July 2015

July!  This month was marked with two firsts for the kids, Amanda traveling for work, lots of progress on the Boyd St. house in Ashland, some fun events with family, and Samara turning 5.  The kids got to go to their first baseball game in early July.  Gemma brought them over to Amanda's NARI work event to enjoy the tailgate and then the Omaha Stormchasers baseball game.  They enjoyed the cheering, mascots and most of all the ice cream!  On a weekday morning we (Mommy and Auntie Courtney) took them both to their first real movie at the theater - went with a safe option, Curious George.  They both did well through the whole movie, Kalum just got a little cuddly on Mommy's lap at one part when the bad guys took George and put him in a cage.  It was apparently a little too real for him when it was on the big screen!

I had a work meeting in Des Plaines, IL for two days so Jeff took a day off to hang with the kiddos.  I'm glad the trip wasn't any further along in my pregnancy, all the sitting in airplanes, meetings, at meals, etc. was a little much for my growing belly.  But besides the swollen feet and ankles that resulted, it was a good meeting and helps me feel a little refreshed to come back to the kids.  This month I had the glucose test and my levels were fine, so I didn't have to do the three hour test this time.  My pregnancy has been going well, thankfully, things progressing smoothly with no complications, just plenty of Braxton-Hicks contractions.  Jeff keeps saying that baby needs to hang out in there until the house is finished!  Though very exhausting for all involved, he made HUGE strides during this eight-week time and in the end, we basically met our goal of having the house totally done by the end of the month.  The house looks great and it sounds like we will be able to put it on the market for more than we originally had planned per our real estate agents.  You'll have to wait for August to see the photos once it was done besides very final steps and staging done!

We got together with all the Pennell extended family to have an early 95th Birthday celebration for Grandpa Pennell.  It was nice to have everyone together, even those from out of town, and we got some good photos of the whole crowd.  Everyone put together a book of cards and letters for Grandpa for him to keep.  It brought of conversations of memories from times together through the years, always fun to reminisce.

We also had a get together with our Journey Group from church, a good group of people who all get along and the kids do too, so it was a great evening.  We'll start meeting again as we get into fall and start a new bible study.

The last party of the month was Samara's 5th Birthday Party!  Five for some reason seems so much older than four...halfway to ten?!?!  She got her 5 year pictures taken and it was the easiest photo session ever, natural smiles and genuine happy in every photo - a nice change from begging and pleading for results of cheesy grins or crying that you tend to have with younger kiddos.  She debated between a My Little Pony party and a Tinkerbell party, but in the end Tinkerbell it was.  Gemma made her a cute little Tinkerbell dress and her couple friends she invited got to make paper fairy wings and take home Tinkerbell flip-flops that Samara and I had decorated.  Samara requested sandwiches and macaroni & cheese for lunch, so we made that happen, along with other snacks and, of course, cake and ice cream.  Thanks to all who pitched in when they arrived to make the lunch happen, it ended up being a little too much to pull off by herself for this prego mama (though I do try to "do it all" anyway)!  Everyone enjoyed the quick lunch party and Samara actually allowed her friends that came to help her open gifts - a delegating leader in her future possibly?  She got a mix of clothes, toys, art supplies, a suitcase, and even a sewing machine with sewing lessons with Gemma included.

Samara's Moments for the Month:

• Loves animals, unless they are eating our plants or flowers!  There were Japanese beetles on our front flowers and she gladly pounded them with a stick and stomped on them.  Bunnies near our garden and she's eager to run and scare them away, yelling at them all the way.
• Samara enjoyed her first baseball game this month - She didn't love it at first, all the warming up between innings, etc.  She did like cheering and the ice cream (besides the throat freeze incident).
• At 5 years she is 44" tall (79% for height) and 39 lbs (50% for weight).  Still a tall and thin little lady.  She didn't go for a five year check-up, as they will save that for about 6 months out from kindergarten, when she can get a physical and needed shots.  She is already dreading the shots and blood draw that she heard about in preschool this year from some of her classmates.
• All of a sudden she is writing letters all the time.  Her name, Kalum's name, alphabet and just random letters.  On paper, in notepads or even the steamed up shower door. :)

Kalum's Moments for the Month:

•  Potty training update - got up in the middle of the night and had to go potty.  Then he needed help getting re-dressed, but still - progress!  He's really close to being totally potty trained.  Underwear all day and diapers just at night.  Often dry in the morning anyway.
• Went to first baseball game this month - Liked watching the players and all the sights and sounds.  Ice cream was a big hit of course as well!
• This month he is about 38" tall and about 35 lbs.  So, guessing about 50% for height and 85% for weight, based on charts online.  He'll be able to hold his own basically. :)