SUMMER FUN

Here are a few pictures of some of our summertime activities lately...play dates, swimming, going to the park, eating ice cream, and watering flowers...er..squirting Mimi. :)

We finally made our trek to Cold Stone Creamery (after attempting to get there for 2 years--no lie!!) . Carina just had to share some of Daddy's ice cream. She enjoyed it very much!!

Michael, enjoying a sunny day. What a cutie!!

Michael was helping Mimi water the flowers...and figured out (all by himself) that it was much more fun to squirt people!! He ended up going home with no pants on, because they were soaked.

Eric thought it was so funny!

Michael was sitting..er... laying and watching this fly on the glass door for probably a good 20 minutes. You most likely can't make out the fly on the glass, but it is there. He was so interested in watching it.

Michael and Silas at the park...very short-lived coloring with sidewalk chalk. I think they had fun anyway.

Rena and Will don't have quite the freedom Michael and Silas do..so they just hung around the blankets. Unfortunately, we got rained out...so it was a relatively short time at the park that day.

Another park, another day...racing Sophia and her mommy down the slide.

Little "Q" was there too....but he is too little to play. Going on 4 months old...soon he'll be running with the rest. Rena was in the stroller and her picture didn't come out too well.

It was a HOT June day!!!!! Michael cooled off in the pool (which afterwards had to make its way to the dumpster).

Rena was inside taking a rest...she also enjoyed the pool that day.

So, there are some of our activities. We hope to go see more friends this week!!!

CHANGE

Finally, an updated (welllllll...2 months old already!!) family picture!

So much can change in such a short amount of time. It's amazing.

Michael will be two (Lord willing) in less than a month. We've begun speech therapy. He tries so hard--and that I think is half the battle. Hopefully it won't be a struggle for too much longer.

Carina is crawling, eating cereal, wanting so much to play with her big brother. She'll be 8 months soon.

We went swimming yesterday (in a big pool) for the first time this season..and the first time ever for Rena. She enjoyed herself.

Sherilyn is due very soon...probably sooner than everyone expects. Another cousin to play with!

I had another birthday...30 is fast approaching.

Pastor Lipsy has accepted the call to Arkansas. That alone will bring big change.

A couple of new babies have been born since we've last "chatted."

We're in the process of finding a home. A couple of hit and misses..but the Lord is in control and will bring us to a house that is suitable...not even just suitable, but perfect for us. Please keep it and us in your prayers.

DAY WITH DAD

ON APRIL 5TH, MICHAEL HAD A DAY OUT WITH DAD. HE WENT WITH DADDY, UNCLE DONNY, UNCLE STEVE, AND UNCLE ARTIE OUT TO CABELAS. THEY STOPPED AT PERKINS FOR BRUNCH (MICHAEL HAD SKIP :( ). HE SAW A BUNCH OF ANIMALS...

TRIED OUT DIFFERENT CHAIRS....

AND THE INSIDE OF A FEW TENTS....

LATER, WHEN HE GOT HOME HE HELPED DAD CHANGE THE OIL IN MOMMY'S CAR!!

WHAT A BIG HELPER!!!

AND CLIMBED A TREE OR TWO (WITH DADDY'S HELP)

WHAT A FUN DAY!!

PIXIE

HERE'S OUR GIRL LOOKIN' PRETTY.


ALL DRESSED UP ON EASTER SUNDAY. 4 MONTHS OLD. SOON TO BE 5 MONTHS OLD. SHE'S A 'ROLLIN' MACHINE AND SEEMS TO BE TEETHING...WE GO THROUGH 5-6 BIBS PER DAY! :) XO

FOR PHIL: RANDOM THOUGHTS

SO, HERE IT IS...NEARLY APRIL. TO THINK--OUR LAST POST WAS IN JANUARY. TSK TSK, YOU SAY. WELL, TIME IS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE..WE'LL SEE HOW FAR I GET TODAY.

THINGS ARE WELL..

TO THINK ABOUT: THE DIFFERENCE THE RESURRECTION MAKES IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING AFRAID OF DEATH AS OPPOSED TO BEING TERRIFIED OF DEATH.

KIDS ARE GROWING. MICHAEL GOING ON 21 MONTHS AND CARINA ON 5 MONTHS...

LORD WILLING, LATER THIS YEAR THEY'LL HAVE A NEW COUSIN!! AND SOME NEW FRIENDS!!

MIKE GOT A NEW POSITION AT WORK..WE THANK THE LORD FOR HIS PROVISION...

WE'RE HOPING TO START "HOUSE HUNTING" VEEEERRRYYYY SOON...

(YAY!)

MY BUSINESS IS GOING OKAY...ANYONE INTERESTED IN HOSTING...GIMME A HOLLER--ITS A SUPER DEAL NOT TO MENTION FUN.

FOR THOSE OF YOU NEW TO THE PARENTING FIELD...(I DON'T MEAN TO IMPLY THAT WE ARE BY ANY MEANS EXPERTS)...HERE IS A FEEDING CHART THAT HAS COME IN HANDY...

HMMM...CAN'T REALLY READ IT, CAN WE. OH WELL! IF YOU'RE INTERESTED--LET ME KNOW.

WE REALLY NEED TO UPDATE OUR FAMILY PHOTO...CARINA ISN'T VISIBLE EXCEPT AS A BUMP!! WE'RE WORKING ON THIS--WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET A GOOD SHOT YET

I RECEIVED A DIGITAL CAMERA (EARLY BIRTHDAY GIFT)...SO MAYBE IT WILL BE EASIER TO LOAD PICTURES...

LET'S GIVE IT A TRY.

WE WENT AS A FAMILY TO LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER IN JERSEY CITY ON MIKE'S BIRTHDAY. MOMMY'S TREAT. MICHAEL HAD A BLAST. IT WAS PRETTY EMPTY SO HE WAS ABLE TO WALK AROUND AND EXPLORE WITHOUT HAVING TO HOLD HANDS..

THE FOLLOWING IS A PICTURE OF MICHAEL BLOWING AT A HUGE BUBBLE....

MICHAEL AND RENA...JUST HANGING OUT BY THE STROLLER. OUR DOUBLE STROLLER IS GREAT, BY THE WAY. I LOVE IT. ITS SO EASY TO USE, SMOOTH RIDE, AND LIGHTER THAN THE SINGLE STROLLER I HAD! (THANX, UNCLE STEVE!!)

SITTING PRETTY.....

New Boots

This picture is just too cute not to share!! Michael received a pair of cowboy boots during the holidays so now he can be just like Daddy They are a little big, but as you can see, he loves them anyway!

Happy New Year

Well, it is 2008. We praise the Lord for all of the blessings we have received this past year. Where does time go? It certainly goes fast!! We hope everyone had a healthy and happy holiday time. After all the rush, we'll be glad to settle back into our "normal" schedule-if we can call it that.

I hope to begin my "business" this month...it will be an adventure I am sure.

Carina is now 7 weeks old...nearly 2 months have gone by already! Michael will be 1 1/2 next week as well. Here are some pictures we took on Christmas of our little "buds" and their cousin, Eric. The picture really doesn't do justice to the size difference between Eric and Carina--she is twice his size.

Michael was a sweetheart holding his sister and then his sister and cousin.

Well, again, our best to everyone. Till next time!!