Mark and Rachel finally came to see us in our new house. Okay, we really just have all been very busy with the crazy winter and then school schedules that this was finally a time when all three families were available for a fun sleepover.
We enjoyed showing off our new place, eating s’mores and playing outside way past dark. Ahh, summer, how we’ll miss you.
Happy birthday, Riley!
A rare shot of all the kids
Present time for Riley’s birthday!
All of Mac and Shannon(‘s boyhood) dreams of owning a dog came true on July 25. Shelby Thor joined our family. We decided to let Mac pick out the name since this was his dream and he had his heart set on the name Shelby, whether it was a boy or girl. Daddy assured him that he works with a man with the name Shelby and so he decided that that would be his name. Patrick and I wanted Thor and tried with all our might to convince Mac, but no such luck. So we gave that to him as an honorary middle name.
He’s been a little more of a handful that Patrick thought he’d be, but he’s slowly adjusting…just not quite as excitedly as the rest of the family. Shelby is quite jumpy and nippy and when you’re only a hair taller than him, I guess that can be quite intimidating. Of course, it doesn’t help that Shelby goes a little more crazy with the boys than anyone else…We keep assuring Patrick it won’t last forever. Despite his puppy ‘issues’, we love Shelby and Mac is actually amazingly patient with him.
One of the few times Patrick was able to be with Shelby before he started his nipping.
As my favorite holiday approached, family members started calling asking to join us. So since I love family so much and can’t resist seeing those I love, we invited all of them to come and stay at the same time at our house. Normally, we visit the out of town families at their houses, or one at a time. This time, with all of them here, it was a different dynamic trying to spend quality time with each family that came. It was still a wonderful way to celebrate one of my favorite holidays with all of my favorite people.
Teaching cup stacking. I think Eleanor really got the hang of it!
S’mores!
Hair dying
They tried to ignore us, but we wouldn’t let them!
Patrick caught a fish! Mac wasn’t so lucky this time out.
The Neukomm family!
I got to babysit my baby. 🙂
Mac fell in love with Uncle Tom’s Fourth hat, so Uncle Tom let him keep it!
Grandpa took them out first.
Then Daddy took them out
This picture made them look a lot better than they were…I tried not to complain, but it was hard. They just didn’t have their timing down at all!
Ending the weekend with dinner together.
I truly am blessed to have such wonderful families that love me enough to come celebrate my day with me….my way. 🙂
For Father’s Day this year we went to the Pottery Place. Shannon had never experienced it. Of course the items he had in mind for us to work on were out of stock, so we opened it up to whatever the boys wanted to do.
Patrick picked a Spiderman mug
Mac picked a skateboard
Daddy picked a travel mug
Photobomb by Daddy!
Getting his real present. A drill or something….
It was a wonderful day of being together as a family and celebrating the best dad in the world. 🙂 We love you, Shannon. Thank you for all the work you do for our family and the love you give us.
With summer arriving, I wanted the boys to begin to keep some kind of a routine and to show more responsibility around the house. What better way to do that than through daily chores! 🙂 During the school year, we do all of our cleaning on Saturdays as it’s just too busy and hard during weeknights with homework and bed times. So I posted this chore chart and set about teaching the routine.
I am proud to report that I did no vacuuming, dusting or picking up toys all summer long!
And I absolutely adore how Patrick makes his bed. It made me smile every time I walked in there. 🙂
