Flashback Friday

After all her healthy eating for the last year, Bella has the strength the keep up with me while I do P90X.....

Bella working out with Mommy. She loves to get out my 1lb weights and act like she is doing what I am doing. She is pretty good....she does push-ups, squats, curls, ect. This is activity that actually keeps her interest for more than 5 minutes. She likes it and like that I am getting to spend even my workout time with her.....well maybe:)

Sunday is a big day for Bella and I. My wonderful parents are taking the kids to their house for a week alone. You read that right, Larry and I will be at home for a week without the kids. I have not be away from Bella overnight since she was born. My Mom is a fantastic Mommy and can probably do a better job with Bella than I, but selfishly I like keeping her to myself. I am sure I will shed many tears on Sunday as I drive away from her, but I know she is in good hands. Plus, she needs to get to know my Mom and Dad without me around. I have a long list of to-dos and I am looking forward to going full speed ahead to accomplish all of them. At the top of the list, Bella 1st year scrapbook....I am only 8 months behind:)

I will let you know how Sunday goes. Keep us in your prayers.....it is a big week for me and Bella!

Happy Weekend!!

Fun in the Sun....

Last week Nik was at a Cub Scout day camp. Zak and I had a lot of fun entertaining Bella all week. The highlight of our week was out trip to the base pool. Bella had a blast. Zak was really good about playing with her and helping keep her excited about the water.

Zak showing Bella around the big pool.

Bella playing with her toys....

Bella determined to drink every ounce of pool water....yes I was freaking out a bit, but she is a kid and kids drink pool water....like it or not....if you can stop yours from drinking it please let me in on your secret.....

Bella "jumping" in and Zak "catching" her.....it was more like Zak pulling her in, but he thought it was a really big deal that she would "jump" to him....

Messy Monday

The photos are first because I have been trying for a day to upload the video and the text will not move. Not sure why I cannot get the video to upload, but I am no IT so I am done trying.....

I think it needs a little sunshine....

So focused on what she is doing....

Now what?

Hey mom I am busy here can you put the camera away....

So, what does a Mommy do with three kids when the heat index is going to be 102-108 degrees? She takes them to the uniform shop to buy school uniforms. Great idea, right? Nope, she should have checked the uniform store's website to see that they were CLOSED on Mondays. Ok, on to plan "B". She takes them to Target to buy their shorts and pants for the upcoming school year. Like all others Moms she leaves with $125 worth of stuff she could have/should have left on the shelves. Two of the items this Mommy decided to buy were a box of finger paints and a roll of art paper. Bella is old enough, right? Sure she is. So, we headed for home. Shortly before we arrived home I was full of anxiety, what had I done? For those of you that know me really well, you can understand why the thought of allowing Bella to finger paint was causing me anxiety. I am a neat freak to say the least and anything that is meant to make a mess provides me with a little anxiety. The following is how the rest of the afternoon played out; we arrive home, I feed Bella and the boys lunch, I tape paper to the kitchen table, get Bella's booster seat strapped to the chair, open all the paints, put the paint on plastic dishes, strip Bella down, and let her go to town. The very first thing she did was stick her hand in the yellow paint and then lick her hand....calm down it was non-toxic, but apparently not very tasty because she had a pretty funny look on her face. I took the plunge and stuck my fingers in the paint and showed her what to do with the "stuff" in front of her....ahhhh she got it! That was all it took to provide her with about 30 minutes of entertainment. Amazingly it was not nearly as messy as I anticipated and the best part of it all is that I have a beautiful painting from my lil angel!

Wordless Wednesday

Jayden and Bella in June of 2008

Jayden and Bella in June of 2009

What have we been up to????

Not much really. Why have I not posted in two weeks? Not sure, but here ya go....a sneak peak into the Kennedy's last three weeks minus my cousins visit because I am too lazy to download the photos:) Look for them tomorrow!

Celebrating Nik's 10th Birthday! Yep, June 3rd my little Man turned 10. I have two kids in double digits....am I really that old??

Bella eating a breadstick at "Olive Garden" for Nik's Birthday.

Nik enjoying his cake. I was lazy Mom and did not make the poor kid a cake. He is not really into a lot of attention so I did exactly what he asked for this year. He wanted to eat at "Olive Garden" and he wanted $$$ put in his checking account.....yep he is only 10!

