Storm clouds

This is a picture of one of the many storms that barreled through Wisconsin this weekend. It was fascinating to watch it approach us - very quickly. Another demonstration of the mighty hand of God. We just watched it come - all we could do was take cover and clean up afterward. Awesome. It left behind a lot of water - and in some places a lot of high wind damage.

Today we are thankful for sump pumps. ( . . . and the house attached to the pump - that kept us dry!)

My job

Carra and I were having a discussion with a little girl that I am watching this summer about why she needs to come to my house everyday. I explained to her that because her mom and dad have jobs, she gets to come to my house for the day.

So, she asks me, "Where do your kids go when you go and do your job?"

Carra pipes in with the answer, "My mom doesn't work. Her job is going on dates."


Wouldn't that be the life?

Hmmmm, I haven't been to my job lately then . . .

Summer Fun . . .

Tee ball with Daddy . . .















Notice the high quality, top of the line uniforms . . . (Hey, he's a pastor - at least he lost the tie!)

Umm. . .

A little TOO much of that super imagination!

Summer Fun . . .

Rain Showers

(apparently she sat in a puddle too . . .;0)

The boys of summer!

The backyard!

Why we love spring...

Even throughout God's creation, we see His faithfulness!

These little guys had just hatched. Cooper found their shells under the tree!

Why we love the warm(er) weather . . . pt. 7

SUPER Imaginations!

The things they say . . .

They live among us . . . apparently . . .

I was standing by the front door talking to a friend about nothing specific when Owen struts into the room (in his unique Owen style), walks right up to my friend and states,

"Hey, you tan't go upstairs. Dat's where the humans fold the waundry."

Any suggestions how to get "someone" other than the humans to do all the work around here?

Why we love the warm(er) weather. . . pt. 6

BARE FEET!

Just complaining . . .

This post is proof that you can blog . . . anything . . .

This is shedding season for Clark (the family dog). Reason #1,458 why he needs to leave.

Last night I decided that the hair balls flying around the house had been tolerated long enough. I sweep. I vacuum. Clark walks through the room. I sweep . . again. I vacuum . . again. So I took his brush to him and after 5 minutes of brushing this is what I got:


Consider the mountain if I had continued for 20 minutes!

Here is the after picture: (I didn't think I would need a before picture.)


Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Seriously, shouldn't he be bald?!!!!!

If you'll excuse me - I have more sweeping and vacuuming to do!

The things they say

In my journey of parenting, I had a few rare moments of insight where I would write down in a journal some of the funny things my kids said.

I was digging around for a notebook the other day and came across one such journal with a few funny kid quips . . .

Mikayla - age 6 1/2
Brice - age 4

Brice - "Mom, are eggs chickens?"

Mom - "Yes"

Brice - "So are we eating chicken right now?"

Mom - "Well, yes, I guess so."

Mikayla - "No, we are eating the nog."

Mom - "The nog? What is the nog?"

Mikayla - "It is the chicken that didn't perform."

________________________________________________

Carra - age 2 1/2 years

Carra was wearing her special watch and noticed that Mikayla was also wearing a watch . . .
"Kaywa has a watch, Daddy has a watch. Mommy doesn't. Owen doesn't had a watch and I have a water buffalo."

(Wait, doesn't everybody "got" a water buffalo?)

______________________________________________________

Mikayla 8 1/2 years

Mikayla - "Mom when I'm a teenager can we live on a farm?"

Mom - "What kind of farm? A working farm or just a house with a barn?

Mikayla - "A working farm. Dad and Brice could get a tractor and do the cornfields and stuff and you and me could get a clothesline and hang up clothes."

_______________________________________________________

Brice - age 4-5

The kids had been playing in my bedroom and I made an announcement that Daddy was on his way home and it was time to pick up. In passing I made the comment, "So what kind of shape is my bedroom in?"

Brice ponders a while, then looks at me as if I have completely lost it and states, "Mom, it's a square."

___________________________________________________________

Mikayla - age 6-7

I had gone through the drive-through with the kids for a healthy lunch of chicken nuggets and french fries. I handed out the food to the kids in the car and proceeded to drive down the road.

Suddenly, I hear this startled cry from the back seat, "Mom, my french fries aren't done cooking!!!!!"

"Why, honey? Are they cold?"

"No!!! There's still potato in the middle!!!!"


___________________________________________________________

Brice - age 2-3

We had just been discussing with Brice that God is everywhere, but we can't see Him. He was still trying to grasp this deep concept when he had the following conversation . . .

All the assignments had been handed out for the Christmas program and all the kids from church were discussing what part they were given. Brice, being a bit young yet for such a performance, was not given a part and feeling a bit left out.

