Olivia's Dedication

Today was Olivia's dedication ceremony at the church. Some churches baptize newborn babies. Our church believes in dedicating children of any age to Christ. This does not guarantee Olivia's salvation as she will someday have to make that decision on her own, but it is us dedicating her life to the Lord. We are allowing God's will over her life and committing to raise her in a Godly home as the Bible says: "Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not stray from it." Proverbs 22:6

Following the ceremony was a carry-in dinner and a baby shower for Olivia. Lola had fun playing with cousins Alexis and Ella while Olivia got passed around between family members and friends.

The Helicopter

Yesterday, Dad called from the farm to tell us that a helicopter was spraying weeds over the river. Lola loves helicopters so I packed up the girls and we headed to the bridge. It was all Lola talked about for the rest of the day!

This time I was very careful not to forget my camera (aren't you proud of me, Amy!). I've learned the hard way that the cutest moments always seem to happen when the camera is not packed so it now has a permanent place in the diaper bag (which never gets left behind)!

Homecoming

The Franklin Flyers celebrated homecoming this week and we joined in on many of the festivities. On Friday, we went to the parade with Mom, Shannon, Jes and Ella. The girls loved the floats and worked hard at collecting candy. They worked so hard that they lost interest in eating the candy and many times missed what was going on around them! Lola's favorite float consisted of four Harleys cruising down Main Street. Daddy took her to see the motorcycles after the parade and she hung out with all the bikers who got a kick out of her enthusiasm. She loves motorcycles and Kasey thinks this is a great reason for us to own one!

After the parade, we went to the pep rally downtown where Lola and Ella danced along with the music. Later that night we went to the football game where the Flyers easily won. This was Jen's first night out alone with the girls as Kasey was reffing a football game out of town. The girls did very well. Olivia slept through most of the game after being passed around to most all of the women spectators! Lola played with many of her little friends and danced along with the UNK drumline (she really enjoys dancing!), but the most exciting part of her night was when Uncle Robbi showed up after halftime. After the game we all went to Grandma and Papa's house for coffee, apple pie and bath time for Ella, Lola and Olivia. Needless to say, the girls slept well that night.

Of course everyone forgot to pack their camera so I only caught a few pictures on my phone. Enjoy.......

If I wave at a float.......

...the people throw candy!

Lola and Ella worked so hard at collecting candy.

They had a "heavy" reward!

Olivia happily lounged with Grandma.

Our New Home

We have now been living in our new house for a month. After four long months of remodeling, it feels good to be at home! Kasey has put in a lot of hard hours into finishing our project and continues to complete some final details. In detail, we gutted the entire house and replaced all electrical and plumbing. We are blessed to have friends and family with skills to assist in these areas! In the kitchen we replaced the cabinets and counter-tops and changed out the nasty carpet with tile. We also added recessed lighting and a new wall separating the kitchen from the dining room and closed off a window to add extra cabinet space. Originally, the house had a small bedroom on the first floor. By removing this bedroom, we expanded both the living room and bathroom. With three girls in the house, Kasey said a larger bathroom would be worth the extra work! We also removed a wall between the living room and dining room and added a sliding glass door which opened our living space up tremendously. We hope to have a cement patio and privacy fence added in the near future. We also cleaned and painted the sun porch and added a new office/laundry room in the two car garage. On the second floor, we replaced carpet, painted each room, replaced trim and doors, replaced electrical throughout, added new heating and air, and added another closet for more storage. On the exterior we added shutters and will paint the bright green garage doors this fall.

Time Spent at Home

The past few months have been so great as I was able to stay at home with Lola for summer break. Then with the birth of Olivia, I have had the first six weeks of school off as maternity leave. Although we've been busy remodeling and moving into our new house, we've had a lot of fun together. Lola has adjusted well to the homecoming of her new sister. She loves to share everything with Olivia and often piles toys all around her. She also loves giving her kisses and hugs and is learning to be gentle with the new baby. Olivia is such a joy. She is growing so fast and is now gracing us with smiles. God has blessed us with two great girls!

Skills We've Learned This Month.....

How to share Olivia with others.

How to complete a puzzle.

How to "swim" in a new bathtub.

How to ride in a cart. "Faster Robbi!"

How to hold Olivia with "gentle hands"!

How to take a photo with Mommy's computer. A very special thanks to Cousin Ella and Uncle Robbi for your help!

How to "tie" a shoe......or spend 10 minutes playing with the laces.