September and some Random Summer Pics

I am on a roll! You all should be proud!

Labor Day brought the ballathon again. Devin lives for the ballathon and it is his favorite weekend of the whole year. The ballaton starts Friday night at 6pm and games continue until Monday at noon. Games are played 24 hours a day. Devin has three teams (two mens and one co-ed) in the ballathon each year. I think this year he played nine games.

The Tuesday after Labor Day Tori started "school". Pekin High School has a toddler laboratory school which gives the students in the childcare classes hands-on experience. I had found out about it last year from a friend so I emailed the teacher in August and they had openings so I enrolled Tori. It ran for three weeks and was an hour and twenty minutes long. I had to stay on school property while she was in the room, but it gave me time to catch up on things like this blog :). The first two weeks Tori hated it. She would scream when Stacy or I would drop her off and would be sleeping when we went back to the room to pick her up. The last week Tori didn't cry when I left her at the room and she didn't want to leave when I go to pick her up. One day I had to chase her to get her to leave!

The Wednesday after Labor Day, Devin and I went to Puerto Rico for our friends wedding. It was a good time! Tori stayed with MeMaw and Grandpa and from the pictures I saw and what they have told me they all had a good time. When we got to Puerto Rico we found out that we couldn't use our phones, but that texting was unlimited so that is how we stayed in contact with them. We borrowed our friends phone one time to call home. Mike and Brittany were really good about posting pictures nightly on Facebook of Tori. Devin and I were very thankful for that! We loved getting back to the hotel room late at night and getting the iPad out to see what they had been up to all day!

This is the view across the bay of the Barcardi distillery. We did take the tour (mostly for something to do and the free drinks). We were unimpressed with it. It was mainly just videos, we didn't get to see any of the actual process happening.

This is the fort that the wedding was at. It was on a little peninsula and the wedding was actually on one of those cliffs on the right.

The guys in the wedding party as I was walking up!

Devin and I at the reception...I was incredibly sunburnt and he wasn't in the best mood after his long day, but after a few drinks we were both over things!

The Thursday after we got back from our trip, Tori and I started Kindermusik class. Tori loves it. All of the kids that were there on the first day were girls and their birthdays were within 6 weeks of each other with Tori being the oldest. She loves dancing and singing along, which is good because the class goes until January!

Over the course of the summer, we spent a lot of time at the park playing and also playing in the backyard on the play set that Granny Myers got Tori for her birthday.

First time swinging at the park!

Swinging with cousin Sofia.

Sooooo happy to swing!

Climbing on her play set.

Why do kids always want to climb UP the slide?

Soooo innocent looking.

You can see how much fun she was having!

Tori has completed two sessions of swim lessons and is currently enrolled in her third session. Devin and I take turns getting in the pool with her. One day when it was his turn I was able to take some pictures!

Jumping into the pool.

Swimming to her toy!

Yesterday, Tori really was enjoying her lessons! She was loving jumping into the pool and was moving her arms and her legs when Devin told her to! She even tried to blow bubbles a few times :)

Our house is slowly but surely getting done. The outside brick and stone is almost done and they have started on the tile floors inside. I am still hoping it will be done by Thanksgiving, but I am fearing that it won't be. (So I originally wrote this post about a month ago, and sadly enough the status of the house is the same...finishing up brick and working on tile. Looks like we will not be in by Thanksgiving...booooo).

Whew! That is what we have been up to!

Thanks for checking in!


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August

I am back again! Two posts in one day! Okay, okay, I admit I wrote all of our summer posts while Tori was in "school" (we will get to that in September) but hadn't had time to load pics and post them on the computer! Enjoy!

In August I found out about story time at the library which they only do it for four months out of the year. The childrens librarian there does so well with the toddlers. During story time we sing songs, do some little stretching activities, and she reads them two stories. In August Tori was the only mobile baby, so she loved to wonder around the room. When it was time for stories Tori would run up to the librarian and sit right in the front. She would also help turn the pages. She is very excited to go in October when they offer the baby program again.

On August 6th we went to Champaign to watch Daddy play with the church softball team in a tournament. They didn't do very well, but it was still fun!

This is how Tori spends her time at Devin's games. She loves her Cozy Coupe and snacks always make her happy!

After playing all during the first game it was nap time. Too bad she rolled most of the way off of the blanket!

See I pay attention to the games!

The last two weekends in August we went back up to Chicago. On the 20th, Devin had a bachelor party up there and I didn't want to stay home so I went up and hung out with Rachel and Sofia while Eric was in class. The 27th was Sofia's 1st birthday and her party. She was an adorable birthday girl and Rachel did an awesome job planning and decorating.

The adorable birthday girl and her momma!

Sofia opening one of our presents! We got her a personalized Bulls jersey! It says Myers on the back! Her daddy loved it I am sure!

Summer softball wrapped up in August. He was very excited to beat the team that is looked at the best team in Pekin. It was an awesome game. In the league that he coaches in they took second place for the season, which I believe is the best his team has ever finished.

Thanks for checking in!

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July

So it took me a little while to post more...but here I am again!

We celebrated the 4th of July at my Grandma's house. Tori got to play with her water table that Papa and Nana got her for her birthday, while the adults jet skied. She didn't really care about the fireworks, she just hung out on the blanket with us and didn't pay attention to them.

Very excited about her water table!

All tuckered out after playing with the water table all morning. She was too hot to hold so I put her down on this quilt in the middle of the porch.

After naptime she was ready for the pool!

And so were Uncle Bryan and Daddy...

