Summer...

Grab a cup a joe and have a seat, I'll try to get you up to speed...

Jakin played baseball this spring, and although he hadn't played before, he was a ROCKSTAR!!! Check it out...

We took a trip to Minnesota for the Graduation Open Houses of Neice Abbey and Nephew Ryan. Being the picture taking loser that I am I don't have any pictures to share with you. (And yes, I'm kicking myself now.) We also spent a little time with my family and it happened to be the going away party for Pastor Chris at the North Branch United Methodist Church where we were for nine years. It was a fast visit, but well worth the 13 hour drive by myself with the children (I think).

I got to go on a Girls Week-Beginning in Kansas City with 3 college friends. We had a great time tanning, shopping, going out to eat, I got my first pedicure... We went to The Melting Pot and had cheese and chocolate fondue... yummy!!

We went to a Twins Game against the Royals and I wasn't torn a bit as to whom to cheer for. "We're gonna win Twins..." It was great catching up with Heather, Tammy and JoAnn and I'm so glad they were willing to come all the way to Kansas!

Had a visit from some Minnesota friends over a long July weekend. Janelle and her two boys and Heather and her two boys and baby girl came to hang with us. With seven boys in the house age 9 and under, there was never a dull moment. Our only outings were to the Outdoor WaterPark at the Y. We enjoyed the water, sun and shaved ice and late night conversations and having a baby girl around.

Camp is always a fun part of summer and again this year we got to go to a week with Daddy. This was a great week for many reasons, first and foremost Jakin asked to be baptised. The evening speakers did a 'remember your baptism' thing at the pool and at the end Jakin told Justin that he wanted to be baptized. So we had a little impromptu baptism. It was AWESOME and I was crying. Jakin may you live for Jesus your whole life long!! You are a great kid and He has great plans for you! The pictures are with the camp pictures, so I don't have one yet, but there are pictures. Clearly not because I took them. :~)

Camp was also great because Asher discovered that he can put his head underwater and still live!! (see 6/22 post "Asher turns SIX") I think this has become his favorite acheivement this summer.

We've been calling it "The Summer of Challenges", but we have yet to conquer the riding bike without training wheels. This too shall come... right????

And the vacation we've been looking forward to all summer was our trip to North Carolina. Both of Justin's sisters families, and one brothers family were all in Kitty Hawk in the Outer Banks of NC. Auntie Jody always
(we did this trip 2 years ago too) brings activities for the kids, which all of them, from 4 to 17 (except the teenage boys) seem to love to do them.

Our house had a pool and the sista's house was right on the beach. So we had the best of all worlds being able to hang out right on the beach or go swim in the pool. (AGAIN I forgot the battery charger, so pictures are limited.)

The boys had so much fun having 8 of their cousins there and playing in the sand... swimming in the pool... Crabbing, day and night... meals with 19 people... Wright Brothers Museum... building a giant sand crab... our house getting struck by lightening... Ice Cream Shops...

After the fun in NC, we spent an overnight in Charlotte with my long-time friends the Balbuena's. We visited, swam had a yummy dinner and I learned to make 'sa-SA-wan' which is a delicious Filipino sauce to put over rice. It's never enough time to visit, but was still great to see them.

We also made a stop in Pigeon Forge, TN for a few days. We went tubing down the Little River. Really wish I would have gotten pictures of that!! We were worried that the boys weren't going to do well sitting in a tube floating down a river for 2.5 hours, but they did great. There were some rapids that were a little scary at times, but we all enjoyed it a lot. We also went to a cheap and cheesy Magic Show. I think the name was different than "Cheap and Cheesy" but I think it gives you a better idea of the experience. All of us but Justin went up on the stage to help with different tricks. I think I stole the show, but was surprised they didn't ask me to join their team!?!

And I was actually ready to come home. I don't usually feel that way because I LOVE vacation, but it was good to be home. And on Monday the boys start school, and I start my new opening shift at the YMCA. I'll be starting at 4:30 a.m. so I'll be sure to call you all on my way to work!!! :~)

Branson Vacation

I thought I'd try something new. It may take a bit to load, but may be worth it... once.

