Dennie Kids: July 31, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Reagan and Anderson spending the morning while Graham was at the Nutrition Center
  • Graham having a great time in the brain lab-no, not really. We get to go back and do it again
  • 24 pounds and 13 ounces is what Graham weighs. He is over 29 inches long and has a big head like his brother and sister
  • Reagan and Anderson making star cupcakes with Grannymom-Reagan has been on a big cake making kick and that is all that she wants to talk about
  • Shopping for Graham some shoes with Nonna-the top of his feet are so big, he wears a huge size for his age
  • Afternoon naps for everoyne while Mom worked in the kitchen
  • Putting on our bathing suits and waiting on Dad to come home
  • Eating supper and then patiently waiting on Dad to finish his food so everyone could swim
  • Swimming until almost dark and heading home to get into bed-a big day tomorrow!

Dennie Kids: July 30, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Waking up and heading to Nonna's house in our pajamas
  • When Robby leaves, Anderson and Reagan wave at him from upstairs and Graham is catching on to this-today he saw them by the window and started his fast crawl to the window while saying "dadada"
  • Eating lots of fruit for breakfast-Reagan loved the blueberries, Anderson loved the strawberries and Graham is a banana boy
  • Playing at Nonna's house while Mom ran lots of errands (yes, its her work day but don't tell Dad she was out running errands!)
  • Eating popsicles from Beebee and Papaws house
  • Coming home and having a long afternoon nap-Anderson even slept until 5:20
  • Mexican for supper with Dad
  • Playing on the carpet while Mom and Dad worked on their Ireland photo book
  • Reagan and Anderson staying up late watching a movie until bedtime

Graham's First Birthday and Dennie Kids: July 29, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Reagan and Anderson singing Happy Birthday to Graham first thing this morning
  • Playing puzzles, fire trucks and train most of the morning
  • A morning nap for Graham while Reagan and Anderson made Graham's first birthday cake
  • Lunch with Dad and then a quick afternoon nap
  • Playing with Cash at Rock Creek-Graham had a blast and tried to keep up with Reagan and Anderson, Reagan and Anderson enjoyed getting to play with Cash and the first 30 minutes we were the only ones there
  • Waiting on Dad outside-the weather was perfect
  • Watching the pizza man drive by our house a few times before finally stopping-Graham ate as much as Anderson. But Reagan is my pizza girl-she gobbled it down
  • Watching Mom and Dad's wedding video and naming all of the people they saw-they could still tell who they were even though everyone was skinnier and had more hair!
  • Wearing birthday hats and singing to Graham again while helping him blow out his candles
  • Changing into our pajamas and then watching one last movie before bedtime

Dennie Kids: July 28, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • School for Reagan and Anderson this morning-their last day for 2 weeks
  • Graham playing at Grannymom and Grandpa's house and drinking lots of milk
  • Reagan's teacher being very impressed with how well she could write her name
  • Having a snack at Grannymom's house and Graham clicking to say that he wanted a snack too
  • An afternoon nap for Graham-who can fly up the steps, knock his high chair into the window and climb out his wagon while buckled up
  • Anderson and Reagan playing all afternoon and making an "artivity" (Reagan)
  • Talking about Dad's new car and saying that "maybe convertible"-it is not a convertible
  • Waiting and waiting on Dad to come home-we stayed outside until he came home and looked at his new car
  • Taking a short walk with Grannymom in the wagon while Grandpa worked on Dad's lawnmower
  • Baths for everyone before bed

Dennie Kids: July 27, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • After turning on the tv and seeing the AT&T symbol, Anderson said "Jason works there"-and from 630 you do see the sign for AT&T while looking towards Jason's building
  • Graham getting wetter than Mom during Mom's shower-he pulled at the shower curtain and finally fell in. He was drenched and Mom was not happy!
  • Breakfast-our new routine is Graham eats a banana, Reagan has yogurt and Anderson can't decide what to eat until I almost throw him out of the kitchen and then settles on muffin tops
  • Cleaning the house a little and everyone playing happily for the longest time (I thought these days would never come)
  • Dad coming home for lunch-and Anderson throwing a fit and getting a spanking
  • A quick trip to the grocery store (when Mom has coupons she just can't stay away!)-everyone kept all of their tickets and were able to get a juice box!
  • Watching a squirrel out the back window-Reagan first ran to me saying she saw a mouse but it was just a squirrel
  • Afternoon naps for everyone
  • Supper with Dad and then playing cooking with Mom before she left for Bunko
  • Getting every toy out we could find while Mom was gone (Dad LOVES this! - not.)
  • A quick Arthur movie and then to bed
  • New travel post at http://travelbugwithkids.blogspot.com/

Baby #4 to arrive before Christmas!

We have some exciting news...check out http://babydennie4.blogspot.com/

Dennie Kids: July 26, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Another Sunday morning-Reagan and Anderson enjoy Sunday school and Graham does not and lets everyone know about it!
  • Lunch at Nonna and Pop's house. BBQ, Anderson and Reagan have convinced themselves that they don't like it. If one says they don't like something (usually Reagan) then the other won't eat any (usually Anderson). Graham loves it and ate more than the others combined
  • Afternoon naps for everyone-even Mom and Dad
  • Back to church tonight for a concert. Anderson came in to see them sing for a few minutes (Reagan was on the playground) He sat so still just watching everything and loved clapping at the end of songs.
  • French fries after church from Wendys
  • Getting to stay up late and play (pull out all of the toys and make a huge mess) while Mom and Dad cooked up some meals for the next week or two

Dennie Kids: July 25, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Saturday: our favorite day
  • Graham waking up early and wanting breakfast before everyone else was ready to eat
  • An early morning trip to the post office and grocery store
  • Graham taking a morning nap while Reagan and Anderson watched a few movies
  • Lunch and then everyone playing together happily-they played so well that Mom and Dad were able to work on the next trip: We will do something fun for Reagan (butterfly conservatory) and something fun for the boys (spend the night in a train car hotel)
  • A nap for the boys while Reagan went to Elise's birthday party
  • Reagan played and talked to Elise and Elizabeth and wanted to go where they were going-Mom still had to "catch" her at the bottom of every slide
  • Watching Dad mow the yard after a quick supper-then the lawnmower broke and then he ran out of gas!
  • A shower for Reagan and baths for the boys
  • A few books before bed

