And Then! ...

And Then...

Lightning flashed, huge raindrops fell, winds picked up, and the night looked pretty bleak!

(See all the white-caps out on the lake? The wind was Blowing - Hard!)

It kind of ruined a great set-up. Most everyone was in the swim area. I was shucking corn on the cob to put on the grill, Jermie's smoked chicken was almost ready to eat, Ashton was running around with a water gun getting a big thrill out of getting Brad and spraying me directly in the back! We had the camp set up, dinner almost ready, lots of hungry swimmers about to come in to enjoy a great meal, friends on the way...

But when the winds picked up, I was packing up lawn chairs, chasing down empty pop boxes and other things that were blowing away, and - oh yeah - answering my cell phone which was going crazy with inquiries from friends who were planning to come out for the night.

Brian and Jen were already half-way down from Wichita. Derby was also getting hit pretty hard by a storm at that time.

"You can turn around!?" I didn't know what to tell anyone!

It looked like there would be NO party at the lake this evening. :(

And remembering the Huge Rains on July 5th,
Jermie and I were ready to take Beau and Darcy and head into town where we would all be more comfortable.

And then...

Being great troopers, Alfredo & Brandy offered to just load up their camper and park it in front of our house for the night.

:) Yay! Great beaming smiles returned!

It was a great plan. Caden, Mya and Macy would all have their familiar beds, and Brandy had a monitor so she would know when their little one woke up.

In a huge parade we headed home. The camper, pulled by Jermie, me with a gaggle of kiddos, Beau, Darcy & Laken, Brad & Whitney with the boat...

and Brian & Jen, Adam & Jill, and Grandma Peggy, who arrived in time for None of the fun camping weekend but all of the crazy birthday party that followed! :)

Everyone had to entertain themselves once we got to the house. I was in the kitchen dashing around and trying to prepare a great meal. It was. Jermie's chicken is always terrific, plus we had Brandy's green bean casserole, potato salad, baked beans, roasted and boiled ears of corn on the cob with honey butter, chips & cheese dip. Whew! :)

After dinner, of course it was late and time to give the birthday boy the attention he deserved.

Presents:

Happy Birthday wishes while he blew out the candle:

And cupcakes for everyone!

After just a bit more of playing and other rowdiness, Brian, Jen and kiddos had to head home to put theirs to bed. Darcy put Laken down, Brandy took hers out to the camper, and mine were asleep within minutes of their sweet heads touching the pillows! :)

Ahhh, what a night! What an awesome birthday night. :)

Next Blog: Saturday evening continues with Alfredo's Birthday Party pics! :)

Relaxing at the Lake

Ashton's birthday party weekend: Wonderful!

Friday was an unusual day. I was working from home and had time during the day to pack and get ready. Nice! Brandy brought lunch over & we had Nieves' - SO Yummy! :) Friday night she and I loaded two coolers, all of my bedding & bags, and ALL of our kiddos into the Envoy & we were hanging out at the lake by 5:30. Ahhh, a sigh of relief!

Jermie was the man of the camp site for a few hours. He hauled water in for the kiddie pool, and our kids were in heaven. :)

Alfredo & Caden got there late, and Beau, Darcy and Laken all got there even later. Eventually all the kiddos were in bed and us three couples had a beautiful sky, cool breeze and beautiful view - stars and moon over the lake - to soak in and enjoy. We did. It was great fun! When it was past midnight and our rebel rouser husbands started talking about mudding, I decided to call it a night! Glad to say, wasn't long after and the guys did too!

Saturday morning Brandy & I made possibly the best campsite breakfast in the history of camping - yumm! Poor Darcy was left to watch all the kiddos! :) And after we all ate, we returned to our camp chairs and the kids to the pool and we spent the morning having fun with our family and friends.

During nap time, Jermie and a pretty big group took the boat out and went skiing. Darcy and I stayed back with the kids, sat in the shade, ate a lot of sunflower seeds and shared a lot of girl talk. Brad and Whitney arrived for the fun a little later. To make up for missing out on the boat ride, all the kids went to the swim area when the boat got back. Everyone was just loving life at the lake!

UNTIL... (dark & dramatic dant-dant-DA!)

To Be Continued!

Birthday Weekend... brief

I have 300+ pictures of Ashton's birthday weekend & got them all edited this morning. Haven't started on a single collage, though, so still lots of work ahead. On the list: pics from last Wednesday when Jen came down and we hung out at the house, talked, and let the kids play. Friday night, chilling at the campsite with our kiddos playing in a kiddie pool and climbing the tiny tree in the middle of our camp. Saturday, more pictures in the kiddie pool and some in the swim area at the lake, then lots of pics from the party that we Moved To Our Home because of an approaching storm! And finally, pics from Saturday night, which I have dubbed Alfredo's birthday party, where we stayed up late and sang our hearts out to SingStar! :) Here's a brief look at the action:

(the guys are throwing up 3s for Alfredo's 33rd birthday!)

Happy Birthday Ashton & Alfredo!

Ashton's First TWO Years

Two years ago I spent the summer chasing around a wild two year old... Gabe! And I was very big and pregnant with Ashton! Exciting times!

Sunni made this collage of me and my giant belly the week before Ashton was born:



And last year, about this time, I posted this collage for Ashton:

This collage was made by Jen, after visiting us in the hospital after Ashton was born:

And this shows Gabe, getting dirty while playing outside our house with my mom. I was inside with my new baby, resting, and appreciating the help we had with Gabe! But once baby Ashton was asleep, and I saw what a mess Gabe was, I couldn't help but get out the camera and take some pictures of our oldest. :)

Here's looking back on some favorite pics of Ashton's first year:

And here are shots of the BIRTHDAY BOY one year ago, crazy with his chocolate cake!:

Fast forward to the Summer of 2010:

I wonder: at which of these stages has it all been the most challenging? When I was pregnant and chasing a toddler? When I had a newborn and was potty training a 2 year old? When they were 3 & 1 and at such different stages developmentally? Or now, when they're 2 & 4 and able to either Team Up against me - i.e. seek & destroy! Knowing these two and the trouble they've already caused on so many occasions, I wouldn't know how to answer that except to say: it's probably going to get No Easier from here! :)

Ashton is 2!

Ashton is TWO - hard to believe it's been two years since he was born. Only two years, I mean! :) I've laughingly said more than once that his birthday came late this year. He's been Terrible Two for months now! He's wild, rowdy, loud, feisty, and crazy. He'll do anything to get a rise out of his brother and then puts on the best pout when mom tells him no. He's afraid of nothing, into everything, curious and fearless. He's crafty, sneaky and smart!

I looked online for some developmental milestones that he should have met at this point and found some pretty accurate descriptions of my little one:

Emotionally/Overall:
"Every day your 2-year-old says new words and does more things." ~ For better or Worse!
"The 2-year-old is difficult, if not impossible, to reason with, but still extremely lovable. He or she will assert independence at mealtime, bedtime and during attempts at toilet training." ~ Loveable: more so every day. Assertive: more so every day!
"Two-year-olds typically do not know what they want, except they are sure they do not want to do what you want them to do." ~ Spot On, this cracked me up!
"Playmates are important, so allow your child to experience playing with peers."
"Do not expect sharing at this age." ~ I.E. lots of sibling spats. Gabe can't understand why his brother is so selfish. Or why he should share if Ashton won't!
"Keep family outings with a 2-year-old short and simple. The child this age has a short attention span and lengthy activities will cause the child to become irritable and tired."
"Do not waste your time and breath arguing or reasoning with a 2-year-old. Long speeches of explanation are completely useless."
"Allow any older siblings to have things he or she does not have to share with the 2-year-old." ~ Good Advice!
"Discipline should be firm and consistent, but loving and understanding. Praise your child for his or her good behavior and accomplishments."
Hadn't heard this before: "Use the two "I's" of discipline (ignore or isolate) rather than the two "S's" (shouting or spanking)."
"The 2-year-old still uses the temper tantrum as a weapon against parents." ~ Ugh!

Developmentally: Check YES to all the following!
Climbs up steps alone, one step at a time holding the stair rail or the parent's hand.
Jumps off the floor with both feet.
Opens doors.
Kicks a ball.
Can wash and dry hands.
Climbs on furniture.
Uses a spoon and cup well.
Asks frequent questions: "What is that?"
Enjoys imitating adult activities.
Selects and uses a toy appropriately (feeds a doll, hammers pegs in a cobbler's bench).
Most 2-year-olds have a vocabulary of 50 or more words.

