Big things have happened

Our week of final organizing for baby brothers arrival has changed since he decided to make his self known Tuesday morning.  I thought for sure I had the week to finish up things, but he was ready to come 8 days early and we are so happy he did.  Before we get to all the fun stuff let's catch up on what I was meaning to put up.  First the girls and I headed down to Lake Harriet over the weekend to watch their auntie Steph in the 3-day walk for breast cancer.  The girls made signs and had so much fun watching all the craziness going on.

 Go auntie!!!! What a beautiful day to spend at the lake outside with the girls.  Little did we know someone was going to join us just 3 days later.

 I had one last belly....

 Now on to the most exciting part of our week the arrival our the newest addition to the Varley house.  Colin Evan Varley.  He woke me at 5am with a popping noise which was my water breaking, but never came out since his head was plugging the whole.  We made it to the hospital a little after 6am and he was born at 8:35am.  About 3 1/2 hours from the time I woke up to thinking it was nothing to having a baby.  

 Colin Evan Varley

7lbs 3oz 19 3/4 inches

As you can see in the picture above he has Clint and Alivia's LARGE feet and toes.  His big toe is like a thumb and he also has the longest fingers.

 Two very excited and proud sisters...

 The little guy getting all checked out

 His first bath.  The girls got to help the nurse give him a bath which was so adorable.

 Grandma and Presley checking out the little one

 Papa Kevin and Colin

 Our big guy!

On our way home to see the girls!

A lot more pictures to come!!!!

Valley Fair

Another year in the books.  We started this adventure 4 years ago I think where my mom and Paul takes the grand kids to Valley Fair for a day of fun.  It's been so fun to see them grow up and learn to love rides.  This year was so much fun since all the kids could ride all the rides.  I of course could not since I am 39 weeks pregnant and obviously to big to ride anything.  Well I was able to go on the merry go round with them so one ride.  The best part is I was thinking we still would have to pay half of what a regular ticket would be, but when they said that will be $9.99 I was shocked and excited for a day of fun!!!

 All the kiddos and next year there will be 5!!!

 First stop the old cars

 Ella on the train while she waited for the big girls

 So serious

 The girls

 A little bit of the rocket ship makes these girls really happy

 My little ladybug on the ladybug

 The big swing

 Some speed racer fun

Ella and grandma have the need for speed too

Had to stop and take some time to jump for a bit....

Overall it was a fun day of rides, picnic and smiles all around.  Can't wait till next year so I can ride some of the rides and Colin and maybe try some out.  He will be almost one when we go which is crazy talk!!!

Over the weekend Clint took on his second triathlon.  He did an amazing job and we could not  be more proud of him.  He was able to adjust a few things from the first on and shave off 5 minutes of his final time.   

Clint coming in from his swim.... 

The watching all the bikers come in and out of the shoot.  Between mom and dad they have been to two 1/2 marathons and two triathlons.  They are so good and I think are starting to enjoy going to these...

 Clint coming in after the second leg of biking 

 Now off to his run 

Here he comes!!!! So proud of you and can't believe how much you have improved in just a few short weeks.  We will see if I can hang with you next year!

Fun with friends

The summer is slowly coming to an end and we have been trying to fit in as much fun activities as we can before Colin arrives and the cold weather comes.  At the end of last week us ladies met the Fribergs at the zoo for a fun day.  The kids had fun running around and being crazy while us moms got to catch up on life.  I feel very lucky my kids have such a good group of kids their own age to play with at such a young age.  Thanks to the Fribergs and Gundechas my girls are pretty lucky!

 Alivia, Ella, Claire and Sam hanging with the Penguins

 Alivia was really admit I take this picture of her grandpa to see

My little Ella who is growing up before my eyes

I forgot to post the pictures from our girls weekend of doing our nails.  I let the girls each pick out a new color from Target (like we don't have enough nail polish already).  Ella picked yellow and Alivia picked silver and blue.  We had so much fun painting Alivia's nails each a different color while Ella only wanted yellow.  Mommy on the other hand decided to join in on the fun and do blue on her nails and toes.  Might have to touch them up a bit for baby brothers arrival soon!

