Aaron and Aidens Mom

Happy Groundhog Day

2011-02-02T14:49:00.005-06:00

Okey Dokey, I heard that the groundhog in PA says that we will have an early spring. Then I heard the HEDGEhog at the KC Zoo saw his shadow so we have six more weeks of winter.
I am gonna go with the positive guy. Spring is just around the corner! I don't care if there is another one to two feet of snow on the ground. Thinking positive will bring positive results! Anyone with me? Hello?!?! Its my little world and I like it here.
Yesterday I was down in the dumps and had fear that today would bring more of that. But, with the help of my mothers suggestion, I went outside and put some bird seed out and watched the birds and took some pictures. Man it has done a world of good! What is a good pick-me-up thing you like to do to bring you out of the cabin fever blues? Here are a few pics if ya wanna check 'em out.

THE DOG IS HERE...THE END

Before and After

2011-01-07T08:01:00.003-06:00

We are going to have some new neighbors. The house also looks like it is going to be pretty. Pretty and big. They started building it about the beginning of fall and it seems to have gone up over night. They had a roof on it before our first snow fall.
So here is our view from our back door now.

Our view last year in March.

Progress really amazes me sometimes.

Can you believe its 2011?

2011-01-03T17:04:00.002-06:00

Boy! Time sure does fly! Just like the boys. ;)

What did You Do New Years Day?

2011-01-01T18:31:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year!!!!! We spent most of the day inside because the temperatures were in the teens.
I would have been perfectly happy to stay indoors. Then Rick mentioned the wood that was stacked up on our fence line. The previous owners had it there for possible fence posts. We probably won't use it for that purpose. Rick decided to get a wild hair and cut the wood for our stove. I agree we needed the wood but I sure didn't want to do it. I told him I felt bad that he had to be outside in the cold. Then I lost my mind and said, "Do I have to help?"
He laughed at me. Doesn't he love me and have concern for my comfort? I am sure he would be just fine without me. I know it would take longer. But like I said, baby its cold outside.
He then gets me by saying, "So you feel bad that I have to go out there but, you don't feel bad enough to come and help me?"
Dang, I didn't work that right.
Lesson learned.
I went upstairs and began putting my layers of clothes on. Went back downstairs while telling myself, attitude is a decision. I need to choose to be nice.

To our surprise the wood was cedar. Very pretty. Kind of a shame to burn it but we were running low. Cottonwood just doesn't burn like we like it.

If you were wondering, I did help. I didn't take pictures the whole time.
Cedar smells good burning too! I am once again in the house, in my jammies and loving the wood burning stove.

10 I Loves

2010-12-30T14:47:00.002-06:00

1. I love it when we are blessed with a sunny 60 degree day at the very end of December.

2. I love it when I get to play cards with my mom.

3. I love it when Aiden tells me that he likes and loves me.

4. I love it when my hubby is home from work (especially on Fridays).

5. I love it when I get to catch up with my good friends.

6. I love it when I tell my boys I am going to vacuum and I can hear their feet running around picking up all the things they love before I vacuum them up into the unknown.

7. I love it when Aaron flaps his arm around when he is excited about something.

8. I love it when my home is finally clean...even if it only lasts for a day.

9. I love it when I find a good book.

10. I love it when the boys are on vacation from school. I love them here.

2010-12-27T15:15:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We sure did and we still have a week off before school starts back. Here are some pictures of the boys from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Gram and Grandpa always gives us all PJs on Christmas Eve. This year the boys pajamas were How to Train Your Dragon themed. They loved them. Especially the wings! They were sooo wound up and bouncing off the walls!

At Grandmas, our cousins gave the boys some "reindeer food". It was a combination of oatmeal and glitter. Very neat. We went out side and sprinkled the food on the ground in preparation for Santa and his reindeer.

On Christmas Eve we had some snow. It was pretty and NOTHING like last years snow. Yay!

The boys received alot of great gifts and one of the best was from Gram and Grandpa. Their own personal DVD players. Aiden has watched the movie Cars over and over again on it already. I like it because they are still with us in the living room and Rick and I can watch something besides cartoons.

I hope everyone has a blessed New Year. Be Safe and Keep Warm! Thank you for everyone keeping up with our family and sending us such wonderful comments and emails. We love to hear from all of you and I will keep trying to keep up with the blog some more in 2011.

Twist and Turns

2010-12-18T10:48:00.005-06:00

The last few months we have been thrown alot of curve balls. But through all I couldn't believe the GRACE that God has given us through it. Things do happen for a reason I am sure but sometimes it is hard to see the reasons.
One thing that got us was septic problems...I know, ewwwwwwwww!!!!! The worst part about it is that the lowest part of my house plumbing wise is the kitchen sink. THATS where it came in at. With the kitchen being the heart of a family mine was sick. Really sick! Of course it started when my inlaws came to visit.
Through asking questions and some figuring we realized that the septic had NEVER been emptied by the previous owners and they were here for about 30 years. We have been here for four. *sigh*
I called a septic pumping company and told them we had a idea where the septic was but we were not positive. Would they find it? How much would they charge to dig it up? How much to empty it? Ya know all the questions I am sure.
When the guy came out to find/pump out the septic the first thing he mentioned the septic never being pumped and we are not real sure how old the septic is so, it is probably shot.
My stomach dropped. Not a good thing when you really can't use the toilets. I stayed outside with him while he poked around a determined the place and shape of the septic. He dug and dug and dug. As I watched him I was sure the wasn't making the money he was worth. He needs a raise! After several attempts and holes later he found the lid. Yay! He informed me with the amount of digging he had to do that the price to dig it up was higher. Fine, fine. I still don't think he is paid enough.
He pumped out the septic. I am sure I was sitting in the fetal position just waiting to hear the fate of our septic. Would this be thousands of dollars or a few hundred? I prayed the whole time. I prayed for the grace. Gods grace to get us through this.
I wanted the old farm house. I had to take the good and bad with it. But sometimes I feel that my husband has to take care of alot of the bad. He really is a wonderful man. I must say that I have handled things well when needed. Like the time I saw a snake come out of the paneling at the ceiling of my kitchen. I handled it...yep, like a scared little school girl. I can handle just about any reptile or rodent but when things are above my head I get a little anxious.
Anyways, back to the fate of the septic. IT WAS ALRIGHT! Talk about answered prayers! He pumped it out. Lines were still clogged. That was not in his job description.
My handyman came home and fixed it with the garden hose from the business end of the septic...Have I told you I just love that man? Also got some pictures for ya. ;)

Aaron was in charge of turning the water hose on and off <----- Future handyman in training.

You know I took this with the zoom lens.

Ricks homemade hoist to lift the slab of concrete they used for a lid.

I love him <3

Talking Turkey ... Already

2010-11-01T13:43:00.005-05:00

(I originally wrote this the day after Halloween. I still needed to upload the picture still, then BAM! it is Nov. 7th. Oh well, here you go)
I heard something the other day that has ran through my mind over and over again. They were so right. They were saying that Halloween is the start of the holiday season. When I was younger time didn't go by this quickly. Actually days seemed to drag by. Even summer vacation seemed to last a while. Now, time goes by with just a blink. I blame alot of it on bills. As soon as a month goes by and you are paid up to date it is time to start all over again. To think about it, we only do this twelve times a year.
Just last night was Halloween and today there was talk of meeting up for the holidays and what do the boys want for Christmas. Christmas!?!?! I have no idea! I haven't even put up the summer clothes. Yes, I do know that summer is over and I am not one bit happy about it. We have taken the pool down and we are now stacking fire wood.
Geez, I really need to get the family holiday pictures printed. I am afraid that I will go to sleep tonight and I will wake up the day of the deadline. Does this happen to anyone else or am I the only one that feels like Father Time is stepping on my toes?
I do have to tell you that last night was nice. The weather was very comfortable. I didn't want to stop trick or treating with the boys because I was thoroughly enjoying my walk with them and mom. Rick was our driver and we would go to some houses and jump back in the car and go to a new neighborhood. The wind had died down last night and it was really pretty out.
I did have a side splitting thing happen with Aaron though. As you see in the picture he was quite dark. Well, we didn't think much about it when he picked out his costume but his costume became harder and harder to see through as the night became darker. We were stopping at our final house, Aaron quickly threw his mask back on and hopped out of the car. I was standing there waiting on him and I got to witness the whole thing! When he jumped out he caught his footing just on the edge of a ditch and when he turned to maneuver his way around he walked into the car door. He turned around hopped over the ditch and fell into the persons front yard. I watch him pick himself up and just stand there...face to face with a sapling. I noticed his mask was on backward. He just stood there. I asked him what he was doing and to turn his mask around. I told him he was in front of a tree. I was laughing pretty bad by then. He turned his mask around and said, " I was just waiting for the tree to go by I guess." LOL!!! I had tears running down my face. The home owner was just standing there with a smile on his face and staring at me. I am sure he thought I was going to tumble into the ditch because I couldn't stand up straight.
All in all, it was a good night.

Aidens Fall Field Trip

2010-10-27T22:07:00.002-05:00

I was able to go on Aidens field trip last week. I love being able to participate in the boys lives as much as I do. A huge thanks goes to my hubby who takes care of us and makes it possible for me to stay home and spend time with the boys. I really appreciate that.
Here are some pictures that I wanted to share with you.
It was a really good day with the exception of the drive down there. I had my GPS but it didn't recognize the address of the orchard we were going to. I followed the bus until we were separated at the traffic lights. Grrrrrr!!!!! I was okay because I was behind two other parents in the entourage. All I had to do was stay behind them. They knew where they were going. Right!?!?!
The light turns green.
One parent goes one way, the other goes another way.
What!?! Wait!
What do I do? I apparently chose the parent with the lead foot and lost him after about a mile. I was in a bit of a panic. Okay, I can listen to the lovely lady on my GPS and hope we can get as close as possible and then go from there. My mom was with me and my life was going to be okay. For a minute...
I quickly realized that I had about ten other parents following me!!!!
I was really nervous then! I was leading the whole kindergarten into a world of the unknown!!!! Listening to my GPS lady we jump of a road and get on the interstate and then jump back on a regular road. Nothing seemed right. I had doubts and sweating bullets. I decided to pull over. You should have seen the cars that pulled off as well. Jumping out I ran to the car behind me. I asked her if she knew how to get there. She told me no and that she was following me. I am sweating more...actually I had cold chills! I ran to the next car and asked the next mom. She was on a cell phone getting directions. She told me we were going the right way. When we get to N hwy to make a left. Phew!!!
I did what she said and I am glad because my trusty GPS lady told me to make a right! I took the left like the fellow mommy said and we arrived there the same exact time the buses arrived (from the opposite direction). I still don't know how that worked out and I really don't care. We made it! We all had a great time seeing the animals, picking pumpkins and going on a hay ride.
When we left the orchard, I had a general idea of where we were all going to meet for lunch. I left for the park...early...before any buses left the orchard...before any parents could follow me. I was staying in the clear and able to wander about aimlessly all by myself, and of course, my mom. We had no problems getting there. We even had time to stop for a coffee.

