Luke has a brother!

Here is Brady Wilson Jorgensen, named after his grandfather Wilson LeGrand Conover!!!!
After a week of contractions and 8 days of thinking today is the day we finally have a sweet little boy to add to our family. He was born on July 24, 2009 at 11:57am. He weighed 8 lbs. 15oz. and was 21 1/4 in long. This is my 5th baby and who would have guessed my only one that had to be induced. His due date was the 16th and I actually went to the hospital on the 16th with stong contractions but unfortunately they did not progress into full labor. We are so happy to have a healthy strong baby.

This is quite the loving crew to come home to. They were all so excited to see Brady and to hold him.

Grandma Carol held down the fort while we were in the hospital.
Luke was so excited that he had a brother, he could hardly contain himself. He wanted him to be named Luke and he was determined not to call him any other name.
Annika took about 30 min. before she was ready to hold him. She is skeptical of what this all means to her and her "baby" role.
Dad is so proud and Thanks to him we had a great pregnancy from start to finish. Mark absolutely held this family together with love and strength. I owe the whole world to him. He is the best father and husband ever. THANKS MARK!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Mariah is our special neighbor who has helped me endlessly through Luke, Annika, and now Brady. I am not sure what life would be like with out her, and I am so thankful for her help.
Chelsea is so excited to be a big help and I know that I will be sad when she goes to school and is not there to help me during the day.
Brooke is at such a great age, she reall takes on alot of responsibility, I am going to rely heavily on her for help the next couple of months.
Thank you to my family who live in other states who always make sure I know I am loved. I really wanted flowers this time and look what happened I got showered with them from my dear parents and sisters. THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!! HUGS AND KISSES!
When it was time to pick me up from the hospital Brooke had dressed all the kids to match. I loved it. They all looked adorable! I am proud of them and look forward to the caos that is in the near future for me. I am sure I will blog about it! As you can see everyone wants to hold the baby, these faces are not plotted.
Now these smiles were a little more planned!
Luke and Annika found ways to entertain themselves.
THANKS BROOKE FOR DRESSES ALL THE KIDS FOR ME!!!
MY FAMILY! I COULD NOT BE PROUDER!!!

Ragbrai 2010

Iowa has the Largest and oldest bike ride of it's kind, called Ragbrai. 10,000+ riders ride across iowa, in one week. Each year the course is different so that those who have made it a family tradition get to stop in different towns. This year the third night was in Chariton, Iowa. That is the town Mark has his car lot at. The girls wanted to do a "lemonade stand". Well to make a long story short, their lemonade stand turned into a large cookie and drink stand, right on the square. Thanks to one of dad's friends who allowed us to piggy back off his vending license. We had no idea what to expect, but we knew it would be alot. Since my baby #5 decided not to come early or on time, I was able to make 700 cookies, and then a couple of my good friends from church volunteered to make another 300+ cookies for the girls to sell. Luckily Grandma Carol was here to help get all the drinks bought, and I think we bought about 12 cases of gatorade and 12 cases of water.
Yesterday morning the girls got up and headed to Chariton. They got there at 10:00am and worked until 11:00pm. They worked super hard and they did most of the work. I was so proud of them!!!! We came home with lots of cookies and drinks, but the experience was once in a life time.

This would not have be possible without Grandma. Thank you so much Grandma Carol!!!!!!!

Mark loved the chance to have his kids learn some buisness skills. As a kid he loved to come up with ways to make money.
Here the girls are with all the riders in resting in the square.

Each girls had their own money bag to keep track of the items they sold.

MUST READ!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good
2. When in doubt, just take the next step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will, so stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. he can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your paste so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. you have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry ; god never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything thata isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear fancy lingerie.
Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare and then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so -called disaster with these words "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your buisness.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31.However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. don't audit life. show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative-- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyones else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up , dress up, and show up.
44. Yield
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Family Goes Boating!

This is our families first time to go boating. We do not own a boat so we rented one! It was a perfect day, not very many people were out boating so we had the water almost to ourselves and it was 75 degrees!


The girls were so excited!

Dad lead off the jumping into the lake, everyone was going to do a cool jump. Brooke forgot to look at me, and Chelsea just slid in.
I am sure it comes to no surprise that Annika was fearless. It was a lot of work keeping her safe.
My best weapon was junk food!
Mark let all the kids drive the boat.

Everyone layed down and relaxed. Annika and Chelse have a special relationship. So Annika stood by Chelsea and gave kisses.

Brooke and Chelsea both went out on the tube.
Brooke spent probably 1 1/2 hours on the tube. She loved it. Next time Mark wants to rent a speed boat and teach her how to ski.
For 3 1/2 hours Luke would not leave my lap (except when he fell and asleep, and then I could sit and relax) he was so afraid. He cried and cried.

With 15 minutes left something switched and he relaxed and started having a blast. I felt bad because it was time to go home!

Brookes birthday party- BIKING SCAVANGER HUNT

Brooke came up with this idea for a biking scavager hunt! I will admit that I was rather nervous, I really did not want injuries while these girls were under my care. All the parents seemed fine with the idea and so we went ahead and did it. IT WAS A BLAST!!! I love the idea! Brooke invited 5 girls and Chelsea had a friend as well. So all together there was 8 gilrs on bikes and Mark was my biking guard.
We did have some wipe outs. Chelsea took the two worse ones. This is after her first and the parties first!
We had 4 stops and so including our house their was 5 treasures hidden and 5 games they played.
1. I sent them on a house to house scavenger hunt in our neighborhood with a list of 8 things to find. And they had a 15 min. time limit.
2. Limbo
3. skittles spitting contest (everyone got three tries)
4. Simon says
5. guessing how many skittles were in the jar
Between parks I had to drive to the next stop and hide the treasure, so Mark stalled the girls by having them play follow the leader around the park. Don't worry Annika did not get to ride with dad on main streets, but she did around Central Park one time. They both thought that was a blast!
Brooke wipes out!
We ate pizza, and let me tell you the girls were both hungry and thirsty. This party was full of physical work!
Luke and Chloe played in the mud, and helped me at all stops.
Annika found anything she could do to keep herself busy! I did not get a picture of it, but she fell in the bucket of ice water. I laughed so hard, she did not find it funny!
Here's her cake that I made, I have to admit I had some major problems making it, I just feel lucky that we had a cake. It was a tye dye cake inside!

All the girls decorated visors!
And so for the goody bags they got to keep the treasures they found at each stop
1. mesh back pack (to hold all their stuff)
2. sunglasses
3. little fans
4. tape gum
5. visors
And there she is the birthday girls and party coordinator! I am so happy that we got this party done before the baby came!