The graduate...

I am not going to write much of anything...I will just put some pictures on here for people to see. Busy, busy, busy...



The dress for under the gown...

















Our graduate...with Honors!!!



















The proud boyfriend...rejoicing! Actually he was standing on a chair so LilJ could see us after the ceremony.
















BigB, LilJ and me. Apparently I can't even keep my mouth shut for pictures...(grin)














Ok, I'm done for tonight. I think you guys got the idea of how gorgeous and happy she looked!

We caught a break in the weather

There was a spell between my having to get work done, supper-time and rain where we got to have our water fight; it last for only 15-20 minutes but it was time well spent. The pictures, I think, will speak for themselves.


Jellybean looks like she means business and I'll tell you what, she had an absolute blast.











Bug was giggling so hard I don't know how he ever managed to see anyone to spray them. He also always had a water balloon in his hand poised in the air however, none of those ever hit their mark either.









Rush is looking a bit fearful of getting wet but as the game progressed she felt she wasn't wet enough and turned the hose on herself. Take a look at those storm clouds in the back.

By the way, I couldn't tell Jellybean that her fish was doing more (or less) than sleeping so I snuck in a new one when I went to buy cat food today. I just couldn't do it. I am weak!! Weak I tell you!! She has managed other fishy deaths maybe it's just because I am not feeling well...

What I was doing at 2 in the morning

This is what I spent my night doing last night (aside from yearning for a 24 hour Wal Mart).
We have mini Reeses peanut butter cups with a chocolate covered (square) cookie and a tassled fruit roll up to make a cap and mozzarella cheese strings cut in half and tied with a pull-apart licorice string to make diplomas. They were a tad bit time consuming but I thought a cute little addition to the graduation festivities. Today I have put together rose bowls filled with clear gel, red and silver "graduation" confetti and red floating candles; they will be center pieces for the tables on Saturday. I will also be making "graduation" themed chocolates, slicing vegetables like you wouldn't believe and sneaking off to buy a brand new red betta fish.

We were going to have our year-end water fight and bubble extravaganza but we do have a thunderstorm looming overhead and growling at our every move...we'll have to see but I know the kids will be very, very disappointed.

This morning he's sleeping in...

Jellybean thinks her fish is very tired and is sleeping in...

I don't really want to send her off to school in mourning so I may just have to wait to tell her the news.

This is not going to be fun...

It's a sad, sad day in Berryland

Well, as I mentioned in the tail end of my last post, Strawberry Shortcake, the betta fish, was struggling to keep swimming. The seizures have ended. He has now gone on to the big berry patch in the sky to be with all the other poor, poor male fish with a feminine name like his.

Breakfast, tomorrow, will NOT be fun. What a sad day to end the school year, with the death of the fish who helped you begin the school year. Well, here's to Strawberry Shortcake; he was a good (if not sexually mixed up) fish.

Jellybean done gradumicated...

Seriously though, yesterday Jellybean graduated from Kindergarten. They had a little tea where the Kindergarten class entertained us with some of their favorite poems from throughout the year and fed us with rice krispie squares, cookies and teeny little cherry cheesecake tarts. They didn't have a "cap and gown" ceremony but they still received their "diplomas".

Here are a couple of pictures from the event...

































On a very sad note, as I type this Jellybean's fish, Strawberry Shortcake (the male betta fish my friend, Jaimie gave her) is in the middle of dying and she will wake up in the morning to him being "gone". He is having little fishy seizures and I find myself almost in tears because I can't make it better and Jellybean's little heart will be broken. Dang it! Why can't we have a 24 hour Wal Mart?! It's a sad, sad day in Strawberry Shortcake's home tonight. Pardon me while I wipe the tears and blow my nose and mourn the loss of Jellybean's dear, dear fishy friend.

Going a little nuts

That's right...I'll finally admit it. I may, perhaps, be going nuts. Well not really but I am so busy right now with planning grad, all the year end school events for 4 kids, getting food prepared for grad, I am sick, Bug is sick...

