Sunday, June 9, 2013
Cub Scout Day Camp
Grant had a great time at Cub Scout day camp this past Thursday and Friday. I only have these pictures of him because another child's mother is better at taking pictures of my own child than I am - waaaaa! At least we have memories of this fun experience for him. ~Andi
Monday, June 3, 2013
Recent and Not-So Recent Pictures
Grant's Baptism - February 2, 2013
Cub's Carrot Castle Cake - February 3, 2013
Our entry in the Cub Scout cake contest for February's pack meeting. Yes, we won.
Foosball game from Santa - December 25, 2012
Pictures obviously not in chronological order. Get over it - I have.
Still need to figure out how to rotate pictures on Blogger. I see how to move them left & right, change their size, and remove them, but there's no way to rotate them!?
Lots of snow this winter - February 2013. The boys had fun making giant snowballs!
Grant's Pinewood Derby car - May 1, 2013. Won best design and third place in the race.
Not Halloween, it just looks like it. Some of my daycare children (and Justin) playing dress-up as they often do. From left to right: Tyler (R2D2), Kaitlyn (ninja), Leah (pirate), and Justin (Jedi)
Justin's 4th birthday - 2 days ago. Brian built him a rocket cake per Justin's request.
Justin opening his birthday presents (wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper because he doesn't care). He had plenty of help! I'm so glad Grant is old enough to put together all of Justin's gifts for him now. The giant cardboard pirate ship that Grandma gave him looked like it would be less than fun to assemble, but Grant had it put together (as well as everything else) by the next morning! Will get a picture of that posted soon. ~Andi
Cub's Carrot Castle Cake - February 3, 2013
Our entry in the Cub Scout cake contest for February's pack meeting. Yes, we won.
Foosball game from Santa - December 25, 2012
Pictures obviously not in chronological order. Get over it - I have.
Lots of snow this winter - February 2013. The boys had fun making giant snowballs!
Grant's Pinewood Derby car - May 1, 2013. Won best design and third place in the race.
Not Halloween, it just looks like it. Some of my daycare children (and Justin) playing dress-up as they often do. From left to right: Tyler (R2D2), Kaitlyn (ninja), Leah (pirate), and Justin (Jedi)
Justin's 4th birthday - 2 days ago. Brian built him a rocket cake per Justin's request.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Happy Puppets
Sometimes Grant is not the nicest big brother to Christian and Justin. He can be bossy and selfish. I guess that makes it all the more heartening when he does something sweet for them...like yesterday. I returned home from some errands yesterday morning to find Grant hard at work building a detailed compound out of our large cardboard bricks. As I looked closer at it, I noticed that parts of the construction were labeled with signs: "Puppetsburg", "Duck Land", and "Penguin Village". I knew that Grant did not build this for himself, but for his little brother. Christian's most prized possessions are his duck and penguin hand puppets, and now, thanks to Grant, the penguins and ducks have an enormous, lovely, cardboard brick retreat in our playroom. Those are some happy puppets!
~Andi
~Andi
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Our Money Worries Are Over
Christian had his 6th birthday on the 10th of this month. He got to go swimming (indoors, of course) the next Saturday and have frozen yogurt "funness" at Orange Leaf afterward. That's one of the best things about Christian - he doesn't expect much, doesn't ask for much, and is easily excited by little things that I take for granted every day. He has added so much joy to our family. We love you, Christian!
~Andi (P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom!)
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Pictures: Better Late Than Never
We have a great digital camera...unfortunately it only holds about 20 pictures at a time, which limits how often I take pictures and how many I take. Our video camera is much smaller and more convenient to use, so I end up taking more videos than still pictures. It's fun for us to watch the videos, but I doubt they are equally amusing to everyone else. I know that I always skip over the videos in other people's blogs unless they are family. So I'll spare you the videos (for now) and just post a few pictures. Another installment from my phone's camera will be coming soon though.
Here are a few from the zoo, including Christian enjoying a "frog spit" popsicle. The next two are from the Kansas City Temple Open House and the last two are from Justin's birthday party/Memorial day. We had fish cupcakes at his request, with scales made from M&Ms. He ate three! I guess he needed three since he was turning three. I still can't believe he's that big already.
