Summer funnin!

So with Nat in town(for the Ragnar) and not a lot of time for her to visit with Stef and Bek and kiddies, we crammed in as much fun stuff as we could. Thursday after Nat got here, we took the kiddies down to the Gateway for some water fun and to meet Stef for lunch. It was good times! The kids had a blast and us lame-o adults(who didnt want to get wet) had fun watching. JC(hes 15 1/2) said to me as we were walking to the food court that he couldnt believe he was there walking and hanging out with us. How embarrassing. Oh silly JC. I said...NOT! We are the coolest Aunts in the whole world! Im pretty sure he agreed! :) E is missing because she had other plans that were better I guess. I let her chose for herself what she wanted to do. The girl is 12 and already turning into a teenager.

Just finishing up lunch. Have to put Bek and Stef in the shade. They are your typical red heads. Weve got skin cancer in the fam, so dont want them getting it, though Im pretty sure we all have it already and just dont know it. Knock on wood... Garrick joined us for lunch. Yay for Uncle G!!
Oh what a cutie/a lot of other things...Hahaha!!
Just thought this was a fun pic of everyone enjoying the show. Especially Stef. Ha ;)
The finale of the water show. Its synchronized to music. Fun!
One of these kids...:)
Feeling the steam.
Think de Janeiro got it in the face. It was funny. She was laughing so we laughed. Actually cant help but laugh.
We told them all not to get to wet. Well....I think they listened. And yes...de Janeiro is doing her infamous bum slapping. Proud parent moment.

Its as easy as riding a bike....

So little de Janeiro taught herself to ride a bike. That is so her too. This girl is fearless and nothing holds her back. She needed no help either. I went out to tell her to come in for dinner one night last week and saw her riding. Yay!! She has been non stop since. Every morning right after she wakes up she is on it and if it is quiet in the house, I look outside and she is on it. Love it!!! Doesnt even care that its ATs old hand me down bike either. My sisters and I were all over our bikes when we were kids!! Good times!! So fun to all go on a bike ride as a family now too!!! So happy!


Silly lil Brazil!

One decade old....

AT turned 10 on June 12th. For his bday, he wanted to have some buddies over for some pizza and then go to a movie. He chose seeing IronMan 2. He had been wanting to see Clash of the Titans for forever, so we surprised him that night with going to see Clash. He was pretty super excited. They all were. We had to do the dinner and movie the night before his bday because his bday ended up being a busy day, but he and Kirk went to see IronMan 2 on his bday so it was a bday weekend for him. I said bday like 5 time...Ha!

AT with his buddies. Good group of boys.He has one girl cousin his age and he is always mindful to invite her. What a sweet boy we have!
Just thought this was a fun pic.
Nothing put candy and soda in the white bag...score!!!
No worries everyone, I have it under control.
See. We really did have 10 candles in there.
We got him a new bed for his bday. He says the bed he had was too girly. Not really, just had a row of flowers at the top of the head board. ;) For sure need something more boyish. He got it. Got him a cool bed from IKEA.
Brought it in one piece at a time and put it on him. He thought that was pretty funny and everyone else had a good laugh. He and Kirk put it together....together?
And...this is how ATs bday ended. With his ceiling coming down on him. Guess we had a leak in our roof we didnt know about and it finally gave out. Sooooo thankful that his bed was on the other side of the room. Just hit the foot of his bed. Nothing like being woken up to a really loud noise and sheetrock and water coming down on you. Poor kid. Kirk doesnt look too happy. Im sure its because of the mess or maybe because I said...hold on...Im gonna go get the camera...hahaha! Jk! Niether of us were very happy.

No more on LOST. :(

So Stef and G always have a LOST party for the premiers and finales. Well....this was the BIG FINALE! Totally bitter sweet. We all came dressed as our favorite character. Stef and G always have food and drinks to go along with the LOST theme. Then G has a quiz before it starts and even gives out prizes. This time we had a drawing board, if you will, to put down how we thought it was all going to end up. Pretty hilarious! We then watched the show and Stef and I were the cry babies. Good times!!!

