Abby says...

While I was changing a very messy diaper, I asked Abby to go get me a plastic bag. She got the bag and threw it to me saying: "Why do I have to do everything!"


Late in May, I took the girls to the park one hot evening (the pool and the park are next to each other). Abby goes to the pool fence and exclaims: "Look at all the people having fun at the pool and we're not!"

Putting grapes in her water- "I was trying to make grape juice."

Going out for ice-cream: "I want sprinklers on my ice-cream"

While watching a movie, "They are bad guys. I know because of their angry faces."

When eating something she doesn't like, "This hurts my head."

Both Abby and Kaitlyn were in the tub. Todd and I were in the other room when we hear Abby,"We have a situation here." Todd went in to see what the "situation" was, Kaitlyn had just poured some water out of the tub.

"I'm just going to sit here and wait patiently." This is after Olivia is screeching for food, Abby is making loud noises with faces to cheer Olivia up, Kaitlyn is singing at the top of her lungs, I'm trying to get dinner on the table, and then as we sit down, Abby spills a full glass of milk all over. When she later hands me her plate to put dinner on it she says the above. Darn right she needs to just sit there and wait patiently. It made me laugh when she said it.

Hotstickers (Potstickers)

Sunscream (Sunscreen)

On seeing the balloons and the house decorated for a cousin party: "This is going to be a funnnn party!"

Family

We've had sort of a family reunion in June. My brother and his family came down from Ohio and my younger sister and her family came up from Houston. The rest of us were already here. We had a great time hanging out with one another and letting the cousins play with each other. We had 8 kids total from ages 6 down. It was craziness.

*I was so busy with Olivia that I rarely took out my camera, I'm hoping to get my brother's awesome pictures soon - hint hint Matt :)

Some of the highlights:

• tons of swimming
• Going Bonkers
• Cousin birthday party



• lunch at Costco


• late nights
• bowling


love the wind effect on her hair
Showing off her muscles when bowling



• dancing


• 24/7 playmates


• eating our weight in food- lots of yummy treats!

Kaitlyn is trying to blow out Benson's b-day candles and Abby's hand is up trying to stop her.

5 Months

Olivia at 5 months

Finds her feet

Rolls over and recognizes family members

Beep Beep Beep

It was the sound I kept hearing every 30 seconds. The fire alarm at the bottom of our stairwell but at the top of our ceiling. The one that we thought is impossible to reach. The one where you need a VERY tall ladder. AT 3:30 Friday afternoon I call my friend who's husband has connections to a 20 foot ladder. Thankfully, he was able to get the ladder and bring it to our house so Todd could make the climb. Thank you Todd for fixing the alarm and climbing to top, you are my hero.


This picture doesn't really do it justice. I'm standing at the top of the stairs looking down but I couldn't fit in the ceiling and the floor. Just know that it was high and we couldn't open the ladder the whole way either.

Wizard of Oz

I took Abby to see the musical "The Wizard of Oz" and it was so fun watching her. She was a little scared when the twister part came seeing how the tornado was just here a few days earlier. Other than that, she was dancing in her seat. Abby would put her arm over my shoulder and get me to sway back and forth with her to "We're off to see the wizard." What also made it enjoyable, was that we were able to take Abby's cousin Evan and my sister-in-law with us.

Ring of Fire

Damages

What the sky looked like after the storm passed us.

The day after the storm, we decided to drive around the neighborhood to see what happened. We saw a smashed car, lots of blown down fences, trampolines and trees.



This house belongs to a friend of ours. They had several large beautiful trees and one landed on their house.

Tornado!

It's been 16 hours and our house is still without power so I've taken the kids and retreated to my parents. Horray for grandparents who have power!

Last night the girls and I sat down to dinner around 6:30. Within 5 minutes the tornado sirens started going off. Abby gets up and runs to the bathroom and I grab Olivia and tell Kaitlyn to come too. Kaitlyn looks at me with a "whatever, I'm eating" look. I take her hand and drag her to the bathroom. While I pass the phone, it rings. I pick up to hear my mom saying to take cover and that a tornado had been spotted near us. (One did hit down within a half mile of us so people say) We all climb in the tub and the girls are very chatty and excited. The lights flicker on and off a few times and then go off. After about 5 minutes the sirens stop. I call my mom back on my cell, she's watching the news, and tells me it's not over yet. I leave the girls in the dark bathroom. While carrying Olivia, I run out to grab flashlights, blankets, stuffed animals, diapers, and my baby wrap- just in case. With hands full I hear the wind howling and the sirens start up again. It was some scary stuff. I've been through some bad Texas weather but I had yet to hear wind like that. There we were, sitting in the tub with the baby in my lap, Abby and Kaitlyn are ducking with their heads covered, my heart was pounding. Maybe I was more nervous due to the fact I had 3 little kids and I was alone.

We stayed in the tub for awhile until my mom called me and said everything was fine. Getting out of the tub and seeing how dark everything was Abby and Kaitlyn then got sacred. They kept flipping switches not getting that we had no power. We checked outside and had a lot of debris, shingles, and recycling bins blown into our yard and only a big potted plant of ours was knocked over. Kaitlyn was crying unless I was carrying her. I was carrying Olivia and Kaitlyn and Abby was then sad because she didn't have a hand to hold. There was a knock at my door and my neighbor Jen came down to help since she figured I was going to be alone . It was so nice to have her company. The girls colored and did stickers until Todd had made it home. Things seemed to have calmed down by then.

During the night there were more thunderstorms, loud booms, hail and heavy rain that kept me up at 4 and 6. When we got up at 6 we still had no power and the rains were still coming down. The whole street was flowing with water. All morning we could hear chainsaws running and emergency vehicles. The girls thought it was fun to eat breakfast by candlelight but the novelty soon wore off. Abby kept trying to turn on the tv to watch a movie, she tried to play our electric piano, and wanted to call friends. All I could say was "No power". They were getting a little restless so we loaded up the van to head to my parents. As we left, we drove a little around the neighborhood to see all the up rooted trees, blown over fences, lost roofs, and tress split in half from lightening. It was one big storm but glad everyone is okay.

Houston

As soon as school was over for Abby, I had called my sister and told her to prepare for visitors! We were going to take a road trip down to Houston. What a great time we had just hanging out and playing with cousins. We decided we need to try and do this quarterly. I love having family close by! (at least within a short driving distance) My mom drove down with me so I wouldn't have to drive alone with 3 little kids and the time flew! It was great just chatting with her on the way there and back.

A trip to the museum to see dinosaur bones. Abby was so excited she kept running from room to room.

Inside the butterfly museum- Abby sticking her finger out hoping a butterfly would land on it.

Wanting the butterfly to go into her hand.

Lunch at 5 Guys, yummy, yummy hamburgers with potatoes from Rigby, ID, Todd's home town

A day at the beach. We drove down to Surf Side and enjoyed our day there. It was the girls favorite part, splashing in the water and playing in the sand.

Olivia hanging out in the shade.

Our beach set up. The kids were 30 yards from the water. They just ran back and forth between the snack table and the water.

Playing in the sand

With Grandma

Having fun!