June Catch-ups and July Party!

Much has happened since my last post in June...but I want to go in order on updates - so you'll just have to wait with bated breath...unless you are my friend on Facebook - and then you know everything already!!

A couple random picutes...
Like this - showing how my kids likely break arms...

And this one - Justin had to cut down our Ash tree (which makes me VERY VERY sad) and I'm lucky that HE didn't break an arm or leg doing it. I really don't like our yard now without the tree :(

And we were excited in June to see Andrea, Lucy and Jack when the visited from Chicago for Sarah's graduation party!! As all these kids get older and busier, we don't get to see them nearly as much as we used to.

 (Sarah, Ella, Alison, Lucy, Abbi and Zoe)

Since last post when Silas broke his arm - he adjusted pretty well to that and on July 3rd got a half-arm, waterproof cast.  It worked out great because we had the whole Juenger family coming for Mason's graduation and birthday party.  I was adamant that we got the waterproof cast on before the cousins' arrival so that Silas could swim and have fun with them - so happy that it worked out!
This is Hudson and Silas at COSI - being way too cool...

We had Juengers from all over the U.S. start rolling in the last week of June - from Arizona, Nevada, Rhode Island, New York and from around the corner.  It was such a fantastic time to see all the cousins have fun and play until they were so exhausted that they couldn't see straight!
All the kids (except Mason) at COSI.  What a cute bunch!!

 

(James, Molly, Ella, Silas, Myles, Hudson, Trent, Will and Jefferson)

We ended up with Cousins in a Box upon the arrival of the NV Juenger Bennetts...this kept them busy  for quite a long time!

 

The James' were crazy and invited us ALL over for their July 4th party...I tried to warn them!

A great time was had by all - especially the kids who got to swim all day and then see the fireworks.

We had a super fantastic (with some bouts of downpour) on July 6th for Mason's graduation and 18th Birthday party!  It was wonderful to see some great friends and old neighbors come by to visit.

LOOK at those boys down in front...could the be any more related?!?
It was a wonderful visit and I wish we could do it so much more often!!
Love to see them enjoying each other!

We got to go to the Star Liner - one of Grandpa J's favorites!!

 (Mason and Molly)

(Baby Jeff and Ella)

And since the NV Juengers/Bennetts left OHIO...they have added to the ranks!  Carolynn Olivia was born on July  26th.  She is SOOO cute!!

It's been such a fun (and exhausting!) summer so far.  We just got back from our OBX trip on Saturday, so that needs to be blogged next. But wow, feeling so blessed to spend time with the family this summer!!

Jinx...

So, I totally jinxed poor Silas a couple weeks ago when talking with Yasmine. We were chatting about injuries and how Mason had broken his arm and Ella had gotten stitches.  But then I said "I've never had to take Silas to the ER...knock on wood."

Sure as heck, less than 24 hours later, there we were - Children's Hospital.
Poor kid was shooting baskets in the hoop out back, dunking like he's done 100 times and slipped, fell back and landed the wrong way on his arm.
I was working in my office, but heard his crying.  A LOT of crying that wasn't followed by "Ella did (blank)" or "Ella called me a (blank)."  I knew something was pretty hurt.

When I got upstairs I saw he was already laying on the couch, holding his arm and looked to be in a lot of pain. Huge grimace face and teethed clinched.  Not moving the arm and it looked swollen to me.
So...after asking our neighbor doc in our old house and then calling Jodi...to Children's we headed.
It wasn't obvious to me at the time, but what I thought was swelling was actually the bone being all out of whack.

 He had to put a mask on because he had a little allergy cough...

This was post-knock-you-out medicine to get the arm set.  He remembers nothing within seconds of getting the medicine.  He was pretty out of it after for awhile.  He told Ella that she had 4 eyebrows.

After he started coming out of it, he was a little scared because his eyes were all blurry and he couldn't remember what had happened and how the cast got on.  Ella was a really great big sister and was so sweet, talking to him and telling him about it and not to worry.  She was trying to distract him with funny stuff. He was so brave and such a trooper with the doctors and nurses.  Didn't shed a tear or flinch at all with all the poking and prodding.  He was a very brave boy!

He had a rough evening - was tired and out of it but by the next day, he was getting back in the swing of things.

Popsicles definitely made it feel better!