Feeding:
The 2-year-old will eat barely enough to keep a bird alive.
Appetite is finicky and will vary from meal to meal and day to day. The child is not doing much growing at this stage so he or she does not need much food to survive. Your child will only gain three or four pounds during this year. Do not expect three good meals a day.
The 2-year-old frequently wants the same thing day in and day out. ~ Loves Snacks!

Sleep:
In general, an afternoon nap is still required by most 2-year-olds.
The child should sleep in his or her own bed if feasible.
A 2-year-old's bedtime is usually between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Certain sleep problems are common during this time, including refusing to go to bed, getting out of bed...
"Stalling techniques" are common at bed and nap time, such as "I have to go potty" to "I want a drink of water."
~ He's sometimes a stinker about bed time, usually takes great naps though. Has been walking into our bedroom in the middle of the night, wanting to sleep with us. It's hard to say No! But he's being turned away and usually with little fuss has been going back to sleep in his own bed.

Overall, I'd say that's where he's at, for the most part. Where he's been at. I'm tempted to look ahead at developmental milestones of a 3 year old to show where I know he's already advanced, but I'll try not to brag on him TOO much! We already agree he's an exceptional kiddo!

I will say this for the whole Two Year old age: I absolutely love my snuggles and that Ashton is a momma's boy! He wants me right as soon as he wakes up and just before bed. He gives me tons of hugs and kisses. This morning, like most mornings, when he woke up he came downstairs calling for me. He found me on the couch and we snuggled up for a good 10 minutes before Gabe woke up. I'm totally wrapped around that tiny finger!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHTON! We love you!

(Photo post to follow!)

You missed me?

For my Blog followers who've thought I've been slacking on the weekend update - I've got a surprise! While I haven't written out a long weekend recap, I have worked/played long & hard with all the pictures from our past weekend. I must say I love that my cool new phone has a 8 px Camera with an awesome wide-screen/lens. It's been fun to play with and I'm happy with the quality. I'd bet you won't even be able to tell which of these pics were taken by phone & which were taken by camera! :) I know, it's the little things that make me happy!

Lets get on with the show!

Shots from our 4-hour trip out to Liberal.

A scenic by-way we stopped at (for Gabe to pee) led to Jermie picking some sand plums for his Grandma - to make some yummy jelly! And then to us finding this gravel road headed toward "St. Joseph's Well." Why not take this road less traveled and see where it takes us? :)

Well, we didn't expect the well to be so far from the highway, guess we didn't know what to expect. It was a thrill to just take an adventure. The boys were excited and since we'd been traveling all morning, it was a perfect time for us to stretch our legs when we got there. And we did, down a long trail to the natural well, where there were an abundance of turtles & perch! From the top of the hill we saw this amazing - huge - buffalo, strolling down at the bottom of the hill. When we got down there, I wanted to find him again. So, we took the path around the well and up a hill and saw him not far from our vehicle. How did he get up there so fast? I didn't have a camera to show exactly how big he was. The pictures just dwarf him and make him look far away. In reality, he was huge & very close! Close enough that when he heard us talking, he turned toward us to check us out & I was glad for the valley between us! :) Amazing. A side note - Gabe just couldn't catch on to the word "buffalo." His word for the buffalo: "cannible!" crazy. Good times. Can you see how cute all my boys are in that picture? Can you see that I wimped out on the walk up the hill and asked Jermie to carry Ashton ~ and that he ended up carrying Both boys! Manly.

Back on the road ~ we get to Grandma's and Gabe immediately remembers her bin of trucks, toys and ... dress up. He misses his cousin Alyssa to play dress up with, but Grandma is game. I title these pics "To Gabe & Ashton, age 16" because I fully intend to use them as blackmail... (mwaaahahaaa!)

Gabe ~ twirling!
When the hottest part of the afternoon (100+degree heat) is behind us, we head out again ~ back to the well, this time with a fishing pole & some bait for Gabe to do a little fishing. We stop at the farm where Joe has been seed cleaning (all summer long, in the heat all day, ugh.) I snap these pictures while he & Jermie finish up - then we take Joe with us & are back on the road again!


& I think the scenery is pretty cool in the evening, with the sun setting... Artsy Fartsy. I loved it and loved playing with these pictures. The top right photo, below: a snake skin in the grass. TG we didn't meet its former owner!

Ashton needed to take a walk & Grandma Fonda was game for setting up this shot on the low tree limb - she even climbed over a barbed wire fence to stand where she did! :)

Fishing at St. Jacob's Well:

Gabe caught lots of little perch & even a little snapper. It was all catch and release, just for fun. The cheetos we brought made excellent fish and turtle food, too. It was a peaceful, relaxing, fun time.

