summer daze.

The kids finish up swimming lessons tomorrow (monday)!! Channing passed all but 3 things so he will be going back next year for more lessons! We will find out if Olivia has passed her lessons or not tomorrow. If she DOES pass, I'm still sending her back next year bc I don't find her as comfortable with the water as I would like her to be. She is still scared to jump in and it won't hurt to have more lessons!

The summer is flying by for us. We have been keeping busy at the parks, pool, friends, familys' houses, outside, etc!!! We put water in our little baby pool the other day and the kids had a blast! we love going up to our community pool to swim! The kids have made a lot of new friends and Olivia has enjoyed running into friends from school there.

Tues morning kids runs through August and the kids have been enjoying that as well! Last week they made some pretty cool bird houses! Later today, we plan on hanging them in our backyard!

Next month, we are planning an Ohio trip to the Gunnerson's house! We are very excited about that! We plan on visiting the Zoo, parks, water parks, etc!!

We'll keep ya posted!!!

......

The Kids and I took a trip to Iowa to spend some time with granny!! We went to lunch at Red Robins and had some delicious food and then took the kids to the Niabi zoo! It was a lot of fun! The Elephants were "Celebrating their birthday" at the zoo and they had a lot of different activities going on. We got to see the Elephants paint on a canvas and later they were silent auctioned... no offense but I can't see anyone spending $50 on a painting that a 2 yr old could easily do, but I guess to say, "An Elephant painted that picture..." hehe!! ;)

We all had a great day! When that was said and done we went back to grandma's and watched Shrek 3 and called it a night! The kids had a great time chasing Calli around. I think I used the phrase, "LEAVE THE CAT ALONE." a good hundred times! Gavin liked to grab that poor little thing by her tail... :(

The following day was spent walking the mall and hanging out! we love spending time over there! :)

Gavin is into everything at this age. EVERYTHING and he's....fast!! I'm so glad that Olivia plays mother Hen and helps me out with the boys!!

Swimming lessons!

The kids are on their Third day of swimming lessons and they are doing very well! They listen great to their teachers! They are learning to float on their back and front sides right now. proper arm techniques, jumping, putting their head under water. At the end of the class they get to jump off the diving board. Olivia and Channing are still unsure about it so they get lowered in, but I know it won't be long! I'm very greatful they are catching on rather quickly! :)

Update on the Pendleton kids!

Gavin Turned 14 months yesterday. Hard to believe. He's not a "baby" anymore. He is definitely a big time "momma's boy" he has to know where I am at all times and if he's not in a familiar setting, he wants his momma. (frustrating at times) He's very demanding. He has more of a "bully" personality. He loves to pull hair, pinch, bite, etc. He does listen when you tell him no. He can blow his nose, he can throw garbage away when you ask him. He'll bring you a diaper when he needs a change, he answers when we ask him something. He's very smart. He loves attention and when the attention is not on him, the bully comes out. We are trying very hard to wean him off this behavior. Not giving into him. I have talked to the Dr about it and was told that all babies are different and this behavior is completely normal especially in a household with one or more children already a part of it. (relief)

Gavin LOVES to sing, he loves anything that makes music. He babbles his own little conversations. SO funny! He is starting to run. He is in a size 6 shoe now. He wears 18-2T in shirts and 24 months in pants. He is still with only 4 teeth and is working on the others. He takes 2 hr naps and still wakes up at least once during the night.

Channing is 3 years old now. I was just looking at pictures from his 2 yr party and it didn't seem like that was too long ago. Now he's 3. He's got the tantrums of a 3 yr old but not as bad as they used to be. He still gets that high pitched scream going but when he does that he knows he will be sitting in his room until he can calm down. He's more active in social groups then he ever was before. He used to take time to observe what was going on around him and now he just goes for it! He loves the new friends he has made in his playgroup and of course, Austen is his partner in crime! They have a song that they sing whenever they get together "la la poopy" I'm so glad that I'm not the only parent going through this and that Ashlee is going through the same thing! I'm just glad she and I have been like sisters most of our lives! We were in church one day when a nice old lady asked the boys a question and they looked at each other and belted out that song.... :::shakinghead:::

Channing is learning letters, numbers and sounds. He also loves to sing and dance and put on quite the show. He LOVES ice cream. He wears size 3T and 4T in shirts and 3T in shorts. He is in a size 7/8 shoe size. I think Gavin is going to pass him up.

