It's Been a While!

So to say that I've been bad at keeping up with my blog would be an understatement! Life has been passing by so quickly these days and I don't want to miss all the memorable things that have happened with our crew so as overwhelming as it seems to "catch up" on here, I'm going to try my best to share what's been going on in our lives.

Here we all are in our Eagles gear :)! Jim moved here to Cleveland for me so the least I can do is root for his home team :)! Go birds!

So here's been life here in a nutshell...

Summer was a blast for us. We had some of the best times ever this past summer. It was the first summer where we had 4 healthy kids and were able to go and do pretty much whatever we pleased. It was the first summer in years that I wasn't pregnant or breast feeding. I recently figured out that I nursed my babies a total of 6 of the last 8 years of my life! So needless to say, it has been very nice to not have a baby in me or on me - lol :). It was the first summer where we could skip naps if we wanted to (even though we regretted it sometimes by dinnertime), but we were able to go and do a lot more then I feel like we ever have in the past because of so many other circumstances. So, it goes without saying that we were busy and we made the most of our summer.

This was a summer to remember for Abbey. She learned how to ride her bike with no training wheels and swim all by herself :)! She was determined to learn to ride her bike after seeing her brother and cousins fly around on their bikes and we were so very proud of her for her determination to do it. Abbey is a cautious kid. Not usually one to try things where there is a possibility of her getting hurt. We went several days to a nearby parking lot and Jim and I took turns running with her, slowly letting her go. She is now a pro and zipping around by herself. And swimming lessons this summer did wonders for her. By the last week of summer she was jumping in the deep and swimming all over (with us still walking next to her as her safety net), but her improvement has been amazing. She was so proud of herself for these two great accomplishments in 1 summer and we too have been so proud and excited for her to take off in these areas. You would've never known this kid lived in a bubble for 2 1/2 years if you would've seen her this summer and it has done our hearts well to see her doing normal things!

Abbey's 6th birthday party was a blast! We had it at home and she invited 8 girls and we did lots of girly things. Nails, hair, sparkle tattoos, hair wraps, dancing and dress up. The girls all seemed to enjoy the day and Abbey was glowing with excitement from start to finish.

Jacob is doing great. He still loves doing little legos. We sometimes have to drag him out of his room to do other things. He is a homebody and now that school started if it was up to him we would spend all nights at home. Cub scouts just kicked off for the year with the annual rocket launch. Always a fun night watching the kids launch the rockets that they and their dads built together.

Micah is still our active little guy. He looks up to his brother so much and is always trying to keep up with the big kids. He is our little athlete. He loves anything sports. We have him in soccer for the first time this year and he is a natural little player. We are excited to watch him this fall as he is totally in his element playing sports. He will turn 4 in January and I don't think a day goes by that he doesn't ask us when his birthday party is :).

Caleb will already be 2 the end of October. It's so hard to believe how fast his little life has gone so far. He's my heart. I absolutely love this baby. He smiles each time we make eye contact with him and his white hair and chubby cheeks are one of the cutest things I've ever seen. He's a good little guy and his personality reminds me a lot of Abbey. He loves to dance and is starting to say tons of words, which has been so much fun. When he wakes up in the morning I can't wait to get in there to kiss and squeeze him. He's just a fun baby!

Jacob and Abbey are both loving school. They are doing so well so far this year. We love both of their teachers and are so pleased with how well they are both doing. This is Abbey's first school experience and she has done amazing. She loves it and has never hesitated walking into her class. I was shocked that she transitioned so well, being attached to my hip pretty much her whole life, but she was more then ready to go.

I have been doing a journal with Jacob and Abbey each night before bed and they tell me about their days and I write down their thoughts. It's a wonderful way for me to keep up with what's going on in their lives at school and also a great way for me to get one on one time with each of them every day. I love the things that have come out each night :)!

We recently went to the Geauga County Fair. We have gone the past several years and it's always a great time for us and the kids. There are tons of animals and great fair food and of course the rides to end the night.

A couple weeks ago our college friends, the Williams came for a visit from PA. We had a wonderful time catching up on life with them! Between our two families we have 7 kids! It's crazy to think back to 11 years ago in College and how much all of our lives have changed since then. Don't think we ever sat around in our dorms talking about where we'd be now :). Life is sweet for all of us and it was great to get to know their kids a little and reminisce about college :)!

K. Well that's about all I've got :)! I'll try not to wait a month to post again :)! Hope you're enjoying fall! Blessings to you!