Packer Game!

So a dessert buffet came by and we could have anything we wanted!!!! Wow!

Awesome dessert!!!

Mom & Dad!!

this is hi to you Andie!!

So I am from Stratford, Wisconsin and have NEVER been to a Packer game!  I've been to quite a few different professional sporting events too.  My mom won 10 tickets to a suite at Lambeau Field in Green Bay for the opening game of the season.  It was amazing...they had a lot of food and a very comfortable sitting area.  The evening was actually perfect for sitting outside and watching but I'm sure the suite we were in would be even more appreciated in December or January!

We had two wonderful young ladies babysit our (Shawna and I) children.  I knew them as little girls growing up and now they were babysitting my girls!  I actually didn't think I was going to be able to go at first because I had been a little lazy at trying to get Violet (3 1/2 months) to take a bottle.  Nursing is quicker and easier!  But I was very motivated!!!  I left her still a little uncertain to her taking a bottle from others but I decided she would survive!  Well we received no calls the whole 12 hours we were gone about any of the 6 cousins!

I had a superfabulous time and will never forget it...here are some pics...

Oh....the Packers won!!   42-36!  Great game!!

Andrea is in China!

Andrea, my youngest sister, left for China this month to teach at an international school and get involved in ministry as well.  She is committed for the school year but wants to serve there indefinitely.  She has a heart for the Asian people.  She spent a whole day with us the last week she was here in the States.  We miss her but skype is great!  "Auntie Andie" is full of silly faces and fun times....here are a couple memories of our day together!

I am soooo blessed!!!

My baby precious is a blessing....Violet has been sleeping through the night for a week and a half (at 7 1/2 weeks).  We moms remember when that happens!!!  And as with the others she has continued to sleep a good 7-8 hours straight each night.

She just turned 2 months yesterday and is so fun.  We all try to get her to smile and she gives them freely.

Yesterday in "room time" (a 1/2 hour or more of playtime by themselves usually) Elliana got to watch/play with Violet.  She did a very good job and claimed to have discovered Violet's favorite toy.  Our girls have many years ahead of fun together.

Hope you are having a great day today

HOT Summer fun!!

We went to a really nice park for 3 hours in our incredibly hot, humid weather here!  I like hot weather for part of a day...and we had a lot of fun.  The temp early this morning was 76 degrees and 94 percent humidity!!!  By the time we were coming home this afternoon the temp was in the mid 90s.  We met my friend Sarah and her three boys who are very close to our oldest three.  They have grown up together.  Fun, fun, fun!

L ro R Samuel, Benjamin, and Andrew

Abigail is 2 years old!

We had fun celebrating Abigail's 2nd birthday...July 13, 2009 she was born.  She was the quickest birth of them all!

She is a blessing but a challenging age!  She needs to constantly be reminded of her boundaries!!  It's fun to watch her play with Madeline and Elliana.  She joins them like she is one of the big sisters...which she is now I guess!

Abigail loves dogs and so Elliana found some little dogs she had and we put them on her cake!



I love decorating and making the girls feel special for their birthday



Violet got on a little bit of birthday fun!

It was a beautiful day and we spent a lot of time outside

We had cake for lunch AND supper!!  Celebrate as much as possible!!

Abigail learned today how to climb up our playset!!

Sniching!!!  She has to wait all day to eat this cake!



Abigail's praying while Daddy prays for our supper meal



Abigail is a good eater...she started with this much food...

...and ended with an empty plate!!

Birthday fun!

Summer!

Wow...life is even more full :-)

Violet is 7 weeks old as of this morning.  She is such a wonderful baby!  She makes me want to have more!!!  Right now I don't wake up to feed her until 5am...so she's almost sleeping through the night.  She is predictable eating about every 3 hours during the day and just starting to give some smiles.  I was so excited for that.    She is so loved by her sisters...still!  She sometimes gets called every other sister's name but eventually I get "Violet" out :-)  It takes a few weeks for the baby's name to roll off my tongue.  We are all so proud of her.

I am feeling really good, except that I am tired most of the time.  However, it's my fault usually.  After I put Violet to bed I just want to hang out with Lynn and get a few things done around the house.  So then I get to bed late.

We are so blessed and I have so many things to be thankful for.  I love my 4 girls, "way up high to the sky" we say.

We just made it back from Oregon where my mom grew up.  All the aunts/uncles and cousins and gma and gpa were invited to a wonderful place on the coast to gather and just be together.  We had a straight flight there and overall that went real well.  It was supergood Oregon "living" together for 3 days.  Then we spent time with my Aunt Lindy and Uncle Ian who are missionaries in Quito, Ecuador.  They were able to make it back!

Time with family is precious and special.

Almost all of these pictures are from Oregon.



Alicia came over to help me for the day!!




Auntie Andie



Lynn's birthday!

Pipe cleaners were awesome on the plane!!

We made it!  My Grandma and Grandpa Fast at their home in Rickreall, Oregon

my grandparents home

At the Oregon coast

Second counsins had LOTS of fun

Me and my Aunt Jan who did lots of planning for this reunion to happen

Cousins...and spouses!!

My gma and gpa with our family

All of my mom's family who was able to come

Violet's Great Grandma Adeline Fast

Violet fell asleep in Daddy's arm