State Fair

  On Friday, Ashlyn didn't have school.  We decided it would be a great day to make our yearly trip down to the state fair.  We could not have picked a better day to go.  It was opening day, so it wasn't crowded at all.  We usually get stuck going on the weekends when it is super busy, so it was so nice to go without all the crowds.  The weather was also perfect.  The fair is in Pueblo which can often get pretty hot.  Pueblo in August can usually be a very hot and not so nice experience.  This year, it was overcast and only in the 70s so it was great!
    We had a great time looking at all the 4H exhibits.  The kids saw some baby animals which they enjoyed.  Ashyln got to see some kittens and decided she would like one for Christmas.  They also had kangaroos and dingos to see.  We always have such a nice time at the fair and this year was no different.  Here are some pictures from our day:

Always our favorite part: looking at the decorated cakes

Ashlyn had to take her picture next to the Frozen cake

The kids got a kick out of the Lego exhibits

Playing in the bean box

   We happened to stumble across these Coke machines.  They were the neatest things in the world.  You were able to each print two Coke cans with your name on them.  We made one for my mom, and one for each of the kids.  They can't drink Coke, but still a cool memento.  

Posing with their cans

   Every year we pick one fried food to sample as a family.  This year, we let Ashlyn pick.  She chose fried cookie dough.  It was pretty good.  It really did taste like cookie dough.  I didn't get much of a taste because Dawson and Ashlyn quickly devoured it!

The fried cookie dough

Licking the powdered sugar

First bite

Yum!

All gone in a matter of minutes!!!

Dawson

   I have been wanting to write a post about Dawson.  I have written about Ashlyn a lot with school starting, etc and Graceyn and her monthly updates, but I feel like I haven't talked about Dawson enough recently.
    Dawson is our sweet boy.  He is such a joy to be around. He is one funny little boy too.  I swear at least once a day he says something that has Joey and I laughing.  Last week, we were all getting ready to go on a walk.  Dawson informed us, "I'm not going on the walk.  I'm staying here alllllllll by myself...with daddy".  Joey and I thought that was pretty funny.
     Dawson is such a boy.  It is amazing how different he is from his sisters.  He is into all things boy.  He still loves Thomas the Train, but his tastes seem to be growing up a bit.  He loves Transformers and Ninja Turtles.  His biggest new obsession, is Legos.  Joey had all of his old Legos from when he was a boy.  We moved them up to Dawson's room.  Dawson can spend hours just putting them together and taking them apart.  He seriously always has a Lego in his hand.  Not so much fun for me, as I am constantly picking them up around the house.  We have also been really  working with him on the importance of not leaving them out where his baby sister can get them. 
     Dawson is a smart little boy and every afternoon we work on his preschool workbook.  He is doing a great job of learning his letters, numbers, colors etc.  He is constantly surprising me with how much he knows.  He is an eager learned and is always very excited when I tell him it's time to do his school work. 
   Dawson is just a great kid to be around.  He is very laid back and does a great job of entertaining himself.  He's always playing some made-up Transformers game.  My sister and I always agree, that out of the five kids, he is the easiest to watch.  He is just a good, sweet little boy.  He does still have his typical three year old tantrum moments, but they are usually short lived and he does a great job of taking some alone time and apologizing without any prompting.
    I just love Dawson so very much.  He has been such a wonderful addition to our family.  With Dawson around, we literally never have a dull moment! 

My very handsome little boy

I told him to make silly faces, and this is what I got.  Too cute!!!

Graceyn at 5 Months Old

This picture does an excellent job of capturing our girl's sweet personality

  Our sweet, sweet little girl turned 5 months old this week!  I just can't believe she has already been here five whole months.  She is truly such a sweet and incredible little girl.  We all just love her to pieces.  She is such a happy girl and always just smiling away.  I think since she is the youngest, she is very laid back and does a great job of just going with the flow.  The only time we see her upset is when she is tired or hungry.
    Graceyn seemed to do a lot of growing up this past month.  She has become so mobile!  She loves to lay on her stomach and move around.  She manages to move different directions and I'm always amazed by how much she can move.  Ashlyn is working very hard on encouraging her to crawl by placing her favorite toys just out of her reach so she will grab them.  She's getting pretty good at it.  She rolls both ways now and is just a little rolling machine.  That girl sure loves to roll!  She also loves her toys. She's at the age and stage where everything goes into her mouth immediately.  She has also become so good at grabbing things.  I often have her on my lap when I'm eating and I have to make sure everything is pushed far away or she will grab it.
      Graceyn is growing like a champ.  She won't be officially weighed until her appointment next month, but I know she is growing like a weed.  She just loves to eat and eats like its her job.  She is showing some signs of being ready for solids, but we won't start those for another month at least.  I'm sure she will be a great eater with solids too!
     Sleep is still touch and go with Gracie.  She naps like a champ.  She takes two good naps at home in her crib each day.  She goes down so easily.  She will usually sleep for 1-2 hours.  Her night sleep is still a little touch and go.  On Saturday night, she went down around 8:30 and didn't wake up until 4:30.  I even woke up at 1:30  in a panic because she hadn't woken up.  Last night, she went down at 7:00 and was up at 11:30, 1:30, 4:30, 6:30.  Boy am I tired today! She is just not a consistent sleeper at all.  I know that she will become more consistent with time.
     Gracie is drooling like crazy, but still she has no teeth.  I keep feeling every day to see if a new tooth has popped up.  Still no teeth yet.  She loves to chew on things, so I'm thinking it will be soon.  I am really hoping teething doesn't bother her much like Ashlyn.
       Some of Graceyn's favorite things this month are: being sung to (especially "You Are My Sunshine"), reading books, her sister and brother talking and playing with her, her jumper, her swing, laying on the floor to play, any and all toys, reaching and grabbing for things, taking baths.
    Graceyn's dislikes this month: being tired, being hungry, when she is first strapped in her car seat, her sister being gone all day at school (the way Gracie looks and smiles at Ashlyn truly warms my heart).  
    We just love our baby girl to pieces and thank God every day for blessing us with her.  I took her usual monthly photo shoot.  They are becoming more challenging because she just wants to play with the props. 