2010-08-22T07:14:00.003-05:00

The first school week has went well. Aaron woke up early every day and is excited to go. I was worried about him because all summer he told me he didn't want to go anymore.
I think the hardest thing as a parent is making your child leave the security of the home and the place he loves and shutting the door behind him.
He had a rough time going to summer school (someplace he didn't HAVE to go and was suppose to be fun). BUT I was working in the kitchen the whole time and no one would be home for him. The only comfort I could give him while he sat on my lap and wiping the hot tears off of his face was that I would see him at lunch time which is half way through his day. It made me sick to make him go. I wanted to tell him that we could ALL stay home and I would home school and we could be here forever.
As the days went on...his days got alot easier and he started to have fun.
Thank goodness we didn't have a repeat when the new school year started. Phew!!!
As for my Aiden dear...he is clearly not a morning person.

Back to School

2010-08-18T10:59:00.003-05:00

Wow I cannot believe it is school time now. The day started off well and I pray that the boys day continues to do so. This is my first full day alone for almost seven years! I really can't say I am excited or sad. Things happened so quickly but the place is REAL quiet. Thought....hmmmmm....I should update my blog. Freedom of choice! Fun! Okay, I might like the time alone...today...for now.

Are they home yet? Ho Hum...
Is Aiden doing super hero moves in front of the class?
Is he eating everyones snack?
I bet he is already trying to learn how to read.

Is Aaron wiggling so much that he has fallen out of his chair?
Is he showing all his friends his THREE missing front teeth?
Does he remember how to read?

Why isn't Rick calling me? Doesn't he know I am alone and lonely?
Will the boys be embarrassed if I try and look in the windows of their classrooms?
Will I get arrested?
Should I just yell, "keep your hands off your brother!!!" in an empty house and will it make me feel better?

Wow I miss them... tick tock tick tock

When Good Intentions Go Bad

2010-08-05T19:56:00.009-05:00

Today we (the boys and myself) went with Gram and Grandma Skinner to the store. When we turned into the parking lot something caught my eye.

Hmmm...the boys would probably like to see this. They probably have never seen or touched one before is what I was thinking to myself. We went into the store and as we were going in I told the boys I wanted them to see something when we left and to please remind me.

I am really interested in the boys getting a chance to look at places, textures and anything that catches their attention. I know, I have boys...one of my rules is it has to be appropriate.

It all started with lil A one day. We were driving down the road and he has always felt the need to tell me about every stop sign. Yes I do stop at them. I don't know what the attraction is for him but he does like them. But this day he piped up and said, "I just wish I could touch a stop sign."
It melted my heart. Wow, this is one thing I could do. I was hesitate because I had on a brand spankin new pair of shoes on and...it rained lately. Oh well. We did it. We stop the car (I do that at every stop sign) get out and tip toe to the sign. I raise him up as high as I could and BOP he smacked the sign. All was perfect in our world.
Since then I have tried to stop and let them explore our lives.
In the past we have jumped out of the car and touched a dancing wind guy in front of a business (the owner walked out of the business and kinda glared at us and we waved bye and jumped back in the car with the boys screeching with laughter. Okay I was laughing too), Big A got to touch a sinclair dinosaur in front of a gas station. Lil A was asleep.
Then there was today. I spotted cattails. Cooool! They would love this!

Hahahahaha, I had no idea. I am silly like that.

They really liked them. Aiden wanted to know if he could eat it. I tell him no but that it was suppose to stay like they are now and then they would seed and get fluffy....in a few days....little did I know.
I cut two off and let the boys take them home. We stuck them in the ground by my goldfish pond. The boys thought they looked great there.
Don't they look great....err ummmm...doesn't IT look great?

Guess what...Ruby happened. *sigh*

Don't let her sweet face fool you!

This evening Rick stepped outside and the boys followed. I decided to stay in and "surf" some blogs. Shortly, Rick walks in and says, "you see the kids on the trampoline."
He caught my attention.
I have seen the boys on the trampoline alot of times. So I ask him is it bad? He shrugs his shoulders and sits on the couch. I get up and look out the backyard. What the... I look at Rick and he says Ruby found the cattails. I couldn't resist. I grabbed my camera and here we go.
Oh wait, I think I have seeds stuck in my hair still.
Hmmm...How did that get on the trampoline? Rick!?!!??!

Honey, you starty, you cleany. Good night!

Busy weekend

2010-08-03T08:03:00.008-05:00

This last weekend was packed full. One of the fun things we did was go fishing for crawdads with some great friends. The kids had a blast and I think the guys had fun to. The guys went first and would fish a spot and then the kiddos would get in the water when the guys were done. It worked out great because the guys would know how deep the water was to make us moms happy and while the kids played in the water the guys walked over to the next watering hole. It was beautiful there. I am sure the water was cold. I didn't get in the water because I wanted to take some pictures. I snapped a whole memory card full. Here are some of the takes.

Also planned was a night with Gram and Grandpa at the carnival. They take the boys every year it comes to town. I tagged along this year because of some bad storms in the area and we would be able to go straight home if needed. So...I took pictures! Yay me! Things went great and the weather behaved itself.Aiden went up the slide with two friends and they planned to go down it all together. Well, I guess thiings didn't go as planned when he got up there. Another little boy went down with them. So, Aiden chose to turn around and be done with the whole ride. Felt pretty bad for him but he was fine by the next ride.

Gram was the official rider of the scrambler. I tried to stay back in the sidelines since was Gram and Grandpas night with them.
Due to my anxiety, I rode this ride with Aaron the first time he rode it. He still seems so small. Too small to ride this. But Grandpa bought my tickets and let me step in to settle my fears. All went well and I was able to breath a little better when he rode it by himself. I am shocked at how little they can be to ride some rides. Sometimes I wouldn't mind having shorter kids.
Earlier this summer I found out that Aaron is tall enough to pay full adult price at our local amusement park. Does that mean he is big enough to ride the roller coasters? Not if mama is there...sorry boy.

Aiden likes the smaller rides and so do I.

April Updates

2010-04-12T10:33:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone is having a blessed spring season. I have really enjoyed the warm up. Rick is already threatening to turn the A/C on. Nooooooo!!! I love to soak up the heat and I plan to do that and store it up over the winter. It is the only thing that will get me through it!
We worked alot around the house this weekend. One of the projects that was completed was the first run through for the garden. Tilling! I am mentally planning what veggies we are going to plant. Tomatoes are at the top of my list of course! Another thing we did was burn up alot of trash in a bon fire last night. Mostly what mother nature gave us over the winter season. Aaron wanted to roast marshmellows but I told him that wasn't a good fire to roast them in because of some trash in it. He then told me ok, then can he have just some plain ole marshmellows. Their minds just amaze me sometimes.
Some of the things going on around here: We have started soccer last week and if the rain holds off then we are suppose to practice twice a week. They are just in "fun soccer" and are not competing. It is alot of fun for us to watch them.
Aiden went to his kindergarten screening a couple of weeks ago and he scored 86%! He has really grown alot over this last school year. We will be on summer break in about a month. If we are having it, the boys will be going to summer school. Aiden gets to ride the school bus then! I am very excited for him.
We have field trips coming up real soon. Aaron is going to the zoo and Aiden gets to goto the childrens fair in St. Joe. Mom gets to go to both! I will try and post some pictures of the trips.
Kindergarten is going to put on a program in a couple of weeks. Aaron has some lines he needs to learn.
A burst of blue
A splash of green
A flap of wings is all that's seen
A whisper as it flutters by
You're oh so pretty butterfly!
Pre-K will also have graduation practice coming up soon also. He will have a couple of lines for his too. All of them do I think. Both grades.
Here are some pics that I have taken over the last month. I hope you like them. I enjoyed taking them.
I really admire the boys coach. She has done a great job with the kids. She has patience of steel! She would separate them into to teams and she would give instructions to one side and walk to the other side to tell them and only to find out that the first group she talked to followed her across the field!

I was so proud of the boys here. But I do fear that they don't give the rest of the kiddos a chance. COACH! I don't want the team parents mad at my babies. Want me go borrow a lasso? I can find one around here ya know.

Run boys! Run!!!

Watch them elbows and we must goto WalMart and invest in some shin guards. Owww! Aaron made a goal and I guess got a finger in the eye as a reward. Must....try...to...not....baby....them. Bad time to quit a bad nail biting habit.
You talkin to me? You want some of this?

Oh come on guys, have fun please. I really didn't mean the threats I made about spilling the egg dye! Honest!

Best purchase the Easter Bunny has ever made...Will they look at me funny if I make the boys wears those at the grocery store?

Look at those fingers! I can't leave the room. I just know it! They will paint each other. I don't care you can call me controlling. I call it peace for mom.

My babys eyes...MMMMMM I could swim in them all day. Beautiful. Peaceful. My heart melts all over again.

St. Patty Day Pre-School Style - My Photo Gallery

2010-03-13T12:44:00.001-06:00

St. Patty Day Pre-School Style - My Photo Gallery
My latest scrapbook page. This was St. Pattys Day for Aaron in pre-k last year.
Click on the link to see my other pages.

I Believe Spring will Spring

2010-03-07T14:19:00.015-06:00

Ya know, I like a nice snowy winter...during Christmas. After that I am done, done, DONE! This year we had a very snowy Christmas. It was kind of cool. We started to get our snow storm Christmas Eve which cut all the festivities short for everyone. Rick, the boys and I loaded up in the Jeep to head home and get the boys in bed. I still had alot of wrapping to do. The roads were pretty slick but not too bad. We arrived home safely opened up the garage got the Jeep parked then the lights went out. Garage door left wide open. Grrr....I mean Brrrr! Rick had to manually get the door down and we escaped into our warm house. You should have seen it. Trying to convince the boys to goto sleep in a very dark and very quiet house. Finally got them to settle down and then I had to be quiet enough for them not to hear me wrapping gifts. I would have loved to gripe about the situation to Rick but he lucked out. I had to be quite so I wouldn't wake up the boys, wrap presents in the dark and fume. But eventually the lights and heat came back on and I was smiling again and wrapping the presents. Christmas went well. The next day we drove to mom and dads to have Christmas with them. Thank God for four wheel drive. There were snow drifts in the snow and it was fun and scary to bust through them on the way. Poor Rick he had to listen to me the whole way. Glad he didn't pull the Jeep over and boot me out or tell me to drive it myself. He's a good guy.

It snowed all Christmas day and alot more that winter. As a matter of fact, it snowed alot all over the U.S.

I did get outside every once in a while to take some pictures because I knew I would regret it if I didn't. I had a silent war with myself everytime I did have to go outside. I really don't like to be cold! I am glad I did get out there...now.

The boys hardly went outside this winter either. They really didn't even show much interest. They can be alot like their mother. Am I teaching them to be rolly pollys during the winter or is it they are like me? Who knows. Whatever it is, I refuse to be quite about how I feel about the cold.

Also, is it bad that when I see Aaron touching the clothes lines all I can think about is the day he is tall enough to go hang clothes for me on the warm days! Wow! Luxuary! Hmmmmm....oh, okay sorry I am back.

Now, in March, the weather actually did a huge change March 1st. Warm up! Above freezing! Glory! We will soon be able to climb out of our frozen dens! I am thrilled! Outside boys! I will once again regain control of my home!

Let the melting begin! Drip, drip, drip.

