May 26

Our new van.


Levi got a scooter for his birthday.


The back of her quilt.

Lillian with her baby quilt from Grandma Sandra.

She is holding a baby doll Grandma sewed and made

clothes for.

Lillian laying my bed.
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Hi guys! Wow, we have had a busy year so far!!! It amazes me to think that the year is almost halfway gone! This promises to be quite a lengthy post. What has happened since my last post? Lets see.......

We started the month of April with my dad's birthday on the 6th. Then Levi had his birthday the 18th. He is now a grown up 3 year old! We bought a new big van on Levi's birthday. My dad's softball season started towards the end of the month. We enjoy going and socializing with our friends while he plays. Also several of us finished a subject or two in school!!! We were really excited about that.

May...... The first weekend Us girls, my mom and Lillian spent at our friends the Alberts' house. That was a really, really fun few days!!! The next week we brought cake to softball to start celebrating Samantha's 18th birthday!!! (Can you believe I have an adult sister now???!!!!) Then the 8-9 Samantha and I and our friend Lauren went to camp for the work weekend. That was fun! I brought along some earrings from my mom to give to Samantha on the 9th (her b-day) and we stuck 18 candles in her dessert. Her friend Kaylee was there too, which made her very happy! When we got home the rest of the family had decorated the dinning room, living room, her school room, and our bedroom. Then the next day Emily, Pete, and Daniel put over 60 balloons in her bed. We have just about finished removing them from our room, 3 weeks later. Then about a week after her actual birthday we ate her cake--chocolate oreo cheesecake.

We worked on finishing our schoolwork. Emily, Pete, and Daniel have finished all theirs. Samantha and I are getting closer, I only have a few weeks of math left. This week and last we have been focusing on getting ready for Samantha's graduation party! We are almost ready--a good thing seeing as the party is 3 days away.

Samantha went and took her learners test and got her learners permit to drive!!!!!!! She drove last Wednesday(the 20th) for the first time!!!!!! That was really COOL!!!!!!

Today Lillian is 3 months old! She is growing and doing well. She is almost able to roll over and she loves to smile and talk to us! If we make noises she is able to make she will mimic us! She is really fun to talk to. My mom is feeling much better now and is able to do more of what she could before she was pregnant.

In all we are all doing well. We have been busy, but are all happy it is summer. We (especially Samantha and I) have a busy, fun, and exciting summer planned. We are glad to be able to enjoy the life God had given to us! This year is going to be and already has been a year with a year with many, many "firsts" in it---First 18 year old, first sibling to drive, first sibling to graduate, all the first of a baby(smiling, rolling over, sitting up, eating, and MUCH more), first time I get to work at camp, first time we spend 3 weeks in VA with Grandma........

In closing I leave you all with these verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate.