Pickin' time!

Thanks Larry and Suzanne 

for sharing your bounty!!!

Our hero:

"A father is like a lighthouse

standing tall above the seas.

When the storms of life come crashing in,

the light from your father you'll see."

Author: Dana Roberts Clark

blown balloon blues

 

I sign Milo up for preschool today.

Don't know if I should sing or cry.  He is a sweetie pie, but I think he's getting bored with me.

This weekend he had a balloon with a face drawn on it.  When we opened the car door at wally world that nasty old wind stole it away.  Due to the fact that this was the 99th

straw-that-caused-an-emotional-breakdown of the day, he got really blue.

He cried and fussed.

(you know it's a bad sign when you walk

into the store with a screamer)

Finally he settled down and said,

"Maybe my balloon flew up to heaven and God is holding it for me."

{Que mom's heart melting onto walmart floor}



         



S*A*T*U*R*D*A*Y*

(clap,clap)

Totally Fantastic.

Spent the morning ALONE with Levi

(that never happens)

We went shopping for some new glasses

and wandered around Wally World.

Josi (the angel child) stayed home taking care of Milo and Elsa and when we got back she had even cleaned the house.

Later we picked up a friend of Josi's and spent part of the

afternoon tie dying. 

I had never done it before,

 what a blast!

You can buy a kit of 3 colors with dispenser bottles and rubber bands for less than $10 bucks.

If you don't think you have enough rubber bands, just stop buy the local grocery store and a cool chick that works there will give you a handful.

(Judy u rock!!!)

Finished off the day playing under the trees with Milo's new set of construction tractors that his big bro brought him from town.  We built a road and watched Elsa sample dirt and twigs.

If I could bottle the love I felt today, I would.  I would open it when I am older and greyer, and just bask in that familiar aroma of my children.

To Levi, Josi, Milo and Elsa:

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

— Mother Teresa

grrrr

It was just oneofthosedays.

Growly mother.

I tried getting it together more than once,

look beyond the frustrations, 

be thankful for all the good stuff,

whine to my mother,

whine to my pals,

poor poor pitiful me.

and then

My sweetie bought me a new fluffy pillow and Josi made an obstacle course.

Still i was cranky.

i hate those kinda days. 

what a waste.

wish there was a rewind button.

push rewind.  kick self in rump. start fresh.

O Sweet tomorrow.

Crazy Train

Bills and bottles,

 dirty socks

breakfast, dinner, teenage talks.

fill the car with gasoline

apologise for

talking mean.

Get up early,

stay up late.

Consider sleeping in

a date.

Watching babies grow

up fast,

hold on tight it sure don't last.

Snap Happy

Running my kiddos around to this and that has its privileges.  This week wrestling took us on a tour where I got a little

snap happy.

The architecture at the small school we went to is so ornate. 

I was glad to have my camera.

(and a few extra hands to manage the babies,

thanks Grammy and Pappy)

   

And the old sugar factory definitely has a story to tell.

It is connected to a set of newer buildings.

The contrast between the two is incredible.

I even found a new word to add to my life...

whatever amalgamated means.

I think I will just use it randomly.

"I am feeling soo amalgamated today!"

"Stop hitting each other before

you end up amalgamated!"

"Wow. I ate too much...Do I look amalgamated?"

Everyone will think I am really smart.



                 

O it's easy..

There are two things about Lionel Richie that I am sure of:

1. He was not a mother
2. He did not get an entire family ready to go to church

Maybe I am the only one that suffers from the dilemma of Sunday morning but mine usually go pretty crazy.

• Wake up and stretch….aaaaah its Sunday
• Lay around in bed way too long but finally get up          
• Down the coffee, ignore Saturday disaster
• Realize its getting late
• Throw all of my clothes out of the closet onto the floor noting repeatedly that I have nothing to wear
• Get mad and holler a few times

• Realize we are already late for Sunday School
• Sit down. More Coffee. Feed Face.
• Wipe table from Thursday afternoon
• Restart mildewed load of laundry….again
• Break up a fight
• Realize we are gonna be late to church
• Realize I have toothpaste on my elbow
• Realize preschooler isn’t even dressed
• Realize baby is missing her glasses
• Realize house is trashed
• Yell WE ARE GONNA BE LATE!!!
• Pile in Car

Oh yes…Easy like Sunday Morning…

I want SUMMER!!!!!!

I wanna see the bloomin' mountain flowers!

                                          

I wanna get a sunburn splashing at lake Mac!

I wanna watch the motorcycle show-offs and smell campfire smoke in my kiddos hair!

 

I wanna hang out in the sunshine and get in water balloon fights!!

Hurry, hurry, hurry up summa time!!!

The Vinivan

Last summer just before Elsa was born, I tried to wedge myself in between two car seats in the back of our Ford Taurus, in an attempt to see how my growing family would fit into a shrinking car.  It was sure to be a tight fit, but I reasoned that something would work out, and if necessary we could just take both vehicles. 

Fast forward a few weeks to a bigger belly and a trip to Ft. Collins.  I pulled up to the Orthopedic Center of the Rockies, parked my car, and went in the doors to see my Dad, who would soon be getting a brand new hip.  He was just getting ready to be taken back to surgery when he told me he had something for me.  It was a set of keys to a Dodge Caravan!! 

 

With the love that only a father can have for his kid, he had traded off his Harley…yes you read that right…a Harley traded for a minivan.  You cannot imagine the relief and overwhelming gratitude I felt at that moment.  My family would have a way to hit the road all in one pile!  And hit the road we have!!!

Milo calls it the “Vinivan.”  It is our home away from home.  We have burned up the highways together.  Inside its doors we have laughed our heads off, shed a few tears, had a few diaper blow outs, watched football games, and sang at the top of our lungs. Its top adventures are bringing home a baby, going to Milo’s first movie, and whacking a deer during corn harvest.

We have driven to Denver more times than I care to remember, gone to family parties and hauled our friends around.  The vinivan is a loyal friend just sitting outside our door waiting for our twelve feet to trample in and head out on the highway.