November leaves

 

Fall was beautiful in Winfield this year.  All the leaves turned, and even got to stay on the limbs for a few days before the wind took them down – pretty mild weather, too.  Of course, I love the leaves on the trees, while the boys love the leaf piles!  We always have a million leaves to deal with, and this year spent an afternoon with the leaf blower and trash bags to get a good amount of them collected.  I also took a few opportunities to play with my camera: some leaves are spinning spirals, some are caught in motion.  And the boys were pretty willing participants in my photo session this time, since instead of cheesing at the camera, I was asking them to throw leaves in the air!  I’m pretty sure you will love some of these beautiful Fall photos of my boys.  :)  (BIG Album: 76 photos!)

 

View Full Album

My camera is awesome.  Strange but true:  I have two friends who have the same model of camera as I do.  Brandy used hers to take our wonderful family shots & Curtis and Barb got theirs to take on their honeymoon…  :)  Just feeling lucky, I guess. 

Growing Up…

Every day it seems there is a reminder that my boys are growing up.  The independence Gabe now has in getting himself showered, the way Ashton picks out his clothes or tries to get his own shoes and socks on in the mornings – they’re both just growing like weeds.

Below are some pictures of the night in Nov. when Gabe lost his first tooth.  There were some tears, some panic, and while Jermie and I both tried to help, he nded up getting it out on his own.  The Tooth Fairy brought him a $1 bill that night – so he was a very happy kid!

View Full Album

He’s now lost two – bottom, middle teeth – but they’re growing back in, fast.  His brother will sometimes wiggle at his teeth and I have to tell him “No!”  :)  These boys insist on growing up, whether I want them to or not!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wanted to share a few photos of my family, taken by Brandy - Thank You! These are unedited - posed pics of us just hanging out in a huge leaf pile in our front yard! :) Love my beautiful Winfield, Ks this time of year. 9th Street - 10th Street - Our Street - so pretty with the yellow, orange & red leaves! :) So, enjoy this pic of my handsome boys. We hope you have a safe & happy Thanksgiving holiday. LOVE & APPRECIATE our FAMILIES.

We have so much to be Thankful for!!!

Updates - Memorial

October:

Well, let's see... We've been busy working on our house. The siding has been going up pretty well, and we've committed to some quite beautiful paint colors. Even just painting the front of our house has changed the look dramatically - but there's So Much house still to go! On other days, Jermie has been busy in my kitchen. He has installed the fridge (lines for ice/water), the oven, and we've got ceiling tiles on the way. A LOT of the work he does he doesn't get credit for - I can't begin to understand all the work that goes into plumbing, electric and ventillation, you know, if I can't actually see or use it! - but I'm getting happier and happier with the progress of things around here. Also our rental property in Wichita is vacant, so Jermie has been updating flooring, the bathroom and other projects there... but we're Hoping it gets rented out soon. Jermie has been on the seasonal lay-off from work, so lots of time for Projects around here! :) He and Ashton also buddy around together most days, with Ashton only going to a part-time babysitter a couple days per week. It's been a Great change for Ashton - he has to be a Big Boy to hang out with Dad!

Gabe tells us he loves school. We have Parent-teacher conferences tomorrow night, so we'll learn how well he's really doing - ha! Looking forward to meeting with his teacher - always a little worried to hear the report! I know my boy(s) can be quite a lot of personality to handle!
Did I say little? Gabe got his cast off last week - has gained 4 pounds since the start of the school year. Lets hope a growth spurt soon follows! That boy is a Tank! And getting Big in other ways too - lost his first tooth just before Halloween. :) Already has another loose one... Growing up too fast!

Ashton is the opposite in size - skinny and taller than tall. Already too tall for some 3T jeans - but he's so small around the waist, pretty sure nothing is going to fit him right! While Gabe is learning to read, we're working on Ashton's "l's" and "r's" to get him really talking like a big boy. :) But I hate to have him lose some of the cute things he says. My favorite is: "Mom, I Acci Did put the toy down the heater vent." (Instead of accidentally.) Sometimes he's got quite the southern accent, and I have no idea where that comes from. Too cute.

