McGowan Family

Kate's 1st Fishing Trip

2011-09-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

When we asked Kate what she wanted to do for her birthday, she replied that she wanted to go fishing! Zach and Matt were thrilled! Here's a few pictures of the day...Matt and Kate were the only ones who were lucky with catching fish! Zach caught a shoe! They all had a great time!

4th of July

2011-09-14T03:08:00.000-07:00

I know that these last few posts are not in order...I'm just trying to catch up! :) For the 4th, we went to Uncle Joe's and Aunt Selena's annual party and had a great time! The kids love swimming there and love playing with their cousins! Zach loves the fireworks (which makes my Uncle Joe VERY proud) and Kate still covers her ears and is not exactly thrilled with them! At any rate, it's a great time!

Zach's New Pet

2011-09-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

For Zach's birthday this year, he wanted a Gecko lizard! He named him Spike! Both kids love this lizard! For the record, we now have: 2 dogs, 3 gold fish (who are like 4 years old!!!), and now a lizard. We have our own mini zoo over here!!! Kate and Zach are both trying to talk us into getting a cat...pretty sure that's NOT happening!

Zach's 1st day of 3rd Grade!!!

2011-09-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's hard to imagine that Zach is already in 3rd grade. For some reason, that just seems impossible!

The pool!

2011-09-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

We got a pool this summer for the kids...they LOVED it! We spent many afternoons and evenings out in the back yard!

Random Summer pictures

2011-09-07T03:45:00.001-07:00

Zach and baseball this summer!

2011-09-07T03:33:00.001-07:00

Sarah's Wedding

2011-09-07T03:29:00.001-07:00

Sarah Noppe got married!!! Here are a few pictures from her reception!

More Fall Pictures

2010-10-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

New Fall Pics

2010-10-25T10:48:00.001-07:00

Our friend Annie took some fabulous new pictures of us a few weeks ago out at Franklin Park in Bloomington! Enjoy!

More Trail Pictures

2010-10-24T19:22:00.001-07:00

Non-Haunted Trail

2010-10-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

We went to the Non-Haunted trail on Friday night! It was a great night since it was still pretty warm out and coats weren't necessary! The kids had a great time dressing up and going through the trail!

Zach's Last Soccer Game...against Riley!

2010-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

This was Zach's first season playing soccer! He loved it! Zach's best friend, Riley, was on another team and they actually ended up playing against each other for their last game! Zach had a fun season and really enjoyed learning the sport...even if they pretty much played defense for 99% of the game!

Go Bears!!!

2010-10-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Back to School

2010-10-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, these pictures are of Zach from his first day of school! I thought I'd update the blog! Zach is now in second grade and is loving it! He's having a successful year and likes the fact that he's upstairs at school now! Kate had to join in on the fun as well! She couldn't let her brother have the spotlight for too long!

Playtime with Jules

2010-09-22T04:19:00.001-07:00

Kate and Julia loved playing outside together this summer! Zach was very helpful with the girls as well...he loves to tell them a word to repeat...especially, "seriously!" Next summer, they will have Allie to play with as well! Kate got into the garage sale stickers and apparently decided to "price" herself!!! Hilarious!!!

Shedd Aquarium

2010-09-22T04:09:00.001-07:00

Over the summer, once Matt was feeling better we went to Chicago. Both kids LOVED the Shedd Aquarium!!! They loved EVERYTHING about it! We had planned on going to the zoo, but we quickly ran out of time. Off course, it was 110 degrees outside and we parked by the zoo and took a cab to the aquarium...and I had the brilliant idea to walk from the aquarium to the beach because I didn't think it was too far away...at any rate, the kids absolutely LOVED being there!!!! They were quite a sandy mess but it was all worth it!

Nascar

2010-09-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Matt took Zach to his first Nascar Race this summer! They went to Chicagoland Speedway! They both had a blast! Zach especially enjoyed staying up past his bed time!!! He loved the race and had a blast just being with his Daddy...

4th of July

2010-09-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

We were in the Quad Cities for the 4th of July!!! We celebrated at our Uncle Joe's and Aunt Selena's house! It was great to see our family, eat great food, and swim!!! Zach has become quite the water bug!!! The cousins always have such a blast being together!!!

