What's Going on Around Here

Grace swimming at Anjie's house on the 4th of July.

Celebrating Audrey's 8th b-day

She got a laptop for her birthday, she was thrilled!

All the sisters on Ad's b-day

Josh and "Joel Bear" (that's what we like to call him) taking in an Angels game on t.v.

Olivia sacked out on the couch one afternoon.

Ellie playing with flubber.

The living room after a fun fort building game.

Audrey and Joel

Can't believe July is almost over. We've been keeping busy around here...Audrey, Ellie, and Olivia went to VBS last week so that gave us something to do and they enjoyed it...I can't get those songs out of my head.

This week, no big happenings, just trying to stay cool in this Fresno heat. Joel is growing and it's most noticeable in his cheeks, they are getting chubby. He has started to smile but really makes you work for those smiles, and we haven't been able to capture it on camera, maybe soon. He's sleeping well, the other night I got 6 hours of sleep in a row! I think it's been months since I have gotten that much sleep!

Part of me is excited to see school start (August 17th) and get back into a routine, but I have been enjoying the down time....I have spent a lot of time with the kids and I think it's been good for me and them. I'm learning to practice patience and a little more about what makes each one of them tick.

Audrey loves being home this summer, she can be a bit of a homebody. She would hold Joel non-stop if I let her. She loves to boss her sisters around and this drives them crazy and causes quite a few fights. In spite of that, I'm not sure what I would do without her, she is always ready to help.

Ellie has matured so much this last year. She is so sweet and loves Goose (Grace) and Joel so much, she is so tender and loving with them. She is learning how to be a little less emotional about everything. She is a thinker and loves to ask questions. She loves to do her own hair, and she does a good job.

Olivia is a free spirit. She isn't a very good listener (we're working on this), but she is so loving. She has a way of saying the funniest things and making everybody feel special. She is very good at expressing her feelings. She is right smack in the middle, and I can't think of a kid with a better personality to make it thru as a middle child.

Grace is the baby girl, and still seems so much like a baby to me, until I put Joel next to her, then she looks like a monster. She speaks her own little language, but "mine" and "no" are her fav clear words, She says no to everything even if she means yes. She loves Joel and will touch him and say "baby" but she's pretty oblivious that he's here. She's too busy pushing the baby stroller and making messes to notice her baby brother most of the time.