Summer Funnies

Dinner time conversation ~~~ Nickles randomly states, "When I get a dog it's going to be named Shadow."

Shannon mumbles, "Because a shadow is as close to a dog as you're going to get."

"Well, when I get another dog I'm going to name it Chance."

Shannon again, "Because there's not a chance in you-know-where that you're getting a dog." 

While feeding Max his bedtime snack Nickles walked in the kitchen. "Mom, can I have something to drink?"

"Sure, have a glass of water."

"Well, I'm thirsty and hungry and that means I need something to eat and drink and that means I want cookies and milk."

I guess that's logical when you're six. 

Nickles told Shannon in the birthday card he gave Shannon that he'd be needing his truck. (the boys bought him a back up camera which needed to be installed) Shannon asked him if he needed the truck to pick up chicks. Nickles answered, "Yeah! And owls too! Hoot! Hoot!"

Driving down the pass, I hit a bird.  As feathers drifted behind the car my heart was really sad, recalling the verse about the sparrow in the Bible and told Nickles how I felt. 

His consolation was, "Well, it was the bird's fault.  He should have been paying attention."

Walking into an epic disaster in my bathroom and Nickles furiously plunging the toilet, he turned to me and said, "It was your fault.  You put oatmeal in the apple pie."
That kid is a bit into the blame game.

A couple weeks ago Shannon and his girls went camping/hunting.  The boys worked their tails off for me the entire day so I told them I'd do whatever fun thing they wanted that night.  After much debate they chose to watch a superhero movie.  After consulting Pluggedinonline.com (excellent movie review site) I decided it would be okay if we fast forwarded through a few spots.
The following evening our new priest came over for dinner. As luck would have it, the boys asked him who his favorite superhero is.  I didn't think much of it since my older sons have logical discussion points about all the current superheroes, much of it derived from listening to Fr. Mike Schmitz.  There was a lull in the conversation and that's when I should have began talking.
Quickly.
Suddenly, Nicholas states loudly, "Ahhhh, Wonderwoman! She is soooo awesome!"
While my face turned 90 shades of crimson, Father about choked on his food he was laughing so hard.

Grandma headed back to visit Auntie Maria for a couple weeks.  Annika was feeling rather sorry for poor, lonely Grandpa in Grandma's absence.  Now Grandpa is not one who minds being alone.  In fact, I think he rather enjoys solitude.  Annika told him, "We should have a game night with all the cousins while Grandma is gone!"
While that would be the furthest thing from Grandpa's idea of fun, he also cannot disappoint his granddaughters.  So he replied, "Yes! That sounds like a really good idea."
Annika was excited about the prospect, but we stalled til Grandma's return.

Shannon was getting after the boys for the state of one of the bathrooms.  Nickles waited til Shannon left the room and then says, "Well, we're not the only ones.  Remember in Mike Rowe when that toilet was just pissed off."
And while the language was a bit startling, we couldn't help but laugh.

A couple days ago Dom, Nickles and Josh folded the laundry.  While it was a noble effort, I wanted to cry as it looked more like they'd wadded clothes into random piles that covered the dining table.  I gathered the kids together to learn and practice folding a few key items.  Everyone got it except Dom. He could not understand how to fold towels correctly.  Nickles was whipping them out right and left, but Dom simply was stumped.  Then he got frustrated and a tantrum unlike any other ensued.
Fast forward to Sunday.
Dom was serving Mass and was instructed to remove the corporal from the altar.  The corporal needs to be folded precisely, something with which every new server seems to initially struggle.  Visualize folding a large map that is at eye level and doing it in front of 250 people while the sleeves of your robe continually catches the corners of the cloth messing up your folding.
First he folded it one way, then another.  Then he unfolded it again and refolded it a different way, his face becoming more and more puzzled.
The entire time I was envisioning his tantrum from a couple days prior and tears were running down my face...partially because the entire scenario was hilarious and partially because I was terrified of what he would do next.  Mentally, I was preparing for him to wad the entire thing up, drop it on the ground, stomping off to the sacristy during a most reverent part of Mass.
Finally, he decided that it was good enough and grabbing the cloth firmly, headed to the sacristy where Eric schooled him on corporal folding.    

