The Young Bunch

My project:)

2012-01-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

This was a hand me down chair that we received from my cousin. It was a little stained when we got it, but the kids loved it just the same. Well, it has gotten many more stains since we got it and it was starting to drive me crazy. I am embarrassed at how gross it is but you have to put a before and after picture, right! I had already taken the button pieces off, but this is before:(
And this is after:))))

This is a project I had been wanting to do for a while and I finally did it. It makes me smile when I see it now!

Box time!

2012-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

I got home from work the other night and we had gotten a delivery of toilet paper and paper towels in a huge box. The kids had a blast with it! I couldn't resist grabbing a few pics! So I guess I should have just given them a huge box for Christmas and saved my money, right?!

Dancing Queen

2011-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

My pretty little Mya all ready to dance! She had her first recital a few weeks ago. She was really excited. Grandma and Papa, Aunt Marcia, and her friend Phoebe came to watch her. She had to wear a Christmas shirt and black pants. I brought home a shirt that I bought for her to maybe wear and she said but Mom I wanted a sparkly one.....so sparkly is what she got. I bought the read sparkly shirt and then made the snowman to go on it and added some spakles to her leggings. She was very happy with the finished product:)

Her dance was to Jingle Bells and I found these shirts for the boys to wear that said Jingle Bell Rockers in my clearance shopping stuff from last year:) I love when my clearance buys work out well like that!

Aunt Marcia and Mya

Phoebe and Mya. ( These girls are two peas in a pod)

My pictures from the recital didn't turn out too well. I was messing around with my camera settings and sitting back pretty far:(

Waiting their turn.....

Trick or Treat

2011-11-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned I love these kids! I mean they do wear me out sometimes but I just couldn't imagine my life any other way!

Ayden's costume was a hand me down from another firefighter's son. It even had their house number on the back

A friend of our's found Crew's costume at the goodwill. It was very warm and cozy!

I enjoyed making Mya's costume this year. It was made out of an adult t-shirt. I even painted her shoes. I felt like the white boa made it just perfect and the straps helped it stay up too.

Ayden Josiah

2011-10-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

My big boy is now 5 1/2. I don't really feel old enough for that but I am so glad I am! Ayden is such a great kid. He loves to play outside. His favorite thing to do is ride his 4 wheeler but a close second is riding his bike. He is learning something new everyday. He is really enjoying kindergarten.
He is quite the worker too. He is always working around the house with his Dad.

He brightens our days with his hugs and laughs.

Couldn't imagine life without our handsome little man!

Mya Rae

2011-10-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Our precious baby girl is 3 1/2 now. So hard to believe that she could possibly be that old. It seems like just yesterday we heard the words "It's a girl!"

She is full of energy and smiles but still a 3 year old girl with her tears and drama. She is different than the boys. She loves to get dirty and play with Barbies. She is not a cuddler but will be glad for you to steal a hug or kiss from her.

The girl knows what she wants, which causes problems sometimes.

She is a funny little thing....always giving us a laugh.

We love our little Mya. She keeps our life exciting!!!!!

So Far

2011-09-28T20:14:00.001-07:00

Well this is what we have been up to so far in September and the end of August. I guess September is almost over. I just had several hodge podge pictures to share, so here goes. Hope you all are doing well! Mya started a dance class. We thought it would be a good outlet for her energy and something girly for her to do. So far she likes it except for the tights:)
We stopped to visit my Grandma not too long ago! 4 generations!

Granny painted the kids faces while Calvin and I were out of town. The kids loved it. A good idea for a birthday party I do believe!

Mya's first day of PDO. She goes one day a week and is enjoying it.

My little artist, hard at work and apparently a little hungry too!

We are working on the deck and Calvin put the swing really low.....the kids were enjoying it and I of course couldn't resist a picture!

Mya finally has shown an interest in a bike so we got one that her and her friends could ride in!

This is what happens when I am at work. Kind of funny but I was not too happy about the clothes they were wearing. ( I know mean old Mom)

We took an impromtu hay ride around the neighborhood the other night. It was so much fun. We picked up 5 other people along the way. The kids loved it.

Mya got her hair cut for the first time. It looks alot better. Not so stringy!

Some of our friends gave Cal and I some tickets to the Colts game. We had a great time, except they lost.

We took our annual camping trip with some great friends! It was a blast!

Family:)

2011-09-01T21:44:00.001-07:00

So this was our attempt to get a family picture on the beach but as you can guess things never go as we plan. For starters, we were late getting back from dinner ( hence the dark pictures where you can barely tell we were on the beach). Crew has a black eye, Mya has a bruise on her chin and a fat lip, the kids were tired, Mya made Crew cry and then she got in trouble and was crying, and Calvin doesn't like to take pictures so he isn't very tolerant, and Ayden was perfect:) Sounds like fun, right. Well this is what we got. I have learned to lower my expectations and sometimes it is fun because you can see the kids personality in the pictures. Enjoy! This one is my favorite....typical Mya, of course I wish her mouth wasn't hanging open but its usually open anyway, right. Crew would normally be smiling but he was the most tired!
I love this age. They get excited about the littlest things!

The boys are probably wondering what their crazy sister is doing now!

Me and my man!

Tried to take a pic with Grandma and Grandpa too.

Sweet little Ayden:)

This makes me laugh, because Ayden just sits there and does what you ask and the other two are on the run:)

Not too bad.

I love these kids!

1st day pics!

2011-08-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics from his first day of Kindergarten! Waiting for the bus

He looks so little next to that big bus:)

The bus was really late so we had lots of time to play!

He went to his buddy Paxton's for an after school party!

More playing while waiting for the bus:)

A not so good pic of me and my big boy!

Daddy and Ayden

Ayden!!

A Kindergartener:)

2011-08-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

I just put my baby on the bus for the first time. I have always dreaded this day a little but been excited for it as well. We were going to just take him to school but a few "seasoned" parents reccommended that we let him ride the bus in the beginning while their are extra helpers. He has to take a shuttle bus to where the Kindergarten is, which is what made us a little nervous. So being the nervous parents we are, Calvin followed the bus to make sure he got to the proper shuttle bus. His first bus was 30 minutes late so we weren't sure how this was going to work out. They reassured us that he would get there but it is hard to just let your 5 year old walk out into the world, without you by their side. Ayden was full of smiles this morning. He was dressed before I even knew it. We went over many things with him. I think he thought we were crazy....making him recite things and questioning him. He is so overjoyed for it all. I feel like we have raised a good kid to this point. I hope that the "world" doesn't influence him in the wrong way. I mean, I know you have to continue to train and correct but he has many new influences now and will only continue to have more and more. I guess this is when you just have to trust in what you have taught then and pray to God that he comes home safe! I will post some of Ayden's big smiles from this morning after Calvin gets back with the camera!!!!