I've got many great photos to share, as always, but the bad news is: my laptop was stolen from my vehicle a couple weeks ago. It was broken into, and taken from the front passenger seat. Luckily, most of my photos were backed up, but a lot of my teaching files and things like my resume are GONE for good. I was pretty mad at myself for awhile. This Recession - nothing is safe, even in Winfield. Anyways, I've got Jermie's computer, but it's just - lacking! No Windows Photo Editor, No Picasa, No Windows Live for Blogging photos in the "sky drives"... So, you've got me rambling on instead of posting pictures... For now!

I do have Halloween and some pretty gorgeous Fall Leaves photos to share. My boys out in the yard throwing leaves in the air = priceless photos. I still love my camera So Much. :)

Anyways, as I think about all the busy things I need to do, and wish for all these little things in my life to change, it's just normal stuff. A happy life, a beautiful family, a great old home and work that I enjoy. I'm blessed.

And today, this day of all days, I'm not wishing away a single thing. I can't allow myself to have a single complaint about life or anything in it. All I can do is appreciate the people around me and the life that I have. I know things change so quickly and time goes by so fast... It's been 3 years since my dad passed away and still to really think about it just knocks me down completely. Three years later and this grief is still something that I can only let touch the edges, otherwise I completely lose it. I don't want to feel sorry for myself - but when I do, I really do it well! When I'm in that mood, the funeral songs just play themselves on the radio and people around me turn conversations into memories and I can't let go of any of it. It's because I have so much to be grateful for, that I can also think: there's so much he's missed and so often he's missed. Ah, it's too much to even try to memorialize him or this terrible anniversary. In the end, I can always get myself back to that funeral. I know, you'd think I'd go there to feel terrible... not true. I can always go back to dad's funeral and there were so many examples of the lives he impacted and the powerful way he had with people - I truly, more than anything, think back to that funeral and feel so much Pride. And I know, so much support. It's crazy. It's a crazy life. So, tomorrow I'll drive to work down that blue highway, forever in blue jeans, and I'll say "Hell Yeah He Did" and I'll dry my eyes and maybe by the end of it, I will decide, It's Gonna Be a Good Day.... :)

First trip to the Fair!

State Fair VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Jermie & I took our first trip to the Ks State Fair this year, invited by Beau & Darcy to enjoy cheaper rides and one dollar entry… Can’t pass up a deal like that!   As we walked in, I started thinking about what my ideal ride would be, and I started looking forward to getting a cotton candy and riding the Ferris Wheel with my boys.  Darcy was excited for the Old Mill, and the guys wanted to ride the scarier – drop your stomach – kind of rides.  After some family fun, the guys split to do all their crazy rides while we made our way from one end of the fair to the next.  The boys tried out race cars, trains, construction equipment and all kinds of fun stuff, but they were obviously the most excited about a Pirates of the Caribbean ride – going into a box car where creepy skeletons jumped out at you!  They loved the thrill of the scary rides!  I did get to enjoy my State Fair moment, from on top of the Ferris Wheel with the cotton candy and the boys, and it was exactly as cool as I thought it would be.  But after that, we were low on tickets and almost out of time…  Then, Darcy got us all over to The Old Mill.  This ride had a creepy alien guy outside the ride, and the boys kept asking, “What’s he going to DO?”  Terrified!  (It did nothing, other than look freaky!)  As we get closer to the boats that take us on the waterway through the mill, my boys are clinging to my legs and crying, and I’m not sure what I’m getting them – or myself – into!  But Darcy and I brave it with our scaredy boys and the boat starts off.  Inside the mill it is so dark you can’t see the face of the scaredy boy beside you.  People are positioned behind each curve to jump out and scare you, but most of them were nice and just gave a laugh or a little “boo.”  Then there were all these horror scenes – from the totally freaky to the strange – and I was glad at some of those parts that they had their eyes covered!  By the end though, they were feeling a little more brave.  I think we went around one curve that Gabe laughed when they scared us and saw the creepy scene, before we were done and out of there.  Of course, they all wanted to do it again and we had No time and No tickets – but it was by far the coolest ride of the fair.  Jermie said he & Beau did some kind of Tilt-a-Whirl where after it started spinning, they let you unbuckle and turn around with your face to the inside or something – I don’t know but it sounded crazy fun.  He and Gabe also went down a Very Steep, fast water-slide, and Gabe kept saying he wanted to do that again, too.  Those boys were Loving the fair.  But, as you can see by the picture with Darcy pulling the wagon, they ended up exhausted by the end of the night… : )

This was a pretty cool night – something the boys still talk about now and again.  Something I would do again next year… And next year I might enjoy some other State Fair treats, too, but that cotton candy was awful hard to pass up!  : )

Our “Family Tree”

This summer we made a couple day-trips to hang out with family in El Dorado.  It’s always a good time to get these boys together with their cousins, and I like seeing my family, too. 