Dennie Kids: July 24, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Reagan waking up at 6:00 am this morning; Dad held her off from getting in Mom's bed until 6:30
  • Waiting for Jacob and Ethan to arrive - Ms. April came to visit with Mom and we played for a long time
  • Lunch and then afternoon naps
  • Watching a movie and waiting for Dad to get home
  • Mom getting nuggets out for supper but Dad decided we should eat nuggets at McDonald's - he didn't want to be home all night with Mom going to Bunko
  • Playing at McDonald's (Mom came for a little bit) and then we she left Dad took us to TCBY for ice cream (he forgot his camera but sure we had it while Anderson was eating his rainbow ice cream -- he came out looking like a Smurf!)
  • Getting home at 8:30 - Dad said we had to hurry to get to bed because it was late

Dennie Kids: July 23, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Heading to Nonna and Pop's house early this morning
  • Graham spending most of the day in Pop's lap since he didn't feel all that great-runny nose and a little cough and maybe a bit of fever
  • Eating popsicles from Beebee
  • Coming home and taking a nap-everyone is still sleepy
  • Movies and playing robot after nap
  • Leftovers for supper and then more "carpet time" for Reagan and Anderson (which means go play and let Mom and Dad have a break)
  • Graham using Anderson's bike to climb on top of the train table! He can no longer be left unattended
  • Baths for everyone-Reagan spent her time trying to catch stuff floating in the tub, Anderson enjoyed laying down in the tub and Graham has to wait until they are washed up before he gets in so he gets a little antsy before he gets to get in
  • Pictures from last week - click here! The kids had a blast last week while we were in Ireland. The park, shopping, swimming, out to eat, school, church, playing outside and lots of other stuff. They stayed so busy and hardly ever missed us!

Dennie Kids: July 22, 2009


Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)


  • Reagan waking up early and being ready to go to Elizabeth's house

  • Grannymom coming over while Mom and Dad ran to a doctor's appointment-Baby IV is growing well and looking good (more here)

  • Everyone putting on their clothes and heading outside to swing

  • Graham having a morning nap while Reagan and Anderson watched a movie and drank countless glasses of juice while Mom happily ironed and cleaned

  • Dinosaur chicken nuggets for lunch and making our own honey mustard dressing!

  • Reagan playing at Elizabeth's house-she has so much fun and made cupcakes (and she even brought some home for Dad)

  • Graham and Anderson meeting Dad at the mall for a pretzel and then shopping at Sam's

  • Picking up Reagan and the boys were even able to come in and have a cupcake

  • 3 fussy kids coming home since no one had an afternoon nap

  • Anderson getting a few spanking while Reagan watched a movie and Graham took a nap

  • Dad coming home and taking everyone out to eat

  • Running by Grannymom's to see Zach and Josh for a few minutes before going to bed

July 22, 2009: Surprise Ultrasound

(click here for pictures) After having my AFP test before we left on vacation, I got the dreaded call yesterday that my numbers were off. My odds were increased for Down Syndrome so the nurse called (and left a message) to let us know. At first our appointment with the specialist was going to be next week, but God intervened and our appointment was moved to today at 8. We arrived and waited and waited before being called back. Once we were in the back, the doctor did the ultrasound and all of the measurements. Thankfully, everything measured good and he was able to greatly reduce my odds of a Downs baby so that was a huge relief. I called my doctor and they said that we didn't have to go to our regularly scheduled ultrasound. He didn't tell us what the baby was and we didn't ask! So baby IV will be another surprise.

Dennie Kids: July 21, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Graham stirring a few times last night so jet lagged Mom and Dad sent him to the den
  • Anderson stirring around 6 but going right back to sleep in bed with Mom and Dad
  • Reagan and Anderson having a hard time getting back into the routine this morning
  • Mom taking Graham to Grannymom's house and Reagan and Anderson to school
  • Reagan having cupcakes to celebrate Elise's birthday and Anderson pooing on the potty (his teachers were so proud-I didn't have the heart to tell him that he does that he always poos in the potty)
  • Picking up Graham and going to play at Rock Creek
  • Reagan and Anderson learning that they can climb all the way up with no help from Mom-after Mom had to help them twice
  • Graham not liking going down the long slide with Mom-did not like it at all
  • A nap for Graham this afternoon while Reagan and Anderson colored
  • Supper at Larry's Pizza-Dad was told that Pops had a lot more money than he did
  • Anderson chewing on a straw and then saying "smoke coming out"-where did he get that from?

Ireland - Day 8

July 20, 2009 (don't click here for pictures today-we didn't take any) We spent the night in the Holiday Inn Express in Dublin near the airport. We woke up around 6 and were ready to get downstairs and have the traditional Holiday Inn Express breakfast-hot cinnamon rolls. Oh, after days in Ireland we could taste them coming down the elevator. But surprise, surprise, there were no delicious cinnamon rolls there. We did however have croissants, yogurt, toast and juice. It was alright but we were pretty disappointed about those cinnamon rolls.

The shuttle bus took us right to the airport and dropped us off and after a 10 mile hike we checked in and passed security. We always get nervous at security-especially in a foreign country-and we are good guys. The plane ride from Dublin to Chicago was on time and smooth. We were in the middle again and the guy beside me was a little too close for comfort-stealing my arm rest. The flight was 7.5 hours and it seemed a little like it. Most of it did go by fairly fast with 2 meals to eat and lots of drinks.

After landing, we rushed passed lots of people. I had heard that every 20 people you pass on the way to customs you save 10 minutes. We must have passed a bunch of people because we were in and out of border patrol and customs in no time and headed back through security. We tried to catch an earlier flight home but it was full so we had to wait for our flight. In the meantime, we bought some popcorn and had supper a Chili's. The flight from Chicago to home was fairly smooth even though it was a little windy out. The captain never even turned off the seatbelt sign so needless to say when we landed I had to rush off to the bathroom! Our trip was wonderful and we would highly recommend Ireland to anyone. But we were glad to home and hug our kiddos! (who didn't really seem to miss us that much!)

July 20, 2009: Sharing the news with the Kids & Grandparents!