Destin, FL

2011-08-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

We just got back from vacation to Destin, FL. We enjoyed our relaxing schedule and frequent visits to the pool and beach! Here is a peek at what we did! This was our view from our room and our pools
Grandma and Crew

Mya in action, she loved this floaty. I actually bought it for Crew but needless to say it came in much handier for her!

Mya and her friend! You can kinda see in this pic, a bruise on Mya's left side of her chin. She took a tumble that landed her in the ER one afternoon.....always keeps life exciting!

Crew ready to go boogie boarding!

So happy. He loved the beach!

I took lots of pics of this kid! He is still slow enough that I can catch him!

He was really studying the sand:)

Snuggle time with Daddy!

The boys! Crew absolutely loves Ayden.

One evening we went to this really neat restaurant called the Back Porch. It was really laid back and casual! Perfect for 3 kiddos!

The fam!

Mya and her Pawpaw

Grandma and Ayden

My lovely parents!

My big boy

My princess

My little buddy!

Pretty toes in the sand!

This was one of Ayden's favorite things to do. He has a big smile in this pic!

This was our first evening there. Right after he fell and busted his eye and ended up with his first shiner:(

Running from the waves

A big smile and crazy hair, typical Mya!

We had such a fun vacation. Calvin and I were able to enjoy some time just the two of us and we really enjoyed hanging out with each of the kids and having some good quality family time. My parents were so helpful and fun to have around. We are so thankful that God has blessed us with the time to get away as a family!

A Hot Summer Day!

2011-07-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

We have sure had some hot summer days lately. You have to keep cool, right. These are some of our favorite ways.... Hose, sprinkler, or blow up pool...if you keep them in the water, they are happy:) I think they need swimsuits, Calvin doesn't think it's necessary. This is one reason why I can't keep up with laundry!
Crew likes climping in and out of the wagon.

Popsicles are a favorite treat around here!

So cute!

This has been something the kids enjoy lately but you have to wait for it to cool down, which is just what we did.

....and the fish were biting!

....and they were so excited!

My cute little buddy.

We were having a little photo shoot, while they were fishing.

Showing off his new front teeth!

Last but not least, we like to go get some ice cream to end a hot summer day! Hope you are all enjoying your summer as much as we are!

A trip to the Zoo

2011-06-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

We made a trip to the zoo while some family was visiting from out of town. The day was great. The weather was perfect, the kids were good, the crowds weren't bad, and we had good company! I didn't take many pics but I took a few while we were waiting to meet up with the rest of the fam! Love, love love these kids!
Crew, just as happy as ever!

Checking out the sharks:)

Who needs a Mom, when you have a super dad??

Party guests!

2011-06-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

So many people came to see this little guy on his 1st birthday! I of course missed lots of people, but here is what I got! Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy day to celebrate with Crew on his big day!

Ty and Ry

Granny and Papaw

Several of his little buddies

Mya, Maddie, and Emmy

Grandma and Pawpaw

Gabe

Carrie, Hazel, Meagan, and Polly

Anabelle and Laney

Donn and Daddy

Amy, Ty, and Drew

Hazel

Tim, Sarah, and Miles

Aunt Betty, Uncle Stan, and Great Grandpa Brown

Cindy and Dave

Emily and Shelly

Ayden and Alec

Anna, Ethan, Jared, Ayden, Phoebe

Crew is one!

2011-05-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Wow! It is so hard to believe that Crew is 1! He is such a great baby...very easy going and always smiling. He fills our lives with so much joy! This is a shirt that that I had made for him for the big party. I didn't get a great pic of the front of it but it was so cute!

....and the back!

We were singing Happy Birthday to him and he was loving it. I was a little worried how he would respond to this because he can be shy at times but it was perfect.

He was even making funny faces!

He was anxiously awaiting the cupcake.

The fam.....you can't see it in this pic but the kids had sock monkey shirts on too!

He really enjoyed his cupcake!

and his milk!!!

We were trying to get a pic of several of the little kids....ha!

And another try.

Red velvet cupcakes!

We also had Monkey cupcakes!

Crew's highchair all decked out. I made his hat and my MIL and I made the High chair banner. I ordered his cute litte bib off Etsy.

Instead of doing treat bags for all the older kids, I did a sweet table. It seemed to be a big hit! My SIL helped me make the cute signs!

This was the craft table. There were coloring pages that my Dad drew and contributed and I made up sock monkey puppets for them to cut out and put together.

These were the treats for the little kids. My friend Laura and I made the sock monkeys and the banana cookies were in the baby section at walmart. I had never even noticed them before but they were perfect. My SIL, Shelley and I had to run to Walmart at 11 p.m. Friday night to get more:)

This was the remnants of the cake table. I think that was a good sign.

The presents were lined up so nicely by Mya and Emmy, my niece!

We had the party at a shelter at the park. It was perfect. My MIL made this banner, which was also perfect.

This was one tired one year old. He fell asleep towards the end of the party. It was no big deal..we opened presents at our house after his nap!

I had so much fun planning this party. Ayden and Mya have winter birthdays so it was really nice to be able to have it outside and invite more people. I have to thank, Brooke, for getting my mind in party mode. She has awesome parties and she helped me come up with some great ideas. I also couldn't have done it without my Mom, my MIL, Shelley, my SIL and Jamie, my neighbor. They helped me get food ready, watch the kids, ice the cupcakes, decorate, etc, etc. My Dad, FIL, brother, and hubby were also great helpers and runnners. Happy 1st birthday Crew!!!!!

Disney Pics part 1

2011-05-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

I promised a long time ago that I would put some of our Disney trip pics up. Here is a start. It is so much fun to look back on all the fun we had. I can't wait to go back. I have many more pics to post but it is getting late and it is time for this Mom to go to bed!! Hope you enjoy!

Ayden turns 5

2011-04-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my oldest baby is now 5. Time really does fly. Ayden is such a good boy. He is a great big brother and alot of help! He acts like such a big boy now. He loves to do anything outdoors. He has recently started soccer and is enjoying it alot. He is still a cuddler which I absolutely love. I hope he is always like this. I know there will probably come a point where he won't be like this but I will sure enjoy it while I can! We had Ayden's birthday party at Jump -n- Play. Here are some pics from his special day! So excited!
This was his birthday hat from school.

Enjoying some cupcakes!

The whole gang (minus Dylan)

Getting some wish advice!!

Paxton, Ben, Ayden, and Austin

Sports cupcakes...simple but fun!