My boys are brave and they Love to be outside.  We found a picnic table by a crazy big tree that the boys can climb on, and that’s the spot we meet at now.  As you can tell, it doesn’t take much to entertain us – and isn’t that the way it should be?  Ah, the simple life.  : )

 

El Dorado Park VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

End of Summer Pics

Seasons change and time goes by so fast.  All of my friends are celebrating milestone ages and achievements of their kids, just like I am, and it’s making me feel nostalgic and old!  :)

I know I often neglect this blog – but with a job plus two classes to manage plus this household, it’s a Busy Life and I rarely just have time to sit and hang out with my laptop.  Happy to say, tonight is one of those nights and I would LOVE to catch up….  So, this is an album of “end of summer pics.”  August, mostly – more pictures of the zoo and splash park we visited in Manhattan with Jamie & Kylar – pictures of Laken’s 3rd birthday – and pictures of Labor Day Weekend, where we camped at Winfield Lake with about 40 other people in a ring of a dozen campers.  The boys were dirty and wild and, as you will see, that’s no exaggeration!  : )

Fun with Friends VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We had a HOT Summer this year - 40+ Days that were over 100 degrees – ugh!  But the boys played through it and made every day of our lives a lot more fun.  : )

Breaky Arm

Gabe's Cast VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

When Gabe was almost two he had this really cute thing he would say:  “I Breaky My Arm.”  And then he would hold up his pretty blue cast…  Mmm hmmm… yes, we are back in that boat again. : )

This past weekend Gabe, Ashton and Kylar were up in the bedroom and Gabe said he was trying to show them how he can climb over the side of the bed, when he fell and hit the floor – right arm first because he was trying to brace himself.  I ran upstairs to hear Gabe squealing, “GET MY MOM I BROKE MY ARM – GET MY MOOOOM I BROKE MY ARM!”  It’s really not a thing you want to hear your kiddo saying!

So:  Saturday night he gets Motrin & ice packs, in the middle of the night and in the morning, more Motrin and ice packs… and we hope all day that he will start playing – but instead he avoids using it at all costs.  Not a good sign.  So, on Monday we went in to the doctor, then over for an X-Ray, and then had it confirmed: a fractured wrist – the bone just below the thumb.  Doctor said it’s common and nothing to worry about – will heal just fine.

Wednesday we got the cast – pretty blue, again.  Gabe says he doesn’t remember his other cast.  I wonder if he remembers those curls?  : ) Anyways Gabe was, and is, acting very brave about everything, but he still gets emotional when he thinks of something he won’t be able to do or gets frustrated about something he can’t do.  I feel bad for him to start Kindergarten this way – having to write everything with his left hand.  He does so well at it though – he’s impressive. 

I read back on my old blog that the day he came home from the doctor, they had put him in a splint and wrapped it with an ace bandage.  I had forgotten this, but he woke up crying and we found him in bed with no splint or wrap on at all – little Houdini!  Well this cast isn’t so great either – he can move it away from his thumb to about the knuckle and then move it back.  UGH – it’s only been on for 3 days – are we going to have to go have it re-set?  I don’t know….  That Boy!  : )

He is a pretty handsome dude though.  His picture in the white football sweater is on Picture Day at school.  Can’t wait for his official Kindergarten photo.  : ) 

Every Day is “AWESOME!”

Kindergarten! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

Gabe is a KINDERGARTENER!  : ) I Know – It’s unbelievable that a boy I can remember kicking my ribs in my belly is truly old enough to be in Kindergarten.  On the other hand, I look at him sometimes and realize just how BIG he is and how he has grown up so much lately…  He is an amazing kid – So much Enthusiasm – So Social and happy!  Yes – He is Ready for Kindergarten and he is doing just Fine.  : )