Olivia- She is so smart. She is very aware of her surroundings. She is our little eavesdropper. She remembers conversations and moments from years ago and will bring them up when she thinks of them or something reminds her of it. She has to be constantly entertained or she gets bored. She loves surprising us! whether it be something she made for us or cleaning her room... She is in tune with her mind. The other day she got to meet Ashlee's nieces and nephews and Olivia came up to me and told me that she couldn't understand why she was so shy around Ryan. She said, "Mommy, I wanted to say hi to him and talk to him, but I was too shy and I so I didn't say hi to him. Why did I feel shy?"

She is still allergic to milk but can eat foods with milk product. She loves to swim! Olivia and Channing will start swimming lessons this coming Monday! School registration for kindergarten is Aug. 6th... school starts August 19. So hard to believe. She will be going a full day which means she will be getting home from school around the same time her dad will be getting home from work. This will be very good for her. She will be keeping busy learning and socializing! Olivia wears a size 6X-7/8 in shirts and a size 6x in shorts. Her shoe size is 12-12.5 . Her hair is getting really long and I have asked if we could get it cut. She says, "not yet, I have to wait for it to be like Repunzels!"

That's about all the news going on here! Hope everyone's summer is going well!

The accident my kids witnessed..

I just pulled this from the Peoria Journal Star. This is the accident my kids witnessed. I will be calling their DR this afternoon to see if there is anything I can do. I think Olivia has taken this the hardest.

The village fireworks show had just ended Friday evening, and Ruby Kennell of Roanoke had a head start on the crowd.
As the 85-year-old backed out of a parking space in the 100 block of Broad Street, she saw the group of 10 or so people sitting in lawn chairs along the road.
Kennell attempted to hit the brakes to avoid hitting them, but instead stepped on the gas, speeding into the group.
Among those sitting there were Steven and Joyce Hodel of Roanoke.
"We heard a big roar," Joyce Hodel recalled Sunday. "We were knocked off our chairs. It was a blur."
Four people were hurt, including Steven Hodel, who was trapped under Kennell's car. It reportedly took 20 people at the scene to pull the vehicle off him. He was pronounced dead later that night.
Kennell expressed her shock and remorse Sunday when reached by phone. "There was a big crowd. I don't know what happened. I think I panicked." she said. "It seemed like a nightmare."
"I do really feel bad," she added.
Steven Hodel, 60, of 808 W. Parkview Court was pronounced dead at 10:45 p.m. in the emergency room at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. He died of multiple crushing injuries to the chest and pelvis, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said.
The accident happened about 30 seconds after the fireworks show's big finale, Joyce Hodel, 56, recounted Sunday from home. She and her sister Shirley Leman, 59, and friend Troy Janssen, 30, were taken to OSF with minor injuries. All have been released.
Joyce Hodel said she and her family forgive Kennell.
"We truly feel it was all in God's plan," she said. "We have no bitter feelings."
Steven Hodel worked as a farmer in the community and had three daughters. His loved ones gathered Sunday at the family home to share memories about their husband, father and friend.
"He was a farmer and active and loved to do his job well," Joyce Hodel said. "It's all he knew."
The Woodford County Sheriff's Department would not release additional details about the accident on Sunday, saying only that it was still under investigation. It is unknown whether Kennell will be ticketed.
This was the fifth year the town put on a fireworks show, said Al Helsel, president of the Roanoke Festival Committee. He pegged attendance at 1,500 to 2,000 people.
"I knew Steve; He was a wonderful guy," Helsel said. "You always say 'what if' and blame yourself.
"We're a small town and everyone looks out for everyone, and when something like this happens, everyone reaches out," he said.
Roanoke Mayor Bob Huschen said Steven was not only a citizen of the town but a good friend. "I've known Steven all my life," he said, adding it was tragic ending to a beautiful day.
Kennell said a member of the Hodel family contacted her and told her they forgive her for what happened.
"I have great family," Joyce Hodel said. "We're going to be hurting

.............

