it, but everyone else will get a kick out of itSmile The kids love her so much…she is a hoot! Notice the beautiful flower in her hair? Lily told her she needed one and that she looked so pretty with it in her hair. Isn’t she gorgeous? LOVE YOU GRANNY!!

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The kids had a great time swimming with Aunt Kathie. Even though the water was a tad chilly (we know it’s refreshing to you Aunt Kathie!) the kids still enjoyed it!

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My handsome little stinker!

 

We had a great time during their visit! Love and miss you all!

Easter time was fun. The kids got to meet the Easter Bunny a few times and went on their first Easter Egg Hunt!

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Ava was under the bushes looking for eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

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Lily rocked it out! She got the most eggs, by herself!

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They of course had to look through each egg and see what was in there!

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Mom Mom and Grand pop took the girls down to look at the lake. Luke was too scared to go.

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By the time I got my picture taken with the kids, they were grumpy and tired and wanting to take a nap.

Easter Sunday was very exciting. Below is a picture of their baskets and a few pictures from the day!.

Yes, that is a big container of cheese balls! They love them, what can I say. They were very excited about it!

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Of course the kids were spoiled by both sets of grandparents. Both of them got them Easter baskets. Nana and Pop Pop mailed their Easter baskets down.

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The kids found out what ring pops were and fell in love with them.

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After a long day, we all relaxed and watched a movie.

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May

We had more visitors in May and more play dates.

Our friends Dan & Anna and their kids Michael and Max,

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and Greg & Martha and their kids Morgan, Noah, and Else

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came down for their 2nd Annual Florida trip. We had a lot of fun together. Below are some pictures of their trip.

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The big boys chillin’ on the beach.

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There goes Dan filling up the buckets AGAIN!

 

 

 

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Anna and Michael cuddling on the beach.

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Max is staying cool in the water.

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Else is filling up her bucket.

Noah’s trying to keep cool in the sand.

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Morgan is taking a break from the water and the sun.

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Luke and Sarah were tired from the swimming and the sun. They were having a hard time keeping their eyes open.

 

Meanwhile, Lily and Ava couldn’t get enough!

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Morgan and Ava

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Luke, Else & Lily

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Lily and her Godfather Greg

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Sarah and her Godparents Anna & Dan

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All the kids except Else who was didn’t want her picture takenSad smile

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Gotta love this picture. The last one before everyone leaves and Sarah and Luke weren’t having it! We had a great time and can’t wait to see you all again next year!

June

In June we had a great visit with Nana,  Pop Pop, and Aunt Tara who came down to visit for a week. We spent a lot of time in the sun and water! Below are some pictures…

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                                 Aunt Tara & Luke

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Pop Pop & Ava

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Nana & Sarah

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Pop Pop swimming with his girls

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Hey the gang’s all here!

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The girls love to float on the raft & Luke loves to be solo!

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While everyone was down, Mom Mom was nice enough to watch the kids while the rest of us went out on my Dad’s boat for some adult time.

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Nick and I relaxing in the Gulf…..

Nana relaxing in the Gulf as well!

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Grand Pop and Pop Pop relaxing on the boat….

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and Aunt Tara happy as can be!

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Luke loves pictures…can’t you tell?

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All the girls!

We miss you all very much and can’t wait to see you on your next visit!

We also had another group of visitors come the very next week. Krista, Brad, Connor, and soon to be the next new Baby Hoge!

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We had some fun!

We went to the water fountain park and met up with some friends.

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Lily

 

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Krista, Brad & Connor

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Krista loves kids! She’s having a blast with all of them. Goooo Krista!

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She even got in the baby pool with them all! What a sportSmile

We had a great visit with them and want to say congrats to the Hoge family who welcomed Baby Caleb into their family this past week! We can’t wait to meet him!

July

The month of July was bittersweet for me. My Aunt Susanne, Uncle John, and my cousin Sean came down for a visit. Sorry to say I didn’t get very many pictures, but something tells me I’ll get plenty of pictures of them with the kids soon! I got to go away with some of my closest friends and at the same time had to say goodbye to my summer. I started back to work August 1st. Yes, school starts early down here in sunny Florida!

Below are some pictures of the kids and a few from my fabulous trip!

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This is one of my favorite pictures. The kids love Great Uncle John! Here are a few pics of him with the kids.

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Sean became quite the babysitter while he was down. The kids really enjoyed his company as well!

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Great Aunt Susanne seems to have a thing for boys. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that she has 3 boys of her own!

I’m sure we will be seeing them again real soon! Miss you all!

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Happy 4th of July!

Our Quad Mamma trip this year was a blast! It was quite rainy, but we made the best of it. We went to Biloxi, MS and New Orleans, LA. Below are a few pictures from the trip.

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Me and my travel partner Jenna!

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I know there are lots of other pictures I could post, but…if I did, they would be never ending because I would have to put one of each of my girls and the trip was 2 months ago. It seems like it was yesterday.  I had such a good time and can’t wait to do it again next year! Please forgive me, my sweet ladies. You know I love you all very much!Smile

August

The last month. I don’t have very many pictures at all this month. It was a very busy month trying to get back on track for work and getting the kids back and forth to m parents house. Here are a few from last month. Our friends Dave and Jen came down with their 2 daughters Lauren and Chrissy. They haven’t seen the kids since their Christening. We had a great time with friends.

The girls were playing dress up with the kids and they loved it!

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Lauren & Sarah

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Dave & Lily

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Chrissy & Ava

So now that I’ve caught everyone up on the past 8 months. I promise that I will be more consistent for the rest of the year. The kids will have their 3 year old check up next month and will be turning 3 on October 11th. I can’t believe it.

Here is a picture from last year. This picture, along with the others displayed at the top of my blog were taken by Dimitri Jansen. His website is A Reflection of You. He did such a wonderful job last year! He is wonderful with the kids and they love himSmileI hope he will do it again this year!

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Till next time!

Kelly