Picnic in the Park & a Family Visit

We decided to enjoy a picnic in the park last Friday. I am surprised at how easy it was to pack a few bologna sandwiches and drinks and swoop the kids off to the park close to our house. We really enjoyed being together, doing something different, and being outdoors. We have avoided outside in this hot weather, but this particular park has many shady trees. We had the entire park to ourselves and had a private picnic beneath the trees. Charlie snoozed a bit on the picnic blanket, and afterwards he gazed up at the marvelous sight above him, tree branches! I was an unexpected special day!

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law came in town for a baby shower this weekend and stayed with us at our house. We really enjoyed their company and the kids loved playing with their cousin Jackson!!!

First Days of School

Gabby's first day of second grade! Charlie came along because this also was his all day apointment at Texas Children's Hospital. We went straight there after dropping her off.

I don't know why I decided to pose like I was a cheerleading on the front row of a picture.

Now Gabby's getting embarassed of me taking her picture constantly. I like to call myself the mamarazzi...ha ha....okay dumb joke.

Mackenzie's first day of preschool. Isn't she the cutest thing!!??

Alex's last year of preschool. My little boy is almost a kindergartener!!!

Two days a week they will go together to school, and then it will just be Charlie and me!!! Whoohoo! Actually, he keeps me pretty busy anyway.

I'm going to submit this one to pottery barn kids. They could totally model!!!

Mackenzie seems a bit frightened, but don't worry, she didn't even cry.

Lol!!!!

She was so excited when we took her to her new class.

This our home life on our off days. Look at how much Charlie adores his big brother, Alex.

The chunky boy loves his big sister Gabby too!!!!

I think he's still figuring Mackenzie out!!! Lol! Look at his face!

Thanks, Grandma for my cute outfit! Too cute not to post!

This Mackenzie talking about her first day of school experience with her daddy.


More cute MACKENZIE pics:

We painted to pass the time this past week.

Alex loves to color and draw constantly. We go through white printer paper like water.

It was a great way to start out the school year. I can feel things picking up and getting slightly more managable with having a new baby around. Charlie's been totally sleeping through the night, which is sooo cool and necessary. The coffee's been helping a lot too :) We are really starting to get into a groove and a routine, which I crave and so do the kids. I think it's going to be a awesome school year!!!!

4 Kids = 1 Busy Summer!!!!

Little Longhorns

Father's Day!

Charlie first Sunday at church

I became a regular coffee drinker-i got a coffee pot for my birthday!

Mackenzie loves pretending to be a princess!!!

Gabby and Alex took swim lessons!!!

Charlie got to meet his Great Granddaddy and Grandmother.

Chad and his boys!!!

Amy got to meet Charlie. Little did we know, we would be bringing him into the emergency room shortly after this picture was taken. More on that later...

Mackenzie has begun to love drawing.

He's really growing up. Charlie is 2 months in this picture.

We made lots of recipes together!!!!!! Delicious fun!!!!

We got a chance to swim some at Grandmommy's house with cousins.

I just love these two!!! They are so cute together!!!

Charlie is starting to like toys!!!!!!

Mackenzie and Alex like to play playdoh on the back porch.

We attempted to potty train for a few days, Mackenzie did okay, but family came in town and it all went out the window.

My sister and her four kids came in town for a week!

Mackenzie likes to get out of her bed after we say goodnight, this time she made a little resting place on the staircase.

I love this picture. Mackenzie on her potty, Charlie on his bumbo.

The potty went with her everywhere.Cousins came over to play, they had popcorn and played Uno attack.

Alex and his cousin William.

Aunt Erica meets Charlie!!! The kids love their new baby bro!

Grandmommy came to babysit while we took Gabby to her meet the teacher. First day of school starts tomorrow. It marks the end of one long, challenging yet memorable summer.

Charlie is now 3 months old!!! This summer has been such a challenge to say the least. Juggling taking care of four kids is like juggling too many balls, there is just no way I can keep them in the air at the same time! I am learning though not to waste a moment of time, because I must be constantly ahead of the game, or it's too late and chaos sets in. The beginning of the summer was actually quite managable, until Fourth of July weekend, and my life got turned upside down. Notice we didn't have any cute 4th of July pics, well, that's because Charlie spent his first fourth of July in the hospital with a fever. When newborns have a fever, people take it very seriously, he was given every test you can imagine to find out what was causing the fever. We were up at Cook County Children's Hospital for 5 days, because Charlie had a urinary tract infection and was diagnosed with Grade V VUR. VUR is a reflux of urine from the bladder to the kidneys. Charlie has the worst case of this and may need surgery. He is on a constant daily dose of antibiotics. We will know more tomorrow, he has an apt at Texas Children's Hospital. But to sum it up, I've been on edge this summer. I am afraid to leave town, or do basically anything. I just want my little boy better. Although, we did manage to have some fun this summer, this summer has been the hardest summer of my life, but I love my kids and am so thankful to have them. Here's to a new beginning with school starting and all the fun of the fall!!!!!