Zach's 7th Birthday!!!

2010-09-22T03:17:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a long time, really it has! What a summer we had!!! It really was great until the end of July. Matt came down with Pneumonia and was really very sick for about two weeks. We had 2 ER visits, many doctor and pharmacy visits later, and he's still recovering. He's definitely much better, but what a scary experience!!! Unfortunately, Matt was sick for Zach's birthday and wasn't able to be there to celebrate. I don't know who was more disappointed!!! Luckily, our family and friends really helped and made Zach's birthday a success!!! The kids had a blast! Zach did get his DSI and was super excited!!!! Thanks everyone!!!

Funny Pics

2010-06-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Matt put the pinata on his head and Uncle Robert was chasing the kids and got CAUGHT!

Pinata

2010-06-15T09:18:00.001-07:00

With everything going on, we almost forgot the pinata! Poor, brave Matt! The pinata broke it's top and so Matt decided he'd be brave and hold it! What a Dad!!!

Cake and Presents

2010-06-15T09:14:00.001-07:00

More Pics by Janice

2010-06-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks Aunt Janice...

2010-06-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

So while I was busy moving the party along since there was another storm on the way, Janice went around and took pictures of everyone that would let them! There are some REALLY great shots! Enjoy!

Fun Pics of the Party

2010-06-15T07:45:00.001-07:00

We sure hope everyone had a great time at Kate's party! At least the rain held off long enough for everyone to get some play time in! Matt and I are very grateful for all of the help we had before, during, and after the party! We have wonderful, thoughtful, and generous friends and family!

The Cake...

2010-06-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

WOW is all you can say when you see the cake! Our friend Jen made Kate's cake! When I first started teaching 1st grade, I had a sweet girl named Karina in my class! This class was the best class I have had yet! They were all great kids (many of whom I still keep in touch with)...and Karina was no exception. Through Karina, I met Jen, her sister-in-law. Jen is from the Quad Cities (Moline to be exact) and Jen helped out a lot when Karina was in my class! One of Jen's hobbies is decorating cakes and I was initially joking when I asked if she'd make Kate's cake after I saw all of the beautiful cakes she's made...but I'm glad she did! Thanks so much Jen!!!

Kate's Tricycle

2010-06-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Uncle Chris got Kate a tricycle for her birthday! It's adorable and she's learning how to ride it! She loves it!

Sweet Pics with Grandma and Grandpa

2010-06-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad came here before Kate's party to help with the finishing touches! It rained most of the day on Kate's birthday, but luckily it stopped long enough for us to have the party at the park!

Bonding Time

2010-06-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

Just like any brother and sister, they CAN play well...and they love each other A LOT! Zach is a super awesome big brother and is learning patience at a young age! He is very helpful with Kate and likes to help out mom and dad!

June 12...the last day of being 1!!!!!

2010-06-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

What a difference from last year! :) Aunt Janice came over and cut Kate's bangs for her! She was no longer "Cousin It!" Poor girl! Thanks Aunt Janice!

Fun Pics

2010-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Our bigger pool is up now and the kids love swimming in it! Kate loves to go in and wake up Zach (that doesn't happen VERY often) and snuggle with him!

First Party of Summer

2010-06-14T10:13:00.001-07:00

Mary had a party at her house to celebrate school being over at her beautiful, new house! The kids had a blast...there were wrestling matches, stroller wars, good food, and fun times outside! Everyone had a great time!

Baby Pool Time

2010-06-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Random Pictures

2010-06-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

Summer

2010-06-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is off to a great start! I'm now officially done with National Boards! Pam and I went to our test at the Assessment Center last Monday! It's over...until we find out if we passed and that won't be until November! Fingers crossed! Kate does not have a pacifier anymore and is in a big girl bed! She sleeps so much better without the bink...we had a few rough nights without it and I'm pretty sure she was mad at me...but I told her that she would have MANY more opportunities for that! :) Zach is happy to be done with school as well and is having a blast playing with his friends and swimming! Of course, we're making him take time to read and do other "academic" activities! (It stinks when your mom is a teacher, right my teacher friends?!?)

