What's up...

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I pulled the whole updog joke on Kate this morning. In case you don't know it...
Me: Smells like updog in here?
Kate: What's updog?
Me: What's up with you...dog!

She rolled her eyes but I bet $10 she uses it on one of her friends in the near future. 

Kate - She reads 451 books a week and is currently reading a giant book on Greek Mythology. She swims until her whole body looks like a raisin and she just finished her first season of real softball- not the coach pitch kind.

The family went to Clear Lake again this summer. We truly enjoyed ourselves. The girls swam like fish and everyone slept really well...as well as you can when there are six people crammed into a tiny hotel room.

CJ - She wrapped up her fourth year of t-ball. It's a long story on why she has been in so many years of t-ball but she is ready to move ahead to coach pitch next summer. CJ has become an excellent reader for her age. She reads quite a bit on her own and she can often be found handing me a copy of Junie B. Jones. When I take CJ to the pool it is often hard to find her. She spends the majority of her time swimming underwear. You will spot a curly haired girl come up for air and then head right back under. It's pretty great really.

A visit to Hickory Hills this past April. No one fell in the lake AND no one fell in the goose poop. Successful trip!

Natalie - Natalie is growing up. At 3 1/2 years old (you cannot forget the 1/2) she has stopped insisting everything in her life be the color purple. She loves to be read to and, as of this past week, has been obsessed with dolls and Barbies. While improving, she is still very much the instigator of 98% of the disagreements around here.
The girls and I love to play in the garden on Main Street. This picture was before everything turned green.

Maddie - She is now a walker as well as a climber, master of tossing things off her high chair, and generally stealing anything one of the other girls wants to play with. Maddie is lots of fun though. She giggles a lot and loves for me to read books to her. She hates sitting in her bath and prefers to throw shoes down the stairs than to wear them on her feet.

Another photo from Hickory Hills back in April.

Matt - He is busy with work and playing ball for the Cedar Valley CourtKings. Matt is truly enjoying playing basketball on a team again, not to mention a team made up of really good ball players. Oh, yeah and he still has his full time law practice.

Cristen Harmon Photography took family pictures for us a couple of weeks ago. This is the first photo of many to come. Love it!

Me - I fill water bottles, wash clothes, chase kids, cook food, clean up food, chase kids, sweep floors, go to the pool, chase kids, go to the pool again, and collapse on the couch. Also, I have been accepted as member of the Black Hawk County Gaming Association and will begin my term in July. The association has granted over $34 million dollars since it's formation 9 years ago. I am truly honored that I get to help decide which projects will be funded in the future. Super excited to begin this new adventure. 

Maddie in Clear Lake. 30 minutes before she came down with a stomach bug. But the picture is still adorable. 

So much more summer to come although June passed in the blink of a blurry eye.
Hope you are well.


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