The Search Continues

Since this is our first summer in Washington, we went on a search to find our favorite swimming spot.  After FIVE different "beaches", we are still not sure we've found the best one...hmmm....

Our first try Houghton...

...then Waverly...

...then we trecked all the way out to Edmonds Marina Beach Park...

 

...then down to O. O. Denny Park...

 

 ...and finally Idylwood Park.

Some were too rocky, some were roped off too shallow, some you had to take a swim test, some were too cold, some didn't have enough shade...etc., etc.   So we continue the search...

FIVE kids for a week

We were lucky enough to have my niece Rebecca stay with us for a whole week!

 

She and Jordan went to the movies...

They hung out at the mall...

They got drug along while I ran errands (here they are taking pictures of themselves while waiting for baby to get her blood drawn)...

 

We went to the lake...

We went to the last evening of cub scout camp...

 

 She helped with baby Summer...

We went to the beach...

We tie died shirts...

 

And, they stayed up practically all night and ate a whole lot of junk food!!  What a great week:)

A Special Blessing

Today was Summer's baby blessing!!  

She wore the same dress me, all my sisters, all her girl cousins, and her big sisters were blessed in!!

 I feel so blessed to be the mother of this little sweetheart!

My little family of SIX!! 

Daddy gave her a beautiful blessing.

Here are some of the men who were in the blessing circle.

All the kiddos together.

My mom and sisters came down for the blessing--only missing Sheri:(

 I was so happy Ginny and her family came too!  We think of them as family too:)

I can't even tell you how much joy and love I feel radiating from this little angel we have been blessed with.  We love her more every day and are so grateful she is part of our family!!

SMILES

    Summer has been smiling since the day we brought her home from the hospital, but now I think they are real smiles!  And, Dad will do just about anything to get a good smile out of her.  But, it is so hard to get a picture of that great big, open mouth smile!  Here's a few of her "sort of" smiles:)

This is what 11 looks like...

Kya turned ELEVEN this past week!

 

She got to (had to) play her final All-Star softball game on her birthday...

then we headed to Olive Garden.

 

We headed home for birthday cake (nice face Mike)

 

The next day she had a party filled with Elevated Sports, Just Dance, Karaoke, and lots of yelling and laughing. 

And another cake...this time it was a DQ ice cream cake--YUM!

Blessed Beyond Measure

I must of done that drive more than a dozen times since August--that drive from my hometown in Canada to my new home in Washington.  Yet each and every time, my eyes well up with tears...tears of gratitude.  I honestly never thought I would be able to live close to my family again, yet here I am two hours away.

This morning my eyes filled with those same kind of tears.  For in my arms I held a precious baby girl.  A baby girl I honestly thought I would never have.  I am so grateful to be her mom.

I look at my life and I can't believe how blessed I am.  I am truly blessed beyond measure.

Meeting Baby

We thought we planning it out perfectly.  My sisters would come down to stay with the kids while I was induced and then they would come to the hospital to meet baby Summer.  Well, things didn't turn out quite as planned.  Instead of being induced on Saturday, I didn't get induced until Monday and Tina and Lisa had to get back to their families.  So, Summer was born Monday night and didn't get to meet anyone until Tuesday morning.  Kya and Tyson decided to skip school so they could spend the day at the hospital with their new sister.  Jordan just couldn't miss school because she had a choir concert, so she didn't get to meet Summer until 8pm Tuesday night!!  

 Grandma and Grandpa drove down to meet Grand baby #16 on Wednesday.  It was so nice having them stay with us for a few days.  Mom made a turkey dinner, spaghetti and meatballs and homemade cinnamon rolls!!  They also stayed an extra day so I wouldn't have to be alone while Mike and Tyson went on the Father/Son campout.  I am so lucky.

My sister Lisa and her family came down the Sunday after Summer was born!  It was so cute to see Eric and Summer together.  I look forward to years and years of those two cousins playing together:)

 

 

There are a lot more important people Summer is waiting to meet...like the rest of her aunts and uncles and cousins!  So come on down everyone!!

Summer Olivia

Here are the deets:

My due date came and went...which really was no surprise (although I HOPED maybe she'd come early).  I saw my doctor, and she scheduled to induce me on Saturday, May 31st.  I got a call from the hospital Saturday afternoon postponing my induction for Sunday morning...June 1st...frustrating.  When I went in Sunday morning they monitored the baby's heart, gave me an ultrasound and sent me home:(  I was so discouraged.  But they promised me the next morning I'd be able to stay, "yeah right" was my thinking.

Monday, June 2nd.

I went to the hospital and they didn't send me home!!  They hooked me up to pitocin to start contractions.  Hour after hour went by and I still wasn't progressing at all...my contractions weren't even painful (with all my other babies, once I was hooked up to pitocin, the baby arrived within about 4 hours).  So by the time I had been there about 10 hours, I was really frustrated.  The doctor suggested breaking my water, so I agreed.  I got my epidural and my water was broken by 8:10pm.  I fell asleep (thank you epidural) for 2 hours and when I woke up I was 8cm dialated!!  I then started to feel some pretty strong contractions and within minutes I was ready to push.  Three pushes and baby was here at 10:58pm.

Summer Olivia:  9lbs 2 oz, 21 inches long...and absolutely perfect.

Brand New

 Meeting her daddy

 Lovin on her binky

 Perfect little bundle of sweetness