Tubing and Swimming At Cave Run Lake

Before we left Morehead this last weekend, we spent the afternoon at Cave Run Lake tubing and swimming with Dan's brother and sister and their families. As usual, the girls had a blast!!! I think these pictures say it all. Dan said Emma was giggling the whole time!

Olivia and Madelyn ready for the big take off.

Grace and Abigail manning the tube.

The water was chilly!!!
Dan, Olivia, and Samantha

Emma was all smiles!

MSU Eagle Golf Outing

"The Whack"

"The Bang"

Grace must have had some good shots in a row because I overheard her cousins saying how good she was. I also heard her say, "Well, my uncle use to be a golf pro and I took some lessons from him." You should be proud uncle Drew!

Over the weekend, Morehead State held their big fundraiser, which is a golf outing. I actually played this year, which was the first time in 10 years (I've been a little busy having 3 kids, nursing, etc.) It was really a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to next year. At the dinner/auction on Friday night, I ran into the volleyball coach that recruited me to MSU. I hadn't seen him since my recruiting trip when I was a senior in high school!!! He hadn't changed a bit. After the scramble on Saturday, the kids came out and ate with us and hit balls on the range. Emma was hilarious! She had her plastic clubs and she would go up and whack at the ball a couple of times, get frustrated, start banging the ground with her club, throw the club and say, "I don't like this. I don't want to play this anymore." She would walk away and come back a little while later and the vicious cycle would start all over again. It was funny, but not. I was having flashbacks of playing with her dad earlier in the morning. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!

Summer Haircuts for Everyone!

Grace showing off her new "do". She got the most cut off (7 or 8 inches)! She looks cute, and so grown up! I thought she was suppose to stay my baby forever?

Grace's Piano Recital

Here are a few still shots from Grace's piano recital. She played "We're Off to See the Wizard", and "If I Only Had a Brain" (She really likes the Wizard of Oz.) These are also the last pictures I have of her with her long hair.

She did it!!!

Emma was a totally different kid at her swim lesson last night. Her real teacher was there, who happens to be a girl. Needless to say, Emma was thrilled to have Monica! She went from crying the whole time to jumping in all by herself without a life jacket, going down the slide, and even swimming around all by herself while holding onto a noodle. She is a real fish! She had a smile plastered on her face the whole time. After her class, she was going potty, and she said, "Mommy, did you see me? That girl is here." I said, "I did see and you are doing great, but you would be fine with Josh, too." She said, "Yeah, but I'm so glad that girl is here." She cracks me up! Watch out Grammy and Papa because you have 3 fish, or should I say sharks, coming to visit in a couple of weeks!!! We can't wait!!!!!

This is just a short video because I ran out of room on the camera. Sorry about the quality, too, but I was on the other side of the glass window! Yeah!!!!

