September flew by!

So, I know I am slacking a bit on keeping you all updated on our adventures here in Indy!  I will give you September in a nutshell!  Started out with a trip to Chicago...so much fun with the kids and I definitely ate my way through that city!  I couldn't pass up Chicago style pizza, hot dogs and Al's beef sandwiches!  We hit up Navy Pier, the Shedd Aquarium, American Girl for an afternoon tea....Mav was less than excited, and a Cubs game....Ava was bored out of her mind!  It's so exciting to be only 2 1/2 hours away from a city like Chicago, and I can't wait until our next trip to the Windy City, possibly sans kiddos!

The Fessler's came to visit with their youngest of three boys!  It was a wonderful visit and made me miss them even more.  The boys, Matt and Mike, drove to Wisconsin for the Beaver game....long drive for little excitement!!  Jen and I got massages and just hung out!

Next, my mom came for a 9-day visit!  I loved having her here.  We relaxed, shopped, decorated my house, ate out and went to a Colts game!  I miss her a ton, but it was so nice to spend such quality time with each other!

I love having visitors....it makes me feel like I am on vacation because we get to do all sorts of fun things....so make sure to come visit us in Indy!!!!

Kids are great, Matt and I are doing well and we are enjoying life in our new city!  I still miss Portland and the comforts of home!  However, the mid-west pleasantly surprises me more and more everyday!

Pre-Kindergarten Begins!

So, as I am beginning this blog can I just say my house is so QUIET!  Seriously, both kids are at school and I have 5 hours and 45 minutes to myself!  However, my little man was not as stoked for school as I was for my alone time!  It started off with a bribe of 10 minutes of bike riding after the bus left with Ava and before he needed to get in the car.  I did get him in his class, and after last year I was on my toes when it came to his "pump fake" where he takes off running out the other door instead of his class door!  I managed to get him in the class....carrying him!  I helped him put his lunch in his cubby, which he proceeded to put back in his backpack, according to him he was not staying.  Then a familiar face showed up, thank goodness I met this great mom on Parent Night and she had just moved here to, and it turned out the kids are in the same class!  We had a playdate last week, which helped so much.  He sat down next to his friend, got started on his morning work, gave me a smile for the camera and a kiss good-bye!  I do miss the kiddos, but I think I will be able to make do until 2:45pm!

Breakfast pic!  At this point, he is still a little excited!

The bike ride bribe at 8:20am!

Sweet Angels!

The Boys!

I am not staying here!

This face breaks my heart!

I can leave now!  Looks like he just may enjoy it after all!

T.G.I.F.

Getting back into a routine is hard!  Especially, when it is 90+ degrees out and still light out at 9:00pm.  We have made it through week one with only a few hang-ups.

For starters, the kids and I were in an accident.  We were headed to Ava's soccer practice and the cars were slowing down and apparently the young pizza delivery driver didn't do the same because she slammed into the back of us.  It was a little scary, but we are all okay!  Thank the lord for watching over us during this time.  It is such a scary feeling being hit when your kids are in the car.  I immediately jumped out and got in the backseat with them checking them over.  Ava was screaming, but just because it scared her.  On the plus side, the paramedics were cute and we got to sit in an ambulance and check it out while we were waiting and they were taking our vitals!  Yes, when you live in a small town in Indiana there will be 2 police cars, including the sheriff, a firetruck and ambulance for a minor fender bender!  We are all fine, so that's all that really matters.  I, also, highly recommend Volvos!  Her car was totaled and had to be towed away, mine looks like it has been in a minor accident.....cheers to the safest vehicle!

Ava chose not to go to dance this week.  She said she didn't want to do it anymore, not because she doesn't love dance but she hates wearing leotards.  Instead of spending all my time trying to talk her into it, because I hate to see her give it up, I thought about my over packed schedule and said it's your choice honey, but you must do something.  She chose soccer and piano, so we'll see!

That's about it here in Hoosier Country!!  I need to take more pics, but for now an update will have to do!  Ava is still enjoying school and Mav starts Monday.  We went to his Open House last night, and I love his preschool!  I think it will be a great school year for both kids!

School and soccer have started!

The first day of school was yesterday, and it was a success!  Ava got off the bus and proclaimed that "this is the best school ever"!  She also made me promise she would not be going to a new school next year....poor girl!

