Thursday, April 23, 2009

Here comes the sun

I didn't want to shock anyone by posting two days in a row, so I thoughtfully waited until today to share this video with the world. We had a few gorgeous days of sun this week (not bitter that I'm looking out my window to find a dark gray sky today). I'm telling you that there is no better place to be in the world than the Northwest on a sunny day. So beautiful. Who cares that it only happens 5 times a year, it's worth it. Here are my prides and joys (not sure if you can make that plural, but it's my blog, so there it is) whooping it up in the sunshine with our clown fish sprinkler. That sneaky Dad, always stepping on the hose.



Nothing like the belly laugh of a 3 year old. Life is good.

Monday, April 20, 2009

What's going on around here?

Glad you asked. Well, actually I have to be honest. Sometimes I feel like after I haven't posted for a long time the next post has be fantastic. Stupendous. Epic, if you will. This one...not so much. Why? Because I'm not feeling it today. Then why am I posting? Because the longer I wait the more epic it has to be, and the more nervous I get about pulling it off. Nervous Nelly, that's me. Not really. But I definitely don't want to become so. Anyway..........

Now that you're sufficiently bored out of your socks, I can wow you with the stories of our lives. It can only get better from here, right? My point exactly.

Easter Sunday, let's start there. Wow, it has been a while. Hope everybody had a wonderful day celebrating our risen Savior! And eating insane amounts of yummy ham, chocolate bunnies and Peeps. Hold the phone...Peeps? Honestly, if anyone out there over the age of 5 actually likes consuming Peeps could you please raise your hand? No takers? Thought so. Ugh, those things give me the heebie jeebies. Not just because they taste like artificially colored fluffy cardboard, but don't they just look wrong?

Sorry, I have to back up again. I'll start with Easter Saturday when I took the kids to a carnival put on by some local churches, including the one my in-laws go to. What a fun fun fun idea! The kids loved the carnival games, the blow-up toys like the ginormous slide, and (kicking myself for not getting a shot of this one) the caterpillar you climb into the head, through the winding body, and out the other end. Brilliant. There was food too, but we only got a bag of blue cotton candy for the boys to share with each other and any unlucky passersby who brushed up against them. Ty had never had cotton candy before and wasn't sure what to do with it. His first handful he squished up into a ball and looked at Jake for instructions. He quickly got the idea.

Easter Sunday we split time between my parents and Dan's extended fam. Great fun and great food at both. We're so blessed to have family close by!

Which leads me to the highlight of our last few weeks, seeing some of the only close family that lives more than 15 miles away, Dan's sister Jane and baby Bekah. We missed you, Curtis! My oh my how that little girl makes us all smile. (Pictures are on the way, don't you worry.) Her cousins L-O-V-E her. Being her auntie just plain rules. So anytime you guys are done with California, come on up here to stay! We love you! Can't wait to come visit you guys this summer.

Another super fun day we had recently was the fire truck party for our friend Jack's 3rd birthday. Pretty much enough said. Like any boy is not going to be thrilled at a fire truck birthday party. We even got a tour of the fire station. Thanks, Alison for putting on a party for the ages!



Hopefully I'll post again in the next few days. Today is supposed to be marvelously sunny, so I'll break out the camera and get some good pre-summer shots. Until then, adios amigos, I have a date with an iced coffee and our new patio set.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The morning after

I'm pretty sure I was delirious when I scheduled myself to work until 3:30am last night. I can't tell you for sure, because right now I know I'm delirious. Regardless of the delirium, I recall falling into bed this morning at 4:22am and praying with all my soul for the kids to sleep until noon. The Bible did say if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains. Evidently you need faith as big as a Mack truck for 3 and 4 year olds to sleep past 7:15.

My first foggy memory of this morning (post sunrise, though I do have some whoppers from the wee hours in the ER) was hearing Jake and Ty stampede down the hall to my bedroom and burst through my door. I'm pretty sure I didn't open my eyes, except to look at my alarm clock--huge red numbers screaming at me "7:17." I told the boys to go downstairs and whip up a gourmet breakfast for themselves and read the encyclopedia...or maybe it was to go get a granola bar from the cupboard and watch TV until next year sometime, I can't quite recall.

From 7:17 on, I woke up approximately every 10 or 11 seconds to various noises. The kids would come in and ask me questions, to which I gave insightful answers such as "mmff" and "huumh." Ty jumped on my bed multiple times. Felix also made himself at home on my bed, dropping a soggy rawhide bone on my face. At one point part of my right ear was folded underneath my head, and I remember being a little angry about that, but not angry enough to roll my head to the other side.

So what was it that pulled me out of bed? Thank goodness it wasn't the ear piercing screams that come before trips back to the ER. It was Jake's comment, "Mom, the granola bars are gone and I'm still hungry." Wait, the granola bars are gone? I just bought granola bars. "Jake, how many did you eat?"

"Um, four I think." Indeed. "I think Ty had 3." Indeed again. Here were the first things I saw after dragging myself out of bed:



Know what my first thought was? God bless those Quakers for giving me an extra hour and a half of sleep this morning.