Monday, August 25, 2014

Rebuilding the Cross

Many years ago, before my kiddos were even old enough to participate, some boys gathered for a camp up at our house.  At the time they climbed to the top of our hill and erected a cross.  A friend of ours looked forward to seeing the cross up there each time she crossed the Pass on her way to work at the prison.  It was a reminder to her of the sacrifice Christ made of His very life. The winds blew, the storms came and eventually our cross became a leaning pole.

We ran into our friend a couple weeks ago and she mentioned that the leaning pole still reminded her to pray for our family each time she passed our hill, but she was looking forward to a whole cross soon!  The boys and I decided we had better rectify the situation, especially if someone is praying for us.


Eric cutting a crossbeam ~



A cheerful helper as long as the going is easy ~



Dom was forced into labor up the hill.....



But after Dom fell..... 



....Eric was on his own.  



What made cowboy boots a good idea for climbing rocks is anybody's idea!



Climbing the last bit to the very top of the hill ~



Coming up with a plan ~



Mission accomplished!

 

Sunday, August 24, 2014

21 Years of Wedded Bliss

This month we celebrated our 21st anniversary.  We have never really celebrated in typical fashion and this year was no exception.  I texted Shannon to meet me at a local motel following work.  After all, it was Discovery Channel's Shark Week!  We picked up pizza, various goodies and a bottle of wine and snuggled up with the kiddos to learn more about our favorite underwater creature.  Naturally, half way through the evening, Shannon had to run to the pool with everyone.  I mean, what is Shark Week without water?
Some may mock our lack of romance, but we loved celebrating the day with the fruit (s) of our love for one another!


Waiting for everyone to return from the pool ~


Mmmmmmm ~ shark bites!

    

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Happy Birthday, Joshie ~ Now you are 11!

You're so special,
Oh so special.
God gave you to us.
It's no wonder that we LOVE you so!



You are growing into a little gentleman, Joshie.  You are always trying to help; your favorite spot to be is with Daddy on a job site using power tools.  School isn't your favorite right now, but your love for animals and how things work keep you reading about those interesting topics.  I love how you are always inventing something, especially your Lego piggy bank!  And when you're not busy making something, you are busy catching some little animal...or bug!  

I love you!

Love,
Mom

If I cannot find you, it's a good guess that your building Legos somewhere !



You began your birthday having a riding lesson ~ 



They say you're a natural ~
This is no surprise as every animal around gravitates to you. 



Eleven candles! 





I love you, Joshie!


Saturday, August 16, 2014

First "Brother Bath"

The boys had their first bath together tonight.  It ended in tears for Maximo when Dom and Nickles began screaming because they had to actually have their hair washed....with shampoo.  Apparently, shampooing was a foreign experience.  Sadly, I have been telling them to go bathe on their own for the past months and they must have been neglecting the use of shampoo, soap, etc.  Nickles did try shaving a month ago so he must be familiar with the shaving cream.  Unfortunately, he shaved his head, and only in a few spots.


This is awesome ~ my brother is in the tub!



Wow! You're in here too!



Uh, Nickles, you're kinda close.



Dudes, you're crampin' my style! 


Sunday, August 10, 2014

Seeley Tri 2014

Yesterday the girls and I zipped up to Seeley Lake to compete in a triathlon that T introduced us to several years ago.  It's a bit bittersweet participating in this event.  I'm not entirely sure why, but it reminds me of Theresa so much.  The girls (and me too) look forward to the excitement in the morning, the energy of all the athletes, that hangs in the air.  This year was slightly anticlimactic; the race coordinator failed to advertise the event on the triathlon website so there was about 1/5th of the typical turnout.  It was kinda depressing actually.  However, we were able to stay for the barbecue afterward due to the lack of people and a super short line!  The water in Seeley is always a perfect temperature and the run and bike are beautiful, winding through the trees and pretty darn flat.  The girls are preparing to do the tri alone next year and bag the team concept.  While it is fun to be with friends, they are ready for the challenge.
Watch out Seeley 2015!

The bikers ~



The anticipation builds ~



The itty-bitty group of swimmers making their way to shore ~



And here comes my girl ~





The transition area was so empty, there was even room for Max 
to hang out below the bike racks ~




Michaela's team ~



Funny guy, Colton is ~



Kath & Hannah-bee...we missed Uncle Ben in the pic,
In typical fashion, he pulled a disappearing act 
as soon as he was done ~:o( 



Our little mascot ~


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

June and July Funnies

The night Michaela returned from her month long stay in Germany we were saying our night prayers.  Nickles prayed, "Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us find Michaela."  

Catching frogs I told Nickles to be sure to kiss each frog....you never know which one will be a princess. He replied, "No! This is a Dad frog."  