We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Rossetto. Here Bella is "helping" Grandma with her e mail.

Me and the current Miss Black Diamond Days after the parade. 11 years ago I was that thin too:) This photo really shows how FAT I am! After seeing it, I have hit it hard....

Me in the parade. Dad was affraid it was going to rain(it poured on us on the way to the parade) so he thought leaving the top on the Vet was best:) Hey I was lucky I got to ride in it:)

My Mom has a photo just like this of my sister and I.....at least I think I have seen it before.

Bella on the horse. She was petting it the entire ride....she is so sweet!

Wordless Wednesday

Well not completely "wordless".....Bella "needs" a lovie in each hand to fall asleep. I think it is cute now, but hopefully she will grow out of this sooner than later:)
The boys are on SUMMER VACATION and this is the image I saw when I walked in the room after putting the baby down. You cannot see it, but the TV was not even on. And, NO I did not tell them to go read. As a matter of fact they are still reading as I am typing away......I am the luckiest Mommy in the world!!

Some More Firsts

This morning I decided to allow Bella to try cereal with milk. Needless to say she loved it and actually did a good job eating it on her own.

The point of the following photos is to show off Bella's new ponytail. Her hair is finally long enough to pull back in a ponytail and it is so cute! Don't judge the mommy decision to give her a cookie the size of her head....I had a lot to do yesterday and that processed sugar loaded cookie gave me about an hour of peace and quiet! She does not get it often, but there are times I have to do what I have to do and yesterday I had to pacify with a cookie.....all three kids had one:)

The End of Our Trip to Branson

Bella first look at the pool. She was not sure looking at it from the concrete and she was really unsure when we put her in that cold water!

Not even being held by the brothers made her want to be in the water.

How sweet is this photo?

Week in Branson Through Photos

We went to Branson last week for our Family Vacation. We choose Branson because it was close to home and it looked like fun. It was fun, not a place I will choose to go to again soon, but it was fun to get away and just be together! All captions in this post will be for the photo above it.The first full day we were in town we took the kids to an area called the Landing. It was a little area of outdoor shopping. Here Bella is helping me pick out the candles she wants me to buy.

She really did this on her own and I actually caught it.

She wanted to walk like this all the time. When Larry and I tried to hold her hand she would yell NOOOOO and point to the boys.

Zak playing with Bella at the outdoor playground.

My little Cardinal fan....

Zak asked me to pose like this for him. He really got a kick out of the sign. He wanted to buy a pillow at this store and was really disappointed when he told them he was a Cardinal fan and they did not give him a discount either. He did not understand the sign.

We went to a cave and Bella decided as soon as we got down into it she wanted nothing to do with the cave. Neither did I, but since I had never been in a cave Larry graciously took Bella out and let me stay down with the boys. I am glad I stayed, but again not something I will be wanting to set out to do again soon. The above photo is Bella in a maze at the cave.

Something they call "bacon" rocks in a cave.

The boys and I in the cave.

Corvette and tricked it all out.

While Nik was making the car Zak, Bella and I went to Build a Bear to make a bear for Bella. Since she loves doggies it was no surprise she choose a dog.

Bella is picking the heart for her doggie.

Putting the heart in doggie.

Washing the doggie.

Bella typing her info on the computer.

Bella telling Mommy to get back she's got it:)

Almost done....

Finally finished. Bella thought letting the dog ride in her stroller was pretty cool. She even had to strap doggie in.

The kiddos enjoying a snack at Silver Dollar City.

My cousin was in Branson for his Senior Trip. We ran into him at Silver Dollar City so he rode with Larry and the boys for most of the day. Here the boys are riding "Wildfire".

The boys with some silly folks at Silver Dollar City.

The boys riding the Log Flume.

Bella playing in the kiddie area at Silver Dollar City.

Nik climbing a palm tree at the Butterfly Palace.

Bella sitting in the butterfly chair.

Mommy and Bella in the butterfly chair.

My little family at the Butterfly Palace.

Wait here I come......

Bella at her first Krispy Kreame.

Getting her first Krispy Kreame.

Yummy!

The kiddos enjoying a warm glazed doughnut.

I have a few more photos to add, but I am done for the night. Hope you enjoyed!