Father's Day

It's a few days belated, but then, that is the story of my life. We had a great Father's Day weekend. My family got to come spend the weekend with us, so my Dad got to be here to celebrate while the kids celebrated Cory. It was really nice to all be together. Cory spent the Saturday being a dad--taking the Elise and Emmy to a local kids museum for the morning. Elise loved it & Cory was so good to take them and let them play their little hearts out. Sunday morning I passed on our early meetings at church so that I could stay home and cook my Dad and Cory a good breakfast. So we had my Grandma's angel biscuits (which would have been much better if you'd never tasted my Grandma's before. :)), smoked sausage, and eggs. After church we had a a yummy lunch of roast beef, butter beans, and a few other fixin's. And of course, homemade apple pie for dessert. (Also my Grandma's recipe, but a much closer imitation than the biscuits...) I tried to fix some of Cory's favorite dishes since it was his special day. After lunch, he and Elise snuggled up for a nap. I don't know how comfortable it was, but it sure looked cute. :)

For father's day, we gave Cory a set of water guns (one for each of us so we could play together), a pair of UNC flip flops (b/c heaven knows he is running low on Tarheel gear ;)), a wallet thingie, and a quilt. The quilt was definitely the coolest part. It started out with the kids coming up with a list of things they love about their dad and things that he is good at. Here was their list: he is good at sports, good at using tools, sets a good example, he is the world's greatest dad, chooses the right, is a good painter, the #1 tarheel fan, good at putting out fires, we love that our dad reads us the scriptures, dresses us for church, provides for us, keeps us safe, holds us, vacations together, he is nice, he eats his vegetables, sings with us, he beeps the horn, we love snacking together, hugs and kisses, camping, he cleans our car, and he loves us. I thought their ideas were so creative and thoughtful. So we (mainly the kids with a little help here and there from me...) painted squares that I had cut out that represented each of their ideas. We filled in a few extra squares with handprints of each child, a few quotes, and a square that each child painted any way they wanted to. I think we ended up with about 35 squares in all. The kids helped each step of the way: the ideas, painting, and even the sewing. (They are great pedal pushes!) I wanted them to be involved b/c I think its always more meaningful when the kids come up with the gifts or help with them because they seem so much more from the heart that way.

Here is the quilt--it has a lot of imperfections, just like the real family that Cory puts up with each day. But there' s a lot of love in it, too, so hopefully that more than makes up for where it is lacking. :)

What really make the quilt special--those three rascals sprawled out on top of it. :)

I think Cory is such a wonderful Dad. He's so patient with the kids and so good to wrestle and play with them. They love it when he comes home from work and always try to convince him to stay home with us instead of going to work at all. He is great to spend time with the family and do fun things with us. He rescues us when we have crazy things happen, like flat tires or when we spill milkshakes in the car and he does it cheerfully. He can fix almost anything, most recently the door to the microwave when it stopped latching correctly. I was really impressed with that one. I have no idea how he did it, but he did, so that's all that matters. :) He's just as good a husband as he is a dad, so we all consider ourselves more than lucky to have him around. And he's cute on top of that! Can you seriously beat that? :)

I always think I did a pretty good job of picking a husband and a big reason I think that happened is because I have a great dad. He set a great example in my childhood home of showing me what a real man is like, so it was easy for me to spot one. I have so many good memories of my dad growing up: riding around with him on Saturdays to run errands (and usually ending up with a treat from the gas station or a yard sale), working on a project around the house or in the yard, having him play with us (water fights, tricks on the swingset, races, sports, etc.) It didn't seem to matter what the four of us kids were doing or how tough it might be for him to participate, he didn't seem to give that a second thought. He just jumped right in, sometimes literally. I love my dad so much and I'm so glad I got to spend father's day with the two great fathers in my life.

The Three Little Kittens

Elise wanted me to put make up on her face so she could look like a cat. Naturally, the other kids wanted to follow suit (because, as Elise will tell you, the kids are always copying her:)). So here are the three little cuties, all dressed up and as adorable as can be!!!

The Kids

Here are a few cute things the kids have said recently...

Elise told our baby-sitters the other night, after they'd finished playing "Carolina-opoly", that they'd better pick up all the pieces or her Daddy would go crazy. A friend gave him that game and if the pieces got lost he would go crazy. (It's just funny to think of Cory 'going crazy' over anything. )

Ian has started saying the letter "e" in place of the letter "a". For example if he wants alot of strawberries, he would say, "I want "e-lot" of strawberries." Or he might say, "I want e happy meal."