Grandpa's Surprise Birthday Party

2010-05-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Back in April, Sally had a surprise birthday party for my Grandpa! He turned 85 years young! My Grandpa had no idea that we (Bryan, Lisa, and Brynn made the trip too) were coming home for this...esp. since he didn't even know there was a party! Funny story...we were at my parent's house waiting to go down to the condo, and the telephone rang. Not thinking, I answered it! Just my luck, it was my GRANDPA!!!! He was calling to check in on my mom b/c she had been sick all week. When I answered and realized it was him, I totally tried to play it off as I was my mom. It didn't work out so well, but still my Grandpa didn't know why we were home and didn't seem too thrown off that my mom said, "well, we'll see you later!!!" Talk about bloopers! Needless to say, when he came down to the party room and saw that we were ALL there, he was very surprised and happy! Then the phone call made sense! :) The kids had a blast playing in the exercise room! Kate loved the treadmill! Zach was working on his abs! Kate had no nap all day long and did really well! She crashed on the way home!

Egg Hunt

2010-04-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Julia came over to hunt for eggs right after church! The kids had fun! Kate's shoes would not stay on...note the tennis shoes! (NOT my idea...patience is a virtue, right?!)

All Dressed Up...

2010-04-19T18:24:00.001-07:00

Here's a few pictures before we went to Church! Kate refused to take off her sunglasses!

Easter

2010-04-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

My parents were able to come the day before Easter and spend time here with us and the kids! We decorated eggs, had a band (hilarious), and had a great time just playing! The kids were very excited that the Easter Bunny had made a stop at Grandma and Grandpa's again!

Zach is training wheel free!!!

2010-04-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Easter, Matt took off Zach's training wheels and Zach just took off...literally! He did great without the training wheels! I don't think he would have ever taken them off...he showed no interest what-so-ever, but they were very thin and he could hardly ride his bike anymore. Even with a few minor scrapes, he has done very well! We are very proud of him! He is pretty excited about it too and couldn't wait to show his friends!

While We Were Waiting...

2010-03-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

Kate and I had a lot of waiting to do while Zach was playing everything and Kate always keeps things interesting! While we were waiting in the stands watching the Go Karts, Kate was hilarious! She kept going up to a sleeping baby (who was older than her) and saying "shhhhh...". She had a few photo opportunities and tried to play many games herself, esp. bowling! We had a blast watching Zach and "playing" games as well! Kate even tried to immitate her Grandma and Aunt Sandy by playing a casino type game...note the lever!!!

Let's Make a Deal...

2010-03-25T04:59:00.001-07:00

In the arcade at Burlington, they had LOTS of games! From Skeeball to pinball and so much more...Zach played Let's Make a Deal! He was hilarious! I think he ended up winning 14 tickets but that was huge for him! He also got to ride the Go Karts (and he picked the Cubs one...he kind of darted for that kart), play an hour of bowling, and got to ride in a simulation Nascar with Daddy! They had a blast, even Kate who had to wait for everything!

Water Fun!

2010-03-25T04:54:00.001-07:00

More pictures from the water park! Enjoy!

Spring Break

2010-03-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

Over break, we went to Burlington, Iowa! It's not Cancun, but it's an appropriate trip with Kate being the age she is! Burlington was great! Huck's Harbor was attached to our hotel along with an arcade, bowling alley, Casino(yes Mom and Aunt Sandy...a CASINO!)go karts, laser tag and much more! The kids had a blast! As you walk into the water park area, there is a huge kids section where they can go down kiddie slides and play in different areas. There is also a HUGE dump bucket that pours about every 5 minutes! Kate is our water baby and when we were walking into the kid's area, the dump bucket poured over and scared Kate to death! It was a little difficult to get her into the water after that! She got better, but it was pretty bad at first! Not to mention the fact that she's getting in 4 teeth at once right now so her mood was a little volatile! She liked swimming in the area adjacent to the big water slides! Zach LOVED the water slides! We couldn't keep him off of them! He really had a blast!

