Mike and Amber's Blog

The pictures of Van on the right were taken when he was just over 6-months-old. The pictures on the left are of Seph also just over 6-months-old. Same outfit and same toys but two very different, very wonderful, little boys.

This July 4th was a blast! We had a full day of activities and fun starting with a flag ceremony and pancake breakfast followed by a 4th of July Carnival complete with train rides and face painting and then a BBQ and pool party.

1st Photo: The carnival grounds. 2nd Photo: Van, Mike, and Lauren on the train. All Van wanted to do was ride the train over and over again.

1st Photo: Van and I got our faces painted. 2nd Photo: Lauren showing off her firecracker hand art. 3rd Photo: Yes, that is a fire juggler. He was super; he lit a chair, hula hoop, and juggling pins on fire!

1st Photo: This is Matthew showing off what has to be the coolest balloon animal ever. It is a fishing pole with a fish caught on the line. 2nd Photo: Van waiting in line with Matthew and Rachel to get balloon animals. He got a blue dog. 3rd Photo: Mike, Van, and Seph

1st Photo: Melissa, Van, and Rachel waiting in line for a ride. 2nd Photo: Ethan watching the fire juggler. 3rd Photo: My sweet little Seph trying to stay in the shade. It was easily 100*F outside.

1st Photo: Amber, Rachel, Van, and Seph on the train ...again. 2nd Photo: A great picture of the train ride.
1st Photo: We saw an Apache helicopter take off right in front of us! 2nd Photo: Pool party and BBQ in the Turner's new backyard. The pool was filled to the brink.

1st Photo: Everyone having fun and cooling off in the pool. 2nd Photo: Lining up for pool games.

1st Photo: This picture was just to prove that Seph and I were there. We did go swimming but unfortunately no pictures. I find that the person who takes the pictures is in very few themselves. 2nd Photo: Matthew in the middle of a water fight. 3rd Photo: Mike hanging out with Van in the pool.

1st Photo: Melissa and Lauren. 2nd Photo: Ethan, Lauren, Rachel, Van, and Mike diving for torpedoes.

We had a wonderful very busy day. By the time we got around to fireworks that night both boys were exhausted and needed to go to bed. Mike and I ended up watching them from our balcony that evening after Van and Seph were asleep. What a great way to end a great day.

My sister, Jena, celebrated her birthday on July 4th. We love you and wish you a very Happy Birthday!

Van loves to color. He will use pens, crayons, markers, and pencils to doodle on anything he can reach. He prefers markers though, most likely it is because they make the biggest mess. He also enjoys watching you draw, but only if he gets to tell you what to draw and it is always an airplane or a train.

This week was Michael's birthday. We celebrated with a homemade Cafe Rio dinner, chocolate lava birthday cake, and gifts. (Janet, thank you for the recipes.) Van loved the balloons, in fact, he loved them so much he popped many of them before Mike even got there. Van also helped blow out the birthday candle and unwrap presents, he is such a big helper.

Mike, I hope your special day was fun. The boys and I love you very much and we want you to know how grateful we are to have you. You are my best friend, a wonderful husband, and the world's best dad.

This weekend we went to cheer for Ethan, Rachel, and Matthew as they competed in a swim meet. Not only was it lots of fun, but they were AWESOME! They all won ribbons for their heats, their team won overall, and Ethan came in first in the breaststroke. They are incredible swimmers.

Van was super excited to be there and ran up and down like a crazy man the entire time. Short of jumping in the pool and swimming along with everyone else, he did everything he could from running the bleachers, shouting "Go, Go, Go!" with the crowds, climbing poles, and flirting with the swimmers. We thought all of that energy would tire him out but he refused to nap at all that day. Little stinker!

A great Esty Store is having a giveaway from now until July 10th. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on the site. Super simple, and you could win some awesome stuff. So check it out!

Seph turned 6-months-old; I can't believe how big he is already. Time is flying by.
He loves to be held in your lap and sung to.
He has an incredible smile with the sweetest dimple.
He can almost crawl. He scoots already but he is starting to use his knees and hips now. We will definitely have two mobile little boys in a few weeks.
He would rather drink a bottle than eat rice cereal.
He has brown eyes and red hair (well ... he has red eyebrows, he doesn't really have hair yet)
He is a little linebacker at 16.6 lbs.
He is the world's best baby night-time sleeper at an average of 9 hours a night.