Fun times! So, this was pretty much the end of the night for us. (Oh, save the exceptionally long time we waited at PH for dinner - ugh! Starving! Boys were so tired by then, Gabe was minutes away from falling asleep at the table!)

Sunday Morning - time to get out into the fields and start the process of pickling corn! Look at how darn cute my boys are! :) Can you guess which of these shots makes me want to caption it: "Aarrrgh!" What a piratey-farmer! lol. And I don't know what inspired the boys to tackle Gma Fonda with kisses - but it sure was cute!

Ashton's first time pickeling corn! He stayed with me, so got a little one-on-one photo session! :)

:) Pickeled Corn ~ A family tradition. Gets better & better as my boys get older. Just wish Jermie's sister & family had been here - lets hope for next year! xo

& that's all, folks!

For Brandy

Brandy's daughter is a little Model! :)

I've been Tagged by Brandy to complete these easy questions. Fun!

1. What's your staple meal (ie what meal do you cook most often when you can't be bothered to be adventurous)?

I make some good & easy BBQ chicken & fried potatoes. I also make a lot of “Mexican Food” and I call it that because I will make nachos while Jermie makes a burrito. Basically, for me it’s all about Jermie’s home-made salsa and the cheese dip!

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?

A happy wife & mother. A good friend. An expert gardener. A frugal shopper. A great cook. A fun hostess. A Martha-Stewart kind of house keeper. A gifted photographer. An avid reader. Politically knowledgeable. Environmentally responsible. Proud … of myself & my family. Sane. And anything but ‘tired!’
Oh, yeah… and I wanna be a billionaire, so freaking bad!!!

3. What book are you reading at the moment (if any)?

I’ve returned to “The Old Man & The Sea” as the boy’s bedtime story. Not reading anything for myself at the moment…

4. How do you relax?

Do I? Hmmm… I like to get on my laptop and organize/edit/collage my pictures. I like to write & blog. I like to read. I like to nap. And if anyone wants to go out for Mexican food & margaritas, I’m In!

5. What colors are the interior walls of your home?

Mostly white, some tan, one a dark brown. Not a very fun answer, I know!

6. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Pepsi, or some sort of ice cream from Sonic. Or, maybe it’s the gossip rags I read!

7. What time is bedtime and getting up time?

8 for the boys, so we’re in bed around 10 if we watch a movie after we put them down, or sooner if we don’t! We have Netflix & watch a lot of movies though! I get up every morning between 5:45 & 6. UGH!

8. How long do you spend reading blogs (per day or week)?

I used to be online every morning, but the boys are a little too busy for that nowadays, and they certainly aren’t sleeping in – ever. But I try to get online every day just to read blogs – I love it!

And the lucky one (or two!) I chose to TAG: Jen & Grandma Peggy

Drum Roll Please!

The Photos You've All Been Waiting For:

the 2010 Toronto Days Mud Volleyball Pics of the stunning, infamous, totally skunked "Back Row Team" :)

Our Team Captain: Katy Ludwig

Mud Volleyball Pictures are my Favorite Fourth of July pics. I always look at them over & over! I love the way the mud looks when it is splashing or rippled, the way mud is caked on people or speckled across their faces. Mud is fun. People look good in mud & they have fun in mud. It's shocking to see everyone so completely covered! It's incomprehensible for some (city:) people to even fathom the experience! I just LOVE watching mud volleyball & taking these cool pictures of everyone covered from head to toe in good ol' Toronto Mud.
Doesn't get any better than this!! :) lol.

Another Photo Set from the Fourth

Gabe & Ashton enjoying family over the Fourth. -Yes, uncle Matt gave Gabe a swirlie in the cooler but he loved it & then Ashton wanted one too! Wouldn't you know! :)

Gabe said riding the crazy 4 wheelers was his favorite thing to do over the Fourth. I think it was almost everyone's favorite thing to do!

Love these last two collages of my boys - we had a nature trail running behind our campsite & the boys were so excited to go over the little bridges. Below one, you can see where Indians carved trails and holes into the sandstone rocks to collect water. I tried to explain this to Gabe, but later he told Matt the Indians were tiny people that he could see but Matt couldn't. I don't think that's quite what I was trying to get across! :)