The other day Merry Grace asked for something and so I said to her, "What's the magic word?" She responded, "Four." I laughed over it so much that now she says that every time. :)

They are just toooooooo cute! :)

Myrtle Beach

We spent the last few days at Myrtle Beach with Neal & Amanda and family. It was a lot of fun. We didn't do anything dramatic, just spending time out at the beach or the pool. The kids loved, loved, loved playing together and we had fun visiting and getting some sun. We did have one minor mishap with Elise catching a 24 hour stomach bug, but we survived and it only cost her about 1/2 a day of play. One of our favorite things was a night trip to the beach to sit in the waves. The water temperature was fabulous and it was so nice and peaceful. I think that might have been one of the highlights. Another day at the beach a couple of sting rays swam within inches of Amanda and some of the kids. It was cool, but a little too close for comfort. The pool felt wonderful, the kids got so comfortable in the water which is fun to see, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Now I'm looking at a house that looks like it vomited its insides out, what with laundry, luggage and life in general spread out everywhere. :) Here are a few pictures of our fun times....
Here is official proof that I actually went on vacation with the family. :) I love having a snuggly baby. :)

Emmy and Charles Allen are running from the waves. This wasn't when the sting rays appeared, regardless of how Charles Allen looks. :) We love being on the beach!!!!

The sun got a little bright for this gal. Luckily, I brought my sunglasses to save the day.

Here is Elise, after surviving the stomach bug. Thankfully she recovered quickly and was able to enjoy the rest of the vacation.

My sunglasses were a big hit with all my kids. Here is Ian eating his apple after Cory & I "bited the peeling off" for him.


These girls are like two peas in a pod. I don't think they could be any closer if they were sisters. I think they've had about 2 disagreements in their whole 7 year friendship. They are always together if humanly possible and are most unselfish when thinking of the other. Aren't they cute?

Cory was great to play with the kids while I got a little sun. He never seems to tire of it all. The kids, obviously, think he's great and I couldn't agree more.

The other thing we did really well that I forgot to mention was snack!!! We had tons of snacks and made good use of them. Merry Grace just polished off a powdered sugar doughnut. I'm just guessing here, but I think it was yummy. :) The sand in her hair is courtesy of those two rowdy boys she tags along behind, Ian and Charles Allen.

Here is Ally in her cute little bathing suit. She spent more time on the edge of the pool than in it, but seemed to enjoy both ways equally well. She has the sweetest smiles and she and I bonded over pringles, goldfish, and iced animal crackers. :) Nothing like snacks to win the heart of 10-month old!

I think Charles Allen's favorite thing was the hot tub, although he did spend time in the big pool. I was afraid he was going to cook himself a time or two, but he didn't seem to mind. Luckily, when he got in the big pool, he kept safety forefront in his mind. I think he's going to stay afloat, but I'm not sure. ;)

Ian spent a lot of time at the edge of the pool yelling "Cannonball" and then running and jumping into the water. It was adorable, but it took a couple of days before he realized what a cannonball actually was.


Usually when I come home from a trip, I feel like I've got tons of cute pictures of the kids. This time, most of the pictures looked like this one, or were of the back of someone's head or their behind or other nonsense. So I did the best I could with what I had. We had a a great time, we're glad to be back home, but wish vacation would never end, too. :)

Please tell me no...

Yesterday the kids & I were hard at work getting the house scrubbed down and we were working together in the bathroom. Elise was doing mirrors, Ian the sink and myself the toilet. (Shocking, isn't it, that no one volunteered for that job?!) As I was on my hands and knees with my rubber gloves on, scrubbing around the toilet with a sponge, Ian says, "Mommy, I think you really need a toothbrush to clean the toilet." That struck me as a little odd, considering that I wasn't aware that he'd ever cleaned the toilet, or had any idea how to give it a deep clean. So I responded, "Well, that is a great way to clean the toilet really well, but we can get it clean even if we don't use a toothbrush." To which he said, "When me and Emmy cleaned the toilet, we used a toothbrush." I vaguely remembered a time when the cousins were together that they all went into the bathroom and cleaned it...but of course had no idea the toilet had been cleaned or that a toothbrush had been used! So I asked, "Did you throw the toothbrush away after you used it?" He gave me this puzzled look like he had no idea why I would ask such a question and then said, "I don't think so. I don't really remember what we did with it after we cleaned the toilet." I just kind of stood there, praying my little heart out that whenever he cleaned the toilet with the toothbrush, that it hadn't been mine he's used and that for heaven's sakes I hadn't used it afterwards!!!

