Fun times in the backyard!

Kelly and I have enjoyed our time this week playing outside in our backyard! Kelly has gotten to enjoy all her outdoor birthday presents.....her swingset and sandbox! Since her birthday, I was working at Loras Sports Camp and then we had our family vacation, so she didn't get a lot of time to play in our backyard! We have made up for the lost time this past weekend and this week so far! Kelly would stay outside FOREVER, but her pregnant Mommy can only go outside for about an hour and a half at a time.....so we play a little in the morning and then a little more after her afternoon nap too! Here are some adorable pictures of her this afternoon!

"Hi Mommy!" Kelly loves to look out the window in her clubhouse and say HI to everyone!

Getting ready to go down the slide!

Slide fun!

Enjoying her sandbox that she got for her birthday!

Baby Snyder # 2 = STUBBORN

I had my 20 week ultrasound today (which was really 21 weeks, since we were on vacation last week). Our second baby is VERY STUBBORN!!! The ultrasound tech took one hour to do my ultrasound, and almost had me come back at 24 weeks to try again because the baby wasn't cooperating! The baby ALWAYS had his/her legs closed, so we were unable to find out the sex of the baby! I was a little bummed.....but happy that everything looked good and the baby had all the improtant parts. We had a 3D ultrasound this time (which we didn't have with Kelly), so that was very fun! Although the baby kind of looks like an alien right now.....which is normal, I guess....everything looked great! I was measuring 5 days ahead of schedule.....so I am due somewhere between December 5 and Decemeber 10.


My gut is that the baby is a girl....as the ultrasound tech thought she MIGHT have seen the labia, but she wasn't for sure....since the baby wasn't cooperating. She said not to paint the nursey pink or anything crazy like that!


Kelly has said all along that she was having a baby brother and/or mommy is having a boy. No matter how we ask her....a boy or a brother is always the answer she gives. Who knows, maybe Kelly knows something that we don't know!!!


So.....I guess I am going to have another surprise......and I know most of you know that I DON'T like surprises!!! I probably will not have another ultrasound, unless something is wrong....and I don't want that.....so another surprise it will be!!!

Here is one of the 3D ultrasound pictures.....the babies face and one of the arms!

WI family vacation 7/18 - 7/25

We spent a beautiful week in Northern Wisconsin for our yearly family vacation. We go to St. Germain, WI and spent a week in a cabin on the lake of Little St. Germain. The weather was perfect this year...not too hot, not to cold, and it only rained twice at night! It was wonderful! Kelly got to experience a lot of things for the first time: fishing, jumping off the dock into the water, mini golf, feeding ducks, etc. My mom's side of the family has been going on this vacation for a long time...since I was a little girl. We have multiple cabins and it is a lot of fun! We brought our boat up and took many boat rides. My uncle Steve brings up his jet ski's too! (Brian and I even got a ride when Kelly was taking a nap!) :)

Here are 14 of my favorite pictures on my camera that show some of the things we got to do throughout the week. I couldn't fit in everything that we got to do....but here are some of the highlights!

Our family!!!!

The whole gang....our cabin!

Grandma and Grandpa

Snyder Family - Brian, Emily, and Kelly

Mulgrew family - Brian, Katie, Benjmain, and Daniel

Kelly taking a break from playing mini golf for the first time to pose for a picture for Mommy! She only lasted 7 of the 18 mini golf holes.

COUSINS on the swing outside our cabin.

(Kelly, Benjamin, and Daniel)

Bubbles fun!!! My aunt Nancy brought lots of bubbles toys and they were a hit with all the kids after dinner one night!

Kelly is ready for a SWIM!!

Kelly swimming (on her own) back to the dock after she jumped off!!! I think she would still be jumping off the dock, if we would let her. She would go all the way under the water every time! She has no fears at all!!!

Eli and Kelly playing in the sand!

Our best attempt to get a picture of all 4 kids together.

Eli - 17 months (my cousin Jenni's boy), Kelly - 2 years old, Daniel - 9 months, and Benjamin - 2 years, 9 months

Kelly went fishing with Daddy off the dock, with her new Dora fishing pole! Here she is with the first fish she caught!!!

Kelly asleep in my lap on one of the many boat rides we took throughout the week!

Here is Kelly (EYE TO EYE) with a goat at the zoo. We went to a large zoo one morning where you could feed the animals and they had a full zoo of larger animals too. Kelly feed A LOT of goats!!!

Kelly feeding a deer at the zoo. There were deer all around the zoo that the kids could feed. Kelly fed every animal she could find....even if they weren't hungry anymore.

Vacations sure wear Kelly out....here she is asleep in the car on our way home yesterday. (Vacations wear Mommy & Daddy out too!)


**Pictures that didn't make the "CUT"**

(Swinging, sidewalk chalk, feeding the ducks, bathtub fun, sand castles, etc. etc. etc.)

