Kayaks & Apple Crisp

August 11, 2012

   APPLE CRISP!

Jermie and the boys have been picking apples from the neighbor’s tree – my boys love them!  Jermie also found an online recipe for Apple Crisp that he made a few times this summer, the last time was for Matt & Alli.  We even juiced some of the apples and made apple-tinis.  The apple crisp and margaritas were a strange mix, but tasty!

The next day, Winfield Lake and Kayaks with Matt, Alli and Kaden:

 

 

FLIPS!

 

& the big (gross!) CRAWDAD chase!

YUCK!

We had a picnic at the lake and the boys LOVED spending time with Kaden, kayaking and swimming.  Gabe says catching crawdads was the BEST part of the day – they were pretty impressed with them… Those things just scare me.  I’m always afraid they’re going to bite my toes!  ;)

July Review

Somewhere on Facebook I saw that this year, July was the HOTTEST month on record since like 1895.  Yikes.  For the Fansler family, this meant a lot of movie nights indoors and lots of afternoons when it was too hot to do ANYthing, even ride bikes for more than a few minutes.  We didn’t travel a lot, didn’t get to go camping every weekend, we just mostly chilled out.  I had a garage sale one weekend, so you know that involves a LOT of cleaning out closets and the like.  I always have totes full of clothes and toys these boys have outgrown, but the nick nacks, books and picture frames that I don’t love anymore never seem to be hot sellers!  ;)  We did get an old dryer out of the laundry room sold the double stroller that was a gift from the WDN staff when Ashton was born… I’d actually love to get rid of about 90% of what we’ve got…. never going to happen! 

I continued working at Safe Homes, and REALLY truly loved working so close to home.  Lunch with my boys Every Day was pretty awesome.  They always had treasures to show me when I got home, mostly bugs or bike tricks.  :) 

Jermie got started on his classes online through Phoenix University.  They’re TOUGH, 700-level classes.  It hasn’t been much fun for him, but I’ve seen some really positive changes since he’s started taking the classes.  It’s a new challenge for him and he’s been getting into the routine – lots of reading and researching, writing and writing and writing.  ;)

Here are the last random photos I have from the month of July:

Our garden produced a TON of red tomatoes – all at once of course! 

Jermie moved the big king-sized bed from downstairs to our room.  It had to come through the upstairs windows!  ;)  The guest room is now being used as a big, comphy office.  Jermie can work on his computer all day and look out the windows to watch the boys play outside.

I took this photo to show how much Gabe has grown.  Those footprints were made by his daycare in Wellington when he was about 1.  He used to have such cute, fat feet.  :)

And that about sums it up – and although it sounds boring, trust me,
life with these boys is never boring! 

Aunt Nita

July 26, 2012

At the end of July, my family gathered in Girard, Ks. to remember my Great Aunt Nita, who lived to the grand old age of 96.   Juanita A. (Gilbert) Jones was born Dec. 14, 1915 and entered rest July 20, 2012.  She and “Uncle Ted” lived out on the farm, where I remember the layout of the farm house, the black cows and running through a corn field with my cousins when I was little.  Sweet, sweet lady. 

Just a few snapshots to share…
With Grandma Gilbert & Jermie – at cousin Danny’s wedding in 2006

  

(below) With Gabe:  (chubby cheeks on that boy!)

   

:)

Matt & I rode up to the service together.  Although everyone agrees the circumstances weren’t what we had wished for, it is always good to see my family.  As always, a great lunch and good conversation as everyone checks in on how everyone’s doing and what’s new in the family and see if we can still recognize everyone’s kiddos – all so big.  :)

Long talks with Matt on the way home.  Of course, we took the back roads and came across this really sketchy bridge – which we stopped on so I could take a couple pictures. 

:)

Ashton’s 4th Birthday

July 21-24, 2012

First, we celebrated Ashton’s birthday by spending the night at Matt & Alli’s one night when they had Kaden with them.  They got to stay up late watching movies, while we also stayed up late playing cards and hanging out.  Good times.  The three boys looked SO cute the next morning in their jammies.  ;)

  How cute is that!?

Ashton & Alfredo actually have the same birthday, so this year we invited Brandy & Alfredo over for dinner.  As it turned out, Beau also had the weekend off and he and Darcy and Laken were able to make it down to Winfield on the spur of the moment.  I know – bad mommy for not planning a birthday party for all his friends – but we just wanted to do something at the house and keep it a small affair.

On the day of his birthday party, Ashton came downstairs from a nice nap to a huge surprise…

*Warning: the following outfit was not planned for these birthday photos!*

   :) 
(Wow – check out that pose!  He was a little overwhelmed at his gift!)

Then, it was TIME TO PLAY!  ;)

    See Ashton standing on the rock so he would be tall enough!

 

Jermie had smoked pork loin for dinner.  It was excellent.  But everyone knows the best part of a birthday dinner is the cake:

& the Ice Cream:

The guys set up outdoor fun for the kids: a pool, slip-n-slide and water balloons. 

 

& Ashton got some really great presents.  :)

We had a great time.  :)

                                 

Whitney’s Baby Bump!

After the boys stayed up for a LATE night of movies, and all of us girls got to talk with Whitney about pregnancy and babies and all of that fun stuff we girls can always talk on and on about, we eventually called it a night.  :)

The next morning, three Superheroes were running around my house.  SO CUTE!

 

And that’s how we celebrated Ashton’s BIG 4th BIRTHDAY!  :)  It was laid back summertime fun.  (Too hot to go out to the lake though – ugh!)  Oh, and Ashton also says thanks to his grandmas for sending him cards & money!  He was SUPER EXCITED!

:)