Lake Weekend

These posts are going to be out of order. I posted the Locks of Love, which occurred after many of these. However, I kind of wish I could rewind and put her hair back. Struggling......

We cruised out of town on Friday around noon and sat in the car while Bradley made a work stop. Saturday the men worked on a MUCH APPRECIATED dock project while the girls and I tagged along with Cheryl and our niece Emma to the outlet mall. It was Emma's 10th birthday and they were going on a shopping trip. Brad mentioned they were going and I was all over it.

Emma and Frank share a birthday and we celebrated Saturday evening. Sunday we enjoyed lots of swimming and then a nice ride home with very exhausted children, meaning they slept the entire way.

I think M.K. swam around 8 hours in 2 days. Here she is begging someone to get in with her.

Cheryl and I mentioned over Memorial Day weekend how nice it would be to have an area on the dock for a table and chairs. I am not going to sugar coat it, I just wanted it down there so Brad would play cards on the dock instead of in the screened in porch at the house. Because, if Mia swam 8 hours, then he probably played cards for that long. Even though the house is right there, I just wanted him to watch her swim. So, they moved the sea doo lift back in the boat well and built more deck space, voila, table and chairs space! Love it!

We got Frank this nifty birthday gift. A remote controlled boat that has a line off the bottom to catch fish. Hilarious. It actually works. I overheard Frank say "I am catching them left and right." Now, it does have a weight limit, so if you are going for Catfish Hunter, he might sink the boat.

I think it is hilarious buzzing around, but I think we need to put something in it to drive, like a little doll.

Still begging. We were all down there, just watching the boat instead of swimming with her.

Happy Father's Day Bradley!
The girls.

Birthday Duo

Emma chose a fruit arrangement for her birthday, very cute. Jilli was quite intrigued.

Birthday folks, plus the other kiddos.

By the way, Brad and I's "official" first date was the day after Emma was born. I remember he had a Polaroid of himself holding her. I should find that.

Grandmas, you might not want to look, just saying....

Mia Kate donated 11 inches of hair to Locks of Love. We have been talking about it for months. She was starting to look like a Duggar. It was horrendous to wash and deal with when swimming. I was starting to back out, but she kept remembering. We went, it came off, she beamed with pride. I came home and walked around my house looking at her pictures of long hair. I dreamt about it last night. Brad had to hug me about it and we re-discussed that her hair did not define her. At least she has hair to cut and isn't on the receiving end, we are blessed.

Shut your eyes now.

At this point, I pretty much lost it.

5 years

A whole new look.

Miss 5 has a bob and missing a tooth.

Is this my Mia?

We love you sis and are so proud of you for donating your hair! Such a generous heart, we couldn't love you more.

You will always be our Mia, sweet sweet Mia.

Miss J also got a teeny tiny trim.

This will probably be the only time that Jilli has the longest hair in our house.

She was gifted my fine hair and will never in her life be able to grow it like Mia's.

Of course she woke up this morning with the sweetest rat's nest.

All I Got

The last posts have been pretty Mia heavy but this is all I have of the Little Lady.

Mia cam pics from the car.

Swim class drop out.

Shopping companion. Notice outfit....swimsuit and tutu.


Jilli is my shadow, my buddy, my energy, my twin, my boss? Do they make Bjorns for 30 pound 3 year olds? I need one. Jilli only wants me to dress her, bathe her, take her to the restroom, brush her teeth, etc. We.are.tight. I know one day this will change, so I am savoring her needs and sweetness, except the bossing. She has no interest in dance class or swimming class now because she is too old for "Mommy and Me."

Suprise Weekend at Home

Last weekend we were going to go to the lake. Brad then had to work and Justin and Sarah ended up coming up for a baptism and ended up spending the entire weekend with us. One of their goals was to go to Deanna Rose.

Saturday we got up early and headed out, only to end of shopping at Babies R Us and going to Monkey Bizness due to heavy downpours. Sunday morning we arrived at 9:00, no rain yet, to find an empty parking lot and a cop car at the entry. Brad and I were cracking up thinking of Justin pulling a Clark Griswald at Wally World in Vacation. "Sorry folks, park's closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya." Dane was in the backseat going "Feed animals, feed animals." Poor kid, for two days he thought he was going, got in the parking lot and he could hear the cows mooing. The park opening was delayed due to a "lightening warning." It did start pouring on us on the way home.