We met his teacher in a mini-conference the week he started school and I liked her very much.  Usually other adults try to make Gabe be quiet so they can talk to us – she was the opposite, very encouraging of Gabe’s questions and conversation.  He charmed her, of course.  He had us all rolling in laughter.  He is so good with people – already!  We had “Contracts” to sign stating the expectations of each of us for Kindergarten.  The Teacher will guide and lead the students, etc. Signs it.  The parents will get their kids to school each day, wearing appropriate clothing, etc.  Sign it.  The student will come to school ready to learn each day, will do homework each night.  Screeching Halt – Gabe answers, “Well, I don’t even know what HOMEWORK is, SO, Thaaaat’s Gonna Be A “NO.”  Ahh – we were all cracking up!  : )  I really wish we had that on video – you would have really gotten a smile.  Hilarious kid…

So the night before Gabe started Kindergarten, I was in a Bad Mood.  I didn’t eat much for dinner and I wanted to look at his baby book and I wanted to be an emotional wreck.  I told myself it was a good idea, because I would have to be happy and excited with him in the morning.  Also – he was very nervous.  While I was cleaning up from dinner I had him practicing his numbers, and he spontaneously cried and said they would laugh at him in school because he didn’t know all his letters and couldn’t count to 100!  : (  After some reassurance from that, he felt better.  I could just tell though that my big boy had a Lot on his mind, too.  : )  So, I tuck him into bed and he’s saying he is so excited for school, “but I will miss you mommy.”  Aww… How he knew to say those words to me, I don’t know.  Like I said, he is good with people.  I had tears.  I love that boy.

So in the morning, I was happy and excited with Gabe.  He had a note from his dad and talked to him on the phone.  He and his brother posed for pictures.  We all walked over to the school – lots of families filing in for the first day.  More pictures – Gabe talking very excitedly.  He says to a girl on the way in, “I’m Going to School Here TOO!” : )  We were sent to his classroom and Ashton and I put his school supplies away while he found a seat at a table full of boys.  I stayed at the back of the room for awhile with Ashton, other parents were doing the same and saying goodbye.  So, after a minute I gave Gabe a big wave and he waved back, and we headed out.

Poor Gabe – the look on his face when he was at that table… Very Nervous and unsure.  Hard for me to see that expression as I walked out the door…

Then Ashton and I went by Jermie’s work and I showed him Gabe’s pictures and we said we couldn’t believe it… Ashton got dropped off, too, much less dramatically, and then I had to call my mom on my way to work.  : )  I was emotional, but not crying.  I was feeling proud but also sad that time goes by so fast!  Ahh…. 

Jermie got to pick Gabe up and a teacher at the school made sure to tell him she had never had a student quite like Gabe before.  : )  He made a Very Good impression on his first day and of course that made us even more proud of him.  At home I asked him what he did in school.  “Mom, we didn’t do our letters or practice writing my name or Anything!”  Well, then, what did you do, Gabe?  “I Made A Girlfriend!”  : ) Ahh… he truly is his father’s son! 

And every day since, he has said how “awesome” school is.  He likes recess and gym, likes music (where he told me one day they did WIGGLES too!) And he likes the library.  He still tells me that they don’t do their letters or practice writing his name – ha!  He still loves his Girlfriend from the first day of school, but I try to tell him to have “friends” not “girlfriends.”  : )  He is just always excited about school and is a riot when he tells us stories about his day.  One day he came home with a sales pitch about the Boy Scouts – another something I wish I had on video.  He was practically reciting whomever he heard talking about it… I loved it.  My dad was an Eagle Scout, I tell him.  : )  (No follow-up on that – nothing ever came home from school about Boy Scouts so we’re not rushing out to get into it – yet!)  Last night I was getting ready for the bedtime stories and he asks me about the book, “Who illustrated it?” I look the book over and seriously cannot find who Illustrated it.  “It’s on the front cover,” he tells me to look.  Ha – nope!  “We always say who illustrated it in school,” he says.  Ummm… WOW!  : )  Oh, Gosh, my kid is a SPONGE and I love him. 

Very blessed. 

Summer - 2011

Fun in the SUN VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I’ve learned a few things this summer – life is never going to slow down, I am never going to catch up, and these boys are always growing way too fast!  : ) 

