Life with the Simmons

More Soccer Pics....

2010-07-26T09:23:00.001-07:00

Taken by one of the team dads :)

Marshall's team won 3 out of their 4 games! He's having fun getting to know the boys on his new team! Lots more soccer to come....

It's Soccer Time!!

2010-07-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Marshall is playing in his first soccer tournament of the season this weekend! It's hot out! His team is looking great and we had a fun family day watching! The girls stayed cool by rubbing ice cubes from the cooler all over themselves! When the snacks were gone, we entertained them by taking pictures!

Our boy! Tired and hot....getting ready to go to his friend's house to rest up for the next game. We'll miss the next two because of church. :(

I ♥ soccer season!!

Build - A - Bear!

2010-07-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Build-A-Bear so Sadie could spend her birthday gift card! She's been there before, but was so excited to make a new bear! She picked a pink and blue ice cream bear!

She helped stuff the bear...

and gave it a squeeze to make sure it was just right!

It was time to put the heart in! Sadie clapped and clapped to make sure the heartbeat was strong....

then made a loooong wish. She wouldn't tell me what she wished for.

Then she gave the bear a nice scrub! She picked out a cute outfit and named it "Snugglebug". So fun!

We stopped at the play area to give Lola a break from the stroller. It was nice to have Ella and Ava there to help watch her!

The play area is not so relaxing anymore because Lola's a climber!!! She likes to climb as high as she can, then stand up. It's a little scary!

Sadie had fun taking Snugglebug down the slides!

Since her bear was a limited edition Baskin Robbins bear....it came with a coupon for a free ice cream cone! Bonus!! Of course we had to go right away....there's nothing better than ice cream in the middle of the afternoon! :)

We survived another summer day! It's bath time!

The 4th!

2010-07-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

This year our 4th of July started with church! We had a special service with a pancake breakfast...we had to get all the kids up and out the door by 7:30!! Not an easy task!

After church, the girls changed into their leotards, I did their hair, and we were off to march in the Bothell parade!

This was Sadie's first time walking in the parade and she was pretty excited.

Sadie fizzled out before the parade even started! It was to be expected, she's not really a fan of walking long distances. She and Lola took turns riding in the stroller and riding on shoulders.

After we finished, we were able to catch the rest of the parade!

The trucks were loud!

Red and blue Sno-cones!!

After the parade we headed to our friend's house for some yummy food, lots of laughs, and a great fireworks show over the lake! We are so thankful that we have friends that will invite our whole crazy family over!! :)

It was fun to spend time with and admire baby Eli, just two weeks old! Lola did not like me holding him!

Dinner outside in the rain!

And some pre-fireworks show fireworks!

While everyone else sat out on the deck to watch the show, Lola crashed on the couch in my arms and we took a breather from our looooong day!

We're still recovering!!!! ☺

All-Stars!

2010-06-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

We had a busy baseball weekend! Marshall's all-star team placed third in the tournament, got to play a lot of baseball, and had tons of fun! A great group of boys, coaches, and parents!

Sadie's Horse Party

2010-06-17T17:06:00.001-07:00

We had Sadie's birthday party this past weekend! We invited lots of friends and everyone was able to come! The house was packed and we had tons of fun! As always, Sadie loved being the center of attention!

Here she is with her friend Lucy...

She loved opening presents and was soooo excited by each one!

We had yummy cupcakes and ice cream....

Then all the kids got ready in their boots and helmets....to ride horses! Our neighbors have four horses and graciously allowed us to use them for Sadie's party! Their two oldest girls are really great with the horses and kids and were super helpful!

Sadie got to ride first...she chose Angel!

They got to go three at a time...

So fun!

Cowgirl Sadie! Yeehaw!

A great party! We can't believe Sadie's four already! Time sure flies!

Sadie's 4th Birthday....and A Dining Out Experience!

2010-06-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sadie turned 4 on June 6th! She loved being the "birthday girl" and all of the extra attention that came with it!

We weren't organized enough to have a party for her on her actual birthday (we're having it this weekend), but we still wanted to do something to celebrate. We decided to take the kiddos out to eat. We don't go out very often.....it's not easy, but it's definitely memorable! We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory, one of Sadie's favorites. Here are the girls waiting for our table....

Still waiting....

and waiting....

Finally we were seated! Lola liked coloring, for about 2 minutes, then she was ready to go!

It was a team effort to keep Lola entertained until the food came!

Once the food came....the mess came!

Sadie loved having the whole restaurant sing "Happy Birthday" to her and watch her blow out the candle!

Lola liked the ice cream too!

On the way home, Marshall let Sadie listen to his i-pod just because it was her birthday. Such a sweet big brother! He looks thrilled.....

A fun birthday! We're looking forward to seeing what this year holds for our crazy, bubbly, hilarious, dancing Sadie!

Piggies!

2010-05-27T11:47:00.001-07:00

Lola's hair is finally long enough for piggies! This is an exciting day!

A little messy, but still cute! :)

Fun in the Sun!

2010-05-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

We've had some great weather! Perfect weather for a middle-of-the-day ice cream date! Sadie chose raspberry sorbet with rainbow sprinkles.

She was nice enough to share some with Lola!

Then we walked around and just enjoyed being outside in the sunshine!

We're soooo ready for summer!

Mother's Day

2010-05-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

I had a great Mother's Day!! We were especially excited to dedicate Lola at church which made my Mother's Day even more special! It was also fun that my mom was here to celebrate too!

Lola's getting really close to walking and I thought she might start, but she just stands up and gets really excited.

Waiting patiently in "big church" for Lola's dedication. It was fun for the kids to listen to Daddy lead worship!

Matt introducing Lola to the congregation...

Matt and Pastor Jim praying over her...

She thought it was all exhausting!

The kids had fun playing catch w/Papa after lunch...

