River Time and Tadpoles

Rich got off early from work unexpectedly yesterday, so I packed up dinner and we headed to the river for a picnic.
The kids loved it, and Rich and I had a great time watching them splash in the "slight" current (read: will suck you away faster than you know it) and collecting tadpoles (read: I now have something else to take care of, and when these little guys die there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth).
My dinner was awesome for being thrown together! I BBQ-ed some marinated chicken tenders, cut them up and tossed them on the salad that I was planning on serving that night. I also cooked up some broccoli and some cheesy biscuits, wrapped them up, and served that to the kids on paper plates on the beach of the river. It was a pretty fancy schmancy picnic!
Summer time is here, and there is no better place than the river to hang out!

Fall Festival

I have been asked to make some stuff to donate to a silent auction for church in the fall....
I have ideas rattling around in my head, but can't seem to nail them down to actually start working on them.

#1 - Baby Basket - (Non Gendered) Blanket, Burpies, Stuffed Animal
#2 - Baby Basket (Gendered) Crayon Holder, Stuffed Animal/Flowers
#3 - Diaper Bag Basket - Baby Changing kit, Bag,
#4 - I don't have any other ideas...

Help! Any suggestions? What would people want????

A New Favorite

I netflixed (is that really a verb?) the movie "Once". It was suggested to me, and of course I had to check it out. I love it. It is more like a music video than a movie in actuality. The plot is slow, but the music and singing is AMAZING!!!!!!!

The two characters in the movie are Glen Hansard and Marketta Irglova. His voice is raw, and his music heartfelt, and the tune stays with you long after the movie is over.
Check it out here if you like!
I also, in my own obsessive way, created a Pandora Radio station called "Once". So far it has been filled with great, mellow tunes by artists that I love! Ah, its a good day!

Summer Fun in the Sun

My niece and nephews came over for a swim the other day. They all had a great time, and were loving the water! I had to finally pull them all out when their lips were blue.

Maeve wouldn't get in the water. She just loves exploring in all the corners of the yard.

Cannon was the only party pooper this time! He was upset because people kept splashing him. Hello, you are in a pool filled with water! Of course you are going to get wet!!!

My little water baby Brynn is always the last one out. It doesn't seem to matter that the temperature is freezing, or that she is covered head to toe in goosebumps. 'Just five more minutes Mom'!
My sweet niece Lola. She was loving the water, and even trying to encourage Cannon to enjoy himself a bit more.
Peyton was trying to kill the "bad guys" the entire time they were in the pool. Its amazing how a water toy can become a weapon in the hands of an imaginative boy...

Luke, my energetic nephew mostly hung onto the side for support during pool time. He was enjoying himself, but he might have been a little bit put off by the extreme splashing, jumping, shouting, and crazy gun noises all around him. He is usually right in the center of all the action, but with the water swirling all around him, he might have been a little bit out of his element.
I love summer fun with the cousins!

Can He Do It?

We have neighbors over the back fence who sometimes (every other day) lose their ball in our yard. Cannon found one and was "attempting" to throw it over when I saw this.




So, just to let you know, he did eventually get it over the fence...I am so proud!

One Year Anniversary

Its been one year since my grandma passed away. I can't believe that I still miss her as much as I did when she first died. I still find myself picking up the phone sometimes to call and ask her a question about cooking, or gardening, only to realize that its not a possibility anymore.
My mom is going to have it rough this year, and the sad part is that my grandma died the day before my parents anniversary, but we found out on their actual anniversary day. It stinks that it will forever be part of their memories.
I was talking about my grandma to Rich the other night. Once again, I stated that I was so thankful for my mom, and her insistence to do family dinner every week. I had the opportunity to dine, talk, and share my life and the lives of my kids with her every week for years! I don't regret a minute of it! Its time that is irreplaceable, and memories that I will treasure in my heart forever.
Thanks mom for always holding us to the expectation that we have to spend one night a week together as a family. You always know best!!!

I deserve this!

So, I have been eyeing this bag for weeks. I first saw it when I was shopping one day, and wanted it right away, but the price was $50. Yikes! Who can pay that much for an accessory?????

A few weeks later, I was out and saw that it was on sale. I took a pic and sent it to Rich and let him know that if he ever wanted to buy something for me, he could go ahead and get this. He texted me back that I should just get it because I deserved it. (I think he missed the point on that one eh?)

Anyways, today, I was shopping with the kids, and saw it on sale for $20. I went home, thought about it, and then drove back and bought it! Its huge, and I love it! It basically eliminates the need for me to carry around a diaper bag, and I am super excited. I love the little pockets in the front, and have already filled them (and the bag).

I deserve it right????