A Cold

Apparently I have a cold, or something. It could be allergies, I guess. No one else in my house seems to have it, so who knows. It started Sunday morning when I woke up with a sore throat due to sinus drainage. (Isn't that just lovely?) My throat was irritated from it for the next couple of days. Then it progressed to the cough I have now. I haven't slept good since this started and last night was the worst. I took some cough medicine before bed, and slept a little while. Then I woke up and thought the coughing would not end. Every second it seemed like I had to cough. I was disturbing the entire house with my hacking and was just getting ready to go downstairs to give everyone some peace when Cory mentioned that it might be time for cough syrup again. He got the medicine for me and once it settled in I got a little more rest. It certainly wasn't enough, so today I have the cough, cold and a not-enough-sleep headache. I really don't feel sick (like achy, weak, or anything like that) its just the symptoms that are annoying. Hopefully I'll be feeling chipper again soon.

Brotherly Advice

The other night I had signed up to feed the missionaries and decided to feed them hamburgers and hot dogs. (It's that time of year, you know.) I decided to go with my blue cheese burgers because they're really yummy and after patting out a bunch, began cooking them. I'm still a little sensitive to cooking smells, so once the burgers were cooking, I began to notice an unpleasant aroma. Something smelled just like vomit. I began trying to sniff out the smell and finally decided it was the smell of the meat cooking. I was a little concerned by the smell, but had decided to chalk it up to one of of those weird pregnancy things when Elise (without my having said a word) goes, "What smells like throw up in here?" That is when I started to freak out just a little bit. Here I've put all this time and money into dinner, only to have it smell like vomit? I certainly don't claim to be Wolfgang Puck or anything, but I'm a decent cook. I don't cook things that smell like vomit. The raw burgers didn't smell that way, only the ones that were cooking. I was desperately debating how to solve this problem. So I called my family to see what their opinion was. I got a hold of two of my brothers and my mom, who offered some advice on what I could do. Ethan suggested adding some hot sauce or chili powder to the pan they were cooking in. His thinking was to mask or overpower the other smell with the "hot" smell. Adam thought setting something on fire might do the trick. Nothing like the smell of smoke to "throw" the smell. After talking to them, I just had to laugh. Their advice was so practical on one hand and so typically male on the other. :) They were so sweet to take time to help me solve my dinner dilemma. In the end, I realized the stainless steel pan I was cooking in had gotten too hot and the blue cheese had burned on the bottom of the pan, causing the "vomit smell". Thankfully, once we got that problem cleared up, dinner went off without a hitch. The burgers and hot dogs were delicious and no one is worse for wear for eating them. :) And I had fumigated the house in time, so no one knew about the earlier cooking woes. Why do things like that happen only when you're preparing for company?

Pictures and More

We've been busy little bees around here the last little bit. We've loved the amazing weather and have played outside as much as is humanly possible. So here are some cute pictures to document a little of what we've been doing the last few weeks. Do we have cute kids or what?


A few weeks ago, the kids were sad that Cory had to leave to go to some church stuff. So we made some "experiments" while he was gone. We mixed baking soda and vinegar together and then cleaned pennies with lemon juice and salt. Last, but certainly not least, we made "Goo". I'm not sure what the technical name for it is, but its basically food coloring, cornstarch and water. It is also quite messy. :) But the kids all had a good time and so did I. There really is something fun about playing with "goo".

Here are Elise and Ian getting into the mess of it all. I think this was right before Ian dunked a napkin in his and things started getting really messy.


This picture just cracks me up! Here is Ian with rubber gloves on his feet. He thought it was so funny to have them on his feet. I totally laugh every time I look at this picture. :)


We spent the day at the lake yesterday. It was so much fun and we all came home with a little dose of sunburn. You gotta love those little red cheeks!!! Now I feel like summer is really here.


This girl is just too cute. She may be small but she's got a lot of personality in one little body. :)



I love my little buddy! He's still so cuddly and snuggly. I hope he never outgrows it. I never used to understand the Mama's Boy thing until I had Ian. I can definitely see why mom's encourage it. :) Hopefully he'll end up with just the right amount.


I love that my kids love each other. The fight sometimes, but they love each other more than they get on each other's nerves. The other day, Elise and Ian were being silly in the car and started to get a little out of control. I tried to settle them down a little and Elise said, "I'm sorry Mama, but its just hard because Ian is my best friend in our family and we just like to have a good time together." How sweet is that?!


They love having their picture taken, especially if they can make silly faces! They would let me take pictures of them all day. I literally have at least 20 shots that look eerily similar to this one.


Merry Grace has the cutest grumpiness I've ever seen. It doesn't matter if she's mad or just pouting it is so adorable, all I want to do is scoop her up and smooch her to pieces. She just makes me laugh.