Crew - 9 months

2011-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

This kid seriously melts my heart. So he went for his 9 momth check up and he is doing great. He weighed in at 17lbs 6oz. He was on the small end of the scale but he is nice and healthy which is all that really matters! He is crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything. He will always make sure to be holding on with one hand though. He loves to watch his brother and sister. They keep him very entertained. He is very laid back. He has recently discovered he has a voice and likes to let it be none sometimes. He carries on some very interesting conversations!He is sooo much fun to watch grow and such a wonderful part of our family!

Mya turns 3

2011-04-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that our little princess turned 3. She is still as busy as ever. She loves to dress up and carry purses and bags around. She loves anything girly. She loves to wear dresses or anything that resembles a dress! She still continues to be my messy child. I rarely ever buy her anything white. It is just pointless. She is very independent, which can be a good thing but sometimes is a little annoying. If she wants to do something...she will find a way. She can be a little onery at times. We call her rotten sometimes and she says I am not rotten, I am a princess. There is never a dull moment with Mya around....and that is what we love about her...she is her own beautiful person. We love you Mya Rae. Happy 3rd Birthday! Happy Birthday to you! My princess

Ayden had a field trip on Mya's birthday so she got to go along!

All her goodies!

Her Daddy brought her home flowers and a balloon on her birthday.

Mya also had her first girl birthday party! I will post pics form that later.

A full bath:)

2011-03-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been slacking on the blogging lately. There is just not enough time in my days for everything that I want to do. Here are a few pictures of my FULL bath tub. There is definitely no room to spare. I know I won't be able to do this much longer but they sure have a good time for now!

Giving

2011-02-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last week Mya and Crew were both sick. I had a friend text me and tell me that she was bringing us dinner. What a nice surprise. I didn't have to cook and could spend my extra time with my kiddos. It made me want to do the same thing for someone else. We were able to take food to 4 families last week and have a family over for dinner. I wanted to do it. I wanted someone else to feel the same relief that I did when I didn't have to cook dinner and to know a friend cared enough to take the time to do something nice for us. It is so much fun to see the appreciation that people have when you do something nice for them. In the bible we are told that "It is more blessed to give than to receive." This is so true. Ayden is in preschool and they have a good deed bear in their class that goes home with the kids where they learn to do caring things for people. It is amazing what we can even teach our children at such a young age. They live by our example. I challenge you to do something for someone this week. See how it makes you feel! I am not trying to boast on what I accomplished, I just simply wanted to share the impact that it had on me. Trust me, I go in spurts and get bogged down with lifes business but I do definitely benefit more when I am doing things for others.

Disney Memories!

2011-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

I keep meaning to post some of our pictures from Disney but that will have to be postponed a little longer. I have loved each time I have been to Disney for different reasons. Obviously, this time, I loved being there with my children. There is so much excitement and memories that you make on a trip like this. I would have never thought that I would have enjoyed taking my kids at such a young age but I did. I know they wont remember alot of it but I sure will. They are so impressed by every little thing from the lights to the shoes the princesses are wearing:) Here are some of my favorite memories..... This is my big boy Ayden, so proud of his mohawk. He absolutely loved his cool hair. It's the little things in life that make a 4 year old smile so big.

Another favorite memory of Ayden was when we rode test track at Epcot. He loved it so much. He was screaming. I loved sitting by him. I was laughing so hard! I think we rode it 4 times. It was his favorite! It is just hard to believe how big he is getting. I cant believe he will soon be 5.

Crew...first off is such a trooper. He just took it all in. He didn't want to miss anything and of course they all loved him too. While we were waiting for a parade to start, we got some ice cream. Well Crew, of course, had to have his 1st bite of Mickey Ice Cream. He loved it and tried to get more:)

This trip we went to the opening ceremonies at Magic Kingdom. This was our first time to see it! I loved it, as did the rest of the fam. I was video taping it all and I went to get Mya on camera and she was sitting in the front of the stroller, just screaming and clapping. She was sooo excited. This just brought tears to my eyes. It was so cute. Mya also really enjoyed getting the character autographs. We got some great pics with the characters too!

We were waiting for the show to start and the gates to open!

Thanks for checking in!

Holiday Crafts:)

2011-01-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make Mya a tutu for a while now. Well I finally made it to JoAnn's and got what I needed. Then Ayden kept asking me what I was going to make him. I decided to make him a tie shirt. Of course Crew had to have one also. A friend of mine is on bedrest and she wanted to make her girls' tutus. We thought they needed shirts to go with the tutu's. After one day of work, this is what we got. I was so excited about it:) Our trip to see Santa (Mya of course didn't want to get by Santa so my parents jumped in the picture)
The boys and Santa waiting on Mya!

Mya's shirt and tutu

My babies!!!

My Santa Babies

2010-12-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

I have taken pics of all 3 of my kids in a Santa Suit for their first Christmas. I love comparing their baby pictures and reminiscing. I can't believe that they are almost 5, 3, and 7 months. Time Flies:)

AYDEN

MYA

CREW

Ayden's Christmas Program

2010-12-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

This was Ayden's first program at school. I am sure we will have many more in the future but it was so fun seeing him up on the stage. He can be shy, especially in front of alot of people. He told us later that he was a little nervous. He was very serious for alot of it but he started to get more comfortable as the program progressed. Here are a few of the pics.... Mya wanted to be included in the picture taking!
Evelyn and Ayden have grown up together in there almost 5 years of life. They are only about 2 1/2 wks apart in age and they have always played together. I love that they are making the same shy face. Sometimes they get embarassed when we make them get close or hug:) In a few years I don't think that will be the case! Aren't they so cute!

Singing away

He was very serious alot of the time but I captured him having fun too!

The whole class singing jingle bells!

My handsome baby!!! I couldn't leave him out! I just love him to pieces!

October Recap

2010-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

We have been very busy lately. This is why I am just now posting most of my pics from October. I know its already December...so this is my effort to catch up on blogging. This is the longest post ever but hope you enjoy our business as much as we did:) Zoo Boo with family and friends!
My cute pirates!

Halloween night and my 31st birthday!

We went to some friends on Halloween night. It was nice b/c both the kids had someone to trick or treat with. Not the best pic but you can tell they are having fun!

Our attempt at a family pic. HA!

Ayden and Pax

Trick or Treat

My mama and my cutie at our family halloween party:)

Our Craft

Most of the kids getting ready to go to the trick or treat stations!

Hay ride time! (Calvin's great idea)

My cousin Sarah, married one of our good friends. These are all the kids waiting to catch the stuffed animals!

Chad(bro), Katie(cousin), Heather(cousin), Me

Us with the happy bride and groom

The fam with Sarah and Nathan....they met at my 30th bday party!

Sarah's shower

We were going to a halloween and I had a little extra time to fix Mya up...isn't she so pretty.

