More Mia Please!

Jenny, Joey, Christa and the Noma's all headed to Vegas in late July (during Jenny's birthday), so we were able to watch Mia while they were gone. We had such a good time with her. She has the most beautiful smile, especially in the morning. And I think she had fun watching crazy Beau crawl all over the house and stand on his own while holding his basketball - in just a diaper of course. I've been feeling a little (or a lot) tired lately, so my mom came to help out during the day. The 4 days they were gone went by quickly and we were sad to be parted, but I think Mia was so excited to see her mommy and daddy when they returned.

Houseboat Fun

Every year the Kesterson family heads up to Lake McClure to party hard with the Beargs on their houseboat. And this year was no different, we had a BLAST! We rented a boat to take around to all the other houseboats during the poker run, but unfortunately once we stopped the engine at "5 O'Clock Somewhere" (The Bearg's Houseboat) it wouldn't start again. Joel enjoyed being the captain even if it was just for a little while.









Mark and Trevor had some bonding time in the front of the boat during the Poker Run.









The men received Poker Run t-shirts, which Joel promptly cut off the sleeves, and the girls received tank tops, which Joel put on and went for a dip in the lake. Needless to say, we were a classy bunch.












We spent a lot of time in (and around) the Royal Island and a few of us attempted fishing, but I think Kelly was the most determined to catch a fish.









We passed the time but hitting golf balls onto the bank, attempting to make it into the net. I tried and tried, but was never successful. But Kelly made one in, I guess this makes up for her not catching a fish.












The most shocking thing to happen over our fun filled weekend was Bob actually got into the lake. He's a little scared of germs, so he typically stays on dry land. We were so happy to see him join us in our filth. Way to go Bob, although we probably should have told you that fishing isn't really supposed to be done while neck deep in the water and the pole above your head. Oh well.

Crazy Hats

Owen gave Beau all his old hats and I had fun one day trying them all on Beau. He wasn't enjoying himself as much as I was. Here are 3 of the hat photos.

Camping Trip

In July my family headed off on a camping trip. We did the usual camping things... bonfire, smoores, food and more food, and games. On our second day there we decided to go hiking. Although I'm out of shape and started complaining about an hour into the trip, it was really fun. There was even snow at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately when we got back it started raining and we had to quickly pack up and go home. That night Joel and I ate at Chili's... so much for our outdoors weekend.

I Want to Push the Cart

During a recent visit to Costco, Beau helped me push the cart. When my hands left the cart to grab items off the shelves, I kept forgetting that Beau's little hands were holding fast.

4th of July

For the 4th of July we headed up to Tortuga for some relaxation with the Noma/Penners. While the non-babysitters were out golfing, we had a little fun indoors. Beau tried on Mia's bonnet and found an extra large golf ball to play with.

























After the golfers left the course, Beau and Joel headed down to the golf course to practice their putting.

















For dinner Joel grilled up some sausages, but before taking them off the grill, he was sure to spell out LAL (LA Lakers).

Kylie Chrystine Kesterson

In expectation for the newest Kesterson to arrive, Beau and I put together Kylie's bassinet, but before sending it over to them, Beau couldn't resist a photo opportunity.

On Sunday, July 26th, Whitney gave birth to the beautiful Kylie Chrystine. Jon and Whitney are in love with their new baby girl, as we all are.

Kylie was born with Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula, and after 4 days in the NICU she had surgery and so far the surgery was a success.

On Friday, July 31, they tried to remove the breathing tube, but Kylie did not respond well so they had to reintubate or she would stop breathing. They tried to remove the breathing tube
again on Sunday, August 2 but again she had difficulty breathing. The Ear, Nose and Throat doctors then came in and assessed Kylie and told us that she was suffering from vocal chord paralysis (her vocal chords are in the closed position and not allowing air to pass to her lungs). As she was crying before she went into surgery, we know that they were functioning at birth; and therefore, hope that the stress of the surgery caused only temporary paralysis.

Please continue to lift up Kylie, Jon and Whitney in your prayers. We believe Kylie will fully recover from this with no additional setbacks, and Jon and Whitney will soon be able to bring their little girl home.

Fun in the Sun

While staying in Lodi this summer Beau and I enjoyed some time in the sun. It took a little persuading to get him in his floaty, but with his duckie and ball by his side, he was good to go.

Row Row Row Your Boat

This summer the Noma's bought a few kayaks to use while vacationing in Pioneer. Before taking them out on the open waters, we each had to master the swimming pool. After a trip around the pool, Beau and I are officially ready to hit the big open waters.

Babies, Babies and More Babies

Of my eight (nine including me) girlfriends from high school, three of us have little ones. Baker Elson (soon to be two), Beau (nearly 11 months), and Mia Penner (4 months). These pictures were taken a few months ago of the three of them. Too cute.

By the way, 3 more babies are on the way...Sarah, Lisa and Amy are all pregnant. Hooray for all the babies.

Who Needs Hands!

Beau loves to carry things around in his mouth even though his hands are free. Here's a few of his favorite items. Unfortunately I couldn't get him to stand still long enough for me to take a picture of him with his bear in his mouth. It's quite a sight to see.

9 & 10 Months

I haven't been the best mother, I forgot to take his 10 month pictures. Oops. Here are his 9 months pics and a little run down of what's been going on.

As of 9 months, he was still crawling around and starting to pull himself up on the furniture. Mama was still his favorite word and still no teeth.

As of 10 months, he started walking along the furniture and even standing on his own for a few seconds. Dada also became part of his vocabulary and still no teeth.

(sorry about his dirty face, he just finished eating)