finally...an update (aka: lots of pics)

this summer we've spent alot of time in our suits trying to stay cool. this is a splash park in omaha that the kids really like.

the girls have spent alot of time coloring and playing with playdough. samantha always sticks her tongue out when she's really concentrating!!

we've spent some time being sick too. especailly derek...he had such a bad ear infection a couple of weeks ago that he ended up getting a tube in his ear.

annie was in the council bluffs newspaper, and katelyn was in a eye doctor commercial.
while in salt lake city, we went to derek's uncle brent's house and saw his horses and hung out. the kids loved the horses.
well...they loved petting them...not so much riding them!!!

the girls had tons of fun with their cousins.

katelyn and james... their relationship has been a little strained because katelyn really likes hanging out with the older girl cousins lately. derek and i kept telling james that katelyn will think he's the coolest again someday!!!
these are all the oliverson grandkids...minus elea...she wasn't born yet when this pic was taken.
we were in utah for 4 weeks and samantha never really warmed up to anyone. at first she would cry if anyone even looked at her, and by the time we left she at least didn't do that anymore. but if you wanted a hug or a kiss from her you had to bribe her with a treat. she did warm up to jeff...of course!!!
it was so stinkin' hot in st. george. grandpa o. would buy big blocks of ice and put them in the hot tub to cool it down so the girls could get in and "swim". (and you wonder how jeff won samantha over....)
derek and elea when she was 1 day old.
isn't she so sweet?!
we spent a few days in cedar city...where jeff and kristina live. the canyon park there has this little creek that the girls really like to play in.
i love this pic...i should be a photographer!!!!

sullivan grandkids with grandma and grandpa sully. apparently they're only going to get grand-daughters!!!
katelyn and annie can kick anyone's booty in the match game.
more time with cousins.
the last weeked we were in st. george we had a "kevin and marjean oliverson reunion". to start it off we all went to tuacahn (an outdoor theater) to watch "the sound of music". marjean had seen it twice already, so she stayed home with the three 2 year olds. when we got back that night this is how we found them!!! oh, the play was really good...the kids loved it.

saturday morning of the reunion the dads and all the boy cousins went golfing, and the girls stayed home and made crafts.
samantha was "napping" during the crafts...or so i thought. i guess she decided to do a craft of her own. this pic is only a 10th of what she really did. luckily everything wiped off and the sheets and bed skirt came clean when i washed them.
saturday afternoon we played water games with the kids...it ended in a huge water fight because derek poured a huge bucket of water on marjean's head!! i don't have pics of that, but if you're interested in those pics click on the "bundys" blog (fellow bloggers).

at the end of the day grandpa o. put up a pinata. each kid got a turn taking a wack at it...then grandpa o. finished it off. i spun him a few times, so he was having a hard time finding it at first!!!

the next day was elea's baby blessing. jeff did a great job. it was a hectic weekend, but alot of fun. i didn't plan on being in utah for a month, but it ended up working out really well because the kids got to spend alot of time with their cousins...we got to be in town for elea's birth, and we got to spend some time with my parents too.