All the big kids at Truman's halloween party!

Anabelle, Crew, and Laney....they are about 2 wks apart!

We start them young chopping firewood!

This boy knows how to work. At the age of 4, he can already chop wood....really!

Ayden and Truman on our camping trip We went camping with several friends in Spencer. We rode 4wheelers, played games, visited, and enjoyed some good food.

The babies enjoying the campfire!

So cute, couldn't resist...my kids and Truman.

Playing outside while dad was trimming the tree, couldn't let this cute pic get away!

Beasely's

2010-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

My parents came in town for the weekend. Despite the cold weather, we decided to head to Beasley's Orchard for the afternoon. We had a great time! We rode the hay ride, picked pumpkins, enjoyed the puppet show, got balloon animals and sampled some delicious food!I just love this kid! He is such a happy baby!
Grandma and Grandpa with the kiddos

Typical family picture...full of character, right!

My beautiful Mom and my beautiful boy!

I can't squeeze him or kiss him enough....you think they ever get tired of that?

Hay ride:)

Getting Crafty

2010-10-15T20:17:00.001-07:00

This is the stuff I love to do but never seem to have enough time in the day. On this particualr day, we just took the time! Now we just need to finish them:) Here is what we did.... The lamp that I used for Ayden and Mya's nursery
Crew's new and improved lamp!

My polka dot pumpkins

Mya's pretty pumpkin:)

Repainting Mya's letters to match her new room!

Crew

2010-10-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

Crew just got his first taste of cereal and he really enjoyed it. Here are pics of all the kids during their first bites! Their great Grandma got them the bib:)

Ayden

2010-10-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Mya

2010-10-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Coolest Birthday Party

2010-10-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

The other weekend we attended Lily's 7th Birthday Party. It was so cute. I met her Mom at work and I have learned that she is a planner. She is awesome at planning parties. I don't know how she does it! I am so glad we got to experience the art party for ourseleves. What a great idea! There were several different stations where the kids got to make things . They had baskets to put their goodies in after they were completed!
Raven and Ayden enjoying some apples:)

Riley and Jamie

The Creative planner, Brooke and her best buddy, Shelly

Layton and Shelly painting

The birthday party gang

So proud of his cupcake creation

Enjoying her cupcake and a little blue sprinkle spill (sorry Brooke)

The Birthday girl, Lily

Awesome flowers

Max is busted:)

PAINT!

The NICU girls

The most colorful table I have ever seen! I love it!

More camping pics

2010-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some more highlights of our camping trip. We had a great time with great friends!

Camping

2010-09-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

We braved camping with 3 kids this past weekend. We had alot of fun but let me tell you there is never a dull moment, especially when Mya is around. She did a few funny things that I can't resist sharing. She took a bottle of Pam and sprayed it in her hair like hairspray, I guess the bottles look similar. She loves to wear other peoples shoes so she would typically leave her shoes somewhere and go "borrow" someone elses. Luckily most of the time they were our friends:) She also found some bacon that she thought looked good enough to eat, unfortunately it wasn't cooked yet. We caught her after her first bite! Last but not least, she took a tumble and got herself her 1st set of stitches.
Since we had our hands full with Mya, it was so nice that Crew was so well loved. We didn't hardly see him until feeding time or bed time:) Ayden was very busy with his friends so we didn't hardly see him. He played so hard that he definitely slept good at night. All in all, it was a very fun trip with the exception of the stitches!

Camping with Daddy

Camping with Mommy

Showing off her stitches on the bottom of her chin

The Fam

The Whole Gang!

I have so many more photos to share that I plan to put up later. Hope you all had a great Labor Day!

Crew - 3 months!

2010-08-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day, as a mother of 3, that all the kids were going in different directions....note to self....life might be exhausting:) Ayden had preschool, Mya had a birthday party, and Crew had his 3 month checkup. I of course went with my little man to his appointment. He had his 1st round of shots, which is never fun but he did check out well. He weighs 12lbs 2 oz (25%) and 24.5 inches (70%). After his appointment, we picked up Ayden, ran some errands and then came home. We managed to snap some cute pics of Crew. Here are some that we like! A special thanks to Ryan and family for the cute outfit!

Sugarland

2010-08-22T13:25:00.001-07:00

Calvin and I had our 1st date since Crew was born. We went to the Sugarland concert at the state fair. It was our first time to the Indiana State Fair. We were able to enjoy a little fair food before the concert started and got to meet up with some friends while we werew there. The best part about the concert was one of our friends, Alison Elliott was singing a song with Sugarland. She works for them and they let her sing "Baby Girl" since she was in her home state. We have grown to love Alison and her family. This was all a surprise for her parents. We wish we could have seen the looks on their face. Here are a few pics from our fun night!

Cal and I enjoying our night

Alison and I after the show

She is third from the right

She is 2nd from the right in this one

Sugarland

Church Pictures

2010-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

They were doing new pictures at church for our directories and we got to redo ours so we could add Crew this time:) Here is what we got!

A great morning!

2010-08-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

What a great morning.... I never thought I would have this much time on my hands when I have 5 kids at my house! My dish washer is running, the washer is running, the dryer is running, the kids are playing.....that is a good morning at my house:) This was all able to occur because my wonderful baby Crew is still sleeping away( yes I checked on him to make sure he was still breathing) and my 14 year old nephew and his cousin are here building forts and playing wars with Ayden and as for Mya...well she is playing with them some, visiting me some, and doing her usual....making messes!

So the point of my blog this morning is we went to King's Island yesterday. Calvin wanted to take his nephew who had never been before. I managed to make arrangements for Mya and Crew so I could tag along and hang out with Ayden for the day at Planet Snoopy! He had a blast as any 4 year old would! I really enjoyed spending some good quality time with Ayden.

My growing boy!

2010-08-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Crew when he was about 1 1/2 months old. He is growing fast. He is now at the 2 month mark and getting more fun each day. He is smiling alot now and laughing. He also is paying close attention to what is going on around him! He really likes to swing in a big swing that his buddy Josiah let us borrow. I can't wait to enjoy many more sweet moments with Crew!

Best Pals~

2010-07-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ayden's best buddy Paxton came and spent the day and night with us while his Mom and Dad were out of town. They had such a fun day! Here are a few cute pics of them. As you can imagine they didn't stop all day but they slept good at night.....oh to have their energy for just a day. I could get so much accomplished:) Riding
Running from the farthest spot they could and then jumping in the pool!

Look out ladies!

The 4th of July!

2010-07-17T13:19:00.001-07:00

O.k. so I know I am a little late with this one but better late then never right. Well, we enjoyed the 4th with many friends and family. Here are a few festive pics! Hope you got to enjoy some fireworks too! I was trying to get a pic of the kids with their great Grandpa but they couldn't quit playing long enough for me to get one. I thought this turned out to be a cute pic! I hope they will always be buddies!
Showing off his star!

