I LOVE THE KIDS IN MY LIFE

Well, I decided that I am a lucky girl. I know this may sound silly and a bit simple, but I walked into my kitchen last night and saw Timmy washing dishes with Pete and then looked over at Mak who was sitting in her swing and trying to talk over the boys!! It just made me smile and reminded me to appreciate the little things in life. We're getting in the fall mode (Timmy can't wait to get a pumpkin!!). He is really disappointed that the beach is closed now, so Randall Oak's sand box is his new love. Pete & I are going to be home for the next two weekends...and we can't remember the last time we've been home for a weekend since the beginning of JUNE! I'm really looking forward to some downtime at home with my little family. I'm not looking forward to the colder weather...but I am looking forward to seeing Makenzie wear all her fall clothes, LOL. Here are some more pictures to enjoy :)

Trying to Enjoy Every Day of Sunshine

Not much has changed here...we are still spending time in the pool, at the beach, and up at the trailer in WI. Catom has really picked up, which is WONDERFUL news. This winter is going to be a tough one but at least we already have some big jobs in progress. Makenzie is rolling all over and is eating rice cereal almost every night. I love her so much and I want 8 more kids just like her!! I could totally do it. Timmy got his haircut and has a lovely mohawk, LOL. I cannot get enough of the kid!! He is counting to 10 and we are working on his ABC's already!! We got to spend a weekend up at the trailer with Brad and Michelle, which was a BLAST. It was great going boating and staying up really late by the camp fire. Reminder to me: Mohito Mix is not for me!! We have been planning a trip to Mexico in the fall. I cannot wait till Timmy sees the ocean! He is going to love all the waves and the sand. I am all clear from all the fun issues that go along with labor and delivery. My iron count was way low, so the Dr. has been getting my blood tested to keep an eye on it. While it's not as high as "normal" people are...it's alot better. Basically, we have two of the cutest kids in our life, I have a wonderful and very helpful husband...and right now things are looking pretty good. We still miss Tammy all the time and talk about her as much as possible. I'm starting to read a book called 90 minutes in Heaven to help myself realize that she is much happier in Heaven right now than anyone is here on Earth.

Life's a Beach

Well... I finally got a new camera... so hopefully the pictures will not be blurry anymore!! Since I've updated, we discovered a beach that's only 45 min away that Makenzie & Timmy loves. Timmy enjoys to play in the sand and sit in my lap and laugh at the waves going over us. Makenzie has a little crab flotation thing that she LOVES. She cried when we took her out of the water!! We are already planning on going back this week. Mak has also decided that she was bored of bottles and has had a couple bowls of rice cereal. Timmy has discovered corn on the cob and is really good at eating the whole cob. He also is in love with his bike and Lego's. Pete and I got away for the weekend to Lake Lawn for our second anniversary. It was great to spend time together and have a real conversation. We were able to relax and unwind and look back on how much life has changed and talk about how we see the next couple years of our life together. We know better than to think that it will actually work out the way we plan it, but we can try.

July is almost over?!?!

Wow...where to begin...I guess I will start with Nascar. We all camped out for the weekend (without the kids, thanks to Kim & Ma Jensen) for the races in Joliet. It was a great time and I think we all needed the time to relax and party a little. The next weekend, we went up to the trailer to celebrate mine & Tammy's birthday and we went boating and spent alot of time at the beach. Timmy Lee LOVED the water and Makenzie even enjoyed sitting in the water with her feet in the sand. Both of them love being outside. We are always either in the boat, in the water, in a baby pool, or playing on a slip and slide. I can thank Timmy Lee for getting me back to my target weight! The kid never stops. Finally, last weekend we went to Tenn. to visit with the Turley/Garza/Duncan families. It was a blast seeing the kids run around and holding baby Caleb. I loved watching Abbie & Katelyn, which makes me look forward to seeing Makenzie grow up :) We even got to spend a little time with Jim & Joanne too. It's been a rough month because we really miss tammy, especially on her birthday...but we are trying our best to have fun and keep busy. The two little ones keep us going all day and night. Timmy asks "why" about EVERYTHING and he just adores "Unc" Pete. Makenzie laughs, and rolls, and is our little giant. She is 15 1/2 lbs and is in the 90% for weight and the 95% for height!! Maybe we will get some height in the family?? We sure need it. I adore our Maky. Work has really picked up, making both Pete & I very busy. We won't complain though. Pete is almost finished with the basement which makes me VERY happy since we need the space. This upcoming weekend we are going back to where we got married to celebrate our 2 year anniversary, YAY US!!! My mama and dad will have Makenzie all weekend, which I know they are looking forward to. She makes it easy since she sleeps 12 hours a night!!! Pete and I are looking forward to taking the boat out in Delevan and enjoying each other without having to think about anyone or anything else. I love him.