Moving on, when we were buying our home, the prior owner told us about some flowers that come up by the propane tank at the end of winter. She said they weren't really big but she knew that every season she saw those coming up she knew that winter was not going to last much longer. Guess What! The flowers are out. They make me smile. Maybe we will be back in flip flops soon.

Flowers, I have been waiting for you. Where have you been all winter?

Boys Will Be Boys....ewwwwwwww!

2009-11-25T15:28:00.005-06:00

Wait for it...(the most still I have ever seen Aiden) Mommy gets goose bumps.
He really won't let this happen will he?
Wait for iiittttttttt..... (Aidens words) I am still getting goose bumps and start to shudder.
Wait for it...

I am sitting there thinking I am going to get the worst mommy of the year award for letting such horrible things happen to my child for his amusement.

Wait for it.......

I faint, come to, then pick myself up off the ground. I grab my camera (must...shoot...memories...)

SCREAM!

Arrrgghhhh!!!!!!!! He is alive inside...giggling, excited, walking on the wild side of life.
I am dying inside...groaning, cringing, hands covering my mouth....must march on and get pictures. I am such a champ huh?

Shut your mouth baby! Eww Ewww Ewwwwww! Do you know where his little legs have been? My stomach is turning.
Alright I am done...where is that fly swatter? I may go after the both of them just because he was amused that this was FREAKING ME OUT! LOL! In all seriousness and when my heebee jeebees faded away. I was pretty impressed that he took such care of the walking stick. He gave it "rides" for quite a while until I told him that the walking stick has done its time and he needed to go put the poor thing on the tree. It even left with all its extremities.

Not Gonna Wish it Away

2009-10-30T14:34:00.005-05:00

I have been a stay at home mama for almost the boys whole lives. I mean I have had side jobs here and there but I am usually the one who is always home. Sometimes it is great and sometimes....it is more challeging than other days.
Ya know, when the boys came into our lives I had NO CLUE! None...Zilch! Nada! about being a mom. Do you know that I don't think I have went to the bathroom by myself for about six years? Now this is what I get.

My shoes literally walk out of the room without my feet in them...hmmmm. I also seem to have more days that I am sure I am losing my mind. How many of you have received a phone call from me and I am just sitting there on the other end...hesitating and confused. Then I promptly tell you that I didn't mean to call you I meant to call so and so. I hang up and dial another friend...whom I was not trying to call either. Geez!

I am surprised my kids even know their names. I will walk up to someone, let use Aaron as an example and I say, "Aiden...I mean Rick, er um."
It instantly hits me that I forgot my childs name and I am aggrivated along with a little confused and I seem to just start yelling out names. Sometimes I will even throw in a cat name or two in the mix.

I think I see another gray hair popping out of my head with just the memory of it. Yes thats right. All I ever remember is silly moments. I learn by embarrassment! Now I don't want anyone to get any bright ideas. Lets not embarrass Michele just so she will remember something. Cause I do seek out revenge. :)

I have started filling in at the boys school as a sub Janitor or cook in the kitchen. I am surprisingly called in alot more than I thought. I really has been great. I was so excited about getting a job and entering the grown up world again. I would go potty by myself. I would wear something other than sweats and Ricks sweat shirt. I WOULD PUT ON MAKEUP!!! I am woman hear me roar!

So I go off and help earn a living and I get home and hubs has taken pictures...
I want to share them with you. This is now making me cry every time I leave and I know my family is at home. They are perfect. beautiful. growing. helpful. Did I say beautiful? Ya know, I don't mind my shoes missing all the time. Heck I lose my keys on my own too. I like company in the bathroom. I really don't mind them talking to me while I am on the phone. I don't mind the artwork Aiden drew on the wall shortly after we bought the house. It doesn't come off. Whatever.
These pictures make everything alright! Gotta love 'em!

See what I mean? All is good. Forget that, all is GREAT in my world. I don't even care about yesterday morning.
Aaron and I were walking down to his bus stop in the rain. When I walked out the door Aaron accidently locked me out.
I walked to the bus stop with a mental plan of how I would get back in the house.
Who am I kidding I had no plan. It was raining. The house was locked up. The windows were locked up. Again, it was raining. My sweat pants were getting wet....
It is okay, my baby is my hero.
I don't mind that I had to haul the ladder and climb up to the boys window and pound on it until Aiden wakes up.
"Aiden! Let mommy back in the house!" I was getting cold. Will the ladder hold me?
The ground is slick and the roof is slick. Watch me fall.
Aiden woke up and became the biggest hero in my life!

I don't care that I was cold. wet. lonely. homeless. I have heroes!

Fishing Day with Dad

2009-08-18T13:29:00.002-05:00

At the beginning of the summer Rick took the boys to a fishing day at the lake. I guess they had a really good time. I missed it because I had a party to do but I also like the idea of the boys going fishin' with dad. It was a offical "guy" day Both of them caught fish and I think every kid was able to take home some sort of prize. They had a great lunch and alot of fun. I bet they will do it again next year.

School Time

2009-08-17T07:30:00.004-05:00

Aaron starts school this coming Thursday and Aiden will start his classes the following Monday. I am excited for them both. I will miss Aaron during the day but at the same time I am looking forward to some alone time with Aiden. His classes are only three hours a day.
Here are some school pictures. They were taken last June for summer school but I took them because it is the first official full day of school for Aaron and Aidens first day of school EVER! The bench that they are sitting on was made by my dad. It is the bus stop bench. The bench is back in the house because I am doing some woodburning on it and I also need to put a stain on it. I don't know if I will finish it this week because this week is a full one. BUT when I do get it done I will post some pictures.
Happy Monday and have a blessed week...

The Tooth Fairy is El Cheapo!

2009-08-14T06:15:00.004-05:00

Last July Aaron lost his first tooth! I was so proud of him. This tooth has been wiggling for what seemed like months. Rick asked him if he wanted him to pull the tooth out for him and Aaron said yes and sat on Daddys lap while Rick pulled it out. He didn't whine or flinch. I was suprised cause I was on the couch next to them flinching the whole time! :) Aaron put the tooth under his pillow that night. The next morning he found a dollar and Aaron said, "Thats it? I only get a dollar?" I told him yes cause it was only one tooth. Would he like me to knock some more out so he can have some more money? "Nooooooo mom", he said. They never cease to surprise me. LOL!

Swim Lessons

2009-08-11T15:44:00.006-05:00

For two weeks the boys are both in swim lesson classes. They have progressed well and I have enjoyed watching them grow in their learning of different strokes. Aiden is in the beginners class (but without mommy) and Aaron is in Level One. Today Aiden jumped in and swam in the deep water with his life jacket. He was pretty doubtful at first but after he realized he wouldn't go under he kicked, kicked and kicked. But ya know Aiden. He hollered all the way across the pool. "Help me, I can't do it! Help me somebody please!" He was not at all serious and Ms. Megan told him he was going to be a drama major. Even though he talked (and when he talks, his voice carries) all the way through swim lessons and played his dramtic roll while kicking away....he did a great job. Between that and his Ben 10 impersonations I think he made everyone laugh. It is like that the whole week and a half. If he is not yelling "I am losing my underpants!!!" then he is hollering "Swim Swim, Swim Swim!!!" Rick and I call it swim swim time now instead of swim lesson because of Aiden. Actually, we have picked up alot of Aidenisms we like to call them. Because of Aiden we always tell each other (even the grandparents) "ummmm...I like and love you" He is such an original.
Aaron is learning alot of the formal arm strokes in swimming and is putting his face in the water while he is swimming. He is doing a beautiful job. He is still also a handful at times. I really admire Megan and her patients with the kiddos. When Aaron can touch the bottom of the pool he bounces the whole time Megan is teaching and looks a little like a bobber in a wind storm. Sometimes I don't think he is listening at all but he proves me wrong when he does like he is told. His biggest accomplishment today was jumping off of the diving board. This is his first time and he wasn't ready to do it without a life jacket. Maybe he will before the end of the week because I have seen him swim without his jacket but he had more control because he could touch the bottom if he wanted too. Not the case on an intimidating diving board.
I brought my camera today so here are some pictures for ya....

June Happenings

2009-06-30T12:33:00.003-05:00

As Aunt Hazel would say, I haven't been very good with my postings. Sorry...again. :) Things have been pretty busy here. Aaron and Aiden both have been in summer school for the past month. We have also celebrated Aidens 4th birthday. We have another calf out back and swim lessons are soon to start up.
We are all doing pretty well. I like having alot of things going on. I have to admit. I have not really enjoyed the boys both being away at school. Aiden is gone for only a few hours and Aaron is gone whole day. I feel pretty lonely. I have not been without them this much before. I was so ready for them to start and then I get bummed out that they are gone. You just can't make me happy. LOL! This is their last week of summer school. Hooray!
Temps have been pretty warm last week. Almost in the 100s. Yuck! Thankfully we are back to the normal June temps and we are enjoying them. My mother said we will probably be freezing in August. :)
Anyway, here are some pictures I have taken throughout the month. The first day of school pics were taken with Ricks camera and I will have to post them later. He has his camera with him.

Nana and Papa Visited Us Last Week

2009-05-31T16:38:00.003-05:00

Richard and Anne came for a visit and stayed for a week. We were tremendously blessed by them. We have alot of projects here that needed to be done and they were more than happy to help. I knew if I got Anne outside she would be completely happy. The pictures posted are ones that she took and I wanted to share them with everyone to show some of the tasks and completed work done while they were here. I hope we didn't wear them out. They will need a vacation from their vacation!
Just so you know, anyone that comes to visit, I will not put you to work. BUT...I have learned over the years that Anne does not sit real well and prefers to be busy. My sister-in-law and I have both figured this out and have started planning things we would like to get completed while they are at our homes! LOL! Funny but true! Right Nana? She lives for organization! I am NOW more than pleased to let her do so. Thanks again for everything Richard and Anne!

The most concern we had is that we have bought this calf and have had her in a pen locked up for a couple of days and we needed to get the fence fixed so she could roam around the field all she wanted. That was the first thing Rick and Richard worked on and completed. WaaaHoooo!! She only got out twice. LOL! Run to the house and run out with a bottle in hand and lead her back to the pen. Fix fence. Let her back out in the field. She gets out again. Run back to the house (kinda in a panic...she was in the neighbors garden) get the bottle and lead her back to the pen. Fix fence. So far so good! Gosh I have a big yard. I need to run more and get in shape.

Like Ricks hat? :) I do! I won't wear one but I do like his...on him. :)

I have started measuring the boys every year right before summer school starts. Actually this is Aidens first year so his first time getting his height done. Richard and Anne hung up the charts. Aarons came down over the last year and Aidens was hung up brand new!

I had a project going when they showed up last weekend. My cousin gave me her goldfish pond, planter and fountain TWO YEARS AGO. I had finally figured out what I wanted to do with it. So I started digging. Ya know what a pain that is? It took me a long time just to even get the shape for the pond done! We started working on it again and finished shaping the pool and the planting section.
On Friday I went out to run some errands and my neighbor surprised all of us by showing up with a backhoe and dug out the rest of my pond!!! The hole was bigger than it needed to be but putting dirt back in was alot easier than taking it out! What a perfect surprise! We worked most of the day on it Saturday and here are the pics of some of our progress. Hostas are all planted. Anne, after you left we filled the little pond and added the fountain! So nice. I still have work to do but not near as overwhelming! I have good neighbors...and family.

