UTAH TRIP--3rd Order of B'ness-Play with COUSINS!

Audrey and Isaac with cousin Lizzie Ahlborn and cousin Haven Broadhurst (red head!)


Cousin Elle Broadhurst with her Dad, Uncle Jeremy (Mom's brother).


Cousins Sam and Megan Harris


EASTER EGG HUNT! Thanks Aunt Natalie!!


Jordan and William "light-saber" fighting... :)


PARACHUTE PLAYTIME! Thanks Aunt Natalie!!




SLIP-N-SLIDE TIME! Thanks Aunt Natalie!!












SAND CASTLE BUILDING CONTEST! Thanks Aunt Natalie!! ;)






William had the BEST time with cousin Elle (both 3 yr old)...they were so cute together...when they couldn't remember each other's names they would say, "Hey friend!" or "Where's my friend?"






Issac, Austin and Jordan teamed up to make a sand castle together!


There was also TRAMPOLINE TIME!


GAMING TIME! Cousin Hunter Sandberg with Austin.


DOLL HOUSE TIME! Audrey with cousins Hayley Sandberg and Lily Young


GET ANDY YOUNG TO LIKE HIS AUNT SHERI TIME! :)


CHILIN TIME! (We did LOTS of that!)
William and Elle watch a movie on Aunt Natalie's cozy bed...


Uncle Preston (Mom's brother) and Aunt Jer

UTAH TRIP--2nd Order of B'ness--BYU!

Of course we went to BYU! Both Gene and Sheri graduated from that GREAT place...but funnily enough we didn't meet there! :)

So we got treats at the cafeteria in the Wilkinson Center...


AND we bowled at the BYU lanes...(we also stocked up on BYU T-shirts!)

UTAH TRIP JUNE 09--1st Order of B'ness- HOT TUB

Let me just say that our trip to Utah was MOST FUN!! And we are so thankfull to our "hostess with the MOSTESS", my sister (Sheri's) Natalie Harris, for letting us stay in her home for an entire week! AND she let us help her break-in her new hot-tub! She picked us up from the airport and took us to her house, then we QUICKLY got our swimsuits on and enjoyed the warm bubbly-bubbles of the HOT TUB! Ahhhhh...

Audrey a.k.a. "The Dance MACHINE!"

Audrey went to the cutest birthday party! They had to wear dance outfits to the party...and when they got there they spent the entire time learning a dance routine, which they performed for the parents at the close of the party. Audrey has never had dance lessons, but her Dad said she was the best dancer there! (Mom was at home putting kids to bed) YOU GO GIRL!

Mom has ANOTHER birthday!

Since "Mom" is doing this post, I can say what I want right? Well, first of all it seems like I JUST had a birthday a few days ago...and second, I don't like this picture, but it was the best out of three...and third, Gene makes yummy carot cakes!

Austin's 6th Grade Graduation

Austin at 6th Grade Graduation with his buddies. He got several awards...mostly for being so smart, but we think he's pretty good-lookin too...but they weren't giving out those kinds of awards! :)

Get it right Mom!

Still haven't even started William's scrapbook...and he'll be 3 on June 14th! So I have to write things here....or I'll forget!

So today William and I are in the van on our way to go shopping and we see a flock of geese in a field. Me: "Look William, at all those birdies!" Will: "You silly Mommy, those are NOT birdies, those are geese!"

William's FAVORITE food right now is Mac n cheese. He asks for it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

William LOVES to play ball...baseball, golf, basketball, kickball etc..etc.. and he is already rather skilled at all of them! His favorite game on the Wii is boxing...but he has a problem with not being able to throw punches at his brothers and sister when the game is over. He will say, "I have to practice my punches Mom!"

William is also a good swimmer! He started swimming when he turned 2 last summer. He got the idea to swim thru Daddy's legs...and the first time he did it Gene and I were not expecting it...and when he got thru Gene's legs and Gene pulled him up from under the water he sputterd, "Dad did you see me? I swim under your legs!" We were just glad he was OK!

