Moving Days…

What a beautiful weekend!  Sunshine, temp was right around 50 degrees all weekend, and everyone is feeling better.  Yeah!  We spent the whole weekend around the house and got a lot done.  Moving was our theme…  (No, we are not moving to another house!!!)  Just moving stuff around here.

The boys spent a good portion of Saturday hanging out in the front yard while their dad worked on trimming up some trees.  Still recovering the yard from the ice storm last winter.  Riley and Braden were pretty engrossed in “the dirt hole”.  They hadn’t been able to play out there much all winter.  The dirt hole is our version of a sandbox.  When you live where there is sandy soil, who needs to build an actual sandbox, the whole yard is our sandbox.  This just happens to be a permanent location that is disturbed often enough to keep any grass from growing back.  First on the moving list… Branches.  Trimmed up our last lone Bradford Pear tree.  We spared it from being toppled another year to see if it fills back in a little.

Next on the list…  Picnic table.  Ross’ dad built the boys a little picnic table while he was here a few weeks ago.  We have a plastic picnic table, but it lives in the living room.  About 5 years ago we got it and intended to put it outside.  It is just too great of a spot for the boys inside though.  So we talked grandpa into building a wooden one to put outside.  I think it will be a hot spot this summer.  =)  Don’t mind the fact that the boys look less than thrilled…  They were just tired of their mom making them sit there to get a picture of both of them looking at the camera.  It is moments like these that I wish I had a pause button for each of them.

Move number 3…  I am soooooooooo happy about this one.  The swingset has a new home!  I was kind of surprised when Ross started in on this move today.  It is now in the front yard!!!!!  YEAH!!!!!  It used to live on the concrete next to our screen room.  I tried to prod politely for a long time that it needed to move.  I guess good things do come to those who wait.  At least that is what Ross tells me all the time.  I just don’t like to have to  wait too long.  =)

We finished off the weekend with a fire.  Riley worked hard Saturday to load up his wagon with sticks and firewood so that we could cook hotdogs.  He even cooked for me.  Makes us want to go camping.  Time to start getting the gear gathered and put back in the little trailer.  Nicer days are just around the calendar.  More and more time to be spent outside!  We are ready, are you?

Blah!

That sums up the general feeling around our house lately!!!!

BLAH!

We all battled a stomach virus over the weekend...

Blah!

It was a beautiful day Sunday, but we had no energy. Still recovering then.

Blah!

Everyone back to normal Monday, until we discovered Riley was getting strep.

Blah!

Tuesday took Riley to the doctor to confirm that he has strep.

Blah!

Wednesday Riley had to miss his kindergarten field trip because he has strep.

Blah!

Yet we are still smiling anyway. Here is looking to brighter days ahead!!!!!!!

Mixed Emotions…

I know it has been a few days.  Please excuse the absence.  It has been a crazy week or so…

February 11th—TanMan turned one!!!!     Where in the world does time go?  Seems like just last week we were bringing him home!  Oh, how he has grown and changed and fit into our family so perfectly.  Who would have guessed that we could love him soooo much!  His brothers are certainly at the top of his list of admirers.  Along with his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors down the drive, friends down the road, the little ladies at the grocery store, you name it.  His smile will hook anyone in a heartbeat.  Just look at it, aren’t you hooked too?

 

February 12th-15th—Headed north.  We spent last weekend in IL to celebrate TanMan’s 1st birthday.  It was a good time!

He loved smashing his cupcake to smithereens!  Until he discovered how yummy it was, then he wanted it back on the highchair tray.  “Hey, that is yummy!  Give me some more daddy!” 

   

Braden didn’t care what was going on, at least once he got his cupcake!  Talk about some intent concentration to make it disappear…  Riley, our non-cake eater, was tickled to share TanMan’s birthday with a customized nutty bar.  Grandma made it into a number one in honor of the birthday boy.

 

Ah, such simple pleasures…  Cupcakes and nutty bars.