More summer pics ~ 

Making slime with Pierce.  

This I found hilarious ~

The weekend we were up at Placid found the moms with the littlest on the dock and 

Joey out on the boat with all the rest of the kids.  

Ah ~ summer days.

I am longing for one more warm day right now.

Try to catch me, Momma!

Ice cream and parasols ~

Annika and Lauryn love each other ~

Princess Water Lily ~

  

Apples

Ben called to tell us his apple tree was ready to be picked.  At least he was ready for the apples to be picked since they were dropping all over his lawn.  I headed down with the kids with the intention of picking a few buckets. 
Oh no.
We picked every.last.apple.  
Then the kids jumped in Uncle Ben's pond before heading home in our suburban so loaded that it groaned over every slight rise in elevation.

Eric looks super stoked.  

It's a look I'm beginning to associate with a teenager that may be slightly annoyed 

at having to help his/her mother with another project that isn't super riveting. 

We began picking with a ladder and climbing the fence. 

And that was working just fine.  

My three buckets were filled rapidly.

At one point Max discovered Uncle Ben's pump handle 

was easy enough for a two-year-old to lift.

All fun and games untillllllll ~

~ he heard the distant rumble of heavy equipment!

Because who doesn't pick apples with an excavator?!?

We didn't stop til every last apple was picked from the tree and lawn.

I came home with so many apples I almost cried. 

But I guess we'll survive the Apocalypse.  That is, if one can survive on apple pie filling and sauce!

Then, it was off to the pond.

Nickles was prepared with his trunks and life jacket, 

but not for Uncle Ben to raise him so high in the sky. 

This is more like it.

When a girl is sandwiched between five brothers, 

she becomes an adventure seeker.

It's kind of sink or swim. 

No pun intended. 

Amen. Alleluia.  They all survived and we made it home with our load of apples.
Thanks, Uncle Ben, for a memorable afternoon!

Steubenville 2016

Again, we headed to Spokane at the end of July for the Steubenville Conference.  It is an awesome respite from the constant drone of bad news in the world; witnessing the energy of the youth seeking Christ in their lives is energizing.  Eric and Katherine returned home wanting to do better, desiring to serve Christ more fully.  Michaela joined us this year, as well as Gabby and a friend of Eric's. Watching Michaela and Kath love Gabby and reach out of their comfort zones did my heart good. As for Eric....I loved watching he and his friend, Johnathon, attempt to fold a couple hundred t-shirts before the Conference began. When the guy organizing the gift shop realized the boys were going to begin sobbing uncontrollably, he asked them to alphabetize 500+ saint zipper pulls.   

Yes.  I laughed.  And I could barely stop!   

The beginning of t-shirt organization.

And the fun begins ~

Just waiting for the world to change....

I mean, waiting for the girls to be ready for breakfast.

Walking along the river...it is so tempting to jump off this bridge when it is 95 degrees out and you're heading back to your dorm room that is hotter than the hinges of you-know-where.

The last two years we have shared the conference center with a costume convention.

Hi.lar.i.ous.  

It was at the Convention that I realized Eric was taller than me  :o/

Leaving Adoration ~

All done and ready to head home!

Stopping for a quick swim on our way home ~

Poor Eric had to settle for dipping his toes since he 

still couldn't swim due to his sinus surgery this spring.

Eric's First Archery Bull

Eric and Katherine diligently practiced with their bows all summer.  I often scolded Eric because it seemed that every time we went to town he needed to stop at the archery shop for a repair to his equipment.  I don't recall Shannon or Dad ever having so many mishaps and became slightly frustrated with him.  His fortitude paid off this past week, however.

The kids are always spotting for elk and deer in their hunting areas.  Eric had spotted a herd that he thought he'd try to sneak in on.  I didn't think much about it because, well honestly, I really thought the chances were slim.  About an hour after he headed out he called to tell us he'd got a bull.  Shannon came home to go track it.  Over the course of the next two hours Eric suffered the agony and ecstasy of archery hunting.  Apparently at one point during the track when they couldn't find any blood, he was down on his knees with his bow on the verge of tears.  Shannon, having been there in previous years, understood Eric's pain completely!  Shortly thereafter they found the bull which had expired fairly quickly, but hadn't left a lot of sign in the process.  

