Papa's Birthday!

If you wonder how we ever keep up with our house, laundry, yard, ect.....wonder no more!!! WE DON'T!!!! On the flip side though we feel extremely blessed to have all our immediate family so close and many friends who we love to be with! So yesterday after the walk we were able to go spend time with Jon's family to celebrate his dad's birthday.  That day also happens to be the day they got married and so it was an anniversary celebration of 33 years!!! We had a great meal and the girls always love to play with their Gran and Papa. Larry got out some medals that he recieved from the army along with his army shirt that displays many pins. The girls were very interested in them as Larry explained what each one stood for, the array of colors probably helped some!!!!

Happy Birthday Papa!!!!

It's always a joint effort on the blowing of candles!

Somebody loved the cake!!!

They have a routine with Larry, they lay down, he covers them with a blanket.....

.....and the tickle fest, squealing/laughing fest begins!!! and then they do it over and over and over!!!!

Emery talking on the phone with her "mamall" (or mamaw)!!!

Linda and Jon

Larry explaining what each pin stood for....

It fits like a glove!

Playing dress up with papa's shirt!

Susan G. Koman Walk

Yesterday was the Susan G. Koman walk and the girls and I were able to go walking with over 6000 other walker/runners (not counting all the kids, people on the sidelines, and vendors)!!! It was almost overwhelming, brought a couple tears to my eyes on and off throughout the afternoon. Jon and I have a friend Amy Piazza who is breast cancer survivor and has a team CODE PINK who we walked with! I also have a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 25 and is a mother of 2 beautiful girls and is currently in the hospital fighting for her life. So this walk was extra special this year to be able to help show our support to them and all the other woman fighting this beast! It was a beautiful day!!!

Before the walk started

My Great friend Sarah Treat!!!!

This is our friend (survivor) Amy Piazza!!!!

This girls in their shirts (that daddy made them) showing off their "fight off breast cancer" arms!!!

No posing here, just complete attitude!!!!

So sweet, we were singing the National Anthem and Kayden looked around seeing everyone with their hands over their hearts and she followed along!!!

Mike and Sarah before running the 5k!!!

Kayden and her Lukey!!

Emery Grae and Gracie Bleu

All the kids after the race, minus Lauren (but we had to keep her covered)

The Highfields

Kristi and Taylor, it was quite the sunny day!

Family Day at Auntie's House

We were all able to be together yesterday as a family (no one was working or out of town, Karlie was in town to visit) and so we were able to spend the afternoon together! It was lots of fun! We ate lunch, we visited, held and loved on the newest addition to our family, the girls played and played, we laughed, and took a few pictures! It was a fun day!

4 Generations of Estrogen together in 1 house!!!! Sorry to the 2 men.....

Mom trying to wake Lauren with a noise maker!!! Nothing can wake her....during the day!!!

Sweet little Lauren Elisabeth

Spider man (A.K.A. Kayden) saving the day.....with her violin as the weapon of choice!

Story time with Aummie

Kristi and her girls

Jon being serious and me not!!! 

We had a fun afternoon....

See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil!

Finally a serious one!

Taylor showing off her guitar skills.....she's sooo good!!

Auntie Karlie and her neices

Mom and her girls

Camping trip with DADDY!!!

I had to work last weekend and so Jon and a couple of his friends took the kids camping. It was somewhat of a backyard camping trip but still were in the woods. (Jon's friends sister and her husband have property in their backyard and they cleared out an area in the woods) The kids had sooooo much fun! Kayden and Emery were last to go to bed out of the bunch, I think Jon said 1130...ish!!! They roasted Hot dogs (and veggie dogs!!!), had smores, and had fun with some sparklers!!! I had my camera set on a funny setting so some of the pictures are a little blurry!

Fire

The gang.....Weston, Emery, Luke, Kayden, and Harley Regan

Daddy and Em

Campers

Relaxing by the campfire

Daddy and Kayden

Not quite the good sleep she gets in her own bed!

Always ready for a pose!

Morning picture!

Viewing Lauren Elisabeth's hospital pictures

If anyone is interested in seeing some pictures that the hospital took of my niece you can go to-  www.erlanger.org. Then click on nursery, then click the main Erlanger Campus (Baroness), then put in her B-day: 9/22/08, then click on Kristi Z., then the password is: 15482246322353 and put in the first 4 letters of her last name: zimm. They turned out so good!!!!

Lauren Elisabeth Smith arrived!!!!

Lauren Elisabeth Smith arrived today at 4:48pm!!! 6lbs8oz and 20 inches long! Kristi's water broke around 6:00pm yesterday evening and her Dr. let her stay at home until this morning because she was not having contractions or in any pain. She did great, hardly had to push!! Mom and I were able to be in the delivery with her, Will, and Taylor. We are so excited for yet another baby girl addition to the family! Taylor couldn't be a prouder big sister, not to mention her parents! Kayden and Emery came to the hospital this evening to visit her and Kayden appears to need a baby of her own!! Emery.....in true Emery fashion stared are her and went to find her aumie (my mom) to give her some love! She's been dethroned as the baby! Last night we were talking to her at bedtime about Lauren coming. Jon asked her if she was going to kiss her and she said...."NO"!!! Jon then said are you going to bite her......"YES"!!! Congrats to my sister, Will, and niece Taylor!! Here are a few pictures but there will be more to come!

Not amused with all the lights and fuss!

Big sister and little sister

First family photo!

She was sooooo alert once she could finally get her eyes open.

So I think our little Emery Grae is going to be quite the comedian! She keeps the whole family laughing and I had to share of few of her recent funnies!!!!

We were in the car traveling to Cape Hatteras for our family vacation and the girls were at each other's throats!! Jon and I had given several "that's it" warnings but nothing seemed to be working. While facing forward I stretched my arm to the back seat for a couple leg swats (in the nicest motherly lovingly way possible!!!! :) ). As my hand was up in the air Emery said..... "you give me high five mommy"???!!!! Of course we all burst out laughing. So on down the road we went and within a short time the cat fights started up again!!! This time I turned around and said "that's it..... everyone close your mouth and fold your hands now!!!!" They obeyed and within a few seconds Emery looks over to Kayden and says......"you talka Jesus first??" Out of trouble again!!!!

Then a couple days ago I was giving her a bath and she starting laughing, puts her hand over her bottom and says......"it burped!!"

Loving the laughs that the girls bring to my days! Sometimes it is what truely gets me through the frustrating days that child raising can bring!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Creative Discovery Museum

I took the girls to the Creative Discovery Museum today and they had a blast! They have a small outdoor section along with a "theme section" which right now is Clifford....the big red dog and they are huge fans of him!!!!

This is a pulley seat where they have to pull themselves up using the rope in front of them

Kayden trying out the bubbles

Emery trying out her hoola hoop skills!

Clifford and Emily.....they brought her flowers and wanted to pose with her!

Driving the CDM car

Digging for Dinosaur bones

Crawling through the cave to look at a snake.....ewwwww

Kayden looking at rocks through the microscope

Emery molding clay