Matt gave me some beautiful roses! The yellow one is from Marshall.

Ella made this cute vase and tissue paper flowers at school!

A Starbucks trip for my favorite drink was a must! :)

Then we all went to the park to play. The weather was gorgeous! It was nice to just all be together.

I feel so blessed to be Marshall, Ella, Ava, Sadie, and Lola's mom!!!

Just Because...

2010-04-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

they're too cute for words!

Marshall's favorite hat

2010-04-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

The kids spent the night with Nana on Saturday night while Matt was at the men's retreat. They had some fun taking pictures with Marshall's hat...here are some of the results! The kids are getting so big! They are all amazing and have such unique personalities...we are truly blessed!

Marshall, 12

Ella, 9

Ava, 6

Sadie, 3 (almost 4)

Lola, 14 months

At the Park with Sadie and Lola

2010-04-19T20:35:00.001-07:00

A sunny Monday! A perfect day for a park date with Sadie and Lola while the big kids were at school! I'll never tire of Sadie's creative sense of style...I tried to talk her out of the heels, but she wouldn't have it. I packed her tennies just in case!

Swinging...

Matt multi-tasking, pushing girls and texting at the same time!

More swinging...the girls really like swinging!

Sisters and friends....always sisters, friends most of the time!

Running in heels...

A shady spot for a snack..

We sure love our two littlest girls!

Birthday Fun!

2010-04-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we celebrated Ella's birthday with some of her best friends (or bffs like they like to call themselves). We went to a movie, then came back home for some fun! Here's a picture of the cute crew...

Matt and Marshall decorated while we were at the movie...here's their handiwork!

It was such a nice day! The girls did some tree climbing, worm digging, and lots of giggling.

Cute friends! ☺

Present time!

Cake time!

Big brother....in a house FULL of girls!

Fun party, fun girls, good times!

Ella's 9!

2010-04-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Ella turned 9 today!!!! We started the day with her favorite, chocolate chip pancakes!

We couldn't really do much celebrating tonight since Ella had a softball game, but we brought cupcakes for the end of the game snack. Here are the girls singing to her..

Softball cupcakes...

....and one happy 9-year-old!

Side note: Ella played great tonight! She pitched two innings, had some great hits, and made some outs! We think she's pretty amazing! ☺ Her "friend" birthday party is on Sunday so we're looking forward to celebrating some more this weekend!

Baseball, Baseball, and More Baseball!

2010-04-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Marshall's baseball season has officially started...which means we'll be living out of our car for the next couple of months, eating lots of hot dogs from the "snack shack", drinking lots of coffee to stay warm (until the weather gets nicer), doing lots of extra laundry, and losing our voices from all the cheering for our boy! It's a busy time of year for the family, but also super fun. The girls are pretty good at occupying themselves at the games...riding scooters and bikes, playing catch, picking dandelions, and every once in a while they watch some baseball. Yesterday they found a big mud pile to play in adding to the extra laundry! Marshall's had a pretty good start going 4 for 4 in yesterday's game! We're super proud! Here are some pictures courtesy of Nana and Papa...I don't have time or extra hands to take many pictures these days!

The Zoo...

2010-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

We promised the kiddos, especially Sadie, that we would take them to the zoo during spring break. It has been pretty cold this week and today was no exception, but we braved the elements and kept our word. We were having second thoughts as we drove through a hail storm on our way, but the storm stayed away and we actually had some sun breaks!

Here are the girls with their friend Averie in her snazzy hat..

Lions...

Boys....

Sadie got a hold of the hat...it was only a matter of time :)

Sadie had a one track mind about getting an "itsakadoozie" Popsicle. She's been talking about it for over a week, so even though it was freezing out we had to get her one!

Lola practicing her walking...getting closer

Big kids still like climbing on everything...

Lola's funny face...:)

Random owl in a tree....

More funny face....

The whole fam!

Definitely time to hit the road!

Another fun trip to the zoo with friends! I'm sure we'll go back soon, hopefully it will be warmer!

Lola's Look

2010-04-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Lola's been giving us this look a lot lately.....don't know why, but it's sure pretty cute and always gets a laugh!

2010-04-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today the kiddos attended the annual Easter "Eggstravaganza" at church. It was cold and windy, but at least the rain stayed away!

Here's Sadie after seeing the Easter Bunny....

When the egg hunt started, she perked up. She was always keeping an eye on where that bunny was and trying to stay as far away as possible!

Friends...

Sadie and Olivia digging into the eggs..

Lola using her egg as a shaker...

Marshall happy that one of his eggs had some cash!

Ava found a gold coin in one of her eggs and traded it in for a package of pixy stix!

Lola meeting the Easter bunny :)

A fun time with kids and friends!

Easter Eggs!!

2010-04-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

It's almost Easter...so that means it's time to dye some eggs!

Ava was sick and down for the count all day, but rallied for awhile so she could be in on the action. (Hopefully an isolated case, I guess we'll find out soon enough!)

Sadie was proud of her handiwork :)

Some of the finished product! I wonder if anyone will eat them???

Spring Break has officially started so we celebrated by having movie night!

We have a big weekend coming up...Matt's been rehearsing every night for Good Friday/Easter services, I'm singing for Good Friday as well, Marshall has a baseball jamboree on Saturday, there's a big egg hunt the church puts on, and I start my new job as the nursery coordinator at church! It was sure nice to have a relaxing night at home before all the craziness begins! HAPPY EASTER!

It's Softball Time!

2010-03-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ella had her opening-season jamboree for softball yesterday! She got to be the starting pitcher for her team! She was a little nervous in the morning because she was facing a team that had a lot of her friends on it, but she was able to shake off the nerves and pitch great! She struck out 3 batters and didn't have any walks...pretty good for her first time pitching! She also went 3 for 3 in hitting! Ella's becoming quite the athlete...we're pretty proud of her!

