Today has been a great day!! We pick Grandma Gloria (Adam's Grandma), Lou (Adam's brother), and Lou's daughter Cami up from the airport. They are visiting this week from CA! We went to Adam's game were Lou was able to play! They game didn't go our way, but I love to watch them play! Adam pitched and Lou caught. I thought the brothers playing together was great!

 
And today is Jordan's birthday. They birthday boy had a great game as usually!

After the game we all went out to eat at Chuck-A-Rama. Our family loves a buffet!
 
Happy Birthday Jordan. We love you so MUCH!

We have had a fun, fun week. I am trying to balance work with play. The kids have to do certain chores so that we can go have lots of fun. So far it is working out very well. This week one of the places we went was took the reservoir. They loved it and have asked to go back everyday. While once a week is good for me, we might go back a little more than that! The reservoir is like a tiny beach with no waves. It is perfect for the kids!
 

I just might be working the kids too hard! Or maybe Kalixta was just playing too hard this day! She fell asleep with her helmet on!
 

Yesterday I had my 20 week ultrasound. Adam and I stuck to our guns (it was pretty easy) and we didn't ask the sex of the baby. The ultrasound tech was great. She checked all the important stuff really, really good and told us everything we were looking at.  We saw the four values of the heart move back and forth. We saw the kidneys, stomach, spine, and ribs. Thankfully everything looks great! She said the baby was very photogenic and so she took lots of cute pictures. The baby was yawning and sticking out it's tongue. It was fun to see all it's movements. She was nice enough to label all the pictures so hopefully you can see all the fun stuff.

 

So we finished with the ultrasound and are waiting to see the doctor and Adam says,"Well I think it was pretty obvious what the baby is!"
"I know!" I said "It's a girl."
"No, I thought it was a boy!" Adam said.

Needless to say we both "KNOW" what it is and we both think different things, so we still don't know what the baby is. We will have to re-watch the ultrasound and try to figure it out!

All the kids are pretty set on having a girl. Nik and Ammon want a boy to try to even the score a little. Zoe wants a boy because she is tired of little sisters! The twins say it is a boy because we already have a baby girl, that's Ariana. Make perfect sense, don't you think?! (I asked them separately what they thought the baby was and they both came up with this same answer!) Our house may be a little disappointed if a girl show up, but whatever comes we will love and cherish it. October is so very far away:)!

Here is a little video from Ammon’s game last night. He is the one hitting. Adam’s favorite part is the stare down between Ammon and the second baseman when Ammon gets to second base! Enjoy!

Ammon had a game today. He had a blast and it was even better because Marie, Marci, and Jordan came and watched him play! He played third base and left field. He didn't get much action, in fact, he didn't touch the ball once. He didn't care though. He had two great hits and he is speedy running those bases! His team won 10-9. Zoe doesn't get how any team can win when no one is keeping score, but the Yankees did it! I even remembered my camera WITH batteries, so here are some pictures!

Adam finally had a game after two weeks off. It was a beautiful day and we were all looking forward to going. We got there and it got cold and windy and I didn't bring any jackets!. Half way through the game it started sprinkling. We were winning and I wasn't ready to go so I waited it out. They twins hid in the bushes to get out of the rain. Zoe was wrapped in a blanket in the stroller. Marci held Ari under an awning and stayed pretty dry. And the boys? They were running around playing, where else?! The wind blew the clouds and the rain away and we ended the game with some sunshine. It is pretty weird. We won! Adam did a great job pitching! Jordan hit another home run and got player of the game! Despite the rain I got a few good pictures!

I love these kinds of pictures with the dad holding the baby's hand. I was a little slow taking this one, but I still think it's cute!

We went to the pool at Marci and Kenny's apartment complex today and went swimming. It was so so so much fun! It was Ariana's first time in a pool and she loved it. She was very clingy at first, but by the end she was kicking her feet and having a great time. Britain and Kalixta have went one other time, but only to a jacuzzi. Britain was brave and would hold onto the pool edge by herself, but would not jump in. She tried to kick and swim. Kalixta would not hold onto the side of the pool by herself, but she would jump in as long as Uncle Jordan was there. She loved to play in the pool, but preferred to sit in the warm jacuzzi! Ammon had a blast jumping in to Jordan and hanging out on the floating thing. Zoe was very brave. She helped the girls a lot and loved to play, she just didn't like the splashing. Nik tries to be a fish as long as his face is out of the water. Everyone loved it! I even got into the pool and remember how good it feels to be in the water! Thanks Marci, Marie, Jordan, and Kenny. We had so much fun!

