Batter Batter Swing

Turner completely thinks he is part of the team. Out warming up with the team. He just doesn't understand why he can't go play (I don't either, he would probably whoop most of those kids!)

Turner in time-out behind the bleachers - just chillin'

Mackenzie about ready to bat

Pop and the kids!

Here is a video of Mackenzie's first t-ball game. She was sick that day, started running a fever at daycare, but it was picture night so we went out and then she said she felt up to hitting. Pop was here and got to come to her first game.


Friday I felt awful, was just overly tired and stressed. Thank goodness I had some good girlfriends on my side that agreed to meet me out for a girl's happy hour. So while Aaron took all the kids to Mackenzie's gymnastics, I went out for dinner and a drink. I came home feeling SOO much better and then to boot, all the kids (including Austin) slept through the night and in their own beds and didn't wake me up until 7:30 Saturday morning. I woke up feeling like a brand new woman!
Saturday night we went out to Aaron's Aunt's house for dinner with the family. Had a good time and Ali (8 years old) came home with us to spend the night. The kids had a good time together. Got all the kids to bed and fell asleep on the couch, then woke up to Turner crying and went in to his bed and he had thrown up all over. So he went in to bed with us. Poor little guy was up every 30 minutes until about 3:30 AM getting sick. Then he fell asleep in a deep sleep. Woke up about 9 and was perfectly fine. Didn't show a sign of being sick. I think everyone thinks that I was lying about him being so sick all night. Really, he was completely fine when he went to bed and completely fine when he woke up. Weird, reminds me of the same thing I had 3 weeks ago. I don't know what it could have been. Oh well, he is fine now.
Had a good weekend, lots of family time and got a few chores and errands done. Pop left last night. It was really nice to have him in town.

Now this is how you know there is a God

This will put a smile on everyone's face!!! One of Mackenzie's songs from VBS. She has been singing it non-stop - so yes, by now we all sing along!

I got to stay home with the kids yesterday. Our babysitter took off and Caitlyn was at her freshman orientation. It was so nice. I could totally go to working part-time. I took Austin to the doctor since i was already off work. He has been spitting up a LOT lately, so now he is on reflux medicine. Hopefully it will work. We go back in about 3 weeks for his 6 month (I can't believe it) checkup, so if not then she will try another medication. It has helped some to thicken his bottles at daycare, but since I can't really do that when i feed him and I don't have time to feed him cereal before he breastfeeds everytime, I'm hoping this will take care of it. He was 17.3 pounds yesterday, which means he only gained a little over 1 pound in the last month. He doesn't look like he is missing a meal or anything - but now I'm all worried he is going to start loosing his baby fat. I gotta find a way for that food to stay down and stick to his bones! lol

Friday night we had the end of VBS program. Mackenzie did so good and hasn't stopped singing her song since! Here is a great picture of her and Mason. They are going to have so much fun going to school together this fall.

Saturday morning came quickly. Cailtyn and I headed out early for downtown. I had no idea what to expect. We got down there and walked around to the booths for a while, then it was time to line up for the race. It wasn't so much a race than just a mob of people moving down the street together. It was crazy once we started because we couldn't see the start or end of the runners/walkers. The whole street as far as you could see was covered in people. I admit that I teared up while I was running. To see all of these people, and to think of how lucky and thankful I am that i haven't been more affected by breast cancer. So many people had signs on that they were running in memory of and then there were so many pink shirts (meaning survivor). It was very inspiring to see the magnitude of support and love that is out there. There were like 63,000 people down there! It wasn't hard at all traveling down there and back - we took the metrolink. I plan on going down again next year, so hopefully next year some more of you will join me.

We got home and did grocery shopping then by the time we were done with that it was time to get ready to go over to Aaron's friend's for a BBQ. Our wonderful neighbors watched Austin for us, and the neighbor boy came over to watch Mackenzie and Turner. So Caitlyn got to go with us. We had a good time, maybe a little too much to drink, but a great time! Aaron said that Caitlyn reminded him of someone else he knew a couple years ago......hmm wonder who that could be! lol We were home and in bed by 10 - that is the funny thing!

Sunday we got up and had to go down to Columbia. We met up with my bro and his family, my dad and grandma for lunch. Then went to this great place in Columbia where there is a lake and then a kids pool area. There we caught up with my mom, Steve, and my other sisters. We were there for about 4-5 hours, and had a great time. SOOO much fun - everyone loved it. We will sure miss you when you are in Texas, Bro.

Today I'm tired. Austin was up at midnight and 5:30 last night. He has been spitting up a lot and crying like his stomach hurts, so I'm tempted to take him to the doctor. I don't know how to explain it, other than just that mommy feeling that something just isn't quite right.