Long week

2010-03-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a long week! Lola started running a fever last Wednesday...when I finally took her to the doctor on Monday, I took off all her clothes to weigh her and she was covered in a rash! Her diagnosis was roseola. On top of that she got pinkeye! After treating her with eye drops from the doctor for a couple of days, it wasn't getting better...then she woke up yesterday and her eye was completely swollen shut! She looked like she'd been punched in the face! Another call to the doc, a new prescription, and I think we're on our way to health for Lola. All that to say, here's a picture of poor, miserable Lola and my ginormous laundry pile of clean clothes that may or may not get folded today. It's been a long week!

It's Dr. Seuss Week...

2010-03-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

...and here's my favorite Cat in the Hat!

Some of Lola's Favorite Things...

2010-02-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

Opening and emptying cupboards, especially this one...

Pulling up to stand wherever she can....cruising, not walking yet!

The remote..

Playing in the playroom with her sisters...

.....and eating! Her favorites are pasta, eggs, string cheese, and yogurt! (and ice cream every once in awhile ☺)

She also likes sitting on my lap and playing piano, unfolding clothes that have just been folded, singing the "itsy bistsy spider" song, jumping in her exersaucer, and snuggling first thing in the morning. She doesn't like diaper changes, peas, the word "no", any kind of confinement, and anyone hugging or kissing "HER" mommy. (We're working on that one..she's a little possessive).

We're all having so much fun watching Lola's personality blossom daily!

Happy Birthday to Lola

2010-02-22T21:12:00.001-08:00

Lola's 1!!!!! We had a small family party at Nana and Papa's house to celebrate. Lola seemed to like the party! ☺

Time for presents! Sadie insisted that Lola needed help opening them.

....and a birthday crown for the birthday princess!

Cupcakes!!!

Sadie also insisted that Lola needed help blowing out the candle...

She definitely didn't need help digging into the frosting!

"All done"!

Time for a little playtime w/ Papa and new toys...

A successful 1st birthday party! We can't believe she's 1 already! Where does the time go?? Lola is such a sweet girl! It's so fun to have her in our family!

Marshall's fans!

2010-02-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Whether they like it or not, the girls get to attend LOTS of sporting events to cheer their big brother on! With basketball season winding down, I thought I'd share how we've been spending most of our weekends...watching Marshall!

Here's Marshall with his team, waiting for the game to start..

Sadie unpacking her snack...

Lola not wanting to be held anymore....

Ava sounding out words...

Lola drinking water with Nana..the only way she'll let us hold her..

Marshall stretching..

Ella not wanting her picture taken...

Sadie taking pictures of Lola...

...all before the game even started! It's a busy time, but we try to talk to the girls about the importance of supporting each other in everything we do, even when it means sitting on bleachers for what seems like eternity in "kid time"! Marshall's team had a great season, but ended up losing a tough play-off game yesterday to end their regular season. One more basketball tournament, then on to baseball!

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

2010-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

Marshall spent his birthday gift cards on an airsoft gun....boys will be boys!!

Valentine's Day Coffee!!

2010-02-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Matt surpised me w/ a Valentine's coffee and flowers after church yesterday! Today we had lunch at the Metropolitan Grill and walked around Seattle...I ♥ Valentine's Day! :)

Play Area @ the Mall

2010-02-11T14:48:00.001-08:00

Today we went to the play area at the mall...it's definitely not as relaxing now that Lola's everywhere! I used to sit and sip coffee and watch the girls play, now I'm up chasing Lola, making sure she's not climbing too high or getting trampled. Today my coffee was cold by the time I got to drink it, bummer...but we sure had fun!

Bribing with a doughnut to get back into the stroller...whatever it takes!

The girls had fun watching Lola explore! I guess we'll have to come back again soon!

Play time...

2010-02-09T15:02:00.001-08:00

2010-02-09T14:59:00.001-08:00

Nap time...

2010-02-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

Projects

2010-02-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

We have been busy with lots of projects! We are no longer painting/sanding for The Painted Word....so we can finally move all of the paint, shelves,etc. out of the house! Will miss the paycheck, but won't miss this mess one bit! Matt and I are looking forward to having some time together that doesn't involve painting...the beginning of a new season!

As always, one project leads to another...Sadie helped me sort and re-organize all of the bins of girl clothes. From the looks of it, Lola's set!

Lola worked on her own project, emptying the recycling!

Wish us luck! The goal is a more efficient use of space...is it possible?

Sadie :)

2010-01-28T21:45:00.001-08:00

Just felt like doing a post about Sadie! She is crazy! She makes us laugh daily with her singing, dancing, and her all around style. I've been taking pictures of her most mornings when she gets dressed because her fashion sense is from a different world...but I love her individuality and fearlessness! She gets a lot of attention out in the world. Who knows? Maybe she'll work in the fashion industry someday...

This one I didn't let her leave the house in... she was sure she would be warm enough if she just brought along a sweatshirt!

We're always looking forward to what she comes up with next!

Lola on the go!!

2010-01-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

It's official! Lola's on the go! She started crawling last week, but was pretty hesitant to venture out on her own....not anymore! She's having a great time exploring her environment, picking up every little speck on the floor, opening cupboards, and making messes! Here we go again!

2010-01-14T10:57:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2009!!

2010-01-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year!! It was busy, but everything with 5 kids is busy! Here are the kids on Christmas morning waiting on our bed! They had to wait until Daddy was done making his coffee before they could go check their stockings. Santa definitely came to the Simmons house....here's the note to prove it!

He filled the stockings...

Ate some cookies, drank some milk....

and piled presents under the tree!

Ava was sooo excited that Santa brought her the kiwis she asked for! Ava really loves kiwis!

Ella helped Sadie open her stocking....Sadie decided Santa wasn't so bad after all. She really didn't want him in our house!

Lola's first Christmas!