(click here for pictures) Home from Ireland and it must surely be time to tell everyone about Dennie Baby 4-which I now refer to as IV. The kids t-shirts were delivered while we were gone and after picking them up from swimming we told them of the good news. Reagan said “another one?” when we told her Mom was going to have a baby. She then said that she hoped it was a girl and hoped that God would tell us what it is soon. But we will again wait to find out-the big ultrasound is in a few weeks now. We went to the Brock’s house and told them. Tommye didn’t seem surprised and even had a date written on the calendar of when she first suspicioned that IV was on the way. Next we headed to the Dennie’s and they were surprised too-though they did say they had been expecting it. The next few months will fly by and we can’t wait for IV to arrive.

Ireland - Day 7

July 19, 2009 (click here for pictures) We left the Cong Hostel this morning a little after 9. It seemed like we were the only ones stirring around there. We had to backtrack to get to Galway before heading towards Dublin. The skies were beautiful this morning and we wondered if we should go back to the Cliffs of Moher. We decided not to since we did have a few miles to drive today. Before long we had made it into the town of Birr. After reading a little bit about the town, we found the Birr Castle and walked through it. The admission was a little steep but it was a nice time to get out and stretch since we had been in the car for a little bit. The castle is lived in by some family. One of the men who lived at the castle at one time, invented a huge telescope. It was the world's largest telescope from 1845 until 1919. They had a nice little science museum and another that talked about the estate family's inventions. The gardens were plain and not fancy but they were huge. We walked well over 2 miles beside a little stream. The whole time we followed an ederly couple and I was convinced that they were the owners of castle out on a stroll. But since they parked in the visitor parking, I guess they were not.

After stopping at a few stores looking for ice, we finally gave up and drank our cokes warm. We stopped to have a picnic in a gas station parking lot. It was after 2 and we were getting hungry! Not too long later, we made it to the Irish Stud Farm. The Japanese Gardens there were incredibly impressive. They told a story of birth (walking through a cave), learning (climbing a hill), marriage (walking over a bridge), disagreement (the path separating but them coming back together), the later years of life (a flat path). It was beautiful and we could have stayed there a lot longer. Next was another garden, St. Fiachra's Garden. It was interesting too and not as formal. The kids would have loved both of the gardens-lots of climbing and things to step on and over. I found the gardens much more interesting than the Stud Farm. The horses were beautiful but mainly stayed away from the gates. We saw their stables and even watched a film of a horse being born (so glad we don't live on a farm!) As we were walking out of the farm, we bought ice cream cones-mint chocolate chip for me and toffee crunch for Robby-delicious!

From there, the drive to Dublin was about an hour. We drove to the airport and then followed our directions to our hotel, a Holiday Inn Express. Before checking in, we stopped to buy gas and then had a quick supper at McDonalds, our first McDonald's meal in Ireland. We unpacked and already feel like we are back home-ice machines, free breakfast and even a US plug. We decided to return the rental car early since we are close to the airport and that way we wouldn't have to deal with it in the morning. The rental car place was easy to get to and from there we caught a bus to the airport. We only had to wait a few minutes before catching the bus to the hotel. We have unpacked and repacked for our trip home. We will not have to leave until around 7:30 to catch our 10:30 flight. It has been wonderful trip and rated all of the sites on the way here. We couldn't think of anything that we had missed in Ireland.

Video: Ireland - Irish Stud Farm (July 19, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Irish Stud Farm (July 19, 2009)

Video: Ireland (July 19, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Cliffs of Moher (July 18, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Leamaneh Castle (July 18, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Cows crossing the road (July 18, 2009)

Ireland - Day 6

July 18, 2009 (click here for pictures) The hotel last night was a bit noisy, but we mangaged to sleep incredibly well. Our first stop this morning was right up the street and one of my favorite places to go in foreign countries: the grocery store. We have been hitting them quite frequently. If I had room in my luggage, I would bring back lots of food. I am intrigued by the things they have that we don't and the things we have that are packaged and named differently. Anyway, we needed to pick up some bread, cokes and cookies. We even bought sausage rolls-the sausage was a little different in them, maybe it was white sausage but we enjoyed them.

The drive to Cliffs of Moher was a rainy one. It has drizzled on us all day long. When we got there, we decided to take our new rainsuits out of the package and wear them. I didn’t really want to since I knew I would never get them back in the package (but I just finished squeezing them in there tonight). The Cliffs of Moher were beautiful. We could just imagine them on a sunny day. Robby said that we will have to come back. Even with the rain and wind we could see the cliffs next to the ocean which seemed to go on for miles. Inside I bought another Chirstmas ornament and had a cup of hot chocolate.

Next we drove up the coast to Lisdoonverna headed to the Burren. On the way there we stopped to take some pictures of cows grazing in front of an old castle, Leamaneh Castle. The Poulnabrone Dolmen was our only stop in the Burren. It was like a big stone table they used in rituals or for burials long ago. The landscape there was unique-broken limestone rocks with grass growing in the cracks. Would have been prettier on a nice day but pretty nonetheless. We decided to eat lunch in Galway and I put in "pizza" in the GPS. It took us to a Papa John's-Robby was thrilled because he loves pizza and I was thrilled because it was a sit down restaurant and I needed to go to the bathroom. The pizza took a little while to make and when Robby went to the counter to get ours-they didn't have it. They offered him a cheese one that was ready and said they would cook his quickly. He said we could just wait since we were in no hurry (and what were we going to do with 2 pizzas?) A few minutes later, the Papa John's girl came and brought another cheese one to us and insisted that we eat it while we waited. How could we say no? So we ate that pizza and were full when our sausage pizza arrived. We took it with us since we didn't want for it to go to waste.

It was starting to sprinkle again but we walked around the town of Galway with our pizza box in our hands. We stopped at the Browne Door (a remaining relic from the town years ago) to take a few photos and walked to the waterfront before hurring back to our car since we only had a few minutes left on our meter. It didn't take too long to drive to Cong where we are spending the night. We are staying in a hostel-lots of people here: rvs, tents, dormrooms, and hotel like rooms. We are staying in one of those hotel like rooms. We explored the hostel a little and then headed out to see Cong.

The 1951 Quiet Man movie with John Wayne was filmed here. So there were some sights from the movie that we saw. We haven't seen the movie but might watch it tonight in the hostel's movie room - they show it every night at 8:30. Next we walked around the remains of the Cong Abbey. Behind it, the monks had built a fishing hut out on the water. They would keep warm by the fireplace, drop their nets in the trap door in the floor and when a fish got in their net it would cause a bell to ring. The bell would tell them they had caught a fish and it would signal to the cook that their was fresh fish ready. We tried to walk to the Ashford Castle but weren't sure of the way to go so turned around and headed to the car. We did drive to the castle but weren't able to see it well since the grounds were about to close.