So we took the kids to Power Play. Mia was probably wondering why she had never been there. It is right next to Hobby Lobby, very close to Sonic, we drive by it daily. She of course LOVED it and is planning her return visit. Brad told her "We only come here when Dane and Ava are in town." Justin asked Brad what she was going to get with her tickets and Brad said "She thinks the tickets are the prize. She doesn't know she can get something with them." However, today she informed me that she needs to return and win more tickets so she can turn them in for a prize. Hmmm, she knows, she knows.

Monkey Bizness
Jilli climbs, Dane watches.

Dane gives it a try.

Mia Kate & Ava

Jilli and I riding the train at Power Play.

Indoor swings

Dane & Ava

MK & Ava

Orange Crush

On the way to Mia Kate's t-ball game on Monday she asked us in the car "Can you please take my picture batting? I just really want my picture batting." I had to take Miss J to the bathroom and left Brad with the camera. He took his orders seriously!

Advice from the coach.
Batter Batter Swing!

Rounding 1st.


Waiting on 2nd.

Running HOME!

We want a pitcher not an arm itcher?

Ready stance.

MK loved playing ball this season!

She has one game and practice left and is going to be sad when it is over.

Little Fish

Mia Kate is wrapping up swimming class this week. We have had her in lessons all school year and it has really paid off. She was so proud the first day of this session when she was the youngest child by about 3 years. I think having older kids in the class has really pushed her, she just keeps plugging away. Brad went today and was impressed that she can swim the entire length of the pool doing the back crawl and the elementary back stroke.

Her front crawl needs some refining, the breathing part. Today at class she was at the other end of the pool working on it and Brad goes "What is she doing?" I said "Swimming." He goes "Oh, it looks like she is drowning." I about fell out of my chair dying laughing. I had been telling him that she was really improving, he hasn't watched her since last summer. I think he thought she was going to swim a quick 100 meters, maybe with a flip turn? She is only 5, and once I looked again, it did kind of look like she was drowning, obviously she wasn't.

We are taking a break from lessons for the rest of the summer, only because I am burnt out on driving there daily (the summer session is daily, I HAVE not been driving there daily all school year). She will get plenty of practice at the pool!




This is her favorite trick, the handstand.

Tooth Fairy

June 11, 2010

Big news at the Reuter household. Miss Mia Kate lost her first tooth! It has been loose for awhile, about a month. Mia has been so cute about wiggling it and was concerned about when she would lose it and how. She gave up eating apples because she thought that would do it. Brad was gone a week and she was very concerned that he would not be here when she lost it.



Last Friday (June 11th for record keeping sake) she was eating a cracker and made some crumbs. She is her father's daughter and without being asked got up and got the little vacuum to clean up her crumbs, not kidding. While vacuuming she decided to vacuum her dress and while doing that bumped her mouth, knocking out the tooth. I was in the kitchen and heard her say "My tooth!" I looked over and screamed/shrieked/ jumped "MIA! You lost it!" I think I scared her because she started crying and then quickly stopped and smiled.



Fresh tears this was right when she lost it.



She called her dad and told her grandmas, she was proud! I texted Brad "Have a poker face, she kind of looks like a hillbilly." I know that is crazy mean, but her little teeth are so straight and perfect, that it did look a little goofy. As I write this almost a week later, I think I am used to it now and she still looks like a little cutie! She has many more to lose!

I bought this pillow at our church auction when Mia was one.

It has been in my cedar chest waiting on this day!
This was in Mia's preschool portfolio, her ideas about the tooth fairy.
From her entry above it was obvious that she thinks the tooth fairy has lots of glitter and indeed she does. Mia Kate woke up with glitter on her face and her dollar was very sparkly!
We asked her what she did with her money and she said "I put it in my piggy bank so the other dollars would get sparkles too."

From Another Camera

guys in the lobby

rain out

sitting in the rain

miss bran and i

reuters & skaggs @ the airport

reuters & schlotzhauers cooling off upon arrival

awaiting take off

the ladies

bradley & jd