Milestones

We hit some milestones these past few weeks:

JoJo got braces!!!!  

I'm not sure why this made me feel like I just got kicked in the stomach (maybe it's all the money I had to pay), but for some reason this made me really feel like I have a teenager.  She is still just as beautiful as ever though!!

Then, this little one started giggling...and kicking her feet up, and rolling!!  Next thing I know, she'll be in braces!!  

 

What she missed most:

This girl has been off at Girl's Camp this past week.  When I asked her if she missed home, this was her reply:  "I missed TV, Instagram, sleeping in my own bed, and milk!"

Don't worry, I really know she missed her FAMILY the most :)

Miley AKA Murderer

See this kitty?

We think she is sweet.

We think she is the perfect kitty.

The birds and bunnies around here don't think so...if they could still think...

We had a bird house full of baby birds.  Miley sat underneath that bird house constantly just waiting for a bird to fly out.  We found multiple little birds on our porch.

 

Then I watched that sweet kitty carry a bunny into the backyard, drop it, play with it, then chew it's head off.  

 

It's hard to look at her the same.

Poor bunnies and birdies:(

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!