Annika and Dom fishing together singing Laudate Dominum.  It was so refreshing after typically hearing the Frozen theme over and over and over and over...........

Dom named the goldfish that we "freed" in our pond last summer Gunther.  The back story....we let the little guy go in the pond thinking it was easier than flushing it.  Certainly, we thought, it would make a nice snack for a trout vs. sludge in our septic.  Curiously, he made it through the winter and is now a decent sized fish zipping around.  The question my boys are pondering, "Which fishing lure attracts goldfish?"

I asked Nickles to make his bed. His response, "Mans don't do dat."

I had the three little boys while Shannon took the oldest five salmon fishing.  When I asked them what they wanted for breakfast, Dom responded, "Eggs and toast and jam,"  Nickles simply wanted ice cream.  Later, while eating breakfast and chatting about walking to the park Dom confided, "Mom, when you and Dad spank me, I just pretend to cry.  It really doesn't hurt."  
And that's probably something he shouldn't have told me!

Upon entering the beach house Nickles was ecstatic, "Katwin! There's a toiwet!"  Later, he was told to put on a clean shirt.  Instead he began licking it off.  When he was told that's not what young boys do, he said, "Katwin doos it."  

At Marissa and Kevin's dairy farm Nickles totally got splatted with you-know-what.  Kath walked in to see him holding his hand on his clean side with the hose pointed straight into the dirty side of his face, ready to clean himself off.  

There was a baby seal on the beach one afternoon.  Shannon went to bring all the kids to see it.  They all tore down the beach til they reached me where we stood looking at the seal.  While Daddy took pictures of the boys in front of the little guy, Annika piped up, "There's a seal?"  
She hadn't even seen it laying there, nor understood what they were racing down the beach to see. 

While picking huckleberries I told Nickles to get his huckleberry bucket so I could put some berries in it.    
"Hmmm, it's somewhere," he said, looking around the hillside.  
When I asked him a few minutes later where his bucket was he responded, "I hid it so no one could find it."  
That was code for being totally clueless as to its location.  

Earlier that same day he and Max were shopping with me.  I had to take a nursing break and parked in a parking lot to feed Max.  Totally seriously Nickles says, "Mom, if you want, while you're feeding Maximo, I can drive home."  
Yes, sure.  What possibly could go wrong?

Eric was trying to convince us that he does have a lot of hair on his upper lip. "Watch, I'll pluck one out!"  
Dude, if you can only get one, you don't need to shave quite yet. 

Everyone knows I'm not too into mani/pedi-type stuff, but when a friend asked who did my toenails the other day I thought, "They must not look too bad!  Who needs to get them done professionally?" 
Then she burst my bubble, "I thought maybe your kids did them." 



Tea party with cousins ~




Making goop, Lewis had to constantly wipe his hands off ~






Pickin' gallons, really, GALLONS of huckleberries ~


Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Beach ~



A walk at sunset on our way to Oregon





We stopped at a fish hatchery and ladder on our way ~



Headin' to the beach ~



Yippee!







Max's first glimpse of the ocean
I know he was smitten...at least with the sand!



Chasing seagulls could occupy 100's of hours ~



Oh, the treasures waiting to be found ~





Annika loved clamming ~



Returning with their morning clam catch ~



Clam chowder!



Then, we were off to Marissa's dairy farm ~
oh the places we go!



A little boy's dream ~
barns and haystacks







Following the herd in for milking ~



All the kiddos got to help with milking.
While certainly it becomes tedious when it must be done
every day twice a day, it sure was fun to be able to help for a day!





My beautiful cousin, Marissa.
She keeps tabs on her four-year-old, takes care of the farm, milks the cows and goats, feeds the calves, all while toting her little cherub on her back AND remaining totally 
calm, cool and collected. 
A.MA.ZING!







Michaela, trying her newfound medical experience out on a cow.
She discovered their skin isn't quite as thin as a human's. 



A new beach we scoped out ~
The waves were awesome.....









....And the rocks and sealife were better!





It all began totally innocently, burying one another in the sand.  









Then, Daddy arrived.
Oh dear.



Eric's 1000 piece puzzle.
We actually persevered in putting it together!



Our favorite day...a full 15 hours of sunshine at last!









A new flying toy ~



Our littlest angel dancing away, 
Because sunshine and sand just makes you feel like twirling!







Working up the courage to dive in ~



Racing with Daddy





Soaking up the sun ~



So this was mean.
While Michaela napped, Annika and I lured gulls in with crackers.
Michaela was less than thrilled when she awoke from her beauty rest.



Annika hoping to catch a gull ~



Brothers ~



Max was excited til the water hit his toes.





The seal pup that joined the party for the afternoon ~



My silly Dom ~



Til we meet again!