Crew with his Pawpaw

Silly Mya

Me and my Boys!

The Big 40

2010-07-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

We recently celebrated our good friend, Kristie's 40th birthday. We started the night at P.F. Chang's and ended the night at some friends house for dessert and a video of several clips that her friends and family had put together...some were sweet and some were funny. It was so nice to hang out with just the adults and Crew:) Kristie showing off some of her great gifts.
I put this pic in here so you could notice the granny pannies that served as wrapping paper for a gift...what a great idea! I hope I remember that for the next gag gift I give!

Just me and Cal!

The crazy guys!

The gals!

Brownsburg Swim Lessons

2010-07-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ayden took a summer session of swim lessons at Brownsburg High School over the past 2 weeks. He loved it!! Here are a few highlights.... Swim time

Listening to their teacher

Waiting for his turn and watching the big kids swim

So cute

Swimming

Jumping off the edge:) He jumped off the diving board one time but wasn't too sure about that.

Backstroke

The last day....having a little fun with Miss Haley

The cutest spectator!!

This was so cute...he jumbed in and then turned and gave us a thumbs up:)

Crew 1 month

2010-07-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

We went for Crew's one month checkup on June 30. He weighed in at 9lbs and 2oz and was 21.5 inches. He checked out great. We are so thankful that he is recovered and growing as he should be!

Craziness

2010-06-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

Well we have had everything but normalcy around our house since our little man has arrived. The week after Crew was born, Ayden and Mya went to stay with their Grandma and Pawpaw for 4 nights. It was so quiet around here. We were able to catch up on sleep and go to our doctor appointments and a few other things we needed to do.

The next week Calvin met with a surgeon and found out that he would be having inguinal hernia surgery the following week and he would be off work for 4-6 weeks. The day after his surgery Ayden and Mya got sick with high fevers and were also throwing up.

By Saturday Crew had a fever and when I called my pediatrician they wanted me to take him to the ER and told me that he would probably be admitted to the Peds unit. This is just what happened. I kind of knew what was coming because I am a NICU nurse and we would do the same type of workup if our babies get sick but it sure doesn't make it easy. He was so pitiful and very uncomfortable. I was glad that I was at the hospital because it felt like a weight was lifted from me because he was on a monitor, they were able to check his bloodwork and give him IV fluids and antibiotics. He actually got worse on Sunday and wasn't hardly eating so thank goodness we were already there. By Sunday night/Monday morning his fever finally broke and he starte eating better on Monday as well. We were able to go home late Monday afternoon! There were a few things that I certainly learned that will make me more sympathetic to our NICU moms. One is that I can't imagine leaving your baby at the hospital. I didn't hardly want to leave his room, let alone leave the hospital. Thanks for all your prayers, visits, call, food, etc. Finally getting some good rest

I was able to catch his eyes open...this didn't happen much:(

In the ER, after they got done with all the tests.

And then there were three!

2010-06-08T11:53:00.001-07:00

It kind of hit me on Saturday night as I was getting things ready for church on Sunday that I now have 3 kids:)....each one just as precious as the other! I couldn't resist this picture. They were all asleep in their beds and here awaited their outfits for their little bodies to fit into in the morning.

Here are my babies in thier baby blue:)

Another pose

One with Grandma and Pawpaw

The Young Bunch:)

Crew Elijah Young

2010-06-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well our little man finally made his entrance on May 26, 2010 at 9:47p.m. (our 9 year anniversary!) He weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 21in long. His Daddy even got to "catch" him:) Everyone is doing great! Here are a few pics from the first night....

This is how I started the day:)

Crew

Young, party of 5

Proud Big Sister

Very Excited Big Brother

His first moments!

This is how we ended the day:))))

My cute hubby!

2010-05-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

I have to take a few moments too brag on my cute husand. He thought it would be fun to go in to Ayden's class and do a little fire education. He arranged it all. He called Brownsburg Fire Department and asked if they could bring the truck to the school so that is what they did first. Then when they came back to their class they watched a kids video about fire safety rules. Then he put all his gear on and showed him how he wasn't scary:) He did such a great job. He was totally in his comfort zone. He is such a kid lover. This is one of the traits I just love about Calvin. He could find a way to entertain an army of kids....it may not always be mommy approved but he will keep them entertained! The kids all got to take home a Pike coloring book and fire hat. It was a fun morning and as you can guess, little Ayden was so proud! "See I'm not scary"
Cute little kids...Mya thought she was so big:)

Precious Moments

2010-05-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is the picture that I came home to after I had been away on a little overnight girls' trip. Calvin had given the kids a bath and turned on the weather for them to watch while he took a quick shower (assuming that they might fall asleep). When he got out of the shower this is what he found. They are just so precious. I was so proud of him for taking a picture so that I could see it as well. You have to cherish these moments. They go by sooooo fast. I thank God for my wonderful husband and children!

Around the house

2010-04-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pics of what has been going on at our house lately....Never a dull moment! Calvin was laying mulch and you would've thought they got a new toy! They had more fun then I thought was possible with some mulch:)

I couldn't resist...I live with a bag lady:) Crazy girl.

Dress up. I guess you can never have to many spiderman costumes!

Oh....i just love these kids:)

I am losing it!

2010-04-19T06:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I think I am officially losing it. I guess I have alot I can blame it on, right?! My wonderful NICU friends had a shower for my friend Amy and I. I meant to blog about it and realized I never did. So here are some of the highlights. My friends are so crafty. Emily made these cute burp cloths.
Bri made this cute diaper bag!

Shelly made this diaper cake.

Erin got me a cute crocheted hat but I couldn't get a good pic of it. I guess I will have to wait until I have a cute model to take a pic of in it. Julia and Becky got us some cute clothes for our little man.

Shelly and Mya

Mya was playing with Callie's easter basket and she thought she would share some grass with Gabe. It landed in the perfect spot. Gabe was such a good model. He didn't even care.

Erin and Layton

Julia, Callie, and Shelley

Amy, Me, Mya, Erin, Becky, Tessa, Julia, Callie, Bri, Shelly, Layton, Emily, Katie, Adelyn

Mya holding Gabe

Erin, Emily and the beautiful cake

Pregos:)

The yummy cake Emily made!

Race for the Cure

2010-04-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I walked (along with my littlest man who should arrive in just a little over a month) in the Race for the Cure in celebration of my mom! I have done this race for many years now but it has meant so much more the past 2 years. It is such a great feeling to be able to celebrate the fact that she is cancer free. Unfortunately, as you walk, you notice many that are not as fortunate as she is. There are about 40, 000 people in the Indy area that join together to help raise money to fight this awful disease! If you ever get the chance you should walk/run the race some day!