And 3 days later, he was ready for a little fun!  We went to Sarah's graduation party and Si was able to swim with the old XeroSock thing that we had when Mason broke HIS arm.  It is a total pain in the butt but worth it so that he could swim and have some fun.

Now, we go back tomorrow and hope that they can put a 1/2 cast that is waterproof on it in the next 1-2 weeks. Before all the cousins get here for our July party!

:)

The GRADUATE!!

Whew!!!!  There are 2 things that I'm having a hard time getting over...
One:  That my first born baby boy is now a graduate
Two:  That I AM ACTUALLY OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE CHILD.

You can guess which one is tougher for me!

He is done...finished...signed, sealed and delivered with a diploma, transcripts and college orientation scheduled.  Capital University at the end of August!

On May 22nd, the graduation ceremony was at the OSU arena - the Schott.  Very nice, except for the low lighting that blurred a bunch of my pictures.

You will notice that the dunce does not have his cap on in these photos...he threw it and lost it...

 He did graduate with honors though...hence the yellow thing around his neck.

Without even trying, Ella was all color coordinated with Mas. And Silas' shirt was a couple sizes too small.
He posed for a lot of pictures that night...and even smiled. 

I've gotten past most of the tears now...and I'm looking forward to having all the family in town for his graduation party and a family reunion.  We hope to have all the cousins here over the July 4th weekend.
I'm also looking forward to his school orientation at Capital this coming week and planning these next steps.

The best was the yard banner...he loved his Batman picture being on it.

We're so proud and excited about Mason's next steps.   It's hard to believe when "your baby" is growing up but so amazing (and scary) to see your parenting work put to the next test.  We love you Mas!

N-O-P updates (Including PROM!)

It's been a busy and beautiful couple weeks - Spring seems to finally be here!  Mason is finishing up his track season (next week he has his last invitational), he will finish up the last 5 days of his high school years next week as well.  We've had soccer for Ella and Silas, Girl Scout events for Ella.  Justin and I...just a lot of work and trying to get the house in shape outside.  The inside is a train wreck!!

So back to my alpha-updates...

N is for:

Notes - I love finding the notes that the kids leave around.  Usually it's Ella but Silas has started leaving notes too.

One of my favorites is the one that E left on the bedroom door when I was super sick with salmonella:

Today - I found these.  Ella got allergy tested this week  This was her note this morning after trying to take her Allegra - poor kid.  I think I need to find a liquid version. She was writing the note below as the pill was making its way down...

And she is at a COSI sleepover tonight with her Girl Scout troop.  This is the note that I found on my bed on top of one of  her tee shirts.

 

Apparently she had me confused with her other mother...

O is for:

Ouch!

As I mentioned - Ella had some allergy testing done this week because she has been MISERABLE this spring (if you recall the itchy eyes).  I took her to the highly recommended Dr. Grace and she was all "WHOA...girl's got some crazy allergies going on!"

I know that the right side is the grasses, which were the biggest welt/hives and then trees (especially maple, sycamore, and oddly, Olive trees). Also ragweeds, cats (no need to get rid of Cleo though), gerbils (great excuse to never get one!) and but luckily no dustmites or molds.  She is an Aunt Margie allergy incarnate!!

P is for:

Prom

Mason and his lovely girl, Yasmine, went to Senior prom last weekend. They looked wonderful and had a great time.  The paparazzi stalked them!

Tim took this pic thinking we all looked like a bunch of Japanese tourists...

 We borrowed our old backyard for most of the pictures.  Love the flowering trees. 

 The lilac bush that we planted so many years ago.  It's so big and pretty now!

I really like this one below...a contentment and proudness to be together...

They looked SOOOO gorgeous. Makes me want to pull out all my old prom pictures :)

  

A - M Updates

A is for:
Astronaut - Ella got to go to the Dayton (Air Force?) museum over spring break with her friend Addison and hang out like an astronaut. She had a great day and I was happy about that since we really did nothing over Spring Break this year...I was sick as a dog the whole week.

B is for:
Boston - During the April 15th Boston Marathon this year, terrible bombings occurred that killed 3 people and wounded over 180.  Horrific for Boston, heartbreaking for America, and for runners across the world...just unimaginable.  As a newbie runner for the past 3 years, I have ran 3 Half Marathons and maybe 20-30 other races.  The atmosphere at these races is always so amazing.  The feeling when you achieve a goal and cross the finish line is so rewarding.  I just can't imagine being shocked out of such a high by something so terrifying.  A group of us ran in a Support Boston run on Monday night - 1 week after the craziness.  A group that is usually 40 or so turned into a group of 400+ to support the One Fund Boston.  Wonderful to support and be a part of this.

