{father's day}

i was totally stoked this year to give jake a great father's day.  that quickly went away when jake had to work on father's day the entire day and then he told me he didn't want me to get him anything he was just going to get the boys a trampoline.  what!!!  i had done all sorts of research on ladders and was planning getting him a great one. he had talked about sealing up some cracks that are forming in the stone on our house this summer.  it was going to be a perfect gift.  but no, jake got the boys a tramp.  i guess i can't be too bummed out because now we have something fun for the boys to play with outside other than bikes.

we have been out almost every day playing with the sprinkler under the tramp.  a kid favorite.  ike just gets to watch and learn. 

i can't even stand it how cute ike is!  

can you believe how skinny luke is?  those board shorts are 18-24 month.  freak!!! he doesn't even have a proper butt crack.  there's no butt.

luke is always guaranteed a good tantrum or two during our fun.

ike still chilling watching his brothers.

and hasn't stopped chewing his hand.

we have loved the trampoline so far.  no major injuries to report as of yet.  i'm sure there will be some in the future.  thanks daddy for giving the boys a gift that keeps on giving.  anyone want to come visit now? 

{tee ball}

now that soccer is over nolan needed some other sport to keep him busy.  we signed him up for tee ball and the season is in full swing.  we thought nolan would love baseball but he really doesn't like it at all.  we're hoping by the end of the season he will like it.  

he already had his first game.  i loved seeing him in his little hat and glove.  he is such a stud.  

nolan had a great first hit. ok, not really. he hit the tee but his second hit was great.  i didn't get a picture because the coach moved over and blocked out nolan.

he kind of meandered to first base.  i think he was more concerned about keeping his huge helmet on than getting to first base.

after batting nolan was placed as shortstop.  don't let this picture fool you.  he wasn't catching a ground ball his was grabbing the dirt with his glove and throwing it in the air the entire time.  he had no clue what was going on.  makes me laugh.

not a clue that someone was running right past him.  

even though nolan really doesn't like tee ball we are still making him play it.  i think it's mainly because he is so shy and doesn't feel confident in the sport.  we have been working with him on catching and throwing and batting.  i think he will feel better about it soon.  jake and i are firm believers in getting your kids out there and making them do things they don't always love.  regardless of his constant fighting me on going to practice he looks pretty cute in his shirt and hat.

{little buddies}

we have some little besties in the house.  ikers is in love with nolan.  he follows him with his eyes around the room.  he smiles every time nolan sits by him. they have a really cute bond that i love watching.

nolan likes to hold him a little too much.

ikers is getting so big!  i can't stand it.  it makes me sad how fast it has been going. he had his 4 month check up forever ago.  he was 75% for height and 65% for weight.  he is our biggest baby.  at least i didn't gain all that weight during pregnancy for nothing. 

this angel baby makes everything a little better in our home.  he is so sweet and loves his brothers.  he is grabbing things and holding them.  sucking on anything he can get his hands on. rolls over both ways, but not all the time.  he gets stuck under things all the time because he pushes his legs, when he is on his back, to get places.  he is a champ in the door bouncer and will bounce in it for hours.  really nice when i have to get things done around the house.  he is a drool monkey!  i have to say he is as bad as nolan was.  i'm guessing he will be getting some teeth soon.  there are probably so many things about ike that i need to document but i'm so tired that this is all that i'm going to do for now.

{friends}

a few weeks ago we had some friends over for smores and to just hang out.  it was so great because the parents get to socialize and the kids just play with each other.  after we had finished up keelie and i went inside to get her kids and walked in to all four of them snuggled on our sofa watching a movie.  it was the cutest thing ever! they all have their arms around each other.  couldn't pass up on a picture moment.  love these kids.

{preschool}

has it really been a year since nolan started preschool.  it went by so fast.  nolan had the best teachers ever!!!  we loved salem lutheran preschool.  

the day before graduation they had a huge water party.  here is nolan with miss lynn and miss pam.  these ladies are so amazing.  i think nolan is going to miss them.

lukie was so excited to hang out with the big kids.  he went right to the pool and decided it was a good idea to sit right by the slide and get splashed by the cold water.  what a geek.

nolan went right to the bikes, of course.

cute little lukie kept going down the slide in to the pool over and over, freezing the whole time.  i think if he could gain some weight he wouldn't be cold all the time.

 the next night was the actual graduation.  nolan's picture he made is on the top right.  

it was pretty cute, they had the graduation music playing as they all walked in.  miss lynn took the time to have each child stand and say something special about the kid.  miss lynn said that nolan is so sweet and is so good at serving others that he is going to grow up to be a missionary in a foreign field. interesting.  let's hope he chooses to serve a mission. that would be pretty cool.

and here is the cutest preschool graduate ever!  i can't believe how handsome he is.  i was pretty bummed out because my camera battery died right after this picture so i wasn't able to get anything more of the night.  however, jake and i are so proud of nolan for all that he has accomplished this past year.  he has really grown up and learned so much.  he is totally ready for kindergarten.  i, however, am not.

{soccer}

nolan had his first soccer season. he was on a league called the "mighty mights."  it was a great success for nolan.  he is so shy and apprehensive when he is around people he doesn't know.  we are trying to break him of this by getting him involved in sports.  

this is how he is before every game.  we literally have to push him out onto the field.

go #8!

nolan did the kick-off a few times this season.  he was the strongest kicker on the team but we only got to see that when he did the kick-off or the goal kick.  

nolan pretty much just ran around at the end of the pack the whole game.  when the ball would get going he would wait for all the kids to start running before he went after the ball.  it was extremely frustrating for me and jake to watch how timid he was. 

we did manage to have a huge breakthrough the very last game of the season.  he kicked the ball!!!!  just once, but we'll take it.  i think he is just learning and understanding the game.  hopefully in the fall he will really get some aggression and be as amazing as he is with us.  

nolan's favorite part of each game was the very end when they slapped hands with the other team.  he was always smiling.

i am so proud of my nolan boy for getting out of his comfort zone.  he is so shy.  it was so fun to go to his games and cheer him on.  i can't wait for all the future games i will get to attend.

{da boys}

these goobers crack me up.  they surprise me all the time with their funny comments and crazy ideas. i'm so lucky to be their mama.

and this little champ has started eating rice cereal and is horrible at it.  but that's ok because he is too cute and chunky so it doesn't matter.  

look at those cheeks and extra skin around his neck.  i think it's safe to say he is doing just fine. we love this chunky monkey so much. 

{dudley's}

any chance we get to be with jake, we take full advantage.  he had a day off so we decided that night to take a stroll to the neighborhood ice cream joint, dudley's.  it is soooo good and so much fun to be with my boys.  i can't help but be a bit jealous of how much they love their dad.