Picture Fail

I was so good about getting watch me grow photos with the girls.  I got the NB, 3mo, 6 mo, 9 mo and year.  I even had them displayed for their 1st birthday.  Poor Eli didn't get his 3 month pictures done from me.  I mean really, he's the third kid.  So here are some very quick pictures I did of Eli at 5 1/2 months old.  Sorry Eli.

Happenings

Well summer is coming close to an end and as I mentally try to prepare how I am going to get 3 kids ready in the morning and where they need to be on time and me on time, I am trying to soak in the last few days at home.  This year the girls will be going to preschool and not be in the same building with me.  I know they are ready for preschool, but I am not sure that I am ready.  We went school supply shopping and they enjoyed picking out the colors of what they wanted and playing with their backpacks.  We have had a meeting with their teacher where they didn't talk and acted shy.  I explained that is NOT them and they will warm up very quickly.  As soon as we got in the car they were not stop talking and excitement about their "new school"
I have also signed the girls up for kinder-gynamstics.  It is one day a week and this is their first "real" activity I have signed them up for.  I am really hoping they enjoy it.  More to come on that on another post.

Eli is 5 months and his mobility has started.  He has rolled over now both ways and he is in a different spot in his crib from where I put him down.  He is still very happy and is really interested in what is going on around him.  He wants to be sitting up seeing everything--mostly what his sisters are doing.  We are just about to start solid food with him as well.  I cannot believe my baby is at solid food already!  Eli will be joining me at work so I will still have one to go visit on my lunch break.
I do plan to sign Eli up for water babies at some point this fall.  I really want to expose him to the water early to get used to it so he is ready for boating season 2017.  I am sure I will have many pictures of that. 

Boating season is coming close to an end. We had a wonderful time this year. The girls loved it and Eli didn't do bad either. Nothing like a boat ride to have them all fall asleep. 

I am not ready to go back to work but I am definitely ready for some football. Wish all luck as we transition back to school!

OBrien wedding

Two of good friends got married over the 4th of July.  Mike and Christy finally had their day and it was great!  Last year their wedding plans were put on hold so I was very excited for this wedding.  This was an AWESOME wedding too.  It was small and intimate, at the lake house with the water as the backdrop, it was casual and the temperature was in the 60's.  And by the end of the night the casual wedding got even more casual, I put on jeans and sweatshirt.  Music, fishing and outdoor games were the reception.  Mike and Christy I am so very happy for you guys.  Congratulations!

Christy got a lil tearful on her walk

Patrick the ring bearer

There is something about this picture I love.  The path they took to get here and have walked together is quite unique.  The 3 of them with "their path" in the back for some reason makes me love this picture.

Ragbrai

This past week was RAGBRAI (Registars Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) and it was coming thru Ottumwa this year.  When I heard about this I wanted to ride it.  I have ridden one day of before so I knew I wanted to do it again.  So Thursday morning Joey and the kids, me and Sonya Crosby loaded into Joeys truck and he drove us to Centerville IA which was the starting point for the day and we would ride into Ottumwa.  Here is my photo story of how the day went.

Were off...with smiles!

First stop and we found some friends and a beer

Riding over the dam.  Beautiful and flat.

And then the hills....

Riding into then second stop

and then more hills

seriously, these pictures do not do the these hills justice

At this point, I'm just getting mad at ALL the hills

Can this be done yet.  Nope we have 25 more miles to ride....

I'm only smiling because we stopped

Had I seen this sign prior, I wouldn't have rode

Finally got some food at 3pm

And here we are arriving in Ottumwa. 

How I look after 50+ miles on a bike

This was a hard bike ride.  I could not believe the amount of hills there were.  I was exhausted, dehydrated and needed to pump when I got home.  That's right, I had to worry about pumping on this bike ride.  I had my pump strapped to my bike to try to stay on top it. After this and the amount of hills, I decided I was not going to do Friday which was Ottumwa to Washington IA.  I learned that eating cookies, drinking beer and only riding your bike 10 miles TOTAL the past year was not good training for this.