I Told You So

Yes, babe, you did leave your underwear on the bathroom floor again.

This Year's Summer Remodel

It seems like every Spring and Summer we have to take on some big project around the house. This year it is the play fort and the rearranging of the kids' rooms so that the boys could have their own rooms. My sister-in-law Carrie came up on Monday and Tuesday to help me paint the boys' new rooms. Thank goodness she was here to help because Colby couldn't get off of work to help. I also want to give a shout out to Nana Julie for taking the kids all week. Paint and kids don't mix.

Here are the before photos of the boys' rooms. The after photos will hopefully all be ready by Friday!!!





In the meantime, the house is a total disaster until everything finds its way back to its rightful home. The master bedroom will be located in the basement, but for now all 6 of us will be sleeping upstairs. We hope to get the basement all ready by the end of June. Of course, Tiger will continue to make a bed wherever he sees fit.

Brody's First Baseball Game

Brody is playing baseball this summer for the first time. Although Colby says Brody has a natural ability for sports, he also unfortunately has inherited from me the inability to be a good sport. He hates to lose so much that he doesn't even want to play. Yep, that's me. However, he has gotten past a lot of his mental obstacles and is turning out to be quite the little baseballer. At his very first at bat ever in a baseball game, he hit the first pitch thrown to him and got to first base.



His second at bat was also successful, but a quick little first baseman beat him to the base and got him out. Brody wasn't upset, though, which made me really happy. Soren, Evelyn, and Dade were just excited to visit the concession stand, and Colby and our friend Jon (whose son Justin is on Brody's team) yelled at the boys while they played.




Here's to a successful and character-building summer of baseball, kid.

Garden Update III

May and June (so far) have been very rainy. The temperatures have been a combination of mild and scorching, which I suppose is quite typical here in Nebraska. Wind and pouring rain are hard on the poor little pepper plants, but I have harvested so much spinach and radishes from the garden already. The kohlrabi is recovering nicely from the rabbit invasion. The tomatoes are growing like crazy. Flowers are blooming, and marigolds are budding in the tea cup planter. And, of course, the dogs remain ever vigilant from their shady spots on the deck. It's beginning to look, feel, and taste a lot like summer.

The Last day of School 2010

It's official: Dade is a seventh grader and Brody is a second grader. . . and Evelyn is headed to kindergarten. The last day of school is one of the happiest days of a kid's life. It's actually quite sad for Mama. While I am happy both boys passed their grade levels with flying colors, I am sad that they are growing up so fast. The thought of Evelyn going to school is especially hard. She is like my little best friend. I hope to spend a lot of quality time with her this summer before sending her off into the real world.

Dade is nearly as tall as me and is growing hair in quite unmentionable places. When did my little boy get so big? I've often thought that maybe if I stopped feeding him he would stay little, but Colby insists that he continue to grow so he can move out in 6 years.



Brody will be getting his own room this summer, and I'm not sure he's ready. No matter how big he thinks he is, that little boy inside of him always seems to find it's way to the surface.



In the fall, my dear, your carseat will be empty as I head back home after school drop off. Slow down, sweetie. Mommy wants a little more time.

Anniversary/Memorial Day BBQ

I am so far behind on my blog, so I will be adding lots of new posts all at once. The first is a note about the fantastic 12th Anniversary/Memorial Day barbecue we had with friends and neighbors. The weather was unseasonably cool, but that's fine with me. Colby made ribs and pulled pork, and I made a cappuccino pie. What would a celebration be without lots of unhealthy food?

Reese enjoyed her very first s'more today.


Evelyn enjoyed her thousandth s'more today.


Jumyatt and Brody rode their bikes all over.


The kids loved running through the bubbles flying out of the bubble machine which was perched on the deck above them.



Happy Anniversary, babe. We have a great life!

Swimmin' at Ja's House

We are blessed to have fantastic neighbors across the street, Ja and Deland. Ja's grand kids (see the aforementioned post about Taver)are living with them temporarily, which means my kids have built in playmates close by. My girls call them "Grandma Ja and Papa Deland."

The kids all went out and beat the heat his morning in Ja's backyard. Ja's granddaughter Lilac has a very rare genetic disease that will probably take her life before she's a teenager. She was never supposed to walk or talk or eat or play. Good thing doctors don't know much. . .

Soren and Taver played together, of course.

Brody, Jumyatt, and Taver get along really well.

Caeden and Evelyn will probably get married someday (but only if he grows up to be a doctor, auto mechanic, or barber). Caeden bought Evie a stuffed bear and a bracelet at a garage sale today.

I will gladly send them all over there a lot this summer. It will be a great opportunity to take a break.