Zoo Extravaganza

Last night the school hosted a Zoo Extravaganza. The local zoo brought in animals from all over the world. The kids thought it was great, they were even brave enough to touch a few of the animals. I had camera trouble half way through the show so I missed a few animals. I did get a few good shots to share with you though. This cockatoo was very entertaining and even shared a few words with all the kids. Brylie loved petting the very soft chinchilla. These cockroaches totally grossed me out!! This is our pastor and his daughter Emma checking out the snake. Ewwww! Robb is deathly afraid of snakes but didn't want to wimp out in front of his kids! Ha! Hunter and his friend Jack thought this Walking Stick Bug was so cool! What did you do last night? Was it as exciting as the Zoo Extravaganza? :)

Don't ya love it when....

you are going through the pictures on your camera and find a picture of your butt that one of your kids took.

Favorite Photos Friday

Extra Clean!

Just when I thought that my duties for the night were almost done Gage decided to get back in the bathtub.... with Hunter....pajamas and all!

With Spring comes the MUD!

On Saturday Hunter decided to do a little "exploring" and this is what he looked like after a good explore! To set the scene, Brylie and I were playing 'Go Fish' (her new favorite card game...we get about 50 games in per day...seriously she can't get enough of it!) and Gage was taking a nap when Hunter decided to go outside and enjoy the nice weather. He knows the rules about where he can and can't go so I don't worry about him much. I checked on him a few times and he was just playing in the backyard and throwing sticks up into the trees. The last time I looked out he was on his way back to the house carrying his boots, crying and COVERED in mud! I went running out and he told me he had gotten stuck in the mud and had to take his boots off and he is "so, so sorry!" Of course I grabbed my camera as I headed out the door! A mess like this had to be captured on film! You would not believe the amount of mud that boy had on him. (and the amount that made it into the house!) The clothes miraculously washed up but the boots got thrown away! Luckily he had gotten 2 years use out of them and they were quite worn. Oh, the joys of Spring!

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We spent the day with my Grandpa yesterday, as it would have been my Grandma's 87th birthday. Grandpa loves having the kids come over and still gets down on the floor and plays with them. I captured this great snapshot of Hunter snuggling with Great Grandpa. At 90 years old he is in great health, other than having trouble hearing. I'm hoping these great genes have been passed down to me! We love you Grandpa!

Magna Doodle Art

Hunter came upstairs yesterday with his magna doodle and said, "I drew the most perfect picture of you mom!" Don't ya just love how your kids see you! LOL

My Grandma

Last Sunday at ten minutes after midnight my grandma went to be with the Lord. This was quite unexpected as she had just come down with a cough on Thursday and went to the doctor on Friday only to find out that it was viral and had to "run it's course". Well, her lungs ended up filling up with fluid and her weak heart couldn't take it. She was 11 days short of her 87th birthday. She left behind my 90 year old grandpa whom she had been married to for 64 years. So this is going to be a tribute to her. Growing up 1/2 mile from my grandparents I have hundreds of wonderful memories of our times together. During the summer my brothers, sister, and I would ride our bikes to their house on a daily basis. (We lived out in the country on a gravel road that wasn't traveled much) There was always a fresh baked treat waiting for us when we got there. At Grandma's we enjoyed games like 'hide the thimble', 'old maid', board games of all sorts, card games, you name it! The TV was never turned on and she never left us to put a load of laundry in or tend to her chores. While we were there it was all about us and we always felt top priority. We talked this week about how we feel grandma was put on this earth to be a grandma. She took so much pride in her job and loved us dearly. This passed down to my children who had the same love for her. As soon as we arrived at her house Brylie would start saying "I'm hungry" because she knew that some time during the visit we would be served something yummy. My grandma was the best cook! The toys at grandpa and grandma's house consisted of things like old coffee cans and empty spools of thread. My kids had so much fun with these things. After a visit I often wondered why I spend so much money on toys for my kids!! I think those things were so fun because of where they were at, Great Grandpa and Grandma's house. I am so thankful for so many years with my Grandma and the relationship that my kids had with her. She will be terrible missed.

Favorite Photo Friday

I'm not sure what sport Gage is playing, but he seems to be prepared for anything!

