so busy

We've been so busy this week that I totally forgot I have a blog!  HA!

The 2nd basement bedroom has walls, is taped, and is currently being mudded (is that a word?) right this minute. It's the second coat of mud.  Our goal is to finish mudding, sanding and painting by this time next week.  We have family coming in two weeks and we want room to be finished enough to put one of the families in it.  

I went looking for carpet deals today.  MAN!  Carpet is expensive!  Anyone know of an affordable place that installs carpet?  Or, does anyone have a REALLY good coupon we could use?

I haven't taken pictures of my kids in a week.  I must have forgotten I own a camera as well.  

We got an above ground pool this summer.  It's pretty high maintenance.  It's starting to kind of make me wish we didn't get it.  The temperature today outside was 103 degrees, and the temp in the pool had to have been about the same because when I finally allowed my children to go in it, they said it was too hot to go under the water.  Gracie left the pool with red cheeks and a headache.    Jada left with red spots all over her cheeks.  

I'm realizing how thankful Chad is that I work outside the home.  I spend entirely too much money during the summer.  Jasper ate your goggles?  Ok, I'll go get another pair.  That huge bag of cherries lasted us two meals?  Ok, I'll go get another bag.  You need two swimming suits this summer?  Ok, me too.  

Last week I had a three day training at the HS for Common Core.  It was awful having to sit 8 hours for three days.  Makes me feel for my students.  However, now I'm taking college credit for it.  I need three college hours by March to renew my certificate.  Talk about procrastination!  I told the girls that since Trey is going to Jessi's on Thursday, they are going to the summer program so Mommy can do her homework!  I only have 20 days to get this done.  eek!

I thought about all the blessings God has given our family today, on the way to Jada's piano lessons.  I'm so blessed to have a wonderful marriage where we encourage each other, and are there when it's needed and when it's not.  I'm so blessed to have funny, healthy, happy children.  Yes, they fight sometimes, but that's normal.  We're blessed financially, and in so many other ways.  There's too many to count.  

We've had such a wonderful summer so far.  We're madly crossing off things on our summer list.  It's been so crazy hot that I'm not sure some of them will get done.  Wingnuts baseball game.  Royals baseball game.  Feed the horses. The zoo.  Water parks.Teach the kids to play tennis. I guess our BBQ with friends might need to be indoors.  Tomorrow the kids are making us supper!  

Not sure if I mentioned it here or not yet, but we're getting a foreign exchange student in August.  We skyped her and her family last Saturday.  She's adorable.  I need to remember to talk slower! Her family was really sweet as well!  She's the main reason we're finishing the bedroom downstairs.  I've been talking with her on FB about what colors she wants/likes.  It's fun to think about decorating for a teenager!  

I don't have pictures this time to show you.  But, I have a happy heart.  :)

Nine

The Nine Most Important Things About Gracie

 1.  She cares about people in such a sweet way.

2.  She loves to play basketball with her friends.

3.  Gracie can craft for an entire day and not be bored.

4.  She cares whether or not people love Jesus.

5.  Gracie is curious about how the world works, and asks questions to make you prove things.

6.  She's really good at "reading" people and knows how to be helpful when it's needed.

7.  She's a good swimmer.

8.  Gracie wants to be a vet when she grows up.

9.  She doesn't care if she does what is not popular, or if she might get laughed at.  

This was one of the most laid back parties we've had to date.  It's nice to have older kids who don't need all the entertainment.  We had Mrs. Burns (our art teacher) come for an art lesson with paint and canvas, then homemade ice cream, and swimming in the pool afterwards.  I made them get out of the pool around 9:15 p.m. and then they played basketball and Sardines, and more basketball.  Here was the cheering section.

The last friend and her dad left around 10:45 p.m., and a good friend stopped by to see the kids (I was hoping they would still be in the water so they could give her a big wet hug, but she came too late!).  It was a wonderful relaxing evening.  Beautiful weather.  And a fun party!  