Our extra pizza came in handy since this town is so small. The place here has a microwave downstairs so we heated up our pizza and had it for dinner. It was still good and now we are full. The Quiet Man movie is going to be on in a little bit. Tomorrow is our last full day of sightseeing and then we fly back home. I have done all of my shopping except one more gift for Reagan-she needs one more thing. Everything you see in these shops are all the same as what you saw at the last shop. Hopefully, I can find the perfect thing and if not I will just get her some candy! She will love that!

Video: Ireland - Cong Hostel (July 18, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Cong Hostel (July 18, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Cong Hostel (July 18, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Driving the crazy roads! (July 17, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Valenica Island ferry (July 17, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Hotel #4, Limerick (July 17, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Bunratty Castle (July 17, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Bunratty Castle Dinner (July 17, 2009)

Ireland - Day 5

July 17, 2009 (click here for pictures) We left the Parknasilla Resort before 8 this morning. We didn't see anyone anywhere stirring around the hotel-rich people must sleep late. We started our circle of the Ring of Kerry in Sneem and were at the Staigue Fort in no time. Since it was around 8:30 no one was there-and really probably not many visitors make it here. It was up a 3 mile, 3 foot wide road-which seemed like it lasted forever! When we arrived we jumped out to explore (after last night, we didn't want to get stranded so we left the car running). The forts were in the shape of a ring, I think that is how the Ring of Kerry somehow got its name. Inside this fort were three sheep-like animals. They were scared of us and started climbing the walls but we did get a few photos.

We went clockwise through the ring and since we started early, we never met any traffic-except at the end when we counted 15 tour buses but we were on "big roads" then so it was less scary. We took a detour around the Skellig Ring, mainly to stop at the Skellig Chocolate Factory. On the way up there, it was another curvy narrow road with tall bushes on both sides. When you met someone else, you had to find a place to pull over quickly. We turned a corner and met a delivery truck-this was after not seeing any other car for miles-so it was very unexpected. Needless to say, we made it but had to clean out Robby's seat afterwards! Kidding! After everyone stopping suddenly, we backed up and found a place a let him by. At the chocolate factory, we were their first guest of the day. The lady gave us sample after sample of chocolate-even ones we were a little scared to try (ginger) but we kept eating them so she would keep giving us some. We took our chocolate down the road to St. Finan's Bay to have our snack. We tried to get a back picture and hopefully, we ended up with one. There was a dog that came up to us and brought Robby a rock to play catch with. If Robby didn't throw it, the dog started to bark and since we needed him out of the picture, Robby would have to push the camera button, throw the rock and run and sit down before the picture took. Needless to say, it took quite a few takes to get a decent picture.

We moved quickly around the ring and even took a detour to Valentia Island. After a little drive around the island, we opted to catch a ferry back to the mainland. The ferries are fun and they don't waste any time. This one was a little bit long than the other day-maybe 6 minutes. We needed ice and found a grocery store to stop at. We picked up a few things and headed on. We had finished the ring and decided to go up to the next peninsula and see Dingle. And Dingle was a happening place. There were many tour buses around. We took a walk around the city and even saw the statue of their famous local dolphin, Fungie. We consided driving the Dingle loop (only 30 minutes but possibly quite crowded) but decided not to since we still had a few hours to drive to Limerick. After our walk, we headed back to town and had our sandwiches before hitting the road again.

The drive to Limerick was pleasant and pretty straight. It took over 2 hours but there was lots to look at. The views that we have seen today have been gorgeous. The hills, the pastures, the cliffs, the ocean-it is just beautiful. We stopped by the Blennerville Windmill to take a picture and soon were in Limerick. We actually drove right by our hotel and drove around the city a bit looking for it before we found it. It is just a big city hotel but Robby has street parking now and we are right on the road that we need tomorrow.

This evening, we went to Bunratty Castle Medieval Dinner. We entered as the gave us Bunratty Mead (not any good). Next we went upstairs to have some Spiced Parsnip Soup (delicious potato soup), Spare Ribs with Honey and Whiskey Sauce (good but a little salty) and Breast of Chicken served with Potatoes and Veggies (good but I was full by then). For dessert, it was a Rastin which is fruit of the forest mouse on a biscuit base (let's just say chocolate cake would have been better!) Their was no silverware-only knives which was plenty and white and red wine also set on the tables. It was like a cruise ship because you sat with strangers-on one side we had the normal New York family, on my other side a New Yorker who asked if she could eat the broccoli off of a strangers plate and on Robby's side there was an Australian lady who continuously "shhh"ushed the crowd. We were glad we had one set of people to chat with! It was highly entertaining and there was even a show. Everyone was dressed in medieval clothes and sang along with the harp and violin. It was fun and we were stuffed when we left. We quickly made it back to Limerick and started planning for our day tomorrow.

Ireland - Day 4

July 16, 2009 (click here for pictures) The morning began with breakfast bars and another mostly sunny day. We were on the road this morning around 8 and made it to the Rock of Cashel around 9. There weren't many people there and we were wondering if it was open. It was and we practically had the place to ourselves as we walked around the grounds. It was very impressive.

We had another hour and a half to drive to get to Blarney Castle. The tourist were already there but it wasn't crazy crowded. We walked up to the castle and then climbed 100 steep steps in a tiny stairwell to get to the Blarney Stone. You have to lay on your back with your head dangling off of the side of the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. We did it anyway-there was a very old lady on front of us who said "I came 6000 miles to do this and I am doing it." That is what I had to say to myself while climbing up all of the stairs. We stopped for some souveneirs and cokes when we left the castle. Then we had our picnic lunch sitting on the back of the car. And we had the stangest thing to watch-2 parents and 6 kids get out of a van, then they got out a mattress, loveseat, potty chair and toaster. They swept the van out and then put the stuff back in. They were still working when we left and we have no idea what they were doing.

