A day at the park

Well fall is in full swing here in Michigan. We knew it would come sooner or later. After such a fantastic summer it's hard to think it is over. But we love the fall in Michigan. Fall means the trees change color, warm apple cider in the crock pot, hayrides and visits to our local apple orchards and of course MI football :) The other day was a gorgeous day that I knew we needed to take advantage of so after picking up Cohen from school we headed to a local park and had a picnic and enjoyed the outdoors.

What? I can't play on the slide too?

Cheese!!

Spider monkey in action

Kendall loves the slide

 I just love these two

September also means birthdays in our family. Last night we got to celebrate Aunt Erin's birthday. We went to PF Changs and then back to the McMaster's house for cake and icecream. We love when we get to spend time with them and the kids just love their family!!!

Grandma and Grandpa snuggles

Kendall being goofy - she ate 4 lettuce wraps and her entire meal and wanted mine - girl loves her food

Grandma brought the kids notebooks to color in 

Cohen showing everyone his lower case "a's" that he is learning in school

As my time on maternity leave comes to an end I am really going to miss being around for those special moments that I just happen to stumble upon. This picture I took after I found Kendall singing to Kirsten while I was flipping laundry. She is such a great big sister!!!

With love from the zoo

Kirsten's first Bridal shower

This weekend was Kirsten's first bridal shower. My cousin Matt on my mom's side of the family is getting married to an awesome girl named Jill. We all have grown to love Jill especially this summer with all of the softball games we have enjoyed together :) Kendall is really in love with Jill and is always wanting to sit by Jill and look at Jill's phone. Kirsten is also in love with Jill - I mean she enjoys it when Jill holds her so we are pretty sure Kirsten loves her :)
          My mom and my Aunt Becky threw the shower for Jill at my aunts house. It was a rough morning because Keith was out of town and both girls woke up with let's just say a need for baths. I got them ready and went to my closet to find something to wear. Not much. I am in desperate need of some new cloths I have found :) So I finally decided on something and went downstairs to quickly feed Kirsten before we left. She decided that what I had found to wear was not good enough and proceeded to throw up all over me! I burst into tears! It was only 9:30 in the morning and I wanted to start over!! But the day quickly got better as soon as I arrived at my Aunt's house. Cohen and Kendall had stayed home with a baby sitter so it was a little more relaxing. It was soo nice to see my cousins and other friends I had not seen in a while.
           It was a wonderful time of enjoying each other's company and celebrating the love that Matt and Jill share. I love wedding showers! It's so fun to see couple's who are so in love! It also reminds me of how much I love my husband. He is truly my best friend and I don't know what I would do with out him! I am truly blessed to have him in my life. In this day when divorce is so high I am soooooo thankful that even in the tough times I know that he loves me and with our marriage centered on Christ that nothing will tear us apart!!! So hear are a few pictures from the shower!

All of the cousins with Jill 

Opening gifts

Kirsten is such a party animal at her first shower :)

Jill with the Aunts who threw the shower...and Kirsten

I know that someday I am going to have to do this with my girls and I already pray that they will find men who are not only madly in love with them but also madly in love with God. I pray that they will find men just like their dad and grandfathers, who show love in such amazing ways!!

with love from the zoo

Call Me Baby

So unless you have been living under a rock for the entire summer you know that "Call Me Maybe" has been on every radio, tv, internet and Ipod! Kendall is OBSESSED with the song and we probably have to play it for her about 20 times a day (no exaggeration!!). I have it on my phone, on the Ipad, we have it recorded on the TV from when Carly Rae performed it on the Today Show, when it was performed on the Olympics and now the latest version from Glee! You would think for as much as we hear it we would be sick of it but I can honestly say we aren't yet (knock on wood). It is probably because it is soooo cute to hear Kendall sing along to it, Although she sings "Call me Baby." She seriously knows about half the song and it is sooo fun to hear her little voice sing!! So yesterday morning I was playing it for her after 3 min of begging for "Call me Baby" and Kendall was dancing every where. But of course when I get the Ipad out to film it she gets all shy so here is a short portion of it! Enjoy :)