It’s been a HOT summer, as everyone knows, but of course we haven’t let that slow us down!  A Summer in Review:  The Kitchen Remodel continues…always!  My mother’s day / wedding anniversary gift was an amazing Nikon camera.  Our anniversary on May 7th, 2011 – 11 Years!  Jermie’s father’s day gift was a cool new Catamaran!  Gabe swam with the Winfield Swim Club during home meets – learning to use the kickboard and building up to the 50 meter free swim (which we hope he will be a pro at next summer!)  Swim Club makes me think of my cousin Mickie (coach of the Pittsburg Barracudas with my Aunt Marlaine) … a very sad funeral the weekend after Gabe’s 5th Birthday...  But, of course, there was no rain on his parade and his birthday was a fun bash in Liberal.  We had fun zoo trips to the Garden City Zoo and for the first time to the Tanganikya Wildlife Park.  We had plenty of fun in the sun at Winfield Lake & Lake Kanopolis – that Catamaran casts a pretty reflection on the water!   We spent Memorial Day in Toronto – Proud and Patriotic.  The 4th of July was a vacation to Rick & Christina’s farm in Nebraska – amazing times for my wide-eyed boys who enjoyed every minute of it!  Not wanting to miss out on seeing a Fireworks display, we saw one to never forget in Wakefield with Jamie, Brady & Kylar.  Right above us – shot off from the in-town ball diamond with us sitting so close, tiny pieces of paper would fall on us!  OMG – LOUD, BOOMING, BRILLIANT… that was a crazy experience! Did I mention that we sold our big, fast boat and we sold our big 30-foot camper?  Simplified things a lot!  Now we have a truck-bed camper and a Catamaran and it’s a quick and easy haul to make it to the lake!  We had a relaxed camping weekend with Brandy & Alfredo and kids in July, great friends and great food.  We spent several sabbaths in Church this summer, out in Liberal and visiting the church in ElDorado – something I love doing with my boys who are so eager to learn, and who ask the most amazing questions, and for whom faith comes so naturally! Family Tradition:  We met Jami & Alyssa in Liberal for the annual summer “Pickeling Corn” weekend with Joe, Fonda & Grandma D.  A good refresher after that is always a few hours at the Aquatic Center in Liberal – fun times for the whole family.  This also fell on Ashton’s 3rd Birthday – and the big boy got a JEEP (almost) just like his Dad’s!  : )  Unfortunately, the boys are probably going to have to wait until this fall to get together with All their Cousins, and we missed the summer birthday parties we have had in the past.  It was a summer of change for each of my siblings, too, always!  And pretty darn hot for road trips / pets at home.  But, we did make it to Laken’s birthday party, and to see Jamie one last time before summer break ended.  Took the boys to the Manhattan Zoo & Splash Park – Wow, Tons of Fun!  And caught a few hours of the Wichita Flight Festival with Alli a few weekends ago.  These boys have really had some Great Summer FUN!  :)  Ashton is settling in to his new daycare & Gabe is starting school – WEDNESDAY!  So, enjoy this summer snapshot of SUMMER!

 

Ashton is 3!

What does it mean to be THREE?
Three times as ornery, three times as quick, three times as animated!?

Ashton is starting to have a lot more voice in this house, but still defers to his big brother to do most of the talking. Those two are trouble when they're together, all the time on each other about something - except for those times when it's so simple to just share and laugh together... ahh... it's an up and down kind of relationship!

At three, you must have to experience and convey every emotion possible within one day! Ashton's emotions are Very Quick to change! And his expressions are priceless.  His smile plus those ears - outrageous! His giggle is awesome.  I tried to include some of his many goofy and ornery and angry faces, but you have GOT to see this kid pout! No 3 year-old has a bottom lip pout like Ashton's - wow!

 

He's a tall kiddo - shot up in height this year - a head shorter than his brother, but it seems like he is catching up awful fast! He has grown into this year's summer clothes (hand-me-downs) a season faster than Gabe did (but maybe I shrunk them!) He is coordinated - I wish I had a picture of him riding his bicycle with training wheels. He is getting better at it - much better than the beginning of the summer. He is not a "lake rat" - yet. At the lake, he prefers to have his life vest on and two arms attached to mom or dad, and actually spends the most time on the beach playing with shovels and buckets in the sand. He loves to be outside, loves to catch bugs and crickets, and can Not pass up a puddle of any size without seeing how big of a splash he can make! :)

His birthday, July 24th, snuck up on me this year, and fell on the same weekend we had planned to meet Jami & Alyssa in Liberal for the annual "Pickeling Corn" family tradition. :) So, again in Liberal, we celebrated Ashton's birthday. The big gift from us was a Jeep 4-Wheeler (battery operated) and he loves to ride in that thing - with his brother driving! He knows he isn't the greatest driver and again, defers to brother. They have discovered a hole in the neighbor's yard that they like to go through, tipping to the side when they hit it, Rebels! :) His brother is absolutely his best friend in the world. And his biggest rival! It's fun times around here!

