1st Day

Anna has already been in school for two weeks but these are her first day pictures. She actually had a substitute for the first week because her teacher, Mrs. Pierce, needed to be with her family as her dad had died the Saturday before. Anna really likes her teacher but is a little bored since she already knows how to read. Lunchtime is a little overwhelming for her but at least there is a kindergarten table just for her class. Her best friend Victoria is also in her same class so they have each other. I walk her to school every morning since we are only 6 houses away from the school. The bus is offered but the bus stop is farther up the hill away from the school, it is easier right now just to walk her there. I miss her during the day and I am always ready to hear about the fun she is having while she is away.

6 months old

This is what 20 pounds of cuteness looks like. It is hard to believe that Jacob is already 6 months old and ready to sit up. He is loving his solid foods and full of smiles. He is such a sweet boy and always looking for something to put in his mouth.

Jacob is modeling a retro 70s sweater ensemble. Thanks to Grandma Shaw for saving Gordon's baby outfit. Now Jacob is wearing it but unfortunately I don't know how to scan in a picture of Gordon wearing the same outfit when he was young. Aren't they cute?!

Family Fun in Branson

A couple of weeks ago we drove to Branson to spend some time with the Downs side of the family. We stayed at a place called StoneBridge and stayed in two cabins that have four big bedrooms in each one. We had a good time swimming and fishing every day there at the resort. The weather was great considering it was the middle of summer. We stayed three days and enjoyed visiting with each other since all of us are together only once a year. The cousins had a great time and played so well together. Our cabins were at the end of a cul-de-sac so we didn't have to worry about traffic and the kids went back and forth between the cabins a lot. We ventured into Branson once or twice but pretty much had everything we needed right there at the resort.

My girls wanted to fish every day and luckily they have a couple of uncles that love to fish too. Even when the girls weren't fishing down by the water, they spent a lot of time just casting their fishing poles in the grass. I never knew how much fun they could have just doing that over and over and over.

Thinking about it now I don't remember any of the kids having a meltdown, just me. Lack of sleep at night and hormones are a dangerous combination. Yikes! I am sorry about that and feeling a little embarassed.

We were sad to see everyone go their separate ways at the end. Anna was going through Sophie (her cousin) withdrawal for days!

Swing Time

Once again Craigslist came through. We found a swingset on Craigslist that had been bought but never put together. I offered them half of what they paid at Lowe's and with a some help from my Dad we now have a swingset. The girls love it! I few bumps and bruises but they are still having a good time. The only problem is when a friend comes to play and then they have problems sharing two swings between three people. Megan loves to run down the hill and jump into the swing on her tummy like in the picture. Fun times in the summer!

Turtle Power

Meet Savage, the turtle. Adopted by our family for a day. Gordon found it Saturday morning while he was mowing the lawn. Anna instantly fell in love with the turtle while Megan chose to keep her distance (this is the way Megan feels about every moving creature). The turtle's shell was pretty scratched up and missing some parts from a previous encounter with a dog or other animal.

Anna had found a new best friend and as far as Anna was concerned every turtle enjoys countless trips down the slide into a box, leaves of spinach and a nice newspaper covered home with walls too high to climb. Anna enjoyed her day with the turtle but we convinced her it would be better off with its own family. After dinner she let it go and then insisted on checking to see if it had left 10-20 times before she went to bed. He may decide to stay and live in our tasty garden. (Maybe it is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in disguise!!)

5 Months Old

Oh, how I love this little face! Jacob is another month older and having a great time in the exersaucer. He doesn't enjoy laying on his back as much anymore now that he has discovered this new world of sitting up. Sometimes I find the girls playing with the exersaucer even when Jacob isn't using it.
He is eating cereal and veggies now and likes them for the most part. He thinks it is pretty funny to blow it out of his mouth and onto Mommy's shirt though. I think he weighs about 17 pounds now and sleeps through the night. His day naps could be better but I'll take what I can get.