However, yesterday was not the first day of school for Maverick.  He was so bored all day, but I was enjoying the quiet neighborhood!  I signed him up for a different preschool, which will be full day on M,W and F!  I am so excited to have a little extra time to get stuff done around here.  He starts next Monday.

It was Maverick's first day of soccer practice....which helped get him through the day of boredom!  He was so excited and was such a little stud out there.  Ava complained that she had to sit at his practice....now she was bored!  Maverick was just thrilled that Ava had to sit and watch him practice, this kid has been carting around Ava and attending her activities since birth.

Overall, it was a successful start to a CRAZY week.  soccer practices, dance and school meetings for both kiddos......my head is spinning.  This is in addition to the constant parade of contractors coming in and out of my house.  Ahhhhhhh!

A Week Before School Starts!!

So we are down to the last week of summer.....for Ava!  Mav doesn't start school until after Labor Day.  We have been out and about trying to get familiar with the new surroundings.  We went to the Zionsville Street Fair and Dance on Saturday after a day of furniture shopping!  Zionsville is a small town that looks like it came straight out of a picture book.  It has a downtown with a cobblestone street and little shops and restaurants.  It also has a festival almost every weekend.  I should have brought my camera......Ava actually went on stage with the band for a song!

We have been busy swimming and playing with our neighborhood friends.  It has been so nice for the kids to meet so many kids before school starts.  Ava is so excited for the bus....it has been talked up by the neighbor kids!  This is a huge plus for me since I couldn't get her to ride it at all last year.

I need to get better about bringing my camera with me.  The kids and I had a little photo booth fun on the iMac.  Also, I had to show this beautiful drawing by Ava.  We got a craft table for the playroom and put all of the art supplies up there too.  This has really been nice for the kids to have easy access to all of their art supplies.  They have spent so much time at it already, plus I love that they are keeping busy doing things away from the electronics!

Love these two!

Although, they can drive me a little crazy!

 

I think there is about 400 pictures of just the two of them on photo booth!

This picture is a drawing of our family.  Matt is saying "love you" and Ava is saying "love you too".  Now on the other side I am saying "get down" and Mav is saying "no"!  Pretty much sums it up!!

Hello Indy!

First off, it is HOT here!  Not that I am complaining because it is nice to have a summer and enjoy the pool!  We have been very fortunate to find ourselves in a great neighborhood with tons of kids and activities.  I already have a neighborhood girls night planned, a book club, teaching Mav's religous education class, shuffling the kids to soccer and dance and school to work around!  I am hoping to have everything pulled together by mid-week so we can enjoy the last week of summer!  Ava starts school August 15th, so we are running out of time.

Well, we have lived here almost two weeks and we already made it to Speedway, Indiana (racing capitol of the world!) for the Brickyard 400.  Matt and I have never been the biggest Nascar fans, but I have a whole new appreciation for the sport!  It is quite exciting to watch, and we were in a suite that was air conditioned and catered, so that made it pretty enjoyable!

Best part of the Brickyard 400 was The Band Perry, Justin Moore, Rascal Flatts and Reba!

Overall, it has been a pretty good few weeks here.  I still miss everyone so much it hurts, but we are finding plenty to do and enjoying our time together!

Saying Goodbye :(

Goodbyes are never easy, and this one was no exception.  After living our entire lives in Oregon it was really difficult to leave all of our wonderful family and friends!  I know how blessed we are to have such wonderful people in our lives, but I also know that no matter how far away we are, we are only a phone call, flight or facetime chat away! We look forward to our many visits to Oregon, and hopefully our many visitors that make it out to Indy!  Here are some pics of our last week in Oregon.  We got to go to a wonderful winery with our parents for a tasting and lunch, Duke FamilyVineyards is absolutely amazing!  We spent time with our dear friends, and godparents to Ava, the Fesslers!  The cousins got to enjoy a lot of play time together!  I love the pics....the love they have for each other is such a joy!

Summer is here!

Ava is officially finished with 1st grade and Mav has finished his first year of preschool....I am still wondering where the time went?!  We have been so blessed this year.  She had a great year and teacher! We will miss it very much.  We have started enjoying summer!

End of the year celebration for 1st grade.

Last day of school!

Music program