Documentation...

Everyone knows how important it is to document the first time someone eats spaghetti, right? Or wait...is that just me?

(By the way...I thought she was actually fairly clean for a first attempt!)

YUM!

Never
ever

waste

your

Ice cream!

VBS

This year I was able to help out at VBS. I got to teach the 2 & 3 year old class. It was SUPER fun. A lot of work...but a lot of fun. It was fun teaching all of Eli's buddies :) There was lots of dancing :) Every day for 30 minutes we went to music time where the kids learned 6 songs and motions. I'm not sure how much of the songs the 2 & 3 year-olds actually learned, but they had a BLAST running around to the very loud, very fun music. Ryan actually taught the class, and he was very good with the kids. Thanks for putting up with the crazy toddlers, Ryan! It was amazing to me how much of the songs Eli actually picked up on. I play the music and he does sing along to some of the words. It's very cute!
There was also a LOT of painting.

We painted every day. Edgar let me borrow some old shirts of his for the kids to wear...though Olivia didn't want to put them on :) The painting is pretty much what got Olivia in the door :) I think she had a good time (and according to Christine, still asks to go to 'BBS' :) Love that kid!)

We had snack time every day. This is also when I told the Bible story. The kids would actually sit still and listen when they had something to eat :)

The learned their 'Bible Verse' too...it was 'I love Jesus!' SO cute when Eli says it :)

We did lots of crafts throughout the week too.

We had a LOT of fun with the kids. It was an exhausting week, but well worth it. I'm looking forward to next year!!

Finally home with a 10 MONTH OLD! :)

We finally made it home early Saturday morning...like 4:00 am early :) We crawled into our beds and slept until 9. I was THRILLED that the kids slept in that long-they are early risers usually. God must've known we needed our sleep. We got up and unpacked and then got ready to go over to Abuela's house. Oh...and by the way...Leah is now 10 months old, and quite happy about it!
Great Grandpa was there too. Leah was pretty cute sitting on his lap. I think he liked playing with her-he kept trying to get her to crawl over to him.

Leilani had put together a photo album for mom of all the pictures we took while on vacation, and gave it to her. The album turned out great Leilani!

Katie and Eli watched 'Tangled' in mom's room. By this point I think Eli was pretty tired...

...when I checked on them again he was under the covers...and the next time I checked on them he was sound asleep. Apparently the trip was exhausting for him too :)

Leah, on the other hand, was content to play with Isaac and the water bottles.

The biggest reason we ventured over to Abuela's house was to see Edgar's aunt and uncle. I don't think I had ever met them before, so it was nice to meet some more of Edgar's family. They were super nice. His Uncle Carlos was a baseball coach, so we had fun talking baseball. He thinks Justin Verlander is a great pitcher, so Uncle Carlos is okay with me :)

We had a nice time hanging out, and headed for home early...and went to bed :)

On our way home!

On Friday morning we got up (very) early and headed for home. We took off at 4:30 and drove and drove and drove... Leah and Eli did great on the long trip home.
Edgar drove most of the way. I think I only drove about 3 hours of the 23 1/2 hour drive home...you can see the road construction cones through the windshield...we seemed to get caught in a lot of that on the way home.

Eli had the map for a lot of the trip. He LOVED looking at it. He was saying "Let's go here..."

"...and here..."

"...and here!"

Maybe next summer, Eli...

Thursday in Michigan

Thursday was our last full day in Michigan. It started off with two kids that were feeling better-YAY! Leah and Parker got some last play time together. Parker wants to borrow Leah's pacifier...
...but Leah's not really into sharing...

We spent some time on the trampoline. Parker is so cute on the trampoline. He was running around having a blast!

Eli was quick to hoard all of the balls.

Taking a little break.

Eli LOVED Grandpa and Grandma's trampoline. I think he would have jumped on it for hours every day :) Unfortunately for him, we will probably never get one (those things scare me!) so he'll just have to enjoy it at Grandpa and Grandma's house :)

This is how I enjoy the trampoline...sitting and safe :)

Trying to convince Eli to share with his sister...Leah is always entertained by her brother.

Such a happy girl!

Not happy about sharing... ;)

Leah's a little hoarder too!

Rick and Kristi took the kids on a 4-wheeler ride.

I LOVE this picture. Leah loved Grandpa's beard :)

She just can't look away from her Grandpa :)

Eli and daddy roasting a marshmallow.

YUM!

'Chocolate makes me happy!'

Quite truthfully...chocolate makes me happy too :)

Chilling with Grandpa.

It was a really nice evening to hang out around the fire.

Getting a few last snuggles from Grandpa and Grandma.

We had an unbelievably relaxing time while we were there. It was a great vacation...can't wait to go back!! :)

Wednesday in Michigan

Wednesday morning I picked Eli up and noticed he was hot... ...so he pretty much sat in a chair all morning and watched cartoons. He was running a fever and had had a runny nose. We didn't want to risk driving home with a sick kid, so we headed over to the doctor. We got him checked out, and he had a sinus infection. So, we filled a perscription and headed for home.

When we got home I picked Leah up...and SHE felt hot. SO we went back to the doctor...She had a double ear infection. Ugh. My poor kiddos :)

Thankfully we caught it before it got too bad. They were able to get antibiotics in their system before the big trip home, so we were thankful for that.