Kalamazoo, we're baaack!

Since our friends, the Hart's, are moving away from Kalamazoo to Charolotte, North Carolina, we decided to spend some time with them and our other friends from the area! It was good to be back (in the summer!) and see everyone. The night we got there, we met them at Taco Bell (Ethan's favorite, he was so excited) and the kids were SO elated to see each other. They were hugging and chatting away. After dinner, we headed back to the old neighborhood and took a walk past our old house and saw some old friends.

Luke and Lydia taking a ride...they are both so much

bigger than the first time they rode in this wagon together!

I can't believe they were just little babies when we first met!

Grace kept pressing the gas on the jeep, it would lurch forward

and the girls would look at each other and laugh so hard. It was

adorable...I wish I had a video! They were getting to be such

little buddies when we moved!

Our six kids all snuggled on the couch for a movie. There's a

similar picture from February, before we left, in this post.
I can't believe how big the kids have gotten.

On the 7th, we had a park playdate with our old playgroup plus some other friends from the area. It was great to see everyone and catch up, but there never seems to be enough time! We took the older kids swimming next door while the babies napped that afternoon and then Christy and I were off to Portage for shopping, a yummy dinner at Carrabba's, and some much needed adult time!

Kaitlyn doing Lydia's hair...why will she stand

still for Kaitlyn and not me??

Ethan and Kendyl spending some time together

Ethan, Kendyl, Nolan, and Kaitlyn jumping in the pool together

The next day, the kids had a "photo shoot" in the morning. It had been almost a year since we'd gotten pictures taken and I hadn't gotten any 2 year professional photos of Lydia yet, so I decided to have Cindy take their pictures again since we had the opportunity. We went to Kellogg Forest in Augusta and, once again, the kids (mostly Nolan) did not cooperate, but Cindy managed to get some great shots. You can view them here password: damico.

That afternoon it was raining, so we decided to take the kids (yes, all 6 of them) to the mall to have lunch and do a little more shopping/ exchanging from the night before. That night was a girl's night at one of my favorite restaurants, Sakura, with some great friends. Probably the biggest thing I miss about Kalamazoo...friendship, fun times, and support from a group of great ladies!

The next day, the 9th, was spent at the Binder Park Zoo with the Hart's and then grilling out at their house...

It's hard to get a picture of 6 kids!

Ethan feeding the giraffe, with Nolan standing nearby.

Of course, Nolan asked, "That giraffe know me??"

Checking out "Africa"