My surprise baby shower from jack, Presley, alivia and Ella. They might have had some help from grandma and Paul.

Mr. Potato Head

Not sure how this toy has not been apart of our house in the last 4 years.  I was having a fun girls night out with my friends Lindsay and Jess the other night.  Lindsay brought up how her girls love this new toy she got at Costco and it was Mr. Potato head.  She said it was a really big one with two little ones for basically nothing.  So the next day I headed to Costco with the girls and we bought one.  The girls thought it was the greatest thing and would laugh at each others potato when they made them up.  Thanks Lindsay for such a great toy idea!

Girls weekend

What do you do when daddy is gone all weekend?  Well have a pinkalicious, purplelicious and goldilicious party.  We made cupcakes to start the weekend off.  Each of us picked a color and Alivia did pink, Ella did purple and I did the gold.  They mixed their own in a bowl and then helped pour them in.  When they were done we decorated them.  Alivia helped with the frosting as you can see on some of them.  Pretty good for a 4 year old though.  

After cupcakes we had nails to paint and a girl movie to watch.  Of what fun you can have when daddy is gone.  Oh and we are also making our BIG sister shirts and paint Colin's name for his room...

WE Fest

Clint and I had a great time last week/weekend up in Detroit Lakes for a 4 day concert.  We drove up in Clint's parents van which had a lay out bed in it to sleep on so we were not in a tent.  It was full of new adventures such as bathing every morning in the lake with 100's of other people, camping in the Perkins parking lot so I could use the bathroom 24hrs and surviving 50mph wind, rain and lightening storm under a 4ft by 4ft pop up tent.  It was a fun and can't wait to do it again, but this time not ready to pop out a baby!

 First night and after a HOT day it was a very nice for the sun to go down and get some cool air.

 A few shots of the weekend.  I didn't take many pictures since they would all look the same.  

So looking back through some pictures from the summer and came across these from late May.  Crazy to think we were swimming in May, but awesome we were able to swim for so long this summer.  My girls have definitely taken full advantage of the pools we have are able to go too.  

 Ella playing Words with Friends with Papa while wearing daddy's swim cap

Jack trying to explain how to play sorry to all the girls.  I laughed while listening to them try to do this because they basically would flip a card and then move to a random spot on the board.  

Busy week part two

Last week we headed down to Iowa for many reasons.  Visit grandma and grandpa, bridal shower, our annual Adventure Land day and a little bit of River Ruckus.  We had a jammed packed weekend full of fun.  Ella even got in some much needed cow time.

The girls, grandma, daddy and I went to Adventure Land for the day.  We had a great time riding rides and swimming at the water park.  This pregnant lady even had fun even though I couldn't go on a single ride.  I loved watching the girls have so much fun and ask to go a ride again as soon as they got off it.  I think daddy and grandma had a lot of fun too.

I can't even to begin to explain how shocked I was when Ella said she wanted to go on this ride.  This has always been Alivia's favorite ride, but wasn't in to riding it right then.  Grandma asked Ella if she wanted to go on it and of course Ella says yes.  I never would have thought my 2 yr old would be on something like this.

The big hit of the day was the bumper cars.  They went on this one two times in a row.  They laughed and giggled the whole time and I think daddy had as much fun as the girls.

First actual ride of the day and they picked out the planes.  I think they had a lot of fun!

Ella riding her green car.

Alivia on the pink bike.

Second time around they went together with some other girls.

Our annual family picture by the pig.  We now have 3 and they have sure changed in the last three years.  Our first trip Ella was a newborn and now she is such a big girl.  It was so hot that no one wanted to put their arms around each other.  I laughed pretty hard at this picture because it looks like 4 strangers just came together to take this picture.  Next year we will have 3 kiddos in the picture.

A little tea cup action.

Can't go home without a silly picture.  I can't believe they convinced grandma to do this, but to be honest the final product it priceless.  The girls totally look about 16 yrs old in it which is funny to see.  Another great year at Adventure Land and weekend!!!