Lots o' trampoline pics

We have already gotten so much use out of the trampoline!  I'm sad it's freezing now. :(  

 I almost cropped Jovee out of this one, but I thought her mimicking head motion was pretty cute.

 I didn't even call for a group photo. They all piled in their happily. This never happens!

 Man, when this kid is happy, he is HAPPY!  He is always giggling at himself or others.  

September phone

So September 12th was a big day... the opening of IKEA!  A couple friends and I got there by 5:00am so that we could be in the running for a gift card.  There was a live band, and lots of jugglers and entertainers.  It was kind of rainy some of the time, but overall so fun.  

 We got in the doors with all the IKEA employees cheering us on as we went up in the doors and up the escalator, and we were handed our gift cards sealed in envelopes.  Well, womp womp.  I get a free hot dog!  But only if I buy one too!  Ha.  Ross shows up at 9:30 with the kids and gets a $10 gift card.  Figures.

 Leah's birthday started with the big reveal of our new trampoline!  Ross and I set it up the night before while the kids were in bed, and then we put wrapping paper over the window, and she tore it down for her surprise.  We called it a 'birthday surprise' instead of a 'birthday present' so that she wouldn't feel like it was just hers.  Ross' coworker recently bought a house, and they didn't want the trampoline that came with it, so we were very lucky to get it!  I've been wanting one for a while.  Ross hasn't.  But he couldn't say no to a free one.  

We then took the birthday girl to our favorite Donut place- Johnny Space Age Donuts. She got some chocolate milk to go with it, which is a luxury. :)  

 That evening we opened up some presents, (she got a lot of nail polish).  And celebrated with cousin Michelle and her daughter Paityn. 

 Leah requested coffee cake for her dinner.. so we made that her cake too.  Which, in retrospect, is kind of lame. 

 That weekend we watched our neices and nephew, and boy were we glad to have the trampoline!  They were on that thing all day long, both days.

 We had a really warm day on Saturday and enjoyed some popsicles.  We had planned on having Leah's party that day as well, but Leah and Jovee still had pretty bad colds (didn't stop Leah from playing with cousins).   I was planning on rescheduling, but it didn't work, and so now.. we will have to have a good party next year.

 Jovee likes to put random things on her head for fun.  

It makes life pretty entertaining.

 Going to IKEA with the kids to get balloons. 

They had the best balloon artists I've ever seen.

 Jovee insisted she help with the sweeping.

September 2014

Sunflower Fields.  So glorious. Everyone in the car gasped when they first came in to view.  The children were not very cooperative, but it was still awesome.

 I try and take pictures of the kids every year around their birthday.  So luckily she was feeling up to it at the park.  She can be so sweet and lovely when she wants to be.

I think she said a joke and cracked herself up. :) 

 First year having homework!  He's pretty good about getting it done.   When he gripes about it, I remind him that he will have homework for at least the next 12 years, so he should get used to it!

August 2014

Hey, only 2 months behind now!  

Ross was out of town for our anniversary I think.  So we celebrated it later by going to a yummy restaurant in Brookside, and then going to Murray's ice cream afterwards. Very delicious.

 We went to a Royal's game with some friends. They lost, but we went on a Friday so there were fireworks.  It was good company and good entertainment.

 Leah is so girly, and loves to put on any make-up she finds. 

 Leah wanted a dress out of this material, so Ross just folded it around her and pinned it.  I was actually very impressed that it stayed on and kind of looked like an actual dress.

 We went with friends and Ross' cousin to the Arboretum, 

where our kids pretended to be sculptures.  I'm sad I didn't get more pictures with Ross' cousin Michelle and her cute family.

 We also went to the Aquarium with Michelle and family too.  The kids really enjoyed it.  I thought it was well done, but kind of small for the price of tickets.

 Ethan's first day of First Grade!

 Running a muddy obstacle course 5K with my sister-in-law!   It was very fun.  It was hot, but the mud kept us pretty cool.  I really enjoyed the obstacle course part.  

I did not see how Jovee got into the sink of their little play kitchen.  She was wedged in their pretty good, and I had to maneuver her around the faucet too when I got her out.  She was not very happy about being in there!