Bryan..."the farm"

Cousins....hot, sweaty, dirty and having a blast. We spent Memorial Day weekend with Lee's family in Bryan. The kids absolutely love spending time on the "farm" and sleeping in the cabin up in the loft. It's only two hours away and every time I think "why don't we go here more?". Summer is officially here and we are ready with sunscreen and mosquito spray in hand!


100 degrees and humid. Summer.....welcome back!
Katherine loves to play with the boys.....they returned from this "expedition" in which I overheard them stating they were "hunting for food" full of bloody scrapes that they couldn't have been more proud of. Comparing the length of scrapes and redness of the blood.
Gunnar's first real experience with fishing and he caught some bottom dwelling catfish! He loved it!

Audra has always been the one in our family tender towards animals. A day doesn't pass without her asking "now when are we getting a dog again?" The answer is usually something like "when mommy gets some sleep and she has a change of heart!!!"

Last day of school (well really it's Friday!)

Last Day of school 2009

Last Day of School 2010!!!

Please notice Anders cereal (woke up late & magazine he carried to school because it had a baseball player on it!)

When I was Audra's age (finishing 3rd grade) my oldest sister Jann was graduating from HIgh School! That puts things in perspective for me. They all look so big to me!!

The last days before summer...

In true Anders form he climbed to the top of this very high "work out" thingy at the park only to say "MOM LOOK AT ME!!!!! Yes.....this is truly Anders.
It's never too early to start with abs!:)
It was only a few short years (feels like months) that this was Gunnar and Anders. And now it's Dane and Anders playing at the park! Anders is a good big brother but has his moments of wanting to "help" to rough!! When school ends this week ....gunnar will be home, and Dane will be left in the dust as the two big brothers play every possible adventure they can conjure up!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Am I too late? Did I miss it? Happy Mother's Day...
thank you for every dirty diaper, every bath, every packed lunch, every time you drove us somewhere, every time you gave us medicine or made a doctor's appt and kept it!, thank you for every time you sat through a concert, took us to church and VBS and church camp, and took us to a lesson, and helped us with homework, for every prayer at night, every prayer for us that we didn't know about, every time you took us on a trip and paid for our food, listening to stories, for coming to our sports and and and.....this all makes sense to us now. Thank you mom L and mom C!!

Love Chris and Amy:)

**I think Dane looks like Oskar here?

Just another day at the park

Bigger Brother Gunnar waiting for his "up to bat"!!
Coach giving a pep talk. There's Gunnar in the red helmet!!
Although this stance wouldn't evidence it... Gunnar hit a GRAND SLAM to help win the game!
Centerfield!!!:) Their record reflects their professional counterparts (Big Astroes, Little Astroes...not so great:)

She really is 9!

Audra has been the spectator at many a baseball game this Spring. She and Anders found their way over to a park during one of Gunnar's games and the colors were so rich that day I thought I would take a couple of pictures. It's hard to believe she's nine....she has her first set of "STATE tests " this week. They call them the TAKS test in Texas. She was a little nervous but getting through. oh the beginning of "big tests!!"

Who said he couldn't follow directions?

I got to see Anders play, finally this Saturday. If you've never been to a t-ball game before, you're missing some good material for America's funniest video!! Unbelievable!
Here Anders is talking to his coach, who happens to be from England and is one of the funniest coaches I've ever heard. Makes each kid feel like he will play pro-ball!




He successfully hits the ball on the first try (which I found out isn't a guarantee after watching all the other players)


a wollup that rolled past second base...
Runs like the wind....
He ran past first without a bat of an eyelash!
Made it to second with the wind behind him!!


stopped at second...
added a little ballet move at the end
waited for the next batter (while gazing at the adult in the field)


cleaned his fingernails during some down time on second base....
saw his mom taking pictures over the fence!
It should be noted that when the next batter hit the ball it went past second base and Anders kindly ran after the ball, handed it to the other team and then ran on to third!! The entire crowd laughed their heads off and cheered him on!