Farmin'

2009-05-27T09:18:00.004-05:00

Well, we have added to our farm. We bought a side of beef last year and I loved having the freezer packed. When a friend called and asked me if we were interested in buying a bottle calf (and after I talked to Rick) I jumped at the chance. Aaron really is a great helper too.

2 High School Graduates this Year

2009-05-20T21:50:00.003-05:00

My nephew Stephen graduated high school last Sunday and my cousin TJ graduated as well. Same time, same day, different school. I don't know why schools do that. The schools are a close enough distance apart to communicate to each other and realize that alot of the local communities have family and friends that go to different schools. They get the sports figured out so you would think they could get the graduations worked out. Sorry for the rant about it but we went through this last year also. Grrrr! Anyways the day was still great and we had a all-in-one get together at Grandmas afterwards. My nephew Stephen!!! Love you and proud of you!

Great Job TJ! You are finally done....with school. Now the fun begins! ;)

Pre-K grad night!!!

2009-05-15T07:23:00.002-05:00

Last night was great. Aaron finally had his pre-k graduation and it was adorable! They had a short program first (Each had their own little line) and then they came down from the stage, lined up in the back of the gym, put their caps on and then march back up to the front to receive their diplomas. Hats off the the patient teachers!!!

Mrs. H had thirty little squirrely kiddos. 15 in the AM and 15 in PM. I don't know how she did it every day.

Aarons line, "Ghosts so scary" Very cute. Then they all sang a song to go with it.

The pictures were pretty blurry. Sorry about that. I was way in the back. BUT...Aaron still saw us back there. :)

Some of the students received awards. Aaron got one as well. His says that he has been shining in preschool! He recognizes all 26 capital letters, 8 shapes, and 11 colors! He has a truly bright future! Congrats my little one!

A Very Nice Mothers Day

2009-05-11T09:09:00.004-05:00

THIS IS WHY I CELEBRATE MOTHERS DAY... :)

We had a really nice day yesterday. Even with the small rain showers and cooler temps we spent most of the day outside. Rick, the kids and I loaded up in the car and spent the day with my folks. We did some work outside and the kids ran wild. Very nice. Towards the evening we had a bonfire and grilled out steak, chicken, veggies and SHRIMP. Yum!!!
I hope everyone had a great day yesterday and thanks to all the "moms" that have been there for me through the years! Love everyone of you!

LOL! My view of the other side of the bonfire...LOL!

Beautiful

2009-05-09T06:52:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Aarons last day of pre-k. It was finished off with a fun last day of school party. They had yummy snacks, played games, adorable hats and sunglasses and topped off with a goody bucket to take home. It was really neat. Next week we will have graduation. This is all kind of sad for me. Next year he will enter kindergarten and that seems to bother me more than starting pre-k because this seems so more "official" to me. Oh well...can't stop time...
The biggest heart melt I received that day was when I was getting ready for bed. I could hear the boys in their room talking (should have been sleeping :) ) and most times I would have told them to quite down and go to sleep but not tonight...Why?
I was listening to Aaron tell Aiden all about his party earlier in the day.
Beautiful....
For once and I believe the first time Aaron was telling his baby brother about his day and Aiden was listening to him and asking questions. I wasn't in the room but the vision in my head was beautiful. The room dark with only the light of the fish tank and the bubble noise from the filter and my babies, in their beds, talking about their life. I will never forget it. I am sure it has happened before but with my day coming to an end and everything quieting down...I could hear them. Such peace.
Most days Rick and I comment to each other about our boys running around yelling, fighting, playing, lots of motion and we say they are crazy beautiful. Tonight was just beautiful. :)
Next year Aiden will be able to share stories with Aaron about Pre-K.

Childrens Fair

2009-04-30T18:42:00.004-05:00

One of the biggest blessings that Rick makes possible for me. To be a stay at home mom and because of that I am able to go with the boys on their special days. Thank you so much baby!
Last week I was able to go with Aaron on his first field trip! We went to the Childrens Fair in St. Joe. There was so much to see. We were there for a couple of hours and we still didn't get to see everything but we had a park and lunch waiting for us. Next year I will get to go with Aiden. Like I said, a HUGE blessing. So...here are some more pics!

This is why I love Spring...

2009-04-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

It was absolutely beautiful out yesterday. It was a good day set in between rainy days. Rick is working on a home progect, the kids were running around screaming and having a great time, and I was sitting in the lawn chair soaking up the sun and fighting from going to sleep. It was great. To get myself back to life I got up and took some pictures. Check 'em out!

DH's Contribution

2009-04-07T07:28:00.006-05:00

Things around here have been pretty busy. I have started selling Celebrating Home products and I cannot believe the response and business I have had! I am really enjoying it.
Also, the photo bug has bitten Rick and I wanted to share some of his photos with you. I am on his laptop trying to get them uploaded on here. Its funny how comfortable you get on your own computer. Its like borrowing someone elses Bible and all of a sudden you forget what order the books are in! LOL! Anyways, when I do find the pics on here I will post.

The top two pics are of the boys on the way to Pre-K and K screenings. They each brought a toy which is a regular thing around here. :) If you see in Lil A's lap is his cell phone all snuggly and safe in the seat belt. Big A brought Liney. We lost Liney for several weeks and I found him yesterday. Big A has been carrying him everywhere. (It is amazing of all the treasures you find when mom goes in and cleans the room)

It is too bad that you can't see this pic very well. It is Ricks balcony view in St. Louis when he was working out there. He took several pictures and then tied them together on the laptop. I am a country girl at heart and love my nature and space but this is a really neat photo! If you click on it you will get a better look. Thanks for helping me out babe!

2009-02-24T07:16:00.003-06:00

Rick has had to go work out of town alot lately. We have been blessed enough that he has been home for the next two weeks. The boys and I really miss him when he is gone. One thing I have noticed (and so has Rick) is that the boys (and myself) start "living our own lives" when we don't have daddy mixed in with the routine. DH was a little concerned that he would have a hard time getting back into the groove of things. I know it sounds a little strange that this does happen even if he is home on the weekends. BUT it does happen. We just get into doing our own things and dealt with the fact that we were short one family member. I think we do it to help us get over missing him so much. The first time Rick left for a week Aaron was depressed about it. He cried off and on the whole week and said he missed daddy. Now his leaving has been a little more of a part of our lives. I couldn't imagine being a soldiers wife. I do pray for them a little more now that I kinda know what a family has to go through during an over seas transition. Pray for their safe return and pray that they can get back in line of where they left off.
For some reason this time he didn't have any problem fitting back in. The boys crawled all over him like he never left. The pictures were of them watching cartoons on a Saturday morning.

Great Neighbors

2009-02-20T12:03:00.003-06:00

One of the other benefits of living where we live. My next door neighbor has a hair salon at her house. I love it. If the kiddos start looking shabby I can give her a call to see if she has any openings and we take a little stroll over to her home and get their hair cut. Aaron has even gotten old enough that he can run over there by himself to get his cut. I love it and Patty is great with the boys. She always offers them a lollipop and they know that.
The last time I sent Aaron over there he asked ahead of time if he could get a sucker from Patty and I told him no cause he just had two pieces of candy here. I got a phone call later from Patty saying that Aaron was such a good boy. She told me she offered him a sucker and he declined saying that mommy told him he couldn't have one. I was so proud of him! He is getting to be such a big boy! Another neat thing about having such a great neighbor doing my boys hair; I can bring my camera anytime I want. Even if it isn't the first haircut. Patty lets mommy be kooky whenever mommy wants to be! Thanks for being such a great neighbor Patty!!!! We love ya!
I still go over with Aiden, someday he will be able to go on his own. Not rushing it though! :)

Aiden showing me his crazy hair right before we left for Pattys one morning.

He is a good customer!

2009-02-18T07:22:00.004-06:00

Thanks Aunt Vicki for the nudge to update my blog. :) I really need help from time to time. If it wasn't for family and friends who let me know that they read the blog I probably have quit this along time ago. It will be good for the boys to read later in life also. Winter is the worse time for me also. I really dislike the cold. It would be just fine with me if I would sprout wings and fly south every fall! Since I don't I try really hard to hide in a cave until spring hits. LOL! I really needed to post today too. This is a big day for Aaron. He will not have to go to Speech class anymore! Congrats Baby!! He has progressed great and his teacher thinks we can sign him out! Our meeting is this morning and I will be signing the papers for his release. Aaron is not too excited because he likes his teacher and he likes the special attention. He gets to leave his pre-k class for about a half hour twice a week to go to speech. There are a few more students that go with him as well. For now on, the other students will go and he will have to stay behind. Maybe he won't notice it too much.

The pictures that I have posted today are pretty cool for Aaron also. The buddy he has with him is Frankie. Frankie came to stay with him for a week from his pre-k class and we got to journal all of Frankies adventures with Aaron. Everyone got sick that week so Frankie did alot of sleeping (except at night). It was a really neat idea by Mrs. H and we hope we will have a friend come and play with us next year with Aiden.

Frankie helping Aaron with one of his chores. Feeding the chickens. Aaron has gotten really good with this task. It was a little rough when he first started. I had to explain to Aaron that it wasn't good to run in the house with the eggs in his bucket. BOUNCE...CRACK...BOUNCE...CRACK!!!! The dogs loved it cause they got the cracked eggs. Oh well! LOL!

I guess this is Aaron day on the post cause I want to also let you know that I went in for his second parent-teacher conference. The first meeting she showed me his test scores of 23 out of 130. The kids are tested on letter and number recognition, patterns, counting, matching, personal information and order of pictures to tell a story. She explained to me that he was tested first and early in the beginning of the year so that might explain the low test score. When I went this time to discuss the test scores he scored 91 out of 130!!! Both myself and Mrs. H were grinning from ear to ear! I am so proud of him! She said that some kids just truck along and seem to struggle and then one day it just clicks for them and they get it. Well, Aaron gets it!!! Very cool! Keep it up baby!

Bye bye Frankie, we are sorry we had to spray you with Lysol but it was for the good of all kid kind!

2009-01-16T15:24:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I am little bored. Everyone has been sick in our home so I haven't had the camera out much. I saw someone post a photo from this website and I thought I would go check it out and I found the Incredibles. FUN!! If my hubby sees this he might just kill me. The girl is our dog Solomon. Hehehe

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Bye bye 08!!!

2009-01-02T00:10:00.006-06:00

I for one am glad to see 2008 go. I really don't know why except maybe that I have alot of goals I want to accomplish in '09 and I am looking forward to them. The most recent thing that we will be starting is the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class. Ricks dad and Anne are sponsoring us so we can take the course. Thank you very much guys! Our preview class is this coming Sunday night. I am pretty excited about the new journey. I hope that we can follow this plan and help us live debt free!
I am going to try and finish out the old year today with some more pictures that were taken the last few months.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2009 is a great year for each an every one! Thanks for keeping up with my blog and I would love to hear from you. I am going to keep on keepin on with my posts until only God knows when. I hope you will still continue to stop by. Happy New Year!
Big A helping daddy with some of the honey dos. Teach 'em right dad! ;)

The dogs are happier since the weather has turned cold. I let them in the house more.

