Day 213/365 ~ 2012

Last week of swim lessons!
More than one of our kids will be sad when these end. 
They have all loved it!

Day 212/365 ~ 2012

We have Olympic fever at our house!  At least I do!  We are really enjoying the London Olympics!



I made a fun drink for dinner (that is layered red, white and blue but hard to tell in this photo) and put medals around the kids glasses for dinner.  They now call this "They Olympic Drink."  You can see that Dan is enjoying his own Olympic Drink in the top photo. :)

I love finding easy and inexpensive ways to make things feel fun and special.

Day 211/365 ~ 2012

Grammie reading the comics to Andrew in the morning light.  The lighting makes this photo look soft and serene but there was actually quite a bit of laughing going on.

Day 210/365 ~ 2012

Happy Birthday party day, Andrew!!!
A "Cheerful Monster Party" at Chuck E Cheese was Andrew's request.
I'm not a fan of Chuck E. Cheese.  To put it nicely.
But he really wanted his party there...and a shot at that 1000 ticket in the "ticket blaster."



Ready for the party!





The kids had a fantastic time playing games.  It was fun seeing them scurry all around with their little cups of tokens.



Lots of excitement with Chuck E. at the cake. :)



We know so many sweet little kids.



Then it was time...the moment Andrew had waited for...the Ticket Blaster!!! (Can you see his big smile in the photo?)  We had discussed a strategy before the party. Tuck in the shirt, and shove the tickets down the front of his shirt. Those tickets started swirling like crazy and I thought there's no way he'll even get one!



But he did!  He was SO happy when he got out and started pulling the tickets out of his shirt and unfolded one to find that it was the 1000 ticket!!



I was SO happy for him.
SO, so so happy.

He "bought" a plush space "Angry Bird" with his tickets and is still completely thrilled over it.
I think this will be one of those fantastic childhood memories that he won't forget.

I'm happy we went to Chuck E Cheese after all.

:)

PS.  This one's for you, Dan....

Day 209/365 ~ 2012

I love to bake.  Birthday party week means a lot of baking. 
The cake of course, and sugar cookies are part of our birthday tradition.
I loved how Andrew's cake turned out.  Fun and cheerful ~ just like my boy.



I usually watch/listen to "Pride & Predjudice" or "little women" or "Sense & Sensibility" (or all 3 depending on how complicated the cake is!)  in the evenings after the kids are down while I bake/decorate the evenings away.

This time it was "Julie & Julia."



It's a bit of work ~ but I love the smiles I get from the kids when they see their treats, and I actually really enjoy the creative outlet.  I finished these Friay night and we're ready to go for our "Cheerful Monster Party!" :)

Day 208/365 ~ 2012

A little bit of the Bug's bedtime routine.



Reading Stories.



Saying prayers.



And snuggling a lovie.
Her favorite is "Dolly."
This was my childhood lovie..."Bun Bun" ~ who now lives in Kaitlin's room.

Day 207/365 ~ 2012

The kids wanted play time at the playground after Andrew's Tball game.
I was snapping photos of Matthew when I turned and saw this going on behind me.
Daddy can always get the biggest smiles out of the kids.

Day 206/365 ~ 2012

Baking with me is Kaitlin's "Favorite thing to do."
Opportunities abound this week with Andrew's birthday party on Saturday.
I look forward to many, many more hours spent in the kitchen with Kaitlin in the years to come.

Day 205/365 ~ 2012

Swim lessons started today!
The kids were SO excited.
We'll be at the pool for 2 hours a day M-Th for the next two weeks.
It's in a lovely backyard & the instructor was SO nice ~ it was a great first day!

Day 204/365 ~ 2012

There are definite perks when your "favorite thing to do" is to bake with Mama.

Day 203/365 ~ 2012

We visited my friend Julie's family for our annual birthday celebration.  They live in the country and so there's always lots of fun outdoor play!  Steve made this fantastic "blob" for the kids and they had a ball jumping on it! (two of the kids ~ the teenagers :) aren't pictured).



And Kaitlin loooved her girlie time with Julianne and Joy.  (Though Kaitlin is very tall for her age, she is wearing high heels in this photo which is why she loos even taller). :)  She and Joy always have so much fun playing together.  They disappear and come back in dress up clothes and play with babies for hours.  We ended the evening with dessert and a slide show of Julie & Steve's photos from a recent trip to France, which was amazing!  It was a relaxing, fun day!

Day 202/365~2012

"Camp Aunt Kathy" kicked off with a trip to the zoo.
I took all 5 kids by myself.  It was an adventure!!
I was one tired Aunt/Mama when it was over, but glad we did it.
(I slept for 11 hours that night!)



Then it was home for some cake baking lessons.
Isaiah and Matthew made this cake (mostly) by themselves!