 

Drive-in Movie

Questions: What could be better than being in your parents car at the drive-in theater?

Answer:  Decorating (sort of ) your OWN car (box) for your own drive-in theater!

 We invited some friends over for our first ever Drive-In Movie in our basement.  They were asked to BYOB (bring your own box).  Because they wanted to swim as well as watch a movie, they didn't quite have enough time to decorate the whole thing- or at all!  

After the older girls came in from swimming, we went downstairs and got all comfy cozy in the boxes.  Abi brought her Hummer and Jada didn't have a car, so Abi shared her ginormous car with Jada.

You can see the dazed looks our children get when they're so into the movie!  We did end up turning off the lights, but here are their cars closer up.

   Everyone was given an envelope with 7 "dollars" in it.  

One "dollar" was given to me for their admission to the drive-in, and then they had to pay for their snacks with the rest of their money.  This helped to cut down on their sugar intake.  HA!  
(When I say "cut down" on their sugar intake, I actually mean I think I put them right on the line of sugar high and headache.  So, in the future I will not give them 7.  They each might get 5- with the intention of them paying their $1 admission fee still.)

This was part of the concession stand-

  Bowls for popcorn were added, as well as a pitcher of water and more cups.  I gave out water for free- I'm generous like that.  Each candy bar, ring pop, bowl of popcorn, and kool-aid box was $1.  Licorice was 2/$1 and the strawberry wafers were 3/$1.  

We really had a great time with this!  I thought it might even be fun to do with my classroom for a class prize.  However, I might just do the brown bulletin board paper around two desks and add headlights and maybe a steering wheel to it.  Then, two people can sit together at our "drive-in." Oh, the possibilities!

It's evening now and my girls are worn out!  I think we might have to say this is an ANNUAL summer activity.  The drive-in was a blast, but it's bedtime now.  You think Chad and I could fit in any of these for our own drive-in in the basement tonight?    

a Tea Party birthday

If you're a Bunny Bear and you have a beautiful Mommy like this...

 Then, you'll have 4 friends to your Tea Party Birthday Party!


And if you're a really good Bunny Bear, 

 Then, you'll have 3 presents to open.


And if you're best friend is Ducky...

Then, you'll get to 2 frames with pictures: one of your Mommy as a little girl, and one of your second cousin once removed, Sidney, as a little girl.

 And if you're the most special Bunny Bear in the whole wide world, 

Then, you'll get to sleep in your Mommy's bed every night, with your head on her pillow and covered up with her covers.  And you will have to be taken on every trip and your Mommy might just have a meltdown at her Aunt Jami's house if she loses you for a few hours and can't find you.  


That's what I call LOVE!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy, BuNny BeAr!

this is what we do.

This is what 14 35 year old best friends do when they only see each other twice a year--->
They go to the Mall of America, walk around, and take pictures in interesting places.  

 They pretend they're mannequins.  Although the one on the right looks really mad at something!

 Notice the sign says, "...kids..."  These two are pretty good at acting their age, don't you think?

 AAAHHH!!  Help these poor mothers of three- they're in the shark cage.  Oh, whew!  Just a prop.  That sea turtle would have been fun to see though.
 

cousins

We've been in Minnesota for a few days.  We came to see Sidney's dance recital.  Isn't she gorgeous?

 We didn't realize it, but there are monkeys here who do tricks on the trampoline!

We've seen a bit of wrestling as well.

 The weather is beautiful and the cousins are playing so nice together.  It might be hard to get these kids home.

harvest 2012

If you know me well, you'll know that we just celebrated my favorite holiday- HARVEST. 
Trey and Gracie rode in the tractor pulling the grain cart with Jon.  

 Trey helped Papa take two loads to the elevator.

 Harvest was so early this year that we weren't completely miserable in the heat.

 Uncle Robert had to go to a different field so no one rode on the combine this year, but that was ok.  It's so fun just to be out there with Jon and Papa!  I often wonder what Jon learns from my kids while they "help" him. lol!