Bringing the outside in

Uh…  Sorry that I disappeared again!  I have to make this stop happening!  You would think that my days now should be the same as they were in the winter when I posted so much more often, but I think as days have gotten longer, time is slipping away more!  I don’t know how that happens.  =)

Anyway, I wanted to share some pics of our most recent little big project here.  Re-creating usable access to our backyard again.  And yes this really was a little BIG project.

We decided the weather had been beautiful and we wanted to open the house up a bit to let some fresh air in.  So we literally took this to heart!  Yep, there is Ross tearing out the door frame for our french doors on an incredible Friday afternoon with outstanding weather predicted all weekend.

Now some of you might be asking “WHY?!?!”  Well… Long story short…  We have been here 8 years, replaced these doors once before, found that they have continued to leak, now had kitchen floor damage too.  Something had to be done.  What better time than the present?

So Ross comes home from work on a Friday afternoon shortly after boys started napping, drags out some tools, and starts to destruct repair our home.  He grabs the sawzaw.  UH!  Kids are napping.  “Well, they may not now,” he says with a grin on his face.  Hmm… We will see. “If they don’t, that just means more helping hands,” I replied with a grin on my face.  AMAZINGLY THEY SLEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  At least for a little while…  Then we had to get Riley from school and wake them up.  Yes wake them up with power tools running in the house.  All in all…  The weekend was an adventure of repairs.  Thank goodness Ross is fully capable of handling such a task, and has the patience to include his little helpers when possible.  5 days later we had doors in place and most of the mess cleaned up.  Everything went pretty smoothly.  Here are a few more of the highlights for you to enjoy.

Everyone is lending a helpful hand…

What a mess!!!!!!!! Braden “WOW! Wow.”  Riley, with a serious tone of voice “The holes are getting bigger and bigger!!!”Still more mess before things get better. Let me get these for you dad. Whatcha doin?  Whereya goin? You look funny down there dad!  Are you done yet?  do you need this?  Doors in.  Boys locked in.  Lock on door backwards, so dad locked them in.  Ooops!  Fix that in the morning.

Sure glad that this is over.  It was trying at times.  Wouldn’t have been bad if our boys didn’t have those handy man genes.  It is in their blood to help with projects!  Go for a walk out back?  No way!  They might have missed out on something!  Whew!  I did talk the boys into going to watch a parade and see a model train display on Saturday, but I had to do a little coaxing.  =)  I am glad they are learning fix-it skills early.  They will make it in the world.

So…  Any exciting little big projects going on with you? 

Let’s Get Out!!!

Did you think we got lost?  I don’t know where in the world the past month has gone!  I really don’t know!  Oh, wait…  Swim lessons 3 nights a week, March birthdays, puppy training, school, playing with the boys, dishes, laundry, and sleep.  That’s right.  Not much extra time left in life right now.

Wild winds kept us inside most of the past week.  UGH!  The wind was so horrible.  During the few times that we did venture out of the house, I thought TanMan was going to blow away!  His little newly walking legs were just no match for gusty breezes.  We made it though.  We even tried to escape to the back side of the house, but that was not really any better.  So, on Thursday when we woke up to calmness, we knew it was time to get out!  Three boys and a lab needed to get the wiggles and cantankerousness out of their systems.

They were soooo ready.  By the time I finally got my shoes on, everyone else was lined up at the door “patiently” waiting.  Bikes needed to be ridden.  Dump trucks needed to move dirt.  T-ball needed practiced.  Swings needed occupied.  Bird nests needed to be found.  Three acres of trees needed explored.  Little legs needed to run.  Voices needed to be loud.  You get the drift.

So we headed out.  Tension lessened.  Laughter abounded.  Boys had a blast!  It felt good.  I am so glad that we spend much time outside.  Imaginations come alive.  Moods lighten.  It just refreshes everyone.

 

Hmm…  Wonder what they were up to?  Looks like they are scheming about something! 

 

 

TanMan had an absolute blast!  He walked those little legs off.  He is certainly on the go now.  It was just about a week and a half ago that he really started walking much.  He had taken a few steps here and there, but had been content to just crawl.  Finally he decided that it was time to walk.  He already acts like a pro!  You know, grass is not exactly level and easy to walk on.  Just try to tell him that if you want to!!!!  I don’t think he will believe you.

         

 

Well… Gotta go catch up with these guys!

 

A little delayed due to another internet issue!  Blah…  So much for trying to be productive yesterday!

Crazy.....

WOW!!!!! Time Flies!

Things around here have been crazy busy lately! Whose idea was all of this? Oh!!!! I guess most of it was MY idea!

1. Get new puppy
2. Swim lessons 3 nights a week for boys
3. Drive 40 minutes to get to swim lessons 3 nights a week
4. Birthday party for boys
5. More swim lessons
6. Lose Internet--suffer withdrawl.
7. Holiday weekend--Dye easter eggs, get ready for easter bunny
8. Riley's spring break next week
9. Ross to Mississippi for a night soon
10. More swim lessons in the midst of all this.

Sometime we have found a little time to sleep and eat along the way. I will be glad when the middle of April will be here. Then we can trade swim lessons for T-Ball! Sure do have a great deal of respect for those who do this kind of schedule all year long! I don't think I could at this point! Wouldn't trade it for the world though.

Meet Nova

We would like to introduce you to the newest member of the household…

Nova, is a 6 week old chocolate lab pup.  What an adorable bundle of fur!  She has wrinkles on her legs, nose, and face.  Those eyes can melt you in a second.  She definitely loves to be with people!  The family that we got her from had 5 pups and had them all hanging out in their living room every evening.  Nothing seems to bother her at all.  Her favorite thing to do is curl up on your lap.  Little does she realize that there will not be room for 80 pounds of lab on our laps in just a few months.

She has taken to the boys and follows them wherever they go.  The other day they had her running all around our six acres.  She was one tuckered pup.  She did her best to keep those little puppy legs moving so that she could stay right next to Riley and/or Braden.  She usually picked which ever boy was leading the way.  By the second trip back in the trees, I gave her a bit of a break to ride in the bottom basket of the stroller.  She fits right now, but won’t for long.  She liked it but at the same time was not content either.  She could not see those boys then.  Every time she bailed and caught up with the leader of the pack.

The boys are all crazy about her.  Everyone keeps a close eye on where Nova is.  She and Tanner do have a bit of a love hate relationship right now.  As long as things are on his terms all is o.k.  If Nova licks and he is not ready, No good.  If he pets her, all is great!  =) 

Riley helped us pick out the name.  I had a list of some that I liked and planned to show Ross.  Well…  Riley decided the other day that he wanted to ask to take the puppy outside for a while while the other boys napped.  He had been calling her Anastasia because that is what the girls from the family that had her picked as a temporary name.  Well…  He came over and said, “Mom, can I take (Long pause)… Can I see your list of names?”  Looks at the list.  “Nova.  Can I get Nova’s leash and take her outside for a while?”  I told him we had to talk to dad and decide on a name as a family.  He just said that he was calling her Nova until then.  Well it stuck.  =)

Oh, it will be an entertaining spring.