Tonight I need to stop and workout on my way home, I've been neglecting that lately. Need to get back in to routine of going to the gym. Tomorrow I'll be home with the kids because my babysitter is taking off to attend a funeral. Maybe I'll be able to sneak in another workout and nap then!

I'm so glad it is Friday. I've been in a funk at work this week. Basically would just rather be about a million places other than here, but hey, gotta do what I gotta do. This week has been pretty uneventful, just normal day to day stuff. Mackenzie's VBS has a closing program tonight and then a family picnic afterwards. I can't wait to see her up there, this will be her first "program". I'll have to get video and pictures. She has been practicing her song at night, so hopefully she won't freeze in front of everyone. She has loved going to VBS. Last night I guess they learned to say "Peace be with you", so when she got home she asked me what that meant. I told her that it is just a way of saying that you hope someone has a good day and that you hope they have a peaceful day. So all night she kept telling "mommy, peace be with you" That is how she told me good night last night! So cute. She is going to love starting school this fall. You know that this fall the babysitter will have all boys, all the girls are starting school. I think she is the one that we need to start saying "Peace be with you" to! lol
So tomorrow is the Komen Race. Cailtyn is going to go with me. We've had so much going on I haven't ran for over a week now, but I'm sure I'll be fine. 40 minutes, heck I made it through more than 40 minutes of labor pains, 40 minutes running should be a cake walk, right?! Anyways, keep me in your thoughts (or dreams) tomorrow about 8:45. Then tomorrow I need to work in grocery shopping at some point and then one of Aaron's friends is having a BBQ. Still not sure how all that is going to work since they are doing it as adults only (darn people without kids). I know I have Caitlyn here, but I think she would enjoying being able to socialize a little, so if we can't find another babysitter I may just stay home and let her go with Aaron. Sunday we are heading down to Columbia to meet up with my brother and his wife and kids. They are moving to Houston next weekend, so we are all getting together for one last time before he leaves. We are all going to go to the pool, so it should be a good time. It will be weird for him to be so far away, but it was for a promotion at work, and he is doing great and seems really happy right now in life, so I'm glad everything is going so good for him. He deserves it. Love you bro!
Well that is about all I got, sorry it isn't anything more exciting.......

At Churchill Downs

Starting off Saturday night

Keeping Satruday night going - those are Jagger Bombs!

At Wick's pizza, doesn't that look yummy?!

Austin in one of his cute outfits from Aunt Mary.

Finally a little update on our anniversary weekend. We left Friday morning and started driving. Remember I have no idea where we are going, so we get in the car and Aaron just starts driving East. We stopped and ate breakfast, then back on the road. At about 1 we got to our hotel, and it wasn’t until about 12:30 that Aaron told me what our destination was…Louisville KY. We stayed at the Gant House hotel. It was nice and right downtown. That day we went to the Louisville slugger museum to watch the bats get made and picked up Turner’s gift – a personalized b-ball bat, which is perfect considering how much he is in to b-ball these days. That night we went to a really nice place to eat and had yummy steaks. Then went to 4th street Live for a little while and had a few drinks. I think we were back in the hotel by about 11. The next day we went to the Churchill Downs to watch the horse races. It was fun, we’ve never done that before. We only won $1 back! Lol Guess we need some practice before we go again, or I should just bet on the horses loosing because just about every horse I would bet on came in last! Lol Saturday night we went back up to 4th Street Live and went to the piano bar, it was one of those dueling piano bars that I love so much. It was a blast. We both had our share to drink! Sunday we slept in, packed up, went to Wick’s Pizza for lunch and headed home. Let me tell you…Wick’s Pizza….the best pizza I’ve ever had. Definitely go there if you are ever in the area. http://www.wickspizza.com/
So that was our trip…we had so much fun. It was just so nice to be away by ourselves and nothing to do but spend time together. After 5 (and ½) years, we still love being together and have so much fun. Not only did I get to get away with my husband, but also my best friend. I love you honey and look forward to all our weekends alone in the future. Now, guess I better start planning for next year…any ideas?!
So another big news update…Austin has his FIRST tooth! Caitlyn called me while we were gone and told me he had bit her. So yes I missed his first tooth L He was fine, just drooling like crazy for a while now. Still is, so maybe another is right behind. We were ready by the end of the trip to come home to the kids. We missed them. They had been fine on the phone with us all weekend until Sunday afternoon. I called while we were on our way home and neither Mackenzie nor Turner could hardly talk they were crying so badly because they missed us. It was heart-wrenching. But then I talked to them about an hour later and all was fine. They sure were happy to see us though. We are so lucky to have them to come home to, I can’t imagine coming home to an empty house.
This week Mackenzie is doing Vacation Bible School for the first time. She was a little hesitant to stay the first night, but she LOVES it. Of course, who doesn’t. And Turner and I are enjoying the time with him being the only big kid. Turner has been doing really good potty training. I don’t know that we are really training, as much as when I’m changing him I praise him if he is dry and tell him to go on the potty, but he is doing great. He has been staying dry through the night – even better than Mackenzie. But we are just taking it slow, right now Pull-ups are easier for me, so I’m not rushing a thing. That is about it…enjoy the pics.

