Back to School!

Ashton and Jordan completed their first full week of school...and they did great! It's hard to believe that we have a 2nd grader and a kindergartner. It's always an adjustment for everyone to get back into the school routine...but we are all getting there. Regan has had a hard time not having her playmates around. She is excited to start her preschool next week. Cole has been enjoying actually being able to nap in his crib. As many of you may know, I also started "back to school". I am working on earning a masters degree in developmental reading at The University of Iowa. I am just taking one class each semester, one night a week. Last week was my first class, and I loved it! Here are some pictures from the first few days.

A Special Place

There is a place that is a special place, a place where you can swim in a puddle, help Grandpa fix a tractor, swing away the day, run around in pink cowboy boots, relax in a hammock with your sister, or check the chicken coop for eggs. There is always so much to do at this special place and it is full of love and memories.

We spent the last couple of weeks in Missouri at the farm, and we truly love this special place. I am so glad that the girls have a place like this to go to and have adventures. Thanks to Grandma Cindy, Grandpa Steve and everyone else for a great time!

The Littlest Cowboy

One of my favorite pictures from our Missouri trip...we just returned last night, and had such a wonderful time. Our "littlest cowboy" is 5 months old today. More pictures to come...

Four Months Old

Earlier today, I was thinking about the date, and it dawned on me...Cole is 4 months old today. Such is life for the 4th child. I still go back and forth trying to remember whether he was born on March 11th or 12th! Anyway, things about Cole at 4 months:

-He has discovered his hands and constantly has them in his mouth

-He is so slobbery and is always covered with spit- is that a boy thing?

-He has the cutest, most kissable cheeks

-He hates to be left alone and wants to be where the action is

-He stills loves to sit in his bouncer seat

-He giggles, laughs, snorts and smiles...a lot. We will do just about anything to get any one of those reactions.

-He is ADORED by his sisters.

-He is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night.

-He knows how to roll over but really hates when he gets stuck on his belly.

-He loves to be cuddled.

-He has definite "tickle spots"- upper legs, armpits, neck and belly

-He has lost a lot of his hair, but has a long patch on top and around the back of his head

As is typical for our family, we have invented yet another strange nickname for Cole. We started out calling him "Little Man" but that morphed into "Manny" and that has become his name for now.

We love "Manny". Not a day goes by without one of the girls saying, "I'm so glad to have Cole in our family." I couldn't agree more.

Coach Pitch for Ashton

This year Ashton was in coach-pitch softball. Although, she was hesitant at first, she ended up really enjoying it and doing very well. She also had a great coach- her daddy-o. They had a really good team- cute kids and eager to learn! I loved going to watch her play and seeing the progress the team made through the season.

Jordan's T-ball

We just finished Jordan's first season of t-ball. She had a lot of fun and did really well! I loved seeing her enthusiasm and how her confidence (and ability) increased as the season progressed. She is such a good sport and easy to have on a team.

Take me out to the ball game!

Last Friday night, we took the whole family to the River Bandits baseball game. It was a gorgeous evening, perfect temperature and so much fun. The stadium is beautiful here, overlooking the Mississippi River. After the game, we stayed for the fireworks. It was a really fun night. I am still getting used to having 4 kids and even small ventures feel like great accomplishments, especially when everyone has a relatively good time! Cole wore his "uniform" for his first official baseball experience.