Naomi - 6 months

Naomi is six months old now and so sweet! She has been sitting up for a few weeks now and loves her tummy time. She rolls all over and tries to scoot. It looks like she will be crawling soon...we'll see!

I took Naomi in for her six-month check up last week and she was 19 pounds even and 25 inches long. That put her in the 90th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for height...short and round! She is our biggest baby, but that just means there is more of her to love. She now weighs a pound more at six months than Madelyn did at one year!

Pictures were so fun and easy to get of Naomi because she smiles all the time. I'm sure her one-year pictures will be a different story when she is mobile and much less cooperative! We are sad that she has lost a good portion of her full head of hair. She is getting quite the "comb-over" on top of her head. I'm sad that her new growth doesn't appear to be as dark as her newborn hair was, but she's still adorable!

Bikes, bikes, and more bikes

This week Justin's Cub Scout pack held their annual "bike rodeo". The event is for the whole family and our kids love it! We only live about two miles from the church so they all ride to and from the church. The parking lot is turned into a course with cones and stop signs. The Cub Scouts learn how to care for their bikes and they discuss bike safety.

Bruce was able to join the big kids this year on his two-wheeler. He has been riding solo for a couple of weeks. He is making me nervous because he's a little too confident! Whenever I remind him to get over on the side of the road as a car passes, he always tells me "mom, they didn't hit me!" I guess as long as there is no injury, he's not going to worry. No concept of prevention or caution!

Summer fun

We are having a great summer! Last weekend we had Aaron's summer work party at Indiana beach. It is a combined amusement and water park. We woke up to thunderstorms Saturday morning and wondered if we were going to have a lazy day at home; however, the weather cleared up and we had a great time!

Madelyn wasn't too keen on the rides - she prefers to be the observer. She is our timid little girl just like her big sister was at her age. Elizabeth is still pretty shy, but she has come along way! This gives us hope for Madelyn!

Aaron took all of the kids on the log ride. Madelyn started out the ride with a smile, but wasn't so happy at the end after going down the big hill! After this, it was off to kiddie land and carousels for us.

Happy Birthday, Will!

Will has five cousins who were all born the same year as him. This picture is of three of them in Idaho when he was about four months old. Will was born with a club foot and went through a series of casting beginning at a week old and then wore these shoes with the bar between them for his first year. This year he is likely going to have a small surgery to correct the tightness he still has in his left foot. It causes him to trip a lot which is very frustrating for him.

Camping in Idaho - we have spent many of Will's birthdays in Idaho and he loves going camping!

Will is six! We have tended to refer to Will and Bruce as "the little boys", but Will is trying to break the mold. He likes to group himself with Justin and Elizabeth now as one of the older kids, as opposed to one of the little ones. He has been wanting to be six now for several months.

Here are a few things about Will:

• Loves to swim (see post of him going off the high dive a few weeks ago)
• Loves to ride his bike
• Loves to play video games (he got a Nintendo DS for his birthday)
• Is VERY strong willed
  
• Loves playing with his good friends Jillian and Dallin and all of his cousins
• Has the best smile
• Loves to give hugs
• Is very competitive and can't wait to play sports

Happy 6th Birthday, Will! We love you!

Lots of Laughs

We caught Naomi in a laughing mood. We think she is so cute!

Ohio

Two weeks ago the kids and I spent a few days in Ohio. We went to the zoo on our way over and then spent a few days with Aaron's mom and dad (Mama and Papa to the kids). They took us to Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio. We spent the whole day there and the kids LOVED it! It's a historic village from about 1900 with lots for the kids to do. We enjoyed visiting the glass shop, broom shop, barber shop, toy shop, ice cream shop, sweet shop, train ride, carriage ride, the Barn restaurant, the basket shop, and many more. The kids were wiped out at the end of the day, but had a great time!

The weather was in the 90's during our visit so it was perfect for swimming too. We had fun catching up with friends and family with our day at the pond. Thanks to all who came and played with us!

Phase two is complete

Aaron finished the "second phase" of the treehouse a few weeks ago. The kids are loving it and so am I. Now I am wondering what they did the last two summers here! We still plan on adding a slide to the treehouse and Aaron is going to build a permanent ladder to replace the one that is currently there.

More good news...Madelyn has overcome her fear of swinging!