~Andi
Here are a few from the zoo, including Christian enjoying a "frog spit" popsicle. The next two are from the Kansas City Temple Open House and the last two are from Justin's birthday party/Memorial day. We had fish cupcakes at his request, with scales made from M&Ms. He ate three! I guess he needed three since he was turning three. I still can't believe he's that big already.
~Andi
Monday, May 21, 2012
The Power of the Pole
After reading Andi's post this morning I'd like to shed some light on this fishing subject.
Early last winter I found myself searching for many things. During the course of this pathless wandering, I thought that purchasing a fishing and hunting license might help me find some of what I was searching for. Six months later, I had done no hunting and no fishing. In searching to satisfy my own desires, I'd found exactly nothing.
A couple of weeks ago, I suddenly realized how wonderful the weather was that particular day, and I decided that it was the day to go fishing. Andi threw all the food she already had on the table into a picnic basket and we all packed into the van and headed to a local park that had a small lake. I didn't catch a thing, but the boys had fun at the playground and Grant got a small taste of what it's like to try and catch fish with gear built for someone twice his size. I was unhappy with the results of the evening. I had failed to show myself and my son that I could catch a fish, and I was displeased to see him get worn out so quickly by trying to use my equipment. But I had made the effort to GO and TRY, and that changed everything. What I didn't know was that there were higher powers involved with my fishing interests, and until I showed the willingness to put in some effort I was going to receive no benefit.
Two days later, this message was clearly shown to me. I was 40 miles from home installing a new movement in a customer's grandfather clock. I knew I had my fishing gear still in the van from two nights before, and I was considering driving to a nearby public lake after finishing the job. I am fortunate to work in a situation where I am paid for the work I do, never "on the clock," so if I choose to run an errand or go fishing in the middle of the day that is fine. This job was a good one that paid me well, so spending some time in the sun with a rod and reel sounded like a good way to spend a couple hours alone. I shared my plan with my customers as I was fixing their clock, and the man of the house insisted that I not waste my time driving to the public lake. He told me that I would have better luck right there on his private pond that was well stocked with fish. I had taken notice of his beautiful pond upon entering his driveway a few weeks earlier, but I never guessed I'd be invited to fish there. So I accepted the invitation and was blessed with two of the most pleasing hours of my life. I was rewarded with a little success, and a TON of positive mental energy.
To this point I had not given much thought to the timing of everything, but in the passing weeks much has become clear to me. I'll elaborate more in the future, as I am taught more, but I will do so on my personal blog, enduringcreation.com, so that I can leave this as a place for Andi to tell her side of our family's adventures without me stealing her thunder.
Early last winter I found myself searching for many things. During the course of this pathless wandering, I thought that purchasing a fishing and hunting license might help me find some of what I was searching for. Six months later, I had done no hunting and no fishing. In searching to satisfy my own desires, I'd found exactly nothing.
A couple of weeks ago, I suddenly realized how wonderful the weather was that particular day, and I decided that it was the day to go fishing. Andi threw all the food she already had on the table into a picnic basket and we all packed into the van and headed to a local park that had a small lake. I didn't catch a thing, but the boys had fun at the playground and Grant got a small taste of what it's like to try and catch fish with gear built for someone twice his size. I was unhappy with the results of the evening. I had failed to show myself and my son that I could catch a fish, and I was displeased to see him get worn out so quickly by trying to use my equipment. But I had made the effort to GO and TRY, and that changed everything. What I didn't know was that there were higher powers involved with my fishing interests, and until I showed the willingness to put in some effort I was going to receive no benefit.
Two days later, this message was clearly shown to me. I was 40 miles from home installing a new movement in a customer's grandfather clock. I knew I had my fishing gear still in the van from two nights before, and I was considering driving to a nearby public lake after finishing the job. I am fortunate to work in a situation where I am paid for the work I do, never "on the clock," so if I choose to run an errand or go fishing in the middle of the day that is fine. This job was a good one that paid me well, so spending some time in the sun with a rod and reel sounded like a good way to spend a couple hours alone. I shared my plan with my customers as I was fixing their clock, and the man of the house insisted that I not waste my time driving to the public lake. He told me that I would have better luck right there on his private pond that was well stocked with fish. I had taken notice of his beautiful pond upon entering his driveway a few weeks earlier, but I never guessed I'd be invited to fish there. So I accepted the invitation and was blessed with two of the most pleasing hours of my life. I was rewarded with a little success, and a TON of positive mental energy.