I don't know where this girl gets her spunk from, but she's got plenty to share. She had this cute little "get up" on and was singing her little heart out into the bubble container. What?!


This kid is looking for trouble. Do you see the look on his face?


This was his plan--fill up the fire pit and splash around in it. Like I said, trouble.


Elise has had a stubborn tooth that really needed to come out (it was being pushed out by the tooth behind it, to the point where it was crookedly hanging across her other front tooth) but was clinging on for dear life. Cory has tried to pull it on several occasions, but to no avail. By this point, Elise was pretty nervous about letting him try, but this time decided this morning that she was going to be brave and go for it. Before she would let Cory pull it, she said a prayer that she'd be brave and that her Daddy would be able to get it. It was so sweet. Then she opened wide and Cory got it in one BIG yank. Now she's the cutest, bravest, snaggletooth I've ever seen. I love that look! :)


This was Ian's "uniform" for getting lost balls from the hedge or in the woods. Quite creative, I'd say. I don't think it actually helped him get any balls, but he sure looked tough. ;)


After helping Merry Grace shoot baskets for a while, Merry Grace got "dunked" herself. I don't think she minds a bit.


What a cutie!!! We all just think this little girl is the sweetest little girl ever. She's spoiled rotten, but we like to call it "well-loved". It sounds so much better, doesn't it?

Why Not?

Ian would be so proud...

You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 90% Wonder Woman 70% Robin 67% Green Lantern 60% Superman 55% Supergirl 50% The Flash 45% Iron Man 45% Hulk 35% Batman 35% Catwoman 30%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Kids!

So Ian & I are just getting ready to go outside to paint our rocking chairs. I told him I needed to go put on my old paint clothes like I'd had him do. He looked at me and said, "Are those your new clothes that you got for Easter?" I told him the shorts I'd gotten for Mother's Day and the shirts weren't exactly new, but they were still good. He paused, looked me over and said, "Well, they all kind of look old anyway."

That comes after Elise's pregnancy comments this weekend. She looked at me and said, "You're getting really big!" Then she turned to Ian and said, "Mama is getting really fat because her baby is growing and growing!" Then she said literally 8 more times in one form or another, "Mama is getting soooooo big!", "I can't believe how big Mama is getting!", "Her baby must bet getting really big, because she is so big!" Obviously she doesn't know how that sounds to my pregnant (i.e. hormonal) ears. I told her to remember this conversation for when she was expecting her first child. I told her I wanted to see if by that time her perspective had changed at all. Besides, unless you're telling me how radiant and lovely I look, I really am not interested in hearing it. :)

Sometimes its just a good thing they're so cute!

Cinderella

I feel like I've cleaned up all day and haven't made a dent. Some days are like that, I guess. This morning I let Ian & Merry Grace play with some of our games. They had a blast with Twister (albeit with a healthy dose of making up their own rules) and the fishing game (where the fish spin around and they try to catch them with little plastic rods). Then Ian said he really wanted to play "the car game" (i.e. Life). I knew better than to get it out, but sometimes I'm a sucker, so I got it out anyway. What ensued was 45 minutes worth of fun for the kids and then 30 minutes of clean up that consisted of the three of us throwing the entire game away. (Life comes with a lot of pieces.) I will not be cleaning that game up again and I got quite a bit of clarity on why I should never have gotten it out in the first place. In the midst of that clean up, Merry Grace had to poopy, so that took its own time and clean up. Then we had lunch followed by the unloading and re-loading of dishes in the dishwasher. In the meantime, Ian pooped and in the process forgot to aim down and peed all over the floor surrounding the toilet. And since Ian was on the toilet, Merry Grace didn't bother to ask for help getting to the other one, she just peed in her clothes, down into her shoes and all over the floor. So after getting Ian straightened out, Merry Grace cleaned up and a few minutes scrubbing the floor around the toilet, here we are, ready to tackle the laundry. :) Just thinking about it all reminded me of something Ian said to me the other day. He had dumped out his rubbermaid container of cars in the bedroom floor and he and Merry Grace played with them while I folded and put away laundry. I was in the midst of my third load when they lost interest and started to move on to something else without cleaning up the toys. I called them back and put them to work. There are quite a few cars (maybe 30-40), but nothing excessive. While continuing to fold clothes, I noticed Ian slacking off in the clean up, so I reminded him he needed to finish the job. He looked up at me and said, "Why do you want me to do all the work?" I just laughed and told him to keep at it, all the while thinking, "Don't I wish!!!!"