 

C is for:
Cat - We still have one and her name is still Cleo...and she still likes to lay on her back in the middle of any floor. I think she really misses her playmate, Zoe...

D is for:
Dwight - We happened into some concert tickets (thanks for Donna and Lee) to see Dwight Yoakam at the Bluestone.  The Bluestone is a super cool converted Baptist Church in downtown Columbus.  Great place to see concerts now. He was good but not as good as expected. Too much guitar.  Justin said he was probably tuning up for a concert tour and then I just found out he's playing Bonnaroo...good call JPJ.

E is for:
Emotion - After the Boston bombings, I noticed this on one of my race shirts...nothing brings out the emotions of the people and a country like 9/11 or school shooting situations.  It puts people into action.  You go crazy if you sit still.

 

F is for:

Family - I'm so grateful for such a wonderful family.  We don't spend as much time together now that we all go in 1000 different directions but when we do, we have so much fun and it's wonderful to get together. This was the kids at Easter.

 

G is for:

Green - Ella had strep throat a couple weeks ago.  After she started her medicine, we had to throw her old toothbrush out.  She wanted a new electric one.  So, I bought both E and Silas new electric toothbrushes.  They LOVE them.  They light up and and change colors when they are supposed to brush different parts of their teeth and then it shuts off after 2 minutes.  Worth the money!

 

H is for:

Hair - Si had quite the hair day.  He is digging the spiky look these days and then couple that with a VERY windy soccer game...

I is for:

Itchy Eyes - Poor Ella's eyes are killing her because of her allergies.  I finally made an appointment with the allergy doctor and we get in the first week of May.  I feel bad that I didn't take her in the winter so that they could have tested and given her medicine for NOW!

J is for:

Junk - the ongoing battle in our house continues to be a plethora of junk!  It multiplies at a staggering rate no matter how much we sort, trash and donate...I'm pretty sure our front room will never be more than a "sorting room"!

K is for:

pinK concert - kinda cheating, I know. Saw her in March and she was so amazingly incredible.  I totally have a new-found respect for her music and her as an artist and person.  Loved seeing her and gaining a better understanding of what drives  her.

L is for:

Loyal Customers - Justin continues to work his JCS Construction business.  I will tell you: it is tough.  It stresses me to the max because of the inconsistent income, the problems that pop up on jobs, the stress that it puts on Justin and his body.  But I will also tell you - his people LOVE him.  He is fair, he is respectful of their time and their money.  And when he spends a month or three in their home...the kids absolutely adore him...

 

{Dear Mr. Yonger, Thank you for doing our kicken. And thank you for being so nice. You are fast at doing lost of werk. I give you an A++++++  Your friend,Abigail}

M is for:

Mason - and he will graduate in MAY!!  And wow, this year and the last 4 years when he has been in high school have gone so incredibly fast (remember this?).  Yesterday was his Senior night at track. He has ran track all 4 years in high school.   He has worked hard this year to work out, get strong, eat well and get faster.  

I am so...proud...impressed...grateful...for this kid.  I'm so sad on one hand that this baby boy is no longer my baby. On the other - it is so fulfilling to know that he is growing up and growing into what he wants to do with his life.                                  

(And Ella is to my chin now...really??)

Updates N - Z...coming soon.

She's a Perfect 10 :)

Yep, time for another birthday in the OH YOUNGER household!

Miss Boo hit double digits on March 10th!! (yeah...took me awhile to post about it!)

She chose Outside the Lines for her party - a pottery painting place.

 She had her friends Addison, Samantha, Ashlee, Abby, Jaden and Reyann all attended.

 AND Silas :)  We had an extra spot and he chose to come - though I think there were some times that he regretted that decision!

 Then, all the girls came over to our house and spoiled Ella with many gifts.

 

And a Dairy Queen ice cream cake.

 

 And then she had all the girls sleep over.  It was a looooonnggg night!  I think it was 1:30am before they even started to settle down.

Very hard to believe she is TEN now!

I wish I could go back in time and have this little girl back...just for a bit...because I remember how insanely crazy she drove me at this age!!

I hope that 10 is a wonderful, fun-filled year for you Miss Ella Boo!! Love you so, so much!