Disney World 2010

2010-04-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

We made our first trip to Disney World this past week. The kids had such a great time which made it so much fun for us! It is definitely a trip we will never forget. We took tons of pictures....here are some highlights!

Ayden and Handy Manny
Mya sleeping with her souvenirs:)

Easter Sunday.....I love those kdis!

We made a day trip to Cocoa Beach. They had a great time there as well!

Buzz Light year with the fam!

Hugs for Buzz

Our first evening, we went to Magic Kingdom. When we walked in throught the maingate, they were literally pushing us back to the sidewalk b/c a parade/street party was coming through. It was so neat to see the kids expressions.

Snow White and my happy kids!

Mya and Cinderella...she liked the statues best. She wasn't fond of the characters if they got to close. From a distance she liked them:)

The kids with Grandma and Pawpaw

Goofy and the gang

Me and my little man!

Our little tiger:) He was so proud!

All of us at Epcot

Our first night at magic Kingdom

Us with Donald at the character breakfast

Grandma and Pawpaw and the kids

Go Power Rangers!

The light parade

Fireworks

Ayden found nemo

Mya helping Daddy plan the route for the day!

My favorite power rangers:)

Disney World Ready!!

2010-03-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

I have been enjoying making bows and clips these days, so I thought I would make some fun ones for Mya for our trip to Disney. This is what I have come up with! I think I can say we are Disney ready!!!

Skating

2010-03-22T11:47:00.001-07:00

The other weekend, I was able to take Ayden to a skating party....just the two of us. Calvin was working and I knew there was no way that I could keep up with 2 kids on skates so I asked some great friends, the Elliott's, to watch Mya. It was alot of fun to watch Ayden try and skate. It was a 2 hour party and of course by the end of it, he was skating all by him self and wasn't ready to leave. After skating, we enjoyed a nice dinner date at Chick-fil-a, which is never complete with a little play time. It is always nice to have a little one on one time with your children:) Me and my man
Kendrick letting me have a break!

Ava, Ayden's girlfriend!

Raven

Best Buddies:)

Maddie's 1st birthday!

2010-03-18T15:42:00.001-07:00

We recently went to Kentucky for my cute little niece, Madilyn's 1st birthday. We had a great time and beautiful weather which always makes the trip nice. Madilyn had a good birthday. She did start crying when everyone started singing to her but other than that she seemed to enjoy the chaos:) He are a few pics from her special day! Enjoying her new doll and stroller!
Posing with her shades

All the kids waiting for their cake

Starting to dig in!

Her cute cake!

Ayden's 4th Birthday!

2010-03-01T13:01:00.001-08:00

Ayden had an eventful 4th birthday. After his family party, on his actual birthday, we let him have his best buddy spend the night and we took them to Chick-fil-a and Chuck E Cheese. It is so much fun to watch kids be kids! They had a great time but definitely wore me out. Ayden's grandparents also were able to be in town on his birthday and help with the celebrations. He started off the morning by opening presents from Mom, Dad, and Mya
Legos

Cars sticker book (I love his facial expressions)

The boys enjoying their dinner:)

.....and ice cream!

Paxton

Mya made a mess (anyone surprised?!)

Let the games begin

Chuck E and Ayden going for a ride

Pax ready to spend his tokens

Mya giving love!

A glimpse of the future:)

Such cute boys

We ended the night with a little cookie cake!

Happy 4th birthday Ayden!

Dora and Diego

2010-02-24T10:38:00.001-08:00

This year we had a Dora and Diego family birthday party for the kids. They had a really good time. Ayden especially enjoyed getting in to character:) Here are a few highlights from the big day! My niece Emmy, enjoying her cupcake!
Maddie with her uncle Calvin

My mom and her cousin (a.k.a. Aunt Marcia)

Maddie cleaning up Mya's mess. hehe!!

Cleaning Mya up...a never ending project!

Me and 2 of my beautiful cousins, Katie and Sarah. It was also Katie's birthday so we got to embarass her too:)

Tori, Ava, Ayden, and Raven

Present time!

The fam

Enjoying their birthday cupcakes!

Happy Birthday to Mya!

Happy Birthday to Ayden

The spread

My cupcake creations!

Dora and Diego:)

Mya's 2nd Birthday!!!

2010-02-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is turning 2. She is a spunky little thing. She can be so sweet one minute and the next minute be so rotten. You gotta love her!!!! She really enjoyed her birthday this year. She got the most excited when we sang happy birthday to her! Here are a few highlights from her special day! Love those dimples!!!
Making some cookies.

One of her birthday presents.

She really liked her Dora's, in case you couldn't tell.

This is what she woke up to!

Singing Happy Birthday!

Still singing!

Very gently taking a bite of her cupcake. Kind of unusual for her....she is our messy eater!

Cupcake faces:)

Superbowl

2010-02-08T07:56:00.001-08:00

We went to a superbowl party at some friends last night. We had a great time, with the exception that the Colts didn't win.......it wasn't for sake of our Colts spirit:) Everything and everyone were decked out in blue. We enjoyed some great food, the kids made some fun crafts, and we enjoyed the girls' halftime show...all while hanging out watching the game with great friends. Hope you had a fun night too:) Go Colts!
Look at all those cute faces:)

Mya doing her halftime show!

Hats were one of the kid crafts

Paxton and Ayden

The girls

My cute little cheerleader!

Bargains!

2010-01-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I love to bargain hunt. I love to try and buy some stuff for the kids for the next year when things go on clearance. I was so proud of my recent trip to Old Navy that I had to share. I bought all the items in the 2 pics below for the great price of $19.61. I got stuff for all 3 of the kids and even 2 pair or earrings for myself!! You gotta love a good sale:)

Holidays

2010-01-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

We have an eventful holiday season. There are lots of pics included in this entry but I thought I better try and catch up on my blogging! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays as well! Keep Warm! Ayden and Emmy

Mya trying out the infant seat. I guess we will know where to find her when #3 comes:)

My parents with the kids (minus Maddie)

Emmy decorating the cupcakes we got her for her b-day!

Happy 3rd birthday!

The girls helping Pawpaw!

We all got Grandma and Grandpa a gift card towards a new computer!

Mya checking out her new present!

Maddie and Ayden playing peekaboo together. They are so cute together. He really likes to play with her and she is crazy about him too! So cute!

Happy girl!

Mya decided to put some mascara on while we packing up the car to leave. She was so proud of herself. At least she got it in the right area:)

Christmas Morning

So excited.

Mya being "all girl." Notice her new shoes!