Let's get this party started

I think I've mentioned before how we trade off baby-sitting with Cory's brother and sister each weekend. So one night we baby-sit and two nights we have a free baby-sitter. It's awesome and the kids love it so much that even the baby-sitting isn't too bad. Last night was our turn to baby-sit and since the weather is finally getting warmer we decided to roast hot dogs and marshmallows outside. We spent a little while getting things ready and Cory was hard at work getting a nice fire going. Just as the little ones started arriving, the heavens opened and we got a good soaking rain. Luckily there was no thunder, so while we worked on plan B, the kids ran around out in the rain and had a ball. Even though they're sweet, no one melted. :)

Gotta love those big sisters! :)

So after a quick change of clothes, we ate our hot dogs, burgers and chips inside. By that time the rain had stopped, so we went back out to roast marshmallows and play outside for a while.

Here are the kids standing around the fire pit. (And Kyleigh and Merry Grace driving around in the car. This looks like a pretty safe arrangement, but I saw some crazy driving going on!!!)

Looks like Charles Allen got his just riiiiiiight. :)

Ian was showing me how his marshmallow "fell" off into the fire. I'm sure it was an accident. ;)

Emmy got one toasted, too.

Yummmmmmy!

Once it got dark we came in and did a craft. The kids had fun and did a great job with it and turned out some beautiful artwork. After all the parents came back, we grown-ups visited a little while before everyone went back to their own homes. It was lots of fun!!! We enjoyed every minute of it, but Cory and I sure are looking forward to our date next week. :)

I had a birthday, shout "Hooray!!!"

So, yesterday was my birthday and it was lots of fun--as all birthdays should be. It started off with breakfast in bed. The sweetest part about it was that Elise woke up early and the first thing she thought of was fixing me a special birthday breakfast. She's so sweet and thoughtful. So she got Cory up and they headed off to the kitchen to cook eggs, grits, smoked sausage, and toast. Yum, yum! I received lots of nice electronic and phone call birthday wishes from friends and family throughout the day and then we celebrated with a party last night. We had chicken enchiladas (a family favorite--and luckily there were leftovers, so I can hardly wait for lunch!!!) and Cory made a moist chocolate bundt cake with triple chocolate fudge chip frosting. Can you really go wrong with that? It really was just as delicious as it sounds. Cory always remembers that I like to blow out the exact number of candles of the age I'm turning. I don't like to skimp or cheat. So I blew out 28 this year, and would have had them all in one breath were there not 6 trick candles mixed in with the others. :) We opened some presents, my visiting teachers stopped by with a message and treats, and the family blew up balloons and then ran into the room throwing them at me yelling "happy birthday" at the top of their lungs over and over. :) Cory and the kids were so sweet and thoughtful and did little things throughout the day to make me feel special. So "yay" for my family and "yay" for birthdays--why don't we party again today? :)

My kids look like...

I tried the my heritage look-a-like meter for the final proof on who my kids look like. According to this expert resource, Elise looks 25% more like me, Ian looks more like me by 8%, and Merry Grace looks equally like both Cory and I. I used the same picture of Cory and I for each test, however, I think the picture you use can make a difference. I think its funny, though, because most everyone thinks the kids look more like Cory, especially Ian. And, I've had more comments about Merry Grace looking like me than the other two. :) Who know?! But I think my kids are the cutest things ever, no matter who they look like!!!

A couple of Kid Funnies

About a week ago Elise had a t-ball game and the kids played at the park afterwards. Apparently she got some sand in her eye near the end of the evening and had been trying to get it out for some time. When they were almost home Cory suggested that she pull down her eyelid and look around. She tried it and immediately said, "Wow! That really worked." Pause... "You really should have told me that a long time ago!"

Ian carried in something heavy from the car and I was quite impressed. I told him how strong and amazing he was. He replied, "Yeah I know. I really couldn't have done that without myself!"

