Labor Day Weekend Fun!

This Labor Day weekend has been filled with lots of family and fun! We got together with Marks sister Michele and her family as well as Marks mom (Nana). We went up to Marblehead, OH on Lake Erie and took their boat out onto the lake! We had a blast water skiiing, riding on the hot dog, and having tube wars! We missed Pops who is in Iraq right now but have posted a lot of pictures for him to see! We miss you and can't wait until next summer when you can come with us. But we're proud of what you are doing and know that it is important. We think of you everyday. We love you!!!

Aunt Michele and Natalie hanging out on the boat!

Riding on the JUMBO Dog!

Mark water skiing...he's good!

Me, Mackenzie, Nana, and Mark. Lance went a little crazy driving the boat and I went flying over the front of the JUMBO dog...how that happened I do not know...but I got run over by the dog and when I went to get back on I accidently tipped everyone else off of it! We were laughing so hard we couldn't get back up onto it!

Even Josh wanted a turn! He was so cute. Nana would wave to him from the back of the boat and he would lift his little hand and wave back.

Josh just loves his cousins! It is so nice to be so close to family again. We sure missed it when we lived in Idaho. Josh and Tyler were being way too cute I couldn't help but take a picture!

Lance showing off his wakeboarding skills!

Mark and Lance were stuntmen out there on the dog! They would switch places on it and stand up and go with no hands and they even got onto each others back!! They were tricky tricky boys! This particular time, as you can see, they got bucked off!

Cute Nana climbing back onto the boat after we had played on the beach for a little while!

Lance and Mark having tube wars! Pops we think you would of had a blast and come out the champ at this game!! However, because you weren't here...Mark is the reigning champ!

Goodbye Rexburg...Hello Ohio

These past 2 weeks have been bitter sweet. We were sad to leave Rexburg. It was where the "Critchlow Crew" began. It was the first place we lived after we got married and we started our sweet little family there. But it was time to go and we have made the trek across the country to Avon, Ohio. It is about 20 miles west of Cleveland. Mark was hired on with URS Washington Division (formerly Washington Group International) and started work on August 18 smack dab in downtown Cleveland.

I was not looking forward to to the drive out, but it actually turned out to be not so bad. The DVD Player was our saving grace for the drive. It also helped that we stopped in Denver, CO at Andy's house (Marks brother) for a day. Josh got to play with his cousin Ayva. They are cute little buddies.

We were also able to stop at my Grandma Barkers house, Josh's Great-Grandma, in Topeka, KS the next night. It was good to visit with her. She is such a sweet grandma. I just love her!

Finally on the third day we made it to Columbus, Ohio where Marks sister Michele and her family live. We camped out there and Michele watched Josh while Mark, Natalie, and I went to Cleveland to find a place to live. We found a place the second day we were up there and so we were able to spend the rest of the week at Michele's. She always treats us good while we are there. Josh had fun playing with his cousins, Mackenzie, Tyler, and Jonathan. And Natalie enjoyed all the attention she got especially from Mackenzie!

Although we were dreading the trek out, it turned out alright and we all made it in one piece! We absolutly LOVE the area we live in. It is such a cute town and everything is so close by. It's nice!!

Mark is enjoying being a "business man". He really likes his job. So we feel very lucky to be here in Cleveland and are looking forward to seeing more of the area!

Buddies

Josh and Natalie are already buds. Josh wants her to play with him sooo bad. This afternoon I heard him in her room talking to her so I peek in to see what they were up to and this is what I found! So cute...

Sometimes he gets frustrated when she won't grab onto a toy he's trying to hand her! He's pretty good with her though. He's figured out that it works best if he just sets the toys on her tummy!!

Grasshopper

It is another gorgeous day in Rexburg today so after church Josh and I decided to go on a little walk around our neighborhood. I love going on walks with him because everything is so fascinating to a 2 year old. We had to stop and look at every flower, rock, and bug we passed.

There was one bug we passed, a grasshopper, that Josh became intrigued with. It made him giggle everytime he got close to it because it then jumped away. At first it was hopping around in the street, but then it hopped onto a pile of dirt and rocks (we live in a new development so they are still building homes around us so we have many of these) so it was hard for Josh to get to it. So me, trying to be a problem solver, told him to pick up a rock and throw it at the grasshopper to get it to jump off the pile of dirt and rocks. I figured, he is just a two year old, he'll probably get close enough to at least make it jump. Well, I shouldn't have underestimated his aim, he nailed that grasshopper straight on. It was the saddest thing I have seen in a while. Josh was devastated. He kept saying "Oh, oh, he owie (ouchie)" and making the most concerned and upset face.

Josh looked at me like why did you tell me to do that. I felt horrible because he was so upset. It was all my fault that the grasshopper was dead. Josh is such a sweet boy and feels really bad when he does anything to hurt anyone. We had to stay there with the grasshopper for a while and the only reason we left was because I made him. I think he would of sat by that poor bug all night. I just love Josh's sweet personality. He is such a kind boy. Love you Josh...sorry Mommy told you to throw a rock at the grasshopper! (I know I will never do that again!! We learn from trial and error as parents right?!!)

Waiting...but enjoying it

We are enjoying the summer here! Initially Mark was supposed to start work for URS on August 4 but because of all the paperwork that has to be processed before he can start the date has been pushed back until August 18 and I am not one bit upset. In fact I am LOVING these couple of weeks we are having as a family before we begin life in the "real" world!

URS provides a moving company to pack us up and move us out to Ohio so we are really being able to have a relaxing couple of weeks here in Rexburg before we make the trek out east not even having to pack ourselves up! It has been fun being able to go to the park and the duck pond and just hanging out as a family.

I have really been spoiled the last three years because all of Marks jobs have been sales jobs where he has been able to work on his own time and so we have been able to spend tons of time together as a family and I know I am really going to miss that. I must say, I am actually a little bit nervous to not have him around...well I guess he will be around but you know what I mean...not around ALL the time! It is going to definately be an adjustment thats for sure.

We are getting anxious to be able to get out to Ohio and find a place to live but we are waiting on the moving company to contact us and let us know when they will be coming to pack us up. Once they pack us up we are going to head out the next day. So until we hear from them we are going to continue kicking back and enjoying the lazy summer days!