Precious Moments

2010-03-24T05:10:00.001-07:00

Zach Won!!!

2010-03-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

Zach's Family Fun Night was on Feb. 20th! I had the fun of making a basket to be raffled off at this event that was from Zach's classroom! Zach and I chose the theme, Family Game Night and developed a basket for this theme! It was fun and Zach got to be a big part of picking out the games to go in it! Matt took Zach to his Family Fun Night because Kate and I were at Steph and Dave's Wedding with Grandma and Grandpa. Zach picked out the baskets he wanted to win and dropped his tickets in hoping to win! The next day, Zach went to Chicago to see the Broadway play, 101 Dalmations with his good friend Ethan! When Ethan's family came to pick them up, they informed him that he'd won the basket they had created for their classroom, which was the Road Trip basket! Zach didn't know that he'd won because Matt and Zach were at the wedding when they drew the names! He was VERY excited!

Kate and the Squirrel

2010-03-24T04:59:00.000-07:00

So Matt found some peanuts in their shells and thought it would be a great idea to feed the squirrels! It was such entertainment for Kate on those long dreary wintery days...she'd get so excited when the squirrels would get on the deck and crack open those nuts! They'd usually eat it right in front of her! She loved it but Bear wasn't sharing her enthusiasm! He'd patiently watch and growl and Kate would be there laughing and shouting at the squirrel! Hilarious to watch!

Aunt Steph and Dave's Wedding

2010-03-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful wedding! Everyone had a great time! Zach and Kate especially loved running the halls at Jumers, playing in the water fountain, running the halls, playing with their good friend Cameron (and Meg), playing in the telephone booth with Grandma, and did I mention running the halls! With all that running, you'd have thought that the kids would have slept SOOOOO late the next day... They had a great time on the dance floor! Cam was such a dancer! It was fun having Grandma and Grandpa there to help us celebrate! It was beautiful and we wish Steph and Dave the best! They make a great couple! XOXO

2010-03-24T04:52:00.001-07:00

Feb. 20th was VERY busy...

2010-03-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how everything falls on the same weekend? We had: Great-Grandma Helen's 90th birthday party, Brynn's 1st birthday party, Aunt Steph and Dave's Wedding, and Zach's Family Fun Night were all on the same day/night! It was a very busy day, but we got everything done. Zach, Riley, and Alex were all happy to play the DSI while we were at Medici's. Kate went right to Aunt Janice once we got there and looked at us like we should go ahead and leave! Unfortunately, I left my camera at Medici's enroute to Brynn's birthday party so I don't have any pictures of that event!

Hockey Game

2010-02-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

Zach's school had a Family Night at our Coloseum for the Praire Thunder. It was also Valentine's day! Zach's teacher and the principal had a shoot-out. The tied, but the announcer gave it to the principal! Better luck next time! The kids had a blast, even Kate! Zach got to sit next to his good friend, Keyona. The kids had made mailboxes for Valentine's Day at school. On Zach's mailbox it said, "I love my sister and I lik Keyona." Apparently Zach forgot about the silent e rule! There was even a picture of him and Keyona next to his words! Precious! Keyona and Zach have gone to Kindergarten and now First Grade together! She is such a sweet girl and so very kind! We love having her come to play!
I think Kate enjoyed eating at the game!

Hey Julia...

2010-02-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

Zach and Kate were very excited to receive a package from Grandpa and Grandma for Valentine's Day! Zach really loved his microscope. He was so excited he was shaking! I think he's going to be a scientist when he grows up! He's so interested in anything non fiction and he's very inquisitive...about everything! :) Kate loved her shirt and kept saying "pretty!" Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

False Alarm

2010-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

So, at Kate's 18 month check-up, our doctor told us that we could start potty training. She started to show us signs shortly after that doctor's visit and then she actually did go #1 in the potty! We were so excited and really praised her...a lot. She had no idea what had just happened and she has not done it again since! Maybe we praised her too much??? Just the thought of not buying diapers...now when we ask her if she wants to go potty, she shakes her head and tells us no. She'll bring us diapers when she's wet but she won't go back to the potty! So, we've stopped trying but I do continue to ask her. Hopefully by the time she's in Kindergarten she'll be diaper, binky, and blanket free!

