Just because.

Since it has been so long, I give you two posts in one day.

Remember the big trailer we unloaded back in April. Here is one of the treasures that was inside:

Grams' teacup collection now gracing the top of the piano.

This was my grandparents player piano they gifted to Ashlynn in their recent move. She plays everyday and makes up a new song almost everyday as well. This fall we will start her with lessons.....that is, if I can't convince Grandma Linda to teach her first! (Though Ashlynn remarked the other day she didn't need lessons, because she already knows how to play!)

Some funny things.

Something cute Addie is saying right now when she is thankful:

Addie: "Thank you mama!"

Me: "You're welcome!"

Addie: "Thank you mama!"

Me: "You're so welcome!"

Addie: "I love (sounds like "wub") you too!"

Me: "I love you too!"

She always thanks twice and says I love you too, it is soooo sweet!!

Another cute thing I overheard Ryder saying to Addie as she was watching her Praise Baby with a song about heaven:

Ryde: "Addie they're talking about heaven. You're going to go there someday. Do you want to go there? You will have a castle there. It's sorta like a big house. You'll love it!"

How we fill our time.

Some of it anyways......

Remember my mother's day gift? Randy built me two 4' X 8' raised bed vegetable gardens. We worked side by side constructing the frame, hauling back wheelbarrow loads full of dirt and leveling it just right for planting.

So here it is, just two and half months later.....

Bed #1

My sweet little carrot tops!

Radishes, they are spicy and Ashlynn loves them!

Bed #2:

Pole Beans making their way up the trellis:

Tomatoes, the whole reason the have a garden!!!

In bed #1, we have tomatoes (all heirloom: three goliath, a cherokee purple, a sweet 100's cherry, & a german black); radishes, onions, carrots, peppers, pole beans, corn, oregano, and basil.

In bed #2 we have corn, snow peas, radishes, onions, bush beans, parsley, cilantro and chocolate mint (Ashlynn's favorite!).

The soil, seeds, and plants are all organic, we have our work cut out to keep the pests off. Fortunately, the internet has copious amounts of info on how to keep them out!!

A mostly happy birthday.

This:

+

This:

=

This:

Addie decided to give the skateboard a try and Gage decided he wanted to ride it. One little push and her sweet face hit the patio causing her front teeth to go all the way through her lip. The girl cried for a few minutes and then spent two hours in my lap letting me ice it while she watched tv. She kept looking up at me, like "why am I getting all of this lovely attention"? She soaked in every moment and ended up falling asleep on my lap.

My baby turned two today and made my day by taking a nap while I held her. It's going by waaaay too fast!

She gets it from me.

Isn't that what we are supposed to say when our kids do something kind or creative or really, really smart? Then when they act out and embarrass us (like screaming in the library because they want to walk, not hold hands and basically act like they own the place) we wonder where did you come from?

So, Ashlynn loves making her now famous homemade desserts. Last night was no exception and we all couldn't help but smile when we looked at our plates:




She said they were "all natural and so healthy" and the mustache was made from "fresh-picked mint leaves from our garden".


Um, yeah, she gets that from me.

Monkey boy turns 6!

Happy birthday to Ryder!!! Our boy who has more energy and enthusiasm for life than anyone we know! And, dude, you can find Waldo in two seconds flat, you ARE amazing!!

Have fun fishing with dad, playing put-put golf, eating lots of bbq ribs and cake, opening presents (hey, when your 6 it's sort of all you care about), and being spoiled rotten for one day a year!

Love you big guy!!

I know, I know.

It's been forever. Can we just call it a dry spell? Literally, there has been so much going on around here that choosing just one thing to blog about seemed more difficult than just not blogging at all. So, here in bullet point form is the last two weeks of my life:

• I cleaned every nook and cranny of our house and had a huge garage sale that lasted three days.
• The cleaning took up the four days before the sale.
• On the second day of the sale someone decided my cell phone was marked free and took it.
• Thankfully, I broke even with my profits and new cell phone purchase.
• We moved four yards of dirt and I now have two 4x8 raised bed vegetable gardens.
• We moved one yard of mulch to make the yard look pretty....and if it keeps the weeds down I'll be super happy!
• We were the recipients of a loaded 24' trailer (more on that later).
  
• We now have a loaded double car garage (ditto to above).
• I sold a dresser, crib, and bed within 24 hours of listing them on craigslist.
• I spent five hours at urgent care with Gage. Ryder was practicing his golf swing, dare I say more?
• One of three pieces of furniture has been sanded, painted and moved into the girls room.
• The kids have almost finished school....

And really, the list goes on, but I will bore you no longer. If I haven't emailed you, called you, blogged about you, or anything that a good friend, daughter, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, granddaughter, etc should do, I truly apologize. Please list any complaints, suggestions, rants, raves, etc in the comment field.

They will be approved.

Eventually.