As the kids were bantering about their parts, "I get to be the shepherd!", "I get to be an angel!", etc. Brice decided to pull out the trump card and top all of their selections, "Yeah, well, I get to be GOD!"

Why we love the warm(er) weather . . . part 5

Playing at the park - with friends!!!

Life

Look what Carra can do!!!!!!

When my kids finally learned how to ride a bike, it was as momentous to me as when they walked or said their first word. I do a lot of yelling and cheering and I have even been known to get teary eyed!

We tried working with Carra last summer, but she never seemed to catch on. She spent all morning Friday pestering Buff to remove the training wheels and teach her to ride. Seriously, one of Carra's qualities is persistence (whether that is good or bad depends on what she wants).

Buff took her to the park, she jumped on and rode to the end of the parking lot. Now we can't hear the end of it! She still needs a bit of practice stopping (a very important development), but I have a feeling that she will have it by the end of the day!

___Brothers____


1. I was struck with how alike they looked!

2. What could have these two boys sitting with rapt attention?

a. Buff's preaching

b. Mom's lecturing/ teaching

c. Lego Star Wars video game

Why we love the warm(er) weather . . . part 4

Frog Gigging!!!!

(we also found salamanders/newts, water beetles, snails, tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, water spiders, and more! )

(We pulled Owen out a few times too . . . )

Why we love the warm(er) weather . . . part 3

TULIPS!

Why we love the warm(er) weather . . . part 2

Dandelion bouquets!

Why we love the warm(er) weather . . . part 1

Spinning Swings!!!!

Uh Oh . . . .

We have an epidemic . . . .



No, really, it isn't funny . . .

Because apparently it is contagious . . . .

Reason #29 . . . .

of why we homeschool . . .


Of course, only in Wisconsin do you find a nine-year-old who thinks a 69 degree day is so blazing hot that it requires a fan . . . outdoors . . . in order to stay cool.

The things they say . . .

I was reading sentences for a spelling test to the two big kids and Carra and Owen were playing quietly on the floor (no really - that's not the funny part) . . .

The sentence was "Do you like to watch soldiers marching?"

Owen pipes in from the peanut gallery (insert dramatic expression), "No, Mom, soldiers don't march! They run for their lives!"

Update

I haven't posted any pictures of the kids in quite a while so I thought I would post some updates of the craziness that is our life. I think I will do it in spurts though . . .

You may remember the birthday post I put up for Brice on his miserable birthday. Well, don't be fooled, he recovered beautifully.

I was supposed to find Legos to put on his cake, but couldn't find the one he was looking for. We couldn't make it back to another store to look for another one because of the 16 inch snow storm, so he got creative with some K-Nex he had and decorated his own cake.
Those were sparkler candles. Cool idea - not so good in reality. They sprayed ash all over the cake. It kept me from eating it!

We later had a birthday celebration with the rest of the family and Ruth turned the favored Rice Krispie treats into the cake. Here (and below) are two of the birthday boys blowing / spitting out the candles . . .
(Note once again - sparkler candles - which once again sprayed ash. Not much can keep me from a Rice Krispie treat though - not even ash (but maybe spit). There were a few unscathed treats buried in the pile that I managed to salvage and enjoy.)

In the middle of the night . . .

I have started a few posts to update you on our crazy life . . . I'll finish those soon. In the meantime I have to tell you about the night I had last night.

At approximately 1:41 a.m. we were awakened by screaming and crying. It was Carra suffering from those dreaded growing pains. I gave her some Tylenol and tucked her back into bed. I swear I tucked only her in . . .

At 2:12 a.m. the light in our master bathroom flicks on and Brice is digging around in the cupboards. When I go to check on him, there is blood dripped on the floor and he has a huge bandaid on his arm. Apparently he went in to sleep in the floor in the girl's room and cut his arm on something while making himself comfortable. After much searching, we are still baffled . . .

By now, I am WIDE awake. While I am in the girls room searching for the sharp culprit, I look over at Carra - now fast asleep - and this is what I see . . .

She is no longer alone . . .

Seeing how I am WIDE awake, I figure it is too precious not to record and I might as well go get my camera. She is sleeping with the scarecrow she made in home-school co-op yesterday. His name is Wilson. (That is face paint on her face from our trip to Stonefire Pizza last night . . .)

I didn't fall back asleep until after 4 a.m. because of all this . . . (it is going to be a long day!) but I keep telling myself that this is the stuff memories are made of - and I may actually miss this kind of craziness someday!

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go clean the bathroom - and apparently the girl's room. I also think I need a nap . . .

Look Carra Grace....

Grandma and Grandpa are kissing on the lips!! :o)