Strawberry Shortcake Party

The weekend was full of fun, food, family, and presents! We all had a great time celebrating Brylie's 4th birthday. Because our house isn't big enough to fit both families at the same time, we had two parties. On Saturday night my family joined us for the fun and on Sunday Robb's family came to celebrate. We were partied out! Here are some of the moments captured on film. Brylie was waiting patiently for her cake to get done baking. :) I had a lot of "help" from Hunter and Brylie with the cake. It was a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and we added some sprinkles and candy hearts just in case there wasn't enough sugar in there already. :) "Is it time for the party yet?" Yum...the food! We served sub sandwiches, veggies, chips and baked beans. I like to keep it simple. Here's Gage enjoying the party blowers. As you can see he wasn't able to keep his shirt clean for long! Brylie got so many fun, girly things! She scored some beautiful outfits from Gymboree, some fun craft items, jewelry, hair accessories, and some shopping money. Little girls are so fun! This is always a favorite part for the kids. Brylie smiled like this through the whole song! Can't you tell these boys are really into the Strawberry Shortcake theme!! These are my nephews Kyle, Alec and Brandon. All that partying made us tired!

Happy Birthday Brylie!!

It was 4 years ago today at my prenatal checkup when Dr. Benson told me that this was probably going to be the day that we would meet our second child. I was dilated to a 3+ and had been having false labor pains for about 3 weeks so to hear him say that I was close got me very excited! It was 9:00 in the morning and he told me to go home and if contractions started and continued consistently for over 2 hours to call him. Robb decided to go over to the farm and get some work done before the big event and Hunter (who was 19 months old) and I took it easy at home. I layed him down for a nap at about 1:00 and decided to take a rest myself. At 3:30 I woke up to my first contraction. It was much stronger than my first ones with Hunter so I definitely took note. After 2 more equally painful ones I called Robb and he came right home. They started 5 minutes apart and were not letting up. After an hour of painful contractions we called Dr. Benson and he told us to wait another hour and to come in if they were still coming consistently. At about 5:00 we decided it was time to take Hunter over to Robb's sister and brother-in-laws house and head to the hospital. I arrived at the hospital at about 6:15 and was dilated to a 5 and things were moving quickly. After going through one delivery without medication I was determined to take advantage of the epidural this time around, so they administered that about an hour after we got there. I was in heaven!! I went from intense pain to NO pain at all! I couldn't believe that I had passed up that miracle drug the first time around. Anyway, after being told for about 3 months that we were expecting a boy and were planning on Hudson Robb for the name, our little Brylie Ann came into the world at 9:45 pm in front of Daddy, Grandma Pat, Grandma Corinne and our good friend Val, who had volunteered to get some pictures for us right after the birth. Brylie was the most beautiful little girl with wide open blue eyes and a very content, easy going personality from the very beginning. After 6 grandsons she was the first granddaughter for my mom so she gladly volunteered to go to the store the next day and purchase some pink. We had only packed blue. Grandma over did it to say the least! :) Brylie is still the only girl on my side of the family and she continues to get a lot of pink stuff regularly from Grandma Pat! Brylie has been a wonderful blessing from day one. On March 10, 1993 Robb's dad went to be with the Lord after a very unexpected farm accident and 9 years later the Lord brought true joy on that same day. She is my princess, my pride and joy, and my precious, precious daughter. I am so thankful for this blessing that was given to us four years ago. We are going to be partying tonight and tomorrow night so I will post pictures of the Strawberry Shortcake party on Monday! Have a great weekend!

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Where is Summer???

Okay, I know I have been a major slacker lately when it comes to blogging...please don't beat me with a wet noodle. I am in a rut with this winter weather that just won't end! I see the forecast that says 47 degrees by the weekend, but I am very skeptical. Yesterday was cold, today is cold, tomorrow will more than likely be cold. No, I am usually not this pessimistic, but like I say, I am in a rut. The kids are getting stir crazy and have been fighting more than usual lately and I am about to go nuts! I go to bed at night and dream about summer and I wake up smiling...until I look out the window and see the HUGE snow piles in our front yard. Oh, to dig out the capri's, sandals, sand toys, bikes, picnic basket....ahhh the list goes on and on. Until then, I will try to lift my head up and try to enjoy the remainder of winter because when it is 95 degrees and muggy in July, I will wish for this again....well, maybe not. Here is a picture taken of Brylie 2 days ago. She came out of her room wearing her swim suit and asked, "Mom, when is summer?" I guess I'm not the only one wishing for summer!