The Good Stuff

Lest you think the weekend only held craziness, let me tell you about the good stuff. Obviously, it was Mother's Day weekend and my family did not disappoint. We went out Saturday afternoon and I got to pick out some desperately needed maternity clothes with some money I'd been saving and some birthday money from my folks. I've had a much more difficult time with clothes this go-round, but found several cute things that I think will be nice. The kids each bought me one of these cute shirts I love for Mother's day and the fixin's for a bacon, eggs and grits breakfast. Then we went to Lowe's and picked out the hanging baskets I've been wanting for forever for our front porch and plants to go in them. They are great and I'm so excited about them. They also got me the (as seen on TV) "Ped-Egg". I've seen these, but were in not for the recommendation of a trusted sister-in-law, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it. Even with the plug for it, I was a little taken aback when I opened the package to see what looked like a cheese grater for my feet. I was hesitant and nervous before using it, but went for it anyway. And I'm a convert!!! It worked great and I have the smoothest feet after only a couple of uses. I can see why it came so highly recommended and I'm glad I didn't chicken out. Cory and the kids were so cute after getting in the car at each stop they would chorus, "Happy Mother's Day!!!" We ended the trip with Papa John's Pizza (my favorite pizza) and I would totally consider it a success. Since we had a rough night with Max's allergic reaction and Cory's swollen appendage, we postponed the yummy breakfast until Monday morning. Elise made me several cute things at school, a poem, a note she typed in computers, "You are so speishle because your blessed with many things. I love you so much. I love when you tuck me into my bed. I love when you plane me a birthday party for me and my friends. Love, Elise Barnett", and a booklet she made complete with illustrations. "My favorite thing about my mom is when she takes me to the beach on Saturdays. I like it when my mom takes me to the musem. I really love it when my mom says: I love you Elise. This is what I really want to say to my mom on Mother's Day: I hope you have a good day. When my mom is all dressed up she looks like an angel. I love her most when she give me a hug." I mean, seriously, how sweet is that?! I got lots of love, lots of hugs and lots of kisses. I'm not the best mom in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but I love my kids to pieces and I know they love me. Thank goodness we've learned to put up with one another. :) It sure makes things a lot more fun.

Craziness and Clean-up Kids

Yesterday was a hectic day, following a hectic weekend. Over the weekend we'd had Cory and Ian's Father/Son Camp out. Elise had a T-ball game and afterwards a party/sleepover at a friend from church's house on Friday night. Not surprisingly, she and her cousin Emmy decided around midnight that they weren't quite up to the sleepover. So I woke up Merry Grace, loaded her in the car and went to rescue Elise. :) It was later than late when we got home, only to have a bad storm blow in with lots of lightning and hail. (It really turned out to be a good thing that I got Elise, no matter how inconvenient it was, as the home she'd been staying at was hit even worse by the storm and several people in that area felt like a tornado had started to form but never touched down, as they heard the "train" noise one makes and felt like the windows might blow out.) Anyway, while we were quite safe from the storm, we woke up to find a tree in our front yard split in two, most likely from lightning. Add to that mix of weekend mischief our dog Max having some sort of allergic reaction to the flea and tick medicine I gave him, Elise developing what seemed to be an ear infection, Cory having his hand and arm swell up from a bee sting, our new kitty running away, and a couple of sleepless nights due to all the aforementioned situations. So yesterday started off with a trip to the doctor to check on Elise's ear--definitely an ear infection. Then I came home to clean up the house. I was a little less than thrilled by the mess that awaited me, which was bigger than usual due to the craziness of the weekend. Elise couldn't really go to school at this point, so she was there to help with things. She was so sweet to make sure that her room and Ian's room got cleaned up, without my even asking them. She knew we had a big job before us and just pitched in and helped. They also completely unloaded the dishwasher, and put away everything within their reach, with even a little help from Merry Grace. It was very cute and I was quite impressed with how well they did. Thank goodness for the clean-up kids. :) They're such a big help.

Father/Son Campout

Ian went with Cory to the Father/Son camp out on Friday night. He's been looking forward to it all week, with really no concept of time or days or when it was going to happen. He spent Friday deciding what to pack in his Superman backpack, with clothes and flashlights being at the top of the list. I'm not really sure what all they did on the camp out, since I've had to rely only on the reports from Cory and Ian. Basically, the highlight for Ian was sleeping in the tent. He had fun playing with Avery, his constant companion while there. Cory said it was easy to keep track of him when he was playing around the campsite that night because he had a flashlight that could be either white or red light and he liked the red. So Cory could just watch out for the red light. I think its so neat that Cory's willing to tackle the camp out with rambunctious little Ian, and I think its adorable that Ian thinks camping with his dad is the greatest thing ever. Believe it or not, I even got the boys to take a few pictures while they were there. :) Here's the proof they had an awesome time!!!
Here are the official campers, loading up the car and getting ready to head off for lots of fun. They are so cute I just want to scoop them both up and hug them to pieces. :) (Sorry, Cory, but you really are adorable. :))

Here is Ian eating a campfire-roasted hot dog. Thank goodness for hot dogs, without them he would be one step away from starvation. :)


If there is a stick around anywhere, Ian will find it. A campsite is heaven for him, then. I love his Spiderman jammies, too. Cute, cute, cute. :)

