Water babies

We sure have been enjoying the HOT summer.  Both kids LOVE to swim.  They have turned into quite the water babies this summer.  Livi has NO fear.  She will go under, prefers to be left alone to float (even when she can't touch) and jumps right off the boat.  Crazy girl.

She doesn't look happy here....but I bet she is :)

Blake is a bit more cautious that Liv (always has been)...but he is becoming a pretty good swimmer.  Each time he is a little braver, quicker, more independent. 

Hard to believe that it is almost August and that summer will be wrapping up!

I am sad...but I do LOVE fall!

Nana and Papa...

I snapped a few cute pictures of my parents and Blake the other night.  He is just growing up so fast and none of us can get enough of him!!  He is such a sweet, smart, spunky little boy.  I just love ho listen to him :)

I cannot for the life of me get these pictures to rotate....ugh.  I am giving up. 

 Tilt your head to see how handsome my little dude is :)

 Our pretty hibiscus bush!

 Blake playing in the front yard.//

Piggy tails and Birthdays

Livi Kay sported her first pair of piggy tails today! Oh boy did she think that she was something special (well...she is)...she is just SO sassy and loves to look at herself in the mirror. As a mom, who is as girly as they come, this having a girly-girl is just too fun! Love that her hair is getting longer...and that she LETS me do it!

AND---it is my momma's birthday today! Happy birthday mom/nana! We sure do love you. We would be lost without you. I hope that you have a marvelous birthday and that the coming year is filled with happiness and fun!
The older I get, the more I realize how wonderful my mother is, and what a great job she did (and still does) of raising my sister and I. Love you.

Fun with Nana

If there is one thing that my kids love..it's their Nana!! My mom came over to babysit on Saturday night while Ryan and I went to a Halloween party. I snapped these pics before we left. Livi was ALL smiles and Blake was so wound up and I couldn't even get him to say goodbye to me.

Livi is happy because her nana is here for a sleepover!! Blake wants to be JUST like his nana. He tries to wear her glasses and thinks that he is really smart with them on. My mom got him a pair of fake glasses to wear instead. He thinks they are real and tells me everything is really BIG when he is wearing them!!
So cute!

We sure are lucky that my mom is around to take care of the kids all of the time! I just know that they will share a special bond with her their whole lives!!

Take me out to the ballgame!!

Last week we went to a Great Lakes Loon's game (our Minor League baseball team). This is the 3rd time that Blake has been...once each summer. He did pretty good this time. We made it to about the 5th inning before he had to get up adn walk around. Once that happened, we couldnt get him to come back to the seats...so we just left!! ha.

He was lucky and got to have some soda pop! He loves it.

Nana, Blake, and Papa

And Livi was a doll....watched for a bit and then just went to sleep!

What a little angel!

Hard to believe that summer is winding down...have to enjoy all of the summer activities while we still can!!

Our trip to the zoo!!

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Dani (was visiting from Cali), my mom, and I took the babies to the zoo!! Blake is really into animals, so we were excited to take him! It was a perfect day...and Blake was a really good boy!!

Livi was just as cute as can be in her monkey outfit :)

It was very appropriate, because there were LOTS of monkeys at this zoo!!

Blake and his "nana"
Checking out the sights!

Blake still loves to wear shades! They are a little crooked here I guess....but he would were these things ALL DAY LONG!!

Driving the tractor!

Liv just waiting patiently as usual!

He really liked teh petting zoo and wasn't afraid of any of the animals!

This lazy cow was his favorite.

The goats made me a little nervous, but not Blake!

Livi and nana looking cute!!

Sheep!!

This is the reason that O do not have any pictures with my kids...it just doesn't work!

haha....oh well....maybe in a few years!!

me and my girl!! We had a fun time and look forward to checking out another zoo soon!!

More catching up

I STILL cannot get over how great I feel now that my major work events are behind me. It has been GREAT not worrying about that stuff!! I am so looking forward to going into the holiday weekend....and enjoying a few days off!!

I am still playing catch up on some older pictures that I want to get up on here!!

My sweet Livi bug. She is seriously the best baby ever. I thought that Blake was, but Olivia is SO good. She is so happy and content. We have been so blessed to have TWO good natured babies!! Blake and his buddie Dylan had a great time at a pool party. Don't they look like old men here?! So cute.
Blake and my mom are "best friends." He seriously cannot get enough of his nana! He just LOVES to be with her...and lucky for him (and us) she feels the same way! They spent the WHOLE day together yesterday. Ryan had to work late and I was golfing with the girls, so she babysat while we were at work all day and then into the evening as well. They have so much fun together!!
Maggie (my parents dog) is doing good!! I snapped this cute picture a couple of weeks ago. My parents just installed an electric fence, so now she can hang out outside and we don't have to worry about her running away! The fireworks are FREAKING her right out though....this coming weekend is going to be tough for her. Poor thing!!
Blake is getting so big. I don't know if I am biased, but he is SO smart! It just amazes me the stuff that he learns and retains every single day now. He can hold a FULL conversation. It is so fun being his mama! I am proud :)

Ryan has an appt. down in the Detroit area tomorrow with an Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon tomorrow. He was referred to him because of all of his back issues. I am hoping that he doesn't need surgery...but more than anything I am hoping that they can come to a plan where Ryan's back pain is lessened...SO, if that means surgery, so be it I guess! Wish us (him) luck!

Cuteness....

Just wanted to post a few cute pictures from Easter that I never got around to posting! They are all of Livi. She is much easier to catch in a photo than Blake right now!!

My sweet baby girl on her first Easter!!

with my mom...
me and my girl...

with her papa and nana (my parents)...

daddy's girl!!

With her great-grandpa (Ryan's grandpa).

(I know that this is WAY late...but wanted to post them for memories sake!!)

**these were taken at my parents house...obviously my dad is a big hunter :)