Susan's Birthday

Josh's cousin Susan has lived out of the area for several years and recently moved back, so we got to celebrate her birthday this year with everyone!  There are tons of kids all of a sudden... 3 babies in the last year!  

Landon likes to blow out everyone's birthday candles for them!  

Papa Steve got stuck holding his two newest grandkids!  

Illini

Our entire family made it to two Illini games this year.  With three small children, there is not much game watching to be had for mama, but it is a neat experience for the kids.  I have to say that by halftime, I'm ready to go home!  

At the second game, a huge storm rolled in.  And I got my wish to leave by halftime!

Aleah napping with a blanket on her head since mama forgot her sunhat!  

Cousins!

After the first game, you could use your football ticket to get into the volleyball game for free, so Josh took Hannah BACK to Champaign after we all got home for a daddy daughter date.  They had a great time!

Preschool

I decided somewhat last minute to enroll Jacob in preschool this year.  My initial thought in sending him was that it would allow me to go to staff meetings again since I haven't been since Aleah was born.  Last year I took Jacob with me while Hannah was at preschool, but I didn't want to try it with two kids!  As it turns out, I still have two kids on Wednesdays since I ended up watching Madelyn, so I'm not making meetings like I thought I would.  But Jacob is really enjoying preschool!

Jacob had absolutely no separation issues.  He ran into the classroom before I could even say good-bye.  But he's quite familiar with the church building, the teachers, and even some of the kids.  

He also is going to Thursday School again.  He has a new teacher, but also was not one bit shy about running into the classroom.  He really loves school!!!

Health & Safety Fair

One Saturday in September, Josh went to the Illini football game with his brother Jordan, so I took the three kids to the health and safety fair at The Village Mall.  I just had the itch to get out of the house!

The kids had a lot of fun.  And, Hannah got to take $10 of her birthday money to Claire's.  She had been thinking about getting her ears pierced for her birthday, but I think her Kindergarten shots convinced her otherwise.  She used her money to get some clip-on earring for now.  She also bought necklaces for Lily and Violet.  She said, "I can't let my friends down."  It was cute.  She had fun shopping the clearance rack and discovered that she could get about 10 things for the price of 1.  Budgeting 101 :)

Cousins

A big change in our lives has been having Madelyn with us all day while Aunt Emily is at work.  Aleah and Madelyn are only 12 weeks apart, so it's almost like having twins, at least during the day!  It took a week or two for us to find our rhythm, but I think everyone is setting in nicely now! 

I was thinking how funny it is that 5 months ago, I had two kids at home all day, every day, but it was Hannah and Jacob.  One day as I sent Hannah off to Kindergarten and Jacob off to preschool, I thought it was funny that I still have two kids at home; it's just a different two kids!  2014 is the year of change around here!

One night, we even got to keep Hazel while her parents left her for the first time for a date night! 

Praying that this is just the start of a close relationship between these two blond haired, blue eyed cousins!