One other cute story from the camp out was after Ian came home. Cory had already showered and freshened up, when Ian noticed he wasn't wearing the same shorts from earlier. Ian said, "I put something in your pocket for Mommy, but you already took those shorts off." He was very distraught over possibly losing this thing he had brought home for me. Cory took him by the hand and they found the shorts Cory had worn, looked in the pocket, and found Ian's surprise. Ian was so excited to bring me one cherry starburst. He was very cute telling how someone had given him one and it was so good that he got another one for me because he thought I would like it. I was touched to be remembered, even on the fun Father/Son camp out. :)

Mother's Day

With tomorrow being Mother's Day, I didn't think I could let the day pass without making
mention of the occasion. At my bridal shower, the grandmother of one of my friends offered her congratulations and said, "You know, you come from a long line of elect ladies." That thought struck me as I thought about my wonderful mother, my sweet little grandmother, and on back for many generations that I either knew personally or had heard stories of from those who knew them. I realized how fortunate I was to have been born into a family of strong, good, women who loved the Lord. I'm so grateful for the legacy they have left me. A little closer to home, however, is my own mother. I've always loved my mom and we've always been close--kindred spirits, perhaps. She's such a good person, patient, creative, thoughtful, fun and loving. When I was younger I really thought I knew my mom and who she was and how she lived. And then I had Elise. Suddenly, as I began to take care of her, I realized how many quiet acts of love my mom performed for me and my siblings. If anything, that is her distinguishing characteristic. I would remember things she'd said, something she'd done, and suddenly, as a mother myself, I saw her through new eyes. I wished I could go back and be a little more grateful, a little more kind, a little more understanding. Unfortunately, that isn't how it works. :) All I can say is that, little bylittle, I am infinitely more grateful for the mother she was to me as I was growing up and the mother she is to me now. If I can even do half as well as she did, I feel sure I can be pleased with my efforts. I found this poem by Edgar Guest (who I love), called "It takes heap o' livin'". I thought of my mom when I read this, because more than anything, my mom helped create a home where we could do a heap o' livin' and a heap o' lovin'. Happy Mother's Day, Mama. I love you--and not just on mother's day! :)

It Takes a Heap o' Livin'

It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
It don't make any differunce how rich ye get t' be,
How much yer chairs an' tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped round everything.

Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it's home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it;
Within the walls there's got t' be some babies born, and then
Right there ye've got t' bring 'em up t' women good, an' men;
And gradjerly, as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn't part
With anything they ever used -- they've grown into yer heart:
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; an' if ye could ye'd keep the thumb marks on the door.

Ye've got t' sing an' dance fer years, ye've got t' romp an' play,
An' learn t' love the things ye have by usin' 'em each day;
Even the roses 'round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they 'come a part o' ye, suggestin' someone dear
Who used t' love 'em long ago, an' trained 'em jes' t' run
The way they do, so's they would get the early mornin' sun;
Ye've got t' love each brick an' stone from cellar up t' dome:
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home.

It's a boy thing...

Usually, when Elise has her piano lessons, the kids and I just play around Ms. Robyn's yard with a ball we brought during her 30 minute lesson. The other day, Merry Grace had fallen asleep and so Ian decided to take his tennis ball outside and throw it and chase after it. He played for a while, then came back to the car and climbed in the front seat beside me. He began looking through the glove compartment and pulled out the manufacturer's booklet. I was supposedly reading a magazine, but watching him was quickly becoming more entertaining, so I pretended to keep reading, all the while just watching his super cuteness. He opened the book and began looking at some diagrams of the seats. His little forehead was furrowed and it was obvious he was deeply fascinated by what he was seeing. Then he turned around and counted the seats in the back, looked back at the booklet to count the seats in the diagram, and then with a firm nod of his head and a confident "Yes!", the booklet was proven correct. For several more minutes, he turned pages, looked at pictures, muttered comments under his breath and examined little things around him in the car. After a few minutes, he looked over at me and asked, "Is this book yours?" I explained what the book was for, knowing that he really wanted the book for his own. (side note: He has a serious habit of wanting to keep certain things he sees that someone else has. So far he's never taken something that didn't belong to him, but he isn't shy about requesting household objects--pine cones, tree ornaments, flashlights, etc.--to have. He always says he'll let you borrow it, though. :)) I told him he couldn't have the book, but that he could look at it anytime he'd like. He took the book out in the sunshine and looked at it for a good 10 or so minutes longer before Elise's lesson ended. It was such an adorable, manly thing to do. I think I would rather be strung up by my toes and beat with a wet noodle, rather than have to read the car's owner's manual. BORING!!!! But Ian loved it. That's a boy for you...
Do you not just want to smooch this little guy? :)

The Birthday Girl

Yesterday was Elise's 7th Birthday. Lucky seven. Each year I say, "I can't believe she's (fill in the blank with whichever age she is turning)!" This year was no exception. What really strikes me about this birthday, is that my youngest brother had just turned 7 when Cory & I got married. He was down last weekend and he's now almost 16, creeping in on 6 feet tall and not at all the little boy with the buzz cut who couldn't keep his shirt tucked in. And our wedding day seems like it was just yesterday. So I'm afraid I'm going to blink and Elise will be 16. So leading up to yesterday, I reminisced about the day Elise was born and how she's already seven years old.