Presents!!

Lola opening one of her gifts...

It's a dog!

The kids really enjoyed watching each other open gifts this year...it was a fun time!

Grandpa Bob came for a visit the day after Christmas....here's Lola meeting him for the first time!

Now that Christmas has come and gone, things have quieted down a little. Both Marshall and Ella are playing basketball games every weekend which keeps us on the go! Hopefully will have some pictures of that soon!

Some December Stuff - A little catch-up!

2010-01-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

Time for a little catch up of what's been going on! Ava turned 6 on November 21st! We celebrated her special day with lunch and shopping @ the mall with just mom and dad. It was a super fun day!

Marshall's soccer team, the Sharks, made it to the semi-final game of the President's cup! They ended up losing the semi-final match, but were one of the top four teams in Washington state! It was so fun to watch the boys have such great success!

Here's Lola trying to stay warm at the last game, 8:30 AM, 20 degrees outside, windy, not fun!

The sun came out a little later and she was happy!

The girls had their annual Christmas gymnastics show at the Seattle Center. This year Ava is also on a team and this was her first show ever! It's fun that the girls have gymnastics in common now.

After the show we always get cotton candy!

We managed to make it to a tree farm to get our Christmas tree...better late than never!

The hunt....

Lola trying to stay warm once again!

Sadie's choice!

Family photo...

While Matt secured the tree to the top of the car...

the rest of us warmed up by the fire and roasted marshmallows!! A fun morning!

On Christmas Eve, all of the kids participated in all three church services. Ella had an acting part in an ongoing skit and the rest of the kids were in the children's nativity. Here's Sadie as an angel..

Ava as a shepherd...

Lola and Olivia...

Marshall was the star! We had to bribe him a little...

Sadie as a pig...

Lola as a giraffe...just changing it up a little!

Finally home after a long day at church, getting ready for bed in new jammies, excited for Santa to come!!

Another Halloween!!

2009-11-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Time for another Simmons Halloween!! We didn't have time to visit a pumpkin patch this year...but the girls and I had a fun time picking out some pumpkins at the store. Sadie commented, "I sure liked that Top Foods pumpkin patch!!"

Ava has an aversion to pumpkin guts after getting sick carving one year, so she decided to paint her pumpkin instead. It turned out great!

The rest of the kids enjoyed the gutting/carving process!

Sadie and her "happy" pumpkin!

Time for dress-up!! Ella and Sadie were witches this year...nice, friendly witches. :)

Ava and Marshall were "old grandma" and "old grandpa".

They were pretty funny!!

Ella and her black cat...

Best picture of Ava!! She sure makes us laugh...

Lola made a pretty cute kitty!

Marshall and Coby..

Cute girls!

Heading out to trick-or-treat.....

Sadie sure enjoyed trick-or-treating...but she didn't last too long. She got tired of walking and opted for a shoulder ride.

Super fun Halloween! A lot of kids makes for lots of laughs....and lots of candy!!!

Apples!!

2009-10-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

We had a ton of apples grow on our tree this year!! The kids have been asking when we could pick them...and finally they were ripe enough!

What should we do with all of these apples??

The girls liked them plain...

Lola preferred applesauce...

Yesterday we made yummy apple crisp, we've dried some of them...and still have lots left over! Maybe we'll make a pie....

Matt's First Triathalon

2009-09-17T21:14:00.001-07:00

So...a couple of weeks ago, Matt was talked into doing a sprint triathlon by our friend Mark. He didn't have much time to train for it, but thought it would be a good challenge and a good way to kick-start a new healthy lifestyle! He was a little nervous about the swim, but mostly was just hoping to finish the race. Here are Matt and DJ (also racing) checking out the water. It was a beautiful morning weather-wise!

Ava, Hana, and Mak enjoying a yummy pre-race drink!

Sadie enjoying the whipped cream, then throwing the drink away...

Lola waking up, wondering where in the world we are...

Matt and DJ getting excited

They're in the water somewhere!

Ella let me take one picture of her. She was really into watching the race. I wouldn't be surprised if she did a triathlon someday!

Wondering where daddy is...

The fan club waiting for the dads to come out of the water!

Matt didn't drown! He actually came out smiling!

Lola and Jenny waiting in the transition area...

Here's Matt getting off his bike...ready for the run!

Here's Mark finishing up the race. He came in 4th!

Sadie and Drew enjoying a moment :)

....and Matt finishing the race!!

The girls were definitely proud of their dad!

The boys...happy that it's over!

Sadie had picked some flowers to give Matt when he finished.

Time for a well-deserved yummy pancake breakfast!

They all did a great job! Matt had a lot of fun and is already talking about doing more races. Maybe we'll do one together...we'll see! Thanks Mark for encouraging us to try new things! :)

Sadie's Big Day

2009-09-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for Sadie...her first day of preschool! She's been waiting for this for a LONG time. Here she is eating breakfast for some extra energy...

Looking beautiful in the outfit Mommy picked out...

Wasn't really feeling that outfit...needed to change into something more Sadie-like. The other one matched too well I guess!

Crazy Sadie!

Kissing Daddy good-bye..

Feeling a little nervous...especially about leaving "Binky" in the car.

Nervousness over! School is great! Here she is making her place mat that she'll use for snack time.

Found a cool chair!

....and some really cool books!

Happy to have her friend Lizzie in her class!

Making play dough pancakes...

Paint!!

Sensory table...

And finally....SNACK!

A great first day! Next week she will go without us, but now that she's seen her classroom, she's so excited! She can hardly wait to go back!

1st Day of School!!

2009-09-02T19:19:00.001-07:00

Today was an exciting day in the Simmons household!! Marshall started 6th grade, Ella started 3rd, and Ava started Kindergarten! Here are Marshall & Ella posing for the mandatory first day of school shots...both were very tolerant!

They are both getting so grown-up!