We're Ready for Spring

2010-02-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

With the weather being how it is here in Illinois, the kids are ready to get outside and play! Kate asks daily to go outside. It seems as though we've had a little cabin fever here lately! Zach and Daddy love to wrestle and Kate get's in on the action, either by wrestling with the boys or getting a weapon! Zach even helped shovel one day!!!

She tucks herself in and brushes her teeth!

2010-02-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Although Kate's 20 months now, I think she thinks that she's as old as Zach! She's an independent little girl, that's for sure! She likes to tuck herself in anywhere...especially in her bed. She LOVES to brush her teeth. Personally, I think she likes to have the water run more than anything! She hasn't been exposed to the "reducing lesson" from 1st grade Science, which Zach proceeded to tell her about!

Kate LOVES ham!

2010-02-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Megan and Josh gave us this excellent recipe for ham. We're not big fans of ham, but it sounded great so we tried it! Not only did we like it, the kids loved it! Kate had her own plate, but once she was done with her, she went over to "help Daddy out!"

I know...

2010-02-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

I apologize for it being so long since I last updated the blog. As it is for everyone, Christmas was a very busy time. Then came January, the month of birthdays. On top of all the birthdays (which December was a VERY busy month for birthdays too), then our family ALL got the stomach flu. It was awful. We had 11 days of sickness. It started with Zach, then Kate, unfortunately Matt got it, and then it was my turn! It was great for losing weight, but that was about it. As you know, I have been spending a lot of time working on my National Boards. I am happy to report that I have finished writing all four of the entries, now it's revising time. I have to have these entries postmarked by March 31st...ahhhhh. Then all we'll have is the assessment center in June and we'll know sometime around Thanksgiving whether we passed National Boards or not! I'm so glad I'm not doing this project alone!
Here are a few pics from Christmas and then a few from my birthday! Check out Kate's hair when we woke her up on Christmas! Oh...and this year Santa wrote Zach a letter...you'll have to ask him why!!! Once Kate opened up her baby...she didn't want anything else! She loves babies, whether it's her dolls or she sees a baby at the store. She gets so excited. Zach especially liked his guitar that Grandma and Grandpa got him!

Silly Me!!!

2009-12-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be simple. Dress the kids up and set them by the tree. Take some pictures and get a Christmas card going! What was I thinking? I definitely now know why we have PROFESSIONALS that do this! It was awful! As soon as I'd get them situated, one was looking at me and the other was leaving! So, here's a few examples! Keep in mind that I probably took 30 pictures in a short time...then my memory card filled up b/c I didn't empty it before I started this project!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

We all had a lot to be thankful for this year. As many of you know, my Grandma fell and broke her hip weeks ago. She has had some other health issues that went along with this as well. She has been in a hospital and is now being moved to another facility close to my parents. We went home for Thanksgiving and we were able to celebrate it with her. It was great to see everyone and eat great food! The kids had a great time! My Grandma now has to use a walker and Bear really liked it b/c of the tennis balls on the end...then Kate liked it as well! Poor Grandma! She was a good sport about it!

The Tree Went Up...

2009-12-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

Our tradition has been to put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving. Kate went down for her nap and Matt, Zach, and I put it up! It was a lot of fun...when Kate woke up, she was soooo surprised to see the tree! She was very excited and wanted to re-arrange all the ornaments for us!

Fun at the Park

2009-12-03T03:43:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful day and we knew they wouldn't last. So, Matt and I took the kids (and the dogs) to the park to play! Everyone had a great time! The kids especially had fun on the sliding bar with Matt!

Festival of Trees

2009-12-03T03:37:00.000-08:00

Erin and I took the kids to the Festival of Trees this year. It's always nice to look at all the pretty trees, but it was REALLY packed on the day we went. It was very tough to get through the crowds. Zach was disappointed that he didn't get to play in the playland, but the lines were incredibly long and Kate was definitely done with the whole deal! The kids went to see Santa...Zach loved it and Kate was definitely afraid. Zach also had a conversation with the "talking tree." Hopefully, next year will be better with Santa!

