First Camping Trip (of the year)

We took our first camping trip of the year (and Gibs' first camping trip ever) over Layla's birthday weekend. We went up Thursday night with Heukers and Konings joined us Friday night. We went to Sandy Pines. None of us had been there before. We kind of felt like we were camping in the middle of a retirement village as there were all permanant sites around us, but we had a great time! Sandy Pines is HUGE! We went to the beach (all of us but Joe--he stayed back with Gibs and Elv...and Mickey except Mickey is a good boy and can stay in their camper by himself and not bark unlike Elv) Saturday morning, but besides that we just hung out around our campsites so we didn't even get to see much of Sandy Pines. We were going to rent golf carts, but with the weather not being great and since our only day there all together was Saturday, it didn't really seem worth it. Friday it was just Lindsey and me and the four kiddos (Joe and Darrell went to work) and we survived--we were sure how that'd go with two 2 year olds and 2 babies:)--but it went well. Saturday night Lucas' and Throwers came to visit and we celebrated Layla's birthday--unfortunately it POURED while they were there. The kids (well the older kids that is) LOVED the rain. I don't think they cared at all that it rained for the party:).

I'm behind on blogging and am too lazy to move the pictures around, so they aren't in order...

Joe and Gibs...

Gibs in his bouncy protected by his bug/sun net...for some reason he wasn't as happy over the weekend as he normally is. He slept good at night and napped well, but when he'd wake up from naps he just wanted to be held--not sit in his bouncy.

Poor Mickey all alone:(. At least he had Elv, but they aren't the closest of friends even though they've hung out several times. I think Elv and Kaya got along better (Kaya was killed tragically prior to our camping trip. She escaped their fence and was hit by a car on 28th Street:(. And the car didn't even stop!). I know it can be really hard to lose a dog (especially at a young age) and would be devasted if anything happened to Elv so I really feel for Darrell and Lindsey (and of course Mickey and Jonathan too). RIP little buddy:(.

The babies ready for a walk! If Gibson gets grumpy, he can pretty much always become happy if he's pushed in a stroller/cart or taken on a car ride. He loves to move!

Heukers took this fold up table along and it worked great for the kids! So much easier than having to strap them in chairs all the time!

This is how we rode to the beach (it was really close by). I have no idea what Jonathan and Layla were laughing at, but they were laughing hysterically--they were probably just laughing at each other:).

Layla was intimidated last summer pools or any large body of water so I wasn't sure what she'd think this year, but she loved it! She was shaking she was so cold but didn't want to get out b/c she was having so much fun! (it wasn't really that cold)

This was the morning that we left, they were both "helping" Lindsey pack up. As you can see, they were both tired out from their big weekend!

Eating supper at her birthday party (when it wasn't raining yet)...

Joe bonding with Maddy...

Singing to Layla....I love that Alden doesn't have a shirt on:)...

All wet from playing in the rain and ready for cake!

Playing in the rain!!!

They were playing with the rain that was pouring out of a spot on the tarp that the guys put up (as you'll see in future pics)...

Drying and warming up with "Uncle" D...

Julie and Rex...

Everyone gathered under that tarp...

The guys got the idea to put up a tarp off of our canopy to shield us from the rain. It was pretty hillbilly especially in the mist of all the permanant places, but it worked! And I think they had fun putting it up:).

Brad helped by checking his phone CONSTANTLY for weather updates:). We all teased him about it so I had to post a pic of it:).

This is after I put dry clothes on her, Joe hiked her pants up and spiked her pony tail:)...not dorky at all, haha!

Play-dough was a hit with the kids...

Sharing snacks at the beach:)...

Layla doesn't even look that jealous, she looks happy for them:)...I love how Ella is trying to sneak a snack while she's distracting Jonathan with a kiss:).

Having fun on the big swing!

Having fun coloring by Koning's camper...Ella announced while camping that she's going to be a big sister early next year/late this year!! Well, her parents actually did the announcing, but she said she was excited:). This baby will be the 9th kid in our group of friends! If he/she comes in January there will be 9 kids born in 9 different months of the year! Or if he/she comes the end of December, he/she could share a birthday with Gibson:). We are so excited for the Koning fam to expand!!

It rained just a little bit on Friday so we gathered in our trailer and the kids watched some Elmo...

Gibson and Madison cozy in their bouncies under their nets...

Gibs slept in his travel bed on the table (put down). I'm not sure if he'll be able to sleep in the travel bed for future camping trips as he now likes sprawl out on his side/belly when he sleeps. Layla slept in a pack n' play so we might need to put both of them in pack n' plays (which would crowded) or have L sleep in a bed (which she isn't used to). I'd be sort of afraid of what Layla could get into in the trailer, but mainly I'd be afraid of what she'd do to Gibs' like give him all her blankets or something!