I will eventually write a blog just about driving in Ireland. Or it will mostly be about riding in Ireland since that is what I (Tara) am doing. It is crazy and today was the craziest of driving days. After miles and miles of hairpin turns while dodging tour buses and pedastrians in a lane that was only 3 foot wide. Next, we made it to the Muckross House. And what did we see? More craziness: a picket line. The men were not going to move for us to drive into the driveway and the police man had to make them move. We asked once we bought our tickets what they were protesting: horse poo! The park/city/whoever is making the horses wear the things to catch their poo so the horse and buggy men were protesting. I tried to snap a picture on the way out but didn't get a good one since Robby was speeding out of the driveway!

The Muckross House tour was a tad on the long side but very interesting. An American couple eventually bought that house for their daughter when she married an Irish man. Robby was wondering why he didn't get a house when we got married. Anyway, we even toured the kitchen which is always my favorite for old houses. The guide asked us what some appliances were and we were the only ones to know-where are these people from? An ice cream maker, a juicer and a coffee grinder. I felt like Martha Stewart knowing all of that. It was drizzling after the tour but we were able to do a little more shopping before crossing the picket line again.

In the Killarney National Park, we climbed up to the Torq Waterfall. It was gorgeous even if it was a little bit cold. The moss covered the trees and the water rushed over the smoothest stones I had ever seen. We had some more crazy driving after leaving the waterfall. The GPS did better today but still doesn’t have many of the roads we are on-we are just following the signs. On this route, we stopped at Lady's View to take some pictures. Shortly afterwards, we saw some sheep in the road.

Again, we thought we had turned the wrong way and were about to turn around when looking for our hotel, but we saw the sign. We checked into the Parknasilla near Sneem. It is a hotel from 1895 and you can just imagine it years ago. It had trails that lead to swimming areas and little bath houses. It is a fancy dancy hotel-nicest place we have probably ever stayed (thanks Orbitz!). After exploring, we headed back to Sneem for a grocery store run and supper. We had supper at The Hungry Knight-hamburgers and fries. What could be better? Oh, and we must have left our lights on because our car wouldn't start when we returned. The people here don't have jumper cables sine they have standards but thankfully there was a garage a block away and they came to our rescue (after a small payment)! We drove around a little after that to make sure the battery was well charged and grabbed our bags to come in the hotel.

Yes, it is a super nice place. The Bellman offered to get out luggage when we checked in but that sure is a lot of trouble so we just repacked in the car and carried our stuff in the hotel inside of our backpacks. It wasn't worth us driving the car back to the front to have him get our stuff and honestly, who wants to pay someone to touch their stuff. And I had already used that money tonight on my ice cream sandwich I ate in the North Square in Sneem. It has been another good day and we have lots of driving tomorrow around the Ring of Kerry.

Video: Ireland - Muckross House (July 16, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Killarney National Park waterfall (July 16, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Hotel #3, Sneem (July 16, 2009)

Ireland - Day 3

July 15, 2009 - (click here for pictures) What a wonderful night of sleep. I don't think we moved all night long and even slept until 8. We didn't get on the road until a little before 10. We changed our plans and headed to a new place on our list: the Powerscourt Gardens and Castle. It was in Rick Steve's book and it did not disappoint. There was a tower that we climbed up along with Japanese Gardens and a pet cemetery (family pets of the Powerscourt family including a few horses along with dogs & cats). Along the road to Wexford, we saw numerous stands selling Wexford strawberries. I might have to stop and pick some up - we probably saw 25 road side stands.

The GPS has disappointed us a little bit today. She doesn't have small towns and many of the roads that we are driving on. She is as lost as we are! But, it has been okay. We have decent maps and the signs are fairly good and Robby is pretty good at going round and round in the roundabouts until we know which way to go for sure (just call him Chevy Chase). In Wexford, we stopped a few times to ask for directions. Our directions might have been good but we think we took a wrong turn somewhere. We drove straight to the Hook Head Lighthouse but we were not on any main roads! When we arrived, we were surprised to see buses and other cars there since we didn't see any of that on the way there. We unpacked our picnic lunch and had sandwiches in front of the lighthouse. We could hear the ocean and took a walk behind the lighthouse on the rocks. It was beautiful but a little windy.

Next, we were unsure about our directions (again) but headed to Ballyhack. There our choice was to drive 30+ miles up and around the water or take the ferry. Before we knew it, we were in line for the ferry. We didn't know how much it cost but figured we did need to make up some time in the day so we went for it. It was pretty cheap-should be since it was only 4 minutes long across the waterway. It held around 15 cars and they didn't even fill it up. By the time Robby had put the car in park, we were moving. We had enough time to jump out and take a picture before it was time to go again. Before our car was off the ferry, they were loading other cars on it.

Within minutes, we were at the Waterford Crystal factory and store. The displays were amazing and Waterford sounded like a nice anniversary present (since today is our 9 year anniversary). Actually, I didn't even buy anything. I would have picked up a Christmas ornament but don't like to get one that can break easily...like crystal! It was a very good stop though since it poured while we were inside.

Next we made it to Kilkenny. The town was pretty busy and touristy-a neat little town. Robby found parking on the street (after driving down a one-way street!) and we walked to the Kilkenny Castle. It was already closed so we weren't able to tour it but we did walk around the grounds. The grounds weren't that big but it is right in the middle of the town. , We headed to a pub we had read about: Kyteler's Inn. We sat on the covered deck and had a great dinner. We split the tomato basil soup. Then Robby had a cajun chicken paninni with fries and I had some type of ham and chicken fancy word dish (it was like a chicken pot pie) along with fries and a salad. For dessert we split a Death By Chocolate cake-yum!

We walked back through town and by the castle on the way to the car. From there we actually happened by our hotel tonight. It is another nice one. We are working on our route for tomorrow and have another busy day toward the Rock of Cashel and the Blarney Stone.

Video: Ireland - Powerscourt Gardens (July 15, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Hook Head Lighthouse (July 15, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Hotel #3, Kilkenny (July 15, 2009)

Video: Ireland - Dublin (July 14, 2009)

Ireland - Day 1 & 2

July 13-14, 2009 (click here for pictures) After almost a full morning of waiting, it was time to drop off the kids. I think they were more excited than we were. Reagan made sure that we gave her and her brothers seven kisses since we will be gone seven nights. Check in at Little Rock was simple. We even saw someone famous-we don't really know who it was but others were getting his autograph. We also saw the largest belt buckle ever-must have been 12 inches tall and 20 inches wide. Robby wouldn't let me take a picture. Our Chicago flight was running late -- by an hour at first mention but ended up only being 30 minutes late. We made it to our gate in plenty of time and were soon boarding the plane for Dublin.

