We took the kids to Germanfest. They had such a good time and we managed not to spend a ton of money. It was a beautiful day all around!

I've been a busy mama Keeping a clean house, takig care of my health and doing Tupperware parties Whenever possible. Here is some of my most recent work!

I made this page for a challenge over at the design experiment blog

Hope you enjoy it! It is a challenge about what comforts you. I choose to do it about starbucks...when I am tired. Some days when I am sleepy I wake up and say " Mommy will be right back" I head for starbucks and come home all before the hubby leaves for work!

Photos...

These are just some of my most favorite photos have have taken over the past few months. These little feet are baby Amaya's. My friends little girl that I so greatfully got to see come into this world.
My little Q man right after he got his little scar on his nose form taking a dive on my moms concreate.
Eric says he looks evil and I think he looks like " Mom, ok thats enough of the camera in my face...I am trying to play!"
Another photo of Amaya smiling at her Mommy!
Now my goal is to get some great photos of Gracie she just is not interested in the whole "pretend Mommy isnt here thing" She says " Why can't I pose for yo with a pretty smile?" Oh Gracie how I love you, you are growing so fast. This week she has MAJORLY gotten into High School Musical. She told me she wants to learn the dance to the song " We're all in this together" Its the one at the end of the movie that every mom of a 6+ year old can sing in her sleep. Except for I do not know if I am ready for all these clothes that say " I Heart Troy" Thats a little much for me. Although I do not think she will be into that part of it quiet yet. She has also discovered Hannah Montana. Not the show but the music is in the van 24/7. She started on her a little bit ago but recently its gotten really big in her eyes. She even asked if someday we could go see Hannah in concert? Some of her school supplies are covered with Hannah and High School Musical....although thankfully most of them are still Tinkerbell and Disney Princess. I hope she never looses the magic of the Disney Princess stuff....I think I would miss it being around.

Below you will find the pictures of the pages from my class that I taught at The Scrapbook Store on Monday night. Enjoy!!!

Summer with you my dear Gracie has not been a cake walk. You are so fun but you get bored so super easy, are always hungry and want to be outside even if it is a million degrees out or raining. I read other mothers blogs and talk with my friends and they all make it sound so fun and easy. How does that work? Right now you are watching Arthur but I feel a " I'm Bored" coming on as soon as this show is over. Thank goodness for Arthur, it atleast gives me time to think fo something for you to do. Cleaning your room ususally isn't a popular option but thats all I've got for today Kiddo. You can't even play in there or move for that matter becuase it such a disaster. I think you enjoyed making the mess though. Plus I said no friends over until it is clean. So get the baby clean and you can have your friends over every day!!!! I would give them all a warm welcome!!!!!!! I think maybe that little deal was more a punishment for me then you.

You are dong so much growing latly. More on an emotional level then physical. You still wear a size 4 or 5 and you are 6 years old. You still weigh around 32 pounds. Yet, you always want to eat? You are so stinkin' cute when it comes to the things you say.

Funny story......The other day we went to Kohls to look for some shorts for me. Some of the ones I tried on had a little ribbon as a belt. So I tied it into a bow.

You looked at me with disdain and said "Mom, don't do that."

I replied"Why....is it not cool to tie it in a bow?"

You then said"No, thats just not how I roll Mom."

I couldnt believe that my little 6 year old doesn't "Roll" that way. Where on earth did you get that?

The day after it happened I was hanging out with my little sister who just turned 21. As we proceeded to leave the house she said "Lets roll!"

A few hours later we are out and about and I overhear my sis on the phone with a friend and she says ".....yeah thats how I roll...."

Ah-ha! She gets it from my sister. Couple that with the fact that she loves her hot pink nail plish and repeatedly tells me she NEEDS a cell phone of her own. (As well as when I want to tell my hubby something and he is not available at work she hollers from the back seat of the minivan "Text him Mom.....then he can read it whenever") I believe she is 6 going on 21.

I can't text to save my soal.....it takes me like 5 min to write one sentence. I thought being almost

I don't want to forget....

The way Q talks at this age. It is so stinkin' cute! He tries so hard to communicate with us. Sometimes he just babbles with hand gestures modeling it after what he sees but there are plenty of times that he actually says words! Here are some of what he says at 17 months old

"ots" outside
"guuuue" Q
"mom" mom
"da-deee" daddy
"emmm" M also known as Melissa my little sis.
"Ke-ke" KK also know as Kayla my baby sis.
"Sis-sis" version A of sister
"sis-er" version B of sister
"nana" Nana, my mom
"Bop-pa" Bapa, my dad
"Baby" as clear as a bell
"bare-be" berry like a blue berry
"Pss" Grapes
" Hi-E" Hi
"Isshhh" Fish
"Peas" Please
"Stin-TE" Stinky
"Bub-ol" Bubble
"Wa-wer" Water
"Whoa, whoa" when he sees something amazing to him like fireworks or heavy rain
"Ooooooo" When he pours out water
"Cu-wer" Color
"ks" Keys- he loves my parents little key holder at their house.

I am sure there are a few more but I can't seem to remember them right now. I just love how he tires so hard to talk to us. So cute.

Summertime Photos! (Scrapbook Pages Coming Soon)
Gracie on her way to Girl Scout Camp! I never thought she would love it like she did. She was covered in bug bites and pink from the sun but still could not wait to go to camp each day. I don't think there was a single thing that she did not like.
She tired really hard to make ice cream in a ziplock bag. Let me tell you....it does not work. Gracie was one of the few girls in the unit that actually tried hard to get it made. Most of the time it was the 3 adults that were shaking it up!

Below are two pictures of my little sister and her boyfriend Aaron. He is home for only a few more days from Iraq. When he heads back he will be there for another 7 months. It sounds like a pretty dangerous mission that he will be going on when he gets back. So please keep him and his unit in your prayers. He said it will be at least a month at a time that he will not be able to talk to my sister so keep her in your prayers too. I think she is really nervous. I took these pictures so that they could have some pictures of each other while they are apart! In the second picture it is so obvious that she is able to be herself around him.

My little Q is such a basket case. :)
Gracie is such a little buisness woman this summer. She has a little lemonade stand that she made and intends to sell thoughout the summer to make $100! $50 for Disney and $50 for other fun stuff...like a Hannah Montana purse.
Check out how she spelled Lemonade....so stinkin' cute!
Fourth Of July Parade in Butler! They throw so much candy!!!
Q was sitting on the street just loving every minute of it!

And last but not least little Q on the peer at my aunts house on Lac La Bell in Oconomowoc. He was waving to the little ducklings swimming with their Mama.

Last night...

I went to the John Mayer concert! It was super awesome! I went with my little sister Melissa, her friend Ruthann and her boyfriend Aaron who is home from Iraq right now for a few weeks. We took some pictures at the concert last night with Aarons camera so as soon as I can get them from him I will post them. It was a great time and nice to meet Aaron for the first time.