Who doesn't need a cute magnet board???

Here is another super cute craft giveaway form one of my favorite blogs, Beneath My Heart! It's a burlap magnet board that I really want to win and you could have a chance too. Head over there, her link is http://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com Such cute stuff!

Is it an Owl????

Starting this past Monday, Beau, Jack, and I are participating in Toddle Time at the library. It is just 40 mins or so of puzzles, stories, songs, and crafts but it is BIG time to Beau. He keeps saying to me, his siblings and daddy that he went to "library school." He just wants to be like his big brothers who go to pre-school....too cute. So anyway, the theme on Monday was owls. We had owl puppets, owl story books and even made a cute little owl mask that we played a game with. The kids would put it over their face and then say "Who, Who am I?" To which Jack would squeal, "It's me, Jack!" Well, after it was over, we were walking outside, heading to the van when Jack turned around with his mask and asked, "Mom, what do I with this coyote thing anyway?"-yeah-I think he's learning!!!!! Can't wait till next week:)

Dolan Lake

The gorgeous reflective view from our spot

playing horseshoes...or as Vann would say, "Let's play shoe horses Mom"

Morgan(whose last name happened to also be Rose), Maggie, and our cousin, Emily

Peek-a-boo says Jack

Brian taking the boys for a spin in the canoe

Vann

Jack

Beau (sportin a smashed up head of hair from his carseat nap)

Katie and Maggie

This is the view of our canoe from the passenger seat of the van while we were scoping out so. illinois stores for a lawn chair.....no chairs to be found

**Disclaimer-It seems every time I want to put my pictures in order they always come out backwards-I wish that these pics would be in the complete opposite order as they appear. There-at least I feel better:)

This past weekend was wonderful. I think it was, in part, because we were glad to have Brian back home. He has travelled a couple weeks this past month and we have all missed him. On Saturday, the troops went up to the soccer field for another "on the edge of you seat" game. Who knew that 7 & 8 yr olds could have you shouting, whooping and hollering.....what in the world is high school sports gonna be like. They tied the game 2-2, leaving their little Jr record to 2 wins and 2 ties. On Sunday,after church, we loaded up the van and went to Dolan Lake in southern Illinois. And when I say loaded...I mean LOADED!!! We had a canoe on top of the van and a trailer behind it full of bikes, scooters, paddles, and various sporting equipment. When we were unloading we were cracking up at the enormous amount of things we brought. We just wanted to be prepared for 5 little people to do every activity that they would ever care to do. Brian's aunt and uncle also came over, to our delightful surprise, with their kids. We built a fire and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and relaxed like we haven't' done in sooo long!

Soccer