Just Playing

2009-12-03T03:33:00.000-08:00

After the Barnes and Noble night, we tried to go to Steak n' Shake, but it was too long of a wait. So Erin and I got the food to go and came back to our house to let the kids play! It is hilarious to listen to Kate and Julia "talk" to each other! They love Zach and he's so good with them!

2009-12-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

On November 19th, my school had a fundraiser at Barnes and Noble. The kids and I went and the Zoo Lady was there! She is a very talented face painter. Zach has never been interested in this, but Kate went right up to her and started "talking" with her. She then climbed up into the chair and sat ever so still and let the Zoo Lady paint her face. The Zoo Lady only painted 2 flowers on her face, because she didn't think she'd stay still, but Kate came back for more! Since Kate did the face painting, Zach decided to try it! You'll notice we went to Steak n' Shake after the event!

Buddy...

2009-12-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

My parent's dog, Buddy, had to be put to sleep a few weeks ago. He had a large tumor on the side of his body and he was not doing very well. It was a very tough decision for my parents. Buddy will be very missed. When I told Zach about Buddy, he wanted to get Buddy a red balloon to send up to him in doggy heaven. We did this when our dog, Sam, passed away. Zach was only 3 at the time, but he remembers us letting off a balloon for Sam! So, Zach wrote Buddy a message and even drew a picture of himself on it so that Buddy would know that it was from him. Zach is so sweet! RIP Buddy! Lots of love!

A tender moment...

2009-12-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Kate loves to wake up Zach in the morning! She is always happy to see him and he's happy to see her...usually! Zach is such a great big brother! Zach loves to read to Kate and have her chase him everywhere! It's a lot of fun!!! We are very blessed with two great kids!

Crazy Hair Kate!

2009-12-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

These pics were taken the day after Kate turned 17 months! She has the craziest hair in the morning! It's hilarious!

Kate's 17 months!

2009-12-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much she is growing and changing! I've heard a lot of people say how she is not really favoring Matt anymore but that she's beginning to look like me! Poor kid!

Fall Fun

2009-11-09T03:24:00.000-08:00

It was a gorgeous weekend for a change! No rain...just sun and fun! The kids and I had a great time playing outside while Daddy spent A LOT of time raking leaves!!! We went over to Ewing Park to play and found this to be a great place to take pictures! Hopefully we can make it back over there while there is still nice weather to take some more pictures!

Halloween

2009-11-09T03:16:00.000-08:00

So this Halloween was pretty laid back. Zach had been sick all week before and had missed an entire week of school. Poor guy! Matt and I decided not to let him go outside to trick-and-treat with his friends...and Zach was pretty bummed! So, we trick-or-treated in our house! Zach still reminds me that we didn't get to go with our friends this year...someday he'll forget about this!!! Zach was a Clone Wars Trooper and Kate was a witch! They had fun getting candy and going room to room.

Zach lost his first tooth!!!

2009-11-09T03:11:00.000-08:00

Back on Oct. 19th, Zach discovered that one of his teeth was loose! He was very excited! 2 days later, the tooth was out!!! It went way faster than I remember! He was very excited to see what the tooth fairy was going to bring him. That next morning, he came running out to show us that he had $2.00!!! (I know...big spenders) I had gone and checked on him during the night and he must have found his money earlier b/c it was clenched in his hands while he slept! :) Somehow, the tooth fairy left him $5.00 at Grandma and Grandpa's (I don't remember this part as a kid) so Grandma and Grandpa mailed it in a card for Zach! He loves receiving money...he now has the same rule his father does: If there's money in the card, he'll read it. If there's no money in the card...let's just say it may not get read! :)

Random Pics

2009-11-09T03:07:00.001-08:00

Kate thinks it's a lot of fun to chase Zach now! She stole his mask for Halloween and was chasing him one night! Zach wasn't too excited about the fact that she had his mask...he was more afraid of her drooling on it than anything! They love dancing and playing together!