Ava woke up early, excited about her first day of kindergarten, but since she's in the afternoon class, she had a long wait until after lunch before it was her turn to go to school.

After Marshall and Ella left, Ava, Sadie, and I tried feeding Lola some applesauce.

She liked it!!! Then we killed some time taking pictures....

Here's Lola in her new Exersaucer!

Ava excited about her new backpack...

A Starbucks date before school...

Then we met Daddy to drop Ava off. We were anticipating tears, but she was so excited and brave!

She stood in line with some of her classmates, waiting for others to arrive.

Then she waved good-bye and walked with her teacher to her class! No tears!

We are proud of all our kids, but especially Ava who is finally conquering some of her separation anxiety! We know it will be a great year for all of us! After school, all the kids were giddy with excitement about their teachers and classes! A great first day!

Lola Today!

2009-07-01T08:53:00.001-07:00

Since I'm so behind on our blog, I thought I should just post some photos of Lola that I took this morning for those that don't get to see her regularly. She is changing every day! She still has an easy-going disposition and is such a smiley, happy baby! Lola had her 4-month check-up last week and weighed in @ 12 pounds, 3 ounces. She is doted on by everyone and is even capturing Sadie's heart now. We are blessed by her daily!

Finally...some pictures from our Maui trip!

2009-05-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, we've been home from our trip for a month now and finally getting around to posting pictures! Maui was wonderful and sooo relaxing, even with a newborn!! Lola was amazing on the trip. We really enjoyed spending time alone with her and bonding with her even more!
Here's a picture of Matt and Lola on the plane....she slept almost the whole flight!

Happy to have landed safely!

Our first day we spent by the pool at the hotel. It was beautiful!

Lola took her first dip in the pool..

then a long nap!

One day we went to a local beach for some snorkeling.

One day we drove the "road to Hana". We didn't know it would take all day...but Lola was a trooper! Here's one of the cool waterfalls we saw.

We stopped to swim in the seven sacred pools, but hard to do w/a baby...so Andrea sat w/me and we watched everyone from a distance. They said it was amazing.

Here's some pictures of the guys golfing. The girls had a beauty and shopping day while they were on the golf course. :)

A picture of Matt's sunburn from golfing..

We went to a luau one night. Lola loved the music!

Here are some pictures from one of our morning walks on the beach..

This is the courtyard at the resort we stayed at...

One of the fancy desserts we had...so yummy!

Lola on the plane on the way home...another amazing flight with no crying!

We loved Maui and can't wait to go back someday! We made some great memories with friends and with Lola that will last a lifetime! Life has been hectic since we've been back with baseball, softball, gymnastics, soccer, and kids' choir! On these crazy days I just try to picture the serene beach in Hawaii and take some deep breaths. It's nice to have that vision in my head! More pictures to come soon!

Wallace Falls Hike

2009-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

On Monday the weather was gorgeous...so we decided it was time to get some much needed fresh air and get the kids outdoors!! We took them on a hike @ Wallace Falls. Sadie had never been hiking before, so this was her idea of what she needed....the purse was a necessity!

The kids wanted to stop and look at every waterfall on the way...

Lola slept the whole way up!

Here is a rare moment when Sadie was actually walking...Matt got an upper body workout as well from carrying her a majority of the time!

We made it to the Lower Falls, had a snack, and decided to head back down. Sadie was done at that point and the other girls had to go potty! Maybe we'll make it all the way to the top next time!

A fun day for the Simmons 7!!

All Fool's Day Parade

2009-04-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday Ella walked in the annual All Fool's Day parade in Woodinville. We never know what the weather will be like this time of year, but this was probably the wettest, coldest, windiest parade we've ever been in! Here are Ella and Abby getting ready.....

While the girls were waiting for their turn, Matt and I took Ava, Sadie, and Lola to Starbucks to thaw out and have some cocoa. It was a zoo in there....but better than standing outside!

We finally ventured out to watch a little of the parade before Ella came..

Finally she came!

She did a great job and managed to keep a smile on her face! Hopefully next year we'll have better weather!

Bathtime for Lola!

2009-03-06T11:36:00.001-08:00

Today we gave Lola her first bath at home! I'm pretty sure we gave Marshall a bath daily after he was born...but Lola hasn't been so lucky. She will be 2 weeks old tomorrow and she's finally clean!! I assumed she would cry, but she seemed to be relaxed by the warm water...even when Sadie was helping!

Tah dah!! A nice clean, sleepy baby!

Introducing Lola Grace Simmons!!

2009-03-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

It's about time I update the blog with some pictures of our new addition!!! Lola Grace was born on February 21 at 9:21 PM. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. The kids are adjusting well and now that I'm finally feeling normal after a rough recovery, life is slowly getting back on track! Here are some of our favorite pictures from the hospital..

The whole family together for the first time!!

Introducing Lola to Sadie..

Big brother....again!

First bath..

Lola ready to go home.

When we got home, the girls couldn't wait to hold Lola! Marshall had one turn and that was enough for him! Sadie was fascinated by her and didn't want to put her down!

This is my favorite picture of Sadie...

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure we'll be taking lots of pictures and will be posting them as much as possible!

A Visit with Santa

2008-12-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we braved the icy roads for our annual visit with Santa. It was nice to get out of the house since we've been cooped up for a few days. I asked Sadie what she was going to say to Santa when she saw him...she told me she would tell him she didn't like him. She didn't end up saying anything, just crying. We've never had a Santa picture without at least one cryer so it's kind of a tradition now. Marshall, Ella, and Ava had a nice visit though...

After Sadie got over her trauma, we continued on with our other tradition of splitting up and letting the kids pick out gifts for each other. I lucked out this year and got Marshall and Ella...Matt didn't have as much fun with Sadie and Ava. Sadie has an aversion to her stroller, hand-holding, listening, malls in general. We got it done though and the kids can't wait for their partner to open the gift they picked out. We're finally feeling ready for Christmas!!