It is a mighty big accomplishment for a 15-year-old to harvest a bull elk by himself. We will enjoy the meat this winter!

Happy hunting, Eric!

I loved that Kath was just as excited for 

Eric as he was for himself.

A Little Too Lazy

Shannon continually encourages me to really enjoy the kids.  After school wrapped up this spring he was really on my case to recharge during the summer months.  So around the first of July I decided to do just as he suggested.  I really focused on doing as little as possible unless it involved something entertaining or relaxing....or urgent.  I did the laundry when necessary and shopped if I had to...like if we were out of ice cream and cones. I almost perfected a make-do-or-do-without mentality and by the end of August it kinda bit me.

Shannon began to wonder what exactly I had been doing with my time and why we were out of bars of soap, dishwasher detergent, liquid soap, napkins, dish towels, rags in the bathrooms, and, God forbid, baby wipes. While the argument that ensued was less-than-awesome, my batteries were really recharged for the forthcoming school year.  

It's rather ridiculous that I need to focus on fun, but that's my reality.  Forcing myself to relax, soak up sunshine and really appreciate my family was good for me, and good for my kids too.  Dinner was extra lame for a couple months, but such is life!  We were all sun burned, bleachy haired and chill by 
August 31st!  And plus, the kids perfected their swimming, cliff jumping and diving....so it wasn't all in vain.  

I was ready for the school year when Labor Day arrived.  So bring on Fall and all the glorious work ahead.  We are ready to buckle down and get this school year underway....at least now that the laundry is caught up and Shannon has underwear in his drawers vs. scrounging through the heaping clean clothes basket!

A couple random pics ~

Yes, Iceman, I am dangerous.

Eric and cousin Mary Rose off to the spring dance ~

Yeehaw!

If it can be dove into or jumped off, my boys will probably attempt it ~

The girls and their loves ~

Little Max snappin' a pic with the iPhone ~

Nickles and sweet Sophia ~

Hiking with friends ~

Grandpa's cabin bridge ~

In the midst of it all we were forced to dig a new well ~

~ Of course filling the water line was a family affair.

Sunflowers make me happy ~

We fit in server training, although once we were so preoccupied with something fun 
while we were supposed to be at the church. Ugh. Totally irresponsible. 

Sisters are the best ~

Have I mentioned cliff jumping?

Coolin' off ~

Enjoying the fruits of his siblings' labor ~ huckleberry jam.

More huckleberries ~

And cousins.

While the bigs were camping, we had a camp out at our neighbor's teepees.

Swimming goggles also work for tear prevention while chopping onions.

Rafting....it was the BEST! 

Next summer we are going to stretch our wings a bit and learn a few more rivers.

Watching the well drillers ~

More rafting ~

We brought the canoe and kayak too ~

There's nothing better than older sisters ~

Blowing Daddy a kiss ~

An entire Boyscout troop was all the encouragement 

my boys needed to jump off these rocks ~

Dad took us flying one early Sunday morning and we saw 'our' river from the air.

The courtesy vehicle at the Choteau airport was an old Crown Victoria.

Annika couldn't figure out what the window cranks were for.

Riding the airport bicycles while Grandpa fuels up the plane.

Even Grandma tried one out.

Donuts with Halle ~ mmmmmm.

With any slack time, there was always the trampoline.

Max working out with Eric.

Then there was the day that I was returning tile, parked right outside the store, and upon my very quick return Nicholas had managed to wrap the seat belt around himself so badly we nearly had to cut it off.  It's always something; I really have no idea how he gets himself into these pickles.  

We had to twist him upside down to free him while holding the seat belt to keep it from retracting any further.  All the while he was mad at me for his disaster!  

Josh and Michaela flying with Grams and Gramps.

And the very last weekend we spent at Placid Lake with Joey and Stacy 

kayaking, boating, tubing....and eating!