I feel fine;okay, denial move over. I feel not too bad; I am very tired and at times my body is so achy I can feel the roots of my hair, eyelashes and toenails. The biggest annoyance of my being sick is the fact that right now I have (warning graphic description of bodily emissions in near present) superfluidous (I made that up in my delirium last night) nasal emissions that I can't seem to get anything accomplished aside from blowing my nose. I am so tempted to grab a couple of regulars out of my O.B. box and get to work.

Bug was up about 200 times last night; thankfully BigB took care of him. This morning the Bug is about as annoying as a mosquito. His voice is making him sound like he's whining when he isn't however, he spends 98% of the day whining and the other 2% crying. I keep trying to remind myself that he is sick but that whining is such a "push-me-over-the-edge" sound. I have been going around reciting a brand new mantre just for the day...He's sick; he's sick...remember, he's sick.

So now, I am going to go attempt to finish LilJ's scrapbook for grad and that ought to be fun, perhaps those tampons will become a reality as I don't know how much I will really be able to do what with my leaking nasal passage and having my head down to work on this book...wish me luck

Don't rush through life...Saunter.

Bug and DeeDee. These cousins are 2 months apart but from the beginning of their time have always had to hold hands. Here they are taking a stroll through the pasture, checking on the cattle and on their way to visit the horses. They fell way back from the group, just holding hands, sauntering along, enjoying the scenerey and being, just, with each other.

We could learn so much from watching moments like this...take time to show loved ones just how much you care, when you are together, enjoying just being together, don't rush through life and never take the opportunity to enjoy the path you get to take along the way...

And if you look at the very top of the picture you see another example of sauntering with the same life lessons. My Jellybean and her Uncle S enjoying being together.

Enjoy your life. Try not to rush through it...try to simply saunter...



mamasaysom

This Week's (and my first)Theme: Comfort

Something new I thought I might try is over at a website called mamasaysom.com; each week you get a different theme to write about, photograph or interpret. I'll give it a go.

Comfort
















It's been years, 19 in fact, since our trailer burnt down that cold day in February and my heart still freezes yet simultaneously races at the mere thought of an uncontrolled fire. Fire...can bring comfort on a cold, blizzardy day, can comfort a wounded heart as it mourns a relationship burning memories, can comfort an empty stomach as it cooks a meal and can strip comfort away as it devours your home...

Funny how something that can be such a comfort under controlled circumstances causes such havoc when uncontained...

He's an adult now...

Okay, okay...I'm in denial because he's been married for almost 2 months and I am just now saying he's an adult. Perhaps the title is a smidge misleading but I digress.
LilB turned 20 years old today! Yup! 20 years old! Oi!!! I could be feeling old. I could be feeling depressed that I have a 20 year old, married son who could make me a grandmother within the next 9 months. Perhaps I would be feeling this way...perhaps, if I couldn't fall back on the fact that I am his step-mom. Whew! I was almost in need of some heavy duty sedation for a minute.

All joking aside, LilB I am so proud to call you my son and honored by the man you have become. You have a good, level, head on your shoulders and a wisdom that has, at times, astonished me (there have been fleeting moments, however fleeting, that I worried about you).

So, to you, my son, I sing as loudly and as off key as I can possibly stand an overdone B.P.'s rendition of "Happy Birthday" as I proclaim to the World how proud I am of my son (THE CO-ORDINATOR FOR WRC'S CALL CENTER!!!! big job!!! huge!!!)!!! Your dad and I love you more than you could ever stand! Keep up the good work! Take care of your good wife and God bless!!!

Weather or not...

Yes, I spelled that right. The rain here is getting a bit depressing. It hasn't really let up and when it actually isn't raining, it is cold and dreary. Even when the sun does come out for an ever so brief moment, it is STILL raining. I think this picture of Bug speaks for all of us...










P.S. This picture was taken on a day when it was raining like a son of a gun one minute and beautiful the next so he was waiting for his chance to get o.u.t.s.i.d.e!