Sharing our baby news! It's a boy!

This is how we found out. We got to open the present as a family!

We made a trip to the Children's Museum to enjoy their holiday activities!

Mya brushing and feeding the reindeer.

A fun ride!

Breakfast with friends and Santa!

2009-12-28T11:09:00.001-08:00

Earlier this month, I was able to host a breakfast with some of the great girls I work with! We had alot of fun. We enjoyed a great breakfast, some nice adult conversations, a game of dirty Santa, and a visit from Santa! The kids had alot of fun playing too. They definitely weren't to sure what to think of Santa though! Santa's Big arrival!
Presents for the kids!

Our family! In case you weren't sure this is Calvin and Mya was terrified. We thought she didn't know it was him but later on she kept calling all the Santa Clause's Daddy so I guess she was smarter that we thought!

The Girls!

Addy, Mya, Tessa, Ayden, Gabe, and Layton

All the kids ( Ty on the end)

Disney on Ice

2009-12-04T12:48:00.001-08:00

Last night we went to the Disney on Ice show at Conseco Fieldhouse. The kids had such a great time! They were absolutely mezmerized. Mya is really in to Donald for some reason right now so she walks around saying"Donald....Donald....Donald." She also loves the "mouse." Ayden really enjoyed it all but got especially excited when Buzz and Woody came out. He said his favorite part was when Goofy got stuck coming down the chimney. Calvin and I had a good time too. We especially enjoyed watching the kids faces!

(Sorry this pic would not turn the right way for some reason!)

Birthday Fun

2009-11-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

This was my 30th birthday and Calvin went above and beyond to make sure I had a birthday to remember! 3 of my friends showed up at my house at 8am on October 30. They let me know that we were heading to Chicago compliments of my hubby! Then shortly after that he arrived home with 30 orange roses with my spending money attached to them:) Here are some of our pics from our trip.

We were exhausted and delirious by this point. We sure had some good laughs though!

Breakfast Frushi

The Windy City

Kind of dark but you can see we did our share of shopping!

My huge birthday dessert! 4 of us couldn't even come close to finishing this!

Having a good ol' time!

Getting ready to enjoy some Chicago Style Pizza!

Halloween

2009-11-07T11:03:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics from Halloween night. We all had alot of fun. Little did I know that I was coming home to a surprise 30th birthday party. I will post more pics later!!

Mya got the hand of Trick of Treating real fast!

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

It's official!

2009-10-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well, just in case you didn't notice it in the last post, we are expecting our 3rd baby on May 26, 2010. Here are our 1st pics to show off!

St. Augustine, FL

2009-10-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Calvin and I just got back from a little getaway. We hadn't been away from the kids since before Mya was born. We went to St. Augustine, FL. We didn't know much about it other than there was a beach there, it was the oldest city, and we got cheap tickets....which was a good start for us. We had a really good time. My parents came and stayed with the kids so we didn't have to worry about them but I did call home every day. These are a few of our highlights. We would have a few more but our camera wasn't cooperating at the beginning of the trip. As you will see, we perfected the self portrait since we were alone. HA! The Old Light House (taken from a boat ride around the city)
A dolphin, this was as good as I could get.

Some of the pretty old buildings

There 83 million dollar bridge project (that is enought to make you sick)

The old jail, built in the 1800's (pretty from the outside but still a jail inside)

Calvin always makes a friend.....no matter where he goes

Vilano Beach

Vilano Beach after playing in the waves.

My next house :)

Heading out for dinner

Dinner at Capp's on the Water....our best dinner....yum!

St. Augustine Beach

Just in case you hadn't heard, we didn't go completely alone!!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled family weekend this past weekend! We all met in Indiana for my Dad's 60th birthday. We also celebrated my Mom's birthday. We spent the last day at the children's museum. There are several pics. Hope you enjoy! The whole gang
Mikayla Brewer and Mya

The Graber Clan on the Carousel

Em serving Ayden some Ice Cream

Does this pic even need a caption??

Playing in the water

I can just imagine them working together when they are in college!

Maddie!

Mom's B-day!

Em and Ayden

Wearing our pink for Mom

Ayden loved holding Maddie

Helping Pawpaw blow out his candles

Enjoying Nate and Neti's Sweet Corn

2009-08-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

The other day, I got some sweet corn from Nate and Neti's garden! I brought it home and my kids just couldn't get enough. That is all Ayden wanted to eat. There was one piece left over, so I let Ayden have it the next night at supper. He got full and I thought I was going to get to eat it but little Miss Mya disagreed. I did end up getting a few bites after all.

A cute pic of the kids

First Day of School!

2009-08-27T19:31:00.001-07:00

Ayden started school on Tuesday. He was so excited. He has been talking about it since last year when we picked his friend Paxton up from there. He absolutely loved it. He came home telling us all about it. He went to music class, and played outside, and even went pee on the little poddy! I can't wait for many more stories to come. Let's hope he always stays this excited about school! My big boy!
Dropping him off!

His cubby for his backpack and new lunchbox that Grandma and Papa took him shopping for!

Evie!

Coming in from recess!

11th Annual NICU reunion

2009-08-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday was St. Vincent's NICU Reunion Picnic. I look forward to this day every year! It is so fun to be able to see many of the babies that I have been able to take care of in the NICU. It is also fun to see friends and their families! Since I have had my own kids, they also enjoy it alot, as you will see in the pictures! St. Vincent does a wonderful job with this event. We look forward to many more!!! Several of my good NICU friends!
Dennis and Ty checking out the animals!

Mya and Ayden checking out the animals!

Ayden, so proud of his tattoo!

Mya got her face ppainted!

Future firmen, Ty and Ayden

Riding the train!

Mya riding the horse and not letting go of Daddy!

Ayden loving his ride!

Professional Pics

2009-08-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I recently realized that it had been over a year since I had the kids picture taken together so I decided it was time. While we were in Illinois, we took the kids to JCPenney. My main goal was to get some of the kids together and then whatever we got after that was great! Well Mya was pretty much done after a few but we got lots of Ayden. I plan to take her soon to get some more of just her. Enjoy!

2 to 5 kids......overnight

2009-07-16T16:44:00.001-07:00

We had a few house guests the first week of July. We went from our 2 little munchkins to 5 just like that. We had the Bacon kids all week, our nephew most of the week, and Evelyn stayed the last night. We had a really good time. Here are a fe pics from our week.Swim time
Just hangin out!

Cool Kids

Craft time

Cookie time

Bike Ride

Silly Kids

Before church....aren't they so cute!

Mya loved sitting with Pax

Worn out

Watching fireworks

My Babies

2009-07-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

While we were in Illinois we took the kids to the beach at the lake where my parents live and took some pics. These are some of my favorites. Hope you enjoy!

