not the baby for much longer

The new baby is coming soon and Laila won't be our baby for much longer. For almost three years she has been our youngest, and I have really enjoyed that time. I think Laila is beginning to realize that there is a new baby coming soon and she won't be the baby of the family anymore. The other day she told me that she wanted to go back in my tummy so that she could be the new baby. When I was folding and organizing all the baby clothes, Laila saw all the new clothes and got excited because she thought they were for her and she wanted to try them on. Boy did she get mad when she found out they were not hers, but the baby's!

it's september!

After weeks of miserable heat we are finally getting a break. The weather has been beautiful the past couple of days. The kids can finally play outside without the risk of a heat stroke! Who knows how long this great weather is going to last, so we have been outside enjoying it. This weekend we also got some much needed rain form the outer bands of the tropical storm in Louisiana, if only the rest of Texas had gotten some also! I also had a great baby shower this past weekend, it's hard to believe the baby will be here in a couple of short weeks!

first day of school

The boys had their first day of school today. I can't believe how fast the summer went by! Dario started third grade and Aiden is now in second grade. They both had a good first day and rode the bus home for the first time. They sat by each other and with the help of the bus driver got off at the right bus stop. The girls and I walked down to meet them right as the were getting off the bus. They ran over to us and were so excited to tell us all about their day.

one last vacation before school starts

This past weekend we went on one last vacation before school starts. We went to a state park and stayed in one of their cabins. My parents and my sister's family also came. Unfortunately because of the bad drought we're having here the lake was really low and there wasn't any water left under the fishing piers by the cabins. There was also a burn ban, which meant no camp fires. Because the lake had receded so much, when went swimming in the lake there was about one foot of shallow water and then it dropped off over the kids heads. Luckily the older kids are pretty good swimmers and the younger kids stayed on the shore playing in the sand. Despite all this we still had lots of fun and the kids had a blast getting to spend time with their cousins. On our last night there the lake got some much needed rain; a big storm blew in with lots of thunder and lightening. The next day when we got home, we also got some much needed rain!

the dog days of summer

The last part of summer always seems to drag on and on, with each day hotter than the last! I am so ready for summer to be over and fall to be here. When I took these pictures of Ava playing outside it was around 7 o'clock at night and was still hot; her Popsicle started melting immediately. I am also counting down the days until the end of September, being 8 months pregnant in 100 degree heat is no fun! We have decided on a name for the baby. Brian and I both came up with the same name on our own, without mentioning anything to each other. So we figured that it must be fate that our baby girl be named Dahlia. Now we just have to come up with a middle name!

conversations with Laila

Recently Laila drew me a picture. She gave it to me and told me about all the different colors that she used. When she got to white she said, "this color is white, it's not a very interesting color; it's not a favorite color of the rainbow." I love the age she is at now, 2 year olds say some of the cutest things!

from this weekend...

happy fourth of july!

summer vacation

We recently returned from vacation. We stayed at a beach house overlooking the ocean. It was nice to be able to take the kids swimming each day; they had so much fun playing in the waves. Cleaning up four kids and the sandy mess afterwards was not so much fun! Brian and the boys went on a boat several miles offshore to go fishing. Each of the boys caught a small shark, which they were very excited to tell me about when they got home. Poor Aiden was the only one out of the group who got sea sick and he threw up several times. Everyone had lots of fun and Ava cried when it was time to leave.

Aiden's 7th Birthday

Last Monday Aiden turned 7! He always gets so excited for his birthday. All day long on his birthday he referred to himself as "the birthday boy." On Saturday my family came down for a party. Aiden was excited all week long for his cousins to come over. Here are some pictures from the party.

happy father's day!

summer time

Summer has started out hot this year! Without playing in the water and popsicles, being outside would be unbearable!

from today...

picking flowers

eating cupcakes

and the last day of school!

Dario's teacher held a party for her students and their

parents. She presented each of the kids with a 2 dollar bill,

which would remind them of second grade.

She also gave out cute awards to the students.

track and field day

The school year is quickly coming to a close. The boys only have a week of school left! This past week the boys had track and field; they both did really good, and the weather was beautiful. Yesterday, Dario's grade went on a field trip to a nearby park and the girls and I joined him at the park for a little while. This school year went by so fast, I hope summer doesn't fly by as well.

perfect weather

The weather was perfect today and the last couple of days! There was no humidity and in the shade it was actually cool, so unusual for this time of year! I wish it would be like this all summer! Laila was the only one who wanted to play outside. She jumped on the trampoline happily, without getting knocked over by her older brothers and I pushed her around and around the patio on her bike.