(No Kirsten's were harmed in the making of this video :) )

with love from the zoo

2nd week of school

 The second week of school is in full swing and I think we are getting the hang of this new routine :) Cohen is still super excited every morning to go to school and is usually impatiently waiting at the front door for Keith to hurry up so they can get to school. This week he is learning all about the letter "A". They have talked about alligators on Monday and Tuesday and today they talked about apples. He is also learning about patterns. He was given homework for the first time and wanted daddy to help him. He also received his first time out - for talking to much - surprise, surprise if you know his dad!! He told me he was never going to do it again because he didn't want to make daddy, mommy and his teacher sad :)

Cohen and his first homework assignment - find all the "A's" in Baa, Baa Black sheep poem

Cohen and his apple crown

I have really been enjoying my time with the girls in the morning also. It is really nice to be able to focus just on them! Kendall is still obsessed with her baby dolls and follows me everywhere with Kirsten and copies everything I do with her baby! It is super cute! She also loves to read books and is now reading her books to Kirsten. Another new development is Kendall has shown a real interest in using the "potty." I have been cleaning/purging our house this week and found Cohen's old froggy potty and Kendall is in love with it! I am super excited - maybe I will only have 2 in diapers for shorter than I thought!!

Reading

A little girl talk

Kendall on her potty

We also celebrated the anniversary of 9/11. I can't believe how much time has past but how fresh it feels when I think about that day! Every year something different hits me about that day and what it would have been like to be in New York on that day or to have a family member in the towers. This year I was thinking about those families who lost their dads. Now having 3 kids and so reliant on Keith and the support he gives not only me but our kids - I can't imagine life with out him!! My heart breaks for those kids who are now without a father because of this hatred and violence!! So this year I am not only thankful for those who served on that day but also thankful for my amazing husband!!

We will never forget

With love from the zoo

1 month old

OH Boy - or should I say OH Girl!! Someone is a month old already!!!! Time is flying by and I just want it to slow down. Pretty soon I will be going back to work - sigh - and so I am trying to soak up every min with my kids these next few weeks!! I am fortunate to have an amazing husband who works super hard so that I only have to work 2 days a week - I can't imagine having to be away from them any more than that!!!

1 month old

I eat every 3-4 hours unless I am asleep

I take 3 naps during the day

I sleep in 4 hour stretches

I have wanted to party from 3-4 am lately

I love my pacifier

I get lots of kisses and hugs from my siblings!

With love from the zoo

Changes

This past week has been nothing but changes for our zoo!!! Another change came Sunday when I went to drop off the kids to "kids church" as Cohen calls it :) Cohen's in the same class as he as been but now in a different location. His new room is so much better for his age group- so much more open space for them to run :) Kendall however has "graduated" into an actual class room with a permanent name tag and everything
:( Another sign that my kids are growing up!

Keith has had different Sunday commitments the past few weeks so I have been having to get the zoo ready in the morning and getting us all to Church on time. I must say i am getting pretty good at it now - knock on wood :) I am just so thankful for an awesome place to worship and recharge my batteries every week and that my children are being encouraged even at their ages to love God and love each other. With love from the zoo

  

1st week of school is done

Well we made it thru our first week of school!! This morning Cohen was super disappointed to discover he doesn't have school on Saturdays! His attitude was quickly changed when he found out he could have breakfast and watch cartoons instead :)
               Saturdays also mean U of M football around our house!! Cohen has already played the fight song several times this morning. He was also super excited when I got Kirsten in her "Go Go Blue" shirt! That is what he calls any apparel that has U of M colors :)

In all her gear!!

Pretty Baby Blues to go with her gear!!

In love with her little profile!!

Spending some time outside with our neighbor Rheagan

  Well today marks another step toward Fall - taking down the pool :( We got soooo much use out of it this summer I am really sad to see it go!! Cohen was the most disappointed!! It may have been only 60 degrees outside but he wanted to say goodbye to the pool with one last "swim." I promise the pool didn't always look this gross - we just haven't used it in a few weeks and kinda forgot about it- opps :(

Kendall wanted to join Cohen and since she was already wet we let her just walk in with him. It didn't bother her at all that her clothes were all wet!

In other zoo news, our newest addition is a month old already :( Makes me so sad that time goes so fast but I love the fact that she is spending more time awake and I am seeing a few more smiles each day! She is still a very good eater and sleeper!!

With love from the zoo