Writing Fun!

Who doesn't LOVE the $1 section of Target?????  Every time I'm at Target, I have to run through it.  I almost always find something fun to add some excitement to our week.  This week, I found fun dry erase strips and markers.  One of my goals with Abigail this summer was to get her writing her name with lowercase letters. 

Looking Good, Kid!!!!

With Caitlin, we have definitely focused less on her letters than I did with Abigail because we are working so much on her speech.  However, this summer, I wanted to make an effort to focus more on her letters.  Her speech teacher is also adding this to her list of things to work on so it's more consistant.  We've been playing lots of Alphabet Bingo and doing lots of alphabet puzzles. She's also obsessed with Sesame Street (if she watches tv, which isn't much...) so that's a good influence. 

Two of my goals with Caitlin this summer (in addition to her letters) are:  Drawing a smiley face (beginning of a person) and Writing her 1st letter, C. 

Her "too cute for words" smiley face next to mine!

Her C's!  They are more like lines, but we are just starting!!!!!

Just a random fun activity we did one morning before breakfast!  A glance into a day at our house in the summer.  WE LOVE SUMMER!  It's so laid back and relaxing!!!!!

Fourth Fun

This year's 4th of July was....HOT!!!  Usually I wouldn't even notice, or care...but apparently Baby Tres doesn't like heat.  After almost 16 weeks of feeling great, last week was a ROUGH one for me!  So unfortunately, we didn't do as much as we normally do for the 4th of July.  Because of the heat, our local parade and fireworks were cancelled.  But we went down to Julie and Joe's new house (which is beautiful...Congrats Blandfords!!!!) and spent a great day!

The girls did a lot of swimming and playing together!  And the Daddy's were VERY helpful by going to get us dinner...and coming home 3 hours later after a few stops at a few bars! 

Here are a few pics from our fun 4th!

The weekend prior to the 4th, I went away with my friends for a Girl's Weekend Away...and the girl's spent a great weekend with Daddy!  However, it was a hot weekend.  There were terrible storms at the cabin in Indiana so they were without power for 24 hours.  And then, when we got home on Sunday, we were without power due to terrible local storms!

The weekend following the 4th, we also went up to the cabin.  Again, it was hot (like 103 hot)...so the girls spent 2 days in the lake swimming!  The lake itself was hot (like 90 degrees, it was like a hot tub)...very crazy!!!  And for 2 days, I didn't take one picture!!!  The heat really got the best of me again!

It's cooler this week so we are going to take advantage of it and get out and enjoy it!!!!!  Pics to come!!!!  Also, I have pics of Baby Tres to come!!!!!

Hodge Podge of Summer

We have definitely been staying busy this summer...yet it's been a great, relaxing summer!!!  We have had a lot of relaxing days at home or all the pool.  It's been nice downtime, and we are relaxing all we can before September gets here, because the first few months are guaranteed to be crazy!!!!

So here's a little hodge podge of our summer:

Abigail went to VBS (Vacation Bible School) again this summer and loved it!  She's excited that Caitlin gets to go next summer!

How Caitlin fell asleep after Patrick's Baptism...dress and all.  So Dainty!

Both the girls started gymnastics last week. I don't have any pictures of Caitlin because I was with her the whole time, but here's one of Abigail on the beam.  However, I have to say, Caitlin is very coordinated and talented.  I have to laugh because they said they may recommend Caitlin to move into the "elite" group...and I laugh cause she's 2...how in the world can they know this???  I was telling my sisters how INSANE elite gymnastics could be.  The 4 year old elites practice for 4.5 HOURS, 2 times a week, and another 3 hours a week, and an hour of strength training.  Can you imagine???  I think we'll just stay with the regular class!  ;)

Sister Country Concert!  We went to see Brad Paisley at Wrigley Field.  Joe and Rob were there too...they were just busy playing drinking games somewhere!  ;)

Random trip to the zoo...they baby goats were just born and Abigail got to feed one with a bottle.  So cute!

We have literally LIVED at the pool.  It's been so much fun because both the girls are very independent.  Abigail learned how to swim underwater, no thanks to her swim lessons which I signed her up for in June and still haven't receieved an instructor for her.  GRRR...

We have also got our money's worth out of our water table!!!!!

There was a random dance performance at the library...and they called kids up to dance with the dancers.  Caitlin was up there alone and was dancing...it was adorable.  Then she realized how big everyone else was, and she ran to me crying!  Also very cute!  ;)

That's a hodge podge of our summer...we live for summers and I'm thankful that I choose a career that I'll always have my summers off!!!!  :)

Oh, Baby Tres is doing good.  We haven't really had much to do for Baby #3, so other than buying big sisters shirts, it's been pretty quiet around here.  I do have a big ultrasound on Thursday and am hoping to find out if we will keep our pink or get to go shopping for blue...watch out T.arget if it's a boy!!!!!!!  But healthy is perfect!  I'll be starting my weekly progesterone shots next week, which I think is the reason Caitlin made it to 37 weeks so I'm happy to start those!  Other than that, not too much in baby land. I have felt the first few kicks which is such a highlight for me!  So, next up is find out gender!  :) 

God Bless Patrick William!