I, of course, got sunburned. As did Marie, Jordan, and even Marci and Nik. The rest of the kids just tanned. They all looked darker as soon as we got out of the pool. Now that is just not fair!!
After pool time we changed, had yummy Costco pizza and played at the park for a while. Then we went to see Horton Hears A Who. It was a cute movie that even entertained Ari. It was a really great day. Thanks again guys!! 

Nikolas played the Phillies on Tuesday and tonight. Tuesday was a hard game. They lost and Nikolas felt like it was his fault. I didn't go to the game (it started at 8:30, a little late for the kids on a school night). Adam said he had some bad plays as catcher that allowed a few runs. But the whole team had a hard time throwing strikes and a hard time hitting. So it wasn't Nik's fault, but he sure felt like it was. After two great practices they faced the Phillies again tonight. And we were VICTORIOUS!
Nik played 2nd base and then left field. He didn't have any big plays or mess ups. He struck out three times. I was feeling bad for him. I know he wanted to play lots better. Okay here comes my play by play. I apologize now! Bottom of the sixth. We are winning 4-1. Adam puts in a pitcher who beams the first batter.  The next batter gets a base hit and the next one walks. The runner steals home and it's 4-2 with two on base and no outs! Adam switches pitchers. He puts in Nik. Nik has not pitched this year yet and I was really nervous! I am always nervous when Nik pitches. I want him to do good. I don't want him to hit anyone. I want him to win! Here he is no outs, two on base, and the next batter up, he strike out!! Next batter gets a base hit and a run comes in. It is now 4-3. Nik walks the next batter! Bases loaded! Only one out! Aarrggg! I am having a heart attake! Next batter strikes out!! Next batter… Nik strikes him OUT! He did it! He redeemed himself! I was very proud of Nik! But then I am always proud of Nik, even when he has a few errors! That is the way the game goes!  Again I am sorry for my confusing play by play. I don't always know the right terms and way of putting things. I hope you understood! And of course I didn't have my camera, so I don't have any pictures of him pitching. Here's an old one of him hitting, because I have a hard time not posting picutes:)

Yesterday was Nikolas and Zoe's last day of school! Yippee, summer vacation! Zoe had a little graduation ceremony. She received an award in math. Her teacher says she always does really good in math. And with that she is on to third grade! She had a super fun week. She went on a nature walk and had a great time. She crashed on her bike Sunday and was worried she wouldn't have fun, but she was glad she went. She got to see a deer! She also had field day where she got soaking wet!

Nikolas is now a big 6th grader. That seems so weird. He had a blast at field day, He was able to dunk to the principal, in a dunk tank, three times!! He has been so excited to be done with school. We were driving home and he says, "Mom I am having the freakiest thoughts! I am going to miss school. At home there is nothing to do and at school I at least get to see all my friends!" Guess I'll have to make home more fun this summer!
I don't have a picture of my 6th grader, but here is my other graduate. I don't know what she graduated from, but she sure looks cute!
 

Nikolas has been a Cub Scout for the last three years. Since he turned 11 he now becomes a Boy Scout! Once a month there is a pack meeting where awards are given out to the boys who have earned them. Tonight Nikolas was awarded the Arrow of Light, the highest award a Cub Scout can receive! The ceremony was neat. Nik stood in front with three other boys who were receiving their Arrow of Lights. Each boy was given an arrow. Seven people, usually parents and leaders, gave Nik a different colored feather. The feathers go on the arrow. Each feather represents a "point" the boys have learned the last few years. They are wisdom, courage, faith, hope, self-control, justice, and love. Zoe was my photographer since I presented a feather. She did a great job!

Nik also moved onto Boy Scouts tonight. The tradition is to have a tug-of-war to see who gets to keep him. The old Cub Scout troop verses the new Boy Scout troop. The old troop won only because they had more boys, but Nik still gets to go to Boy Scouts. After the tug-of-war Nikolas was given a troop neckerchief.

It was a fun night. Nikolas has worked hard the last three years earning LOTS of awards! Boy Scouts is a lot of fun and will be a good challenge for him. keep up the good work!