Highlights

We're back!

Told you we'd be back soon.

Here are the highlights from the first half of the month:

1. Megan turned 1. (Already recorded for posterity below...that is, if I ever get this blog printed somehow.)

3. Emily participated in a Diva Derby (Pinewood Derby), her first Activity Days activity. It was the day before her birthday and she was so very happy to be there.

 2. Emily turned 8. (This slip 'n slide was one of her birthday presents.)

 3. All of our grandmas and grandpas came to visit. My parents came a week before Emily's baptism, so we had some time to play with them.

We went to the beach.

Megan was a complete mess, but pretty darn happy!

We had a breakfast picnic.

Not sure why he was upset, but he was.

The kids ran obstacle races at the park.

We went to the zoo.

Billy's parents came the day before the baptism and stayed a few days after.

We played LOTS of games.



Everyone got to know Megan better.

I don't know how it happened, but I didn't get a picture of my Dad playing with Megan, which is crazy because she really liked him and was with him a lot. Mom, did you get one? Or five?! :)

4. Emily was baptized. A child's 8th birthday is a big deal in our church, because that is the age of accountability. The age when a child knows what is right and wrong and can choose if they want to be baptized. Emily did want to be baptized, so our grandmas and grandpas came to be with us on that special day.

Matthew is so three sometimes...

Not sure what was happening here, but we can see just how happy Daddy was on Emily's special day. :)

Billy's cousin, Joe, and his family also came to be with us and it was so fun to have them. The kids immediately started playing together and you wouldn't have known it had been 3 months since we visited them in San Antonio. Unfortunately, we didn't get them in the group picture, but I managed to shoot some pictures of the kids together before they left.

Matthew, Jacob and Henry

Violet and Emily

My parents and the kids

(See Matthew?!)

The kids love playing Angry Birds.

(Fortunately we don't have anything they can play it on, so it's a special grandparent treat.)

Flying a kite with grandpa.

Another breakfast picnic.

(The only way to picnic in the summer here. Especially this year.)

Billy's parents with the kids.

(At least Matthew was looking at the camera this time...)

It has been such a fun few weeks.