Riverfest!

We have been in previous years and NEXT year.. we are going again! We can't swing it with the kids this year but we will be watching on TV. The display is AMAZING.

On Sunday, Aug. 31, this all-day end-of-summer bash begins at noon at Sawyer Point and closes with the year's biggest bang - the Cincinnati Bell/WEBN fireworks blasting off at 9:05 p.m. This signature Cincinnati event began 32 years ago, when WEBN treated the tri-state to a fireworks show in honor of the radio station's 10th anniversary. The party at Sawyer Point has grown into an all-day affair with music, food and family fun and entertainment all day.

Happy Belated Birthday, Wendy!

So... you are 32! LOL Every time I see fireworks I think of you, Wendy! WEEPING WILLOW TREE!!! I wanted to put up the pic of us from New Year's Eve but I was glowing and it hurts my eyes. You know what I mean! ;) We can't wait to see you in Sep! It was awesome visiting with you in July. You better get your butt out here for Christmas, woman! Mark it on the calendar now!! We love you!

Happy Birthday Jenn!

Okay...it is a tad late but you know we love you! Happy Anniversary as well! Your wedding was SUCH a blast and you both looked amazing. We miss you and think of you guys often!

Holiday Weekend!!

I passed the exams I was studying for! Woohoo!! I lost all weekend to studying because I was super nervous about failing the previous exam by one point but it was WORTH it... I had an exam Monday that I needed to pass in order to sit for the exam on Tues and I managed to pull off scores in the high 80's and mid 90's which restored some of my test taking confidence. I am focusing back on the Series 66 now to retake that in the coming weeks. Thank you all for your phone calls and emails supporting me going into the last exams. It truly makes a difference knowing you are in people's thoughts.

Roy painted our kitchen yellow on Monday... yuck!! The yellow came out REALLY ugly. SO... we picked another color but we are going to need to prime because the new color is completely changed by the yellow underneath. Roy also painted our bar area (which we love) and added some personal touches. He wrote our "drink orders" in caulking and then painted over it making the words raised. It is more subtle than it looks in the picture and totally cheesy but that's the way we roll! :) The bathroom is now red and with the texturing that was on the walls it looks like an old woman's crazy parlor with velvet walls. It is kind of fun actually. It is hard to get a picture that truly represents the color because my flash is super strong and makes it look much lighter than it is and if I turn the flash off it looks SUPER dark. Guess you will have to use your imagination.

Lauren starts school on Tuesday. We are SO excited.. she is not! I was always so excited for school to start so this is kind of odd to me but I am sure her tune will change when she gets there and meets all the kids! I am sure a lot of her apprehension comes from the fact that in a lot of ways she is still the new kid. Luckily, all the second graders have moved to a new building this year so they will ALL be the new kids. Once she figures that out and really gets how that works I am sure she will feel better.

Off to paint another room!

Hey Everyone!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday! I am studying for my insurance license and it is BORING. Oh my gosh. Rumor has it we might get a thunderstorm tonight- fingers crossed! Talk to you all soon! Love Love! :)

Those are SOME buns!!!

Lauren made some friends!

The first thing that little boy asked Lauren was if she had a boyfriend! ;) When she said no, he told her that he didn't have a girlfriend but he HAD just broken up with FOUR girls! It was pretty funny!

Sea Turtles!

What a treat! There were TWO sea turtle nests right on the beach by the house. One of them was due to be uncovered by the "Turtle Patrol" so they could take a count of the eggs and push along any little guys that hadn't started their journey to the sea. There were 101 eggs (97 of which had hatched). There were no babies present so we will just assume they made their happy little turtle way down to the water and are living the life. They put the four that had not hatched back in the sand and we will cross our fingers! That experience was incredible.

We have some cute kidlets!

There would be pictures of Ava but she REFUSED to be set down on the beach and it was pretty tough to take a picture of her (while holding her!)

Back from Florida!

Well, we ALL got sick on vacation-- are we surprised? Nope! The kids woke up sick on Tuesday morning ( the day we left!) and two days later I was down for the count. Roy got sick just the day before yesterday. We had super high fevers, body aches topped off with a little helping of bronchitis. WOOHOO! We tried to push through but it's fairly hard to keep a happy face on when your skin feels like it's being ripped off your body. Sweet huh!!?? Luckily, we took some great photos and made some great memories despite being a tad rough around the edges.

A morning at Caesar's Creek!

We went to the lake today! It was a beautiful day.. we got there about 9:30 am so we could avoid most of the people and be in the sun when it was a few degrees less than FREAKING HOT! So... we hit it just right! It was warm and sunny but tolerable and the lake was so pleasant- just the right temp to take everyone swimming! It was only a 25 minute drive so we were there and back in a flash. We got a few good hours in and wore the kids out... our mission for the day is accomplished! It's off to a movie this afternoon and then to Florida on Tuesday. Happy Sunday everyone!

I love his expression!

Truth be told he LOVED wearing this nightgown because it is so soft but I think his expression is priceless!

Museum at Union Terminal

We took the kids to the museum today... there is a Children's section, Museum of Natural History, history of Cincinnati center and so much more! It would take FOREVER to get through it all...We took a cooler and made some sandwiches to save some money-- "taligate party" at the museum! :)

Some good came out of today..

Roy put our hammock up today- it's hot outside!! I took my second BIG test this am and I DID NOT pass it by ONE QUESTION. That's right folks.... 30 more days of studying and prep all because I got a 70 and needed a 71. It is just crazy that a 70 is not passing. Crud. SO... today I am appreciating that fact I have great husband, house and kids! Those are my feet in the picture... I tried relaxing but the whole time I am thinking about that one question... Enjoy the pics!

It's your birthday! Woohoo!!

If I am a piece of jewelry in the "next life"-I hope my stone is the same color as yours!

Happy Birthday, Daniel!