To this point I had not given much thought to the timing of everything, but in the passing weeks much has become clear to me. I'll elaborate more in the future, as I am taught more, but I will do so on my personal blog, enduringcreation.com, so that I can leave this as a place for Andi to tell her side of our family's adventures without me stealing her thunder.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
I'm Trying to Catch Up, Brian's Trying to Catch Fish
Since it took an hour to upload the new picture to our blog (slow internet?), this post will be a lot shorter than I had intended, but I'll be back with more soon. I'm out of school for the summer which makes me feel like I have all kinds of free time...even though I have yet to see any of it.
The boys are doing great. They are smart, healthy, and so entertaining. Grant is almost finished with first grade. He has been learning Aikido on Saturdays through Parks and Recreation and is enjoying it. He takes it much more seriously than most of the other children in his class, and he also appears to have some natural abilities (I couldn't possibly be biased, could I?). Brian got Grant his own fishing pole and has been fishing with him as an opportunity for some father/son bonding time. I was beginning to wonder if Brian's fishing gear would ever see the light of day again. Up until a couple weeks ago, he hadn't gone fishing since before we had children.
While Grant is counting down the days until school is done, Christian is counting down the days until he gets to start school. He and Grant will be in summer school together for four weeks in June; then he will begin kindergarten in August (although Christian will likely go to first grade for math and reading). Christian is my sweetest boy. He loves to draw me pictures of hearts and flowers or pictures of me and him together. I think he is getting bored here at home, though. I will miss him very much when he starts school, but I am glad he will soon have some new experiences and challenges that I can't give him here at home.
Justin has been changing and growing up so fast lately. He wants to do everything his older brothers do, and he is interested in everything they are interested in. He is still like a combination of Grant and Christian in appearance and personality. It's cute now (how he follows them), but I hope he will be able to find his own identity as he grows. I can't believe he's about to turn three. He loves to go swimming, swing, watch bugs, play sword fight with Grant, and eat cookies - among other things. He is still talking about our trip to the St. Louis Zoo almost two months ago! He especially loved the hippos. I'll have to post pictures of the zoo and other happenings later this week.
~Andi
The boys are doing great. They are smart, healthy, and so entertaining. Grant is almost finished with first grade. He has been learning Aikido on Saturdays through Parks and Recreation and is enjoying it. He takes it much more seriously than most of the other children in his class, and he also appears to have some natural abilities (I couldn't possibly be biased, could I?). Brian got Grant his own fishing pole and has been fishing with him as an opportunity for some father/son bonding time. I was beginning to wonder if Brian's fishing gear would ever see the light of day again. Up until a couple weeks ago, he hadn't gone fishing since before we had children.
While Grant is counting down the days until school is done, Christian is counting down the days until he gets to start school. He and Grant will be in summer school together for four weeks in June; then he will begin kindergarten in August (although Christian will likely go to first grade for math and reading). Christian is my sweetest boy. He loves to draw me pictures of hearts and flowers or pictures of me and him together. I think he is getting bored here at home, though. I will miss him very much when he starts school, but I am glad he will soon have some new experiences and challenges that I can't give him here at home.
Justin has been changing and growing up so fast lately. He wants to do everything his older brothers do, and he is interested in everything they are interested in. He is still like a combination of Grant and Christian in appearance and personality. It's cute now (how he follows them), but I hope he will be able to find his own identity as he grows. I can't believe he's about to turn three. He loves to go swimming, swing, watch bugs, play sword fight with Grant, and eat cookies - among other things. He is still talking about our trip to the St. Louis Zoo almost two months ago! He especially loved the hippos. I'll have to post pictures of the zoo and other happenings later this week.
~Andi
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
A Little Reminder
Happy New Year! I can't believe the holidays have come and gone and the fun and cuteness of my kids have been undocumented for so long. But away with the negative, self-deprecating thoughts...I am trying to have a more positive attitude. What better time to get a new attitude than the start of a new year? While it's not exactly a resolution, per se, I do expect that just looking at myself and the people/things around me with a better perspective will lead to greater happiness throughout our entire family.
