Favorite Summer Photos - June 2010

I'm finally going through some of the photos from the summer. These are my favorite from June.

We went strawberry picking on a hot, sticky day. The kids ate about a bajillion, Lily fell asleep in the stroller, and we made some pretty darn good jam when we got home.


Lily watched the fun, posed for a few pictures (I love how she would stick her tongue out like that - all the time), tried a strawberry, and sat in the grass.
We spent a few days with our cousins at the beach.

Ryan liked his floaty. Sort of.
I love Lily in her flower bathing suit. Might be my favorite baby outfit ever.
Calvin LOVED being wet
Lily hated her toes in the water. After she figured out it was just like a really big bathtub, she splashed away. I love this photo of her legs. Her chubby, squishy, beautiful little legs. They make me smile.

First Days of School

I am lucky to have kids who are so excited about school.

Luke was so happy to be back. He helped me pick out his school supplies, carefully packed his (Star Wars) backpack and lunch, and practically sprinted to the bus stop. Just like last year, he barely waved good bye. I don't know why, but this year was almost harder than last year. He just looked so grown up and like a big kid now instead of a little boy. I think there may have been more Mommy tears this time around (mostly at the open house - I was post-nights the first day of school and pretty much exhausted).



Evie really, really wanted to get on the bus this year with him. She was so, so excited to pick him up at the bus stop and jumped up a down yelling "Wukey! Wukey!" She misses him so much when he is gone.

It's okay, though, because she got her chance a few days later as she started her first year in preschool. She helped me pick out her outfit and had to have princess backpack on her back, just like Luke. She loves preschool and loves her teachers. She loves her friends. She keeps asking me to have "dat giwl" over to play (usually a different one - and she can never remember their names." She tries to do homework everynight that Luke is working on a project.

Flying Kites

We took the kids, on one windy night right after school started, to fly kites in a big park near our house.

I can't believe we haven't done this with them before. The weather was beautiful, crisp fall. Absolutely perfect - the best time of the year here. The kids were enthralled. And when they were done, they chased each other around the field and laid in the grass. Lily - as usual - was her happiest. Surrounded by kids and people she loves. She is a happy girl, that one.









Love the snot bubble. Just had to throw that one in there.

Star Wars Room

Luke has been asking (basically since he moved in with Evie after Lily was born) when he could have his own room again. We had planned on waiting until Lily was a little older, but then decided it would be a great surprise for him before school started.

Ken took the older kids to Michigan to finish Grandpa and Grandma Barringer, and Lily and I stayed behind. We spent the entire weekend painting and moving furniture and putting up posters.

Luke was so excited. They got in really late and he just looked up with this huge smile on his face. "Awesome" he said, and then fell back asleep. The next morning was spent playing with legos and reading his Star Wars books. He loved it.

10 and 11 months

My beautiful girl is getting so big.

She had ear tubes put in the beginning of August - she had been on months of antibiotics with 5-6 bouts of ear infections that just wouldn't clear up. She did great during the surgery (though she was a little sad when she woke up and didn't recognize anyone). She has seemed to be a much, much happier baby ever since - and no more antibiotics, hooray!

She spent most of the last 2 months getting where she wanted to by rolling. A little scooting forwards on her rear but mostly just flipping herself over to get where she wanted to. She finally started crawling last week - and she got speedy fast.

She continues to be the happiest, most easy going baby in the world. She has a little more stranger anxiety than my other kids did - she gets a pretty crusty glare going if she doesn't know you well. But around our house she is easy. She will sit contently in your lap, with a book, or emptying out her bin of toys. She laughs the hardest when you tickle her chin or when she sees her brother and sister being crazy. She loves them.

She does not like fruit. Or vegetables. But she loves meat, bread and beans.

She loves to be upside down.

She is wonderful and we adore her.

Summer Catch Up

Feeling the need to catch up a bit. This summer was busy, fun, hot and sticky. We spent a few weeks in Utah, a few days in Chicago exploring the city. The kids got a camping trip with their grandparents and Grandma Walton came for the State Fair. Work was busy - our census is through the roof. It went by way to fast. All of a sudden, the leaves are red and orange and we send the kids off to school in their jackets. Lily is crawling and trying to stand up and saying a few words. Evie is a little girl (and oh, what a girl she is) and Luke has the attitude of a school kid and not a little boy. I am usually looking forward to the beginning of winter - but it just seems like the summer went by so fast.

This summer was a hot, humid Minnesota one. We spent many days at the Lifetime pool (Luke is getting to be a pretty fearless swimmer - he even took on the water slides and loved them) and in the sprinklers an slip-n-slide in the back yard. We were lucky to have Caroline and the kids come down and play so much. AnnaMarie and the girls came down a few times too - and the kids loved it.

Ryan checking out the sprinklers:

Baby Jane - just a few weeks older than Lily. But that girl can crawl circles around poor little Lil.

Being the biggest and toughest (well, maybe tallest . . . not necessarily biggest) has its advantages. It means you win all of the baby wars. Sophie and Lily - you'll have your chance. Maybe.
Calvin has the funniest run. I love it. He swings his arms and shakes his little hips. Even cuter with saggy swimsuit bum.
My Evie girl. She loves this swimsuit - pink and flowers. Now, if it only had a princess it would be perfect.
Luke finally figured out how to do the slip and slide - he could make it the whole way down!
I love Lily's thighs. Love.

MinneMan Tri

I had a little bit of envy last year, as I was 8 months pregnant, watching Ken and his buddies finish his first triathlon.

Given that I was NOT 8 months pregnant this year, I decided to train with Ken and give it a go this year.

It was, really, a ton of fun.

Ken and I before the race:


The swim scared me a little bit - I never really got into a rhythm and remember rounding the first buoy thinking that it was going to be rough getting back to the beach. I realized why when I got out of the water and looked at my watch - I was going way faster than I ever had and had caught up to the wave in front of me. Note to self: need to practice lake swimming - it's hard to tell how fast you're going and harder to pace yourself. But I made it. I was a little worried before the race that they'd be hauling me out on the rescue boats.

The bike was windy and the run was hot - but I was really happy with the way I did. Fourth in my age group overall! Ken did great, too - he came in 2nd in his novice division.

The group of us after the race:


I think we are doing another one in the beginning of September. Gotta practice that swimming.