This photo is a rare one. Bubby doesn't usually fall asleep at the table. I even had to take part of a french fry out of his mouth. Look closely and you can probably see it. LOL!

I know, I am half nuts for taking pictures of food but I wanted to share the abuse that these Oreos went through! Another Bubby trick. Heheheehehe... He always just eats the creme. I know how to get him to eat it all. Give the boy a glass of milk to dunk them in. Right!?!?!?! Yes I am right. Its the only way to eat an Oreo. Hahaha!

My baby loves super heros!

My brother-in-law and their itty bitty dog, QT. His name is said like the word cutie but my nephew has told us his name is QT because QT is a boy and my nephew doesn't want his dog named cutie. :)

My nephew at Thanksmas '08

All the kiddos! Thanksmas '08

My neice. She broke her arm in gymnastics. :( Haven't heard lately but I hope you are doing alot better and the cast will come off soon. Love ya'll

Nana cookin in the kitchen. Thanksmas pic again.

One afternoon I walked out my backdoor and looked at the dogs. I turned right around back into the house for my camera because the sun was shining so nicely on Solomon that I had to take a picture. Getting a good picture of a black dog is not easy. I usually can't get the details to come out because he ends up looking like a big shadow. So here they are I wanted to share them with ya.

This was my last picture of them. They THOUGHT I wanted to play. Wrong!!

ho hum...

2008-12-27T18:32:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we had almost 70 degree weather. Last night we had wind high enough to be a tornado and thunder and lightning. Went out this morning a picked up some of the mess. Today has been falling temps with rain/ice mix... Anyways, been sitting in the house today with my three guys and watching alot of tv. Thought it would be a good time to update some pictures here. These pictures were taken just before Thanksgiving. We were working on a Christmas present for Gram and Nana.

Boys Snow Time

2008-12-14T11:25:00.005-06:00

These were taked later that day. The boys had a blast. Big A even created his first snowman by himself!

A little behind.

2008-12-10T13:54:00.006-06:00

I have several days worth to post because I have been taking pictures but I couldn't find my computer cord to download the pics onto my computer.
Todays pics are mainly for Jim. We had a really pretty snow last week and I got out in my pjs and took some pics. I don't think they do the beauty justice but I did take some pretty pics anyways. Here ya are Jim. Hope these help your creative eye! :)
I woke up that morning with all of the undisturbed snow and had to run outside and take some pictures before the rest of the world woke up. Perfect and Peaceful!

It snowed off and on all day. It was even snowing while I was running around out there! You can see it in the last photo. :)

Make A Flake

2008-11-22T09:23:00.008-06:00

Thanks to Scrappin Cop she lead me to the neatest site and I have wasted several minutes there and possibly go into wasted hours of making my own snowflakes. The prettiest one I have made have been totally by accident and cutting off way more than I intended to. LOL! Here is one of my snowflakes.

I ended up downloading it to photoshop and playing with it to give it some texture and colors. I know it doesn't look like much of a snowflake now. But it is a really cool design and I can still play with it for whatever design I want. Really cool! I could turn this into a star or a metallic looking snowflake. Anyways, just wanted to share the fun!
Go and make yours at Make-A-Flake it is a cool stress reliever and it is free!

Also, I want to give credit to Cyndi Wetmiller from WetFish Designs for creating the beautiful paper that I used on my snowflake. Thanks Cyndi!

Some old photos

2008-11-19T22:26:00.007-06:00

I ran across this group of photos that I took shortly after we moved to Missouri. These were taken out in my moms backyard. Neither of the "boys" knew I was shooting away. This group of pictures have become some of my favorites. Makes me smile everytime I look at them. Big A is in love with his daddy!

Iron Man and Danny Phantom Paint the Town Red!

2008-11-01T05:27:00.005-05:00

Last night with the boys was a real treat for me. Aaron originally wanted to be a spider for Halloween and then we went to the store and he saw the Iron Man costume and he never turned back! :) They have been talking about this night for weeks. Aiden came up with his costume on his own. I really enjoyed them. This is the first year they have been really amped up and thought individually about what they wanted to be dressed up as.
I know that Aaron has the peacock look with his hair and I know that Iron Man does not have spikey hair BUT I had the hairspray in my hand already from working on Aidens that I just couldn't resist and proceeded to make Aarons hair stand up on end. :)

Seasons Change :(

2008-10-28T12:41:00.007-05:00

I don't do real well this time of year. The temps are starting to drop and I want to go into instant hibernation. I have put the electric blanket back on our bed and I have been pretty toasty in the evening. But I have kiddos and they won't let me stay in the bed all the time. I also have a space heater that I am really fond of. BUT, like I said I have kiddos and one in particular has just as much interest in my space heater as I do. I know, am I going to let a little guy boss me around?!?! Just one good shake of my hip I could bump him right out the room and reclaim my ownership of the beloved space heater. I could also share with him. I tell him to do that with his bro all the time but its just not the same, the heat doesn't distribute evenly and the other seems to be a little bit of abuse so all I have done is leave the room gracefully with a little growl at the back of my throat. My DH used to call me a cold blooded reptile. I was not real fond of that pet name and let him know that everytime he used it. I have a new name now and it is a little better than being called a lizard or snake. I am now known as a cat cause the cat loves the electric blanket as much as I do. The blanket has also caused some problems last year and I think I have now mastered the controls and I won't get myself into too much trouble.
Another thing that has suffered was my motivation. I have not been taking pictures or even posting old pictures. Sorry about that and you can thank my sweet adorable friend who I think loves to give me a swift kick in the butt when she has to look at a post far too long. Not too mention, she can be just as bad as myself! Love ya girl!!! :P
Before it was too crisp outside I had the idea of making the boys some tin can stilts and they seemed to really enjoy them. My big boy really took off on them but the baby wasn't too interested. He would step on them and not move. Forget even bending his legs a little and pulling on the strings on his own. But it still turned out as a success and it was real cheap entertainment. I was a goof and sliced my finger on the inside of the can when I was cleaning it. It was all still free. Just a little blood on my part and no hospital visit. Yeah!!!!

Congrats Joel!!!

2008-10-17T00:00:00.008-05:00

We had an incredible trip to Nashville last weekend to see (and for me, meet) Ricks son, Joel who was graduating from the Nashville Automotive and Diesel College. With honors! Congrats Joel! I wanted to share with everyone some of the pictures that Anne took. I didn't get the camera out during the trip and thanks for people who are usually more prepared more than myself! :) I was able to see Joel get his diploma and then I took the kiddos out to the car to watch a movie and waited for the ceremony to complete because the boys were getting pretty restless. LOL! Thanks again Anne, we will always treasure these photos!
Thank you so much for letting us share your day with you Joel! We are very proud of you! :)

Joels parents Amie and Keith.

Richard and Rick

The Grandmothers! :)

We were taken out to eat at a really yummy and fun Japenese Steak House. It was great to spend some time visiting with everyone. The kids were well entertained too!

Sponge Bob even made an appearance. Don't worry they didn't cook him too long!

KC Zoo

2008-10-14T07:48:00.003-05:00

Went to visit the zoo about a week or so ago. It was a pretty warm day and alot of the animals were hiding. Here is a page I made for a challenge by Angela at Rakscraps

Stephens Senior Year

2008-10-05T17:00:00.003-05:00

I was given a chance to take some of my nephews senior pics. I am really proud and excited for him. He has been planning his graduation party since last year. I don't think I could ask for a sweeter nephew.

Are you ready for some football?!?!?! And Basketball

2008-09-25T12:48:00.003-05:00

Yeah, the diaper does bother me but I love the picture!

HIKE HIKE HIKE!!!!!!!!!!

If I close my eyes and scrunch up my nose it won't hurt as bad when it smacks me in the face!

I am sooo going to beat Daddy in this game of HORSE. He will never be able to make this shot with his eyes closed too!!! Hehehehe

Sun Showers

2008-09-24T09:31:00.004-05:00

We had a good time with a rain burst a few weeks ago. Really woke us up! Fun fun fun!!!!

He turned 5!!!!

2008-09-22T18:28:00.004-05:00

We celebrated my big boys fifth birthday!!! I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner. I should have seen it a mile away! Fast Food!!!! We went to BK and then to my grandmothers for cake and ice cream. Yum! Here are some pics for ya.

Summers End

2008-08-13T23:49:00.005-05:00

We are trying to finish up our summer with a bang. My oldest baby is going to start preschool in a couple of weeks. This is my last year to have my baby at home and then he starts school. My mother made the comment, "your life will never be the same soon." OUCH! MOMMMMM!!!! I know you are right but I am not ready for the reality of it. I am happy, sad, and excited for him. Aaron did go to summer school for about a month this year so we are kinda used to it.
Anyways, here are some pics of some of the summer fun...
I called my mom one morning and told her that I had to go out and run some errands that day and I was really not wanting to do any of it. After getting off the phone with her I started to get ready to go. A few minutes later she called back and asked me if she could go with us and we could spend the afternoon out at the park. Woo Hoo! My whole morning woke up then. Fun stuff!

When I was done taking care of my "business" stuff Mom bought us all Mickey Ds for lunch and then we went to the park for a picnic!

When the boys were done eating they played on the playground for a while. Next we went over and fed the geese all the leftover french fries. Pretty cooolll!!!

The rest of the afternoon we played hide and seek (actually they played. I took pics.) Rolled down the hill. Aiden learned a very valuable lesson that day. Don't run down the steep hills. He went face first. Owwww!!! You should be proud, I quit taking pictures for a few minutes. Hahaha! When the boys were beginning to get pretty hot, we loaded up the ole Jeep and went to my moms to fish in the pond. We didn't have any fishing poles or bait. That was fine cause my boys are only 3 and 4 and they are happy to fish with sticks, yarn and marshmellows. Perfect Day!

At the end of the day I was driving home. There is a swan that lives at a pond and I see him almost every time I go out. He is so pretty and helps me remember why I love living here. I decided to stop and get some pics of him. He was pretty far away and I stayed on the road to take my pictures. If I would have tried to get closer I probably would have fallen into the deep ditch and that would have made my perfect day pretty rotten. Needless to say, he topped my day off just fine.
Ya'll come back now and check fer some more posts, ya hear!?!

Brothers

2008-07-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

Hope you like to look at them cause here is another page I scrapped.

Today I Turned 3!

2008-07-07T01:56:00.003-05:00

Wow! Can you believe it? I actually posted twice in one day!?!?!? I am trying to beat my record from last month. I know I should set my goals a little higher. LOL! Anyways, I did a scrap page of Aidens 3rd birthday and I wanted to share it with you.

I hope everyone has a great week. Today we finally turned the AC on and it was a little sad for me because I love to have my windows open. Now I feel like we have closed up our "cave" until fall. It is also harder to get outside more when you have the AC inside and the 90 degree heat with humidity outside. I do get spoiled. At least we lasted until July before we messed with the AC.

2008-07-06T10:13:00.003-05:00

I really had a great time taking pictures on the fourth. I know you can't see peoples faces really well but I had fun with the light. Actually we all had a good time cause the kids kept running back and forth to see their "special" photo and Rick kept thinking up all different things to try. So it was really a fun family kinda time! :P

Your gonna miss this.