The Dublin flight went by fairly quickly. Supper was (chewy) beef and mashed potatoes or chicken (with lots of veggies) and rice. After dinner we watched Hotel for Dogs. We must have slept some because soon it was breakfast time-a little lite but adequate (a yummy crossiant, yogurt and juice). We landed in Dublin-stopped by the bathrooms, atm and grabbed a muffin (which Robby later got all over his pants) before picking up our rental car.

The rental car-everything is just wrong over here. Robby is on the wrong side and I am on the wrong side too (I have probably worn a hole in the floor from braking with my foot) People drive like mad, it is hard to see everything and the pedestrians all have a death wish. But soon Robby was driving like the rest of them (my blood pressure is just now returning to normal). He has gotten the hang of it and has even circled the blocks just a few times-because he likes too! He did say that driving was messing with his mind. We drove right to the Guinness Storehouse -- the free parking was full so we headed to another parking garage.

After walking a few blocks this way and a few blocks that way, we finally caught a double decker city tour bus. We saw a number of sights: Kilmainham goal, O'Connell Street and the O'Connell Street Bridge. We got off of the bus at Trinity College and viewed the Book of Kells. But I thought the Long Hall -- which looked like an ancient library with 2 floors of books -- was much more interestng.

Afterwards, Robby decided that we were near our hotel and wanted to check in. We walked for a number of blocks-many many blocks. Then we decided that we had missed it and turned around and had walked many of those same blocks again before seeing a map and realizing that we hadn't missed it and still had to walk some more. Anyway, after a long, long walk we made it to the hotel and expected to check in easily. Not so, they couldn't find Robby's reservation and didn't seem to know what to do with his reservation number. After waiting well over an hour, we finally left (after they assured us we would have a room). So then we had that long walk back to O'Connell Street and we were starving. We had been battling the rain all day and it finally poured when we ducked into Burger King for lunch. We have stayed pretty dry-we each have jackets and umbrellas and even have ponchos that we haven't pulled out yet. But my pants and both of our shoes and socks were drenched.

The rain slowed after our burgers and we hit to sight seeing again. We walked across the Ha'Penny Bridge to Grafton Street to see all of the shops. On the way there, we walked through Temple Bar and I even had my picture made with the Subway man (Not Jared, just a character dressed up like a sandwich). The next stop has been my favorite in Dublin-St. Stephen's Green. It is a beautiful little park in the middle of the city-ducks, swans, flowers-absolutely gorgeous. Next we did a little shopping for one of the kids and then caught the bus back at Trinity College. We rode until St. Patrick's Cathedral and hopped off. The cathedral was beautiful and the bells chimed for what seemed like forever.

It was only a short walk to the Dublin Castle and then back on the bus to the Guinness Storehouse-right where we had begun our day. We looked around inside and then picked up our car. It seemed like it was rush hour traffic but Robby made it fine to our hotel even though there was lots of road construction and detours. He did have a little help from the GPS-which is working perfectly over here. We have parked on the street and think we can avoid the overnight parking fee and only have to pay the meter rate (we will see!).

After getting our room, we unpacked and tried to dry our shoes before walking a few blocks back to the grocery store. Sighseeing makes you hungry so we picked up sandwich stuff for tonight and the next few days. I (Tara) got the spiciest mustard ever-Robby likes it and I can't even eat it! We tried out our "magic jack" and have made a few phone calls - works perfectly. The kids are doing fine-Graham stayed with Grannymom while Reagan and Anderson went to school today.

We are as far north as Ketchikan, Alaska-so it is a little chilly here but it is also daytime...even at 9 at night. Amazing-wonder if we will be able to sleep?

Dennie Kids Vacation: July 13, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Waking up excited about this "special day"
  • Running a few errands early this morning
  • Playing on the slides at McDonalds before coming home to get ready for our trip
  • Heading to Grannymom's house to start our vacation while Mom and Dad head to the airport
  • Mom and Dad will update about their trip when they can or you can follow Dad on Facebook or Twitter (@robdennie)

Dennie Kids: July 12, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • An Arthur movie for Reagn-she is a little addicted to it (maybe a week off will help)
  • Anderson telling Mom that he was going to fuss for Ms. Peggy (he didn't)
  • Lunch at Nonna and Pops house
  • Everyone getting excited about their trips-3 nights at Grannymom's house, 3 nights at Nonna's house and then one more night at Grannymoms
  • Afternoon naps for everyone
  • Going to church early since Dad had a meeting-but we stopped and picked up McDonalds first
  • Eating supper in Pop's office and then playing in the hallways
  • Reagan and Anderson walking all over the church with Rachel, Sara Ashley and Zach
  • Ice cream sundaes after church and then everyone going to bed!

July 11, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Everyone sleeping until after 7:45! That is unheard of
  • Anderson and Dad getting their hair cut on the back deck
  • Reagan insisting that her and Mom color on each board of the deck before coming in
  • A nap for Graham while Reagan and Anderson pulled leafs off of a bush in the front yard while Dad mowed
  • Reagan and Anderson using the glue unattended as they glued the leafs on a piece of paper for Dad-one of them made a mess!
  • A few errands-Krogers (Silly Mom and her coupons!) and Walmart-Mom and Dad were picking up a few things for their trip
  • Naps for us and then a short movie and some of Dad's nerd candies-Anderson dropped his on the floor and Graham went after them as fast as he could shove them in his mouth
  • Pizza for supper-Reagan turned it down for carrots, peas and mac and cheese-Dad was a little concerned about this!
  • Grannymom and Grandpa coming over for a few minutes before bath and bedtime
  • We have a WALKER! Graham started off this morning taking a few steps from the couch to the ottoman but ended the day taking around 4 or 5 steps to get when he wanted. Such a big boy! (click here for video #1) (click here for video #2) (click here for video #3)

Video: Graham's 1st steps - Video #1 (July 11, 2009)

Video: Graham's 1st steps - Video #2 (July 11, 2009)

Video: Graham's 1st steps - Video #3 (July 11, 2009)

Dennie Kids: July 10, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Playing outside this morning-we love for Mom to push us and get upset when she does not
  • Graham shoving a whole Ritz cracker in his mouth-he has been watching his brother eat (Mom took it out though)
  • Reagan and Anderson playing church nursery and they were typical church nursery parents-would sing a song at church and then run back to check on the baby
  • Lunch and naps shortly thereafter-Dad didn't come home for lunch so it was a long day!
  • Lots of games of hide and seek, mr. potato head, dolls and train tracks (which Mom had to redo the train tracks during nap-not an easy task!)
  • Supper at TGI Fridays-we have 3 good out-to-eaters
  • Playing at Grannymom's house while Dad worked on the computer
  • Right to bed when we came home-we have been staying up late lately!

