Apparently Michigan didn't get the memo.....

....that it's July! Cruised up to MI for an all too-brief weekend trip.....and Ashley hit a new milestone birthday head-on while we were there. Here are some photos with Ashley all "growed-up" with her family....

As you can see it was a little chilly for Ashley and Alison Saturday night.....for you Killian Cardinals, yes, that is a Detroit Tigers fleece Ashley has on.....hopefully this is a good omen for the Tigers to take the trophy that threw away last year......
Here's Ashley and Grace smiling for the camera......
Grace wanted to take a picture in the "baby swing"....she told Papa he didn't have a big girl swing for her yet....
The family photo......what a motley crew!

Mommy's birthday comes early

Well, we have an ominous birthday coming up in the house coming up on Monday. I'm not going to tell you how old Ashley is going to be early next week, but think "rhymes with flirty." Anyway, we will be out of town on a long weekend this weekend so the girls and I gave Ashley her presents tonight. Here are a few pictures.......

Ashley opening her card from the girls.....Grace drew a picture of mommy on the back of the card....check out Alison's smile at the bottom of the pic.

Alison watching mommy open up her first present.

The girls help Ashley open up her next present....excuse the mess in the background, but we live here.

The picture doesn't do this justice, but Alison was crazy with the wrapping paper and tissue paper....she would cover herself in it and start kicking her legs furiously....the sound was really funny.

How I spent my summer vacation.......Part II

Our friends Kenneth and Susie (with Wyatt and Dylan), and Aaron and Sandy (with Bella and Marley) came over for a cookout on the Fourth. Grace, Bella, and Wyatt are all within 12 months of each other with Grace being the oldest. Alison, Marley, and Dylan are all within about 4 months of each other with Dylan being the oldest of the 'next' generation. The kids had a lot of fun playing together and practicing sharing........next year, we're getting a couple of sitters to watch the 6 kids. We figure we'll go stand on the barge that launches the Chicago fireworks display.......it'd be quieter and less hazardous for the adults than this year's cookout.

Marley and Alison have a cute contest.....

Marley practices a little-known ancient baby martial art, Yi Poo Mi; Alison is amused.....

Dylan joins the feet in the air contest......

Ah, here's the older bunch getting ready for the backyard water park......

Grace hogs the slide while the others bow in reverence......

Wyatt sprays Grace with the hose.....

Mommy flips Grace down the slip and slide.....

Here comes Crash....

How I spent my summer vacation.......Part I

After lunch on Fourth of July, and before our friends game over for a cookout, we loaded up the van and made a quick trip to the mall for horsies and an ice cream:


Ladies in Red........

Mommy and Tough Eddie.....


Alison checks out some ice cream....

I think she's got a bit of an ice cream problem.....

A fuzzy Grace shows everyone she can ride the horsies by herself these days (and she's also a licensed bubble gum chewer, thanks to Daddy and a quarter)

Alison Smiles

Alison was in a pretty good mood after her "dinner" tonight......she had a fun day.....a trip to the pool before lunch (she floated around in her float ring, and she watched Grace jump off the diving board several times)......and then a quick trip to the mall to walk around after dinner.

Anyway, here are a couple of photos of her lounging in our bed, and then one snapped after bath.

Walker, Kitchen Ranger

Alison loooooooooooves to be in her walker these days, especially when any of us are in the kitchen or at the kitchen table.....she can go forward, sideways, backwards.......but, she can get herself stuck in corners, but she waits patiently for a tow truck (a parent) to "un-stuck" her. She loves to look at herself in the oven door and, unfortunately, she wants to try to mess with the garbage can/bag......so that gets put away whenever she's walking. Here's some video of her walking to the family room. Later!

Good Gracious, It's Her Fourth Fourth

Grace dressed up in her 4th of July shirt this morning and is ready for some fireworks tonight....the only fireworks she remembers are from trips to baseball games, so she thinks that we are going over to Peoria for a Chiefs game tonight......I'm guessing I won't have her convinced until 9:00 tonight that we AREN'T going to a baseball game.

Anyway, Grace continues to do well too......I'm guessing she's going to be a teacher, because she tests us all the time....our patience, our sanity, etc.........seriously though, tomorrow it will be 2 months until her fourth birthday, and we can't believe how fast the time has gone and how much she's grown. She also will be starting her first day of pre-school at Trinity on her birthday (mental note to myself, pack extra kleenex). She makes us proud every day.....she can throw her fits and tantrums from time to time, but her love of books, crayons, puzzles, cartoons, swimming, Sunday school songs and prayers, and her little sister is energizing for us as her parents.

Here are some photos of Grace and one of the girls together......take special note of the polish on her fingernails.....Happy 4th of July!