2008-07-02T23:21:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share my most recent scrap page. The words are from the lyrics Your Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins. The photos were taken last month when we had a wonderful time with the last family visit!

Ride 'em Cowboys!!!!

2008-06-26T23:48:00.004-05:00

Aaron and Aiden got another combined birthday present. This one is from Grandma Michelle. Can you tell who was more excited?

The gift is a really cool tire horse. I think after Aaron was done with 'em he is now a TIRED horse! LOL!!!! (I crack myself up sometimes. Hhehehehe) I know, I know, but it is 12:20 at night which is really past my bedtime so...what do you expect?!?!? :)

Sandbox

2008-06-08T07:28:00.005-05:00

One of the birthday presents Aiden (& Aaron) received was while Nana and Papa were in town. Since they probably won't see Aaron close to his birthday, this is a combined gift. I love it, the kids have been playing in it all the time. We are outside people so any toys outside are perfect!

Today is the Day!!!!

2008-06-07T08:11:00.007-05:00

My baby is turning THREE today!!!! We plan to go to Grandpa & Grams and celebrate there today! I know he will have fun. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIDEN!!! Here are some pictures of him from the "earlier years."

Family Differences...Resolved! :)

2008-06-06T14:42:00.004-05:00

Do you think Aaron has any pent up aggression??
Ricks family came to visit over the holiday weekend and this is how we welcomed them. Hahaha!

We have started a new family therapy. Any problems? Pick up a stick! LOL!!!

TODDLER PROPERTY LAWS

2008-05-05T22:17:00.005-05:00

At the MOPS meeting last night the speaker shared this precious list and I wanted to pass it on to you. The author is unknown but I am sure he or she is very VERY wise. LOL!

Toddler Property Laws

1. If I like it it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in anyway
6. If I'm doing or building something, ALL the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it IS mine
8. If I saw it first, it's mine
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10.
If it's broken, its yours!

NEED I SAY MORE?

Mowing season

2008-05-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

One of Aarons favorite things to do is mow the lawn with daddy. I took some pictures of the guys in the front yard for the "first mow" of the season. Beautiful, beautiful weather! Like DHs hat?

101 Things to do with sidewalk chalk

2008-05-01T07:16:00.005-05:00

The kids really surprise me sometimes with the ideas that they come up with. I looked out the backyard window only to see them "painting" the playhouse. It actually looked pretty good. LOL! Sidewalk chalk, I found out, was good for more than just drawing on the sidewalk. The dog even likes it for a little treat?!?!?

Little Tot Sock Hop

2008-04-30T07:17:00.005-05:00

***
Last Friday night was our 1st Annual Little Tot Sock Hop! There were beach balls, floating rings, kiddie pool filled with macaroni and shovels and pails to go with it. The kids had a blast and Grandma and I worked up quite the sweat! There had to be at least 50 kids with their parents there and everyone was going in different directions. Aiden was the only one that did dance and that was only in small spurts of running in circles and stopping long enough to shake his hips a couple of times. The DJs helper even worked hard trying to keep Aiden out from behind the DJs work station. Phew! I worked really hard trying to keep ahold of the boys and taking pictures at the same time. Thanks Grandma for your help!!! Aaron was more interested in playing with the beach balls and the macaroni pool! It was wild!!!!

They even had a parachute for the kids to run under and back out. They had a really good time. They even took all the beach balls on the top and bounced them around.

This last picture amazes me so I wanted to share it with everyone. Remember when our necks could stretch back like that and not throw out backs out?!?! LOL! Good keeping your eye on the ball Aaron!!!!!

2008-04-29T08:34:00.002-05:00

Temps dropped down the last two nights and I was afraid that we would lose all of our spring blooms again this year. I went out for inspection this morning and it looked like the frost left everything alone. Hooray! We might actually have apples and peaches this year on our trees! Temps are suppose to get back up over the next couple of days. I am soooo ready.

Are we too old for Softball?

2008-04-18T17:06:00.004-05:00

We decided to get ourselves a little more active and maybe it would help us get rid of our extra baggage and some fresh air to boot. Right now, Rick plays on a co-ed and mens softball league (when it doesn't rain). This particular league is taking forever to be finished because every night that we have had a game it has rained. We are now three weeks behind. I do want to say, first and foremost, I don't like to play softball. I am horrible at it and I don't enjoy it. So, please tell me why is it I get stuck playing?!?! I am REALLY bad and when they are short players they start looking in my direction. I go to see my hubby play. I told them I was going to start showing up in heels. When I was told that that didn't matter then I was seriously thinking about showing up in an arm sling. I strike out EVERY time. They called yesterday wanting me to play. I said no, I don't want to. They told me to bring my shoes anyways. I told them whatever and hung up the phone, went outside and started to do a rain dance. Guess what! It rained!!! Desperate huh! LOL! Anyways, here are some pictures of practice. BTW...My goal of getting rid of my spare tire is by playing volleyball.

Creeping Back In...

2008-04-18T06:10:00.000-05:00

Well, if no one has given up on me, I am going to finally post again. Sorry. Here goes...
We have picked up the pace a little bit here lately with the weather warming up and I am almost begging people to take our puppies. We have accomplished with giving one away. Yes, one. Grrr. We are going to have to go to Walmart and sit in the parking lot until enough people feel sorry for them and take them home. I have posted ads and flyers.
It has been interesting. Last weekend we were going to go and sit at Walmart but can you believe it? It snowed off and on all day. In mid April. This has been one of the craziest winters ever!
I want to post some of our Easter pictures of the boys. They were really cute. Aaron has a cowboy hat that he really loves (and I do too :)) so I decided to use it during my picture taking. Check them out!

Easter 2008

2008-04-03T07:36:00.000-05:00

Awwww Come on Mom!!!! When are you going to get some more pictures posted!?!?!?!
Hehehehehe (soon soon, I promise)

Okay, so I won't name them either...except one :)

2008-03-05T08:14:00.000-06:00

The other new members (temporary members) of the family are six male puppies! Blue had her litter on my birthday as a matter of fact. What a present. Even though I am highly aggrivated that Blue got pregnant I am still an animal lover and went into Awwwwww mode instantly. There are four black ones and two brown. The noses are small. I know the dog that got her cause he jumped into the pen that we had her in. I busted him once but I was not on a 24 hour watch...I have little ones myself and I need my sleep. We think he is a Boxer. He knows what I think of him and won't let me get near him. We are talking about keeping one. I really don't want anymore dogs but we lost Shaka not too long ago and DH wants a dog that he can call his own. Sassy and Blue have adopted me. Anyways, I have to find home for five little babies. Want one? Please?!?!?!

Blue is actually a VERY good mama. She won't let Sassy or any other animal near the puppies. She isn't real thrilled with us holding them but she does allow it. She tries to take them out of our hands. We don't hold them too long but we do want them used to people. She just stands as close to us as she can and shakes. When we lay them back down in the dog house she goes in and lays with her back to us so it is difficult to get ahold of anymore. Good mama.

You bought what?!?!

2008-03-03T05:48:00.000-06:00

This weekend we went out and purchased some baby chicks! I was actually pretty excited about the whole thing. They are adorable! Rick keeps reminding me that they are not pets they are going to eventually be food. So I have kept myself from naming any of them. Anyways, we now have 16 of these cuties who seem to really eat some seed. Gives me a new meaning for eating like a bird! LOL!

Years ago when I lived in Mississippi, the girls at work were telling me about the baby chicks that come out every Easter dyed. I was totally surprised and couldn't believe me ears. RED, GREEN, BLUE chicks?!?!?! So for a gift to me they all went in and bought me a green chick. He was adorable! I instantly called him Booger! LOL! That chick didn't know he was a chicken. He followed me every where! I will never forget it. I had the perfect helper in the flower garden. Anyways, Booger got too big and I had a friend take him to his farm. I never asked how he was doing cause I didn't want to know. I did have fun while I had him. He was loosing all of his "green" down and was beginning to get his feathers. The ladies at work were surprised I kept him as long as I did. Just goes to show that I can be a good mama! LOL!!!

Spring!!!!!!

2008-03-02T11:15:00.000-06:00

I have had a really hard time with this winter. I don't know if I have just been used to the Memphis weather and not used to the snow or what. All I know is that I am ready READY for spring and the first signs have been here this weekend. We have had almost 70 degree weather. Woo Hoo!!! We also had our first flowers appear and I want to share them with you.
Within the next couple of days I will be posting some pics of some interesting events from this weekend. Phew! We have some new members of the family!

Visit at Aunt Hazels

2008-02-04T06:50:00.000-06:00

Another event in Iowa was our visit at Aunt Hazels house. Gram Shell was there to see the kiddos too. Thanks for the visit! We had a great time and thank you for the gifts! :) The pictures are of the boys and a cousin of their sporting their new winter hats. Pretty sweet!

Busy Day!

2008-02-01T07:03:00.001-06:00

We are expecting to be pretty busy today so I thought I might squeeze a quick blog in and share some more pictures from my Iowa trip last weekend...

I absolutly LOVE their staircase! Very pretty..

As you can tell, the above two pictures...Leapster was a popular toy that weekend. BTW. My nephew did get one for his birthday.

We can't go over night anywhere without our dinosaurs!!!!

I was kind of proud of this picture cause I took it while Rick was driving down the interstate. I couldn't believe I actually caught it with my ole point and shoot! Where is Rick? I thought he was driving? LOL!!!! Rick!?!?!?

Puppy Therapy

2008-01-30T13:17:00.000-06:00

While we were in Iowa I had a chance to go with my sister-in-law to the hospital and take her puppy for his first visit with patients and help in puppy therapy. It was waaayyy cool. I (for just a moment) thought it would be neat to do here at home. I got over it! LOL! The puppy (Q.T.) was brought around to several rooms to help give some of the patients a happy boost. My neice and nephew came along as well which I thought was totally cool for them as well. No, I didn't bring my boys...Sorry but two kiddos was enough in a hospital! Q.T. was a huge hit and afterwards I think he slept for the rest of the day. He is only about 4 months old and weighs only about a pound and a half. Awwwwww!!! Maybe when the boys are older I might consider doing something like that.

What I learned during my visit in Iowa #2

2008-01-29T07:12:00.001-06:00

Sidekicks don't have super powers!!!!

One day the kids decided to play dress up. Actually it was my neices idea and when she yelled out the idea to the boys I was a little unsure of what would come out of it. She is very much a girly girl and I just knew she would talk to boys into putting on one of her princess dresses or something but I was pleasantly suprised when they all came down in super hero getups!! Now, I have to tell you that my neice was still a girly girl and came down with the prettiest cape and a tiara. I smiled and asked her what her super powers were. She instantly told me that she didn't have super powers. She was a sidekick!!! LOL!!!

What I learned during my visit in Iowa #1

2008-01-28T10:36:00.000-06:00

It is more fun to blow your birthday candles out with friends!!!!

We went to Iowa this weekend to visit my DHs brother and his family. This particular weekend was my nephews birthday. Actually it is on Monday. So what better time to have cake, ice cream and presents than Sunday morning before we head back home to reality.
Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!! Next year you will be in the double digits!

