Old house

Steven got a new job in the Ft. Worth diocese and we packed things up and got ready to go in June.

At the Wisconsin Dells on the boat ride! 

Were out seeing some hot air balloons. 

Laundry work

Laundry day--each of us has a container for the folded clothes. Since the laundry area is downstairs, we carry the clothes upstairs. Now the children know how to put their clothes away. Katherine surprised me by saying she would put David's clothes away beside her own :-)


For their clothes...

Birthday "Girl"!

My birthday picture with the black-eyed susans in our front yard garden. We were going out for a walk with the children--on a very balmy early evening! These long summer nights are very wonderful :-) 

With Aunt Emma's chalk gift!

Lots of chalk work! All over the sidewalk and steps.

Katherine got David excited about doing chalk marks, making marks with lots of different colors... and then they washed it off with the hose!

David and Legos!

David with his birthday gift!

Katherine helped him and then he was doing it on his own, adding in his truck (that gray object) and Pooh Bear (one of his favorite things). I was so impressed that he was playing quietly and interestingly. He is getting to be quite big and we are praying that God send us another child soon. (Please join our prayers)


 
I had some good mommy moments of peace as all three played quietly, nicely, and productively.

I watched the older ones: Gregory worked on making a Spiderman comic book (putting Spiderman stickers in a construction paper "book"); Katherine drew rainbows with bright markers, getting the order of the colors right!

Ilinois Corn-on-the-Cob!

Katherine loves corn-on-the-cob. This is the first time this summer that we get some!

Katherine had been asking for some and the price was finally 10 for $1. The children all helped to shuck the corn. David was amazed seeing the corn under the husks and corn silk!

It was fun to have them all helping. To see things through the eyes of a child...

God mend our every flaw!

In honor of Fourth of July... God help us mend our every flaw...

My Three Children and Me

Summer birthdays!

It was hot outside, but I was just thinking of a photo with my children... after all the running around inside ;-)


Here is the same balloon with an indoor's smile from Gregory (since no summer sun is blaring down)!

Pizza as a Treat

Looks like David is doing a magic trick with an audience!



The magic trick was how they ate up pizza! (Oh, yes, we got to help too--parents know magic too, you know!) Coming here is a rarity, so it'll be remembered!

Later all went around and played on some games, including Bob the Builder's Scoop, a train engine, and a firetruck, played in the playground area.



Last time we were at Chuck E. Cheese was in January for Katherine's birthday. 

David's Gift

We went out today to spend the birthday money from Grandma! For David, we got a Lego table. His siblings are "helping" use it. He was taking his nap at this time and the older ones checked out the present! ( I really like how the Legos all fit in at the bottom and make for straight-forward cleanup.)

Microscope for his birthday!

I told Gregory when he was three that he could get a microscope when he got bigger.

So, for his fourth birthday, thanks to birthday money from Grandma Margie and Aunt Emma, we got him a "laboratory." It is a Little Tykes microscope set with a beaker, test tube, tweezers, a place for caught bugs, and prepared slides, as well as one (the yellow one) which has a place to made one's own "slides" to look at thing under the microscope.


Gregory saw how red sugar crystals dissolve in the water (of the test tube).

A Car and a Badge for Gregory

Gregory got a model of a Mercedes-Benz for his birthday. He really likes that the doors and hood open! (And it has a moon roof.) It's his first car with doors that open.

More importantly, here you see his badge that he has been named "Space Ranger of the Year."

He is wearing it proudly--it came in a very cool card from his Grandparents :-) (Thank you so much!) He had a lot of fun explaining what it was and I made a small ceremony to pin it on him :-)

Visiting a Birthday Boy!

Emma had called last week to say she wanted to come visit. What a nice surprise!


We were waiting for her.



A hug and general rejoicing when Aunt Emma arrived...



Emma brought family birthday cards and soon the mantelpiece was filled up!



Banana/dried apricot bread came out of the oven, we all had some, and later sent some along to Lisa with Emma when she continued on to Chicago. It was a little way of "being there" with Lisa and family ;-)

The children were all excited about the DVD presents--and ate their bread watching "Chip and Dale"! (They hadn't heard of the chipmunks before and really enjoyed this classic.)

David was very expressive. The movie had us all laughing a lot--simple, cute humor. I love watching the children getting a joke ;-)

It was a good visit!

Emma joins in the celebration

Celebrating for Gregory's birthday--with brats cooked on the grill with horseradish that had a surprising kick...
with the birthday cake and singing after that :-)

A Nice Peoria Landmark

On a walk at Bradley Park by the bridge we like to cross a lot (and play Pooh Sticks on)! 

Caught in the act of building ;-)

Gregory started in earnest with the Legos after we had done the erector set.

And I began in earnest with the erector set (as in, I invested in it) when I saw him first interested in Legos.  

Catching the "Reading Bug"!

Not quite ready to read himself to sleep, but he was settling into the covers after a day of activity. I caught him in the act of "reading!" 

Investigator by day...

...and you'd have to ask her to find out what she discovered!