This week in pictures!

Our first full week of summertime is finished!  Overall, we have had a great time.  The big boys did the Junior Golf program, and in the afternoons, we have had a lot of rain!

Yesterday's storms were severe enough for Jason's patients to cancel so he was home early.  The weather never really got bad, so we took advantage of baseball cancellations to enjoy some nature!  Reid LOVED to splash in the water.

We took a (long) hike to the big pond behind the neighborhood as we have never been.  It backs up to a neighborhood where several of our friends live so we went to visit them as well!  Everyone did great, but Reid was especially a trooper - he kept up at our pace for an hour plus walk.

Our neighbors got a dog and Kyle loves little Maggie!  

We went on a walk to get the mail, and anything Kyle would do, Reid copied him.  

This was the day school let out - Grant was at the kitchen table doing math problems that were left from his workbook.  :)

Jason and I were social ourselves and went to dinner and then to a few places on the strip with our friends Julie and Mike.  These dart boards brought back memories from Murphys in college!

Here is a great picture of Granny with three of her seven great-grandsons!  She recently moved to an apartment in a retirement community and seems to really like it (all of us sure did!)

These pretty ladies with me are some of my dearest, lifelong friends.  Three live in Edmond and one in Nevada.  While we were visiting Granny, I wanted to get as many together as possible and all five of us could meet up!  We have 15 kids among our families!  :)

Love you, ladies!

Dinner last night at Eskimo Joes - Joe and Buffy came out!  

Yet again - REID LOVED THEM!!!!

One of the advantages to having boys.... potty break along the road without cars being able to see them leaning out of the minivan!  :)  That picture in the rearview was just too funny/cute to pass up taking!

It was apparently OSU orange day earlier this week!  Love the boys always, and I sure do like them a lot more when this is how they're playing - happily together!!

These two "Rickie Fowler Puma Hat Wearing Kids" are in Junior Golf this week.

The hats were a present from the camp.

They (especially stylin' Kyle) love them!

BRACE FACE!!!

Grant and I both got braces today!  He has them on three upper teeth as his midline is so off that his teeth cannot come in. His initial rubber band colors were blue, orange and black.

 Mine are on the bottom to straighten them up!

TWO!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday, dear Reid!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Elmo's cupcake came to your party!

I said "let's take a picture" and you went to this spot on the deck, sat down, and gave me your best camera smile!  Ready to show off!

Getting ready to blow....

How old are you, Reid?
"twhoooow" - showing Daddy and the video camera with your fingers (ALMOST there!)  :)

All four of your grandparents came to your party!

I'm not quite sure..... do you think you're the special fellow today?!?!  You seem to be hamming it up and showing off in most of these pictures!

You are a great little boy.  You're great to play with groups of kids, but you can also easily make your way upstairs by yourself and entertain yourself with cars, trucks, blocks, books, and destroying your brothers' rooms for a long time.  You can climb on the trampoline all by yourself (!!!!).  You LOVE to feed the Koi fish.  You are pretty good about staying in the yard and not running to the street.  You do enjoy going on walks/exercise with me, whether in the wagon, stroller, or bike ride.  

Favorites:

Fruit: blueberries

Drink: milk (only because the only capri suns, etc, you have had were when you stole them from your brothers - but you do love them!)

Misc: blankie and paci at bedtime

Book: My Big Word Book - tons of pictures of real items

Drive thru: QuenchBuds (duh!)  haha.

You love to see Daddy's car driving down the road, run to the edge of the driveway, and sit/drive with him to the garage.  :)  that always makes me smile.  You love bubbles, Bubba, and balls.

Thanks, Reid, for dumping Kyle's potted plant.  

I'm sure he'll be soooo thankful.

The last two days have brought piles and piles of school work from this year to my kitchen counter.  This is one project that I loved from Grant's work.  It was recently written so it makes me happy that it is such a fresh, happy memory for him!

Thanks, sweet teachers, for sending pictures from recess of our two big boys!  Looks like popsicles on the playground!

"One Who Builds Under the Stars

Builds Too Low."

Always thankful for fabulous family, especially my Ken.

One of my birthday presents was a new purse.  As I was modeling it for the family, Kyle goes "you know, Mom, I know I am not supposed to say this word.... but, that purse is really sexty."

