A rainy day with cousins

Today, for Grace's birthday, we went to the Deanna Rose Farmstead with Nana and Corey. It rained from the moment we got out of the car to the moment we got back in. That didn't stop us from having a whole lot of fun! Nana and I walked around with the umbrellas but the kids insisted on getting wet. They fed all of the animals, played on the equipment, and never stopped talking and giggling. After the farm, we went to Beach Bum for lunch. This place was cool! It had a big screen TV with cartoons, a beach and some music that made us feel like we were on a cruise again, and an arcade. Gracie won the most tickets, but all of the kids left with a whole bunch of goodies. Oh, and the "wet" theme continued, as Nana knocked over her water and soaked us all. Way to go, Nana!

Grace and Ben spent the rest of the afternoon with their other grandma...Mama. They went to the Douglas County Fair, only to find that it wasn't open yet. They had McDonald's at the park instead. Just as cool.

Tonight, the kiddos attended Vacation Bible School again. It's only the second night but they are having a blast. Cousin Gavin is attending too. Here they are with their Lawrence Heights Christian Church "Calling All Heroes" shirts on and money bags in hand. Each night the church has a contest to see if the girls or the boys can raise the most money for Hands Across the Water. They are raising money to help children in Haiti go to school. Mama makes sure every night that the kids have a plastic bag full of change to donate. Last night the girls won, but tonight the boys took over. Final count is on Friday.

What a day! Happy Birthday to our baby girl.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Turn up the sound, and hear Gracie get down....as she serenades herself on her birthday.

Happy Birthday Grace!!

Today, Grace celebrated her 5th birthday! The party was so much fun. We rented the South Park Wading Pool for an hour. The kids had a great time playing dodge ball in the water, running in and out of the fountains, and getting the adults wet.

After swimming, we all enjoyed a fabulous sand castle cake made by Megan. No, Grace, it was not made out of real sand! We were surrounded by friends and family. Even cousin Corey was here from Arizona. Some of Grace's favorite presents included a Hannah Montana doll, a new wardrobe for kindergarten, a bunch of cool art supplies, her new bike, and of course, her Camp Rock t-shirt and CD.

Maude and Grace Mary and Grace Corey and Grace

It was great to have babies Isaac and Jack at the party!

A Shopping Spree and Dancing Feet

What a busy weekend, and it's not even over! In fact, it's just beginning. On Friday, I spent the day with Julia and Megan and baby Isaac. We helped Megan make Grace's birthday cake, and then it was off to Kansas City. It was Isaac's first trip to Oak Park Mall. He didn't exactly like the shopping part, but he enjoyed eating at Cafe Nordstrom for lunch. We were surprised to find out that we shopped for over five hours. Way to go, Isaac!

Grace is nearing the end of her first ballet lessons. Here are some pictures of our "Grace"ful girl.

Our future's so bright, we gotta wear shades...

Ben and Grace are making every moment count as July comes to an end. If we're not at the pool, we're visiting friends or grandparents, getting ice cream at Yummy's or Sylas and Maddie's, watching Disney or reading books, playing Wall-E on the Nintendo DS, collecting and polishing the neighborhood's rocks, or listening to the Jonas Brothers. Soccer camp is over, and ballet is near the end. What a summer, you can't beat that!!

A new bathroom!

BEFORE...

A few weeks ago, Brandon decided he'd had enough of our pink and teal 50's bathroom. Over the course of one weekend and SEVERAL trips to Home Depot, he remodeled our bathroom and brought us into the 21st century. The most fun was removing the cast-iron tub, which required a sledge hammer, a wet blanket, and a couple of hours. The pieces are still sitting out in our driveway.

Our friend Barry helped with plumbing, which is definitely not Brandon's specialty, and Brandon's Dad helped with the drywall. When all was said and done, we had a new tub, new walls, new shower door, and a new floor. And of course, new colors!!!!

AND AFTER...

There's a first for everything...

Welcome to the Urban family blog, our first attempt at journaling our lives online for our friends and family to see!

July has brought about many things. Ben is becoming quite the swimmer. This week marked the first time for him to use the low dive, the high dive, and the crazy slide at the city pool. It was definitely not his last! While Ben entertained us with his jumps and twists, Grace put her head under the water for the first time...by accident! She'll make sure that doesn't happen again until at least next year. Last weekend, Brandon played golf in the Lawrence City Open. He has played in this tournament before but this was the first time he achieved third place!!!

June happenings: Our best friends have been busy with new arrivals. Keri and Casey had baby Jack on June 30th. Megan and Barry had baby Isaac on June 24th. Both babies are adorable and Ben and Grace are thrilled to be involved in their lives.

What's ahead for us: Grace will turn 5 on the 28th, and I will turn 32 on the 29th! Four more weeks of summer vacation and then it's back to school. Grace will be in Kindergarten and Ben will be in 2nd grade! Where does the time go? Keep in touch and we'll show you! Love to all.