Gene has spoiled William rotten in the kitchen! Gene lets him help cook/bake anything he is making, so William thinks he should be able to do this anytime he likes...without help.

William LOVES for Mom or Dad to sit by him on the couch to watch Blues Clues...he thinks thats just the way it should be!

William is being pottie trained right now and has a new found freedom...taking off all his clothes and just hanging out in his cool Diego underpants...he wants everyone to be able to see them! And Mom gets tierd of re-dressing him all the live long day...in fact sometimes I just don't! lol!

William CAN NOT be left alone...PERIOD. And when I say left alone...I don't mean we leave him at home to go to the grocery store...I would never do that! I mean if he is in the family room and you go upstairs to drop off a load of laundry... If he is left alone you can be assured that something will be wrong when you get back from where ever you went!

William is very gooshy and sweet and LOVES to snuggle and give kisses and hugs. In fact, he does this "oh poor me" thing after has gotten in trouble...he'll come up to Gene or I with his arms up and the saddest face you've ever seen and say, "I na na need, sniff, sniff,...a hug!

And as of late when I say, "How's my baby doing?" (which I've been saying to him for months and months now)...he replies, " I NOT a baby, I'm a BOY!

Austin's 6th Grade Band Concert

Austin has been learning to play the alto sax this year. He has picked it up rather quickly and is doing so well!! At his end of the year band concert, while all the soloists played "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and other very basic songs...Austin played the theme to Star Wars!! The audience stood and clapped and whistled at the end of his solo performance...and all his buddies stood up to high-5 him on his way back to his seat...and his family was SOOOOOO proud! He also tried out for "Jazz Band" for next year at Jr. High and made it! At the tryouts the teacher asked if he had been taking lessons from a professional....no he hasn't...:) Here is our musical genious before the concert!

Our First Trip to the Cincinnati Zoo (Memorial Day)

We LOVED the Cincinnati Zoo! Not too big, not too small, and only 25 minutes from our house! :) And they have people at the entrance of the zoo holding animals for you to touch...we got to touch an armadillo, snakes, and large parokeets. We plan to go again in the Fall...and at Christmas they light the whole place up with lights...so that will be fun too!






Our lil monkeys!

Audrey's new "Do"

Audrey got a GREAT haircut from a new male hairstylist I found...he found a way to give her long layers so that her hair won't tangle as much...and it looks fabulous styled straight or curly...and we can still do ponytails/pigtails! :)

Raised Garden Beds

Gene built 4 of these raised garden beds this year. We decided to go with the raised beds because they provide better drainage...and it gets kinda muddy around here during Ohio's Spring. William loved having his own "sandbox" to play in...until we put the plants in! The next pics of these will hopefully show a nicely growing gardern! :)

Isaac is loosing teeth!

While most kids start loosing teeth when they are 5 years old...for some reason all my kids wait until they are 6! Isaac just lost one of his front teeth...love that cute toothless grin!

Easter Egg Hunt

Our friends and neighbors, the Ladle family, invited us over for an egg hunt with some of the other neighbors this year....SOOOO fun!

While we waited for the egg hiders to hide the eggs in the front yard, the kids played "big bad wolf" in the back yard! Its a FUN game...let me know if you want to learn it and I'll spell it out for you!




William LOVED the egg hunt...but kept walking right over and past eggs! lol!




Austin helped hide the eggs this year...but we still made sure he got his share of treats!


There is Lisa, my neighbor and friend who walks with me in the wee hours of the morning...she wouldn't look at the camera! :)

Assessing the loot!

The Popps Visit! (April Spring Break 09)

We had a fun visit from the Popp Family! They were headed north (from N.C.) for Spring Break to visit family and decided to drop by and see us!! Grace and Audrey were in the same class together at Rand Road E.S. Our Audrey was just THRILLED!! And William is still talking about cute Audrey Popp and wants to know when she is coming back over to play!! :) THANKS FOR VISITING US POPP FAMILY!!

Audrey (Ahlborn) & Grace


Audrey and Amy Popp