More Snow Pictures!

2008-12-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

The snow hasn't stopped...and the kids are still having a blast playing in it! Here are some pictures of today's playtime outside....

Snow!!

2008-12-17T18:53:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of the kids enjoying some of the snow we've gotten....and I'm sure there will be more to come!

They've been having so much fun!

Seattle Center Gymnastics Show

2008-12-13T18:56:00.001-08:00

Today I had a fun day with Ella in Seattle! Her gymnastics team was performing at the Seattle Center, and thanks to Nana and Papa, I was able to take just her for some much needed girl time! We got there early enough to enjoy some hot cocoa and good conversation. It's not too often I get to spend time with one kid at a time! What a treat!

Time for the show to start! Our camera doesn't take the greatest pictures from far away, but it'll have to do. Here she is doing some stretching....

Getting ready to start her routine...

Some tumbling....

Ella's team, the Rising Stars!

The whole gang!

After the performance, I gave in and got Ella some cotton candy. She did a great job and we're super proud of her!!

Decorating Day

2008-12-09T13:29:00.001-08:00

We've had our tree for over a week and finally got around to decorating it last night! As always, the kids were excited to get out the crazy Christmas hats!

Marshall helped Matt put the lights on this year....

It's always fun for the kids to find their favorite ornaments!

Sadie was way into hanging ornaments this year...although she tended to pick one branch and overload it! Here's some of her handiwork, to be redistributed later!

The finished product!!

Hoping to decorate the rest of the house later this week...but it's a good start!

Christmas Tree Hunt 2008

2008-12-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

We made a last minute decision to go get our tree yesterday! We figured if we didn't get it done soon, it wouldn't happen because of our hectic December schedule! We visited a new tree farm that some friends of ours have. As always, it was an adventure!!

Sadie just wanted me to take pictures of her the whole time...she didn't really care about the tree!

You can't really see it in this picture, but Ella finally lost that top tooth that's been hanging by a thread! She's proud of her new gap!

Marshall was being as goofy as always, trying to find the worst trees, then saying they would be perfect!

Matt's favorite job...

Since we got a late start...it got dark really fast! We couldn't be too picky about our tree, we just needed to find one while we could still see! I think we found a great one though!

Time for cocoa and a hot fire!

I'm glad we have our tree....I guess now we have to decorate! More pictures to come of that experience....

Ava's 5!!

2008-11-25T19:44:00.001-08:00

Ava is officially 5!!! It seems like birthdays in our family seem to last at least a week. We started the festivities out at preschool. Here's Ava blowing out her candles with her teacher Mrs. Phillips. It took a few tries!

Here she is on her actual birthday, getting ready for school! Ava is quite excited to finally be 5!

After school she went out for a special lunch with Nana at Ruby's Diner. Ava recommends the Cookies N' Cream milkshake!

On Sunday we had her kid party at gymnastics. It was a blast!

Here's Makayla swinging like a monkey!

Sadie was thrilled to be able to be out on the gym floor! Usually she has to stand behind the gate and watch her sisters. She loved swinging on the bars!

After lots of playtime, it was time for cupcakes and ice cream!!

Ava still had a little trouble blowing out that candle..I guess she needs to practice!

Ava got lots of great gifts from her friends...it was a fun party!

While we were preparing for the party, Marshall was playing in the championship game of the soccer tournament he was in all weekend. They ended up losing by one, but we're definitely proud of the team for making it so far and were bummed to miss the game! Here are some great shots Nana and Papa took at the game...

He's becoming quite the goalie! Ava's birthday will continue with one more small family celebration on Thanksgiving...and another chance to blow out some candles!

More Soccer Pictures!

2008-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted....mostly because I haven't taken many pictures lately! I seem to forget the camera everywhere we go. Fortunately Nana and Papa always have theirs! They got a new camera that takes great pictures, especially great action shots. They sent some of one of Marshall's recent soccer games, so I thought I would share...

Marshall has definitely grown as a soccer player this season! He plays mostly goalie and forward, has made some amazing blocks, and scored a handful of goals. Who knows what the future holds for his sports passions, baseball will probably always be first, but soccer is sure fun to watch! (Except when it's freezing and raining!)

Rainy Day Soccer

2008-09-20T15:44:00.001-07:00

Well, we knew the sun wouldn't stick around forever! Today we had the first rainy-day soccer game of the season. Up until now we had been enjoying lounging in the sun as the Sharks played their games. Today took a lot more preparation as we had to find all of our rain gear and bundle up before the game. The girls didn't believe me when I told them it would be cold, but half-way through the game they were wishing they had listened to me....maybe next time!

Here we are in the drizzle. I don't know why Sadie felt it was necessary to wear her sunglasses, but she wore them most of the game. She is way more optimistic than the rest of us.

Marshall played a great game! The Sharks were victorious again, winning 8-2 (I think)! We went home to warm up with some hot cocoa, a favorite post-game tradition! So far a great soccer season!

So-long Summer!

2008-09-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday the weather was beautiful and Matt had the day off.....so we thought it would be fun to take Ava and Sadie to the lake one last time! The girls spent lots of time throwing rocks in the water with Matt, splashing in the water, and playing at the park. It was fun to take just the two of them out, although Marshall and Ella weren't too happy when we picked them up from school and they heard how we spent our day!

Now the colder weather is moving in and everyone's in school (except Sadie). Ava had her first day last week and after some tears, is starting to enjoy it! Sadie is missing her siblings, but we're having some fun with all of our alone time!

Looks like it's going to be a good year!

Back to School!!

2008-09-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's back to school for the big kids today!! Marshall's heading to 5th grade and Ella to 2nd! They were so excited that they both woke up early and got ready willingly! It's probably the only day we won't have to drag Ella out of bed, but maybe she'll turn into a morning person this year. One can only hope! They even were cooperative for the annual back to school photos!!