Rader Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

So we went to the pumpkin patch back in early October, after it had rained for several days!!! So the fields were nice and muddy and so was the walk up there! But the kids had a great time playing in the corn, climbing on the hay, seeing the animals and trying to pick a pumpkin. Zach got to go on the caterpillar ride! Trying to get a fall picture is always so much fun with little ones! Enjoy!

The Stevie Look...

2009-11-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Need I say more????

Silly Kate

2009-11-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

So...back in September, Zach went to his first sleepover at a friend's house! So it was just Kate and I! She was hilarious...her new nickname is Stevie...she likes to play her piano with her sunglasses on and squint her eyes! Here's a few pics from that night!

Kate is 15 months old!

2009-09-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Kate turned 15 months! She's getting to be such a big girl and so independent! She loves playing with and mimicking her brother! She's quite the talker...she thinks we really understand her! I am finally able to do her hair!!!

Kate's first ice cream...in the car!!!

2009-09-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

I was brave and let the kids have ice cream in the car the other night! Kate loved it! She was quite a mess when we were through! Luckily, it was bath time right when we got home!

Go Bears!!!

2009-09-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here are Zach and Kate in their Bears' attire! Enjoy!!!

Allerton Park

2009-09-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our friend Annie took some great pictures of Kate out at Allerton Park in Monticello Illinois earlier this month! I don't have the proofs yet, but when I get them, I'll put them up for everyone to see! Annie's theme was a princess theme! Here are a few with Kate in her tutu...the other change of clothes will come soon! Enjoy!

Zach's First Day of First Grade

2009-09-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post!!!

So Zach and I are both in First Grade now!!! How crazy is that??? He is really loving school!! He seems to be doing well and really enjoying what he's doing! Kate thought that she should be in the pictures as well! Enjoy!

Last set of zoo pictures!

2009-08-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

You would have thought that after being outside all day long, not sleeping on the car ride to the zoo, and only sleeping for 20 minutes while at the zoo, we'd have two sleeping babies on the car ride home! Apparently, we were wrong...again and Baby Mozart won out!

More Zoo pictures!

2009-08-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

St. Louis Zoo

2009-08-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

Erin and I took the kids to the St. Louis Zoo on Tuesday! We all had a blast! Zach was so well behaved and really enjoyed the zoo! Kate and Julia barely slept the entire trip but were jewels too! We got to see so many animals, exhibits, and ride the train and the carousel. Zach even got to pet a sting ray! We had a few minor set backs...the first one was as we got to where we were supposed to turn off. The road was closed and the GPS did not re-route us. No big deal...we literally ran into it! Then Erin ran over her toe while we were trying to get in line for the penguin exhibit and nearly ripped off her toe nail and passed out! And finally...we were on the train and all of a sudden I hear something hit the ground and realize that it is my camera that fell out of my pocket and is now in the brush on the side of the tracks, and the train keept going! Luckily, at the next station, one of the kind workers did go back and get it for me! Thank goodness it wasn't the keys!!! At any rate, we had a blast and so did the kids! It was a long day but it was worth it! Kate is not in a lot of these pictures b/c I didn't want to take her out of the stroller a whole lot...you know how that goes...I may not get her back in!

Dog food! Yum! Yum!

2009-08-14T21:06:00.001-07:00

Kate loves to feed Bear his dog food. Surprisingly, he is very patient with her and will let her take his food and feed him! The other night, the dog food was pretty low in the container, so Kate thought she'd fill the container by getting in it!

Jack and Jaden and Tipton Trails

2009-08-14T21:00:00.001-07:00

So, Jeremy, Jack, & Jaden came for a visit last weekend. It was actually a very warm Saturday...so we decided to run off some energy and take the kids to Tipton Trails for some water fun! The boys had an awesome time running around! We have been to Tipton several times this summer and Kate hasn't been exactly thrilled about it! For some reason, this time she really liked it! There were several times we had to stop her from drinking the water! She had a blast too! I think all of the kids drank the water at some point! It was really hot! Zach loved the spinning seat! He would have sat there the entire time if you'd let him! Crazy kid!