DigiScrapping

2008-01-16T12:57:00.000-06:00

Well, I have found another hobby! (Thanks Betty!) I have discovered the world of digital scrapbooking and I love it. I am keeping a watchful eye out as my hubby is wondering if I will ever get off line. Anyways, I would like to share with you one of my recent pages. What do you think?

Every year, we get together with my DHs side of the family and we celebrate Thanksgiving. Since we live so far away from each other we also celebrate Christmas while we are together. The last time that we were together I asked them to take pictures for our Christmas card and it turned out to be a photo shoot. It was interesting. Getting four kids to look at the camera and stay interested was quite a task.

Snow Memories

2008-01-09T11:42:00.001-06:00

Well, with the 60 degree weather we had last weekend all of our snow has melted. But there were some fun days. I wanted to post some pics of my guys building a fort and Aiden finding out the importance of keeping his gloves on. Ouch! :)

New Year...Old Tricks (For mom anyways)

2008-01-08T21:46:00.000-06:00

I tried, tried and tried once again to succeed in getting Aiden interested in potty training. He always says he has to go and when we get there and sit for the few seconds he has patience for, the only thing he was full of was talk cause nothing has ever happened except the first time we tried it. We did the happy dance and everything! Now he just tells me he needs to go and we climb the stairs and get set up just to find out...nothing. I have done all the tricks. I have been through this once already with Aaron and now we are on round two with Aiden. Every child is different I know but I really don't care to be siked out by a two year old every time he wants to play the potty game. I am really considering telling him the story of "Never Cry Wolf" cause mommy and daddy are really starting to not take him seriously.
I have talked myself into waiting until spring gets here to go back into it full force cause the weather will be warmer therefore the house will be warmer and he can run around in his Cars undies and t-shirt during the whole potty training time. Now we practically have layers of clothing to take off. Sounds good right? Wrong!
Now that some time has passed and I have the whole idea out of my head Aiden has started a new game. Takes off his pjs and diaper and pees on the floor! Nooooo!!! Do you know that I have wall to wall carpet through my entire, ENTIRE house?!?! So far tonight he has come down the stairs butt naked five times. Diaper is clean. Once the floor was showered and then the sheets on his bed were changed. I asked him if he is trying to tell me something. No response but a laugh. *sigh* *groan* This last time I told him (while I was safety pinning his pjs zipper closed) that tomorrow we will start potty training again. This has made Aaron totally happy and he has insisted that he was going to potty train Aiden tomorrow too. I just looked at Aaron and thought, does Aaron not remember what HE did to my wall just last week?

The incredible edible egg!!!

2007-12-31T08:05:00.000-06:00

I just want to share with everyone! I have reached a new status as a mommy! I mean this is border line super hero status! I am as proud as a peacock! Are you ready to hear why?

Yesterday, I was making breakfast and the kids were in the kitchen cause they think that is the place to be whenever mommy cooks. Aaron stands there and says, "Mama, you are incredible with that egg." LOLOLOLOLOLOL Finally, someone who appreciates the little things I do. :)

Christmas time pictures

2007-12-26T20:16:00.000-06:00

We had a good time this Christmas. The boys made out like little bandits and they are grinning from ear to ear. I just wanted to share some pictures with ya!

(Betty, my camera takes awful pictures when I don't use the flash! Grrrrr. I know you are just eyeing the shadows! LOL. When I get my Rebel I will work on it. K?)

I also wanted to share a couple of other pictures with you. This one of Aiden was taken about a year ago in out backyard in Memphis. I looked at it and instantly thought of Donald Trump. LOL! Aiden looks to be saying, "Your fired!" LOL! Couldn't pass this one up!

On this last picture, I took this this afternoon. We have another round of snow with another round coming in on Thursday night. Anyways, we looked outside and saw Cardinals everywhere. I filled up the bird feeders yesterday and forgot all about them until Rick pointed out all of our little visitors. I really had fun watching them today.

Just use your Imagination

2007-12-20T17:39:00.000-06:00

Last night we were on out way to church and Aaron was in the back seat roaring with all of his might. This is something that he does regularly. If he is not doing that he is either barking or making some kind of animal sound as loud as his little lungs can make. As usual, this roaring was beginning to get to the rest of us and I told him to quiet down. He is quiet for a few minutes and then he said, "Mom I was just using my imagination. I was a dinosaur." I look at Rick and he is grinning from ear to ear. I can't believe how much he picks up. I told him to please just use his imagination quietly. Then he told me he was just thinking and then with a few minutes of peace the monster dinosaur came back out.

More Ice

2007-12-12T09:38:00.000-06:00

Hopefully your not getting tired of the weather pictures cause this just continues to amaze me! I just went out to take some more and can you believe it is snowing again?

Ice Ice Baby!

2007-12-11T10:49:00.001-06:00

Jack Frost has put us in a deep freeze. Since I am a SAHM I get to say... IT IS ABSOULUTLY BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE!!! It is like everything is encased in glass.
Hubby went into work a few hours late this morning so we went outside to check for any damage and look in admiration. Everything is fine here and we don't know of anyone losing power here. I was really sweating that cause we would have nothing if that happened. EXCEPT>> Our cell phones! WooHoo! I would be freezing and hungry but I can talk with the best of them! LOL! Here are a few pics I took this morning.

Where is that ice pick when I need it?!?

2007-12-09T22:54:00.000-06:00

Well, if anyone has been watching the news, we have been slammed up side the head with winter. The temp is in the teens and the ice is everywhere. I guess we are going to get another round tomorrow night sometime. It is suppose to be an ice storm. That doesn't upset me too much cause I have things scheduled for Tuesday and maybe with school possibly being cancelled, I will be able to stay home cozy with the kiddos! Hmmmmm.
I went outside for a little while this afternoon to take some pictures around our house. The one with the house in it is from the side of my yard looking out in the neighborhood. The one with the grass is where I flung that spider last summer when he thought it was a good idea to camp out in one of my clothes pins. Grrrr!
Anyways, please help me pray to keep the people that have to travel in the nasty weather to please come home safe to their families. Mainly my hubby!!! ;) What can ya expect? I am kinda fond of the guy.

For all of my friends in the South!

2007-12-06T13:50:00.000-06:00

It is snowing! This is our second snow for the season but this one is heavier than the one that came on Thanksgiving. Beautiful! We are suppose to get about 4 inches today. Who knows, maybe there will be more. Schools have been let out early also.

This morning we had to make an emergency trip to dollar general. We were out of diapers! Anyways, we got home as the snow was really starting to pick up. Aaron wanted to play outside in it. I told him that would be fine cause I knew he wouldn't last long. He had his hat down so far because he didn't want his ears to get cold. LOL! I think he was aiming to keep even his feet warm! Check out the pics. The ones of Aaron were taken shortly after the snow started. The next were a couple of hours later and still the snow is falling. Hmmmm...Peace. Everything is so quiet outside. I am ready for my hubby to be home, safe and warm.

Trimming the Tree

2007-12-03T06:13:00.000-06:00

We finally slowed down long enough to put the decorations on our Christmas tree last night. Reactions were different all the way around. Dad was just fine sitting on the couch and taking pictures, I was putting hooks on the ornaments, Aaron was eagerly putting the ornaments all in one place at the bottom of the tree and Aiden was checking out the latest toy sales in the newspaper and could care less about the tree! Now the roles between mommy and daddy switched on and off through out the evening. I ended up on the couch and Rick ended up helping Aaron move some of his ornaments in fear of the bottom tree branches touching the floor and then the whole tree would follow.
Aaron was just totally thrilled with the whole evening. I think I hung maybe two ornaments and Aaron did the rest. I had a new appreciation of our ornaments because every ornament that came out of the package was followed by oohhhs and aaahhhhs from Aaron. He was totally amazed. Thank you Aaron for your sweet spirit!
Now, I want to explain the picture I am post with this blog. First, do you like the ornaments on the very flimsy looking branch? Aaron is my responsible decorator!
Another thing about my boy, he does either all the way or no way. We were in the dining room the other night and I asked Aaron to shut the tv off so we could sit down and eat supper. For some reason both boys find this task totally amazing and usually fight over the job. I have to now specify which child gets to shut the tv off so there will not be any knock down drag out fights.
Anyways, Aaron, with all of his gusto and speed yells, "Okay mommy!" and jumps down from his chair and runs through the kitchen to get to the living room to shut the tv off. Just before he gets out of the kitchen he smacks his face right on the edge of the kitchen counter in a full run!!! Ouch! I even heard it in the other room! Poor boy! Needless to say, he was a bit whiney for the rest of the night. Ya know, you would think this would make the boys quit running through the house. Nahhhh!!

Thanksmas

2007-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful thanksgiving this year with family coming from the north and the south! Ricks brother and his family came from Iowa to stay a few days and Nana and Papa came for a little visit from Tennessee. It was great! We usually celebrate Christmas together at Thanksgiving because we probably won't see them until next year. Nana has officially started to call this get together, Thanksmas. Everything all rolled up into one. I wanted to post some pictures we took of the visit.

The one of Aiden by himself is a picture of him finally looking and smiling at the camera (when everyone else is not!)
I promise, my baby does smile quite a bit. He just doesn't care about people dancing around in front of him yelling, "Aiden! Aiden! Look, look! Say cheese!" Oh well, what can ya do?
I have pics of the four of us but you will have to wait for the Christmas card. :)

Birthday girl

2007-11-15T11:41:00.001-06:00

Last weekend my aunt celebrated her birthday. As a matter of fact, so did we!
As a surprise we met her for breakfast at Golden Corral (I didn't even know they served breakfast) and then we went walking around Independence Center. We all had fun. Even the carousel ride.

My pound puppy.

2007-11-09T18:55:00.000-06:00

Aaron is finally getting old enough to go outside by himself. Hooray! The land we bought is starting to pay off! I can go about my business in the house and keep and eye on him through the window. Now I just have Aiden in tow. This is fine. I am really not ready for them to grow up on me.
The other day I looked through the window and I was not able to find Aaron. I went to every room to look out at every angle. No Aaron. I am nervous by now. I run down the stairs and go out the back door. "Aaron!" I yelled a couple of times.
"I'm over here mama!" He yells.
I kept looking for him but I don't see him. Then, my eyes scan over to the dogs pen. He is standing in there staring at me.
He surprises me everyday. I would have never thought to look in the pen with the puppies. He climbed the fence. Actually that is his favorite place to play and be "one of the puppies" now.
Everytime he wants to go out and play I have to stop for a second and think if the puppies were let out of the pen or not. If not, I let Sassy and Blue out so he can run free with them.

Great Weekend

2007-11-05T12:30:00.000-06:00

We were super busy this weekend. I really enjoy that because I kind of feel like I got some things done. If every day could only be so productive!

The boys and I started off at Grandma Skinners house and she taught me how to make grape jelly. I was totally thrilled about it! Times have changed for me I guess! Getting excited about making jelly never used to be on the top of my priorities! LOL! Well, Grandma gave me the itch for making more jelly and I was hungry for apple. Since I didn't plan on visiting an orchard anytime soon, I found a recipe for fruit juice jelly. I made this batch with unsweetened apple juice. YUM! That is what I did this morning.