Quickly, a look back with a few photo collages of my Growing Boys
- ah, the difference a year makes!

Ashton

3 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Gabe

5 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

5 Years Old!  Wow!  : ) 

I’ve been thinking lately on how a year has changed Gabe…  He is Still the Most Social boy anyone has ever met.  We were at the Post Office drop-box and a lady walked beside our vehicle and Gabe gets excited: “Roll the window down, Mom, I want to say Hi!”  Yes, to an absolute stranger…  Last week it was time to go get his brother & go to the library, and he had no problem going into the library wearing his Iron Man costume.  : )  He loves all Boy things: dirt, mud, bugs, playing rough & super heroes – all the time!  He likes learning and challenging things.  He has been loving Transformers & Legos lately, imaginative but practical is how I would describe most of his play time.  He wanted to watch “Transformers” on my phone.  I did a search on YouTube, and now he wants to watch the demo videos on how to transform them from robots to jets and cars!  He has fire truck Lego kits, and he will take the truck apart just to see if he can put it back together again!  : )

We have been doing some “home school” – practicing writing his name and numbers and letters – since Kindergarten is right around the corner.  He couldn’t be more excited about school.  : )  He is going to go to the school right across from us & come home and hang out with dad in the afternoons.  I think they will both enjoy spending that time together.  He spent the summer swimming, which helped with his coordination, and the boy has great playground skills: climbing the monkey bars and pulling himself across the ladders.  No Fear!  He thinks Recess will be his favorite part of the day & he might be right!  His teachers are in for a challenge, though!  He is smart but he also smarts off.  He’s got a perfect memory when it comes to, “But you said we would _____…”  : )  I hear there are two k teachers at that school, one who is younger and sweeter & the other who is older & more strict.  I REALLY want Gabe to love his teacher, but I hope she is strict, too!  

Gabe remembers everything we have ever done.  He is eager to show you and tell you that he loves you.  He makes us laugh and we love his goofy side.  I especially love the times when I see him & his brother playing together and Gabe sharing or teaching…  : )  Anyways, a lot of love for this boy – a lot of love…  5, wow, hard to believe!

(Gabe’s birthday is May 23rd.  We celebrated in Liberal this year.)

Nebraska Trip

Rick & Christina's VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Our 4th of July was something different this year – a road trip to Nebraska to visit Rick & Christina.  Gabe still remembers the last time we visited – the goats, horses, and bow & arrow mostly!  On our drive up, I remembered how much I like the north part of our state.  The natural stone fences, the wind farms… We took a detour to Wilson Lake – impressed by its size and how clear the water looked, very blue and green.  Liked the dam and again, all the natural stone fences.  We definitely marked this as a spot to come back to – and noted that it’s a half-way mark for us & Rick and Christina!  So, while we were driving we went through Lucas, Ks, and saw the signs for the Garden of Eden – one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas.  Hmmm… So, then I got distracted by Ashton, who had this non-stop coughing fit that lasted FOR-ever.  Poor guy gets some serious seasonal allergies, and that part of the state was just getting cut for their wheat harvest.  He did better through most of that weekend, but it wasn’t my favorite family drive with a coughing boy who couldn’t fall asleep.  Then the weekend at the farm: feeding and petting the Goats, chickens, ducks & farm dogs, 4-Wheeler Rides, walks along the gravel road...  The boys spent one afternoon swimming around in a horse trough and LOVED it.  They ran around in the sprinkler and played games out in the yard.  Good, easy times.  Gabe got to go out in the tractor with Rick & Jermie one night, and Jermie said he fell asleep – standing up!  He was leaning back on his dad when his head went limp.  Jermie had a laugh before his knees gave out a minute or two later!  Funny!  We did go into Kearney for a picnic lunch at a park with a cool playground and beautiful gardens.  Then we went to “MONA” Museum of Nebraska Arts.  I stayed in the kids room with the boys and will probably not soon forget this little conversation Gabe had with the woman at the front desk…  Another boy had been playing on the kids’ touch-screen computer and somehow BROKE it.  I didn’t see, and his mom was there, so whatever.  But then, of course, Gabe wanted on the computer and it wouldn’t work.  So, I let him walk to the front desk and ask the lady there to help him.  She came back with him and looked over everything, then told him she couldn’t fix it.  He says / demands: “Isn’t there someone else here who is smarter than you who can fix this?”  Me / sheepishly:  Ahhh – wow – sorry – good grief! The Things Kids Say!  : )  We also saw the traveling Vietnam War Memorial Wall, which is on its way to Washington D.C.  Seeing that on the 4th of July Weekend seemed very appropriate and patriotic, and I had a lot of things on my mind while we were there.  Lots of names.  Lots & Lots of names on that wall.  I didn’t know whose names I should have been looking for, who my dad knew, or how many of those names he would have recognized.  I didn’t like the fact that the names weren’t on there in any order I could tell -- you had to go to a person with a book, give a name and then get the location.  Instead of doing any of that, Jermie took off to the truck with one naughty boy and a few minutes later I was off to the truck with the other one.  Still, something to remember.  That night we shot some fireworks – I had found a whole bag of bottle rockets and misc. fireworks in the camper, so we knew they were at least a year old!  They still shot off the same – the boys were happy.  We had a pretty decent view of another show in the distance, too.  All around a great visit and a fun weekend.  On the drive home Sunday (6 hrs) we went back to Lucas, Ks, and Jermie took me to the Garden of Eden.  He was dreading it – not knowing if I would make it an all day event or what it would be like.  In actuality, it was a lot different than I had imagined!  I took several pictures, but all of them from the side of the road.  The sculptures were very unique – but a little creepy for my imaginative boys, so they all stayed in the car! 