Thank you Aunt Mary

Aunt Mary,

We did receive the box. Thank you SOO much.

(For everyone else to know what I'm talking about....Aaron's Aunt Mary sent us a box of goodies the other day. Two ADORABLE outfits for Austin and two books for the big kids. It was so sweet and special.)

Anyways, yes we will be in Michigan for the reunion. Gosh I think this is the first time I will come back from Michigan not pregnant! lol Can't believe that DJ graduated. My sister is going to be coming up with us for the reunion, so we might have to keep a close eye on the two of them! lol

Hello from Kentucky

Hey everyone, sorry been so absent. This past week was very busy. But I have a little bit of time now since I'm on my ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND!!! It is so different to be able to sit here and type without knowing I should be doing something else or having 3 different conversations going while I'm typing. I'm sure many of you are thinking "What in the world is she doing on her computer from the hotel room" I know not what you would have expected, but we just got back upstairs from breakfast where I ate way too much, and so we are having a little decompress time on our computers. Hey it is all about whatever we want to do, and truthfully this is something we don't usually have the opportunity for. Both of us getting to be on the computer at the same time without feeling like we are neglecting the kids or each other...so I think it is ok to take a little time out to, well as Aaron puts it, update my fans! lol So I'll give a full update on the weekend when it is over, but just for anyone wondering where this post is coming from, we are in Louisville Kentucky! We are having a blast, just feel like the time is slipping away a little too quickly.

So about the past week since my last post....last weekend was awful. I woke up on Saturday sick as a dog. Couldn't even sit up straight in my bed until about 2. I had gone to a house party the night before and had like 3 glasses of wine, but something else must have caused the sick, or at least magnified it. The only time I've been that sick in the past I had Aaron take me to the ER, so it was not good. I missed Mackenzie's last soccer game that morning, that was upsetting, but I just couldn't do it. So the rest of the weekend I still felt kinda yucky. This past Tuesday I was on my way after work to go visit a friend and her new baby and got stuck in traffic. They shut down the highway for about an hour, so we were just sitting. Although a little disappointed that I didn't get to spend more time with baby, I had to think of how lucky I was.....that goodness to the 30 second delay somewhere in my day so that I wasn't in the accident myself, and thank goodness I didn't have the kids with me that day. So I just laid out on the hood of the car, enjoying the sun, and enjoying my little unexpected time to myself. Mackenzie also started TBall this week. She was the best hitter on the team! Go Mackenzie. Turner of course stood right in the thick of it all trying to be in the practice himself. Other than that it was just a busy week of trying to fit everything into a consolidated week since we weren't going to be around on Friday.

Update about Austin....well he is sleeping through the night about 50% of the time right now. He has gotten SO big, he looks so grown up these days. I finally got him a Bumbo seat from somebody at work and it is nice to have. He sits up in it really well. I'm sure he will be sitting by himself shortly. He has started rolling over on his tummy to sleep at night, which to me is just one more thing that turns him in to a kid more than a baby. He is still all full of smiles and so sweet. He eats anything you put in front of him - loves all the foods, and he is taking half formula in his bottles since I didn't want to be stressing about keeping up with enough milk production to fully feed him. Plus is gives us a little more flexibility to do things. He is drool factory! Oh my gosh, I don't know when he will actually cut a tooth, but poor guy, his shirt is constantly soaked. I'm not much of a bib person, but guess I'm going to have to be with him. Well I better get off here, more important things to do! lol