Eli turns FOUR!!!

Just before his birthday, we did Lefto boy haircuts. I cut all the guys hair to help save money and give me practice for my next carrer (ha). Eli was so tired, he fell asleep waiting for his turn getting his haircut. So we cut it while he slept. It worked better than when he's awake. I think we might start doing that for Jakin and Asher too.

May 23rd my baby turned four. It was a special treat for us that only one month and one week after our first visit, we got to return to Chuck E. Cheese for Eli's birthday. It was a fun surprise to have Chuck E. visit in the flesh... or fur.

Asher turns SIX!!

April 16th was Asher's sixth birthday. Although each birthday is monumental, this one has been especially exciting for Asher. Now that he's six, he thinks he can put his head under that water when he's at swimming lessons. He's also discovered that he loves to make beds. The rest of us have also discovered that we love that he loves to make beds as he asks to make our beds too. Ch-yeah!!!

Chuck E. Cheese was Asher's restaurant of choice. Justin and I discovered that their salad bar is pretty good. Our neighbors, Braden and Jake joined us for Asher's little party and games at Chuck E.'s place.

There was a Renissance Festival in town just after Asher's birthday and we thought he would LOVE going. Unfortunately he was really sick and although he enjoyed small parts of it, he kept asking to go home and go to bed. What terrible parents are we that we made him stay (for a little while). This is a picture from the Jousters fake fighting. I had never been to a Ren Fest... it's a whole different crowd. Lots of LARPers. (LARP = Live, Action, Role, Playing)

Justin, Football and Easter...

One of these things is not like the other. Ok, really they're not related at all. Although I guess a football is kind of egg shaped... I digress.

Justin had a BIG birthday on April 3rd. He turned the B I G 4-0. I have to hypenate, because otherwise it looks too old. Although I had great ideas of having a Comedy Sportz improv competition and make it all a big surprise for him... it stayed just that... great ideas. I did take him to HuHot Mongolian Grill with some friends of ours (her birthday was the 2nd) and we had a nice time... and free dessert. The boys presented Daddy with his very own Vikings Mug. Jakin said it's what Dad wanted for his birthday (pretty sure it's what Jakin wanted for Dad's birthday).

Jakin and Asher are both in Flag Football at the Y, so our evenings and Saturday's have been filled with practice and games. They're both enjoying it a lot. Asher is SO good at doing exactly what the coach says. As a matter of fact, he pretty much stood in the same spot (where the coach told him to stand) for half of a practice. The coach didn't mention to try to get the flag of the person with the ball. Just told him to stand there, and that's what he did and he did it well!! At this age they try out all positions and in the photo above Jakin is the QB. To the left Asher is in the middle.

Easter was a nice relaxing day. We had a few friends over whose families are also out of town. It was rainy all day so we had to do our egg hunt inside which turned out to be just fine. Eli told me 3 or 4 times that he thought he had enough eggs. I kept telling him there were more to be found, but he thought he had enough. Jakin and Asher on the other hand...

One of our few family photos... with Cooper too!!

Late March Fun...

The fun began after we returned from Spring Break in Minnesota. We got a puppy!! I finally wore Justin down, just like when we got married. :~) We didn't tell the boys but after school Justin took them (I had to work) to a house and they left with a puppy. They stopped by the Y so I could meet him and as I walked up to the van I saw the three biggest smiles I think I've ever seen... at least all at the same time. His name is Cooper and he is a Papillon. I wanted to name him Palin, but no one else liked that name. Asher wanted to name him Skeletor... need I say more? Asher still claims his name is not Cooper, but he calls him that anyway.

He's teeny tiny and won't get too big. Probably aobut 7 pounds and 10 inches tall. Justin jokes and says that we haven't dealt with enough potty-training and disobedience in the last eight years so we had to get a dog. We almost made it all day today without any accidents too!! Yes, his ears are huge. Papillon means butterfly in French. Ooh la la.