I know I have a lot to update...we've been busy with swimming, Vacation Bible School, and most imporantly, Baby Tres....but this weekend we had a very special event!

On Sunday, Rob's Godson Patrick was baptised.  It was a great, beautiful day!!!!

Patrick taking in this whole "church" thing!!!  Check out his shamrock shoes...how cute are they????  Patrick really is one of the cutest babies in the world!!!!

This is probably the part where he was so excited, he pooped himself!!!!  ;)

The BIG moment!!!!

Abigail, Caitlin, and a little neighbor of B and Mo enjoying the show with snacks!!!!

The Glure-stroms!

Godfathers and Godchildren

Yesterday was a very special day for our family...but especially for Rob.  There is no greater honor in our eyes than being a Godparent and we take that serious!!!!  Rob has lots of plans for fishing, golf, and other things that only "boys" can do for him and Patrick in the future!

Our Daddy is the BEST!

Happy Father's Day to the BEST Dad and Husband in the World!!!  There isn't a Dad out there that works harder for his family...or spends better quality time with them.  I'm so lucky that he works so long all day, and then comes home and does so much for the girls.

Rob spent Father's Day doing what he loves best...spending time with his daughters!!!  The girls and Rob entered in the local fishing derby again this year.  It was Caitlin's first time fishing and she was very excited to get her own fishing pole.  The fish might not have been biting, but it was a great day!!!!

The fishing buddies!  The girls surprised Daddy with new shirts for Father's Day that said "Daddy's Sweetest Catch"...and they got him a new shirt for Father's Day that says "D.A.D.D.  Dad's Against Daughter's Dating."  I think the shirt will get a lot of use in the next 18 years!!!!

Caitlin's first time fishing....she's a natural!

So happy to be spending the morning with Daddy!!!

Happy Father's Day to the best Dad to our 2 1/2 kids!!!! ;)

Also, Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads and God-Father's in our lives!!!  We are so lucky and blessed to be surrounded by amazing men!!!   To My Dad, Rob's Dad, Uncle Al, Uncle Joe, and Uncle Brian...Thank you for all you do for us!!!! 

Flying Away

Abigail rode her 2-wheeler by herself for the first time this morning!!!!!

It's just a glimpse of our summer...I see lots of bike rides!!!

We also took the girls out to fly their kites from Easter for the first time this morning.  Basically, it was mommy and daddy running around like crazy people.....but we did manage to get the kite in the air once (and by we, I mean Beth...even though Rob "claims" to be an expert kite flyer from his youth...he blames the kite...but I didn't seem to have any problem....)

This sums up our kite flying day...Caitlin tangled up in the string!!!!

Fun start to our Saturday...and it's only going up from here because the kids are packing up and heading to Grandma and Grandpas...and we are headed down to Wrigley with my Julie and Joe, Kate, and her friend Josh, to see Brad Paisley!!!!!  Have a great Saturday, y'all!!!!

We're joining the club!!!!

These families all have 1 thing in common....

and we're joining the club!!!!

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Save The Date

Raising 2 kids has been such a treat,

We're adding 1 more to make our family COMPLETE!

We don't know yet if it's a girl or a boy...

But save a date in December to meet our BUNDLE OF JOY!!!!!

Baby "Tres" due to arrive 12-12-12!!!!!

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And the most important introduction....

Here is our little peanut!!!!  We are so in love already!!!!!

The Sweetest Story with the HAPPIEST ending!!!!!

13 weeks old today!

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And as all good things have "disclaimers"....here's mine...please don't say anything on Facebook yet!  We decided to put it out on the blog because people we know and love who are close to us read it, but we won't put anything on facebook for a while now!!!!!

Also, if you are SHOCKED...we thought it would be fun to surprise you on the blog since you have followed our family on it and we are sure you weren't expecting this... so if you didn't get a call or email ahead of time, don't be offended, it was our plan!!!!!!  ;)

And I have to say, we did a pretty great job of keeping it a secret till today!!!  As you might imagine, after our last loss, sharing the news is very nerve-wracking to me.  But we are 13 weeks and have passed the NT Scan at 12 weeks with a squirmy baby with 155 heartbeat...and are so excited!!!!

Abigail and Caitlin just found out this weekend and they have taken their "big sister" roles very serious...and are already negotiating bunk beds!  :)

SURPRISE!  :)  We feel beyond blessed and lucky!!!!!!