Mike's friend Zak is in town for the weekend and we all made plans to go out. My parents were taking the kids to a car show where they would finish off the night with fireworks.

I dropped the kids off at my parents while Mike and Zak ran errands. We went out and later on in the night my mom called to tell me that something bad had happened during the fireworks. She said, "Thank GOD none of the kids were hurt but some people around them that had also been watching the fireworks got badly injured when an older lady came barreling into the crowd with her car. My parents were sitting toward the right and the crowd that got hit, was in the middle of them. The story of what the lady was actually doing is still unknown but under investigation. She accelerated into the crowd and hit several people. A man and his wife were hit and the lady actually went under the car. the Man was hit onto the hood of the lady's car and then drug back under her car. When he went under, his wife was pushed out and he was run over. Our kids, Witnessed this all happen. Luckily, one of my parent's friends was there to help turn Olivia's head and keep Gavin and Channing's attention but it wasn't enough b/c they had seen it. Olivia had lots of questions. My parents tried to answer them the best they could without scaring her.

when Olivia woke up this morning she asked me if I had talked to grandma about what had happened. I told her yes and she began to go into great detail about what she saw. She couldn't understand why there was so much blood. I just reassured her that the people who were hurt were taken to the hospital and they were going to be OK. channing woke up and got into graphic detail about what he saw. I'm so saddened for the situation but more so that little children had witnessed this. In the paper today, the man that had been drug underneath the car, passed away today from his injuries. :( I can only thank God that my family was protected and the crazed lady did not harm them, but it still saddens me for the victims and their families.
Please keep my children in your prayers that God will wash away the horrific images they had to see this weekend.
God bless you all and just remember to never take life for granted.

Hectic week!

channing eating home made ice cream. Olivia proud of her bandana! Gavin at the baby pool in our comm. pool! We love it! Olivia helping Gavin play at the park!

This past week has been NOTHING but Chaos! Mike went back to working overtime this week so we were very limited on seeing him. The most the kids seen him was Monday night when I had my MK meeting. The rest of the week with me and the kids 24/7 was pure Craziness! Olivia and Channing did nothing but nitpick on each other. Gavin is trying to get some more teeth in so he was more cranky then usual. Keeping up with the housework, cooking, keeping the kids satisfied, finding time for myself when they went to bed. Olivia has been going through these really bossy phases and she acts as though she is in charge. She bosses Channing around and tells him to do things to get him into trouble. Last night, they were eating dinner and I could hear Olivia whisper to channing to throw some of his food. By the time I got them showers and baths I was exhausted. I put them to bed at 7pm and it wasn't until after midnight that Mike got home. He came in the house with his hand wrapped in his shirt and he was hunched over. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "What did you put in the trash can? I just cut my finger pretty deep." The only thing I knew of was the vegetable can and lid... He said he was shoving the trash into the outside can and cut himself. I didn't know how bad the cut was until I seen his shirt and it was soaked in blood. I lost it and started crying. I was just overwhelmed with everything going on and now I thought for sure Mike would need to get stitches. He ended up wrapping it tight with a bandage after cleaning it up and he said he was fine. I felt horrible. He later gave me a big hug and said he understood my week. I was greatful for that. sometimes being a full time parent is hard. It's so nice when you can have the breaks in between. You need breaks in between or else you start to lose your sanity. I was very thankful that today was a better day! The kids and I joined our playgroup for some fun play time at the park! This weeked will be fun! Mike is watching the kids in the A.M so that I can get out and shop for a few hours by myself! Then later I'm dropping the kids off at mom's house around 3 pm and Mike, Zak and I are headed out for some karaoke! We deserve to go out every once in a great while! It will be fun! I hope the kids enjoy their time with their grandparents!

The kids are going to Tues. morning kids again this summer through our church! Tues mornings from 10 am to 12 they sing songs, make crafts, play games and have a blast! Last week they got to make Home made ice cream, they got to tye dye bandanas and make cookies from a cardboard oven!