She wanted that sign so badly!

She had to sample the sign.  The red mark on her face is from the nap she took right before the pictures. 

Exploring

On the move

Disney

   We are going to Disney World in a couple of weeks.  I honestly don't think we could be anymore excited about it.  This trip is really special because my entire family will be going.  There will be 12 of us going all together!  We are going to have such an amazing time and make some pretty incredible memories.  We started a count down calendar two months ago.  We have had a great time watching the chain get shorter and shorter.  Since our last trip, Disney had started a new program where you use special bracelets called magic bands to get into the parks, buy food, etc.  We have anxiously been awaiting for the arrival of our magic bands and yesterday they came.  I think we are even more excited now.  Now we just start the fun, yet time consuming process of getting ready and packed for our big trip.  I plan on taking a billion pictures as usual and writing detailed blog posts again. 

Our countdown chain is getting much smaller!!!

So excited to open the box

Look at that smile!!!

Ready to open

There are the bands.  They are so cool!  Ashlyn's isn't in the box because she will be staying in her grandparent's room so it was sent to their house. 

First Grade

  Yesterday was Ashlyn's first day of First grade.  I can't seem to get over how quickly time is passing by.  I hate it, but I really am cherishing each age and stage.  Ashlyn was very excited to start first grade.  She's still at the age where she is excited to go back to school and doesn't dread it.  First grade is going to be a big leap from kindergarten.  It's a lot more rigorous that's for sure.  I know she is going to absolutely excel. 
    Ashlyn has become a really, really good reader.  She blows me away with her reading skills.  I haven't formally tested her, but I know she's reading several grades above her grade level.  She loves books and loves to read.  She had a pretty thick children's bible that I have read to her cover to cover two times now.  She recently decided to read it for herself.  So every night, she reads a couple stories to me.  She amazes me with some of the difficult words she just reads without even a pause.  I know she is going to be an excellent reader because she is so fluent for her age and uses such good inflection when she reads.  For a 6 year old, she rocks as a reader! 
   She's a smart cookie and I know she will have another great year in school and amaze us with how much she learns and grows.  Her teacher seems great and she is at such a great school.  Her two best friends aren't in her class this year, but I know she will make some new friends without trouble.When she came home yesterday she said she had a good day, but I didn't get a lot out of her because she was so occupied at making up for lost time with Gracie.  They both missed each other.  She did inform me that first grade was going to be a lot of work.  She is going to work hard, but I know she will have a wonderful year!

Our first grader

Giving her brother a hug

So sweet

All ready for a great year

On the first day, her school has everyone meet out front where they do a short ceremony before going in. 

Ashlyn with her friends from last year

One last hug before going

Heading inside as a big first grader

There she goes

We let her celebrate a good first day with a milkshake made by dad. 

Last Week of Summer

   What a great summer vacation we had this year!  We packed in a lot of fun.  I definitely think the highlight of all summer was staying in the tree house.  It was such a nice, relaxing vacation that we are all still talking about.  We have had a great time and lots of adventures, but sadly it's time for Ashlyn to return to school.  We asked her what she wanted to do in her final week.  We managed to get a lot done.  She slept outside in a tent in the backyard, we went to the Parade of Homes, we went mini golfing, we ate lunch at two of her favorite lunch places, we went to the cabin for her final weekend, and had a special back to school dinner.  Whew!  Last week was a busy one!!!

Setting up the tent

They were so excited

Our little batman

Almost ready

They picked a great night.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous and they didn't get cold at all. 

Gracie couldn't sleep in the tent, but did try out the sleeping bag. 

Golfing

Dawson did a great job this time hitting the ball with the club.

This course has a teepee!

   We had yet another wonderful weekend at the cabin.  Growing up, my family had a different cabin that we spent a lot of time at.  One of my favorite memories of this cabin was a swing that hung from a huge tree branch.  We spent countless hours swinging on that swing.  My mom got a similar swing for the cabin for the kids to try.  This weekend, Joey and my dad finally figured out the best way to hang it.  The girls went crazy for the swing.  The boys didn't think too much of it yet.  Ashlyn and Ella were literally on that thing all weekend.  I think one day they will have similar fond memories of swinging at the cabin.  

First try at the swing.  We had to get creative in finding something to put against the tree in case someone got a little too close 

Our little daredevil

Ella swinging.  She insisted that Uncle Joey push her since he pushes the highest. 

Gracie having a great time

This week when I write her 5 month post I will update more, but look at this girl!  She always been really good at supporting her legs and standing, but now she like really wants to stand. 

She looks so big!

Cutest kitty girl in the world!

   We have made it a tradition to go to a local pizza place on the night before school starts.  I had the same tradition growing up and looked forward to it every year.  It's a neat pizza place with an 1800s theme and even had an arcade to play in.  Ashlyn was very excited to have her last summer break dinner there.  We had a great time.

The girls and I

Sweetest girls in the world!

Joey and Dawson playing pin ball

 Ashlyn and Auntie usually take a picture together in the photo booth.  This year it was broken, so they sat down and I took some pictures with my camera.