Ross, our personal cake master, did the honors of decorating Grandma Pogue’s fresh baked cupcakes.  I think he did an awesome job.  (I might be a little bit partial though.)  Love the number one, and of course the initials.  A road is a perfect addition for any of our motor head boys.  They have all had the built in motor noise from an early age.  After thought—could have done paper cars on toothpicks to put on the road.  Oh Well, hindsight is 20/20.  There is always next time.  I think more cakes are on the horizon.  Two more b-day’s in March.  Be on the lookout for trains and dinosaurs.

February 17th—Our loss…  Willow died today.  We had her for 5 short months.  It was a terrible accident, but she was hit by a car and didn’t make it.  Crazy Chocolate Lab will be missed!  She brought a lot of smiles to our faces while she was with us.  Now she joins Keno and KittyKat up in heaven.  Riley is glad that Keno and Kitty will be able to help take care of her.  =) Love you Willow Dog!!!!!

Sure hope things calm down a little over the next couple of weeks.  I need a break!

Catch ‘ya again soon!

Guys in the Ktichen

We just made it through another cold, damp weekend in southeat Missouri. We had another round of snow Friday night that melted pretty quickly Saturday morning leaving everything nice and mucky. So... What do you do with bored boys? Bake a cake.

Braden was as eager as could be to help any way that he could. He found a permanent perch on a chair by the stove. Daddy was sure brave to give him the bag of cake mix! Boy did he take his job seriously though.


Yep, it's good. Stamp of an almost 3 year old's approval.


Not a big fan of cake, Riley decided to just hang out on the couch and read a magazine. He is amazing us with his reading right now. I thought I would have to help him a lot, but nope... He didn't need me. I hear him reading words like hover, feathers, and distances! My mouth might have dropped open a couple of times in amazement. Yep, I am a proud parent to a reading Kindergartener.


"Can I help? You can't say no to these baby blues! And it is my birthday cake you are practicing to make, dad."


The finished product... A cheetos orange volkswagon beetle. Watch out Ross, TanMan is going to get it!


I think they have watched too many episodes of Cake Boss. The cake was baked in a special (cast iron) pan, knives carved just oh so carefully, and the hair dryer came out to perfect the icing. But they are sure proud of their creation.

Snow Construction Crew

We still have snow on the ground from last Saturday. Doesn't usually last this long around here. I know it will be very short lived now. It is raining here tonight, that doesn't mix well with snow. I still have a big bowl of snow in the freezer though. That will be a fun surprise for the boys in a few days when the snow is long gone from the ground around us.

The boys certainly had a great time with the snow last weekend. I could post for days with all the pics I took! Check out my construction crew...

He did not have time to partake in such antics as ridng in a kayak behind the 3-wheeler today....

By Golly, there was work to be done! Look at all this snow that needs to be moved. Gotta be able to get mom's van out!

Hmm.... What is Braden doing now? I might need to go check that out.

Yeah, I will just stay here and keep dad company. Gotta take advantage while the gettins good. You guys have fun though.

Watcha doin? Need a little help?

Two machines are better than one.

Yep, this is fun.

Escape from Reality: Foggy Dawn

WOW!!!! What a beautiful sight. The past two mornings we were greeted with an awesome winter scene. Hoarfrost. Feathery frost crystals formed on everything! Once again on Sunday, I took advantage of a weekend morning with Ross home to watch the boys and bundled up to head outside and enjoy the peacefulness of the morning. Camera in hand and Willow at my heals we set off. You can see above the sight that awaited right outside the door.


Ambling around our little patch of trees showed that beauty can be seen everywhere. This "weed" took on a new appearance covered in frost. It looked like a beautiful crystal covered jewel. Pine trees wore coats of white fur. The starkness of a typical winter morning had disappeared for a few hours.



The morning was quiet... Pristine... Tranquil... Although I don't make it out for too many sunrises, It certainly is refreshing every now and then. This was a day that would have been wonderful to have a life remote with a pause button. =)