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Nanny 911

Hunter, carrying the phone, came to me very frustrated and asked, "Mom, what is the Super Nanny's phone number?" Laughing I said I didn't know and asked him why he needed it. "Because Brylie is being so naughty she needs to spend some time on the naughty spot!"

The Spring Fever is Gone!!!

Okay, last week when the temperatures rose to 40 degrees I had a bad case of spring fever......now after this weekend, that fever is gone! So far we have gotten about 10 inches of snow and it is still snowing! Ugh! It was kind of nice having Robb stuck at home, we were able to get our bedroom painted. Yea! Anyway, I am at a loss for anything witty to write about today. I think all of the dreary weather is getting to me! I will just share some pictures from yesterday. I hope you are all surviving this late winter weather. (We are so jealous of you right now Michelle F.)

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A Revelation

This morning as Hunter was playing a Cars game on the computer he asks, "Mom, did you ever log onto disney.com when you were a kid?" "No, Hunter there was no such thing as disney.com when I was a little girl." I replied. In total disbelief, Hunter asked, "Do you mean that you didn't have a computer?" "There weren't any kids that had computers back then." I explained to him that computers were just getting invented when I was a kid. After a big sigh Hunter said "Wow, that's really bad! I bet you just walked around all day looking for something to do huh?"

Snowman

Yesterday the kids and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and create a snowman. The snow was perfect for building a snowman, it stuck together perfectly. The kids hunted for the perfect sticks for arms and we dug in the treat bowl for the best items for making a face. We were quite proud of our accomplishment!When the kids woke from their nap they immediately ran to the window to check on their snow friend, and tears came when they saw that our dog, Cooter had mauled him while they slept. He chewed up his hat and feasted on his edible face. We should have known better than to make him so tasty! :)

Spring Fever

As temperatures approached the upper 30's this weekend it gave me a bit of spring fever. I found myself on a cleaning frenzy, a shopping spree looking for new decorations for the house, and of course some fun outside time with the kids. What is it about Spring that gets me so crazy? I think the long winter is hard on the sanity. Just when I think I can't handle anymore winter, God gives me a little taste of Spring. Yes, I know, 35 degrees is hardly spring weather, but it is about a 50 degree jump from last weekend! It is amazing how nice it felt to be able to go outside for more than 10 minutes and not worry about getting frost bite. The kids had so much fun playing in the snow that they have only looked at out the window for quite some time now. It felt so good to get some fresh air and be able to enjoy the snow as it started to melt a little. As the kids took off their boots, snow pants, and all other winter gear, I noticed the floor in front of the door was full of snow mixed with mud and it was then that I realized that Spring was definitely on it's way. I so look forward to Spring and then remember what a messy season it is. Oh well, I can't have everything! What is it about Spring that you enjoy? Anything about the season you don't necessarily like?

Favorite Photo Friday

Mmmmmm ice cream!

What is Love?

Since today is Valentine's Day I asked Hunter and Brylie a few questions about Love. What is Love? Hunter: "Well, like I love super heroes and my mom and dad." Brylie: "Love is like the memory verse, 'Love one another'." **************************************************************************************** How do you show someone you love them? Hunter: "split my favorite cookie in half and share with them" Brylie: "share my toy with them" **************************************************************************************** How do you show mommy you love her? Hunter: "buy her jewels" Brylie: "help her with the dishes" **************************************************************************************** How do you show daddy you love him? Hunter: "Oh, that's easy, just take him to a hunting store." Brylie: "play basketball with him and give him smooches and hugs" ***************************************************************************************** How do you know other people love you? Hunter: "God tells me. He speaks in my heart." Brylie: "If they give you hugs and kisses then they love you." ****************************************************************************************** Hunter finished it off with "Hey mom, guess how much I love you? All the way to outer space and back!" HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Hunter's Prayers

These are a few of Hunter's prayers lately. I thought they were worth sharing. "Dear God, which is a fancy name for Father of Jesus, bless my family and heal my diabetes. Amen." *************************************************************************************** "Dear Lord, I won't ever let those mean people put you on the cross ever again. Amen" *************************************************************************************** And this one is after a night of playing the game Buckaroo. If you haven't played it, the object of the game is to try to get as many things as you can on Buckaroo's back before he bucks. (Buckaroo is a horse.) "Dear God, I have a very, very, very important think to ask you...please help Buckaroo not to buck so much. Thank you. Amen."