For example, in the past I spent too much time thinking about how I do everything around the house and Brian does very little. But that's not exactly true...here are some of the many reasons why I love my husband lately:
~On cold nights he gets into bed first and warms up my side so I can get into a nice, warm bed.
~He installed a new garbage disposal.
~He cleaned out the really gross drain in the bottom of the dishwasher.
~He tells me how beautiful I am, and he always makes me feel that way even though it has been a struggle my whole life to accept my appearance.
~He likes to cook, and he's good at it.
~He loves our boys with a tremendous father's love.
~He is quick to forgive me when my words are harsh.
~I watched in wonder as he dismantled an electric heater that no longer heated - that I was just going to throw away. He took out the motor/fan and hooked it up the way he needed it to use in his forge.
~He got me a food processor for Christmas, gave it to me early enough (Grant gave away the surprise anyway) to use for making a carrot cake for Christmas dinner, and he still surprised me on Christmas morning with a gift - my newly repaired laptop! Yay! Now I can blog - at least when I'm not doing everything else around here (grin).
~Andi
For example, in the past I spent too much time thinking about how I do everything around the house and Brian does very little. But that's not exactly true...here are some of the many reasons why I love my husband lately:
~On cold nights he gets into bed first and warms up my side so I can get into a nice, warm bed.
~He installed a new garbage disposal.
~He cleaned out the really gross drain in the bottom of the dishwasher.
~He tells me how beautiful I am, and he always makes me feel that way even though it has been a struggle my whole life to accept my appearance.
~He likes to cook, and he's good at it.
~He loves our boys with a tremendous father's love.
~He is quick to forgive me when my words are harsh.
~I watched in wonder as he dismantled an electric heater that no longer heated - that I was just going to throw away. He took out the motor/fan and hooked it up the way he needed it to use in his forge.
~He got me a food processor for Christmas, gave it to me early enough (Grant gave away the surprise anyway) to use for making a carrot cake for Christmas dinner, and he still surprised me on Christmas morning with a gift - my newly repaired laptop! Yay! Now I can blog - at least when I'm not doing everything else around here (grin).
~Andi
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Exactly
I seem to be writing a lot about Christian lately. I hope that doesn't make Grant and Justin jealous, but I get to spend extra one-on-one time with Christian each afternoon while Grant is in school and the other children are sleeping...and he constantly amazes me. Christian is so fascinated with numbers and math right now. Here is one of our conversations from earlier today:
CHRISTIAN: What is 181 divided by 66?
ME: That's a tough one to do in my head, but the answer would be close to 3.
CHRISTIAN: I don't mean what it's close to. I need to know exactly.
ME: Then we will need a piece of paper and pencil or a calculator to figure it out exactly.
ME (with the calculator): 181 divided by 66 equals 2.742 with a repeating 4 and 2.
CHRISTIAN (laughing): You were way off!
No, I never did ask him why he needed to know the exact answer to 181 divided by 66. There was probably not a reason - at least not one that I would understand.
Now you know what I go through every afternoon!
~Andi
CHRISTIAN: What is 181 divided by 66?
ME: That's a tough one to do in my head, but the answer would be close to 3.
CHRISTIAN: I don't mean what it's close to. I need to know exactly.
ME: Then we will need a piece of paper and pencil or a calculator to figure it out exactly.
ME (with the calculator): 181 divided by 66 equals 2.742 with a repeating 4 and 2.
CHRISTIAN (laughing): You were way off!
No, I never did ask him why he needed to know the exact answer to 181 divided by 66. There was probably not a reason - at least not one that I would understand.
Now you know what I go through every afternoon!
~Andi
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Crescendo
Christian has given himself a new nickname, and I think it's so clever that I just had to share...the artist formerly known as Christian is henceforth to be called Crescendo (not sure of the spelling just yet - it might be more like "Christian-doe"). He keeps me laughing. They all do.
~Andi
~Andi
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Back to School
Sometimes it doesn't take much to make me feel like an inadequate mother. Grant's first day of school was Thursday. I made sure he was well rested, well fed, well dressed, well supplied with pencils, crayons, kleenex, hand sanitizer, etc. We arrived at the school with plenty of time to spare...only to find that all the other mothers were taking pictures of their children on their first day of the new school year, but did I have a camera with me? No - on this one I failed. I don't have pictures of his first day of kindergarten from last year either. Maybe I will do better with Christian and Justin. There are some benefits to being a second or third child.
