The Summer of Baseball

Karli looking as cute as ever!
I just can't give enough kisses!
The cousins! Kiley was a little tired of GG taking more pictures!
Us getting ready to go into the ballfield.

Papa and Emily watching the game!
We were so close to the field it was great!
Emily got on the scoreboard, come on smile Emily!
There is half of Jason's head and Kiley waving with Karli right below.
Mommy and Kiley getting a picture taken by Emily.
Uncle Jason with nephew Lukus.


Well, I think we have done it all...John playing T-ball, Cubs games, White Sox games and now Jackhammer games! We still have the Cubs vs. Brewers game at the end of September which will definately be a GREAT one to be at considering they are 1 and 2 in their division!!! Anyway, for my dad's birthday last year we wanted to take him to a Jackhammer's game (a minor league team that plays in Joliet, where they are from). We took him and had a blast! It ended in a rainstorm, which we had all the kids have to run back to our car, but it was such a great evening. I do have to comment on how proud I was of the kids though, they ran 1/4mile in a thuderstorm, with the lightening (there was not a spot to pickup at the stadium) and they did not complain they just ran, and they get really scared of being in thunderstorms...so kudos to them!!! Great job little ones!!! Those little legs did good!!! Here are some pictures from the night! All these pictures are thanks to my mom, I got them off her facebook! Thanks mom!

Snowcones and Lemonade

"Get your snow cones and lemonade" was all the neighbors heard from my kids mouths all afternoon! We had a lemonade and snow cone stand. On this HOT, HOT day the snow cones won! John could not get his mind around why people would spend 25 cents more on a snow cone than on lemonade, which was only 25 cents. He kept asking the customers why they would want to spend more? I kept telling him, it is because people like snow cones more than lemonade! He didn't buy that! It was a great afternoon, the kids made about $20.00...go kids! Of course, because they are so cute people gave them tips. To be young again....8-) So now they have saved $320.00 in their efforts to go back to Disney World. We might just get there yet!

Pokagon and an Ohio Wedding

Well, we are back! We left last Wednesday for Pokagon State Park Campground, which we have now deemed the BEST camping place we have experienced so far! We set up camp on Wednesday night and enjoyed a nice meal of hot dogs and mac 'n cheese! We then headed to check out the surrounding area on a family bike ride. Well, actually the three older ones biked Jason and I walked and Karli rode on Jason's shoulders. 8-) The bike trail was beautiful and we went and checked out the beach, not a far hike and it was beautiful (see picture from previous post). (NOTE: I will not be able to add our pictures until I get a new computer as my computer barely loads the pictures without shutting off from overheating!) The fun thing about the first night of sleeping was that there were a few squirrels who thought they would have fun racing around the roof of our camper! 8-)

Quote from Thursday: Karli: "Mommy, look at those men, they are naked!" (in a really loud voice...they were a couple of men running without their shirts on).
Funny thing that happened: Emily was talking with GG on my cell phone and she was sitting in her camping chair. She fell over backwards and with her legs in the air kept on talking. It was very funny and cute all at the same time, she never missed a beat!

The kids did a great job waking up and just sitting and coloring quietly while Jason and I "slept in". We woke up and had blueberry muffins that I had made prior to the trip. Then we headed to the beach, at a picnic lunch at the beach. John was so excited that he finally put his face under water for 1 second. Emily and Kiley got more comfortable swimming in the water and Karli finally worked up the courage to walk in the water by herself! After lunch we went over and rented a paddle boat. All of us on one! Emily was not too excited at first, but then finally at the end of the hour liked it. We were very proud of her! John and Kiley sat at the back and stuck there feet off the side, Emily finally did at the end! Karli wanted too, but she will have to wait until next time. We ended the day with a family bike ride.
Our thankful event of the trip: GOD WAS WATCHING OVER OUR SWEET KILEY, while we were on the bike ride we took a turn on the path that was close to the main road. We shouted, "Be careful, don't go too fast we are near a main road and they are going fast!" Without thinking, Kiley went to the right, like she ALWAYS does to slow down or get out of the way (they don't have brakes on their bikes), but this time it happened to the ONLY place that the path and the grass met up and it went straight down the hill into the street. This is the MAIN street into the campground, it was dusk and right before a bridge. Normally, people are speeding through there. All of a sudden when she turned she went down the hill. At first, it thought the curb was going to stop her, but realized that it wasn't. I screamed, because there was a car coming down the road pulling a trailer and about to go under the bridge. She rolled out into the street and across both lanes to the other side. I grabbed her before she could slam into the other curb. THANKING GOD that the person driving was an older man who was going under the speed limit. The ONLY one the entire time we were there going that slow (later that night we were walking back through and I saw all the cars and kept saying, if it had been that one, that one, that one...she probably would not be here. Thank you God for sparing her! It was very hard to go to sleep that night I kept picturing it over and over...

Shocking event of Friday morning: I woke up and went to put my shoes on and saw a cidada emerging from its shell on the inside of my shoe. It was not the red eyed ones we had seen so many of last summer, but a beautiful aqua color. We watched until it totally "deshelled" and safely put it on a tree.
Other animal facts: we had six silk worms come and join us for breakfast. Three had to climb back up the tree because their silk was not long enough to reach the ground yet.

Friday we woke up and hung out at the campsite. We took the kids on a bike ride to the Saddle Barn and paided to have them ride a pony. Kiley's dream has always been to ride on a horse. She loves horses! So she got to ride on a pony named Penny. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. We are definately going to have to see how we can get her on another horse, she could stop talking about it and can't wait until she is eight to be able to go on the trail with the big horses. She was already picking out which one she wanted! We then headed back to eat lunch at the campsite and then off to the beach!!!! We spent the whole afternoon lounging in the water and swimming. John worked his way up to 8 seconds under water. Now we can't stop him from trying to make it longer!!!

Most special moment of the day: John was out with Jason in the water and they were coming back and he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey everyone, Hey everyone listen to me, I have the best and most awesomest dad EVER!" You couldn't wipe the smile off of Jason face! John was so proud that Jason was his dad!

Saturday we were able to attend our friends Tyler and Amy's wedding. It was so excited to celebrate with them! The girls had always mentioned that they were going to walk downt he aisle and steal Tyler away from Amy. Thankfully, they did not try!!! The kids felt so important being asked to come. The girls got to dance at the reception and they felt so old and then Amy AND Tyler danced with them...they felt so special! It was a great day. Then we drove the four hours back home while the kids slept in the car. It was a great week!!!

And we are off...

We are headed to the wonderful Pokagon State Park to enjoy three days of camping! We can't wait!

I love the Library Elf!!!!

Have you ever heard of the library elf??? The little thing has saved me money already! My library has an online renewal system and placing things on hold...that was not enough. Library elf actually emails me a few days before letting me know that library books, cds, etc. are about to be needed back at the library. Check it out...www.libraryelf.com

I thought you were a Cubs fan????

Don't worry we haven't changed our allegence. 8-) But, yes we are headed to the White Sox game tonight! I just put the kids down for a mandatory nap and thought I would take a few to write. Partly because I don't want to go clean up lunch...yes, it is true. Flylady would be disappointed. But, only a couple of minutes...no worries!

Last Friday a friend from church sent me to an hour massage and watched the kids too. Then on top of that she added strawberries to my cheesecake as she watched them longer so Jason and I could go out to dinner...of course, we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory. It was such a great time to talk and catch up. Thanks Ramona for the great birthday present (it took me 7 months to finally use it!).

Saturday we just hung out at home. Enough said! It was great!

Pool = Rain

So why is it whenever we put the pool up it always rains?