Girls trip to Cedar Falls....to meet Eli

Kelly and I spent the weekend in Cedar Falls with my two college roommates and the kids. It was a trip to meet Eli (Molly's new baby), born June 21. We left Friday afternoon right when I got home from working at Loras Sports Camp. The three girls had SO MUCH FUN!!! Michaela (who turned 2 May 18), Kelly (who turned 2 June 17), and Myka (who turned 3 June 21)...yes, both of Molly's kids have the same birthday 3 years apart!

The girls had lots of time to play. Kelly especially loved the jumpy castle bouncehouse with balls that Myka got for Christmas. It was a mini version of what she played with on the 4th of July. All three girls were loving bouncing around and doing summersaults in the jump bounce house.

They also got to swim in the pool in the backyard and play in Myka's sandbox.

On Saturday, we went to a petting zoo in Waterloo. Kelly loved feeding the BIG bunny a carrot. We also took a walk in the afternoon at UNI, which all 6 of us enjoyed.

We went to an outdoor service for church this morning. The three girls were pretty good. They loved singing and dancing!

Overall, it was a very enjoyable weekend. We don't get to all get together very often, so we love the time we do get to spend together.

Jump, Jump, Jump in the bouncehouse!

Kelly swimming in the pool with Michaela!

Sandbox fun!

Bathtime! (3 dirty girls from playing in the sandbox!)

Baby Eli (3 weeks old) taking a nap with me on the couch......with his CUBS outfit on!!!

The three girls showing us the carrots they are going to feed to the animals.

Kelly feeding a BIG rabbit a carrot at the petting zoo!

Kelly and I at the petting zoo!

Michaela and Sarah

Myka and Molly

Looking at the water at the Union fountain on the UNI campus. (Michaela (2), Kelly (2), and Myka (3).

Playing in the water at the fountain by the Union.

The 6 girls took a walk around the UNI campus, to reminence! Myka, Kelly, and Michaela are playing on "an island" in from of the Schlinder Education Building.

Grandma Murray's birthday!

Brian, Kelly, and I went to Cedar Rapids today, for the day, to celebrate Grandma Murray's birthday! (It's really tomorrow 7/7, but I am working at camp and Brian has to work too). We got her a strawberry passion ice cream cake from Coldstone! It was really yummy! Kelly loves birthdays....and especially helping blow out the candles! We had a great dinner at Granite City and got to play Domino's during Kelly's nap too....after watching the men's Wimbledon final(which was amazing)! It was a nice, relaxing day together.

Singing "Happy Birthday" to Grandma!

Kelly....helping Grandma.....blow out her candles!

Making Grandma her birthday present!

Kelly spent a little time yesterday afternoon, after her nap, painting a picture frame for Grandma Murray. She thought it was a lot of fun!

Painting Grandma's picture frame...and smiling too!

Kelly is so serious when she paints....or does any arts and crafts project!

(Notice the paint on her cheek!)

Happy 4th of July!

Brian, Kelly, and I celebrated 4th of July last night in Dyersville. Grandma and Papa Murray came to see the fireworks too (since Cedar Rapids was flooded, they aren't having there fireworks until Labor Day). Kelly had a great time! She danced to the music! She also LOVED playing in the ball bouncy house inflatable thing they had set up in the kids area. This was a smaller version for younger kids....which was really nice! She cried and we had to lift her out EVERY time! She had a hard time waiting her turn to go again. She went in it 5 TIMES! (Good thing it only cost $1.00 each time!) All the bouncing must have tired her out...because she fell asleep before the fireworks even started. She woke up at the sound of the first LOUD boom....and didn't like the noise so much! I plugged her ears the rest of the night. Overall, it was a fun night for everyone!

Kelly dancing to the music (with Grandma in the background)

Jump, Jump, Jump!!! (Kelly didn't stop jumping until her time was up!)

Cousin Helena and Kelly playing together!

Jumping in the balls....."THIS IS FUN!!!"

Such a sad face....Kelly cried every time she had to get out of the ball bouncy house!

A long day....sleeping on Mommy's lap before the fireworks even started!

A busy day for Kelly!

Today was a busy day for Kelly. First, my mom and I got her 2 year pictures taken in Cedar Rapids at Portrait Innovations this morning. (Getting pictures of a 2 year old is HARD WORK!!!)We went back to Grandma's house for lunch and got on the road to Dubuque for Kelly's 2 year doctor appointment this afternoon. (While Kelly took an hour and a half nap in the car)! Kelly did not like going to the doctor....and she didn't even get any shots at this appointment! She screamed and cried the entire time, after we left the waiting room. It was not a fun experience for Kelly or I!!!

Here are her 2 year measurements:
Weight - 30 lbs. 4 oz. 75%
Height - 35 " 75%

Kelly looks to be in good health!!!! :) Now she doesn't have to go back to the doctor for another year!!! (I'll be looking for babysitters once the baby comes, for the babies doctor appointments...as Kelly does not like the doctor's office!