July 9, 2009: Second Doctor Visit

Another doctor’s appointment today. It was a short visit which included some more blood work and hearing the baby’s heartbeat (143). Phillips guessed that it was a girl-we are doubtful! The next visit will be the big ultrasound but don’t get too excited because we will not find out the sex…or maybe we will! Everyone at the doctor’s office found it funny that no one knows that we are pregnant yet…or do they? It is getting a little hard to hide since I am starting to look pregnant. Oh, well, they can wait a little bit more before they find out the news!

Dennie Kids: July 9, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Playing at Nonna and Pops this morning-Reagan asked if Pops would be there and Anderson kept saying "maybe" Jason would there. "Maybe, maybe, maybe Jason there" over and over
  • Decorating Pop's traffic cones and playing games until Mom came to pick us up
  • Graham enjoyed climbing on top of the hearth at Nonna's house-he would sit up there and just grin at his accomplishments
  • Long afternoon naps-we must have played hard at Nonna's because Mom had to wake us up after 5
  • Having a picnic supper while waiting on Dad to come home
  • Using all of Pop's stickers in Mom's house-she had to stop us when she realized it was taking the paint off!
  • Getting to look at the toys at Target tonight-Mom said that she would send us some money to go shopping while she was on her trip
  • Graham climbing up the steps and then coming down the steps (not so gracefully)-Mom started looking for him just as he came tumbling down so her and the trashbags in her hands broke his fall a little bit!
  • A few movies before bedtime

Dennie Kids: July 8, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Playing all morning long around the house
  • Graham even learned to climb up in Dad's chair, climb on the dishwasher and all he wanted to do was climb up the steps-and on his way up he would turn around and grin at Mom!
  • Lunch with Dad, everyone was so excited that Mom bought bread at the grocery store (we had only been out for a day but you would have thought I had bought a loaf of candy!)
  • Mom and Reagan getting their hair cut-the boys went to and everyone behaved great. Graham sat in his buggy, Anderson read a book and Reagan even talked to Ms. Tammy. Mom had bribed them with fruit snacks and Ms. Tammy's lollipops
  • Long afternoon naps for everyone-even Mom!
  • A movie and a little snack after naps
  • Eating supper at Cheeburger Cheeburger with Carter and Millie
  • Swimming at Carter and Millie's hotel pool (Anderson did not understand why we left the hotel and came home tonight)
  • Reagan and Anderson freaking out while walking barefoot on the sidewalk-there were lots of bugs and I think Andersons stepped on one which caused him to go nuts which spilled over to Reagan. Millie (who had on shoes) asked why are you fussing?
  • Home today right before 10:00! A late night

Dennie Kids: July 7, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • School day-only 3 in Reagan's class and her teacher is a real teacher-what could be better?
  • Anderson telling Dad that he stayed dry all day long and "no nobody" took him to the potty-whatever!
  • Graham spending the day crawling all over Grannymom's house
  • Reagan and Anderson asking for a snack as soon as we got to Grannymom's house
  • An afternoon nap for Graham while Mom, Reagan and Anderson played Candyland-Anderson even played the entire game-and even won (Reagan came in second but was a very good sport)
  • Breakfast burritos for supper-everyone ate without complaining tonight (unlike last night)
  • Lots of screaming and chasing so Dad decided we needed snow cones (mainly to get out of the house)
  • Meeting Uncle Jason at the snow cone stand-he brought 2 new books for us
  • Graham sharing Mom's key lime pie and Reagan and Anderson both having purple-and yes, we made a big, big mess
  • Pajamas for everyone and then reading our new books before bed

Denne Kids: July 6, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here to today's pictures)
  • Another Monday morning and lots of cleaning around here
  • Reagan and Anderson coloring and building houses
  • Graham trying to hard to walk but he is still not brave enough to let go
  • A picnic for lunch-it was lots of fun
  • A few movies before naptime
  • Graham and Reagan waking up first and then Anderson-and everyone wanted a snack
  • Supper-which Anderson didn't want to eat and Graham fussed through
  • Reagan being sent to bed very early for disobeying Mom but she was able to get up and take a bath and even watch one last movie before bedtime

Fourth of July at Petit Jean State Park

We left after lunch and after a long morning of everyone asking when we were going to leave. Reagan was ready to get there but was pleased when Robby said that we had arrived. The Dennie's and Heifners were already at the cabins. We pulled up and the kids jumped out and started playing. Before long, the Mississippi Dennie's arrived and supper by Dana was soon served. We hung outside most of the evening while the kids played outside and rode bikes. Reagan took a stroll after dark while the boys got a bath-they were tired! The cabins were very nice-our set even had screened in back porches and a nice deck. But after a long day, the beds were especially nice!

After a good nights rest, breakfast was at our cabin-breakfast burritos. We were up and in the kitchen early but had plenty of time. The kids were dressed in their patriotic clothes and Reagan loved the red and blue strawberries and blueberries. After breakfast, we headed down the Cedar Falls. Les and James stayed back but the rest of us ventured down the hill. Graham fussed going down but enjoyed his bottle at the bottom of the hill. Reagan and Anderson weren't too thrilled with having to hold a hand down the mountain but did very well. Reagan and Grannymom walked to the edge of the falls with all of the other kids. Anderson stayed back with Robby and stuck his feet in the cold water. When the others headed back, Tara started walking Graham back-he fell asleep (it was a little quieter with just Tara walking-except for all of the people who wanted to ask what she was doing down there by herself with a baby and how she was going to make it back up the hill alone). Soon the others caught up and we all headed back up the mountain. Reagan did great, Anderson sweat buckets but walked most of the time and Graham enjoyed the walk back more than the walk down.