Day 201/365 ~ 2012

We've had a week of play dates!
Andrew was such a sweet helper with little Michael as he helped him in & out,
and in & out (and in & out...)  :)  
We watched my friends' 4 kids so she could get some painting done on this particular day.
Andrew said, "Mama, we need another baby."
He looooves babies!
(And no, we're not having another). :)

Day 200/365 ~ 2012

I'm trying hard to stay disciplined with daily reading/writing for Matthew & Andrew during the summer.
Andrew is reading great and will happily read his book for the day.
Math seems to come pretty easy for him as well ~ it's his first choice for school work.
But writing a single sentence is painful...for everyone involved.
We're working at it daily.  But those small motor skills are sloooooow in coming.
I sure hope it gets easier soon.

Day 199/365 ~ 2012

More photography class photos. Looking for patterns around my house.
Andrew was my lucky subject today.  I wanted some photos of him with his beloved Henry.  I feel the clock ticking on moments like this.  Seven is just around the corner.  :(

Day 198/365 ~ 2012

My photography class started and I've been spending time each day working on the lesson for the week. This one was use of pattern and leading lines.  I'm rotating through the kids and torturing someone new each day.  The Bug was happy to cooperate provided she could pick and hold a flower.

Day 197/365 ~ 2012

I love how these two just gravitate to one another.
An afternoon movie on a lazy Sunday after church.

Day 193/365 ~ 2012

(This photo was taken the night before ~ I spent most of this day at the Nordstrom anniversary pre-sale trying on 500 pairs of jeans ~ does everyone else loathe jeans shopping like me?  Why can't they just fit? ~ with Shannon and then driving to Mom's house).

Dan and I enjoyed our dinners together while the kids were away. It was a treat to enjoy relaxed conversation and indulge my sweet tooth too!  The timing couldn't have been better as Dan and I had some decisions to talk through, so having the ability to focus and think without distraction was very appreciated! This time was treasured and I feel grateful to have a spouse whose company I enjoy so much!

Day 192/365 ~ 2012

I enjoyed getting texts with photos from Grammie of the kids' adventures. And also loved this one from Dale (thank you!) The cousins were all staying with two sets of grandparents and met up at "Grandma Glenda & Uncle Dale"'s house to swim! They were SO excited about this ~ I am still hearing about it!

Thank you, Dale & Glenda ~ this was a real treat for the kids! And thank you, Grammie & Grandpa for the many other fun adventures!  The kids had a fantastic time!!!

Day 191/365 ~ 2012

While the kids go to visit Grammie & Grandpa, we had fun eating out on the river at Salty's!  It was so worth the sunburn I got sitting on the patio.  The weather was heaven!  Followed by "Spiderman"  (surprisingly good!!) at the new Cinetopia.  A great night out!

PS.  Cheating a bit, these photos were taken on sunday the 8th after the kids left!

190/365 ~ 2012

We had a really fun afternoon celebrating Kennedy's 4th birthday.
My friend Katie left no detail unattended at this darling "Cherry Picnic" themed party. Most importantly, the kids had a BALL ~ lunching and playing together at the park with some of our favorite friends/families.  A great time was had by all!



How cute is this cake?!?!
Thanks P. Family ~ what a treat of an afternoon!

Day 189/365 ~ 2012

Dots Donuts followed by a truck building workshop at Home Depot.
Matthew had his truck together in no time.
He's quite the little builder ~ It's fun when we can see specific gifts & talents in each of the kids. This is definitely Matthew's!
Another fun morning spent with friends! We were sad to say goodbye to them today.

Day 188/365 ~ 2012

A trip to the zoo!
My dear friend, Diane is in town and we made a trip to the zoo with our kids. The weather was perfect and we had such a fun day!



What a treat to see her again so soon after our last visit!



It was fun to have mom in town to join us as well!





Andrew was still hobbling a bit from turning his ankle on the 4th, so we rented a double stroller. It was sometimes a triple stroller! :)



The lion training was a definite highlight. These magnificent animals were pacing by the window I was sitting at while waiting for the training to start when I caught this shot.



Megan was so sweet and attentive to Kaitlin. She doted on her and held her hand through the zoo. I hardly worried about her as Mother Megan took excellent care of her. I could definitely use a little Megan at my house! :)

It was such a fun & special day at the zoo! I know during my next trip I'll happily revisit the sweet memory of this day.

Day 187/365 ~ 2012

Happy Birthday, Dad!
Sparklers, and Party Pops, Ice cream sundaes, and little flowers thrown to heaven marked Dad's birthday. We always dressed in red, white and blue for his birthday party and we continue that tradition.
Though he isn't with us, it helps to celebrate the memory of the life that we loved and were blessed to have. We miss him so much....