Camping

So the weekend of July 18th we decided to go camping. our first adventure camping as a familyand especially with a baby, so we decided to stay in a cabin, 1. it was cheaper than going and buying tents and all the equipment we'd need and 2. i'm way too much of a girly girl to campin the dirt with bugs! So friday we get up, ready to head off, our cheap vacation, or so we thought ended up costing a small fortune just making sure we had enough food and supplies. And off we headed to Hemlock Hideaway Campground in Huntingdon.

It of course as it has been most of this summer, was raining when we arrived. I don't just mean raining, torrential downpour. We found our cabin, which was right at the top on an incline, which if we ever come again, please remind us not to get cabin 6. It was lovely, but i didn't like the hill at all, especially as the bathrooms were at the bottom of the hill. We unpacked in the rain, the kids loved the loft that they were going to sleep in.

The rain took a little break, so i took the kids down to the pool for a bit while Avery and Daddy took a little nap! we came back decided to start trying to light a fire, wasn't the most successful thing in the world, but we made do. Finally i was lit after Shane and the kids made several trips to get fire wood. Came back and we made hotdogs, baked potatoes and then of course smores. Avery sat in his wagon while all the eating and talking around the camp fire ensued.

Master chief at work. Saturday morning we got up to unseasonable cold tempertures for July. But we made the most of it, the boys went fishing, shane caught a fish. Avery and i took a little nap. We all went swimming. Avery had his first time in the pool and swimming, he liked it but we wouldn't let him in very long becuase of how chilly it was. We then sat around the campfire again, made mountain pies, pizza ones and then my new favorite. Peanut butter/chocolate/marshmallow mountain pie. OMG it was soooo good. Sleeping in the cabin was interesting, i couldn't get away from shane's snoring, so there were moments in the night i seriously considered going and sleeping in the car, no matter how many times i kicked him, or thumped him, nothing, doesn't even flinch!

Here are a few pictures of saturday:

So Sunday arrives our day to leave and naturally its 80 degrees and sunny outside. So we pack up after making breakfast around the fire one last time and head to the lake for part of the afternoon. Thought we should at least make the most of the nice weather. Wasn't as relaxing as i hoped it would be but we had fun all the same.

4th of July weekend

Saturday started out cold, we headed off to Brian and Lynn's for a cook out, made my new favorite dessert (thanks renee) cool whip pie and the pototo's that everyone seems to enjoy. They had a lovely set up in the back yard and the kids had a wonderful time playing, we ate a lot and watched some fireworks that Brian set off.

Avery discovered Grass for the first time. At first not his favorite:

He wouldn't put his feet down and didn't want to touch it at all, till mean Mummy just plopped him down in the grass and he was "forced" to get used to it.

but then he was off and loving it, and of course then we couldn't keep a hold of him.

the day went on and the kids sat and watched the fireworks before we left to meet Renee and Jeff to see the Lakemont fire work show.

Day two. We took the Kimball Pontoon boat out on the lake at Glendale with Renne and Jeff and their kids Josh and Matt, we had a great time, all got burnt (except Gregory who always tells us "i never burn i just tan" thanks Greg). Avery loved his first adventure out on a boat, thought the wind blowing his hair was hilarious.

Here is Avery's melt down on the lake before it was all too much....

Bumps on the head

So its great that Avery is now mobile, that he can explore everything, and he loves it, he's off like a shot every chance he gets. Doesn't stop for a second, other than a minor drink or poop break. but his new found freedom come the accidents, it seems he is falling down and banging his head every 5 mins, that poor boy, and its always the worst thing that has ever happened to him. You scoop him up, cuddle him and then he's off doing the exact same thing again. its nuts! so we came up with a solution, we baby proffed him. Well Gregory helped with the aid of his Gladiator helmet.

Sr. Company

So, there are moments in your life, that you look at your kids and you could burst with pride! yesterday was one of those moments for me. Emily has been taking dance since she was 3 years old. And yesterday all her hard work payed off. She made The Sr. Company. She'll be the youngest dancer in there. Of course for me that means a lot of added expense, she'll be taking ballet, pointe, hip hop, jazz, tap and lyrical, so that's all of those costumes and competition fees! but i'll find a way, she is so excited. She really needed this confidence boost. After breaking her toe before the recital last year and then not getting the lead for the nutcracker, this helped so much. Solo's start next week so i'll be sure to keep you all posted on how she is doing as the year progresses, and how much hair i have lost trying to pay for it all. hehe

June 13th Recital

So we made it to the end of year recital. Emily did great, she was in 5 dances in the first half, so lots of fast comsume changes. She was so nervous, especially doing the senior company part. A girl had gotten hurt and couldn't dance and they chose emily to take her place. She looked to little next to them though, it was very cute.
As always nothing goes off with a hitch of some kind. It was my bright idea to drag her outside before and get her pictures in the garden, well naturally she found the only wet spot in the yard and stood up with mud all over her pink tights. So we scrubbed. Nothing, we soaked. Nothing. finally decided to just go buy a new pair, got to the store at 230, they close at 2. Seriously???? So i brough oxy clean spray remover (best invention ever), it worked wonders. Thank you oxy people!.
Avery enjoyed his first recital, along with his new found love of his puff snacks. Almost like cereal and with no teath still, he's mostly gumming them, but he loves them. Think he enjoys the independance a little of being able to do that on his own.
Here are a few pics of the ballerina.

Baker Picnic 5-30-09

So Saturday we were off for the Baker picnic, started off a little chilly but ended up so warm out it was great. Avery's first experience to a part like that. We did go last year when he was 2 weeks old, but apparently he doesn't remember that!!!! (spent most of the day attached to my boob if i recall).
Emily and Gregory rode with friends, took turns with us, loved the new Dragon ride. Avery loved the merry go round, which was basically all he could go on. We ate lunch there. Here are a couple of pics of our day.

Exhausted....long day

The dragon ride (Gregory's favorite)

Big boy at the park

contemplating his next move

Memorial Weekend

So we had a three day weekend (well i actually had a four now that i am taking friday's off), memorial day weekend, unofficial start of the summer. Saturday was pretty uneventful as in regards to we had a lazy day at home, which honestly is what i needed, it seems we never stop, so a day to just be home felt good. Of course that doesn't include me getting up and indulging in my new obsession with yard sales. Gregory and i were off at 830am, it was fun. We picked Emily up at 11 from a sleep over at Kira's house, which meant dealing with a bear of a child the rest of the day because they don't sleep, ( why they call them sleepovers is beyond me, although i do recall my mum saying the same thing to me when i was younger). So Saturday afternoon sitting around, and after napping with my beautiful baby, he crawled for the first time! yep actually went forwards instead of backwards, a little unsteady but determined to get to where he needs to go (usually where he isn't allowed).

Sunday we went to Wendy and Butch's for a cook out, kids played, Avery and I sat on the front porch while everything happened around us, it was nice and relaxing. Monday we went to the lake, Avery's first time at the lake, dipped his toes in the very cold water. Other than the bugs that seemed to zone in on our one location, we had fun, went home and made smores. Here are a few pics of the weekend.

Avery Wilson

So our Little bundle arrived last August 2008, I went into labor at work on Monday (the 4th), Krista drove me to the hospital, where for the next 28 hours i had contractions every two to 4 mins, it was awful, they wouldn't admit me because they couldn't decide if they were going to send me home or not, i was so upset, at around 2am i had one of many meltdowns on Shane begging him to not let them send me home, i just couldn't understand how they might! So Tuesday rolls around after no sleep, Dr. Hoyne (who actually delivered my daughter, Emily) came in to check on my progress; 3 almost 4 cm, woohoo the hours of walking the halls of the hospital had paid off, so they broke my water and then got me my epidural, yeah i thought i might be able to do it without drugs, and then hour 26 kicked in and there was no way. Of course as luck would have it at 9 cm the machine pumping the medicine through my epidural malfunctioned and stopped giving me the drugs. WHAT!!! by the time they fixed it, it was time to push, after an hour i was gettitng nowhere at all. Finally Dr. Kennedy came in and said that the babies heart rate was dropping very low and he needed to come out right now. So we were whisked of for an emergency c-section It seemed like it took forever for them to pull him out and wow a c-section is not fun, it feels like an elephant is on your chest, the pressure of them pulling and tugging. but tat 3:07 pm, here came Avery Wilson weighing in at 8 lbs 11 oz. no wonder i couldn't deliver him the little porker, he was great, ate like a champ right away and spent the next 4 months attached to my boobs.