New Glasses

Even though her prescription didn't change, Audrey got a new pair of glasses this week.  She had taken such good care of her pink ones, but we had gotten those two years ago.  Insurance was ready to cover a new pair, so she picked these out.  She is slowly getting used to them, and we all think she definitely looks older!  She is now totally ready for kindergarten in a few weeks! :)

She wanted everyone to see the pattern closer. :)

This has bad lighting!  Can you also tell Kate didn't want to have Audrey touching her?

Dance Move

There has been soooooooo much dancing going on this summer.  We often can be found with music thumping throughout the house, while the girls are dressed up and dancing to it.  For the most part, the girls are able to dance without getting into fights with each other, so it is a happy way to pass time.

Here is a picture of their signature dance move, often while dancing to "Me Too," which still reigns as their favorite dance song. :)

Elizabeth's Party

Our July has been filled with celebrating important birthdays, and a couple weekends ago, we traveled up to Wisconsin to celebrate Elizabeth's 2nd birthday.  It was another beautiful day for an outdoor birthday party, and Audrey and Kate were even able to contribute to the party decor to make our picnic area look more festive.

It was fun to see the cousins together again, and we were so glad to be able to celebrate with Elizabeth.  It's hard to believe she's two already.  Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth loves Mickey Mouse as much as Audrey did at two years old!

Here was the sign created by the girls, with the help of one of their babysitters during a date night for Jeremy and me.

P.S.  Audrey summed up the two cousins' birthday parties with this sentence:  "Well, Mom, Jack's party was better because it was a closer drive, and Elizabeth's party was better because we didn't have to use port-o-potties."  How true, how true!

Swimming Fun

What an awesome day we had today!  We met some good friends for a picnic and swimming in Coralville.  The aquatic center we visited was so fun, and the girls and I swam for almost three hours.  Audrey was brave enough to try a pretty big water slide, and once she got over the initial ride, she went on it seven or eight more times.  Her confidence continues to grow, which is always fun to see!  The summer is slipping away quickly, so that's why it's nice to take advantage of these beautiful summer days.

There she goes!

What a sweet group of kids!

Fourth of July

The weather cooperated also for the Fourth of July celebrations!  We woke, put on our patriotic colors, packed up some food, and headed to the parade in Monticello.  After initially plugging ears for the gun salute at the beginning of the parade, both girls had a blast!  We saw constant flag and hand waving from the girls, and it worked!  A ton of candy was received. :)

We then headed out to Grandpa Tom's house for a grilled lunch and playing dolls with Jade.  We were also able to squeeze in a ride on the Ranger, so it was a perfect Fourth of July!  We didn't know if we would make it to fireworks that evening after such a busy day, but we did.  Luckily, Dad was the only one who had to wake up for work the next day. :)

We love being able to spend holidays with Dad right now.  We hope he can keep this schedule for awhile!!

 

Happy Birthday, Jack!

How quickly Jack's first year went!  We love this smiley, easy-going boy with all our hearts!  We had fun celebrating his first birthday last weekend.  The weather cooperated perfectly for an outdoor party, and the girls had fun with their cousin Elizabeth and re-connecting with some of Jack's cousins.

Happy Birthday, Jack!  We love you!

Birthday parties are fun but can be exhausting!

Jack actually didn't get too messy with his piece of cake.

Jack was testing out his walking legs!

Moments after this picture was taken, Audrey fell between two picnic tables.  We were worried she was going to have done something more serious to her, but she ended up being okay!  This crazy girl should listen to her DAD!!

Fair Fun

After some wild weather last week, our county fair still went on with "Kids Day".  The girls and I ventured over and had a wonderful time.  From train rides to a farm animal petting zoo, to carnival rides and ending with painted faces, it was all a blast!  We were able to run into some other school staff and their kids, which was added fun for the girls.

The best memory of the entire time was when the girl gathered all their bravery to go up on a small Ferris wheel.  Once on, Kate immediately got nervous and came down.  Audrey, on the other hand, stayed brave, but as soon as her cage reached the top, the power for the ride went out.  She and her friend were stuck up there swinging for a little while.  She told me later, "I told Makayla people were going to have to throw us up some french fries if we were stuck up here too much longer!"  Luckily, things were fixed quickly, and she was able to rejoin us.

What a fun day we had!

Kate had to wear her hair in a braided ponytail because we had just read a book where the teacher (who was a sheep) wore her hair in a braided ponytail.  

Since Kate ended up in the front car, she got to ring the bell.  She rang that
bell for the entire ride with a giant smile on her face.

Here is the infamous Ferris wheel...