Since when did they get so big?

Deagan's wet feet!

WHAT A BOY!!!!

the bone collector

all of the crawish bones that they found on the beach, olivi was fascinated!
a fully intact head
olivia walking back with gigi
so cute!

found a big stick
throwing stones with papa Ron
GiGi found a feather and showed it to the kids
Deagan took the feather and stuck it right into the sand.

Swinging in the sunshine!

A little update...

Here's a few pictures of our Labor Day weekend up north for Deagan's birthday. We spent it with Jeff's parents in Omena. I have a few hundred pictures to post, so here's a few that I've gotten around to:)

Chasing Seagulls

You've got to run fast to catch 'em.
Get 'em buddy!
Aren't they sweet?!?!

Mavvy

He's been with us for two years now, the cross-eyed, bowlegged, spotted little wiener dog! Gotta love him!!!!

Ron took Deag for a little tug boat ride.

don't eat the noodle Deagan!!!!!!
Look at Maverick eating the waves...

Omena

Deagan's Birthday Weekend

This weekend we went up to Jeff's Parent's house, a little above Traverse City. We drove up LATE Friday night and stayed through Monday. The kids (including Maverick) had a fantastic time. We all did.
It was so nice to relax, and take a nap everyday. HeHehe. We played on the beach, relaxed and ate lots of yummy food. Paulla and Ron got a pinyata (how do you spell that?) for the kids and filled it with goodies. Deagan went first and didn't get any hard wacks- but then Olivia came along and busted it right open. It was great!
I have TONS of pictures to post....sometime soon.

Their birthday party is going to be Sept 22nd @ our house:)

Eric's Party

This weekend we went over to Dundee to my cousin Lauren's, husband Eric's, welcome home party. He just finished a year long tour in Iraq! So we had a little celebration:)
Deagan got a new quad for his birthday from MiMaw and Poppie. You can't get him off of it until the battery dies! Or you peel im off kicking and screaming! He's nuts. He's obsessed! BEYOND obsession!
At the party, two other kids brough their powerwheels too! It was GREAT....Deagan and Olivia drove around for TWO hours until the batteries died in all of the cars:) It was a great time. And most importantly, Eric is home safe with Lauren!

Got Wheels?

Mass Chaos of Midgets with Wheels!
Olivia driving Laney in her Mustang

Eric's Welcome Home Party

Deagan cooling off with some watermelon
Brynn and Lauren modeling for me
My sweet girl!
Sassy Sissy

SleepySickSillyBoy

Last week, Deagan got his classic bout of high fevers. This poor kid has had terrible fevers since two days after he was born!
He's been teething these four teeth for OVER A YEAR. (seriously, he's had the same teeth for a year, since his 1yr pictures). And now he's trying to get more to come out. But not only is he still pushing these canines, but molars too.
Anyway, he had his 104 fevers last week and wasn't feeling well at all. At first, he wasn't sleeping, but then he slept all the time and begged to go to bed. This particular morning he slept until 9AM- a far cry from his normal 6:30am.
I went into his room and turned on the light as he slept there for a half hour and I took pictures:)

FYI

I'm going to send out invites soon, but I know everyone's weekends fill up fast, so....
Saturday, September 22nd, we will be having a double birthday party for the kiddos at our house.
Save the date:)

Living in a Court

So one of the main reasons we bought this house was because it was on a cul-de-sac and was that much safer for the kids playing. They all get together and ride bikes, power wheels, rollerblades....anything in the court. We finally dusted the bunnies off of Olivia's jeep. It has sat for OVER A YEAR since slidell, and then he was far to little to drive it. So last weekend we hung out in the front and he got to drive it. The thing is so cool because it has a REAL radio! He thought he was hot stuff. The kids played "house" with the other girls until well after dark! We just love it here!

A little Cul-de-Sac fun:)

Deagan driving the jeep for the first time
the little ones were put to "bed" by the older kids...and they stayed!
towing the trailer behind the jeep
"cooking dinner" while playing house
daddy trying to see if he could get the jeep to go FASTER

Olivia's Big Day!

Ever since she was two, Olivia's dream has been to ride a school bus. She was fascinated by Delaney and her kindergarden school bus. Well today all her dreams are coming true! Her preschool is going on her very first field trip!
They go every tuesday/thursday during the summer to various places. I wouldn't let her go her first week of school, but then I gave in. Well today it's a movie. They hire a school bus and driver from the high school and off they go! She has a red shirt with her school's name on it, that goes down to her knees (it's a 10/12 and she is a 4t)....but it's sooo adorable! She had an ear to ear smile this morning when I dropped her off!
You'd swear she was five and she was going to kindergarden! Sweet girl:)

Naked Baby Run

my sweet boy
the naked babies
I wish you could have heard the giggles!

If you've ever been in my house after a bath, then you know the Naked Baby Run that we do. The kids run around flailing and screaming "naked baby, NAKED BABY." It's happened for years and they just LOVE to do it. I'll be so sad when they get too big...

Tim and Stacey's Wedding

Annalyse and Olivia
Tim and Stacey
Tim and his mom, Nancy
Olivia rocking the dance floor.

The weekend before last, Jeff and I had the pleasure of attending a VERY old friend's wedding. I've known Tim since I was a few weeks old. His mother, Nancy, was my babysitter from the time I was a few weeks old, until we moved to Brighton in second grade. She had five boys, plus my brother....so I was a total tomboy:) Tim has a daughter annalyse (sorry if I spell it wrong) and two twin boys. Olivia and Annalyse just adore each other and had so much fun dancing. They actually met at our wedding a few weeks ago. Anyway, we had a great time seeing all of the Kneiper boys again and watching olivia rock the dance floor.

Zach's Bday Party

Uncle Jeff was a baaaad boy and threw Zach and Alexis into the pool- fully clothed!!!!!!

I Start a New Job Today!

I've been a stay-at-home mom for four years now! Four years. I could have graduated Vet school by now. Could have completed a masters program. Could have done lots of things, but I chose to stay home with the kids. And it was the best decision I've ever made. The last four years have been the best of my life. The craziest, but the best! I've been through more in the last four years, than in the 22 before that. And it's made me who I am. These kids have made me who I am today. They've made me love life during a hard time when I could have hated it! They've taught me to slow down and enjoy more things. And they've brought me to my passion- photography. So, after four great years, i'm going back to work. Back? Well not really, since I never really did work (and get paid) after college. I just worked 24 hours a day and 7days a week, and got paid in slobbery goldfish kisses and tight squeezy hugs...the best pay. And I have no regrets! None.
So today I start a job as a photographer and manager of a portrait studio in Canton. It's just four days a week to start, and then will move up to more soon. It's a half hour from home and a really great place. It's privately owned by a VERY nice couple, a retired school teacher and a Navy pilot veteran. They have two small kids same age as ours, and are hoping to get some well deserved time off and rest....that's where I come in. I absolutely LOVE working in the studio. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting in natural environments, but there's just someting about kids in the studio. I love it! So I took the job and am off running. I can't wait. It doesn't make much money, just enough to pay for pre-school and daycare- but that's ok. It's for the experience to get me ready for my own. And I can't wait:)
Wish me luck!
Tricia