We had a nice summer, but it feels good to get back into a routine. We're looking forward to a great year!

Ocean Shores

2008-08-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours have a great vacation home in Ocean Shores that we were blessed to stay at for a few days this week! It was nice to get away and relax for awhile.....especially nice to sleep in!

Here's a view from the back of the house. It backs up to a canal where the kids had lots of fun taking turns riding in the canoe with Matt!

Sadie loved the canoe! She couldn't get enough!
We lucked out with the weather! It was so nice that we spent the majority of the day at the beach. The kids made a giant sand castle, had fun burying each other, and of course loved running from the waves!

Sadie took a nice long snooze at the beach!

During the rest of the trip, the weather wasn't quite as nice...so we had to find some other things to entertain the kids. We found a fun mini-golf course and arcade. Sadie didn't enjoy the golf too much....she just wanted to throw the balls.

Sadie became the designated score-keeper.

We spent most of the rest of the time just enjoying each other, playing games, and laughing! What a fun trip! Now...back to reality!

Another Fantastic 4th!

2008-07-07T20:23:00.001-07:00

Once again we had a super busy, super fun 4th of July! We started the day bright and early and headed out to the parade in Bothell. The girls and I walked with their gym, and Matt played sax on the church's float while Marshall tossed candy.

The girls were excited to wear their new parade leos and new tennies!

Ava with friends Grace and Averie..

Ella stretching...

Check out Ava's perfect teeter-totter!

Toward the end of the parade route the girls were starting to fade. They were pulling each other along!

After a quick nap at home we headed to the Hayford's for their annual bbq/anniversary party.

The kids had fun playing croquet for the first time..

Then we headed over to the Oliver's for another bbq and fireworks! The girls surprised us all by putting on a fashion show. Here they are looking fabulous!

Sadie and Drew bonded and shared some sweet moments..

When it got dark, we watched the fireworks over the lake. Once again I had to enjoy them from inside. Sadie thought they were too loud and spent the whole time with a blanket over her head! The rest of the kids loved them though! Here's Ava in awe!

A full day, but well worth it!

Fun at the M's Game

2008-07-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Last night we took the kids (minus Sadie) to a Mariner's game. Marshall has been this year, but the girls haven't so they were super excited! It was fun to spend time with the "big kids"!

Here they are walking to the stadium. Matt is always on a quest to find a free parking spot....no matter how far away. Last night he had success...and the kids didn't mind the walking, at least on the way there!

Waiting for the game to start....already snacking!

Ella and Ava with their good buds, Makayla and Hana!

Ava with Pastor Marcie....she sat with her for lots of the game. She also had some amazing dance moves happening...she said, "Mom, it's just hip-hop!"

Here's Ella getting tired...wondering when it will be over!

Victory! They won in the bottom of the 9th for an exciting finish! A fun night!

Hooray for Summer!

2008-07-01T09:28:00.001-07:00

It finally feels like summer! We've been hitting the water to beat the heat. On Sunday we went swimming with friends and Monday we went to the lake. A fun couple of days! Here are some pictures from our adventures...

We've Been Busy!!!

2008-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

We've been busy!! I don't know when we're coming or going! I think things are about to slow down now that school has ended and baseball's winding down. Here are a few pics from the last couple weeks!
The girls have been busy with gymnastics as usual. They had their year-end gym show to show-off all they have learned. I can't believe how strong Ella has gotten since joining the team this year! She's doing great!

After quite a bit of coaxing...Ava started enjoying her performance too. It takes her awhile to warm up, but once she does you can't stop her!!

Ava had a good year with coach Dena. They had a couple days off and are back at it again! I guess there's no break in gymnastics. Ava is already warming up to her new coach, Ashley!

Marshall has been super busy with his all-star team. He's playing great and having lots of fun getting to know some of the boys better. I think we only have one more tournament toward the end of July!!

Here's the whole gang! If you zoom in, you'll see they had some fun applying their own eye-black before the last game!

Here are some random pictures of the girls enjoying the sun....we take what we can get lately!

Sadie the super-fan!!

We're looking forward to the rest of the summer...and hopefully lots of sunny days!

#1 Reason Markers Should Not Be Left in the Car!

2008-06-19T15:39:00.001-07:00

Thankfully, all washable!!!

One Season Ending...Another Beginning!!

2008-06-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Marshall's regular baseball season ended tonight in exciting fashion!! They made it to the championship game after defeating both teams in a double-header last night, one of which was the first place team in the league! They ended up losing tonight, finishing second for the season....but gave the Vipers a run for their money. Marshall played great both nights. He pitched 3 innings last night making him ineligible to pitch today, and played first base the rest of the time. Since I haven't done a baseball blog this season, here are some pictures from some of the many games he had!

Marshall has really improved his pitching this year!

Here are the girls being creative to pass the time! The ballpark is practically their second home. They have been good sports through it all!

Marshall proudly sporting his championship tee...

New All-Star uniform!!

We'll miss our Red Sox team and coaches....but we're looking forward to a fun all-star season this summer! First Tournament is on Saturday in Auburn.....same time as the girls' gymnastics extravaganza. I guess Matt and I will be splitting up...and taking lots of pictures!! Stay tuned..

Bye-Bye Hair!!

2008-06-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

Ava has been asking to get her hair cut short again ever since she saw a picture of herself from last summer! Yesterday was the day! She was excited, but a little nervous too. I had to hold her hand for the first part, but she relaxed and did great!

Concentrating on the Scooby-Doo movie she chose....

Sadie sitting on the pig next to Ava for moral support...

"I'm happy now!"

A little blow dry.....and tah dah!!