Next it was time for paninis for lunch by Les. They were good and hit the spot after the long hike. Afterwards, we headed to the boat dock where Graham refused to wear his life jacket so Tara, Reagan and Anderson rode in the paddle boat. Tara didn't know that she would be the only one peddaling or she would have let Robby take the kids on the ride. Graham got a long stroller ride out of the deal and was so pleased he even fell asleep. After our boat ride, the sky was looking dark so we hurried back to the cabins and through on our swimsuits. Graham loved floating in his floatie but his favorite part was holding onto the water guns that Les and Robby were using. He even enjoyed getting sprayed by them. Reagan wanted Tara to throw her up in the air and Anderson loves the water and even spent some time in his armies. All of the cousins had a blast and were exhausted afterwards. Reagan and Anderson fell asleep within minutes of laying down that afternoon. Graham, on the other hand, just wanted Mom to push him in the stroller.

After everyone's naps, it was time for our lasagna supper at Virginia's cabin. Afterwards, we decided to take another hike. We saw the steep descent and decided that this "easy" hike wasn't going to be that easy so we turned around. The others headed to the overlook but my crew were interested in going back to the playground. And it was a good thing that we stayed back since the rains came soon. The kids colored and worked puzzles for the rest of the evening. Soon it was bedtime and everyone was exhausted....except Graham who cried until he laid down into bed with Mom and went right to sleep. We slept so well after he went to sleep that we didn't even wake up for breakfast until 10 mintues before time to eat (good thing it wasn't at our cabin!)

Breakfast was cinnamon rolls and the kids ate all of theirs. Les and family left first since they had the longest drive and we left soon after. We drove around for a little bit before heading down the mountain. It was a quick trip home and a quick trip at Petit Jean. We all had a great 4th of July and look forward to next year.

Dennie Kids: July 5, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here for the pictures)
  • Graham not sleeping well in the bathroom last night-maybe the thunder spooked him but after 2 bottles and crying for an hour, he moved to Mom and Dad's bed
  • Graham sleeping so still all night by Mom that she even made sure he was still breathing!
  • Everyone waking up about 10 minutes before breakfast time
  • Breakfast at Grannymom's cabin-the boys loved the cinnamon rolls!
  • Watching everyone pack up their cars and getting a little sad about leaving-Reagan said that she wanted to stay for 90 nights next time
  • Sitting in the car watching a movie while Mom and Dad unpacked and cleaned up the van
  • Lunch and then afternoon naps
  • Playing around the house until supper time
  • Mom and Dad were so ready to continue the holiday that they took us out to eat in 2 cars (we had taken the car seats out of the van and were washing them)
  • Supper at Genghis Grill and then playing camel and hotel until bedtime

Dennie Kids: July 4, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here for the pictures)
  • Waking up and eating 4th of July breakfast in our cabin-Reagan and Anderson’s favorites were the blueberries and strawberries
  • Hiking down to Cedar Falls-we have 2 good climbers. Reagan climbed back up pretty much by herself and Anderson is a little unsteady going up or down. Graham was fussy going down but had his bottle at the waterfall and fell asleep on the way up
  • A lunch buffet at Josh and Zach’s cabin-Anderson had 4 slices of cheese and Reagan loved the watermelon
  • Reagan and Anderson paddle boating with Mom (who said that was her last paddle boat ride)-Graham and Dad stayed behind since Graham refused to wear his life jacket
  • Hurrying back to change into our swimsuits since it looked like rain was coming
  • Swimming at the Lodge pool-Graham loved it and would kick and squeal. Anderson even tried the arm floaties and did pretty good. Reagan just wanted Mom and Dad to throw her in the air
  • Reagan and Anderson falling asleep during naptime within 5 minutes but Graham never had an afternoon nap-Mom pushed him in the stroller, then Grannymom and then Jenna pushed him too! We have put lots of miles on his stroller on this trip
  • Supper at Grannypa’s cabin and then a very short hike-Graham has been too distracted to eat since we came here but he did chow down on Grannymom’s cake
  • Sliding for a few minutes then sitting out on the back porch and listening to the rain
  • Reagan coloring, Anderson working a puzzle and Graham wrestling with a pillow until bedtime

Dennie Kids: July 3, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here for the pictures)
  • Reagan and Anderson waking up ready to go to Petit Jean and spending the morning asking Mom and Dad when we were going to leave
  • Anderson making breakfast for everyone-well, sticking it in the toaster
  • Graham and Mom running to Target to buy some more Muffin Tops-we love them
  • Playing around the house until lunch time
  • Driving to Petit Jean and Reagan asking if we were there yet while we were still on 430
  • Riding bikes for Reagan and Anderson all afternoon along with some Frisbee while Graham hung out in the stroller and pack n play
  • Supper at Lilly and Cash’s cabin and then more walks
  • Reagan taking a nighttime stroll and getting to use a flashlight while the boys took a bath (Anderson asked to come inside-no nap and he was exhausted)
  • A movie before bed-Reagan and Anderson at the foot of mom and Dad’s bed and Graham in the bathroom

Dennie Kids: July 2, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here for the pictures)
  • Going to Grannymom's house in our pajamas-Graham only had on his diaper!
  • Playing with Grandpa and coloring all morning long
  • Mom and Nonna picking us up
  • Playing with Nonna and Pops until naptime
  • Graham waking up first, then Reagan who was ready for her snack and a movie, Anderson waking up next and needing to have his milk!
  • Watching Dad mow the yard and helping him with with his long extension cord-we had to take it to him across the yard and in the meantime, Graham got a little tangled
  • Supper and then playing legos and watching "Clean House"
  • Graham was fussy and went to bed first and Reagan and Anderson stayed up until the both hit each other and had to go to bed next

Dennie Kids: July 1, 2009

Highlights from today: (click here for the pictures)
  • Breakfast and then helping Mom in the kitchen
  • Anderson and Reagan rolling out dough balls, rolling the cookies in the sugar mixture, smashing them and sprinkling stuff on top-hard work!
  • Graham napping while Reagan and Anderson played by themselves-Wow!
  • Lunch with Dad and Nonna
  • Swinging and playing with Nonna until naptime
  • Snacks and movies until pizza for supper-Graham loved it!
  • Graham, who is soooo close to walking, opened his first birthday present from the Nutrition Center-he wasn't too thrilled!
  • Baths while Mom ran to Krogers and then lots of movies before bedtime