You Just Never Know When

Yesterday we found out that this man, who BigB worked very closely with over the last 5 years died. There were still speculations of this being a rumor as it was a complete shock to every one. Bob was a young man (45 years old) and very athletic so to hear of his passing was incredulous. Needless to say, Bill is upset and in complete shock. Lesson learned here: Live life to the fullest and make sure you always live your life right.
Here is the newspaper clip that we got today...


Freak slo-pitch accident claims ______'s "Baseball Bob"



Suzanne Boyer


A ______ man is dead after a freak accident during a pre-season slo-pitch game early Saturday evening at the Western Development Museum ball diamonds.
Bob _____, known as Baseball Bob in sports circles, was playing shortstop for a men's 10-man league team called the Chiefs when he went after a ball that went up the midfield, between himself and the second baseman.
"It just happened so fast," explained Cory ______, one of the team managers, who was playing right field.
"It was a freak accident that you don't expect just going out to play ball, that's for sure.
"The ball was going up the middle, with a runner on first, and Bob, if you knew him, was a never-give-up sort of player, and he went for the ball," Cory said.
It appears the 45-year-old then attempted to tag second base.
"The second baseman was cutting the other way and they were both heading in the same direction, and Bob, I think, had his head down, and (the second-baseman) caught him with a shoulder."
Cory said he saw Bob's head connect with the other player.
"It looked like he just spun off him and hit the ground."
* * *

Dress rehearsal for Fancy dinner, when we actually got to take pictures.
































2 of the advanced Hip Hop girls doing their competition routine. This group's routines are always so phenomenal to watch.










The Prima Ballerina FINALLY got her flowers. She got roses from Grandma and Grandpa, her brothers and sisters, her Aunt and cousin, G.G. (great grandma), the pink gerbera from Mom and Dad and the pink ballerina hippo on behalf of LilB and DearN because she really wished they could be there. It seemed to make her day to have a little way to have them a part of that day so I am so glad I picked it up.

F.A.M.E.

Well, it is 10:49 and we just got Jellybean tucked into bed after another incredible dance recital. We still have one left tomorrow afternoon and we are done for yet another year. She is all ready looking forward to the start of next year's ballet class.

I get so emotional at these dance recitals; every year I end up crying because I am so-o proud of all of the kids and all of their hard work throughout the year. The final song is always Fame and the kids come on-stage groups at a time to take their final bow and stand there as they always get a standing ovation. The pride and excitement that is on their faces overwhelms me to tears as does my own pride.

This year the owners, a husband and wife, did a little number where he sang and she performed a beautiful ballet. The song was something to the effect of "the little children are watching what you do...they are learning from you...", a touching song all on its own. They had to add a powerpoint presentation with pictures of the kids from the dance studio.

I had to cry...

...are any of you actually surprised?

I have something to tell you all but only if you can keep a secret.

Well? Can you?

Okay, I'll tell you.

I knew I would cry when we watched Miss Jellybean dancing; I wasn't prepared to see BigB tear up as well...

Don't tell a soul...

Life Lesson TLC forgot

The title of this was inspired by a post that Christie did a little while ago.

Here is MY life lesson for TLC. Never, and I repeat never, go bathing suit shopping when you are in the middle of your mensus (grin) when you all ready feel like you need to lose 50 pounds.


What an excellent post for my 200th post...

Kids' Fun Center in Independence Mall

Here's a couple of shots of the two youngest playing in the kids' area. These flowers were made out of a soft spongey material. Along with the flowers there was also a watermelon slice (shown), an ice cream sandwich and a spilled fountain drink with ice cubes to bounce on. They had several "mall rides" like Bob the Builder, Clifford, trains, helicopters, etc but the really cool part was a Venetian Carousel. It was absolutely gorgeous; unfortunately, it was out of order while we were there.

Look out Tommy Lee

While we were in Missouri we went to Independence and to the Independence Mall. Well, in the same parking lot area is a music store called Guitar Center that we all went to. Bug was thrilled as you will be able to see in the following pictures. One of the salesmen, named Clay, lent Bug a pair of sticks and let him have at the electric drum set. Not only did Bug have a blast but Clay enjoyed seeing how much Bug loved playing.