Also, since we are going to have our first hard freeze this week, my mom was bringing in all of her house plants. I took advantage of this, bought some potting soil and loaded up all of my empty pots and got about six or seven starts off of her plants. Now lets just see of I can keep them all. Should I have the boys ask God to give mommy the green thumb for our helpless little plants during their nightly prayers? *smirk* Anyways, my dad bought the boys some work gloves and they worked very hard running around and losing them! We managed to talk Aiden into putting his in his back pocket. He keep hollering at us, turning his back to us so we could see his gloves in his pocket. They were bigger than his pocket!

THE END!!!

Candy! Candy! Candy!

2007-11-01T05:28:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of the boys for Halloween last night. It really wasn't too bad outside but there was a definite chill in the air!
The boys did great and were even polite to the candy givers. Aiden just would get the word Treat out and would leave out the word Trick. You know Aiden, always buttering up people!

Some like it hot!

2007-10-30T01:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about winter is the good ole electric blanket! Ahhhhhh! I am a warm weather kinda gal and pretty much hibernate in the winter. I was so excited when I found my latest electric blanket at a garage sale for $2.00. It is king size with dual controls! Woo Hoo!
Well, tonight my hubby decided to call it an early night and went up to bed. For some reason when everyone goes to bed before me I have a really hard time getting to sleep later that evening. I watched tv until my eyes were droopy and I grabbed a magazine, went upstairs and set up a towel to cover up some of the glare on Rick from my light on my side of bed and climbed in bed with my magazine. By the time I had finally gotten myself situated I was beginning to get chilly so I was really looking forward to laying in bed and read my magazine and all wrapped up snug as a bug in a rug under my electric blanket. I lay there for several minutes waiting to get the chill out of my body and I was not warm AT ALL. I stuck my feet on Ricks side and his side was all toasty. He even had the nerve to have his fan on high so I once again felt like I was in a wind tunnel. I climbed out of bed and turned the dial on my control as high as it would go and waited for a few minutes. As I lay there I am beginning to get really irritated and I knew it was just my luck that my side of the blanket would die out and my great bargain find was a waste. While I am laying there trying to talk myself into getting out of bed and getting the ole flannels on in the middle of the wind tunnel. I look over at Rick and he is laying there like he has just collapsed in the middle of the Sahara. Then it hit me...
Earlier that day, I changed the sheets on the bed and apparently there is a right side and a wrong side of the blanket when there are dual controls. With a smile and some giggling, I got out of bed and shut off my control and turned his up. I told Rick, don't worry that it would start cooling down for him soon. I am controlling the laughter so I won't wake him up anymore than I already have. Rick, not realizing what all is going on says, "I have turned off the blanket and it just seems to get hotter."
BuwahahahahahaHAHAHAHA!!! Tears are rolling down my face by then. By now Rick is very irritated and shouts that he had gone to bed early for a reason and being woke up a few hours later didn't help him at all. HAHAHAHAHAHA is all I could say as I ran to the bathroom to try and gain control of myself. A few minutes later I was all better and thought I could go to bed. As soon as I lay down he says sorry for yelling at me and that maybe tomorrow he can see the humor in this. HAHAHAHAHA! I buried my face into my pillow to try and keep quiet. I calmed down again.
Now, I am fully awake so I thought I would come downstairs to tell ya about it. Please sing me a lullabye or something! *giggle giggle*

Our Guests = Our Blessings

2007-10-24T16:39:00.000-05:00

We have had a really busy week. Last week Nana and Papa came to stay with us a few days and we all had a good time. Nana was able to go to the fire station to learn about fire safety with Aaron. They were able to see where we have started to go to church and we just had a plain ole good time. Wish their stay was longer. BUT, we do get to see them next month for Thanksgiving.
Nana and Papa left Sunday afternoon and Sunday night my brother Derrick and his wife Dusty came from Orlando, Fl to visit for a couple of days. We had alot of catching up to do. The last time we saw them was three years ago. The first day we went to Jamesport to visit the Amish Community and then the next evening they took us out to eat at GoJos Japanese Steak House. We all had a really good time (check out the picture of Aaron trying to use the chop sticks) and I was sad to see everyone go. Derrick and Dusty left to travel back home today and this evening we have a dear friend of ours, Stewart coming over for supper. I am really happy to see him again. It has probably been over 10 years. Thank you God for putting good friends and family in our lives.

Fire Safety

2007-10-23T03:25:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I took Aaron on another Parents as Teachers outing. We went to the Lathrop Fire Department to let the kiddos know a little about fire safety. It was really neat. The kids were able to climb in the fire trucks and see what a fireman would look like if he was going through our house in a fire. Face mask and all. The kids got to take home plastic fire hats and alot of other little goodies. I had a time trying to talk to Aaron about the stop, drop and roll action. He couldn't figure out why his clothes would be on fire. :)

Remembering the warm nights.

2007-10-15T06:44:00.000-05:00

Well, our nights are starting to get cooler and cooler. Oh well, we knew it was going to happen.
I wanted to post some pictures we took of the boys with the bubble machine outside during one of our remaining warm evenings. It was really neat to see the hundreds of bubbles flying at me. Aaron received the bubble machine for his birthday last month. The boys had a blast (as well as daddy)!
Everyone, please keep Aaron and Rick in your prayers for a speedy recovery. I think they have the touch of the flu bug. Aaron said, "Mama, I have a frog in my throat, and I haven't even been near a pond." LOL!!! I love it! I will never forget some of the things they say. I explained that having a frog in your throat was just a saying and that there was not an actual frog down there. Hehehe. Should I tell him that he sounds hoarse (horse)? *giggle giggle* I could really have fun with some of this. Take care everyone and keep warm.

You're going to do what with the Tonka truck!?!

2007-10-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon was beautiful outside and I knew that Rick was finally on his way home from work. I took the boys outside while I waited for him to pull into our driveway. The boys were playing with their trucks, they were going up and down the driveway and playing chicken with each other. Thank goodness the trucks are Tonkas! The last through just about anything.
After a little while Rick came home and started playing with the boys and giving them a ride in the back of the trucks while they were pushed down the driveway. "Again, Again!" They constantly yelled.
"Daddys getting tired." Daddy said. Then he had an idea. See the pics to see the answer. :)
FYI...NO CHILDREN WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BLOG!

Long time no talk! :)

2007-10-09T06:07:00.000-05:00

We had to take an unexpected trip to Mississippi last week and we are back home now. Actually we have been home for a few days, its just taking us a little while to get back on track. I couldn't believe how much laundry and family of four could produce in just a few days! Geez!!
The drive down south was good. It was neat to see some of the things that I didn't realize I missed and how important it was to me that my children to know a little about it. At least as much as they would stop and listen to what we were saying. The cotton! Wow! Everywhere. The further south we drove the more we saw. One town that we ended up driving through was a real wake up for all of us. Rick was driving down the interstate and we saw a crop duster flying by. As we were driving we kept getting closer and closer to him. Rick and I were pointing him out to the kids and following his path. We watched him swish down into the fields and put out the dust. It was quite cool. I don't think I ever tire of watching them, even when I lived down there. As we got real close to the plane, it came around for another drive by. Our timing was perfect. We watched him go over our heads and turn around above the field to our left and swoosh!!!! He dove down to the field and we were look straight on at him we could actually see the pilot. Rick and I were getting real dramatic for the kids and we kept asking Aaron, "Oh no! Oh no! Is he going to hit us!?!" Honestly, I don't think the kids were ever that quiet during to whole trip! Hehehe. They just stared at him as he kept getting closer and then the roar of the engine came as he flew upward into the sky!!! It was awesome! Like I said, our timing was perfect and where was my camera? Dang it! I always get caught up in the moment! I never would be a good photojournalist. The boys did great. Aaron asked alot of questions and said that he wanted to ride. Sorry baby, ain't gonna happen!
Anyways, we pulled up to the next exit to get gas. We went behind the station to watch the plane a little more and a further away of course. There was also a harvested cotton field behind the store so the boys had an opportunity to pick some left over cotton!
I added a picture of the plane from a distance while we were out in the field. The whole time I was taking pictures, I kept asking, why, why why!!!!???? Didn't I get my camera out while we were on the road!! Grrrrrr! Rick wouldn't even back track on the highway so I can try to get the same picture! Oh well. *sniff sniff*

Estelle

2007-09-27T00:19:00.000-05:00

Todays post is in memory of my MIL Estelle who passed away 3 years ago today of ALS. Estelle was very special to me and close to my heart. When she started to get ill Rick, Aaron & I moved in to help take care of her and I would not have to work so I was able to stay home with our baby. Aaron was just under one. I never really had a clue what would happen through out that time. We went through a roller coaster of emotions the whole time. Estelle was always able to answer any kind of questions that I had in the past and eventually we had to spell out everything she was trying to say. She always stood up for me when Rick and I fussed. I could always count on her to back me up. :) Most of the time she was able to take her disability with some amusement. We would laugh at Richard when she pointed out that he "mouthed" every word she would say while he stood there and tried to understand her. At least she knew she had his attention. I remember pushing her across the room in a desk chair to help get her ready to go somewhere. I gave her a hard time about buying such thick carpet. She would tell me to quit complaining with a laugh and just push.
Estelle had a huge heart and she would always be there for anybody even though she was going through her own problems. One day comes into mind, I was beginning to lose my cool about life in general and she knew it (she would have known even if I wasn't so obvious) She called me over to her bed and I bent over her and spelled out what she was trying to say. I went through the alphabet and every letter that was right she would nod. She spelled out, "Are you ok?" Word for word, letter for letter. I looked at her with tears in my eyes and said, "yes". I was knocked back into reality when it hit me. I had a new appreciation and love for her. She was laying in a bed all day, not being able to move or speak and she was wondering if I was okay. I just want to give you a sense of what a warrior she was and how proud I am to be her daugher in law.
She would always laugh and sing until she couldn't anymore. Lookie lookie lookie here comes Cookie was one of her favorites. Her dogs name was cookie.
When Rick and I went through our tough times she was the only one who could convince me that it would all be okay.
She loved her grandkids. That was the only time I felt that I was number two and that was just fine with me. She prayed for all of us regularly. The prayers that she did for all of us then are still being answered and will continue to do so.
She love the touch and sounds of our babies. I miss her terribly and I really don't know if it has got any easier. My children will grow up knowing her and what a wonderful lady she was. I don't know why God needed her more than we did, but the selfish side of me wants her back. I don't understand why the good people have to go.

Birthday Party

2007-09-24T17:53:00.000-05:00

We had Aarons birthday party and I believe it was a complete success. It was at Pizza Hut and was a small party with some family. He had a good time. The picture of him with the cake was taken right after Aaron and I finished decorating it. Later at Pizza Hut we put the decorations on it. Spider Man decorations that is. I can't believe it, another year older. He is four now. Wow! Today I took both boys to their doctors check up. Here are the stats:
Aaron 41 3/4 inches tall
36 1/2 lbs.

Aiden: 36 1/2 inches tall
30 lbs.

Both are in the 75th percentile for their height. Growin like weeds.

Park

2007-09-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

Another thing we did on Aarons birthday was go to the park. Here are some pics of that...have a good weekend!