Emma's 1st Swimming Lesson

Well, all three of the girs started swimming lessons Tuesday night. Grace and Olivia are vetrans, but this was Emma's very first lesson. She was so excited to be like the "big girls" that she was in the van and buckled in 10 minutes before we had to leave. I just wish her enthusiasm would have lasted throughout her whole lesson. We had prepared her for what the lesson would entail, plus she had sat through many swimming lesson watching Grace and Olivia. We told her that she would go in and sit on the edge of the pool and listen to her teacher and don't forget to wave to mommy and daddy (that's always the cutest part). When they opened the door and called her name, she walked right in and half way down the pool deck. I had to call her back and told her to wait until her teacher was ready to go in. It was at this moment that she realized that her teachers were 2 big college men. She immediately burst into tears, "I want my mommy!" The aquatics director (who is a female) kindly took her hand and walked her down the pool deck and sat her down on the side of the pool. At this point she wasn't crying, but she looked scared to death. When it was her turn to get into the pool, she again began sobbing, "I want my mommy!" I was frantically waving on the other side of the glass, thinking that if I just could get her attention and give her the "thumbs up" sign, everything would be O.K., but she was too upset and wouldn't look over at me. Dan finallly said, "Just go in and comfort her-she's killing me." I went around into the pool area (with 2 other mothers who were doing the same thing), and leaned over and told her that she was O.K. and she needed to be a big girl and stop crying. I also told her teacher to just put her in the water. She sat through the entire class, crying on and off on the side of the pool, "Hold me mommy", but I just ignored her pleas for help and kept pushing her along. I felt like the meanest mom in the world, and even worst when the other 2 moms let their crying kids get out of the water and leave (no, reallly in my heart, I know that I was doing the right thing). After the class, I apologized to the teacher and told him that Emma was so excited about class and she loves to swim, in fact, she jumps in all by herself and swims all over outside in the big pool. He said, "I know. I have seen her. She's the smallest kid out there that can jump in by herself. She's just afriad of me because I'm a man. It's common with kids her age." In the locker room, I told Emma that she can't cry on Thursday because she has to take swimming lessons in order to swim in Grammy and Papa's pool-that's the rule. She was listening intently. I asked, "Are you afraid of the water?" "No." "Then tell mommy what you are afraid of so I try and make it better for you." She burst into tears and said, "I'm afraid of the boys, but I want to swim in Grammy and Papa's pool." We all talked to her and tried to pump her up. Her regular babysitter's daughter works at the YMCA, so we told her that the boys were friends of Miss Shannon's and that she told them to be nice to Emma and that they are really funny. She started to laugh when we told her this. We'll see if it works! I'll keep you posted after we go back tonight for round two!!!!

Cute pictures from the Zoo

We took a trip to the zoo a couple of weeks ago and I forgot to post these pictures. It was a "zoo" at the zoo that day, because it was the last day for zoo babies at the Cincinnati zoo. It was fun, though. We rode the train, and, of course, got ice cream, which Emma thoroughly enjoyed, right down to the last drip!! The funny part was, with all those people there that day, we were crossing the very crowded parking lot, and we hear, "Grace!" Grace's best friend Malerie and her family were there as well, so Grace ended up walking around with them. That's why she isn't in any of the pictures.

Dance Recital

The same weekend as Emma's birthday, Grace and Olivia had their dance recital. On Saturday they had rehearsal and on Sunday afternoon was the loooong recital---4 hours! They were beautiful and did a great job! Emma fell asleep, but amazingly was awake at just the right time to see her sisters dance. Afterwards we all went out for dinner to celebrate another successful school year and a great recital. Way to go girls! We are very proud of you!!!

Emma Turns 3 (or "Free", as she says)

Emma turned 3 on May 30th. I can't believe my baby is 3 already!!! She had an Elmo party, complete with an Elmo cake, plates, party hats, and even a giant Elmo balloon. Grammy and Papa were here to share her special day with her. We took her out for her birthday to IHOP and they brought her ice cream for breakfast!!! She was so embarrassed when all the servers sang to her. Grammy and Papa took the girls to the waterpark in the afternoon and they had a blast!!!! For dinner we had pizza at Emma's request. I was a great 3rd birthday!!!!!!

Dress up!

One night when I was getting dinner ready, Olivia and Emma were playing. Olivia decided to write a play about a chicken and a lamb. They both put on these costumes while they were acting out the play--too cute and too funny since Olivia's costume she had on was meant for a 3 year old!!!!

Patriotic Grace

Grace and her friend Malerie sang in the school's variety show. We were very proud of them for getting up and singing in front of about 150 parents. Plus, the day before they performed in front of the entire school and staff- over 600 people! Way to go girls!!

A trip to Point Pleasant, Ohio

I know I'm behind again on my blogs, but I'm going to post a few and try to catch you all up on the "Hamilton Happening". Over Mother's Day weekend, we went to Morehead to see Dan's mom and we stopped in Point Pleasant, Ohio. You might miss it if you blink, but it is the birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant. Grace did a report on Grant in first grade and always wants to stop and visit his birthplace. It's only open from April through Oct., and we just never seem to have the time to stop, but I'm glad we did. Grace was so excited. When Dan stopped to turn around and told her what we were doing, she squealed and said, "Yes! I've always wanted to stop there!" It was very interesting and educational (I highly recommed it if you are ever in Point Pleasant--doubt it!!!!) A lady from the historical society gives a little talk and everthing!