The Vander"blog": Good news. Bad news. Life goes on.

The weather this past weekend made up for the lack of summer we have had so far here in Chicago. What an unbelievable and welcome change. It was truly summer at its best.

I'll just warn you now...if you don't like to see pics of my kids, well, you may just want to wait until my next blog post ;) I feel like I have been so terrible at documenting our lives for the past six months. So many changes, good and bad, but hey, that's how we roll.

I want to send out a prayer request for my friends Rachel & Jeremy -- after years of trying to conceive, finally were successful 22 weeks ago -- but things took a turn for the worse this past weekend and they lost their twin girls due to an onset of early labor that could not be stopped. My heart breaks for you both. I think about you all the time.

That same day that they went in to the hospital, my doctor called me and asked to see me in her office. I felt like I was getting called in to the principal's office. I had just had blood work done and I knew something would come back sketchy. Already leery because of Rachel & Jeremy's news, I braced myself. Turned out there were some unusually high levels of certain chemicals which are normally an indicator of spina bifida. Feeling helpless and hopeless I dragged myself over to the high risk doctors' offices at Delnor. I wholeheartedly wished I could have done anything to help Rachel & Jeremy and I was left feeling guilty after extensive ultrasounds reassured us that things look ok.

We were also able to find out the sexes a week early too...

TWO BOYS!!!! We are super excited for two more boys to join our family this fall. Brynn wasn't too happy with the news, that is until I told her she gets to be my only baby girl ever. This is a true blessing in disguise because I am not sure B would have been so welcoming of another girl moving in on her territory.

How great will it be to have three boys so close in age? Now the hard part...agreeing on names!

Back on to some bad news, and I won't go in detail, but Berkeley has been diagnosed with bone cancer. He is only 8 and my heart is weighing heavy with making the right decision for his future.

Ky recently got a "bowl" cut -- which has since been fixed -- but does everyone else have as hard a time as I do to get both their kids to smile at a camera at the same time? Mine are impossible.

B loves to turn the camera back on me and she posed us for this photo. We could hardly keep a straight face and the harder we laughed, the madder she got.

Ok, back to good news...a big congratulations to my brother and his new fiancee, Laura, on their engagement this past weekend! We all are looking forward to a possible destination wedding next year and lucky for them, I know a destination wedding photographer! ;) hint hint.

Our 4th of July weekend was filled with laughter and fun times up in Lake Geneva. Papa is my kids' swim buddy. Back to my point of not getting a good photo of both kids at the same time.

Ky's first dip in the Lake.

Fearless. By the end of the weekend he was getting in the pool by himself and did not care if anyone was watching.

Bubble time.

We have been extremely busy with projects at our new house. Last month I was busy with painting my new office space above the garage. It is still a work in progress, but I like where it's headed. Unfortunately, Chad has taken it over for the time being - until my uncle gives up his office downstairs ;)

Before:

After:

The formal living room and dining room and been getting a makeover as well. The crown molding was the same color as the dark wood trim, but we are making a transition around the house to white trim.

Before:

After:

Finally, we love some great fireworks and last night did not disappoint. Ky and Haddie both were mesmerized and sat on our laps throughout the entire show.

For anyone interested, all these photos were taken with the only light source, a light from a football field and my settings were 50mm, f1.8, 1/80, ISO 4000.