Splish splash

Ben and Katie took a dunk in our backyard pool today. Here are some of my fave shots.

Beutel Family weekend

We had a couple more shots from this past weekend on a different camera--apologies for having them out of order! We tried to get a shot of the four babies in their jammies post-bath, but Sam was having none of it. Ben, Katie and Abby were happy to pose, though.

Before heading back to Ohio, Eric, Kim, Sam and Abby paused for one more photo.

Little Miss Thing

She's ready for her close-up

The "See Mommy Run" group went to the zoo last weekend. Katie (center) and her best friend, Lindy (far right) held hands though most of the park. In this shot, Alexa joined in the fun.

Generation "text"

Tyler spent all of last weekend connected to his cell phone (or the computer) with a "lady friend" of his. Ah, geeze...here we go.

He takes his calls with the ladies outside, so as not to be disturbed by his siblings. I couldn't resist getting a shot through the french doors.

Two men, a drill, and a dream

The "playground" went in a couple weeks ago. Here is before...

...and after! Chris has since added two more swings and a climbing net to the set.

Leisure Time

One of our neighbors gave us this old little push car that their daughter had outgrown. We weren't so sure about it at first, but Katie and Ben quickly decided that they LOVE it. Katie doesn't even seem to mind letting Ben use it, as long as she can push.

Now all she needs is a cell phone and a Starbucks.

Ben is into EVERYTHING lately. In fact, he rarely stops moving.

Standing boy. He's cruising, but not yet walking solo.

Surf's Up!

Tyler and Chris headed to the beach on Memorial Day for some surf and sun. Here's Tyler showing off his stuff.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Four kids needing baths, but only two moms. You do the math. First we put Abby and Ben in the tub. We had to turn them around to face us to see which was which. Abby is on the left.

Honestly, they could be the same kid!

Next up were Sam and Katie. How many years until we can use this photo to blackmail them??

Pizza, please

In an effort to fill the time while the guys were out biking all day, Kim and Krista let Sam and Katie make pizzas for dinner. They were more interested in eating the ingredients, but still had a great time.

Katie ate spoonfulls of sauce...ick!

Sam made a great looking pizza, then proceeded to eat the rest of the cheese is bowl (this is the kid who only eats Kraft singles!)

Pool Party

While the guys took part in "Bike & Binge", Kim and Krista stayed home with the kids. Sam and Katie had a great time in the pool, even though the water was freezing. Katie's lips were BLUE by the time we dragged her out of it.

Abby and Kim act as lifeguards.

Celebrating

With Eric, Kim, Sam & Abby in town, it was a great time to host a cookout at Casa Beutel. Jason, Michelle, Cody, Zach and Matthew joined in the fun and we all celebrated Zach's birthday, as well as the "grand opening" of our new play structure that Chris and Tyler built the previous weekend. Here are Katie and Sam riding what Katie calls the "horsey".

Matthew monkeying around.

Zach blows out his birthday candles. Okay, really it was a re-enactment for the sake of the camera. Is that cheating?

Sam helps Cody to another slice of cookie pizza while Tyler supervises.

Pandemonium

With all the Beutel grandkids in one place last Friday night, we tried to gather them up for a group shot. They had other plans. Of about a dozen shots, this is the BEST one. Sad, huh?

The "big kids" join in on the fun.

Can you see how much fun everyone was having?? It was CRAZY!

Mother's Day 2007

Krista and the kids gather for a Mother's Day photo. We all went to breakfast that morning, then Grama Susan and Krista took off to the spa for pedicures and a lovely lunch while the men stayed home to care for the babies. Dinner at Stonewood was the perfect ending to a wonderful day!