Splish Splash!

We have been having a great summer so far. We've been taking advantage of the hot weather by spending lots of time in the water. Caleb absolutely loves going to the pool, and to the local splashpad. He even enjoys just splashing around in our tiny little kiddie pool!

It has been especially great to have friends to enjoy these things with. Caleb loves to play with all of his friends, and talks a lot about them when we are home. And of course, it is a blessing for me to be good friends with his friends' mommies!

Here are a few photos we've taken over the past week or so....

At the splashpad....




At the pool...
While I have yet to get pictures of him in the pool, we just had to get these photos of him eating his first ice cream cone. I actually didn't have my camera with, but thankfully, Grandma (who Caleb now refers to as "Gamma" or "Maga") had her iphone on her so we could snap these!


In our front yard...


This was taken just as he was saying "pash Mommy!" ("splash Mommy!")


After he "pashed Mommy!" Hilarious. =)

32 Weeks

Baby Girl is approximately 4 pounds, 10 ounces. An ultrasound this morning prompted our doctor to say "she looks just like Caleb!" From what we could see, she does indeed have some cheeks on her! As each week goes on, I get more and more excited to meet her...although, I am very much okay with her growing inside for a while longer!

Still feeling good, for the most part. I continue to get bigger and slower, which I guess is how it goes. =) My eczema is getting worse, which makes me quite uncomfortably itchy....and I have some other issues that I'll refrain from sharing on this public blog, but other than these minor things, I'm doing well!

Here's my 32 week belly shot (please ignore the sunburn!)...
....less than 2 months to go!!

Father's Day

I am so very thankful to have a husband who is such a great Dad. Caleb absolutely adores Kris, and Kris absolutely adores Caleb. It is quite wonderful!

Caleb loves the special times that he has with Daddy throughout the day....shooting hoops, doing puzzles, reading books before bedtime, among many others. They have such a special relationship, and I love it.

We had a fun day today in Roscoe, and Kris got to golf with my Dad and brother. We grilled out and relaxed....it was a great day!

Breakfast...banana nut pancakes and bacon...
(bad timing on my end when I asked Caleb to say "cheese"...he had just stuffed pancake into his mouth!)


Daddy and Caleb
(now that he has no pancake in his mouth, he doesn't want to say "cheese"...figures!)


Hugs...


Caleb's present to Daddy...
...a beautiful one-of-a-kind watercolor painting for his office! (Aunt Deb, are you proud?)


Just because we didn't go golfing with Daddy, doesn't mean that we can't have fun, too...






"Hi-Five, Mommy!"


Happy Father's Day, Kris....we love you!

Johnson Family Reunion - Dayton, OH

Last Thursday, we set out on a little road trip to Ohio for a Johnson Family reunion. We got back just this afternoon. We had a wonderful time being together with everyone. I especially appreciated meeting some family members that I hadn't yet met. And of course, it was great to see Mom and Dad Johnson again.

The Whole Gang
(minus Uncle Alan, and a whole lot of cousins!)

L-R: Cousin TJ and his wife Kate, Uncle Randy and Aunt Loeta, Heidi, Cousin Charlie, Mom and Dad Johnson, us, Aunt Nancy and Uncle Darrel, Aunt Jerin, Aunt Janet, Aunt Lila and Uncle Glen (in front)

It was a very special and relaxing trip. Our hosts, Aunt Loeta and Uncle Randy made sure we were all well cared for...and very well fed!

Caleb did a great job....he did great in the car going there and coming back, and he did great while we were there. He adapted well to an altered time zone, lots of new faces, and a new home for the weekend. He was especially fond of TJ's and Kate's dog, Pippin. He said "hi, puppy" about 5,000 times in a matter of 4 days! That might be an exaggeration....but, seriously, he said it a lot!

Lots of photos were taken over the weekend...here are some more...


**Remember, if you want to see the slideshow in a larger format, just click on it!**

Another Zoo Visit

We made a last minute decision to spend the morning at Brookfield Zoo with my friend Catherine, and her little one, Ava. Catherine and I used to work together, and were pregnant together, as well! Ava is just 6 weeks older than Caleb!

I didn't get too many pictures of any animals, but here are a few shots from the morning...

30 Weeks

10 weeks to go!

We had a doctor's appointment again today. I am now at the point where they see me every 2 weeks. Just a "regular" checkup today. Everything is still looking good, praise God!

This little one is quite active. It is fun to feel her move throughout the day. Her most significant "wake times" seem to be first thing in the morning (not a bad thing to wake up to), early afternoon (after lunch) and later on in the evening, after dinner. She kicks and she flips, and sometimes has the hiccups. It is so great to feel and see her move around!

Here is my 30 week belly shot...


My Aunt Deb came on Friday to paint the baby's room. She did a fantastic job!

It is definitely pink.

And definitely girly.

I couldn't help myself. =) I love it!

Caleb has been very cute about the room transformation. Although he has been in his big boy room for a while now, I wasn't sure how he would feel about us painting over his "geen" (green) walls and taking down all of his "anmals" (animals). But, he seems just fine! He loves to go into the "mink" (pink) room and say "baby's" while pointing to different things in there. He is going to be such a sweet big brother.

We do still have some finishing touches to add (ie: hanging the letters of her name on the wall..that is, if we ever decide on a name!), but here's a photo so you can get an idea of what it looks like...

License to Drive

Check out my new wheels! I am really good at driving in reverse, but am still getting the hang of driving forward. Daddy just hopes that I become a better driver than Mommy. =)







Oh, and I am getting really good at blowing bubbles, too!

Bittersweet

As the school year is coming to a close, it has been fun to look back through photos of my entire teaching career. While I am very very very very excited to be staying home full-time with Caleb and our little girl, I am definitely going to miss the teaching profession. For sure it will be a change to not work outside of the home, but a change I am so ready for!

I have been very blessed, over the past 8 years, to have had the privilege to work with some amazing people, and to teach some very amazing kids. Other than being a mom, I can't imagine any greater job!

I spent my first 6 years in the classroom, and the most recent two years as a resource teacher, working park-time.

Just for fun (and some nostalgia) I have included photos of the 6 classes I have had the opportunity to teach.

2001-2002 - 4th Grade, Golfview Elementary School (Carpentersville, IL)


2002-2003 - 4th Grade, Golfview Elementary School (Carpentersville, IL)


2003-2004 - 6th Grade, Enders-Salk Elementary School (Schaumburg, IL)


2004-2005 - 6th Grade, Enders-Salk Elementary School (Schaumburg, IL)


2005-2006 - 6th Grade, Enders-Salk Elementary School (Schaumburg, IL)


2006-2007 - 5th Grade, Enders-Salk Elementary School (Schaumburg, IL)

More Zoo Pictures

Here are some more photos from the zoo that my dad sent us....
(see below for original zoo post).