Taking a moment to boast...

Okay, I am needing to take a moment here and brag about 2 of my kids' accomplishments.

Yesterday, LilJ had a Cosmotology competition for the entire province and she came home with a silver medal in the make-up category. WooHoo!!! Go LilJ!!!

Today Rush had a track meet and got 4th place in the 60 meter race! Woop there it is! Woop there it is!!! She is trying to act like it is not a big deal but when she talked to her dad today she was pretty excited. (Dad being BigB) She told us there were 8 people competing in that category and since this was her first year in track and she missed most of the practices because we were gone to Missouri...I think she did really well. The cool, level headed (about this anyway) almost teenager is jumping for joy inside and perhaps squealing like a little girl but has to maintain a certain level of maturity in order to keep her "kewl".

So, Yay for two of my girls!!!! Congratulations to you both. You both worked very hard and we are proud of you.

Here they are!

I am so sorry for the delay in pictures. We got home at 10 on Thursday and I have been working ever since. By the way, a quick shout out to all the moms, grandmoms, aunties, future moms and any other women who influence our future generations.

Here are pictures from the wedding. (I am not going to put up pictures that have the 2 flower girls in them on the internet because I have not discussed it with her mom and dad so sorry about that, my friends and family from around here will be able to see them though when we are in person.)







Brotherly love.

















Proud Dad.




















Blushing bride.













The happy couple.

















We couldn't be happier with the girl LilB chose as his wife. She makes a nice addition to our family. She is a shy(initially), sweet natured young lady with a heck of a sense of humor once you get to know her and she you; she has a heart the size of Texas and we love her to pieces.

So Freakin' Hilarious

Jellybean has a new best friend and she is a card; her sense of humor is second to none, especially as far as 5 year olds go.

Ally, the friend, went home to her mom and dad (a side note you all should know first, she lives in Kansas City) and told them ALL about her new best friend. There's only one problem with Ally's new best friend Jellybean, she doesn't speak English...










...she speaks Canadian...
Too funny. This same girl nicknamed LilB CanadianBacon.

P.S. Please bear with my typing while we are gone and this is being done on alwptop, the "c" key is not working. In fact, it took 3 times hitting that key in order for it to actually show up.

P.S.S. We are on our way home and I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Grand Forks, ND as we have reahed our half way point and are here to rest. Didn't want to leave but since we had to, I am looking forward to the cramped in van feeling to be done with.

Darn Gaithers

I was reminded tonight of a dear friend of mine and it made me miss her a lot. BigB was listening to some Christian programs on the internet last night and a sound caught my ear. I was reading Rush's school book, The Outsiders, and the soft sound of The Gaithers rang through the apartment...

Dixie, I miss you. (Darn Gaithers)


As a result of missing one friend, I then began thinking of and missing my other friends.

Crystal, I sure was thinking of you and Devanne today...missing your baby shower...

Anyway, to all my friends, I love and miss you.

Bar...B...QUE

Just a little sample of some of the GO-OD food we got to eat at the dress rehearsal dinner. We had smoked hot wings, bbq'd chicken, beef and burnt ends, potato salad, bbq beans, unsweetened iced tea and apple pie that had been smoked instead of baked (the apples were still crisp and it was oh so good).

Some of us filled our plates more and more often than others did but it was all well enjoyed (and we are going for more for supper tonight...I am drooling again).

BigB and I love a good barbeque as much as the next, but I think we were pretty full by the time we were done.

Exploring the neighborhood

A couple of boys fishing in the lake behind the Church's apartment (where we are staying).

A sight we never see in Canada...Canadian geese. We went down to the lake and fed these guys some bread. I have also been requested, by Jellybean, to get to the Church to get a picture of the goslings at their pond.

Jellybean is getting her shoe back on after dipping her toes in the water. She gave me a bit of a scare while we were on the dock. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her teeter at the edge of the dock and it looked like she was about to fall in. As I tried not to run to atch her, for fear of rocking the dock and making it worse, she looked at me and said, "It's okay, Mama, I almost falled in but Jesus catched me."

