final vacation

I decided to end our summer traveling with one nore trip to minot to see my dad after his last chemo treatment and take the kids to the state fair to ride the rides. We picked a day that was cool and emily rode around in the backpack. jonny just hit the 42" mark to ride the rides with an adult, so he was enable to enjoy the rides as well. Ash was a little bummed that michael wouldn't ride the all of the thrill seekers with her, but she did get him to ride two...

some other photos I got:time went quickly and before you know, it was 730. time to head to grandpas and get something to eat. the kids had a blast and I am glad we were able to do this.

5

jonny spent his birthday this year at the lake with grandma and grandpa. he got sung to twice and got 2 cakes. he got a skateborad and decided to try it out. Thanks gma for the use of your helmet...

2 weeks

Emily is 2 weeks today. Ashley took this photo of her feet. Some things we love about her:

She sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time and doesn't wake up screaming.

Her personality is very relaxed and sweet.

She has a dimple on the left side.

Her smile is contagious even though it is just gas.

She has monkey feet.

She loves to hear Jonny's voice and can sleep though his ongoings.

Is a cuddler but loves to sleep in her OWN bed.

while the cat is away...

Michael is currently away enjoying his 1st boy scout camp. Jonny was so excited to have dad to himself, he chose to go catfishing on the river. While emily was taking a nap, I went down there and got this video.


Michael saved some fireworks to put on a little show sunday night since I was not able to join them for the 4th. He is busy running from the lit fireworks but I did capture jonny doing a light show.
Some of you are wondering where Ash is? well she has been MIA since she started dating and having friends(or as she says 'having more of a life'). It is good that she is out having fun as she has also been a big help these last months.

emily

Emily

Emily was ready to arrive on thursday. When I went in for my induction I was already in the early stages. So Chris and I sat there for 4 hours in order to give the antibiotics time to work.

Stats



time: 548pm


7 lbs 10.9 oz


22 inches long




The staff there was awesome. Jonny got to assist with her first bath while i was in recovery.

Contents of a 4 yr olds' tackle box

I love it when little kids collect things and here jonny is no exception. He recently got to graduate to "big boy" fishing status with a real rod so that meant a real tackle box. Here is collection.

Well I never thought I would be so happy to see the number 12 but when I logged on and saw that only 12 days to go...yeah! We are definitely getting anxious....we will keep everyone posted.

Winding down his vacation, chris took ashley and jonny fishing to Devils Lake. Jonny caught this northern, the only one he caught all day. Ashley caught one as well but the camera batteries were dead...arghhhh!

Boys June vacation

Chris and Michael spent a couple of days in SD visiting family and relaxing.

Michael at Sylvan Lake...

Uncle Pat and Michael...

Trip to reptile gardens...

and a little time for fishing...(michael is in the orange)

20 kids

Jonny has been so caught up in the baby thing, he is constantly thinking about what he will have to teach his lttle sister. Every day is checks to see if the birds are out cause that will mean summer is here and he will be a big brother. A couple of weeks ago he had some funny comments that are staying with him growing into a complete story. I know I have left alot of but you get the jist of it:

Last month:

"When I get bigger I will have to go to Menards"

"why"

"To get money!"

for what

"So when we I marry ash I can have 20 kids"

oh okay

"I will need lots of money"

(ash has since declined the offer of marriage and now he is going to marry me)

Last week at MCD he saw a red van:

"I need that red van!"

for what

"For my 20 kids!"

and it went on but I can't remember all of it.

Last night at dinner:

"Mom when I get older I will have to Menards"

why?

irritatingly like I didn't remember "For my 20 kids!"

who is going to take care of your kids?

"You are going to"

I can't do that by myself

thoughtfully he replied "Ashley you can never get married ever!"

why

"She will have to help take care of my kids"

Finally a Name

With the past 3 I have always had a dream of what they would look like. (with michael I thought I was always dreaming of my friends little blond hair blue eyed boy..how would we have a blonde, right?) Jonny was so much like ash that I thought he was a girl...but this one...nothing. We have the hardest time with a first name even. But we have finally decided on Emily Lorriane Nero. Unless she dosen't fit at all, but looking back on our childhood photos, can you cannot help but see an emily there. Jonny is thinking blonde hair and Ashley is thinking brown. Chris and I just want healthy but think she will look like more my side...We are all on pins and needles waiting for her arrival and can't wait. Fridge/freezer is stocked, clothes washed, kids are on a summer routine and Chris only has about a month left of 6 day work weeks...we are hoping anyways. We just have to breakdown and buy a crib...I don't want to do the co sleeping thing this time..Chris thought that since jonny was our last it might be fun...hehehehe, 4.5 years later.....

Chris and Jonny went fishing this last sunday. It was the perfect day for the trip, jonny made his list that included strawberries, sunscreen, cat snot, minnows, koolaid and of course a boat. They caught 2 fish with his little spider man rod and now it is evident that jonny is ready for a big boy rod.

Decided that we should clean the camera off and found some pictures to share. This is the wish bone from our thanksgiving turkey in 2008. It was on the kitchen sill sealed behind the plastic on the windows for the winter so it was really dried out. The boys got to break this april, and it just shattered so we decided that they both get their wish.

Jonny's preschool graduation this last week.

first date

Last night Ashley had her 1st date. She was excited and nervous all day. He picked up her up at 445 and returned about 930pm. I remember my first date...how exciting. I am glad she waited until she was 16. Way to go ash!

Her profile

I had another ultra sound today. I guess we better start getting things together. My sister found some great deals on craigslist...but I have been looking here and nothing. It was neat to see the hair on her haed..we are thinking blonde, like michael but that is probably because jonny and ash are so similar that now it has to be the other 50%. She is sitting on her feet with ankles crossed...well really standing on her head...no wonder I have no room and can't breathe and heartburn from nowhere. Those feet are going up not out. She is currently taking the WHOLE space from tippy top to bottom and weighs about 3-11. We still haven't found the right name...keep sending those great ideas...

finally finished

Well we finished ashley's room. Here are some photos:

1. looking from the closet into the room.

2. opposite of the chocolate wall. -the vinyl tree came from http://www.littlewhittlelettering.com

3. the walk in closet

4. looking from the egress window.:

happy easter

We saw these on bakerella and jonny just had to make them. After the creative session with jonny and ashley, we decided to share them and deliver to some friends.

fair trade?

jonny thinks he got the best end of the deal. We traded our big screen tv from the basement(from when they first came out..)for a childs snowmobile. Jonny just loves it. Michael of course can ride it as well so now he can choose which one to ride the adult one or the little one. This is Jonnys first ride. He goes and then gets so excited that he has to stop and say whew....The great thing is the kids don't have to wait till chris is home to ride. Not much snow left...but just enough. Hopefully we won't get anymore till november. Keep your fingers crossed.

Well to my demise, Ashley caved on tuesday. I was taking a nap and I wake up to her singing and I can hear her in the kitchen cleaning. Now Ash was the culprit and has always done her share(and maybe some of michaels and I had to ask her several times over the weekend to only pick up after herself), but I think, well maybe Michael asked her to help and he was the one who initaited it.......wishful thinking. She just couldn't take it anymore, the mess. So when I came out I made Michael clean up the livingroom. After talking his ear off about how he needs to be a part of the family, not just a guest who hangs out here...hehehehe, I told Ashley she proved she was becoming more an adult than I wanted her to be but that I have to accept it, I extended her bedtime past 7:30 permantly. Needless to say of course she was thrilled and that threw michael into another tizzy. boys, big AND small.