funny!

On our way to swimming lessons Monday, Ben was very excited. He took my hand and brought me to the following flower pot...

"Mom look! Your flower is growing"

Yes, I have had good intentions of planting flowers but life got in the way.

So I drug the kids to Hesston AND even Stone Creek Nursery was low on flowers. We did manage to find a few things to choose from.
Now we have real flowers and not weeds.

I still have one more flower pot to fill under the Chinese Maple.

That may or may not happen this year!

On the positive side.........

I did get the windows cleaned this summer which hasn't been done since we moved into our house (3.5 years ago)! Thanks Grandpa Jim for your help!

(The windows aren't spotless anymore between the grubby finger prints, nose prints from Trooper and many "sprays" from the squirt guns/hoses.) BUT it felt good even if the window were only clean for ONE day.

June 23, 2009

Jake's real birthday was a very busy but fun-filled day! It started with leaving for Walton at 9:00 AM to pick up Clayton. Clayton is Jake's best buddy!

Clayton, Jake and Ben at swimming lessons at 10:00 AM in Newton.

11:30 heading to McPherson Swim Park. Only after making a detour through the McDonalds drive through!
"3 Cheeseburger Happy Meals for boys, with Sprites"

We were at the waterpark until 3:00 PM (rest period), went to Sonic for happy hour drinks and back to Newton for a 4:00 haircut for both boys. The boys love Carol!
Jake wanted a "bulb head" translation is "bald head."

Ben and Clayton waiting patiently.

Jake and Clayton after Jake's haircut.

From Shear Elegance we went and got ice, changed our clothes, had a snack, packed drinks and headed to Ben and Clayton's t-ball game. We had to be at the field at 5:15. Keep in mind it was triple digit day with a heat advisory!

Jake and Papa Ted watching the t-ball game. Then off to supper!

Mom, Papa Ted and Jake at the "sports bar" because that is where Jake wanted to eat.

Jake and Grandma Sue.

Luke had a little mishap with his CDL and had to miss Ben's game. Luke was able to meet us for supper!
Once home, Jake got to open the family present which consisted of a fishing pole, a tackle box and other stuff to put in the tackle box. He was excited! It was a very fun day and I was glad I got to spend the day with him.

Mom was exhausted and fell asleep by 9:00 PM. I am not sure about the rest of the clan!

Father's Day & Jake's Birthday

For Father's Day this year we went to Auntie Al's house. It was so close to Jake's birthday that we decided to celebrate the two together. It worked out well so we could see Aunt Angela too! Luke and I. Luke had been working very LONG hours and was very TIRED!
Grandpa Ted and the boys!

Mom was out of town for Mother's Day so this picture is a month behind! Which we all know being late is normal for me (AKA "Angie time)!

Aunt Angela, Custer and the boys!

Jake's Spider Man birthday cake!

Ben and Jake in their normal "position."

Auntie Al and the boys!

She plays first base on her softball teams and both of her knees were quite "colorful."

Jake got the game "memory" from Auntie Al. I loved that game when I was younger!

Rather than having fruit, etc they now make Memory with "Spiderman and Friends."

Ben has played this game everyday! If only I could him to read that often!

Thanks Auntie Al for letting us to come to your house!

The food was wonderful and we had a great time!

Eastlake

Luke took the boys fishing at Eastlake a few weeks ago. It has now become the official "hangout" place for ALL of the guys in my family.
This is my absolute favorite picture of the boys right now. Sitting still for a long period of time doesn't usually happen with the boys.

Jake was the only one that caught a fish and Ben decided it was time to go swimming! Can you tell Ben is a little competitive!?!

The boys taking a rest and getting a snack!

Luke was suppose to go to a funeral on this day but overslept and wasn't able to make it to Johnson in time. He had the day off so he took the boys out to the lake. While he was there a teenage boy fell off a swing and snapped the bone in his arm. Long story short, Luke helped carry the boy to the back seat of his sisters car. He directed the sister to drive the car to the hospital (safely) and the foreign exchange student make the phone calls so the sister could concentrate on driving. He put the boy in the backseat, showed him how to hold his arm and told him to think of a relaxing place. Our boys said they recognized the boy from church after the kids left for the hospital. However, the boys still get people mixed up! The boys prayed that night for the boy at the lake.

Then, last Sunday I was at church and saw a teenage boy with both arms in a cast....I asked him what happened and he said he fell off of a swing at the lake. I explained that I thought maybe my husband helped him and he got so excited. His sister and the exchange student turned around fitting Luke's description. The boy said "Where is your husband I want to give him a big hug!" Luke was working but I told the boy I would tell Luke that we had talked...