Something about Mary...part 2... but the CLEAN version!

2009-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

So the other night, Megan, Josh, and Logan came over for dinner. Kate decided to eat well and then put the rest on her head! As I was trying to get it out, her hair stuck straight up like the movie...only this is the clean, kid-friendly version!

Ohhhhh Kate!

2009-08-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

So the other day, Kate decided to "help" with laundry by crawling into Bear's cage in the laundry room! Bear looks a little confused and probably scared that he's going to get into trouble since Kate is soooo close! Once Zach saw, he had to get in on the action!

Kate and Rice Krispies

2009-08-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is Kate's first time trying Rice Krispies! I'm trying to get her away from baby food...she seemed to like the cereal at first what happened later probably explains how she really feels about it but I didn't capture it on camera! She completely poured the cereal over her! It was quite a mess! Enjoy!

Happy 6th Birthday Zachary!!!

2009-07-22T01:54:00.000-07:00

It's official! Zach is now 6!!! We borrowed my friend Meg's Bonzai waterslide yesterday! It wasn't the warmest day out!!! We had some teeth chattering...but Zach and Madison started sliding around 8:30 in the morning. More friends came over around 10:30 and they kept on sliding! Still some chattering...but the kids really had a blast. We finally took a break for lunch and then they were right back in it! I made them come out at 2:30...maybe due to the fact that the water was to the top of the pool part...had to do some bailing but the kids didn't seem to mind! They had a blast!!! Matt and I were going to take Zach to his annual Grady's trip but he was seriously exhausted...and so were we! We resheduled for later this week! Aunt Erin got Zach the huge number 6 balloon! He says that it's his favorite balloon ever!!! Today, Zach continues his birthday "week" by going to the Peoria Zoo with Aunt Lisa and Uncle Bryan!

My camera decided to run out of batteries but I managed to get a few good shots! More will come after his party on Sunday! Enjoy!!!

The Last of the Pictures...

2009-07-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Still more family pictures...

2009-07-19T19:16:00.001-07:00

More Family Pictures

2009-07-19T19:14:00.001-07:00

I wish you could post more than 5 images at a time!!!

Our Family Pictures

2009-07-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our friend Annie took our pictures a few weekends ago out at Dawson Lake. I'm warning you that this is going to be a long post with many pictures! She took so many great ones that it's really tough to pick! She did ones of the kids and Matt and I even had pics done of just the two of us. I don't think that's happened since our wedding...almost 9 years ago! WOW! Annie really did a great job! She has her own photography business. Here's her contact info if anyone is interested!!!

Anne Mattingly (309) 846-0522
LeNeveproductions@hotmail.com
Senior, Children, Family, Wedding & special events Photographer
We highly recommend her!

Kate steals Zach's hat...

2009-07-17T06:58:00.001-07:00

So Kate is getting adventurous! Zach left his hat on the floor so Kate decided she could wear it! You can tell in these pics that she is looking at Zach to see if he notices! She's still eating string cheese!!! I love it!

Kate is walking!!!

2009-07-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....my arms are going to get a relief! Kate is now walking! She can be unsteady, but she is really doing well! She loves it! It's funny to see her just get up in the middle of the room and walk over to something she wants. She acts like she's been doing this forever! I still worry about that right leg...but everything seems to be ok and well! She's such a big girl!
She's eating string cheese while walking!

Random Pictures

2009-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Madelyn's 6th birthday!

2009-07-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we went to Amy's house for a party for Madelyn! Zach and Madelyn have 1 week between their birthdays! We had pizza, cupcakes that were adoreable, and the kids had a blast on the waterslide in their backyard! I even let Zach slide down it with Kate...with Rich's help! Zach thought it was awesome but Kate was not quite so sure! They had a blast and took good naps when we got home that were very much needed! Happy Birthday Madelyn!!!

More Baptism pics...

2009-07-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

My Grandma made the trip from the Quad Cities as well! She's such a trooper! I got a few pics of Kate with her cousin Brynn. Brynn didn't quite know how to take Kate being soooo close to her! Zach enjoys holding Brynn as well!