Even though she will tell you it was just a ploy so she could trick snakes into thinking she was scared so she could whack them with her snake beater (as seen in picture), Jellybean was a little leary of running into snakes on our walk.

Having difficulties...the wireless connection is too low for me to post pitures right now. I am not even sure if this post will work. I am trying.

Finally

At the dress rehearsal...the ring bearer.
















DearN and her dad
















BigB needs his laptop so I will put more on later.

Oops, I Lied

But not on purpose!!!! I do have pictures and they ARE on a laptop however, when BigB gave me the laptop just now he gave me this one and kept the one with the pictures on it for himself so... there will be some pictures just not tonight.


The dress rehearsal is tomorrow morning at 11 and the anticipation is running high! The church is buzzing with excitment over the wedding.

Today we took the kids, LilB included to a place called Pizza Street. It was SO delicious! It is a pizza buffet; adults cost $4, 4-12 year olds cost $2.49 and Bug was free. Not only did they have great pizzas but they had 4 different dessert pizzas...chocolate with icing sugar, cherries and icing and I don't know what the other 2 were because I only got as far as the first 2. Plus, I had myself a nice glass of wild cherry pepsi. I think I may have gained back all the weight I just finished losing but, at least I know I can do it and can get back to it once this is over with.

I will pass on everyone's best wishes to the mister and misses. For now though it is bedtime. Tomorrow is a busy day what with trying to get Bug to walk down the aisle and all that smoked bar b que we get to eat for lunch!!! I need to stop thinking about it though before my drooling shorts out the computer.

We Made It

We arrived last night and finally got ourselves settled in around 12:00, which would be 11:00 our time.

We have had some pretty intense moments so far with Bug; he fell the time I told you about plus, he fell on his chin at a rest stop and came pretty darn close to needing stithes and then, this morning, he was running around outside the apartment and slipped under the fence where a dog had been digging. The scary part of this one is that we are on a steepish hill that leads straight down to a lake. Yes, people we have a private lake here!!! Not a swimming in lake though, just a "I am pretty to look at lake".

BigB and the kids bought me my mother's day present on the way. It is a Sony digital camera with 12 times optical zoom!!! It is a 5.1 megapixel and can also be used as a videocamera. I am pretty pumped about it because of the zoom. I can get some pretty cool pitures!!!

Anyway, I will get some pictures downloaded off my camera sometime today and do another post. We have LilB here right now and I am going to visit!

Halfway...

Well, we made it to Grand Forks, ND and have just settled our 7 bodies into 2 adjoining double rooms. The boys get one and the girls get the other. Bug is really enjoying running back and forth between the 2 rooms and the girls are laying in bed watching some tv show. BigB & I are on one bed looking like a couple of nerds because we are both utilizing our laptops.

The kids have been great on the trip. There has been no crying, whining or pouting and no irritating us with 20 questions. We stopped for supper in Devil's Lake and ate at a place called Cedar Inn. It was pretty good however, in the parking lot Bug was letting off a bit of steam and going for a run when he fell down and got a pretty deep gash in his knee.

I haven't taken many pictures yet and for those of you who know me personally I am asking you to pick yourselves up off the floor. So I have nothing to put on here. P.B however, J's boyfriend, has taken pictures of every McDonalds that we have passed on our journey so far and plans to continue.

Right now it is 48 degrees but I have no idea right now what that converts to in Celsius. It has been cold and rainy for most of the trip so far so I am looking forward to a brighter and warmer tomorrow.

For now...ciao and I will continue to update and keep you all posted as I can. Perhaps I swill even put up some pictures for you.

We're Off...

...to see the wizard...
Well, we are on our way to Kansas City on Tuesday so maybe it would be more appropriate to click my ruby red shoes together and say, "There's no place like home"...even though it isn't my home...You know what I am getting at.

