Welcome Baby Eli David!

We are so excited to announce that Eli David is here! He is a blessing in every way, and is slowly figuring out that nighttime is for sleeping. He was born on Friday, June 10 at 8:11 p.m. and was our quickest labor and delivery yet -- just short of 2 hours. He weighed 7 lbs., 5 ozs, and 20 inches long. He looks like both of the girls, and Great Grandma Corzatt thinks he looks like Matthew when Matthew was a baby. The girls are so much help to me, and I am amazed at how great they are with him. Praise God for answered prayers and His continued strength and guidance. Here are a few photos to share. 

Emily meets her brother for the first time! 

Megan couldn't be more proud to be a big sister!

She can't stop giving him kisses. So cute.

Resting peacefully. 

Eli looks so much like Megan when she was a baby in this photo. But his hair reminds us of Emily when she was a baby. Emily was excited in this photo because Eli had just opened his eyes. Of course,  I missed that quick moment.

A quiet moment after all our visitors had gone home for the night.

Daddy with Eli. Eli was hungry, so probably not the best time to be taking photos.

Here's our little man. So cuddly!

Ah, the many faces a baby makes. 

Home at last!!

Lamoine Christian Camp Open House

Growing and Growing!

Early Morning Surprise

Yesterday morning I went upstairs to the bathroom to put my make-up on. This little friendly tree frog greeted me in the bathroom. He was sitting on the toilet. How he got in the house is a mystery to me, but Emily was especially excited about the little amphibian. He climbed up her arm and hopped onto her head. Ugh! The really cool thing about these tree frogs that we find around our house is that they have the ability like a chameleon to change color. We had fun watching him change to a light tan color before we released him back outside!

Two Litters X Two Kittens = 4 New Kittens

Our cats seem to find odd places to have their kittens. Our first litter this year was born up in the hollow of an old tree, and our second litter was born under some bushes. The kids were more than thrilled to find the latest litter after we cracked "The Mystery of the Meowing Bush." We heard little meows, and I checked on the original litter in their cozy box in the garage. Both kittens were accounted for. It wasn't until the next day that we realized that we must have a second set of kittens! They don't have their eyes open yet, and make the first litter of kittens look huge! It is always fun to have new kittens around the farm.

Megan hugs our newest kitten.

Rachel and another kitten.

Emily retrieved this kitten from under the bush.

This is Angus. He is all black, with a white belly and four white paws.

Garrett holds Fuzzy.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!

Last night we celebrated Grandma's birthday (her birthday was actually today) with a fun family get-together. I won't reveal exactly how young she is. We had tacos and salads and to finish the evening -- strawberry shortcake. 

Happy birthday, Grandma Kathy! We all love you!!!

It appears as  though this is Jered's cake,
but he just happened to be sitting behind the cake.

Grandma blows out her candles. 

Sodbuster Days Race

We got up early this morning to cheer Matthew on during the Sodbuster Days 5k race in Good Hope. The race started at 7 a.m. and it was already 75 degrees outside, so it turned out to be a very hot race for the runners. Matthew wanted to set a PR despite the heat, and once again, he broke his best time and has a new PR. We are always so proud of him. All of his training runs have gotten him into great shape. Next Saturday he will run in the 5 mile Strawberry Strut in Carthage, IL -- a race known for it's hills and heat!!
I love this time of year with all the short, local races.

It appears as though Megan loves riding this frog. I'm not sure what the frog is thinking!

Emily poses for a quick photo.

The runners line up for the start.

Matthew in the home stretch!

Fresh Strawberries

This is one of my favorite parts of summer. It is amazing how quickly the strawberries ripen -- and it seems all at once. Emily and some of my nephews picked a LOT of strawberries from our patch yesterday. We still have lots of freezer jam from last summer so I don't plan to make any jam this summer. So, tomorrow I am looking forward to making one of our favorite treats -- strawberry pie!!!!

Slip and Slide

Yesterday was so hot that when Emily and Megan's cousins came over we decided to play in some cold water. They had fun with our Slip and Slide. I love that toy! I got it for $5 on clearance a few summers ago and it has been a great investment. There is just something fun about sliding on a wet piece of plastic that keeps kids entertained for hours. It sounds like the next week will be full of more opportunities to slip and slide!

Rachel slipping . . . 

. . . and Rhett sliding!

Summer is all about having freshly cut grass stuck to your arms and legs.

I'm not sure what was so funny, but Megan and Rachel were full of giggles.

Memorial Day at Aunt Mary's House

Aunt Mary and Uncle Jeff invited us to spend the day with them on Memorial Day. We had so much fun. We had great food, and then the kids couldn't wait to get in the pool. Even though the water was a little cool still, they all had a great time swimming and the pool provided great relief from the hot temperatures. Josiah is a great underwater swimmer and likes to dive from the deep end. Lissa is a FISH! Megan loved cruising in an inner tube and Emily spent most of her time jumping and diving in the deep end and then hustling to the side of the pool! Thanks, Aunt Mary and Uncle Jeff for a great day! We can't wait to see you again soon!

The kids just couldn't resist the pool on a hot day!!

Josiah comes up for air after a long underwater swim!

Megan was attached to this inner tube and just cruised from one end of the pool and back over and over again!

Lissa is great for retrieving toys at the bottom of the deep end. 

My project this morning was to sew a crib sheet for the crib. I found a really easy pattern and it only took about an hour to make it. It has been fun coming up with new baby ideas, and fun choosing from a new color scheme. Next project -- get something hung on the walls!!! 

Reading Herself to Sleep

It isn't unusual for the girls to read in the afternoon for an hour. But, when Megan didn't come downstairs one afternoon for a REALLY long time, I suspected that she had fallen asleep, which is very rare for her. What was so sweet when I checked on her is that she had her book propped open so she didn't even miss a page! 

Feline Friends

Emily with some of our farm cats. There never seems to be a shortage of tails and paws at our house.