Summer Fun!

Get ready for a TON of pictures.  Sorry, it's been awhile since I last updated the blog and my camera was full :)

Here's Lauren having a fun time dancing and jumping from room to room in our new house.

The brick work is done on the house and the siding is about halfway done.  Tomorrow, they will pour the cement for the basement floor, garage floor and the front porch.  This upcoming weekend, Chad will be doing some insulating of some interior walls (around the bathrooms and between the first and second floors) if anyone is able/willing to help him...

This past weekend, my sisters and their boyfriends came to Beloit to visit my parents and see some of my dad's team's baseball games.  Lauren had tons of fun playing with everyone!

Yep, that's Lauren, my mom and Westin in a tunnel :)

Mimi keeps a dolly for Lauren at the hotel.  When we visit, Lauren takes very good care of her.

We recently spent a morning at a local pool that has a great area for toddlers.  We had four of the dinner club kids there and they had a blast!

Lauren has been swimming very often--she says she swims like Nemo!  She swims with her goggles on, under water, for about 4-5 feet.  Not too bad!

That's my Nemo!

A few weeks ago, Lauren and I rode with our friends Rachel and Sophie up to Wausau to visit my friend Danielle and her son Porter.  Porter just got a puppy and it was hilarious to watch Lauren and Sophie with it.  Sophie LOVED the puppy--Lauren was scared of such a small dog!

This was about as close as Lauren would get to "Lemon Popsicle" aka "Lemonie". 

When it came time to go to sleep, Lauren and Porter decided it was time to party....

Lauren's eyes look goofy here.  It was about 10pm and there had been some serious bed-jumping going on. 

Have a good week!

Love,

M, C, & L

Happy 4th!

I hope all of you had a wonderful 4th of July celebration with family and friends.  We did!  One of my closest friends, Beth, came up for a few days from Chicago and we had a really fun visit.  We went to Madison Saturday night for Rhythm and Booms, which is advertised as the largest fireworks display in the Midwest.  I can't imagine anything is better!  We (Lauren included) had a picnic dinner in the park, surrounded by several hundred thousand other people and then enjoyed an awesome fireworks show set to music on the local radio station.  We always sit pretty close to where they are set off from, so we lay on our backs and watch the fireworks in the air above us.  It is incredible and it literally takes up the entire sky.  I'm always speechless after watching Rhythm and Booms :)   Lauren did really well, but thank goodness that I brought her noise-reduction headphones.  After the fireworks were done and I asked her what she thought, she told me that "mine headphones helped!" 

Yesterday, we were invited to a cook-out at our old next-door neighbors' house in North Prairie.  It was really nice to visit with them again and to spend a little time at Lauren's old park.  Our old house looks the same and believe it or not, Lauren never acted like she recognized or even saw the old house (and we were playing in the yard next door!).

Last week, I wrapped up my staff training sessions for a new charter school I'll be working at in the fall.  So last Thursday was FINALLY my first day of summer vacation.  I really enjoyed the training and I like the new staff I'll be working with, but I'm ready for a break.  Lauren and I have a wonderful summer ahead of us--lots of playdates, zoo classes, swimming lessons and days spent by our apartment pool.  Speaking of...we were in the pool almost every day for the past week.  Our friend Jackie came over with her son Braeden for his first time in a pool.  He seemed to really enjoy it!  We love having friends come over and it's tons of fun to swim together, so all of you are welcome to come enjoy "our" pool!!! 

Four of the six Dinner Club ladies got together one evening last week for a night at the zoo.  The kids had a blast and we got another group picture of (most) of the Dinner Club kids.  We're only missing Ella (and Baby Boy Umnus who is due in September). 

Here's what the house looks like today (sorry about the construction vehicle in the way).  This week, measurements will be taken for millwork and cabinetry, the siding will begin to be installed and rough plumbing and HVAC will be completed.  The roof is done and so are all of the window installations. 

This picture was taken from the formal living room, which will actually be Lauren's playroom for awhile.  We are looking through to the family room, dinette and part of the kitchen bar stool area.

Have a great week!

Love,

M & L