Summer Fun

I LOVE SUMMER!
I love the late mornings.
I love hanging out at the pool.
I love playing with my kids.
I love snow cones.
I love hanging out on the front porch in the evening.

My kids are creating their own summer memories.
Nothing like...

Going on a bike ride with Papy

Eating popsicles with cousins at Grandma's

And running around in a warm summer storm

It's going to be hard thinking about this summer ending.

Swimming and Fishing

My girls swam at a meet on Saturday.
It is so fun to see them getting better and better!
And even more fun was to have cousins swim with them.
I have a few extra kids with me these days...
Ang is at girls camp, so we get these cuties.
I feel like people stare when 7 (yes 7) kids pile out of my car.
Lucky kids.
I'm jealous and SO HAPPY that my kids get to be close with their cousins.

After a long morning at the pool,
I came home to a sick little Loo.
She had croup and had to get a steroid injection.
It was sad.

But...
she is better now.

We headed up to Silver Lake to do a little fishing and hanging out with friends and family.
We took the hooks off the little boys poles to avoid any injuries.

This boy LOVED it!
He could have stayed out there for hours.
He got really good at casting (better than me).

I was exhausted at the end of the day.
What we won't do to make sure our kids have good summer memories!

Happenings

Starting from the top...

Cameron had surgery AGAIN on his ear.
We are hoping that this one will work and he will be able to hear better.
This is Cam, chilling with O right before his surgery.
He was really dizzy for a few days, but he says he can hear better.
In fact, he can't stand how LOUD our kids are these days.
I told him that they are any louder then normal,
he can just finally HEAR them.

We did a GREAT room SWITCHEROO this weekend.
It has been a great cleansing and purging time.
Furniture was moved between all 3 kids rooms, and the playroom.
Some furniture came up from the basement.
Some furniture went down.
All closets and dressers were emptied of ALL contents.
Everything was reorganized and evaluated for usefulness.
I am FINALLY finished.

Kate and Emmy now share a room

And this girl is THRILLED to have her own room.

The boys share a room, and not too much changed in there.
I put the changing table in there, and rearranged toys and closets.
Sorry no pictures because I LITERALLY
just finished their room,
and you can see from the time stamp that it is WAY late
and O is sleeping in there now, so I can't take pictures.

I just CAN NOT get enough of this little guy.
He has ANOTHER double ear infection and croup right now,
but you'd never know it.
He is so nice.

He is so SQUEEZY
This kid weighs in at 18 lbs. already at 5 1/2 months old.

Not that he needs too much more...
but he is also eating solids now.
He didn't so much care for the rice cereal,
but has enjoyed sweet potatoes.

And we celebrated this cute girl's birthday with a trip to Chuck E Cheese.
She loved it,
she brought along some of her favorite people.
Thanks for coming favorite people.

Emmy Loo

Today, 2 years ago,

my little Loo was born.
She was born during the most difficult time
of our lives.
She was a shining light in our "darkest" time.
We love her for bringing that light.
She was a powerful reminder of the
love that our Heavenly Father has for our family.
She is an important link.
Wow!
What a crazy two years?
We are SO grateful for this
little spitfire.

It's funny, before I had any kids,
I dreamed of a blue-eyed, brown haired little girl.
After I had my first two girls,
and then a boy,
I began to think that it was just that, a dream.
Then came my Emmy.
It was her I was dreaming of.
She didn't want me to forget about her.

Oh, how I love this little one.
Her loves include:
Her pink blankie
(it gets really gross from time to time cause she drags it around)
Her bottle
(I know, I'm trying to get her off it)
Her sissies
(Milly and Kate)
Her brothers, especially Owie (so cute when she says his name)
Her daddy (she has been a daddy's girl from day 1)
Any adventure
(she is my daring one)

I can't wait to see what the future holds for this one.