G drew this up the night before I think. He is brilliant!G and I as Kate and Sawyer. I wouldnt say Kate was my fav, but easiest costume for me to come up with. G...well....he just creeped everyone out as Sawyer. LOL!!!
These two are hilarious!!! Totally had Edward Cullin(in dark blue shirt) at our LOST party! It aint a party without some vampires right...

Soccer=Awesome!

ES's first soccer season has ended. Man did she love it! I have my soccer player! Yay! She asked if she could play it forever. Love it! This being her first season playing, we werent sure what to expect, but she ended up being quite the little player. Has some serious speed with that ball! After the last game they all got trophies. She was so excited and happy. She literally carried it around for days. Snuck it to church the next day. Took it to school. Slept with it! Adorable! I wasnt a huge fan of her coach. Liked him as a person, but as a coach, not so much. So, guess who her coach is next season? ME!! Ahhh! How did that happen?! I am so nervous, but excited. I asked ES if she thought it would be cool/fun if I was her coach. She said yes and no. Gotta love honesty. Start coaching in September. Yikes...

Tough love...

Okay so, almost every evening at our house, we go through the same thing at dinner time. Whats for dinner? I tell them, and they say oh I dont want that, or I dont like that or do I have to eat it? Almost every night! Really?!! Well, this one evening, and as much as I hate to admit it, they caught me in a really bad mood. They asked and I told them, they gave the normal reply and I was done. I threw my hands up and told them(not so nicely), I was done making dinner for them. Done hearing them complain and not appreciate what they have. Told them they were going to make dinner from now on. They didnt believe me. So the next night about an hour or so before time to make dinner, I said to them whats for dinner? They looked at my with confused faces. I said I told you I wasnt mkaing dinner anymore. Told them they had better get together and decide what they were making. A few minutes later, they came to me and said they wanted to get Wendys or pizza. E said she would pay for it. I said nope. Sorry. Thats a copout. Too easy. Have to make something here. They came up with waffles. A little while into the waffle making, I said I dont want waffles. I dont like them(I really do). They all looked at me like..what? Anyhoo...they dished out what I say to them and I dished what they say to me. In the end, I asked if it felt good having someone do that to them after all that work. They didnt think so. Lesson learned I think. Think I will have them make dinner more often. It was nice. :)

Team work.I think ES was being difficult...
Had to be okay with a mess. Hard for me. I was screaming in my head....
This was de Janeiros contribution....posing. She always manages to get out of things. Shes so her Aunt Stef. ;) Have to give a holla to E. She did most of the work!
Even though they complain, I love my kids! They are grrrrreat!!!

Our little girl is growin up....

Our oldest baby girl turned 12! Yep...12! You always hear people say to enjoy it because it will go by so fast. Well I concur....it has. It did! Cant believe it! For her bday E wanted to have all her little girlfriends over and go to a movie, then have a sleepover. She has a really good group of friends. So glad! Poor AT, no matter what, he is always girl trapped. The movie she anted to see was Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Lightning Thief(think thats the name). Shes read all the books and had to see the movie. She was frustrated with the movie. Said it didnt follow the book very much. It was hilarious to listen to her and her friends critique the movie on the way home. Havent read the books, but I liked the movie.
Then went home and ate lots of food, and let them do thier thing. E doesnt like cake(cant blame her) or pie(shes crazy), so I wracked my brain to figure out something to make, and my genius friend suggested getting creme puffs and pile them up and serve that. Was a huge hit!

Finally told them to go to sleep at about 3am. I was in my bad awake the whole time. (they were loud) and finally put the smack down at 3. I joked with them and said first one alsleep gets the pld bra in the freezer. They thought I would for sure be me. Hahaha! Gotta get up pretty early in the morning to get me..