When Cory & decided it was time to start our family, we couldn't have been more thrilled, excited, nervous and unprepared for the adventure before us. After what seemed to be a never-ending nine months and an even longer delivery, the doctor handed a sweet little swaddled bundled to me that changed my life forever.
We spent that first year taking care of the house together, walking around outside, having picnics with Daddy and letting her discovering everything she could about this world around her and me trying to figure out how to be a mother. Before I knew it, she had turned 1. And she was the cutest thing I had ever seen.
By the time her second birthday rolled around, we had moved, I had had to begin disciplining her from time to time (that was very hard the first go round. I just wanted to love her all the time, not put her in time out!!!!), we were preparing for a little brother to join the family, and she was growing and developing into this sweet, helpful, grown-up little girl.
By her third birthday, we had moved yet again. We had adjusted to aforementioned little brother. Elise became a little mother to him. She was sweet, sassy, totally a little girl and spent her days playing with cousin Emmy. Her main activity consisted of filling up every purse she could find with complete nonsense and walk around like she was queen of the castle. I will never forget her and Emmy going into the playroom with toy shopping carts and stuffing them full of 50 random things they could pull out and walk around the house pushing those carts like they were 25. It was adorable and hilarious and endearing.

With her fourth birthday, had come yet another move (is there a trend here?) and I suddenly began to realize what a big girl she really was becoming. I was looking at her last year at home before school started!!!! We always had so much fun and it was fun watching her and Ian play together. One of my favorite memories was of them playing Barbies together (being the big sister means having your way a lot!!!). Elise had hers all dressed, hair brushed and the dolls lined up on the edge of a blanket, ready for some grand imaginary activity. Ian had a doll in his hand, zooming it around the room like an airplane, complete with sound effects!!! What a difference, but how fun it was. Elise also showed even more her talent for cleaning up. It truly is a gift!!!
For once, her fifth birthday was held in the same house as her fourth!!! I could see Elise's sweet, sensitive nature even more. She was very aware of others feelings, and began to emerge as a peacemaker in our home. She also developed a healthy sassy streak (from where is a mystery;)). Her own sense of fashion really began to become apparent as she would decide what to wear what looked good and no amount of talking could convince her otherwise. We had also welcomed another little girl into our family a mere three months before and Elise was most definitely in LOVE with that baby!!!
Last year was her sixth birthday. In the last year she's developed more talents and has really begun to shine in our family. She loves music, she's somewhat double jointed and quite pleased with the fact that she can "creep people out". She's more and more independent, a great little chef, still a peacemaker, a loving, caring, wonderful big sister with a heart of gold and a joy to have in our home. Now, with another little sister on the way, I have no doubt that Elise is ready for the challenge. Here was our little snaggle-tooth yesterday on birthday number seven. The time has flown by. Like with anything in life, there are ups and downs. But this little girl is the light of our life. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed by the love I feel for her. I wish I could adequately express the feeling I have, but there are just no words. I heard a quote one time that said, "There are two lasting gifts you can give your children. One is roots, the other is wings." The more and more I watch Elise grow, I think the roots are the easy part. The wings are too, I guess. It's just the part where I watch her fly that tugs at my heartstrings a little more. I think I also understand why my parents wanted me to build a house in their backyard. :)


Happy Birthday, Elise!!!

A little funny...

Cory was showing Ian a picture of his family when they were all young. He pointed to himself and said, "Ian, do you know who this is?" Ian looked for a minute and finally guessed, "Joseph Smith?"

So the Verdict is...

In case the new look of the blog didn't give it away, here's the news...we're having a GIRL!!!!

A short tag

My beautiful, smart & fun cousin Lisa tagged me!

The rules state that I must use the letters of my middle name and describe myself with words using the corresponding first letter...
(the pressure's on!)

Generous
Responsible
Amicable
Creative
Engaging

Now, I tag three people: Susan, Kristin (if she isn't too busy having a baby :)), and Lynetta. And just for good measure, let's see if Katie and Elise want to tackle it!!!