 

Guess I’ve got to do a little more research on all the other Wonders of Ks and get out to see the rest of them!  We also took another drive around Wilson Lake and “planned” a beautiful family weekend up there – just don’t know when that would ever happen!  : ) 

Friend & Family Pre-Fourth Weekend

Kanopolis Lake VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We had a friend & family camping trip at Lake Kanopolis on the weekend before the 4th.  My brother had picked out Lake Wilson, and I hope we all make it up there some time, but for this short weekend trip we headed up to Lake Kanopolis – first time I had been there.  Before that weekend, Jermie searched Craigslist and found a truck-bed camper that fits on the back of his truck.  Now we can tow the catamaran & have a camper with less than half the tow of taking the big boat or the big old camper – and of course we still get to take air conditioning out to the lake!  Since then we have also sold the big camper.  We are down-sizing & it’s nice.  : )  Also nice, having a boat that is wind-powered & free to sail all weekend!

The camp site had a cliff on the lake-side, with plenty of really awesome rocks to find, a fast lizard we saw a few times, and of course some water & waves for everyone to swim in.  From the picnic tables, the swim area was hidden, but you could look out at the water and  see all the boats pass by.  Beau & Darcy had the pontoon boat, Matt & Alli had their kayaks and Jermie had his catamaran, so there was plenty of boat action.  Our group got to be pretty big: my mom & all my siblings plus Beau & Darcy, Steve, Sarah & Steve’s brother.  Everyone just needed some peace & quiet at the lake!  Plus - BOYS.  Count them:  Gabe, Ashton, Davis, Quintin, Laken & Jackson made 6 boys - 5 & under.  Wow!  : )  So, nap time was impossible but races were hilarious.  Smore-making was quite dangerous with all the boys wanting to roast marshmallows at once!  : )  But the boys LOVE being outside somewhere new and adventurous and I LOVE camping with friends & family. 

That weekend was the First time I went out on the Catamaran with Jermie and also the first time Gabe went sailing with his dad.  Gabe & I agree:  it’s awesome.  It’s fun when the boat is cruising and relaxing when you’re taking it slow.  I laid down on the trampoline for awhile and just looked up at the sail and the sky.  Pretty awesome.  : ) Jermie says he’s learning the ways of his boat & likes sailing more and more.  No more stalling out when he turns around, and some real fast cruising across the lake – good times!  We just snuck out for a quick ride before our Saturday night dinner, but he and Gabe sailed for quite some time Sunday morning.   Gabe was really happy to get to do that with his dad.  I also got to Kayak on Sunday while the guys stayed at camp and our boys napped. Alli and I raced around rocks & talked the whole time we were out on the water.  Good Times!  Bill & Summer – I am really craving more of your guac, too!  : )  Our campfire dinner: our family recipe for amazing hobo burgers, fresh guacamole, fresh grilled pineapple, grilled corn on the cob… I could eat at the lake All Summer! : )  Mmmmm… 

Swim Club

Summer Swimmers VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

The main activity of June has been Swim Club. Gabe joined the Winfield league at the beginning of the summer, and started practicing with the kickboard. They practiced for an hour Every Morning & the Kickboard Races are part of home meets & were held three times during the month. The overall goal was that by the end of the month, all the young kickboarders would be able to swim the 50 meter length of the pool without the kickboard. {Photos above are of Gabe & friends swimming in practices & meets, in no particular order.}

Gabe’s first kickboard race was something I hope I never forget.

