A new way to blog for me :)

So I've been slacking really bad on the blog this year and I think I've come up with a great solution. My problem is that it takes so long to upload pictures to Blogger…hours to do slideshows and since I take MILLIONS of pics, it's so hard to update. I'm going to keep blogging, but limit my pics to 5-10 per post…that way there's no overload and it doesn't take hours :)

I'll upload the whole event's pics to Facebook (which literally takes minutes) and that way all pics are online but not taking forever to upload here.

I hope this works out…and takes away any excuses I have of not blogging :)

Thanks for being patient!!

Vacation to Missouri

We took a vacation to Missouri this past week and had a blast. The kids loved seeing all their family and we kept super busy with swimming in the pooooo, a Cardinals game, the STL Zoo, a Lake trip for dinner (including a round of very hot and sweaty putt putt golf), 3 sick kiddos and one sick mama. It was awesome :)

I really hope you look at Facebook for all the pics…there were really great ones and we had such a great time! And these 10 aren't even the tip of the iceberg :) I'm going to post 270+ on Facebook! Here's a small, teeeny tiny taste of the fun in pics.

Cash found himself another bully to love, Faith.

Lots of swimming while we were there...I think every single day!

And we got to meet the new addition to the family ;) Darin, Noelle's new boooooyfrennnn.

At the zoo...it was a hot day! Mimi and Cash had to go back to the car it was too hot for my sick baby out there.

Mimi's birthday with her 3 grandbabies.

More zoo pics...can you tell we are a tad hot and sweaty? LOL!

The Cardinals game (after the hot zoo), I had to take Cash back to the car this time...poor sicky.

Lots and lots of swimming :)

Papa Joe reading the Stinky Face book...a very popular book.

Grandma Alma, Grandpa Don and their 8 great grandbabies...make room for one more in about 7ish months. LOL!

"I've got a secret!!!!!" --Mabelle Grace

"Mommy's got a baby in her belly!!!!!" This is how Mabelle announced to almost everyone the big news. We are pregnant!!! I'm almost 8 weeks, we go to the doc August 11. From my calculations, I would be due March 22, 2011. Eek!!! We also had fortune cookies made and gave them out, with 3 fortunes inside:

'Luck is on your side, a new addition to your family is coming soon.'

'Three is the key to happiness.'

'A pleasant surprise awaits you.'

And only one person (Jason's Aunt Sissy asked if we needed to take a pregnancy test...lol! I replied with "I've already taken two.) got the fortune cookies...there were many curious faces on why the fortune cokies had the same fortunes. LOL! But in the end, Mabelle got to make her announcement to everyone :)

Heather and sweet Mary Grace visit!!

The sweet Mary Grace came to visit us for a few days!!! And her mom tagged along (lol!!). The kids looooved her and Mabelle was the biggest help…she helped with any and everything. It was so cute, and my rotten Cash, well..he was a rotten little boy. He was sweet some of the time, and ornery for most of the time. We had fun just hanging out, hitting the Secret Garden to see dolphins and tigers, and Heather getting tattooed…eek!

MG and MG :)

Cash, I'm sure, is playing 'earthquake' with Mary Grace and not being mean!

The best of all 3 kiddos.

The girlies taking a dip.

And Heather got to read bedtime stories to the kids..they love this :)

More pics from this visit will be posted on facebook...so many sweet pics of the kids!

Cash's new room :)

It's no secret that our boy loves him some Toy Story…so now he has the big boy room of any Toy Story fan's dreams :) It's Andy's room (sort of ;)). Jason made me a couple of cloud stencils, and I went to work (after we painted his room blue) painting white clouds on his walls. His bunk bed was delivered and we adorned his bed with his Toy Story bedding and SOME of his Toy Story toys are now the decorations for his bookshelf, bed and dresser. All that's missing is the large Buzz fathead we are going to get…and we have to hang his wall shelves :)

Seeing it finished for the first time, complete with bunk bed installed!

Checking out his Hamm bank.

The Andy's room clouds I stenciled on...turned out so cute!

His new bed! He loves it!

They love the top bunk...so cute!

A Boating Adventure!

While Papa was visiting, we took the chance to rent a boat on Lake Mead and make it a family day! It was soooooo great! The kids loved it and had their first fishing experience. They both took turns driving and really had a wonderful morning on the lake.

Safety first!

On the boat...wind in her hair :)

Cheeeeeese :)

Fishing with no bait ;)

Taking turns driving the boat...someone was mad that it wasn't her turn anymore. LOL!

MANY MANY more pics on facebook...some really wonderful ones :)

Fourth of July

We went to our friend's house to watch their fireworks…Cash loved it and Mabelle was terrified (I'm pretty sure this stems from the upside down canister we saw come for our faces a few years ago ;)). We did get them both to hold sparklers tho :)

Mabelle sitting across the street with Papa while they lit fireworks.

Cash and Brooklyn loving it!

Hanging with Papa, after Mabelle had to be taken inside from fear of fireworks :(

Learning how to hold a sparkler from Josielyn. They both have some crazy eyes!!

I'm pretty sure Jason is writing his name with the sparkler and that's the J :)

Scared...but trying.

Loves the sparklers...but THAT'S IT!

Mabelle's (last) Dance Recital!

Mabelle doesn't want to do dance anymore and had her last recital in June. She had a mini lead role in her recital this year, and did sooooo amazing. She was more than adorable. We even rolled her hair in sponge rollers for the big event..and her hair might've been cuter than HER! LOL! Joking, they were all adorable and she was extra bouncy with those curls.

How stinking cute is she??!

In her lead role..refusing to dance with the boy ;)

Back in line with everyone...tapping.

Breaking it down!

A proud daddy :)

Proud mama!

Her co-lead...aka as her boyfriend, Treyce :)

Mabelle's PreK Graduation!

It's official, Mabelle graduated preschool!! She will be a Kindergartner in the fall!!! Her class sang songs and then received their diplomas, it was such a sweet little ceremony (complete with a slideshow that made me tear up! LOL!).

Receiving her diploma.

Posing..not happy she had to put the cap/gown BACK on for pictures ;)

All smiles with her Mimi and Papa

And her sweet Aunt Noelle :)

One of her best friends came to watch her graduate too, James!

All Cash was worried about...cupcakes!

Her bestie in school, Charlotte!!

A visit from a bestie!!

Jen and her smallest babies came to see us in May from Chicago!! We had a blast just hanging with the 5 kiddos! And they had so much fun playing :) We didn't go on many adventures, mostly stayed home and reeeelaxed and swam. A perfect vacation :)

Getting loaded up in the v-ride, the girls had to stop and pose :)

Twinkies :)

We have a bad habit of always making our kids twinkies...love it!!

It's a Cashy sandwich!

Love these girlies!

Way more pics on facebook :)