Stop thinking I have lost my mind it has been a long day! I was working in Housekeeping today in one of the pods of the nursing home. Last night one of the psych people (from the hospital) broke 2 windows and climbed through one and escaped from his ward. He ran outside and smashed a window to the nursing home and climbed through. Apparently, after climbing through the window and ripping even more flesh from his body, he came to an abrupt stop and said something to the effect of "I am looking for the gates of Hell!" Freaky! A few hours worth of stitching up and he is back to being locked up in an observation room of the psych ward. I was cleaning that pod of the nursing home today. What a mess!!! Naturally the residents were very upset by this and were a little nervous. It was not the kind of excitement I was expecting when I went to work this morning.

Anyway, on with us going to Kansas. We are leaving on Tuesday and I am so excited!!! The flower girl dress is FINALLY finished with alterations and it fits perfectly. She looks like an absolute princess. I can't wait to see the bride.

I'll keep you all posted as I can. Oh, I'll say hello to Dorothy and Toto for you too.

Tony Hawk Eat Your Heart Out

Yesterday I took Tuff to the parking lot behind our house and had a photo shoot of our own. He brought along his skateboard and I started shooting. A lot of the pictures were good but were misses of jumps, tricks, etc but, a few turned out to be really good. Here's a few that I like a fair bit.

Feeling...

...disconnected.

I am feeling really nostalgic today and began looking through my pictures and updating my family tree book and I really began missing my family. I have been working in the senior's home at the hospital the last few days and so my grandparents have been on the forefront of my mind. I miss them terribly when I see kind blue eyes looking at me threw a sea of wrinkled and weathered skin caused by years and years of hard living. Then I start to miss what my life used to be like as a kid. Images of the way my sister, brother and I used to play in the barnyard, in the pastures, in the mud, in the trees, in the bales, in the barn and of the way we used to fight flutter through my mind like black and white movies. Remembering some of the silly things we used to do because our imaginations were working over time. Like feeding the horses Pop rock candy or the "forts" we made by piling fallen branches and scrap wood we found or tunneling through the round bales even though we weren't supposed to be there. I remember having to go to the water trough to fill it for the animals in the dark and being so afraid of wolves that I ran the entire way there trying my hardest to stay in the path of the lights I frantically turned on along the way...our yard light, Grandma'a house light and the barnyard light. I remember running my fastest once I got past the barn because that is right where the light stopped and I was drowning in darkness and fear once more. Running past the grain truck was utter torture because with all the shadows and self-induced fear the grill and headlights of the truck looked like the face of a huge monster.

We got heck more than once in the spring for playing in the pasture where the cows had their new calves nestled in the straw for warmth and for trying to lean up against our favorite cow of Grandma's because we normally could when she didn't have a calf. We got stuck more than once in the pasture as the water from the dugout overflowed and turned into quite a river with a bed of muck and manure that made for a great place to float our crudely crafted "Boats". Some days we got so stuck that our boots were pulled off our feet and were lost forever sinking down into the muddy pit of our pasture.

Taking coffee and lunch out to Dad and Grandpa was usually the highlight of the day when they were out in the field or hopping on the horses to take Dad lunch with a cold (and undrinkably shaken) bottle of beer so he could wet his dust ridden throat. Exploring the cattle paths in the "forest" in the pasture lead to hours and hours of fun and it also lead to unexpected life lessons like the time we found the dead fox or when we learned the bull was not trying to play leap frog with the cows.

When Grandpa was alive I went on walks with him all the time because I felt I needed to take care of him since he was so old. I usually ended up getting carried back by him because I was too tired to continue. I remember watching him take a big stick and making small trenches on the roads to allow the puddles to drain off the road; it helped him to feel useful when he began to feel like he had nothing to contribute to our farm.

I remember pretending to fall asleep on the couch so Dad or Grandpa would have to pick me up in their strong arms to put me to bed. It always made me feel like I lived in the safest place in the world and that I was the luckiest girl ever.

Now, I work too much. I miss my dad, my mom, my brother, my sisters and my neice and nephews. I think it's time to focus on what really matters...family. I don't want to feel disconnected anymore.

Just a little Rebel

My mom and step-dad came over today with my grandma for a visit. Little did we know they were bringing a surprise guest. Our cat, Jewel, was very unimpressed with our surprise visitor and made her dislike known loud and clear.