Pictures with Ellie

Oh my gosh, we had such a WONDERFUL visit yesterday. Can you believe she is already 6 years old!!! It was a really fun time. I think this was the most that I really felt like we were just letting the cousins get together to play. I didn't feel like we were just "observing" Ellie as much. The kids all got along great. Aunt Caitlyn pulled out the #1 present with some toe nail polish and Ellie loved it. So her and Mackenzie got theirs painted and then Ellie painted mine and Caitlyn's. Seems it is really her calling, she said when she grows up she is going to be a toe nail polisher! lol What a hoot. Then we went downtown Columbia for their twilight festival. Guess we got about 4 hours with her and it was every bit not long enough. I'm thinking maybe Mackenzie and I will try to fly down sometime to visit. Ellie was also fascinated by the whole breastfeeding thing. At first she started saying that she was cold, well I realized that she was just copying since I had throw the blanket over Austin to feed him. I told her that he was eating, and that he was drinking milk from my boobies, and she was NOT falling for that one. So they she wanted to see. She just couldn't believe it! So Ann said she will be sure to tell me when Ellie decides she is a baby feeding expert and shares her new knowledge - surely it will be a story for the books. Ellie is such a ball of energy. She reminds me a lot of Turner's personality. And Branson, I mean you seriously just melt, he is so handsome and such a sweetheart. His personality is much more like Mackenzie. I think the funniest thing to me yesterday is that I thought Branson and turner showed resemblance more than even Mackenzie and Ellie - and there is no blood connecting them. But they both just have that same kind of boy look, I don't know how to explain it. Ann I'm sure would have gladly taken Austin home for me. She just couldn't get over his cuteness and how good he was. He gave her lots of good snuggles. And Turner made her laugh every time she looked at him. Thank you so much to Vicki, Ann's best friend, for always opening up your house to us.

I have never ever had a single doubt that Cameron and Melody made the best decision ever and it is only reinforced more and more. Ann and Roger have given her such a beautiful life. Ann and Roger are what make Aaron and I think about adoption...to be able to give another family the same sense of comfort that they have given us...it is a true gift. Thank you guys.

Pictures as Promised

with Aunt Caitlyn....she has been a godsend to have up here. Would it be wrong of me to sabotage her chances of getting in to college so that she just had to live with me forever!!!! lol




So the guy in the blue shirt behind Aaron is his new boss. He got on the ride and saw him, so I got to meet him when they were done. He goes to our same church, small world.





The kids showing off their leg paintings that we got at the concert in the park series (these were free too - see there is free fun around!)

Austin and i didn't get a picture at the park so I had to take one when we got home. It is a self pic, so not the greatest of me, but he is looking right at the camera. Cailtyn keeps saying that only her kids will be cuter than mine, but I challenge her to look at Austin and tell me any thing that she thinks could be improved upon! lol Seriously, he is PERFECT!!!

OK, i was summoned to update the blog...so here it goes.

Friday night was gymnastics and then grocery shopping. Saturday we went and worked out and then Mackenzie's game got rained out, so we came home for naps and then got ready to go over to friends for a BBQ. We met Kelly and Phil and their twin boys at our Baptism preparation class. We are so happy to have met them. Thanks for having us over guys, we had a great time!!! After we got home, Aaron and I were hoping to be able to keep hanging out outside, but the rain came in.....AGAIN. Gosh i am so sick of rain. It has seriously put a dent on our backyard drinking with the neighbors this spring!

Sunday Mackenzie and I went to church, then we came and picked everyone else up and went back up to church for the church carnival. the kids had a good time. Then we ran home for quick naps and then had Mackenzie's make-up game. It was actually hot sitting out there, so many games this spring we've been bundled in winter clothes.

Monday nothing exciting. I was in a real funk. I've gained back like 2 pounds, and for anyone that has known me for any length of time you know that 2 pounds to me is devastating. Sorry but it is. But hey, if this is the what I have to worry about in my life, then things are pretty darn good.

Tonight we went out to the park for their weekly concert series. For anyone who ever cares to join, we will likely be out there every Tuesday night for the summer. It was so nice and relaxing to just sit out there and let the kids dance and play.

I have some good pics of all of this stuff, but my cord is at work, and I won't be back there until Thursday.

Thursday I'm taking a half day to go visit my little niece, I'm SOO excited to see her. I'll definitely have pictures of that visit. Can't wait to see how much her and Mackenzie look alike now.

Only 9 days till Aaron and I leave to go for our anniversary weekend. This was Aaron's year to plan so I have no idea what we are doing. And for anyone that is confused, yes our anniversary is in December, but since we have all of our family's birthdays and Christmas at that time, we decided to start celebrating our anniversary at the 6 month so that we actually have some money to do something for ourselves. I absolutely cannot WAIT to get away and be alone with Aaron. to actually only have to think about being Jennifer and a wife, not mom, for 3 whole days. And to just be able to enjoy Aaron as my husband and best friend without all the other stresses of everyday life. We have so much fun together, so anything that is planned will be just what the doctor ordered! I've been feeling a little run down and so busy lately, so I need a refresher for myself. I'll try to post pics on Thursday, if not I'll surely have some posted on Friday.