Watching Elmo b/f bed:)...

Hangin' out with our babies while the big kids napped...

Memorial Day

Gibson had a good first Memorial Day going to the parade in the morning with Joe's family and then going to my aunt and uncle's for dinner. Em and Mike were going to go to Zeeland's parade, but ended up meeting us at Holland's since Zeeland's got cancelled due to rain. It worked out well that Holland didn't cancel theirs as the weather was perfect for sitting at a parade!

Gibs enjoyed it relaxing on Great-Grandma...

Gavin and Layla loved clapping and waving their flags for the veterans...

Steve and Heidi with Elv...

Gavin sporting his red, white and blue...

Layla and Grandma...

Family pic...

Grandpa and Layla...

Due to the rainy weather, we ate inside for dinner. The kids had a "picnic" on the floor...

The kids in their cute party favor sunglasses:-)...Gibson, Gavin, Layla, Caleb and Natalie...

Gibson and Daddy...

"Auntie" Mandi and Gibs...

The Grandma's and their grandkids...

5 Months!

I am late on posting this, but Gibson turned 5 months on May 30! Hard to believe he's been in this world for almost half a year already! He is still just such a happy little guy and we just love him to pieces! He is giggling more and more and always full of smiles. He loves cuddling but is also (normally) very content to play on his own in his bouncy seat or under his activity mat. He can roll from front to back and back to front but doesn't do it all that often. He actually rolled from back to front first and then the same day started being able to roll from front to back. Sometimes his chunky little arm gets stuck when he goes from back to front:). He loves his sides and sometimes sleeps on his side. He loves touching things while he's sleeping so I took his bumper pad off of his crib just to be safe. I never took it off with Layla, but it scared me a bit how much he would cuddle with it. Plus now it's much easier to change his sheets (which need to be changed quite a bit due to him still having spit up issues) :-). Now he likes resting his arms or legs on his crib rails while he sleeps. He also loves blankets and taggies and anything else he can grab to cuddle with (not while he's sleeping) so I got him a new blanket buddy thing (Tigger) and he loves him. I had originally bought him a Mickey blanket thing, but Layla has claimed him as hers and I'm not about to try to take Mickey away from her now:). Pick your battles, right? :-) Gibson is mainly wearing size 3-6 months/6 months although he still fits in some 0-3. So he's now just one shorts size away from Layla:-). He has 4 8 oz bottles a day, normally at about 8/8:30, noon, 4/4:30 and 7:30/8ish. His last bottles are a bit closer together b/c if he gets crabby it's when he wakes up from his evening nap around 7. He then goes to bed around 8:30 and normally sleeps until 8, however, at times I need to stick his pipe in a couple of times starting at like 6 or 7. He doesn't seem to be as good at sleeping in as his big sis. He doesn't cry at 6 or 7, so he's not hungry, he's just wide awake, at least often he'll go back to sleep if I give him his pipe. Every once in awhile he'll wake up at like 3 or 4am too and be awake for a bit and then fall back to sleep. It seems to happen like once a week. He had been doing good at night since the end of March and then like mid May he started waking up! He never needs to eat, but he sometimes needs his pipe. Hopefully it's just a phase! He normally doesn't fall asleep with his pipe, so I don't know how he got in that habit. He's such a happy good baby though that I really can't complain that every once in awhile I need to get up with him for 30 seconds in the night. It's hard to be mad at him when he's laughing at you in his crib:-). He naps 3 times day. His morning and evening naps aren't the long, but he'll nap like 2/2 1/2 hours in the afternoon which is nice b/c Layla does as well.

5 month pic...

Of course sissy had to join the pics...

Kisses from sissy (I obviously hadn't put her detangler in her hair yet:D)...

We also gave him some cereal once he turned 5 months b/c he started seeming extra hungry at his last feeding (and hungry earlier). He did well with it the first time and would open his mouth and actually got it all down, but the couple of times I've tried it since then he would spit some of it out. So I'll probably wait a bit b/f trying again. His doctor said to start b/w 5-7 months for him instead of 4-6, so we have time.

Yum, this is new!

More please!

They were both in their diapers the other day when I was getting them dressed so I thought I'd take a few pics--too bad Layla is blurry, but you get the point that their width is pretty similar:-). He is in size 2 diapers and she's in 3's.

She likes to copy him:-). So far they are good buddies--mainly b/c Layla can do whatever she wants to him and take whatever she wants away from him and he doesn't care--I'm sure that will change once he can fight back so I'm enjoying the time now while they get along:-).

Gibs and Tigger...