It turned out great and Ava loves her new hair! She looks more like herself....and I'm celebrating an easy, no-hassle hair-do for hectic mornings!! In the words of Ava..."I think I'm more me with short hair"!

Sadie's Birthday Surprise

2008-06-04T21:09:00.001-07:00

Sadie's 2nd birthday is coming up on Friday!! Today a special package arrived from Muv & Gramps and nobody could wait....so we let Sadie open her early birthday surprise. Being the 4th child, she doesn't get a lot of new stuff so it took her a minute to understand that it was a present just for her! She was so excited to see that it was a brand new Bitty Baby, all her own!

"Is it really just for me???"

I asked Sadie what she was going to call her baby and she looked right at her face and said, "Baby Jenny". She's kind of obsessed with our friend Jenny right now so I'm not surprised. She immediately took Baby Jenny over to her rocking chair to feed her and cuddle her.

It's cute to see Sadie with her very own baby. I think she and Baby Jenny will be friends for a long time to come. Thanks Muv & Gramps!!

Our New Little Athlete!!

2008-06-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today Ava had a super-fun preschool field trip! A dad of one of her friends in class used to be a professional baseball player for the Mets and now runs a training facility in Woodinville. He invited the class there to play and learn a little about baseball. Ava gets to watch a lot of baseball, but hasn't really been in on the action before. She seemed to love it!

Her teacher gave each of the kids a beach ball with their name on it....Ava's sleeping with it tonight so she must like it!

Sadie wanted in on the action too....she wore a helmet the whole time. She must have felt safer that way.

After the kids ran around and played for awhile, they practiced hitting with their beach balls. Ava impressed everyone with her swing!

Here's Jose' pitching to Ava. She was doing so well that he switched to a tennis ball. She was a hitting machine! Even after most of the kids lost interest, Ava was still hitting away.

High five for a job well done! They went inside and made ice cream sundaes to finish up their time. Ava had a blast.....we might have another ball-player in our midst!

Ella's Pajama Party!

2008-05-11T19:36:00.001-07:00

For Ella's 7th birthday party, she really wanted to do something at home...so we had a good old-fashioned pajama party! It was loads of fun! All the girls showed up in their favorite Pjs ready to party.
They snacked...

They decorated night-shirts...

They ate lots of pizza....

They danced...
Ella opened presents...

They watched a movie..

They ate yummy cupcakes...

Ella blew out 7 candles on the first try...

Sadie made a huge mess with frosting and ice cream...

And Matt amazed the girls with his expert nail-painting abilities!

What a fun night!!

Crazy Weather Update

2008-04-18T18:16:00.001-07:00

So....after I posted my last post, I left the house to pick up kids, run to the bank, gymnastics...the usual afternoon activities. This is what I came home to! It's still snowing like crazy! I have to say I'm not too excited about it. I'm definitely ready for summer. This day has just been so weird that I had to update the blog! Needless to say Marshall's game was cancelled tonight so we're having a family night at home. Maybe we'll build a fire!

April snow!!

2008-04-18T13:54:00.001-07:00

Last weekend the kids got sunburned at Marshall's baseball game....today it's snowing! Can't believe it! Check out the view out back!

Ella is 7!!!!

2008-04-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

Today was Ella's 7th birthday! To celebrate her special day, we took the kids out to dinner at Claim Jumper. They were all excited because we don't go out to eat that much.

There is one main reason we don't go out much......Sadie Rose!! She tends to get wild when we take her out, but always makes us laugh a lot.

Ella opened presents while we waited for our food. Her favorite gift was a stuffed dog that she name "Nibbles".

Sadie liked Nibbles too and had a hard time understanding why she couldn't have him. Ella let her hold him for a little while during dinner.

Then the kids got to make their own sundaes! So fun....but what a mess! I'm glad we were at a restaurant and not at home!

We had a great time as a family celebrating Ella's 7 years! We all shared things we liked about Ella and embarrassed her a little. She's an awesome kid, a handful at times, but an amazing gift to our family!

A Gymnastics Weekend!

2008-03-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

We had a crazy weekend! Matt and I had a staff retreat Thursday and Friday so Muv came to stay with the kids, it snowed off and on all weekend, Marshall had 2 baseball practices, and Ella had 2 gymnastics events! Needless to say....we are exhausted now that it's over! Saturday, Ella's team participated in the All Fool's Day parade in Woodinville. It was freezing....but fun!

Here is Ella with some of her friends trying to keep warm before the parade.

Marshall and Ava freezing, but in good spirits because of all the candy they were collecting!

Ella front and center in the parade! They did a routine with their umbrella's, but my camera died right as they were starting! Bummer!

On Sunday, Ella had a performance at the Seattle Center. We were glad to have Muv with us and Matt was able to leave church early so he didn't miss any of the action! Here's Sadie enjoying the show with Muv.

Marshall trying to keep himself entertained...as of right now he's not into watching the girls do gymnastics. In a few years he'll probably be begging to come!

Here's Ella during her dance and then doing some tumbling.

After the show, Muv left to go back home to Salem. Ella is still very passionate about gymnastics and improving every week. This morning she did her back walkovers all by herself for the first time! It's fun to watch her grow! Right now Marshall's at another baseball practice. His game was cancelled due to weather....but I'm sure I'll be able to post pictures of his pitching debut soon!

Ava's Easter Program

2008-03-25T14:53:00.001-07:00

Ava had her Easter program at school today! She's been looking forward to it and practicing the songs at home over and over....so we were surprised when she ran to us crying and refused to go on the stage! A little stage fright I guess! Sadie sure enjoyed watching the kids sing though!

Here's Ava's class (without Ava)....then finally after 3 songs she moved past her anxiety and went on up to the stage! Once she was up there she was right at home...and back to her normal, crazy self!!

We're proud of Ava for facing her fears! We love to listen to her sing!

Ava's Easter Program Continued..

2008-03-25T14:52:00.001-07:00