Chicago Came to Town

A birthday wouldn't be complete without Emily seeing her two special cousins from Chicago.  It was amazing to watch the girls play together and the boys didn't know what to do with the balance of power shifting to the girls this long weekend.  In true July fashion, it was unbelievably hot.  So we pulled out the blow up pool and the kids had hours of fun.  Between the pool and the slip n' slide it was a perfect afternoon of entertainment.

The girls got such a kick out of the boys running and jumping into the pool.

Emily and her two princes.  She was a very happy girl who loved being the center of attention.

We made some perfectly pink cupcakes and with our Ariel topper.  

After several cupcakes and brownies digested, it was time to play again.

Look at all those smiles.

The next day we headed off to the petting zoo to enjoy all the animals and rides.  Thank goodness this alligator had its mouth muzzled.

This baby goat just loved Garrett!

 

Emily found her own goat that just needed some cuddles.

Izzy wanted in on the action as well.

There were sheep and goats everywhere.

Our little girls are getting so tall.

Now it was time to play.  This burlap sack ride was a hit for all.  Everyone went down this one...we basically had to drag the kids off the slide.

Connor and I had a couple races around the track.

When we got back, the rest of the family was still at it.  

Obviously it was a fun day when these four smiling faces were how we left the farm.  I think this is one of my favorite pictures.

It was so nice to watch Izzy, Sydney and Emily play together.  Even more fascinating is how all five of the kids really had so much fun with each other.  We are so happy you came to visit us and can't wait to get into some trouble in the future.

Emily's 3rd Birthday

Our baby girl is 3 already. Seriously I know I always say time is flying by but seriously....how did this happen?  Look at my beautiful girl and her loving big brothers.  The love between our kids is so special and the bond they share makes me so happy on a daily basis.

Emily is a true girls, girl.  She loves princesses, fairies, dolls and just about anything pink.

Emily has accomplished so much.  She is an eloquent speaker and can hold a conversation with any adult or child.  Emily is outgoing and loves to play with all her friends and even her brothers friends.  Emily has also started writing the entire alphabet and is completely potty trained.  Our princess is becoming a big girl before our eyes.

Happy Birthday Emily!  We love you so much and your hugs and kisses make every day special. 

LobsterFest

The Silverman's were so sweet and invited us over to LobsterFest 2014 at their house.  It was a really fun night filled with laughs, games and lots of great food.  First off, I think I ate a lobster that was bigger than Emily.  I am not sure who had more fun the kids or the adults.  

Thanks for a great night!

Summer BaseBall-Team Navy

This was Connor's first year of playing travel baseball and he was lucky enough to get on a great team.  They played a great season from June to the end of July and it was so fun to see the boys mature before our eyes. They may not have won many games but they definitely tried hard.  The boys were all so supportive of each other and it was a great team building season with lots of lessons learned.  

Connor was lucky enough to have his two best buddies on his team.  They are quite the three amigos!!

Go NAVY!!!  Great season boys.

Summer Track Update

All the kids were able to participate in track this year and it was very exciting.  They were all outside running and enjoying the outdoors.  They all participated in the Olympics which involved many events.  It was great to watch them compete.  

Below is a picture of the softball throw event.  Garrett was in the first group of four and can you tell which is his ball.  Look closely because he actually threw the ball past the coach who was standing down field.  It is the one closest to the right side of the picture near the white field line. It was an unbelievable throw.  Nice Job Garrett!

Connor participated in many events.  Here I captured him getting his medal after completing the 50 yard dash.  You ran hard and we are so proud of you.

Of course Emily had a blast doing track this year.  She is a fast little one.  Just ask her brothers who chase her around the house and can't catch her.  Emily had so much fun each day and really loved running, the obstacle courses and she can definitely throw.  Great Job Ems!

Lake Placid

We were so excited to be asked to go to Lake Placid with our friends this year.  Our friends own an island (that's right an island) with just one house in the middle of Lake Placid so we were psyched for our new adventure.  When we arrived in the area and before we went to the island, we went to the ski jumping practice which was taking place in the Lake Placid Olympic ski area.  We were able to watch jumpers practice, then take the chair lift to the top.  At the top of the mountain, the actual Olympic podium is still there.  Here we are after our family took the gold, of course.

Emily had to have a picture with the girls.

We have finally arrived and here is house that will be home for the next week.   Five families in one house could spell disaster but to be honest - it was a huge success.  All the kids played superbly as did the adults.

The water was incredibly warm for July and we took advantage.  I was even talked into swimming around the island on three different days.  The kids loved tubing and never wanted to leave the water.

Here we are on the dock ready to canoe, kayak and tube...safety vests are required.

Look at the view and all those adorable smiles.

All smiles and I just wanted to include a couple pictures of us all before the end of our vacation.

The girls.

Some of the boys.

We took tours of the island in a vintage 1930s boat, we went for a walk in town and explored all the shops, we played games, swam until our arms hurt and just had a fun filled time.  Thank you to our hosts who were the greatest and all the cooks that kept our bellies full.  What a great time!  

Lake George

First stop of our vacation: Lake George.  We met up with all our friends at a hotel to play in the water park and break up the long drive.  We ventured into town to explore and then partied in our hotel room.  The kids really love being together and all play together so well.

 

At the hotel, we made our presence known as we went to the arcade (spent many hours picking out prizes) and exploring the hotel.  

Now on to our final destination!

Fourth of July

The evening of July 3rd we had a fun filled night hanging out on Memorial Field.  We staked our claim on a spot and then headed out for dinner.  After dinner we met up with our friends had some frozen yogurt and tons of fun. The whole town was out in force to see the fireworks. 

The next morning we were up bright and early for the town 5k.  It was quite a different day from the prior year because it was bright, sunny and hot.  Daddy finished in 20 minutes and earned a silver medal.   Thank goodness that all the good runners from last year are in the next age bracket.   Congrats daddy!

We were out in all our true colors cheering on the parade.  

Emily danced the entire parade.  

After the hot morning, we were invited to a pool party to cool off.  We spent the rest of the day swimming and partying with our friends.