Long Weekend

Pete and I took off for WI Wednesday night, before everyone else got on the road! Kenzie is getting used to the drive up there and even sleeps through the night after being in the car for 3 hours straight!! We spent alot of time with both of our families and got some quality grandparent time in for Makenzie. Grandma Char babysat her Friday and Saturday so we could take the boat out to the beach and do some water sports. It felt GREAT to be able to just relax for a couple days at the trailer. She went on her first duck ride, which was driven by Aunt Lil's boyfriend Matt. Kenzie slept through the fireworks....even the giant ones Pete set off right outside our trailer. Timmy Ray's parents came up for the weekend, so Timmy Lee got to spend sometime with them in Cortland and watch the fireworks that "go boom". He is too cute. We are getting ready for another long weekend. Pete is taking off Friday and we are going to stay in the trailer at the Nascar race in Joliet with my parents and Timmy Ray. Kim is going to have a blast with Timmy over the weekend while Grandma Char stays at our house relaxing with the baby. I am excited to have sometime for just me and Pete...but not that sure about spending my first night away from Kenzie. I miss her when she's sleeping...so we'll see how I do being gone for so long. I know she'll be fine!! She sleeps like a champ (usually 12 hours a night) and even naps two times during the day. We have found a wonderful routine that makes life seem really easy right now. I'm enjoying it before the teething starts!!

Busy Busy Babies

We have been LOVING summer. Between Swedish Days in downtown Geneva and going to the zoo, the Hill Farm, and Southern IL with all of our crazy cousins...we have been outside enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. Pete has been going on a lot of road trips, so Maky and I have been spending some nights with my parents and friends. Makenzie is growing like a little weed and her hair has, believe it or not, gotten even crazier. She looks adorable in a little pony tail and she is starting to laugh and giggle. Having a little girl is just so much fun. Timmy is talking ALOT and tells us his opinion about EVERYTHING. He is a little bossy, just like his mama. The boys are putting together a playgym for Timmy as I'm typing and he is really excited about the slide. We got to spend some quality time with Alex, Katelyn, and Abbie last week when we went to the zoo in Chicago, the Hill farm to pick eggs and picnic, and then when we drove to S. IL to meet with Eric, Julie, and Mandi. I have to say that our family is adorable. We've been up at the trailer in WI alot already and have already been out on the water alot. I'm really looking forward to this week because Pete is taking off and we're spending a really long weekend up North.

Enjoying Summer

We finally were able to break out a baby pool and let Timmy go crazy in it. His favorite part was maining just pouring water over my head and drinking from the hose!! Makenzie got in for a little while too and seemed to really enjoy it. Grandpa made sure the water was warm...so we were all a little spoiled...and yes I did get in with them!! I made myself do something for me this week that didn't involve work or something around the house, so I met Amberly for coffee in the AM to walk around Geneva Commons and then went over to Kandy's house for a visit with her and Jackson. I cannot tell you all how much I enjoyed the break!! Pete and I are taking the two little ones up to WI this weekend. Makenzie is going to stay with Grandma Char for the day on Saturday while we all go boating. Timmy Ray will be up in WI too, but he will be fishing with a bunch of guys from work in Oshkosh. I'll have to put new pictures up soon of the pool and boating!!