Christian wants to be in school so badly. He was completely convinced that he was going to get to go to school as soon as he turned five, when he finally learned and understood this week that it was going to be an entire year before he could start school, he was very disappointed. I told him we would have school time at home each day that Grant was in school. He liked that idea. I haven't pushed formal learning times with Christian because he is so scary smart already. But with "school" each day he will feel like he is helping me practice to become a teacher.
Speaking of teaching, I start classes again tomorrow. I've so enjoyed my month-long break, and I'm not looking forward to having class every night (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...might as well be every night anyway). Oh well. There's no denying it is what I am supposed to be doing, and my children are not neglected in the process. Brian is a huge help with the children when I am in school. We are getting through it together.
Happy New School Year!
Christian wants to be in school so badly. He was completely convinced that he was going to get to go to school as soon as he turned five, when he finally learned and understood this week that it was going to be an entire year before he could start school, he was very disappointed. I told him we would have school time at home each day that Grant was in school. He liked that idea. I haven't pushed formal learning times with Christian because he is so scary smart already. But with "school" each day he will feel like he is helping me practice to become a teacher.
Speaking of teaching, I start classes again tomorrow. I've so enjoyed my month-long break, and I'm not looking forward to having class every night (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday...might as well be every night anyway). Oh well. There's no denying it is what I am supposed to be doing, and my children are not neglected in the process. Brian is a huge help with the children when I am in school. We are getting through it together.
Happy New School Year!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Maybe the Dishes Will Clean Themselves
I have dishes to do, but I want and need to write some things about what's going on around here. I don't know what's wrong with me...why can't I get more done in a day? I am busy all day long, rarely taking any time for myself, but still the house is messy and I haven't posted anything to our blog since my birthday nearly 3 months ago!
Lots of things have happened since my birthday: Justin turned 2, I started my summer classes, Grant finished kindergarten and started summer school, we had a big party for J's birthday and Brian's college graduation, I had the worst class of my entire college career (sorry, no details here...I do not wish to dwell on it...I made my "A" despite the worst instructor ever), Grant finished summer school, we went from too few kids in my daycare to too many, Brian started Enduring Creation (check out his blog for details on that - enduringcreation.blogspot.com), Grant and Christian had their first formal swimming lessons, they attempted a week's stay at Grandma and Grandpa's (they stayed a day before getting homesick), and the highlight of my summer - I got to spend a day with my Mom and go to the Nauvoo Temple with her to do some of the work for my great grandmother. How I needed that!
How's that for a quick update? Maybe I can still get those dishes or something else done tonight.
~Andi
Lots of things have happened since my birthday: Justin turned 2, I started my summer classes, Grant finished kindergarten and started summer school, we had a big party for J's birthday and Brian's college graduation, I had the worst class of my entire college career (sorry, no details here...I do not wish to dwell on it...I made my "A" despite the worst instructor ever), Grant finished summer school, we went from too few kids in my daycare to too many, Brian started Enduring Creation (check out his blog for details on that - enduringcreation.blogspot.com), Grant and Christian had their first formal swimming lessons, they attempted a week's stay at Grandma and Grandpa's (they stayed a day before getting homesick), and the highlight of my summer - I got to spend a day with my Mom and go to the Nauvoo Temple with her to do some of the work for my great grandmother. How I needed that!
How's that for a quick update? Maybe I can still get those dishes or something else done tonight.
~Andi
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Another Year Older and Wiser, Too
It's my birthday. It's been a good day. Brian prepared me some amazing food and the boys made me cards without anyone telling them they should.
There's been a slight change of plans regarding my summer break: there won't be one after all. I was just going to take the summer off because I thought I didn't have any financial aid to cover summer courses, but I found out this past week that I do have some free money for school that I just can't pass up. So, I'll be starting classes again on the 31st of this month. Oh well - fewer classes to take later, right?
Once again, it's late and I need to sign off, but I did promise pictures, so here are a few:
Grant and Christian with Duckie and New Duck (thanks, Grandma)
Justin needs a haircut
~Andi
There's been a slight change of plans regarding my summer break: there won't be one after all. I was just going to take the summer off because I thought I didn't have any financial aid to cover summer courses, but I found out this past week that I do have some free money for school that I just can't pass up. So, I'll be starting classes again on the 31st of this month. Oh well - fewer classes to take later, right?