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A Tender Heart

For such a rough and tough little boy, he sure can melt my heart. Tonight at supper out of the blue Hunter looked at me and said, "I'm really glad God made you my mom". Wow, it just doesn't get any better than that!

Brylie loves her "baby brother"!

Brylie loves to be a little mommy to Gage. This is what it looks like when she tries to hold him.:) As you can see Gage is not trying to get away, he LOVES all of the attention that she gives him! Although he is 20 months old, Brylie still calls him her "baby brother" and cares for him as if he were as fragile as a newborn. He plays along and lets her put him to bed, which consists of her putting him in her bed and covering him with blankets and singing and reading to him. She also likes to sit by him at the dinner table and help him with his food. He tends to milk it a little as Brylie is so willing to take care of his every need. It is really pretty sweet! It is great when I need to take a shower or just get some housework done, Brylie volunteers to take care of Gage and she does a great job! If only she could change diapers then we'd really have it made! :) Lately she has been asking for a baby sister...Uh Oh!

The Walk was a Success!

Twenty four of our loved ones came out in the bitter cold to Walk for Hunter's team in the annual Walk to Cure Diabetes. Again, we had one of the largest teams there and we were the ones dressed in camo! This is the first year that the Walk was held inside. Previous years it has been held in September at Sertoma Park. This year we walked around the Sioux Falls mall and got to window shop as we went along! :) The goal of this walk was to raise $50,000. By the end of the Walk they had tallied up the amount of donations collected that morning, not counting all of the online donations, and the total was $65,000! Wow! Hunter was thrilled that his cousins joined him on the Walk. They were more interested in a Run than a Walk! :) Here we are making our way around the mall. Robb joked that he would just walk his mile and a half around Victoria's Secret. Whatever! :) As you can see Gage is sound asleep in the stroller. He had it made! We are so blessed by the donations and prayers that we received for a cause that we are so passionate about. The morning of the walk Hunter said, "what does cure mean?" I explained that a cure would mean that doctors would be able to fix his pancreas and he wouldn't have diabetes anymore. With a sparkle in his eye he said, "Oh, that would be SO COOL!" I agree that a cure would be so cool. I got so choked up to see all of the strong little boys and girls at the walk that were sporting insulin pumps and had their family and friends dressed in the same shirts walking beside them in 100% support of the cause. As parents we want nothing more than for our kids to be healthy and through the work being done by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation I can see that someday soon all of these boys and girls will indeed be healthy and diabetes free. How awesome that will be! Thanks again for all of your support!

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Are you kidding me??

After four days of a terrible sore throat and a constant headache, I decided it was time to see a doctor. I called to make an appointment. The appointments lady so nicely informed me that my regular doctor would be "out of the office until February 5th." That is okay I explained, I will see ANYONE today. Well, there are only 2 openings left for the whole day, one at 11:00 and one at 3:00. Oh, 3:00 should work perfectly as Robb said he should be home from his meeting between 2-2:30. Robb called at 1:30 and said his meeting had went a little long and won't be home until 3:00! Oh no! So here is my decision: 1) keep that precious appointment and haul all 3 kids out at naptime in zero degree weather by myself or 2) cancel the appointment and go to acute care after 5:00. Well, number one didn't sound so bad compared to the dreaded acute care, but after 4 days of being sick I just didn't have the energy to do it! I don't know if your clinic has acute care but it is basically a free for all at the end of the day for those who were unable to get appointments during the day. I really despise going to acute care because 1) you have no idea how long you will have to sit in that waiting room before getting in and 2) there are no doctors at acute care, only physician assistants. (while I am sure PA's are very educated, I always find myself second guessing their diagnosis) Well, Robb and the kids decided to ride with me since we had a few other errands we wanted to run. We arrived at accute care at 5:30 and the waiting room was packed! Not a good sign! After an hour of the 2 boys tearing up the place, Robb decided to take them to get something to eat. My faithful 'mommy's girl', Brylie, waited with me. Finally at 7:00 I was called back to get my throat swabbed (not fun ever, but really not fun when your throat is screaming in pain!) "You may go back to the waiting room while we send this to lab," said the nurse. Ugh! I wait for another half an hour only to be called back to learn "It's viral, give it a few more days to run its course." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? She went on to recommend throat lozenges, throat sprays, and a lot of fluids. Fluids? Oh, great idea.......IF I COULD SWALLOW!!! Oh well, at least no one I came in contact with was narly. :)