Summer 2011

(Ok, I wrote this about a month ago and I'm finally adding pictures and posting... I have been lazy about the blogging recently.  At least I was fairly consistent until Owen turned 1)

Happy 4th from the O's!

Well I start back at school tomorrow. This is always a bittersweet day. Obviously I'm sad to leave my full time SAHM status, the pending of cold weather, getting up early and having to wear work clothes instead of yoga pants, t-shirts and bathing suits. On the flip side though, I really like my job, it is part time so I will still be home with my kiddos a bunch and it means football season is right around the corner.
I have been a complete slacker on my blogging this summer so I will fill you in with the adventures we had this summer.
This was an interesting summer in the fact that Sam has been gone for the majority of it. He had training to do in Ft. Leonardwood, MO so the kids and I were on our own. We formed a little play group that we tried to get activities planned at least once every other week with some our friends. We had some fun play groups but not as many as we had planned... life, weather and schedules got in the way.

Visiting Bailey at "college"

We had two cousins graduate high school that we enjoyed wishing them well in their new adventures, we went swimming at Aunt Cerelle's lake, we went to visit GiGi and Grampy, went to the 4th of July parade with Aunt Jan and Uncle Bob and played in our backyard A LOT. The hot weather has kept us inside these past couple weeks, but for the most part we have been outside enjoying the weather.

Swimming at the pool in MO

Our big adventure was a Mommy and Double O rode trip to go visit Bailey at college (Southern Illinois University) and Daddy in Missouri. Some fun things we did on that trip was checking out Bailey's college and staying in her apartment (the girls taught Olivia how to say "Sorry 'bout cha"), swimming in a big pool with a big slide, eating dinner in a cave, the kids finding their first geocache, and watching movies in the car. The O's did so awesome traveling. I was really concerned about the logistics of a long rode trip like that with a 1 and a 2 year old, but they did amazing.

Snoozing on our way home

Olivia, Owen and I have taken a Kindermusic class this summer. We did the Family Time class so the three of us could all do it together. They have really enjoyed it and we can listen to nothing besides "music class music" in the car right now. I have really seen a lot of growth in Owen during the length of the class in his participation, communication, ability to keep a beat and interactions.

Sam has been home for a couple weeks now and we have done a couple things that we have been waiting all summer to do like go to the zoo and his family reunion. He also finally got our pool open right and we have been swimming a lot.
Our final adventure of the summer was to go visit Mandy, Evan and Austin. We had a great time and the kids loved playing together.

Swimming in the river park in Louisville

Olivia 2 1/2, Owen 14 months, Austin Trester 18 months

We have had a great summer and I look forward to some new fall adventures.