World, meet the cutest and smallest guest I have had in my house yet.
























We all fell completely in love with him, except for Jewel. Rebel is a 2 month old Pug and he is an absolute doll.

What a Rush...

I went shopping this morning. Actually, I went to exchange a pair of shoes I got Rush because they were too small. Bug & I decided that we would just browse around and relax a bit while we were there. I stopped by the scrapbooking supplies "just in case they had something new". While wandering around in the craft section I found baskets on sale and by sale I mean ON SALE!!! I got 23 baskets that would have cost me $190.00 for...

Oh, it's almost too sinful to tell anyone but oh boy, do I get a rush from getting a good bargain. I don't know if I told you all about the Strawberry Shortcake portable DVD player I got Jellybean for only $30 (instead of $100). It gives me such an adreneline rush. I feel so on top of the world getting a good deal it's almost inexplicable. I thrive on getting great gifts for people for incredible, outstanding even, deals.

Oh yes, but back to how much my 23 baskets cost me. Those baskets cost me a mere $23 plus tax!!! Twenty three dollars... Twenty three dollars... Just saying it gives me the shivers...
What a rush....!

Take Joy in the Grime

Today was an absolutely beautiful day and as I drove down the back alley to my house I saw my kids playing in the lot behind us. They were climbing the snow mountain created by the clearing of the parking lot and then running through the mud, skipping stones in the puddles and having a blast.

It reminded me of my own childhood, of playing in the pasture where the dugout overflowed from melting snow and created a "river" for us to play in. I don't know how many times we got our boots stuck and had to yell for Grandpa to come and free us. I don't know how many times our boots were so stuck that he pulled our feet out and that was all that would come out. I often wonder, every spring, how many half pair of boots were left behind in the muck.

Today, I perfomed my first "stuck boot rescue mission" and I managed to catch it all on my camera.








































































Obviously this created a fair bit of work for me but, it was fun being reminded of how much fun my brother, sister and I had as a kid.

The Music Monkeys

Rush and her friend performed at the annual Music Festival that is going on this week. They were called The Music Monkeys. I was not able to attend because they were running late and I had to pick up Jellybean from school and get them lunch when it was presumed that the girls would play. Anyway, I missed it and I really wanted to see her not only to support her but, because she has decided that this will be her last year in Band.

I just got a call from Rush telling me she was on her way back to school for the rest of the afternoon but, mainly, she wanted to tell me that The Music Monkeys got first place!!! First Place, I tell you and she wants to quit!!!

I just wanted to spread my joy with the rest of you in blogger land and to tell you that my heart is about to burst with pride. She is a talented girl. I hope she changes her mind about quitting because she has a lot of talent for it and a lot of time invested into it.

Oh, by the way, the girls recieved a score of A-.

Play Ball...

Jellybean and Bug absolutely love to play ball and this weekend they were so thankful that Daddy took some time on the weekend to play with them. They have really been missing him a lot since he has been working so much overtime.

Bug can't wait for spring so he can play ball outside. I am sure Jellybean is feeling the same way and just hasn't verbalized it yet.

Why must my kids be so darn beautiful?

Okay, so it may sound vain to begin with and I do have to admit that I do have good looking kids but when they get dressed up...holy smokes. Look out world. (And mom grab kleenex...that's right I saw my youngest daughter looking like this and I bawled...bawled I tell you, like a baby. I am not ashamed.)

Our friend, Wayne, popped by today with a suitcase for us full of dresses for LilB and DearN's wedding. This has been a long awaited arrival. They were just in Kansas City and it was just a whole lot easier and quicker for them to bring the dresses with them on the way back.

Jellybean has tried hers on; J is at work so we need to wait and see what that looks like for a later time. We will need a bit of alterations on Jellybean's on the bodice but that seems to be it.

Enough of a delay though, I present to you my gorgeous, stunning, amazing daughter...

Full length front view.




















Close up.


















Just because I thought this one looked absolutely gorgeous!