I had to include this picture! After she got done jet skiing MeMaw decided to go for a swim in the lake. As she was scooting herself down the dock and into the water apparently her swimming suit got caught on a nail and she ripped out the crotch of her suit! Mike had to rescue her with a towel!

LOVE this picture I snapped of Tori and my mom on the 4th! It shows off her awesome eyes!

Tori and I made a trip up to Chicago in late July to visit with Eric, Rachel, and Sofia with my mom and did some shopping. Tori loves to shop!

That was our month of July!

Check back soon for August!

Thanks for checking in!


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June

So I half forgot about the blog and half just haven't had time to update. Anyways, a lot of things have happened since my last post (over 3 months ago)! I plan to post what we have been doing all summer in a series of posts as time allows this week! So be sure to check back every few days! I have the majority of the posts written its just a matter of getting pictures and getting them uploaded! I had a hard time tonite as the iPad didn't want to cooperate!

We went up to Chicago in the middle of June so get Tori and Sofia's pictures taken together to give to my mom as a birthday gift. Needless, to say my mom loved it!

Later that same week, Rachel and Sofia came down for a visit and Rachel, Chris, and Claire were visiting from Texas so we met up one evening for dinner and playtime for the kids.

This is the best picture I could get of the three girls, from L to R, Claire (8 months), Sofia (9.5 months), and Tori (11.5 months).

Tori got her first kiss ever from a boy and it was open mouthed! Haha! We have no clue what prompted Chris to do this, but I am glad we caught it on camera!

We celebrated Tori's birthday on June 26th with a party at the fellowship hall at the church with our family and friends. The colors for the party were hot pink and yellow and Tori looked adorable!

I LOVE this picture of Tori! Right after we got her all dressed in her tutu she had to check herself out in the mirror!

I was (and still am) very proud of Tori's birthday banner. I made it myself!

Singing happy birthday to Tori. She couldn't wait to get her hands on that cake!

I have to admit she wasn't into the smash cake so I hid goldfish in it so we could get some good pictures!

Bath time at the church! She loved playing with the faucet.

On Tori's actual birthday we celebrated by going to the Peoria Zoo, lunch at Steak N Shake, shopping, and had our immediate family over for pizza.

At the zoo we saw Taylor, Tori's birthday buddy. They were born within two hours of each other! Taylor's dad plays softball with Devin and I went to school with her mom.

Wish there wasn't a smudge on the lens! Tori trying to check out the giraffes but she was too short.

Looking out over the Africa exhibit with Granny!

Tori picked out a stuffed turtle....she loves to chew on it.

That's all o have for now! I hope to update later in the week about what we did in July, August, and September so check back!

Thanks for checking in!

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Just an ordinary day

I have some pictures that weren't taken for any special reason, but that are cute that I would like to share! Here they are! Enjoy!

As mentioned in a previous post we are teaching Tori some basic signs. She will be taking some sign language classes this fall, but for now we are using some DVD's. Tori will not sit still enough to watch TV, until one day I decided to give her Cheerios while I wanted her to watch! It worked for the most part!

Mocha was waiting (patiently) for a dropped Cheerio.

Cheeeeeeeese! So much for paying attention to the DVD.

Speaking of cheese, here is Tori eating leftover grilled cheese and fries for dinner.

Playing with her inflatable toy from her kids meal.

She loves the water so much! Whenever we start filling up the tub she crawls like a madwoman down the hallway.

Trying to reach a toy/climb in.

Maybe if she stands on her tippy toes...

Got it!

Mocha likes bath time almost as much as Tori!

Tori playing and Mocha waiting for a drop of water.

Mocha is up and wants to help.

Being silly!

When she starts to stand up in the tub, we get out!

Thanks for checking in!

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Possums, Birds, and A Frog, oh my!

We have had quite the week animal wise at our house! One day last week, Mocha managed to catch and kill a bird in the backyard. One minute I looked out and she was just laying there chewing on a stick with birds dive bombing her and the next she was carrying around a bird in her mouth. Lucky for me, she didn't eat the bird. She just carried it around the yard "burying" it in various places until I could distract her enough to get her inside. Then, she didn't get to go outside until Devin got home from work and removed the bird from the yard.

On Monday, Mocha was digging like crazy near our fence. This isn't unusual for her, but she wouldn't even look up when we were hollering for her so we knew she was up to no good. Devin put on some sandals to see what she was after. When he got out there this is what he saw.

Some white fur under the fence no biggie right? He thought maybe it was just her fur as I had brushed her the day or two before. But he opened the gate and saw this..

A nice dead-as-a-doornail possum! The thing was huge! He threw it back further into the trees and I am sure by now, some other animal has carried it away!

At my grandparents cookout on Monday we got to see some baby birds! Devin and I both thought it would be fun to take some pictures of them. Hey we have this nice camera so why not? Here is what we got..

Three babies hanging out. Every year one of my grandma's hanging baskets becomes a home to some baby birds!

Making noise waiting to be fed.

Momma found a worm!

Feeding it to her babies.

Our last encounter with animals happened Tuesday night as Devin was taking out the garbage. He was walking back into the house as something caught his eye. This is what he saw...

Can you tell what it is?

Its a frog. Just chilling on our wall in the garage. Who knew frogs could do that? I didn't. Oddly enough it was right next to a frog chair that Jason's parents got Tori.

I like animals and all, but I hope non-domesticated ones stay away from us for a while!

Can you believe I did a whole post and didn't include a picture of Tori? :)

Thanks for checking in!

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