It ends up the boy is the son of the office manager at our church. It is a small world.

All of those years of CPR/First Aid training at Westar paid off.

GOD is AWESOME!

Smores

The boys have been wanting to make smores outside since last summer. We had rain for many days and decided to improvise and make them "inside." It wasn't ideal but the boys still got to have a yummy, messy treat.

If Jake would have had a "sleeve" I am sure there would have been chocolate on his shirt too. I just can't seem to get him to use a napkin.

May 30, 2009

On Saturday, May 30, 2009, we went to a wedding in Larned, KS. Grandma and Grandpa offered to watch the boys that weekend too which was a BONUS!

Our friends, Troy and Amy, have a daughter (Ally) whose wedding we were celebrating.

The really ironic thing was Troy was the best man in our wedding EXACTLY 11 years prior.

Katelyn and Ally are friends of Jacqie's as well.
Amy, Troy and Andrea!
We haven't seen Andrea since our wedding either! It was soooo good to see friends we haven't seen forever.

Me, Amy, Troy, Andrea, Larry (Andrea's husband), Bailey (Andrea's daughter) and Luke. The last time all of us had our pictures together was at another wedding. If I knew how to use my scanner I would scan the picture and put them side by side............hmmm....maybe not because then we would see how much we have aged!

Troy and Luke towards the end of the night........

It was a beautiful wedding and a very fun reception/dance AND it was great way to spend our

anniversary.

Many blessings to Ally and Dustin!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day we headed to Offerle. We got to take Jacqie and Isabel with us to visit Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt. We also decorated graves while we were there.Luke was glowing all day, enjoying being around Isabel.
Me and Isabel. She liked my necklace!

Jacqie, Grandpa Schmidt and Isabel hanging out! Isabel was the center of attention, even Ben and Jake were mesmerized by her!

Grandma Schmidt and Isabel.

Isabel and Nathan (cousins).

The boys liked this butterfly. They named him "bugsy" (from Bedtime Stories) and we took to Logan's grave.

Some of this stuff has been out here for a long time. The frog really should have been brought home with us, but he should last through the summer. The boys will usually bring a car, tractor, or some other toy and leave it there.

This is the first Memorial Day weekend in 5 years that Luke didn't have standby. We were thankful this year that we could make arrangements to go to Offerle as a family.

Mothers Day

I know I am way behind!

Luke had to work over Mother's Day. He was working long hours for 5 days (roughly). He was nice enough to leave a card for me by the coffee pot with some special chocolates....yum! The boys and I went to church. Took a nap and I got a special treat when I woke up from my nap....coffee in bed at 3:00 in the afternoon!

It was a relaxing day. My dad was in town and bought supper so I didn't have to cook. It was a good day.

Funny now but not then!

The last day of school everyone was trying to pose. Obviously this one didn't turn out but notice the Tonka Dump Truck in the lower left corner of the picture.....One of the boys dumped the truck stating there was "water" in it. Well it didn't smell like water! The boys were being "quiet" in the garage the night before and Luke and I looked at each other and said "I wonder what they are getting into?" but couldn't figure out until now!Yep the boys decided it would be fun to "pee" in the their dump truck. I guess they aren't always used to haul dirt. Ben was getting ready to get on the bus and we weren't sure what fast "consequence" we could impose. Therefore, 10 push ups a piece is what we came up with.
Ben was first.

Jake was second. The boys had the entire driveway/garage to do their push ups but somehow no matter how much you say something, they are going to do it their own way. So push ups near the pee I guess was the only way in their mind.

Happy last day of school! This was just a glimpse of how ornery they were going to be this summer!

Ben's last day of Kindergarten

Ben and Jake hanging out in front of the house before the school bus arrived!Ben showing "excitement" about his last day of school!
Luke, Ben and Jake posing before the school bus came. Even after a year of getting on the school bus I still had a hard time watching him get on the bus and watching someone else drive him away! That is why it was dads job (when he wasn't working) to stand outside with him!

There are my of my handsome boys!

It makes my heart happy when I see them all together!

Random pictures of Ben from May

Kindergarten program and Ben is holding the duck.
Ben hanging out in Troopers cage.

Ben holding out the camera taking a pict of us. Of course mom is looking great with her makeup half on and her hair pulled out. But Ben looks adorable!

Kindergarten recital. You can't really see Ben but I know he was there!

Kindergarten recital. The little girl to the left is always so nice to me. She gives out hugs all the time and says "hi Ben's mom."