And the other late March excitement was a huge ice/snow storm this weekend. It was like a good old Minnesota March snow storm. Perfect. The rain came first so it made everything so beautiful with the covering of ice. Of course we couldn't open our mailbox for two days, but it sure was pretty on the trees.

The boys played outside for hours building snow forts and snow men. I shoveled and they kept telling me that I should start my fort because we were going to have a snowball fight. So I just started shoveling the snow on them instead. And after my two hours of back breaking shoveling... it all melted two days later. Oh well... good exercise.

Spring Break in MN...

We were fighting the crowds headed to Minnesota for Spring Break... ok, probably not a surprise that I'm joking. It was very convenient that the boys Spring Break happened to fall at the same time as a show I had to attend for my Dad's Swedish Rug business. My wonderful husband was SuperDad as he watched the boys from 9 am to 7 pm each day as I worked the show.

We did find time to have some fun. My cousin Jen is the Selections Coordinator (which is pretty much an interior decorator) for Hickory Fine Homes (http://www.hickoryfinehomes.com/ I didn't get permission to post, but I'm guessing they won't mind the plug when you all go to them for your home building needs) and she invited us to one of their model homes to watch a movie. They had a 10' projection screen with a Bluray player, electric reclining theater seats and suede wallpaper that cost $9000 in that room alone. Needless to say, no one wanted to leave.

We visited with all the Minnesota cousins and Aunts and Uncles and Grandpa's and Grandma's. The boys got to stay overnight at Auntie Beanee's one night and Auntie Beanee made green pancakes for breakfast on St. Patty's day. Jakin named them Saint Cakes, Eli called them Hulk Cakes and Asher refused to eat them because they were green. She tried explaining that it was just food coloring, but Asher responded saying "I only listen to reason." If only Mom and Dad would have remembered to take picutres... we would share them.

Today Grandma took us to the Bell Museum of Natural History were the boys got to touch snakes, salamanders, turtles, African Giant Millipedes (their feet were yucky feeling) hissing cockroaches... etc. Eli was a little hesitant at first, but when he realized the giant bear wasn't going to move and eat him he was ok.

It did snow one morning, but otherwise the weather has been nice. I would have like more snow.

White and Nerdy

The boys got a lesson from their dad on how to dance. Now you see why we don't hit the clubs too often. (Pay close attention to Asher. If you know him at all this video will be even funnier for you.)



Oh, and if you want to see Asher perform even more moves, check out our second attempt at the song on YouTube. (Click here or search for "White and Nerdy - Asher")

When Daddy's Away...

Justin left at 4 a.m. on Thursday for a Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. I was really trying to feel bad for him... until he sent a text saying he was eating Cinnabon. (There are no Cinnabon's in Wichita... anywhere.) My empathy was quickly replaced with jealousy.

Thursday night was a really difficult night with the boys. I won't go in to detail for fear that someone may call child services, but it was tough. I spent the evening and next day praying and processing and feeling like a failure as a mother. I came to realize that the root of the problem is me. I've been letting my responsibilites (dishes, cleaning, laundry, etc...) go, and then when the boys would step over the sweatshirt they threw on the floor instead of picking it up I would freak out and yell at them. I'm transferring my frustration with myself and my short comings on to my children when they are acting like ... well ... children. So after many explative, tears, requests for forgiveness and the like, I attempted to enjoy my children... and my messy house.

Saturday was B E A U T I F U L ... 67 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. We had a picnic in the front yard with Lennon our neighbor. Mac and Cheese isn't the best picnic food, but it was easy.


Jakin was too busy to eat because he was working on an obstacle course for his scooter...

Asher took a slightly different approach.

It was such a fun day I thought we should set up the tent downstairs and have a campout! WHAT WAS I THINKING??? It was awful. Asher kept talking in his sleep, the floor was harder than the ground, I had NO ROOM, and all I could think of was that my bed was RIGHT UPSTAIRS!! I moved to the couch at 3 a.m. and did sleep a little. Of course the boys wanted to do it again on Saturday night. I slept in the guest bedroom next door.






Today wasn't quite as fun filled, but we did put this together...



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing