School Days



We celebrated the first day of school with 1,2,3 cake(google it! :))

 

and swimming at Saylorville lake!



I enjoy my students VERY much

We've even got to have a guest teacher already....cousin B.A. teaching weather



Sally gets time to learn too!  She loves to point in books. 
  

She also likes to pull books off the shelf when we're not looking too! :)



Birthday Girl-August 25



Birthday Girl Sally had quite a fun party....





....with lots of yummy food

....cousins in cool water

.....and cake!

Did Sally like the cake? 



BIG SMILE means YES!



After presents, singing and dancing.....



It was finally time for bed!! 



What are we doing this Summer?

If I'd do this more often, I wouldn't have to send so many pictures at once!  I know many of you have been asking how our summer is going?? GREAT!   We are truly having a blast!  It has been really fun to explore the new opportunities in Ankeny and the Des Moines area. Plus, we are soaking up the sun (hot!) with lots of fun in the water.  Aubrey finished up swimming lessons today and has learned quite a lot for her first time, she even passed level 1!  After telling us that, "after my teacher dropped me a couple times and drowned me, then I was okay!"(  I promise they really didn't).  Her favorite thing to do is to go under water and get the rings.  Bailey was a genuinely happy to cheer for Aubrey from the side and is hoping to get in her own class next year.  Since Sally is still not crawling or walking yet, she makes our lives so easy in doing some of these fun things.  She truly is a blessing, so happy and content to go along.  We have made it to the splash pad a few times and have appreciated our large deck for having family and friends over to play in our kiddie pool.  Since we've had very little rain, the girls are eager to get their umbrellas out as soon as it even sprinkles. 


As a mom, I really appreciate where our house is located.  We can walk to Walgreens, duckpond, park, Sonic, Godfather's pizza, and say "Hi" to some friendly neighbors on a beautiful street called Mandy Lane.  We can bike to the grocery store, cousins house, and blockbuster.  All the girls really enjoy going to feed the ducks.  It's especially a delight listening to Bailey giggle at her quacky new friends.  We have met lots of new friends...a lot of them we hang out with have 3 children the same ages as ours.  One of the things we've gotten to do with new friends is go to the zoo.  It's not a zoo to brag about but it's perfect to go for a couple hours.  We've had lots of sweet times with family who are right in the area and also those who have come to visit!  I celebrated my 30th B-day party with so much family and even a college friend.  It was one of my best Birthdays.  By God's grace, we've gotten right into a church family that we have biblestudy and playdates with.  Through the church, we've met alot of families that are homeschooling which has been super encouraging for me as I get ready to start homeschooling Aubrey this fall.  Many of the families will be getting together for fieldtrips, ect throught the year. 


Some of our praises have been seeing Aubrey and Bailey becoming buddies.  They really have fun together (and still squabble too!) but we see a real joy in them being so close in age.  We pray that God will keep doing what He is doing there.  Sally will be 1 year old on August 25th and  starting to "talk" more and show off some tricks.  She isn't totally free of her same digestion issues but we aren't getting up quite so much at night!  I feel like we enjoy her just as much as we did the first 2, even though we have less time so that is a real blessing.  Another praise is getting to spend so much time with Joe.  It has been absolutely wonderful to have him working from home.  He works very hard in the basement but when he is off work, he comes right up the stairs.  He is contantly learning new things with his job, which is very humbling but I know God is giving Him wisdom and courage. 


I'll TRY to do this more often so I don't have to update on such a big stretch of time.  I appreciate getting to stay in touch with our of town family and our special Laramie friends this way.  I ENJOY hearing from you and think about you often.  BIG HUGS       

                                                        



Cousins from oldest to youngest...is anyone looking? maybe 1 or 2

  


At the zoo with friends









                                                                    









Transition

As most of you know, we are now in Iowa!  Joe's new job is going very well; he has so much to learn but he is doing amazing!  Our house in Laramie has sold.  We have been living with my parents but will be moving into a rental home in a couple weeks.  God has worked all of this out so wonderfully that we have been reminded of how perfect His timing is in every detail of our lives.  We are enjoying our families being close and not being limited by where we live.  We ARE missing our friends in Laramie and are thankful for all the memories we have.  We want to stay in touch as much as possible!  I never realized how exhausting a move could be, emotionally, physically and mentally.  We are so grateful to everyone who helped us make this transition a little easier!  We are still trying to comprehend it all and how smoothly it really did go.    THANK-YOU! 


One of our final family pictures in Laramie-in front of HalfAcre Gym where Joe worked for 8 years

Bailey and Aubrey in Iowa with cousin Eliana

Great Aunt Kimmie reading to the girls

Sally loves to clap her hands!

We went to my brother's land near Adel, IA to enjoy the outdoors

Aubrey and G'pa Larry walking around downtown Des Moines

Uncle Jeret's Birthday party

Bailey and Sally giving kisses

The girls with G'ma Lorraine while in Columbus, NE for Joe's G'ma's funeral

Girls still love to imagine and dress up!

Around the house

Reading lots of books

Bailey's bed for her bear made out of a stepstool

Sally can do no wrong with Aubrey...even hair pulling

Avocado face

Aubrey's bed for her bear made out of art paper and easel

A new one riding on Daddy's shoulders

An old one riding one Daddy's shoulders

A day in the life of Joe...4 girls AND a mail lady( a mean one) getting stuck in a snowdrift by our mailbox and complaining to Joe.  Joe pushes her mail truck and gets slushy mud spit on his forehead

They had made a trail out of pillows that crossed the living room floor

One of Sally's favorite spots

Nice weather in Laramie

Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day!