2 months, too many things to catch up on

With this 5th child I am finding myself more okay with leaving things unfinished.  I just don't feel that driving anxiety to get everything done or updated right now.  I just want to sit and rock the baby.  I'm so grateful that the other 4 are such good sports about all of it.  I've been trying to balance adventure time for them and an overwhelming desire to just sit at home.
We've had a lot of bumps along the way.  Poor little Ev has been to the doctor twice for fevers.  Being so little, they automatically have to check his urine and blood, the second time he even ended up getting a spinal tap.  I cried a lot, we cried together a lot.  It all turned out okay, just viral stuff going around.  In fact Fiona has had a horrible stomach thing for the last 3 days.  I'm just grateful that it's not RSV season on top of it all.  It's been a crazy summer.
The kids are way excited that school will be starting this coming week and so am I.  They are all very happy about their teachers (especially Fiona, she got Grandma for kindergarten).
We had a back to school party this past Thursday and it was a lot of fun.  We had neighbors come up for fun recess games and treats.  Pretty low key but a big hit.  I made 'wise old owl' cookies (that's what Wes called them) and they turned out so cute.  I found the recipe on FamilyFun.com, I highly recommend them.  They were easier than they seemed and very tasty.  That's where I found all the fun games to play, too.  I love that site.
Here are some pics of our last few adventures.  And as you will see, being sick hasn't kept Ev from growing like crazy.  He's already 13 lbs!  I love his fat rolls!

With this 5th child I am finding myself more okay with leaving things unfinished.  I just don't feel that driving anxiety to get everything done or updated right now.  I just want to sit and rock the baby.  I'm so grateful that the other 4 are such good sports about all of it.  I've been trying to balance adventure time for them and an overwhelming desire to just sit at home.
We've had a lot of bumps along the way.  Poor little Ev has been to the doctor twice for fevers.  Being so little, they automatically have to check his urine and blood, the second time he even ended up getting a spinal tap.  I cried a lot, we cried together a lot.  It all turned out okay, just viral stuff going around.  In fact Fiona has had a horrible stomach thing for the last 3 days.  I'm just grateful that it's not RSV season on top of it all.  It's been a crazy summer.
The kids are way excited that school will be starting this coming week and so am I.  They are all very happy about their teachers (especially Fiona, she got Grandma for kindergarten).
We had a back to school party this past Thursday and it was a lot of fun.  We had neighbors come up for fun recess games and treats.  Pretty low key but a big hit.  I made 'wise old owl' cookies (that's what Wes called them) and they turned out so cute.  I found the recipe on FamilyFun.com, I highly recommend them.  They were easier than they seemed and very tasty.  That's where I found all the fun games to play, too.  I love that site.
Here are some pics of our last few adventures.  And as you will see, being sick hasn't kept Ev from growing like crazy.  He's already 13 lbs!  I love his fat rolls!

 for the 24th of july we were going to try to go to lagoon, but it didn't work out so we stayed at home and played in the sprinklers with our cousins/neighbors.  it's so nice to have cousins to come up whenever we want to play.  austin made a slip and slide on our little hill, and the kids all loved jumping on the trampoline with a sprinkler.

later that evening we went to the park with the birches and enjoyed a fun bbq.  we even found a water snake in the river behind the park.  all the kids were fighting over who would get to catch it.  they take after their mom :-)

 we played at a friends house where they had kittens.  i just loved the pictures i got at their house, they are so perfect and filled with fun summer, carefree memories.

 for salem days we entered everett in the baby contest.  the theme was 'making life better'  they had little signs at all the businesses around town that said 'making life better, shop local'  so i made everett dress as a bunch of grapes from our local grocery store.  he was such a good sport.

 we finally made it to lagoon this past week.  it was the first time for all the kiddos.  they loved it.  our little lydia is quite the thrill seeker , she never found a ride that she didn't like and was upset that she was too small for some of them.  fiona takes after me, she's more of a chicken, but she & i still had a great time together.  Wes loved the haunted house and Ian thought the drops were the best thing ever.

 we also took the kids to bridal veil falls to play in the freezing water.  austin and I couldn't even keep our feet in the water it was so cold, but that didn't stop our little crazies from splashing up a storm.  I love lydia and fiona's new poses for pictures.

 thursday i took the kids to the kenecott copper mine.  i've been wanting to do it all summer.  i knew wesley would love it and it turned out to a hit with all four of them.  when we were driving up the mountain, wes spotted a track hoe with the cables and yelled out happily, "it's a snort!!"  those of you who have read the book will know what he was talking about.

 we blessed everett this past month.  it was wonderful and our families are so thoughtful and supportive.  we are blessed with so many good people in our lives and the lives of our children.  i am so grateful.  he was blessed in the outfit that austin (and later ian) was blessed in.  it almost didn't fit, I actually couldn't snap all the snaps at the bottom because his legs have gotten so fat.  i love the chub!

i hope that you are all having wonderful summers and making great memories with your loved ones, too.