He starts off at the first whistle (on your marks!) and he’s off into the water & everyone is yelling “come back Gabe!” So when it is time to start the race, he’s sputtering & turned around… Pretty soon he’s headed off & we think doing great. At about half the length of the pool though, it’s pretty obvious most of the other swimmers are going to beat him. At three-quarters of the pool, he’s almost the lone swimmer out there. He turns his head when the announcements are made, he looks around for us, he seems to be pretty stalled out for awhile & people watching kind of have this grin for this little guy all alone in the water. Finally, he is motivated on by our cheering for him & then he reaches the end of the lane with everyone telling him “Great job!” He pushes his goggles up, looks around, and does a dance and a splash in the water: “I WON” he yells! : ) The people around him erupt in laughter. It’s very cute! But when he is up & out of the water, another swimmer tells him he didn’t win because they were in the same race & he finished first. Gabe says, “Well, we can say it’s a tie then.” More laughter around him. His positive attitude shines through during the next race – Maverik is swimming. Gabe finds the side of the pool by his lane with me about half-way through the race. “GO MAVERIK” he is yelling, all the way until the end. There, he rushes over to him & says, “Maverik, I’m Impressed!” And Maverik says everyone was cheering for him! So Gabe asks, “Is that how you went so fast?” Very cute!

The last kickboard race was something, too. The two of them were in lanes side by side. Gabe spent the whole race watching Maverik & telling him, “Swim faster, they’re beating you!” and cheering him on. It was probably the most social race in the history of kickboarding, Gabe talked & hollered through so much of it! He even took his goggles down, he was so laid back about the whole “race!”  : ) 

And then, the final race of the year, was Gabe swimming the 50 Meter unassisted.  I looked at the pool before the swim meet & thought – that’s a looong way for a little guy to swim!!  He had only just swam that length in practice, and certainly not on a repetitive basis – I mean, he had just swam it – once – in practice!  One coach told me he had used the rope twice, even in that attempt, but this is the “last hurrah” for any little swimmers who might be able to continue on in the season,so he was in the race.  (This time – on opposite sides of the pool from Mav.)  When the race started, it wasn’t long before you knew how it was going to end up for Gabe.  Instead of swimming from end to end, he was going under water and kicking a little, then coming up to grab the rope, sometimes to go right back under but most times to stay up and rest for a minute, even rest his elbow on the rope!  And still, he got tired.  He was coughing and sputtering and looking at us… “Swim!”  Well, at least he made it to the other end, eventually!  Again, he finishes every race like he is the star athlete – grinning at everyone who cheered him on & very proud of himself.  : )  He was disqualified for pushing off the rope / pulling on the rope… but yes, we were proud of him, too.  He made it!

There was then some confusion on the rest of the season for him.  Since he raced & finished, would he continue to practice?  I tried to call & text the coach the next morning to find out, but he wasn’t answering.  So, Gabe went to practice the next morning but the coach told him he was done for the season.  It was a disappointing moment for Gabe, and for us, too.  We wanted him to have another few weeks of practice – this time without the kickboard – but in the end it’s fine either way and good that he didn’t get tired of it, because I’m looking forward to having him swim again next summer.  In fact, I hope he continues in swim club long enough to some day be someone else’s swim buddy and help them swim with & without the kickboard!  : ) 

Catamaran, oh man!

		Fathers Day VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Jermie says Fathers Day this year was the best he’s ever had! 

He & my brother spent the afternoon learning to sail his new Catamaran – oh man!  They only tipped it over once (!) and said they were laughing the whole time and it was the best part of their afternoon!  Crazies!

It was an impulse buy last Friday night but Jermie already loves it.  Alli & I spent the afternoon on the shore, hanging out with the boys.  We are all planning another camping weekend this weekend & will have the catamaran out again.  Ahh, summer, so glad you are here!  : )