Sexty.  

1. cracked me up that came out of his mouth

2. shocked me that came out of his mouth

At least he doesn't quite know the real word yet!

33? Or Mommy?!

I'll take the role of Mommy any day over celebrating my birthday!  I turned 33 today (thank you for the many cards, texts, emails and facebook messages - means so much!).

However, today I was able to be a fun Mommy to Kyle!

His class had a picnic in the park.  GG watched Reid so I could have several uninterrupted hours with Kyle, including walking to and from the park, being the PB&J sandwich maker for the class, and being the only Mom to join in (and bring to the party!) on the football and frisbee fun.  

Kyle was thrilled!

(these are my only birthday pictures - the rest were just deleted off the camera!)

Kindergarten Class of 2013!

A few special friends were absent today, but these are, for the most part, his buddies from his class this year.  Thanks, Mrs. Tackett, for an amazing year and for helping Kyle grow, learn and mature so much. Thanks, Bryson, Jagger, Jackson, Sam, Samuel, and Mez for being amazing friends!

3525 Yucca

Grant and I were driving around town yesterday listening to the weatherman on the radio as storms were hunkering right on top of where my brother's family lives.  A few minutes later, he actually says "Yucca Drive and Cactus Drive, it's on you!"  

This was my family's home for about 8 years and where I made all of my teenage memories!  2 acres with beautiful trees.  Fortunately, it looks like the house had roof damage, and probably other stuff, but at least it is still standing!  

This picture was in The Daily Oklahoman today!

Nana, Manning and Morgan came up to see Kyle's game on Tuesday!

The boys always have fun playing together and it was the first time for the cousins to see our new place.  

Nana and her boys.

Grant on first base.

Awesome new ad put in the latest POSSE magazine.  

I love it!  So creative.  

Grant hits some doubles!

JW took a few photos of the boys and me this weekend!  

Mother's Day 2013

My boys created a great day for me!  We spent several hours at the lake, biking around it, playing in the park, and having a picnic lunch!  I love them all so much!

Family picture.  First all-crew picture since Jacob arrived!

this week

I am sitting at my desk at 8:29.  My house is completely quiet.

Two of my children bounded out the door and are off for another great day at school, and sweetcheeks is still cozy and cuddly in his bed.  I just had the thought, "Isn't this perfect?"

So many days I think "ahhh, it's so noisy and loud!" around here, but I do realize as MY friends have children in high school that this sweet time just goes so quickly!  A mom of four boys told us the other day - "you spend all those years trying to keep your house clean, and then all the kids are gone and you just wish someone was there to make it messy."

(I will try to do both - kids AND a clean house!)

So, my post for this week really has nothing to do with those comments above.  Just a slice of life I wanted to share on the blog!

Our Lifegroup is losing two couples to location moves. We met for one last dinner this week.  

Best of luck, Carlsons and McColloms!  You will be greatly missed!

Mitch and I missed the memo about 'girls on the left, boys on the right!'

Kyle FINALLY lost his first upper tooth.  He has been wiggling this thing since he was FOUR (about the time Grant lost his upper tooth!) and has had many a talk with his daddy about the tooth not being ready!  IT'S GONE!  

Reid and I met some friends at the botanic garden.  This is one of the "slices of life" I talked about above - how much longer will I have a little cherub wanting to hold my finger (my finger!) and who turns around when I say "let's take a picture!" and doesn't argue with me?!?!  Sweet memories in a park.  

Free and priceless.

 This goober just wanted to play peek-a-boo over and over (and over and over). 

Prayers at lunchtime when Daddy came home!

 That's our little guy!  A few more inches on either end of his bed.  

(and TWO years old in two weeks!)

This is Reid's shoe stuck in our yard after rain Wednesday night.

Let's notice a few things:

1. Our yard is actually dirt hence the lack of backyard pictures on here.  It's either dirt or way overgrown brush that we are removing/killing.  

2.  His shoes are nearly brand new (remember this post?)

3.  When your kid starts fussing as you're walking back from the trampoline after he has spent the entire morning fussing and you want to ignore him,.... you may just want to check as he is literally stuck in the mud (I thought of the scene in Swiss Family Robinson where they're trying to free the zebra).  

Pretty deep!!!