Summer

It's safe to say summer is long gone as we have spent the last two days sledding in the snow. But I found these pictures on my phone and realized that I really never post anymore and thought this was as good of a time as any. We really did a ton of playing this summer and it was very relaxing and fun. We tried to hit up all the water parks in the county and ended up close. The park these photo's are from is one of our favorites and we went there multiple times and enjoyed grilling out there also. It's funny how summer does not really feel that different when the kids are little, but now that we are in school and summer is a break, it's pretty awesome.

I guess it's been a year.....River is 4!!!!

I can't believe it has been 4 years since this amazing girl flew into our lives.  I remember while I was pregnant I was very certain that I was having a little brown haired boy.  Right after she was born, I asked if it was in fact a boy.  They did not answer me, they just put her in my arms.  I was shocked, first that she was a boy and second that she had a bright orange head.  She was not a brown haired boy, she was a very orange haired girl. She is so beautiful inside and out. Everywhere we go people can not help but comment on how beautiful her hair is, and the "do you know how much people pay for hair like that" happens often.  Her big eyes are so bright and full of life. Her energy is contagious, she is always ready to go and full of joy.  My current favorite thing about this girl is her vocabulary and communication level.  She loves to talk, when she talks with her mouth, she talks with her eyes, and also her hands and hips.  She has an extensive vocabulary, using words like dilemma and predicament correctly on a regular basis. She has extreme empathy for others and has recently declared her super power as the discipline stopper for all her siblings. We love every minute that we get with her!!!

I asked her a series of questions this year at her family birthday diner, I hope to remember to ask the same questions every year and see the change:) And also come up with a few better ones.
Favorite book?  The barenstain bears
What do you sleep with at night?  purple blanket and my sucking fingers
Favorite snack? Go snacks (small bags of dehydrated fruit)
Favorite bug? butterfly
Favorite animal? Elephant
Favorite show? little Einsteins
Favorite fruit? pear
Favorite color? Purple
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A fireman and a nurse, oh no I want to be a guard that saves kids when they are hurt.

That little baby is 3!!!

Well I guess it's time to blog again, just in time for a big day. Sweet baby River is 3. Oh River, you are an amazing child, there is never a dull moment with you around. I love how nurturing and compassionate you are.















We had a fun joint birthday party with August, River's cousin. Everyone had a blast and ran their wiggles out. Then on her real birthday she got to choose the restaurant we were going out to eat, at first she was deciding between red robin or chick-fil-a. But then she said " I want to go somewhere new, where we have never eaten." Well ok my mini-me-adrenalin-junkie-surprise-adventure-lovin girl, let's do that. So we went to a thai restaurant and they all ate and ate. It was some awesome spontaneity, just what we all needed.

Happy Birthday baby, you are an amazing gift from God!!!

Great Wolf Lodge

We needed a little break so we thought we would check out the great wolf lodge. So glad we did, everyone had a blast!! They have everything at this hotel you need. The indoor water park we so much fun. They even had a family hot tub, I loved it!!

At night all the kids in the hotel in the "living room" and there is an animated show and a book reading, The girls loved that everyone was in their pajamas.

This quick mini vacation is one we will be repeating soon!

Cherry Blossoms

We took a great walk through the cherry blossoms one of the last evenings they were still out, it was so beautiful. Stephan skipped out of work a little early so we had extra time to explore and ended with a very yummy dinner at the white tiger.

Stuck in the Muck

So what do you do on your way home from South Carolina when you get stuck in a snow storm? We decided to stop after nine hours in the car we were ready to get out. Although the idea of being stuck inside a hotel room with four kids did not seam that much easier. But we made the best of it, we have long been a two hotel room family, but finding a connecting room was harder at the last minute.

We wrote on the windows.

We did some good bed jumping, snuggling, and story telling.

And we took a shower/bath with random hotel room objects, and then we slept!!! It was a fun adventure, since everyone was stuck from the storm the hotel provided dinner and breakfast for everyone in it, and we met new friends and felt a strong since of togetherness.

August is One!!!

We are so blessed to be able to live near family, three months after we moved to the D.C area, Stephan's brother Caleb and his wife Ashley moved back to D.C. from New York. Moving to a new place was so much easier with them. Since then we have had three more kids, and they have had two. Our kids are extremely close in age and have not gone more than a week without being together for the last three years. This week their little boy August turned one and we are lucky enough to be able to celebrate with them. He is a very sweet, loving boy who loves to snuggle, has not seen food he does not like, thinks sleep is overrated, LOVES to talk and is very advanced in his vocal skills, and we know he will grow up to be an amazing man of God!!

Camera is very excited to be the big sister and celebrate!!

The cake, by Aunt Michelle:)

What happened to my cake?

All the cousins! Ashley's two brothers and their families also live in the area, so I tried to get a photo of all the cousins together, 8 kids under the age of 5. We know how to party!!