Spray Park Sprinkles

 We spent the morning at the spraypark with some friends.  We unfortunately forgot that it didn't start spraying until 11:00, so we had an hour to play beforehand.  But, this park has a very unique playground so it wasn't too difficult to keep everyone happy.

 "Mom, look how high I am!" shouts Andrew.

 Sarah enjoyed a breezy, sprinkle-filled snooze in the stroller.

 "Mom!  Look how I am now!"

 Not your standard horse or duck to ride on, huh?

 "Mom!!!  I'm up so high!  Look!"

 "Now I need a shower after all that climbing."

 With our new friends Isaac, Abbi, & Augie (who's hiding).

Summertime fun!

In the beginning

 Sarah's first two weeks at home have been full of lots of love from her siblings.

 She was not a big fan of her first bath at home, but has liked them better ever since.  She likes the water WARM.  Much warmer than her siblings even now.

 Rebecca loves to hold her & talk to her whether she is awake or not.  She can giggle non-stop for ten minutes at the funny faces that Sarah makes in her sleep.

 She's a fabulous sleeper & I have been so grateful!  Generally she falls asleep around 8:30 in the evening & has a good 4 or 5 hour stretch to start the night.  So, I've been trying to hit the hay by 9:00 to enjoy it.  After that & most of the day she likes to eat about every 1 1/2 or 2 hours... another snacker just like her siblings.

 Teresa decided she needed a kitty to play with.

Sarah turns her head whenever she hears Daddy's voice... & he's most likely to receive an awake smile.  :)

She's here!!!

 She's finally here!

 Our beautiful Sarah Anne arrived Friday, June 14th at 10:03 p.m.  She was 7 lbs. 6 oz. & 20.5 inches long.  Perfectly lovely. 

 "I'm so proud of the baby for being born."

~Teresa Rose, 3 1/2 years old

Welcome, baby Sarah!  We love you!

First weeks of summer

 Since we only have a few weeks of summer before baby is born, we decided to have as much fun as we could.  It's been a busy couple weeks!

 Besides all of the walks, Legos, zoo, & playing with the neighbor's puppy, we've also...

 went out to the lake & then out to dinner at Dairy Queen.  It was here that I went up to the counter to ask for a fork & a 3 year old little boy remarked,

"WOAH!  Does she have a baby in her tummy or what, Mom?"

 Excursion to Morrill Hall

So much more fun with friends!  Thanks, Jakubs.  :) 

 Inspecting every tree for baby birds & nests

 Enjoying the "new" pages of their scrapbooks as I frantically try to get caught up before I need to make another one

 Playing in our pool

 Fun at the park & library

 With a full week of Totus Tuus & VBS we didn't have to do too much to fill the rest of the time.

Just a few more days to go.  Come on, baby!

A Priest Forever

So blest to have attended the 1st Mass of Fr. Adam Sparling yesterday.  Amazing!  I feel a special connection to him & his classmates, since they were my last at St. Gregory's.  Looking up at the sanctuary, I saw it half-filled with former students... some now priests, some deacons, one a religious brother, some still seminarians, some husbands & dads... in the pews even more of the latter.  What an incredible gift to have watched these men grow in holiness & now to see them taking such strong roles in our Church & world.  I feel incredibly blest!  We all should.

Last day of school

 Here's our new 3rd grader!  (with half an eggshell on his thumb)

And our new 1st grader.  Welcome to summer!

Tootsie

Teresa, at three & half years old you are the funniest little girl.

You keep us laughing all day long... though sometimes it is under our breath. 

- I love how you like to do everything with your dolly.  Her most common name is "Felissa", though lately you've been deferring to "Rose". 

- Your favorite salad dressing is "Dorfy Lynch".

- You are currently in the habit of when you tell the occasional fib, you follow it with "Really!  I'm not lying!"  We'll enjoy that tell for as long as it lasts.  ;)

- You talk to & hug your baby sister in my tummy all day long.  Sometimes you have complete conversations that usually end with, "What are you doing in there crazy baby?"

-  You can play a few simple tunes on the piano for real, but you like to look at music books, run your finger along the notes like you are reading them, & plunk out additional songs.  I'm pretty sure you think that you are really doing it right.