Summer 2013

Where has time gone?  It has been one crazy busy, but fun summer!  Let's start where we left off!
May, 2013
My mom drove to Michigan and spent a week or so with us.  Samantha finished 3yr preschool and she got her ears pierced!  Boy was that fun (insert sarcasim here)!  After all was done, she was as happy as could be and couldn't wait to show everyone.  Jim was busy working and Nicholas was just being Nicholas.  Enjoying being outside, playing in the water and exploring new things!
June, 2013
We drove to Chicago middle of June.  Jim had a week vacation so we spent so much needed time as a family and much needed time with our immideate families.  It was nice hanging out, going to the park, pool and just having fun.  After Jim's week he headed home and the kids and I stayed for 6 weeks.  During this time, the kids and I did VBS at Calvary (which is our home church).  Samantha had so much fun being with her cousins and friends.  I decided that since I was already going to be there to drop Samantha off that I would volunteer in the nursery and be with Nicholas.  It was a good experience for him having some structure and learn from the older kids too!  He had a blast with it. Even though the poor kid can't talk he could hum the songs and he knew the motions to the songs as well!  It was fun watching both of them learn & grow during this experience! 
We had lots of fun swimming, playing with water and playing outside! 
July, 2013
Jim surprised us on the 4th of July.  He drove in after his shift on the 2nd and was able to go with us to Palos Heights Fireworks.  It's been a tradtion that we go up to Tastee Freeze get ice cream and sit and watch the fireworks!  Nicholas enjoyed his ice cream & fireworks and Samantha kept us all guessing on what color was going to be next!  On the 4th, Palos Heights has parade down Harlem Ave.  It was so nice we were all able to go!  Nicholas sat in the stroller and watched as the fire trucks, police cars & ambulances started the parade and he was waving and clapping to everyone that passed by!  Samantha was in all her glory with some of her older cousins as they ran in the streets, danced and raced to get candy!  It was so fun to see her have such a good time with them and build these memories!  Later in the day, Jim had to head back to Michigan, while the kids & I headed to the Jager's for our annual cookout there and then to Tinley Park for fireworks!  We all met each other about 10 years ago.  At that time none of us had kids.  Each year we add more & more kids to the picture.  This year there were 16 kids b/w 5 of us!  So much fun to see these kids grow up with each other and have so much fun with each other. 
July continued on with my cousin Meg's wedding!  It was a very warm day.  It was a beautiful wedding outdoors.  Of course she looked beautiful!  We had so much fun!  Jim was able to come in for the weekend so it was nice to spend the time with just the 2 of us as my in-laws took care of the kids while we were there!  The following weekend was my brother & future sister-in-laws wedding shower!  Julie, my mom and I spent a lot of time preparing for it and making it perfect for them!  They got many wonderful gifts and were able to get them put away in their new home quickly! 
Also during the month, the kids & I went up to my sister's house and spent a few days with her and helped her pack up her home.  It was nice spending time with her and of course the kids loved spending time with Auntie JuJu. 
We headed back to Michigan a couple days after the wedding shower.  When we got back, Samantha started another VBS at the church where her preschool is at.  She had a blast.  She saw some kids from her preschool and she also invited Joshua (our neighbor) and Chloe (her friend) to come with! 
August, 2013
We started off with another VBS at the church we have been attending.  Samantha had a blast!  She knew all the songs already because it was the same one she did in June so sh was able to help the kids with the motions and the words!  Other than VBS it was a pretty uneventful month.  Jim was on Ortho so his schedule was good.  We had great weather so we spent a lot of time outside in the pools & playing with water and time up at the park.  We even did a few walks at night and walked to get ice cream!  At the end of August we drove to Chicago for Jeff's bacholor party and I went to a dinner with my MIL and saw Diana Ross in concert!  That was a lot of fun.  I didn't know a lot of her songs, but we were in the front row and she put on a great show!
September 2013
This marked the 1st month of night for Jim in the ER.  It has gone much better than I expected.  We have been able to have dinner together as a family every night.  Even if that meant we ate dinner at 430 and the kids had a snack before they went to bed.  There were even some night Jim was able to tuck the kids in bed before he left for his shift!
Samantha started 4yr preschool this month too!  She was so excited to start and see all her friends again!  So far she is doing really well.  They are working on site words and she is becoming very interested on how to spell words and reading! 
We also had my brother's wedding last weekend!  All 4 of us were in it!  What a blast we had.  Their wedding was absolutely beautiful!  The ceremony was outdoors and reception was inside.  Samantha walked down the aisle so well and Nicholas ended up walking down the aisle with me.  They did so well and they did awesome at the reception too!  They danced their little hearts out and Samantha lost her 1st tooth too!  So needless to say the tooth fairy came once we got home.  The tooth fairy brought her $5 and a Berenstein Bears Tooth Fairy book!  She was so excited! 
I think that pretty much sums up our summer!  It has been fun and crazy, but the fun doesn't stop there!  In a week we leave for Chicago and then head to Disney for Samantha's 5th birthday with my In-laws, then my parents are coming up to Michigan for Halloween, Nicholas' 2nd birthday, Jim leaves for a conference in San Fransico, we then head to Greenville, South Carolina for Nick & Lauren's wedding that Jim & Samantha are in. we then have Thanksgiving, and Christmas and then the year is over!  Can't believe how much fun we have had already this year and there is so much more to come!