Aunts & Uncles

Just a few pictures of the babes this summer with their aunts and uncles!  We were fortunate enough to get to spend time with both sides of the family this year!  I have some loved babies, that's for sure!

Uncle Chris showing off his best jack rabbit impression at Leah's soccer game!  Go Jack Rabbits!

Aunt Kylie was so sweet to play Barbies with Leah!

Any guesses on who picked out the favors for Kell's birthday party?

Puzzle time with Aunt Rachael!

Lunch with Aunt Rachael!

Aunt Rachael is a Jazzercise instructor and she thought Leah would enjoy going to a class with her!  She was right!  Leah LOVED it (and kept right up with all of the grown ups from what I heard)!  Put this girl in a room with dancing and music and she is one happy girl!



Uncle Hendu and Aunt Kristi lovin' on the baby boys!

Golfing With Daddy

We'll be taking our annual trip to Lake Tahoe in just a few short weeks!  I absolutely can't wait!  It's one of my very favorite vacation places ever!

Anyway, Luke has plans to play golf one day while we're there, and he wants to take Leah to play with him and drive the cart!  Yesterday he took her to buy her very own putter and, of course, her own pink golf balls!  They when went out to the golf course to do a little putting!

Luke said she did really good!  They're both looking forward to their upcoming outing!  I'm sure they'll get in a few more practice rounds before then!

Here they were practicing at home before they left for the golf course!

And one last pic before they headed out!

Chick-fil-A

I eat Chick-fil-A at least four times a week for lunch and have no problem admitting it!  I LOVE it!  I get something different every time so I never ever get tired of it!  I crave it when I haven't had it for a couple of days!  We go there so often that there are many, many times when I ask Leah if she would like something and she politely says "no thank you".  If she does, her requested order is always the same....."chicken nuggets, french fries, fruit cup and fruit punch".  She also always reminds me to get my "buffalo ranch" for my own nuggets!  (She always hears me ask for buffalo, ranch and ketchup so she thinks that "buffalo ranch" is one thing.)  Anyways, on Tuesday the kids and I needed a place to hang out while the cleaning ladies were here so off to Chick-fil-A we went!

Leah put on her own lip gloss for the occassion!

Lunch time fun!

Fun With Grown Ups

While we spent most of our time in Iowa loving on each others kiddos, the grown ups did sneak away for a little time on our own a couple of times!  Luke got in three rounds of golf throughout the week and I got some time with just the girls!

Our husbands surprised us with booked appointments and gift certificates for 50 minute massages and 60 minute facials!  Thanks Chris, Luke and Tom!  We had the best day, just us girls, getting pampered and going out to lunch!  We also went out to watch Magic Mike one night but no pictures of that!  Ha!

Friday night we all went out for dinner and a little fun!

We love these guys and miss them so much!  We always have tons of fun when we're together!





Fun With Aunt Kelley

Just a few more pics of the fun we had while Aunt Kelley was here with us in June!

Making S'mores bars!  Kell's moving into an apartment in August so I tried as best I could to domesticate her!  Her roommates can thank me later!  Ha!

Playing dress up.....Kell in my shirt (that will probably never ever ever fit me again.....man I used to be tiny.....and Leah in Kell's dress)!

Loving on Laney Bug

Aunt Kelley is quite the artist and made Leah this adorable mask!  I think Kelley enjoyed wearing it more than Leah!

Lounging in the pool!

Kell and I have a long standing tradition of going to The Melting Pot whenever she's in town (one of her favorite places)!  This was our fourth year to get to do so!  One of the years we went (August 1, 2008 to be exact) I was in labor (but didn't realize at the time that it was real labor) and Kelley was timing my contractions all through our fondue!

Last Day of Dance Class

I am so so behind on my blog so some of these posts are ridiculously out of order, but because I print my blog I want to make sure I have as much documented on here as possible!  (That and the grandparents and aunts and uncles like to see what all we're up to, even on less exciting days!)

June 21 was Leah's last day of dance class for the 2011-2012 season.  Ms. Sandy made this day extra special and painted their nails and gave them lots of fun jewelry to wear and dance with!  Leah has LOVED dance class so we're already looking forward to next year that will start just after Labor Day!

Leah with Ms. Sandy

Showing me her blue fingernails!

Ready to dance!

These sweet girls had lots of fun dancing together this year!

Grammy & Grandpoo (& Great Grandma Too)

Just a few pictures of the kiddos with their grandparents in Iowa!

Grandpoo was the master at fixing Leah a bowl of cereal in the mornings!  He even joined her for a bowl of Captain Crunch Berry one morning!

Grandpoo picked up broasted chicken (a Dubuque specialty), fries and onion rings for the trio for dinner one night (Luke and I were going out to dinner with Tom, Rachael, Chris and Kristi)!  The three of them looked so sweet eating dinner together!

Grammy and Leah had fun doing a craft project one afternoon!

Grandpoo and Lane after breakfast one morning!

Grammy made pancakes for her and Leah to eat out on the deck one morning before they headed out to the mall to go shopping!

Shopping at the mall with Grammy!  This was something that Grammy really wanted to do with Leah, and Leah really enjoyed it!  They came home with lots of lots of goodies!  Thank you for all of the cute outfits (and jewelry and make-up and purse) Grammy!

Lane and Grandpoo up way past their bedtime!

Lane with his Great Grandma!

"Swimming" with Grandpoo!

Fun With Friends

Thursday morning we met up with friends, Tanner and Dillon, at a fun little gem in Sacramento, artBEAST.  It's a fun little place where the kids can be as creative as their little hearts will let them.  There's painting, dress up, puppets, musical instruments, pots and pans to bang, sand to dig in, baby dolls to bathe, clay, beads, a play house, my oh my the list goes on.  We were lucky enough to be there while there was music time in the courtyard.....singing and dancing while a very nice lady played the guitar!  I loved it because it was a place that I didn't have to say "don't touch that" as everything is encouraged to be touched and manipulated!  It is truly a kids dream!  I wish I had've gotten more pics, but it's a little tough juggling a three-year-old and a nine-month-old!  Ha!  And as for Lane's pacifier.....we usually just give it to him in the car and in bed, but I gave it to him here to keep other things out of his mouth!  (This is a completely different route than we took with Leah.  I'm trying to avoid the three-year-old with the pacifier this go 'round!)  After our morning at artBEAST we ran home to get ready for swim lessons and then soccer practice!  Whoo!  Busy, busy!  Needless to say, we had take-out for dinner!

Friday morning we were up and at 'em once again!  This time we were off to the zoo to meet Sloane and Eli for a day of fun!  The girls grabbed maps and led the way the entire day!

The big deal of the day was taking turns sticking their "keys" in the boxes to listen to information about the animals!

The kids were staring face to face with only the glass between them with a chimp!  Pretty cool!

I have to give huge props to this little guy!  He is the BEST little brother!  He stayed in his stroller, as content as can be, the entire time we were at the zoo (a little over 3 hours, only getting out to go in the Bjorn for a quick ride on the carousel with Sister (because she's not quite tall enough to ride alone), was PERFECT and happy the entire car ride to the zoo and home!  He did not fuss one single time!  AND he totally skipped his morning nap, finally falling asleep in the car on the way home!  He is the BEST little guy!  He was just as sweet and content at artBEAST the day before as well (but he did get to get out and play there)!