Once again, it's late and I need to sign off, but I did promise pictures, so here are a few:
Christian and his best friend, Duckie
Grant and Christian with Duckie and New Duck (thanks, Grandma)
Justin needs a haircut
~Andi
Monday, May 16, 2011
Shy Guy and Other Moegling Happenings
I thought my new computer might mean more blogging, but school somehow always managed to get in the way. But no school for 3 months should give me a chance to get all caught up, although it is impossible to record all the adorable things my boys do - even though I wish I could.
Christian was the highlight of my evening this time. Three days of rain gave way to sunshine today and left all of us wanting more time to enjoy it. We took a picnic to the park for dinner and let the boys play on the playground after we ate. Christian made sure to introduce himself to every other person at the playground and proceeded to tell them why we were there, when his birthday is, our Memorial Day plans, how to spell his name, when he got his hair cut, and any other thing that popped into his head. He's so cute! I'm surprised, though, that he didn't tell them about the great composers he has been all about lately. It all started when he found an old piano book of mine and recognized the name of Beethoven on the Table of Contents. The book has many familiar melodies from lots of famous composers. He loves classical music because of Baby Einstein, but now he is having me teach him about the music and how to play some of his favorites ("Ode to Joy" and "Fur Elise"). Today I was driving with him listening to a CD with songs from many different composers and he would yell out who wrote each song (full names, too - Johann Sebastian Bach! Franz Schubert! Ludwig Van Beethoven!) and he would recognize what was going on in the music and yell out, so excitedly, crescendo! or accelerando!, sforzando! or fortissimo! He's so funny and amazing!
Next time I write I will have pictures or videos. We have some very funny videos - Grant's filming of himself, Justin doing the limbo, Christian and his duck puppet altar ego, and the list goes on...
Bedtime now. Night-night!
Christian was the highlight of my evening this time. Three days of rain gave way to sunshine today and left all of us wanting more time to enjoy it. We took a picnic to the park for dinner and let the boys play on the playground after we ate. Christian made sure to introduce himself to every other person at the playground and proceeded to tell them why we were there, when his birthday is, our Memorial Day plans, how to spell his name, when he got his hair cut, and any other thing that popped into his head. He's so cute! I'm surprised, though, that he didn't tell them about the great composers he has been all about lately. It all started when he found an old piano book of mine and recognized the name of Beethoven on the Table of Contents. The book has many familiar melodies from lots of famous composers. He loves classical music because of Baby Einstein, but now he is having me teach him about the music and how to play some of his favorites ("Ode to Joy" and "Fur Elise"). Today I was driving with him listening to a CD with songs from many different composers and he would yell out who wrote each song (full names, too - Johann Sebastian Bach! Franz Schubert! Ludwig Van Beethoven!) and he would recognize what was going on in the music and yell out, so excitedly, crescendo! or accelerando!, sforzando! or fortissimo! He's so funny and amazing!
Next time I write I will have pictures or videos. We have some very funny videos - Grant's filming of himself, Justin doing the limbo, Christian and his duck puppet altar ego, and the list goes on...
Bedtime now. Night-night!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April's Fools?
Looking at the calendar, this month is sure going to be a crazy one. Andi and I are both taking classes, so I'm gone Monday and Wednesday nights, and she's gone Tuesday and Thursday nights. Andi also must accrue 15 hours of observation at the kindergarten class at Grant Elementary, so juggling that with the daycare and my clock appointments is great fun. Classes end during the first week of May, so all the pressure will be on during the last 2 weeks of the April. The weekends are already filling up fast, with our annual spring family pictures on the 9th (and possibly a Mizzou softball game) and the Mizzou Black & Gold game (spring football scrimmage) on the 16th, and who knows what beyond that.
I'd really like to find the chance to clean the garage out so I can begin work on all my "giant plans and schemes" (quote from a children's book I bought G when he was a baby), while teaching my oldest son the processes and philosophies of creation (No!!! Not THAT kind of creation, he's only 6!!! Give me a break!!!). I've got a slick new miter saw (hi Jeffer!) chomping at the bit to start chewing through some red oak and ash. But the poor saw is already greatly longing for a companion (in the form of a tablesaw, the cornerstone of any woodworking shop). Yet finding a chance to get that garage cleaned AND having good weather AND having the help I need available looks like something impossible to accomplish. Then there's the topic of what I'm going to want to do (read: spend) in the garage once it's clean, but that's a topic best left for another day...
