Cool In The Pool

We had a great time yesterday swimming with some of our good friends.... Thank you Carol for sharing your pool, your house, and your time with all of us!  All of the adults and kids had a wonderful time and cannot wait to do it again.  It was just what we all needed on yet another hot Kansas day!

We took a life jacket for Sarah to wear if she wanted to.  I am so glad that we did because she wore it a lot of the time and was able to go into the deep end unassisted and jump in numerous times without an adult catching her.  I even talked her into jumping off of the diving board for the first time!  After she tried it, she did not want to stop jumping off of it!

Here is our friend Carol with three of the kiddos.  Phoebe had a good time playing with water guns and spraying everyone with Daddy.

Mary gave a lot of motor boat rides around the shallow end of the pool...

We tried to get these three to line up on the edge and jump all at the same time... 1, 2, 3, JUMP!

a few more attempts at jumping in at the same time....

Eric did a lot of jumping and diving in too.  Here he is jumping and catching the football over and over....... Show off.

The kids left to right: Ian, Abigail, Sarah, Elizabeth, Afton, Anna, Eli, Lydia, and Phoebe

Our good friends, left to right top row: Michelle, Rick, Melissa, Elizabeth, Nathan, Eric, and Stacee

left to right bottom row: Ian, Abigail, Sarah, Afton, Anna, Eli, Lydia, and Phoebe

Ready For A Baby

We have the baby's room set-up, decorated and ready... My dad actually made this crib for Eric and I before Sarah was born.  All of our babies will get to use it.  It also converts to a toddler bed.  My dad made the cradle for for my mom before I was born.  It has been used for myself, my sister, my brother, some of our relatives babies, and our babies.  (Have I mentioned that my dad is an amazing woodworker!)  We are set, and just hope this baby is a good sleeper like Sarah and Phoebe were and still are....

I picked out our new diaper bag and monitor... also got some of the essentials....

We have these cute "First Year" frames for both of the girls.  We hung up a new one for our baby too.

We all went to the store a few weeks ago to pick out a "coming home" outfit for our new baby.  Because we do not find out whether we are having a boy or a girl.... we always get a surprise baby, we needed to pick out an outfit for a boy and a girl.

Sarah picked this "boy" frog outfit because she likes to go frog catching with her Daddy.  She thought it would be perfect if she gets a little brother....

 We all agreed on this cute pink zebra outfit for a little "girl". Girls can never have too much pink.

We are ready... none more than me.  I have been having some issues with high blood pressure and swelling.  I went to the hospital last Monday with high blood pressure and they ended up keeping me to monitor it for 24 hours.  I came home Tuesday evening with orders of bedrest from my doctor.  It is very hard to "rest" or lay around with a 5 year old and a 2 year old.  Plus, I am not really a lay around person... I think I always need to be doing something... a project, or something around our house, or something with our girls.  Oh well, not much longer now... This Wednesday will be 38 weeks so ready or not, mostly ready, we'll keep on going and waiting, and being READY!

Happy Birthday Dad

We celebrated my Dad's birthday over the weekend.  Sarah and Phoebe helped Nanee frost and decorate a cake for Popee.  They liked putting on tool and fishing decorations, and then getting to eat some leftover chocolate frosting.

Eric fried fish for the birthday dinner.  It was delicious!  We also enjoyed lots of fresh vegetables from out of my Dad's garden.  Lindsee was still in Kansas so she got to celebrate with us too.

Getting ready to blow out the candles and dig into the cake.  Happy birthday Dad, and many more!

A Few Fun Days Away

About a week ago the girls and I headed to my parents house for some fun.  Sarah got to attend my parents church for their VBS program.  It lasted for four evenings, and Phoebe got to attend, tagging along with Sarah's group for two evenings.  They both had a great time!  The theme of the VBS was SKY... Everything is possible with God.  They both learned that you can "Trust God no matter what!"

Here are both girls during the games time.... rolling and playing a version of duck, duck goose.

Here are a couple pictures during chapel, singing and storytime.

My mom was Sarah's group leader, taking the group around from station to station.

"Trust God no matter what!"

We also had time to do some other fun things while visiting my parents... swimming at the Rec Center, watching a movie, coloring and drawing, playing games, a trip to the Sweet Granada Chocolate Shop, shopping for Sarah's school supplies, and playing in the backyard.

Here's my mom and the girls playing Hi-Ho-Cherry-O.  This was a game that my brother, sister, and I use to always play with my Grandma Grant.  In fact, this was the actual game that she had at her house.  It has been played hundreds of times!

Thanks Mom and Dad for a few fun days away!

Airport Signs

My sister flew in from Denver yesterday.  My dad thought it would fun for Sarah and Phoebe to hold signs at the airport when we picked her up, so he helped them make a couple.  The girls did have fun waiting and watching for Aunt Lindsee to arrive.  Two older ladies who were sitting by us, also waiting for someone to arrive, had a good time watching Sarah and Phoebe waiting and holding their signs.  Sarah kept trying to trick us all by saying, about every 2-3 minutes, "There she is.  I see Lindsee."  Ha-Ha-Ha, funny girl.

When Lindsee did arrive Sarah ran to her with a huge hug!  So cute.  Lindsee even said later that it may have made her tear-up just a little, like a scene from out of a movie.

We love our Aunt Lindsee!

His Grandpa's Train

Last weekend Eric had the opportunity to drive his Grandpa' train in the Olpe Downhome Days parade.  This event is held, in the heat of the summer, every July in Olpe, Kansas.  A little event that draws a lot of hometown people together.  They have a children's fishing derby, games for children and adults, food, a parade, music and a street dance.

Eric's Grandpa, George Bowers, made this train.  It has been driven in many parades and many children and adults have enjoyed riding in it.  George and Dorothy Bowers grandchildren and now great-grandchildren love it when the train comes out of the barn whether it is for a parade or a ride around the Bowers land in Olpe.

Taking a test ride in the train cars around the backyard before the parade started... three of George and Dorothy's great-grandchildren, Sarah, Phoebe, and Harlee,  and some of our friends, Kyla Kuhlmann, Jesse Kuhlmann, and Josh Kuhlmann

Getting ready to drive the train over to the parade starting point... Carla, Eric's Aunt, and his Grandma Dorothy rode too!

In the caboose and ready for the parade!  Choo-Choo!