Fire House

2009-06-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

We hadn't seen much of Daddy this week so we decided to go visit him at the firehouse. The kids absoulutely love to go, as you can imagine. I never have my camera with me and I actually took it with me this time. I got a few pics that I thought I could share. Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for checking in! At this firehouse there is an airport on the other side of the fence, so I think Ayden is looking at an airplane.
Telling Daddy about his day!

Hugs!

My attempt at a pic of the 2 of them.

My friend Amy always takes pics of Ty by the tire to see how they grow. It was such a great idea, we thought we would take one too. Those are some big tires aren't they!?

Mya having a good ol' time.

Her face cracks me up....not so sure about sitting up there.

Beep, Beep!

Loving on Daddy!

Lately....

2009-06-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here is my hodge podge blog entry. We have been doing alot of fun things lately and here are a few pictures. Some friends gave us a dirt bike for Ayden. He talks about it all the time.
Here is a picture of Mya's hair. Yes, she really has hair!

Our first trip to the pool. Mya was enjoying it all.....even trying to help blow the floaties up.

Ayden enjoying the pool.

We have been working on some of our landscaping. These are some of our flowers.

Another flower from the back yard.

Paxton and Ayden being boys!

Looks like we have another mower on our hands!

After only 2 days of having the dirt bike, Calvin decided to put some training wheels on it. He loves it!

Mya trying to figure out the scooter.

Me and Ayden swinging.

Riding 4 wheelers when we went "camping"

Mya

Mya really enjoyed spaghetti as if you couldn't tell!

Thanks for checking in. Hope you are enjoying your summer too!

Just another play day!

2009-05-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I ended up picking up Ava and Anabelle (our friends from Seattle) and the kids played outside all day. As you can see from the pictures, they had lots of fun! We have been playing outside alot lately and enjoying this great weather!! Ayden giving Anabelle driving lessons!
A girl on a mission! (doesn't she look so big)

Ava on the little 4 wheeler

Anabelle and Mya

Big smiles!

Enjoying some nice cold popsicles!

Enjoying their favorite color popsicles!

ZOO

2009-05-13T10:40:00.001-07:00

Our good friends Amanda, Ava, and Anabelle Davis are in town so we decided to venture downtown to the zoo! The Willis' also went with us. We had a good day with great weather! Raven and Ava
Mya

Raven and Ayden taking a break!

Amanda and Anabelle

Boyfriend and Girlfriend!

Ayden and Mya loving the animals. Everything is a dog dog to Mya!

The Big kids!

Tori, Raven, Ava, Anabelle, Ayden, and Mya

Me and my kiddos

Fire Convention

2009-05-04T09:22:00.001-07:00

In Indy they have a fire convention downtown. Calvin took some classes there this year and on Friday they have a cookout. It was a really pretty day so we decided to go and meet Amy, Dennis, and Ty Black there. They also have a pumper pull, where the teams pull an old fire truck. The kids enjoyed that. We also got to see some of the guys that Calvin went through training with. It is always good to see friends that you don't see often! I always share the sweet pics but I couldn't resist this one. I didn't even know that she did this until I uploaded my pics. Ayden didn't even complain. That onery little girl.
Right after the first picture, Ayden jumped off the front step and Mya thought she would do the same. Needless to say, she landed on her head. OUCH! This was all going on while we were getting ready to go downtown. Never a dull moment.

Ayden watching the drummers at the cookout. He said " When I get big and I am a firefighter I am going to be a drummer!"

Mya enjoying the hot dogs!

Before the jump! Aren't her pigtails cute!

Watching the drummers!

Drummers!

They had a parade with the bagpipes too. It was really neat. Mya, Ty and Ayden loved it.

Mya and Ty

Think Pink - Race for the Cure

2009-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well Mom and I and several other friends ventured downtown for the Race for the Cure. I have done it for several years now but this year was extra special because my mom, who is currenly battling breast cancer was able to join me. The weather was absolutely beautiful which made the day even better! There is pink galore, as you can see!

40, 000+ people

Mom, Jena, Karen, Jenny T, Brooke, Jenny, Kim, Cindy, Barb

Back: Christina, Rachel, Jena, Kim, Jenny, Barb, Mom

Front : Jenny, Karen Amy, Bridget, Brooke, Me, Cindy

Me and Mom

I walk in celebration of My mom!

The Pink Parade of Survivors

Even the elephant was wearing pink

All the survivors walked behind their year signs. Amazing!!

Mom is going on 1 year and Barb is going on 4 years!

The kids got surprises when they got home

Mom and the kids

and Me

Real men wear pink!

Mya enjoying her boa!

Easter

2009-04-14T13:29:00.001-07:00

These are some of the pictures of the kids on Easter and of us coloring easter eggs. Ayden had alot of fun coloring the easter egss and decorating them. Mya even put some stickers on the eggs!

Branson

2009-04-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to Branson, MO with 3 other families over spring break. 8 adults and 12 kids. Here are a few highlights from our trip. We had a really good time and hope to take a trip like this again! Mya checking out the butterfly
Watching the fire and light show

Ice cream Party

Watching a 3 D movie

At the butterfly palace, before the attack of the butterfly

Playing at the park

12 kids

The gang

Ryan, Kim, Me, and Kristie

This and That

2009-03-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

These are just some random pictures of the kids that I thought would be fun to share! Hope everyone is doing well! Mya watching Pawpaw and Ayden
Pawpaw and Ayden playing in the snow

Ayden wanted to borrow Grandma's glasses so he could look like Leo from Little Einsteins

Mya got this chair from Aunt Marcia and she just loves it!

My big boy!

They are actually both looking!

Mya enjoying the outdoors!

Mya wearing Grandma's hat

The best for last....Mya's new hair! Ha. She thought she was so cool . We were all cracking up!

Madilyn Claire Graber

2009-03-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

We now have a new niece, Madilyn Claire Graber. She was born March 6 at 2:25 pm. She was 7lbs 7oz and 20 in long. We can't wait to meet her. We were supposed to go this weekend but our kids both woke up with fevers the morning we were planning to leave. Mom and baby are doing well and they say Em is very excited about her being here! I will try and post some more pics when my brother has time to send them.

Pickles and Ponytails

2009-02-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

I am excited to say that Mya has experienced some more "firsts" in her life. The other night Calvin was eating pickles and Mya thought she had to have one. Calvin, of course, was happy to share and she liked them. As you can see from the pictures, Ayden thinks she is crazy to eat something wierd like that.

Tonight when we were getting ready, I thought I would try to put Mya's hair up. It worked. It is not the best picture but you can see her first ponytail (all 10 hairs) in the picture below.