Summer Time=Pool Time

Since the pool has been in, we've spent lots of time catching up on our rays and swimming time. A lot has been done since the last pool pictures were posted and now all Dad is waiting for is to put the fence in and get some landscaping done! Not to mention he also got a spa/hot tub/jacuzzi (whatever you may call it) and its been delivered and hooked up near the back patio where a gate will be put in. So....this is basically the reason there hasn't been many posts since the 4th! We're always at Mom and Dad's! I'm sure they love it and I know we absolutely do. Every day when Emaline gets up she says, "Mom, going to Pepere's pool?". Good thing the little lady loves the water.

Happy Birthday Memere!

Here is a little happy birthday message for my grandmother, Memere. Her actual birthday was Monday and she is 82 years young! It was so great having her here for my dad's birthday celebration and having her spend time with the new little ones. Can't wait to see you again Memere!

She even won the big pot at bingo last weekend, $180! I told her it was her special birthday winnings...way to go Memere! I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Wish we were there to celebrate with you.

Fourth of July 2008

I was a very bad mother this Fourth and didn't take ANY pictures of our family! I must admit that I was under the weather though, with a terrible head/chest cold thanks to my lovely husband. It was a pretty low-key holiday weekend for The Littles. Emaline and I were supposed to go to a party at our friends Conor and Tricia's place, but I just couldn't muster up the energy. Josh had to work anyways, so we ended up going over to my parents' house (really so they could play with Emaline while I slept or vegged on the couch ;-) and BBQ'd. Then, luckily for my little lady we all got into the car and drove over to Chesterfield Mall to watch some fireworks. I wasn't exactly sure how Emaline was going to react, but I figured, she might as well get used to them, right? I even bought her her own little red folding chair to sit and eat her snacks while watching the light show. She did really well and danced in the parking lot in front of our chairs and loved every minute of other people paying attention to her. When the first fireworks went off, she was a little leery and came to sit on Mama's lap, but she quickly turned around and reveled in this essential part of our country's Independence Day.

Then, the rest of the weekend was spent at home, not doing ANYTHING. I even called in sick to work on Sunday. Thankfully, I'm getting back to normal and ready for this confounded pool to be completely finished so I can start on my laps...

Dad's 60th Birthday Bash

We had a great day for Dad's 60th Party. It was perfect weather for eatin', drinkin' and spending some time together. Unfortunately, the pool was no where near done, so it turned out to be his "big hole in the ground" party. But we had a good time anyways! The family all came out from California to make it an awesome celebration. We set up a tent with tables and chairs out back by the patio and Dad grilled himself. He said he didn't want anything fancy, just family and friends by his side! We played washers (I'm learning to be very good at this game) and also indulged in a few games on the Wii. That really was hilarious, its such a good time when you've got four players whacking the tennis ball around or out driving one another on Mario Kart.

After the party died down and most went home, we had an outdoor movie on the patio. Dad really does have a sweet set up out back. He bought an LCD projector awhile ago for the business and hooked it up to the DVD player and speakers outside. There is a big wall out there where he put his movie screen and he even has a popcorn machine in the sun room! You can't beat comfortable seating and fresh popcorn for a movie. We ended up watching 'Jumper' with Hayden Christiansen. It was fast pasted and action packed, but the ending was a little up in the air. Anyways, I hope Dad had a great day and week spent with the family! Here are a few more pictures:

Dad's 60th Birthday Weekend: Baseball Game, Cards v. Royals

The festivities for my dad's birthday started with a day at Busch Stadium watching the poor Cardinals get beaten by the KC Royals. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, but we did have a great time. The whole family and some good friends all got to sit in Big Mac Land (we got free bags!) and enjoy the beautiful day. This was Emaline's first trip to the stadium and she did a great job, even sat down quietly and watched the game for about 5 minutes....no, she did really well and was pretty entertained by the excitement of a major league baseball game. I can't wait to take her again. Here are some more pics of the day!

Father's Day

Father's Day was pretty low key for The Littles this year, due to the fact that both Josh and I had to work that day! So nothing too exciting...but Daddy did get some sweet outdoor solar lights that look really great. Gotta love Sam's Auctions! Thanks to my Dad for the tip...Emaline got her daddy a frame that says, "BEST DAD" on in with this picture of them in it. I must say that Josh has come a long way from last year and he just keeps getting better. I know he thinks he doesn't do much, but believe me he does exactly what he should be doing. Especially these days when Em likes to get up at 4am, he is already usually awake if he's home, so he jumps right up to go settle her down. We love you Daddy! You do an absolutely fantastic job...

As for my Dad, I couldn't be the person I am today without him. Thank you for everything you do for me. I only hope that I can be as great as a parent to my children as you have been to us.

Thanks also to Gary, Josh's dad, for being there for us always when we need him. He works hard for his family and Josh and I know that and respect him for it. We really do have great parents.

STL Down Syndrome Assoc. Buddy Walk 2008 at Forest Park

Emaline and I went out to Forest Park on Sunday, June 8th with our friends Sara and her daughter Josie to support our friend Maggie's daughter Katie. All the kiddos were there from this group of friends and we had a great time walking around The Muny in the hot, hot weather! There were lots of bottles of water and much sunscreen involved, but it was well worth it for this great cause. Em and I both got t-shirts and hung out a little afterwards to grab some food and hang with the other kids. When they are all together, it really is hilarious. Everyone also got to experience getting their picture on a real firetruck too! Even me! It was a really great event and I'm glad that we got to participate. Looking forward to next year!!

"I'm doin' my laps Dad!"

As most of you that read this know, my parents have decided to put in a pool in their backyard. Here were the very properous and encouraging photos of the construction when the company started way back during the week of May 12th. Everything was going well until the monsoon rains started and delayed progress over and over again. So...after waiting days and days for the rain to let up and get the gas and electrician guys to do their work, the pool ended up cracking from all the hydrostatic pressure (at least that's what I'm told). Now they are waiting for a new pool to come from San Antonio, where the supplier is. Considering this was the main focus of my father's 60th birthday bash, everyone is really bummed out. So, keep your fingers crossed that the pool gets here and the company doing the work can get the concrete poured and done before June 21st. I know its a stretch, but we'll see what happens.

Here are a few more pictures of the inital construction:

This is what happened when all the rain came:

My Child is a Genius

Just from looking at these fantastic pictures, I can tell Emaline is going to be a smarty pants. I mean, she already counts to 10 (in her own language...) and likes to shout out random letters. I bet by next week she'll be able discuss quantum physics with her daddy.

Memorial Day at The Ahmads!

We spent a fun Memorial Day Saturday with my sister and her in-laws for their annual BBQ. It usually takes place during Fourth of July weekend, but Adham's sister was in town, so we all got together earlier! It was a rough day, considering that we had all forms of weather. It was rainy and cold in the morning and later into the afternoon, the sun came out and was nice and warm. Emaline had some serious fun with the older kids outside while they kicked the soccer ball around. Its so funny to see her trying to do things the other kids are doing. She's so independent! Imagining what she'll be like when she gets older makes me kinda wince...

Overall, it was a really nice day and we got to spend time with Kaya as well. She was even smiling for the cameras! Adham did a great job grilling, with a little help from our dad :-). Here are a few more pictures of us, unfortunately mainly inside: