Good Morning =0)!

The newest haircut

I feel really funny taking, and posting pictures of just myself, but since I have sisters who live far away and can't see my newest, shortest ever haircut.....here it is. I was a little shocked with the length, and pile of hair on the ground at first, but really like it now. It's definitely the easiest haircut I've ever had.

Gwen has decided that all of these books are a requirement for sleep

This little girl

Is getting so grown up. She suddenly looks a lot like a big girl, and has lost all of her baby girl chub, and in just a month she leaves me for all day kindergarten. I'm pretty sure she is ready for it (she asks me all the time when she gets to go back to school, and we found out last week that she is going to have the teacher we requested), but I know I'm not ready for it. We have had such a fun summer together. We have spent a lot of special afternoons together while Gwen naps. I love spending time with her, and in a way consider her a good friend. Today we enjoyed a cup of cherries (my all time favorite fruit) while she asked me about the house that I lived in when I was a kid. I love to look at her, an old soul in conversation, but still a child with cherry juice all over her beautiful little face. Afterwards, I pushed her on the swing and then swung next to her while she giggled about flying like a bird. Next she helped me pick lettuce out of our garden. She was thrilled about how her red lettuce looked just like a bouquet of flowers and before we knew it, she had picked every single leaf from two different plants.....we probably had too many plants anyway. . . (I wish I could bottle up these moments and keep them forever.)

Flash Back: May 2009

I had these pictures from May that I was too busy to post, but I didn't want to miss them, so here they are. One not so significant event (our first summer trip to camp), and one more significant event (Liv's birthday tea party).

Here we are at camp. The girls all fed the fish with Nana (a daily must) for the first time of the season, and Liv helped all the guys put the finishing touches on the play house. We had a really girly tea party in our back yard for Liv's 5th birthday party. I had a great time, and I think the girls did too =0).

The End. Thank you for endulging me and all of my pictures =0).

Saunders Triathlon 2009

One of my favorite traditions is our yearly triathlon, put on by Brad's sister and her husband. It gets better and better every year. It is a great low key way to complete a triathlon. This year we woke up to rain, but luckily not much wind. The triathlon consists of a half mile swim, 13 mile bike ride and a 5k run. I was really pleased with how well it went. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from myself and my very pregnant state. I really wanted to be able to complete the whole thing, and actually felt pretty darn good throughout it. I was really proud of Brad and his race. The course overlapped itself this year, so I had fun seeing him breifly on his 5k and cheering him on. He did an awesome job. Way to go babe! Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

Bridgette and me with our permanant marker numbers right before the race....and just to clear up any confusion, yes we are flexing.

Brad, Bridgette and Kip signing up with our head volunteer, Dick....under the tarp out of the rain.Brad and me in our excited/dry before picture.

The cheering section

Annie, just as she passed the finish line, greeted by her daughter Natalie Brad and me in our happy/wet after photo =0). (enjoying our endorphins =0)..)

I'm already looking forward to triathlon 2010!

Little Man

I went in for another ultrasound last week and got a great peek at this little man. The 4d ultrasounds they have now are amazing. I got to watch him in real time, and he put on quite the show. He gave us a little smile, stretched, put his little hands in front of his face and gave us a few little yawns.

One thing is for sure. He's a chubby biscuit, look at those cheeks! And he's a good little boy, he flipped into position just like I asked him =0) (he had been breech). I've been nesting in full force. The nursery is just about finished, finally fit for a baby boy. 5 more weeks!

Fast Forward: Part 2

All 26 of us!

The Adventure: A Frontier Experience

Complete with a bunch of little pioneers, soap carving, mop doll making, marble shooting, gold panning, and marshmallow guns.

Brad showed off his great soap carving skills with this anatomically correct, and polished tooth

Liv carved a heart

The kids all loved panning for gold with my brother Dan.

Springfield, IL, home of Abraham Lincoln. and probably the best museum I have ever been to.

Fast Forward

I am looking at all of my pictures and reallizing that it is going to take way too much time to make a full post about each of our days in St. Louis, so here is my fast forward recap of a couple of the days. Activities included: The Magic House, The Science Center and Pappy's Smokehouse (the best barbeque Brad and I have ever eaten....YUM).