The Brueggenjohann's visit

We are very excited that the Brueggenjohann's are living in the STL now!  Leigh-Anne and the kids came for a quick visit last week and the kids got to have some time loving on baby Luke!

always so sweet....Jack caught kissing baby Luke's hand

of course we were happy to play with Andrew too!!

Maddie and Peyton Check ups

Peyton and Maddie had their well-visits today at the doctor.  They are both doing well.  She said they both looked and seemed healthy.  Both girls are in the 75 percentile for height and weight.  And Maddie's head is in the 90 percentile.....gotta have room to store them big brains!

Maddie didn't get out of the office that easy though.  Poor girl had to get three shots.  The big kids were SUPER nervous for her and sat with their hands on their ears from the moment the nurse walked in the room with the three shots!  Maddie was NOT happy, but was soon soothed with a sucker and cookie!!!

first sucker......

then cookie 

Magic House with friends!

Jack was going to have a playdate with Will today.  I asked him what he wanted to do with Will and his response was the Magic House.  Well the rest of St. Louis wanted to go to the Magic House today too.  It was SUPER busy, but the kids were great (including Maddie) and we had lots of fun!  We picked Maggie up on the way so that Peyton could have a playmate too.  We ended the fun morning with lunch at McDonalds....mmmmm.....

The next time I take five kids with me, I'm gonna have a witty response ready when people ask me, "are those AAALLLL yours?!?!"  I answered honest today, but next time I will have a better answer.

building race cars out of leggos to race down the ramp

building away

THE SHADOW ROOM!!!!

always a big hit!

they were talking about "George"  Their kindergarten crush.....HA!

Wrote his first and LAST name all by himself....yay!!  We've
been working on the spelling of his last name in the last week!
MASTERED!

"Finally, I get out of my stroller!"

Musical Chairs

Maddie's first shiner

She's had plenty of little bonks but the other night we were at the old house and she fell on the sidewalk.  She got a nice looking shiner on her noggin.

It didn't disturb her too bad...nothing a little food couldn't cure and get her mind off of it!

couldn't get a GREAT picture of it.  She wanted to keep grabbing the phone, she was having
fun looking at herself!

Cute little baby!

School Shopping....

Just hanging out in the dressing room doing a little school shopping.  We are headed to Florida next week and then once we get back we have a week and then SCHOOL STARTS!!!!

Happy 7th birthday, Peyton!

Happy 7th birthday, to our first born.  A seven year old with a HUGE attitude and a mouth that doesn't know how to turn off!!!  Other than that, she's perfect!   Athletic, a dare devil (will try anything, if you tell her it's okay), smart, funny, loves her siblings, and is a big helper around the house.  This girl knows how to clean.  You tell Jack to pick up 5 toys and it takes him an hour, tell Peyton to pick up ALL the toys (which tends to be a lot around here) and it is done in five minutes.

Peyton can always pull her weight when it comes to eating.  She is finally expanding her horizons and the girl can consume some food!!  She, hands down, eats more calories than I do in a day.  We got to keep that girl active!!

Some of Peyton's favorite things:
go to six flags, eat popcorn (the loaded butter popcorn at grandma jeanne and mark's is her favorite), swim, draw and do crafts, ride her bike, call people on the phone (she has learned her important people's (grandmas) phone numbers and will just pick up the phone and call them when i'm completely unaware)......it's actually kind of funny!  She loves her friends and LOVES to do ANYTHING social.

Happy birthday to our spicy, little Peyton!!!


Who wouldn't pick DONUTS for breakfast on their birthday.  To Dunkin Donuts we went first thing in the morning....Jack opted for a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.  Sounds about right....girls going for the carbs, boys going for the protein.

A birthday party at Vetta????  Sounds about right for this family.....notice a trend this year?

who needs a jump house when you can
just walk around carrying shoes?

sass, sass, sass

party animal!

the cake Peyton INSISTED on getting.  looks like an
old lady cake!  ha!  she wanted the "BIG roses"

who sits at the head of the table during dinner like this?!?!
PEYTON does!

mmmmm......

Showing off the pretty purple dress Grandma Jeanne got
her for her birthday from their shopping day!  HAPPY and SPOILED girl!

Maddie turns ONE!!!

How in the world is this sweet baby's birthday already here?!?!  Don't know, but it sure is.  She had a great birthday.  The kids were very excited for it to be her birthday.  They wanted to know where we were going out to eat that night for her birthday.  So I called Mike at work and said, "We are going out to eat tonight.  Not because Maddie cares or knows it's her birthday, but the big kids sure do!"

So we went to Fudruckers.  All the kids chowed down!  Her birthday was a happy day!

Then on Sunday we celebrated with Grandparents and Godparents.  We barbecued, watched Maddie devour her cake, and enjoyed watching her open her gifts.  Well, not really, she wasn't too interested in opening her gifts.

She is a one year old with a BIG attitude, loves her Mommy (doesn't want anybody else if Mom is around, unless it's Dad.  Sometimes he is okay), has nine teeth (four on top, four on bottom, and one molar that I can see), walks great and is starting to run if Daddy plays chase with her, loves music and likes to dance, if she hears the word cookie she immediately says, "mmmmmmmm," is completely off the bottle......Sounds like a big girl to me!!!

Happy birthday to our little spit fire!  A little girl with LOTS to express!!

Happy to eat Grilled Cheese on her birthday.....

Even HAPPIER to eat cookie on her birthday!

First things first......eat dinner......

Then....THE CAKE!!!! (the best part of every first birthday party!)

confused as we sing happy birthday

just getting started

looking as if she did a pretty good job

SUCCESS....without a doubt!

What's not to love?!?!

And then we start the clean up......

in the sink you go

the new sink is a PERFECT bathtub sink!

And now, onto the presents.....

And finally a little backyard fun, once the company leaves.  Th perfect ending to Maddie's perfect day!!

I know that was a LOOOOOOONG post, but a girl only turns ONCE once!!!!