Family Camping Trip

Our weekend took us to the Cloverdale KOA for a camping trip with the cousins. What a fun time we had. The kids ran rampant through the campground, the parents relaxed by the fire, and everyone had fun.
Rich's parents came up for our first evening, and they spent the afternoon with the kids. It was nice to have someone else clean up after them for a bit...

Maeve loves camping. She gets to be dirty, and play with sticks and leaves and dead bugs. She probably eats most of them, but I was too busy relaxing to notice.

Our home sweet home for a few days. The campsites were packed together, but by Sunday night we had the entire place to ourselves. That was pretty nice!

Bath time in the wash basin. Who hasn't done that before? I have pictures of myself and my cousins taking baths like this when we were kids. Its all part of camping!

What camping trip is complete without golden brown marshmallows for all? The kids ate WAY to many, but you only get to be kids once.

Cannon was covered in marshmallow and dirt every night before bed.

Me and my awesome sis in law. If it weren't for us...this trip would not have happened!

Hubby and I enjoyed the time outdoors like we always do!

The kids ran off the marshmallows the next morning. Talk about endless energy!

My one and only niece is in love with Maeve. She was so sweet to her, and loved to be with her. Maeve will definitely grow up to adore Lolo as well!

These boys were always up to something. It was either playing "bad guys" or trying to hurt each other with sticks. It was so much fun watching them play without reserve!

The family. Notice that Maeve is still in her jammies? That was the easiest way to keep the rest of her body clean. I don't know if those pjs will ever be the same again though.

The whole crew. We managed to get this picture but Luke was hiding, Cannon was crying, and Peyton wasn't going to smile for any reason. Ah, the memories!

PS. Elissa and I (mostly I) came up with some pretty awesome sugar bombs to eat. I pretty much went into a sugar coma afterwards, but it was worth it.
Recipe #1 (My idea)
Cinnamon Graham cracker
Slightly undercooked brownie
Toasted Marshmallow
Cinnamon Graham Cracker

(kinda like a smores, but you replace the chocolate bar with brownie....mmmmmnnn!)

Recipe #2 (Her idea, and honestly, this was waaaaay better!)
Cinnamon Graham Cracker
Reece's Peanut Butter Cup
Toasted Marshmallow

(Soooooo good!)

Check out Elissa's Blog for more pics and her side of the story!

Balloon Show

We rolled out of bed at 4:45am last Saturday morning to go and watch the Balloon show in Windsor. I packed up a small breakfast, warm blankets, and sleepy kids, and we headed off to a show that we have always heard about, but have never been.
Lets just say that you don't have to be there at 5:30am to see the good part. The good part starts at 7am. Oh well. The memories we made...

The first "burn" as they call it. They released these balloons at dawn, and called them, appropriately, the Dawn Patrol.



The kids were pretty amazed because we could be so close to these huge balloons.


The event was sponsored by the Energizer Bunny and...

Target! We scored $15 in Target gift cards! A man was walking through the crowds, and he handed three $5 gift cards to the kids. Hey kids, let mommy hold those...

Our breakfast of day old croissants. They were huge, and delicious!

Boredom struck at about 6:15 am. No balloons were launched, we were cold, and I wanted to go home and curl up in bed. It didn't get exciting again until about 7am. That is when they launched all the balloons and the kids attention was totally focused on all the activity around us.

The Sushi Balloon.
The Energizer Bunny. Supposedly it was as tall as the Statue of Liberty. I don't know...

We packed up and left after all the balloons had been launched. This was the last pic that I took as we were heading back to our car. Pretty neat huh!

Graduation

Brynn graduated from preschool Friday night. It was pretty special to see her up on stage singing her heart out to the songs.
I loved her time at Bethel, and will do it all over again for the others. Her teachers were amazing, and she loved each of them!
Sweet Mrs Melinda
Devoted Mrs Jackie
Energetic Ms Cherissa

As of now, we are settling into the summer schedule. I am soaking up every minute of her last vacation before school really starts. We are all excited for next year, but in the mean time, I am enjoying the rhythm of a relaxing summer.

Summer Ballet

Brynn is taking a free ballet class from a few neighborhood girls. She is pretty excited. I am pretty excited that its close by our house, and that its free. Did I mention that it was free? This is no small time ballet though. There will be a performance at the end of the summer, and Brynn has her part already. I believe that she is a rose bud. I can't wait to see it!

DInner Chatter

Maeve isn't really "talking" yet, but she is full of noises...

The Kids and the Dog

Brynn and Treks, oh so long ago....


Cannon and Treks...

Maeve and the dog....

I think the only reason that he puts up with us is the bountiful amount of table scraps he gets from kids who eat at our table...