Memorial Day 2013

Ry and Jeff were itching to head to the lake for the season, so we wasted no time and headed there Memorial Day weekend to start off the summer.

My pool loving girl!

Amy and Jeff had the same idea, so we met them there!

Em and I relaxing and being the watchers while Ry tubes.

The kids wanted to swim in the lake (ICK!!) so we pulled into a quiet cove and took a little break.
Isn't this pure sweetness? Em soooo wants to be a big girl!

And my other baby girl didn't want to miss any of the action with her Daddy either!
Love those little toes! =)

St. Louis Magic House

My friend Tarra called this morning to see if we had any interest in heading with them to The Magic House.
Um, YES!
Julia, Maddie, Mason, Rhett, Ryan and Emerson wait for us to buy tickets.

The Magic School Bus was the traveling exhibit, of which the kids are HUGE fans.
They had a great time pretending to forecast the news and holding down the local news station.
I think Julia might just be a natural at reporting. Just sayin'...

Pulley fun!

I never realized how into babies and taking care of them Emerson was until we visited the hospital area of the Magic House.  She could've stayed in here all day just being "mother"!

Future babysitter of the year?!

Last Day of School!

Remember these sweet kids on the 1st day of school?
2nd grade for Ry.
Kindergarten for Julia.

Ry hopped on the bus before I could snap a picture.
Julia prefers I drive her these days (she likes to sleep in and she is sooo slow in the mornings!), so we had an opportunity for a quick photo.
Look how much my little kindergartener has grown up over the last school year!
I laid out her clothes this morning and she told me "Mom, why do you always pick out such lame and boring clothes for me?!" Oh geesch!  This diva is going to keep us on our toes! I'm blaming my mother for this...seems the bling gene has hit Juls! 

Sunday Funday

Every few days we seem to forget we have an active toddler and attempt a sane meal out with the kids.  Daddy and Ry voted Denny's after church today. Em actually sat through most of the meal, but didn't change her habit of trying to tour the restaurant and check out all the other guests.  Did I mention she is fast these days? She might just be a track star someday.  She's sure giving her workouts 100% effort these days!

On the way home, we stopped at Township Park where the Junior Service Club was hosting the grand opening of the new playground they've been fundraising for the last year or so.  Ry and his friend Nicolas check out the teeter totter. Jeff and I noticed how different these are made than in our day--when if your friend got off, you went crashing to the ground, or where your friend had the ability to teach you the real definition of launch!

As part of the JSC's fundraising, we bought a brick. I wanted to put something on the brick that would be more than just our family name, or the kids names, or really self promotion.  After pondering over the right saying that would fit the number of spaces given, we came up with this one. And there was just enough room at the end to put the kids first initials. Yea!

Belly Laugh

When the kid's aren't busy fighting, they really have a great time together.
I LOVE this shot of Julia's belly laugh and Emerson messing with Ryan.

Go Cardinals!

Erica, Jeff Bash; Brian, Krista Rudd; Josh, Taran McKey, Sara, Ron Hampton, Jeff Harriss, Jeff Busch, Patrick Harriss, Amy Busch.
What a fun group!

Adventurous Ryan

Julia = Dancing Queen Aspirations

Go Cards and Happy Birthday Matt Morris!

Go Cardinals!
Our friend Tarra decided to surprise her hubby for his
 birthday with a day at the ballpark and invited us along for the fun.
It was a BEAUTIFUL day to sit outside and enjoy baseball!

Maddie, Mason and Julia take a break from the game and do a little souvenir shopping and buy some eats!

Emerson

Easter 2013

Happy Easter!
Jeff's family came over for brunch on Easter morning.

Patrick puts Ry in a lock position...we could use Uncle Patrick around here more often to restrain our crazy boy!

Group pic!

After Em's nap, we headed to my parents for our second Easter celebration.
Em anxiously awaits to see what the bunny left at Glammie's house for her!

It's Em's first year to participate in the egg hunt.
About halfway through, she gets the hang of it!

Easter Egg Dying

Aunt Stacy is a Pinterest Queen, and she found a neat idea for dying Easter eggs online.

Her idea required us all to make silly faces.

Muuhhh!

Typical Ryan. =)

Gram getting crazy.

Papa posing for his egg pic.
Not sure how, but I don't have any pictures of the final results! EEK!
We printed the pictures out and mod-podged them on the eggs. 

Read and Run

Today the kids participated in the Read and Run event at their school.  They've read 26 books,  eaten 26 healthy snacks, and done 26 hours of exercise. In celebration, the crew all ran the last mile of their 26 together at the school.  Julia participated also, but I've gotten terrible lately with taking pictures!  

Princess Day

Aunt Stacy got great private box seat tickets through her work to Disney Princesses on Ice.
Guess who she called and invited to go? =)
Juls was beyond excited to get a special day with mommy and Aunt Stacy!

Julia's Skating Party.

Juls decided to celebrate 6 she wanted to have a skating party.
The day before said party, she was super duper sick.
(Have I mentioned what a nightmare February has been for our family!?)
She still didn't feel good on party day, but she could at least sit up
and was a trooper and made it to the party to see her
 friends and thank them for coming!

Em thinks the walkers are a pretty neat-o invention.

Uncle Mat and Coleman get their skates on!

She invited her entire kindergarten class + other friends.

While she wasn't interested in eating a cupcake,
I had her pose with one to at least blow out the candle.
She loves everyone singing to her! =)

Sugar -- yummo!

Reese, Maddie and Mason sit and enjoy a cupcake!

Julia, Hannah, Annie and Audrey.

Shawn, Josh and Mike.

Aunt Krista keeps Colin happy for a bit with some sugar. Nothing like a good bribe! =)

Em has always been a big daddy's girl. I think I know his secret now! =)

Present time!

I realize this isn't the most flattering pic of Emerson, but I'm posting it for her eyes.
This blog is our documentation of her progress, and helps me remember how she was doing on which dates--something her Drs are always asking me about.
You'll see here, something is still off.

Happy 6 to my sweet "baby" girl!!