Water Play Day at Karate

Today Jacob's karate hosted a water play day for all of its students and their friends, so we stopped by to cool off for a bit. They had a bounce house water slide and slip 'n slide which Jacob was so excited to play on. Jacob brought his cousin Asher who preferred to stay out of the water because he was a little overwhelmed by all the big kids but he sure enjoyed his 2 hot dogs. It was a great way to wrap up the summer before heading to school.

Sushi Chefs

Beautiful Mama to Be & Presley girl

All the goods for the rolls

Attempting my first roll

Roll complete

Not too bad for my first attempt

My masterpiece...mmm

Justin aka "shushi chef" admiring his hard work

My sister Stephanie and her boyfriend Justin always make sushi and since I love sushi I have been dying to do it myself. Well this week they came over and treated us to a delicious sushi dinner. Justin was quite the sushi chef, and after watching him and Steph do a couple rolls I gave it a shot. We made yummy california rolls topped with a crab mayonnaise with a dab of hot sauce. Yum! Then we used some of our BBQ chicken in the rolls and that was delicious as well. Next time we decided to venture out and come up with some more creative rolls. We had so much fun making sushi rolls, but the best part was making memories with the fam!

Sisters

This past week Jacob was spending the night at Nini & Papa's so I had a night with my girls. I feel so blessed to have two daughters so close in age because I know that one day they will be each others best friend and confide in one another just like my sister and I did and will always do. There is something special about the bond between sisters and I can't wait to watch that bond grow between Hallie and Khloe.

Khloe is 3 months

Our sweet little miss Khloe is 3 months new. I cannot believe how quickly time has gone. Khloe is sleeping 10-12 hours a night which has made it nice for me this past month. It makes me sad to know the 3 month mark is here because it means in just a few short weeks I go back to work and not only have to get up early, but also have to leave my baby (but at least it's only with nini). I am so blessed to have my mom! She is amazing and I couldn't possibly ask for a better babysitter because no one (besides Jake and I) could ever love my kids more than she does. I love how close all of my kids are to my parents and I love that they love going to their house so much! It reminds me of how close I was to my grandparents growing up. Each day I drop my kids off at my moms I know they are making memories they will cherish their entire life.

A Night at the Races

What better way to spend a hot August night than being out at the race track! We always have a great time going out to 99 speedway with our family to cheer on one of our best friends Arron Shankel. This was Khloe's first time out to the races and she was an absolute angel and even managed to sleep through the races as the night went on. Hallie loved waving her checkered flag. Jacob's favorite part aside from the hot dogs, cotton candy, and other goodies is being able to go down to the pits after the races because Arron always lets him sit in the driver seat of his race car!

Sweet Summertime

The Gang

Little Miss Hallie being sassy

Hallie & Charlie

More Hugs

Me and my 3 loves

Charlie & Hallie

Khloe and Macie 4th generation Best Buds in the making

Beautiful Jeni and Macie

Future Soccer Star

Bathing Beauty

Soaking it all in

Hallie loves the water

Handsome Charlie

My big 5 year old

Sweet Little Hallie Girl

Being a teacher has always made me feel like I have the best of both worlds. I love teaching and making a difference in the lives of my students, yet the great hours and long summer vacations enable me to enjoy the perks of "life as a stay-at-home mommy" too. This summer I have been adjusting to being a mom to 3 and although at times it gets a little crazy, most days we have been able to get out of the house for a little summer fun with friends and family. The past couple of weeks we had some play dates at Micke's Grove to play in the splash park. It is so nice to meet up with some life-long friends who have kids who are the same ages as mine. I love watching them all play together knowing that I am witnessing a 4th generation of friendships grow.

Beating the Heat

Nothing better than popsicles on a hot summer day!

Hallie's life jacket is bigger than her!

We caught Hallie "putting on makeup" well actually coloring her face & teeth with chalk!

Sweet smiles from our little Coco!

This week my kids were thrilled when we were invited to Tami's for a pool party. Hanging with friends poolside was the perfect way to beat the heat.