A Look Back at 2013 - JULY

 MAKING JAM WITH GRAM

 CEMETERY BEFORE THE FOURTH

FOURTH OF JULY

For the last several years we've celebrated the fourth of July out at my dad's house.  We bbq, swim, listen to music and have our own fireworks show.  The kids just love it!

 Eden, Finn and the Eibey girls.  They love the glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces when it gets dark!  Finny sitting with Daddy for the fireworks.  Camden and Phineas are the same age.  They were born in the same hospital on the same day!  Chad holding Finn on the deck overlooking the yard.

Fun with sparklers...

 OLIVER'S 12th Birthday

(second in heaven)

We invited a bunch of people (Us, my mom, Chad, Danny and Jamie & Family, Horans/Frosts, McNamaras, Heinzs, Takoda Greenway, Nais, Carrie Lindley) to come to Prairie Grove park to celebrate Oliver's birthday with us.  We had hot dogs and a bunch of sides as well as cupcakes.  We had sidewalk chalk and brought stuff to play catch and have water gun fights.  I also did a few balloon animals and the kids made their own balloon creations.  It was a day full of fun and friends.  I'm grateful that you all came out to remember our sweet boy. 

We also had a toy drive for the 2nd year in a row for the kids down in Iowa City.  We didn't fare as well this year, but were very glad for the donations we got.  We took them down to the radiology department for the kids to choose toys or other items from their toy cupboard.  Oliver always looked forward to that!

Squirt gun fight!!

Oliver's best friends, Nick & Takoda, with Jaren.

CEMETERY BIRTHDAY BALLOON RELEASE

After our cookout at the park, we drove to the cemetery for a balloon release.  I bought balloons that lit up inside so we all wrote notes on the balloons and then waited until it was dark to send them off.  I think I will wait until it's darker next year.  You couldn't see them very well.  I made Oliver a special bouquet of flowers for his birthday in the Iowa Hawkeye colors and got a special pin for a special Jedi, he loved Yoda.  We also go to DQ on his birthday to celebrate with his favorite, a mint oreo Blizzard and this year I found a special chocolate heart on mine.

I loved the moon in the background!

Cecelia, a young woman that was in my mom's class and who also shared a birthday with Oliver, came to the cemetery with her family to send up some balloons to Oliver.  It was so sweet that she would take time out of her own birthday to remember my son.

A PERFECT way to end his birthday... with a heart in the sun...

 OTHER JULY HAPPENINGS...

My step brother had passed away from a brain tumor when Oliver was only 6 months old.  I had gone to his funeral, but had never been out to see his grave marker.  There had been a tornado that ripped out several trees in the line by the road so it made it easier to find where he was buried.  It is just odd that Oliver also passed from a brain tumor.

My niece, Sophia Grace, was born several weeks early on July 18th.  Eden was shocked at how teeny tiny her diapers were.  We laughed at how hairy she was... like a cute little gorilla!  She had to stay in the hospital for several weeks before she was well enough to come home.  I couldn't believe how tiny she was!  What a dolly!

Fun with cousins in the sprinkler!

Eden scoring several goals during her time with the Sports Sampler.  She learned the basics of baseball, kickball, soccer and basketball.

We went to see the building with the peacock painted on the outside and was surprised at the cute little shop inside.  Afterwards, we ate at Doey Joey's.  It was a nice mother/daughter date.

Jaren and his uncanny resemblance to Alfalfa!

Green Lantern (Jaren) at Golden China, nighttime lightning storm, Ollie hearts, Phineas falling asleep in weird places with a girl's sweatshirt on and fun with Barbies...