Cross-Country

Marshall had his first cross-country meet today. He talked me into letting him participate even though our schedule is a little crazy lately. I don't think Marshall is doing cross-country because he loves to run....he's in it for the social aspects. Whatever the reason, it was a fun afternoon. It helped that the sun showed up!

And they're off! Marshall finished 8th which is a big improvement from last year. I was prepared to stand at the finish line waiting for him to stroll in as everyone else was packing up to leave. I was surprised to see him running hard toward the front of the pack! I think soccer is really helping his endurance!

Here's a cute shot of Ella and Sadie enjoying the sun. It's a cute picture, but I also think it's funny because I don't think I would have ever let Marshall have a Caprisun and Fritos at 15 months. Sometimes when there are hundreds of kids running around and you need your baby to stay in one place for just a little while, the sodium and sugar content in a snack aren't of the utmost importance. I definitely believe in healthy snacks and do pretty well for the most part, but Sadie has experienced much more than the others did at her age!

Ava's 1st Day of Preschool

Ava had her first day of preschool this week. She loved it! When we got in the car afterward she said, " I don't know why kids would cry....we didn't even do anything!" She wished that it was longer. When I asked her what her favorite part of the day was, she gave the typical "recess and snack" answer. She was definitely ready for this milestone!


Doing playdough with one hand can be tricky! I'm sure she'll get used to the one-hand thing in no time though.

Here's a random picture of Ava with the cookie bouquet Marcie brought over today. Notice how some of the bears have casts. She thought that was pretty cool!

Poor Ava!

On Friday evening Ava fell off of her bike going down the hill on our driveway. She tried to catch herself and extended her arm, breaking the bone right above her elbow. We immediately went to the ER. After a couple of x-rays, they determined that the break was a #3, the worst it could be. She needed surgery to repair it ASAP. She had to have four pins put in her arm and has a splint from her hand to her shoulder. She was super brave and kept a pretty good attitude through it all. We are proud of her!

Daddy and Ava got to go for a ride up to the surgical ward.

Ava trying to smile right before she was wheeled into surgery. What a brave girl!

There's not much to do for 5 hours in a waiting room with lots of kids. Fortunately friends arrived for some entertainment. You can do a lot with doctor gear!

Here's Ava in recovery as we were waiting for her to wake up from anesthesia. It was a long night for Sadie as well. They finally released her around 2:30 AM.

Resting comfortably at home with the special teddy bears the nurses gave her.

Here she is looking more like the Ava we know and love! Still unwilling to take any pain medication, but smiling through it all.

Today I made good on my promise to take Ava to DQ for a butterfinger blizzard. Happiness is ice cream! Stay tuned for Ava's first day of preschool!!

First Day of School!

The first day of school came a little soon this year. It felt like summer was too short! This year Marshall is a 4th grader and Ella is a big 1st grader! Both at school for a full day! I might actually be able to have a productive Costco trip (usually we spend the whole time going from sample to sample to keep the peace.....then we come home realizing we didn't even get what we needed!), I'll be able to go to Starbucks and spend less than $10.00, I might even get some stuff done around the house! I'll miss having them around....but I have to admit I'm a little excited!

Here's the annual "out the door" picture that the kids love so much!

It was pouring down rain and the kids were soaked before the day even started.

Here's Ella waiting in line to go into her class. She said she had butterflies, but was excited....especially when she spotted some kids she knew. Here comes another year!