I'd really like to find the chance to clean the garage out so I can begin work on all my "giant plans and schemes" (quote from a children's book I bought G when he was a baby), while teaching my oldest son the processes and philosophies of creation (No!!! Not THAT kind of creation, he's only 6!!! Give me a break!!!). I've got a slick new miter saw (hi Jeffer!) chomping at the bit to start chewing through some red oak and ash. But the poor saw is already greatly longing for a companion (in the form of a tablesaw, the cornerstone of any woodworking shop). Yet finding a chance to get that garage cleaned AND having good weather AND having the help I need available looks like something impossible to accomplish. Then there's the topic of what I'm going to want to do (read: spend) in the garage once it's clean, but that's a topic best left for another day...
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hot Date
Sometimes my husband can be awfully sweet...many of you just don't know that side of him! Last night was our "date night", but there were no less than five baskets of laundry waiting to be folded in our living room. So, for date night, he pulled up on Hulu old episodes of a tv show he had heard was good and we sat together becoming involved in the show and folding laundry together. We stayed up too late because the episodes just kept playing one right after another (and each one left you hanging just enough that you had to watch the next one). This afternoon Brian let me take a nap after church (I can't remember the last time I had one) since I was tired from staying up so late.
Another really sweet thing he does is when he knows I am going to be the next one driving the van, he sets up the CD player to play me a message in the form of a love song like "I'll Never Let You Go". It's the little things that put a smile on my face!
~Andi
Another really sweet thing he does is when he knows I am going to be the next one driving the van, he sets up the CD player to play me a message in the form of a love song like "I'll Never Let You Go". It's the little things that put a smile on my face!
~Andi
Monday, March 21, 2011
Laughter and Tears
I'd rather write just about the laughter, but without some tears, laughter wouldn't mean much.
Laughter: Justin -he's just so silly and amazing. All my boys are amazing, of course, but I think Justin may just be the silliest one of all. Sunday during church he grabbed his blanket and curled up in his Daddy's arms, pretending to be asleep (except for the mischievous grin on his face). Justin also has some new favorite words, "Watch this!", which he often exclaims just before he does something really amazing - like turning off a light or making the computer screen saver bubbles disappear. Another really great Justin phrase is "Poo poo potty!", which he usually says just a little too late...but on Friday he made it in time to go "poo poo" in the "potty". Way to "go" Justin!
Tears: Our dog, Dakota, died yesterday. We told the boys and buried her today. It has been difficult for all of us, but she was old and sick. Now she is no longer suffering.
-Andi
Laughter: Justin -he's just so silly and amazing. All my boys are amazing, of course, but I think Justin may just be the silliest one of all. Sunday during church he grabbed his blanket and curled up in his Daddy's arms, pretending to be asleep (except for the mischievous grin on his face). Justin also has some new favorite words, "Watch this!", which he often exclaims just before he does something really amazing - like turning off a light or making the computer screen saver bubbles disappear. Another really great Justin phrase is "Poo poo potty!", which he usually says just a little too late...but on Friday he made it in time to go "poo poo" in the "potty". Way to "go" Justin!
Tears: Our dog, Dakota, died yesterday. We told the boys and buried her today. It has been difficult for all of us, but she was old and sick. Now she is no longer suffering.
-Andi
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day
Wow, it's been a looooong time since I last updated our blog! But maybe I'll be a little better about keeping up with it now that I have my own computer. That's right, for Valentine's Day I received my very own laptop! I've never had my own computer before. Since we've been married, Brian has had his computer that I have used when I needed to, but now I have my very own. It's kind of nice :)
There's still the issue with finding time to blog (among other things). I should be studying for my exam or working on the ten to twelve page research paper due this week that I haven't even started yet, but I just had to try out my new computer.
~Andi
There's still the issue with finding time to blog (among other things). I should be studying for my exam or working on the ten to twelve page research paper due this week that I haven't even started yet, but I just had to try out my new computer.
~Andi
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