Educate Yourself...

I am not posting this to start a debate/discussion, nor do I really care for Howard Stern - whatever - I'm posting this to urge you to educate yourself before you decide who you choose to vote for on November 4. This is just absolutely ridiculous...

Owen's Third Birthday!

Yesterday, we had a birthday party for Owen. The theme this year was "John Deere." He is all about John Deere and all things John Deere. This was a fun theme for me, because not only did we (I say we, because me, my sister and my mom all get into the theme! :)) try to find John Deere items, but we could also just go with green and yellow items too!:)

This year, Melanie came up with the idea to make the banner like this....

...and I think it's the cutest banner EVER!!! (the treat bags were pretty cute too! :))

We even found little John Deere coloring books for the little ones! :)



He loved reading all of his cards...not really, but I made him look at them best I could! :)

He couldn't wait to start opening the presents!

The infamous Rice Krispie Treats that my mom makes!:)

I wouldn't have been able to do it without this girl right here! She even wore green to the party! :)

Mom - you rocked this cake! :) It was awesome!

Even my hubby wore green!:) He's so good!

We had a blast! Everything worked out great -except we probably could've used just a little bit more taco meat!:)

Here's a video of Owen getting his surprise present...






The great thing about this tractor was that my cousins gave it to us! Their kids were done with it, and seeing as my boys LOVE John Deere, they were willing to part with it and let our kids get some use out of it! It really was such a blessing to be able to surprise Owen with this awesome gift, and not have to spend any money on it! Thanks Thane and Dawn!!

This is dedicated to the one I love!

Today marks the 9 year anniversary of Ryan and I's first date! I can remember it so vividly. I'll spare you all the details, but I pretty much knew after that first date that I was going to marry him. I for sure knew after the second date, just two days later!! :)

Anyway, I got these pictures in my inbox this morning, and thought it'd be fun to show them to you. It doesn't happen very often that I post these types of pictures on my blog, so don't get used to them! :) These pictures are from Saturday morning - opening day!

The whole group of guys that Ryan hunts with!

I love you Ry! There isn't anyone I would have wanted to spend the last 9 years with! Here's to MANY, MANY more!!

What are the odds?!?

My license plate sticker expired the end of last month. I knew about it. I knew that I had to get an emissions test, and I've been pushing it off.

Yesterday, I had to run some errands after picking up Chloe from school. I was going to pass the Emissions Testing Center, and I figured I better just get it done. Passed with flying colors ~ well, I don't know if I passed with flying colors, but I do know I passed!:)

Before dinner, Ryan decided he'd take the kids to go run some errands, while I went grocery shopping! So nice! Anyway, I'm on my way to the store, that is only like 3 minutes from my house, and I get pulled over - doing 41 in a 20 (I was excited to get to the store without kids!), and because of an expired plate. At that moment, I was so thankful that I had gotten the emissions test done, because then I was able to say that I just got the test done, and I planned on getting the sticker. The police was like 12 years old, and crept up to my window like I was going to pull a gun out on him. I will say though, that he was super sweet, and he let me off with not just one warning but TWO! I was so thankful, because the last thing I need to be spending my money on are stupid tickets. (both of which, I know are my fault) I call Ryan, and he tells me we have to get the sticker tomorrow. (meaning today)

This morning, I realize that our movies for the library were due yesterday. If I got to the drop box before 9, they are not considered late. I pack up the boys (who insisted on getting dressed for the day) and me in my HUGE sweat pants, greasy hair and no makeup ~ I was only going 3 minutes away to the library - who was gonna see me?!?! I get to a stop light, and what do you know - another coppy cop is right behind me. I saw him looking stuff up on his computer, and knew that at any moment, he would be pulling me over. GREAT! I couldn't believe it! Here comes another 12 maybe 13 year old cop up to my window, again like I was going to pull a gun out at him or something ~ or maybe he was scared of me - I looked a sight! "Mam, I pulled you over because of an expired plate." Again, thankfully, I had the document from the emissions testing center, and I pulled it out and told him I was planning on getting the sticker today. He looked over the sheet and said, "well, you better get it done today!" "Yes sir, thank you so much!" Phew!!!

Two things ~ what are the odds that I would get pulled over twice in a say 14 hour period and both cops let me go? And I really felt like the Lord made me go do that emissions test. It just sort of popped in my head as I was driving by. Sometimes the Lord does cool things like that. Had I not had the proof of the emissions test, I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten off both times! So cool!

Oh, and I'm pretty certain that I have the youngest cops in my town, but definitely the nicest! :D

***As I was proofing this post, I just looked down at my shirt, and there is a big syrup stain from my waffle this morning! NICE! Slob...

Mom, I need you...

My mom is so good with helping out when she comes here. She'll help with the kids when needed, she'll help fold laundry, she helps prepare dinner, the list could go on...

Well Mom, I've got two baskets of clean laundry with another 3 loads to clean, and a basket FULL of socks. I need you, Mom! :)

In all serious, I just miss you mommy! Anytime you want to come to...ahem...match some socks...I mean hang out - let me know! I'll put the coffee on! :D

Pumpkin Patch

Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch with Paul and Kristin and their kids. We had a lot of fun - especially trying to take pictures with the sun DIRECTLY in our eyes! They turned out o.k....

We told the kids to close their eyes, until we said 3! and then open them. Brett's eyes are still closed in the above picture - O well!

When did this little boy grow up?!?!?

So sweet!

I love it when he gives me nice smiles!!

I told the kids that they could pick any pumpkin as long as they could carry it. Brett and Owen took me serious, because these were the pumpkins they picked! :) Chloe's was a little bit bigger. (I didn't get a pic of her with it though.)

We had a really great time, and now the pumpkins are on my front porch just waiting to be carved - yes, we are going to attempt that this year. In years past, we've just painted the pumpkins. This year is a different story, Chloe wants to bake the seeds. So, I told her that we could do that with hers! Should be fun!!

2.96

$2.96 is what I just paid for gas!!! I never in a million years thought that I'd see it below $3.50, let alone $3.00!! Wooo Hooo!!!

O.K., now back to your regularly scheduled blog. (I've got a post coming together about our pumpkin patch, so stay tuned for that!) :D

Let's get down to business

O.K., so I'm sure you've all noticed my new look! Thanks to Melanie for getting it done in like 2 minutes. It's so funny, because we do it together on the phone. She asks me what I want, I tell her and then she gets it done! So fun!!! Anyway, I'm sure the picture behind the title will change, but I just laugh so hard every time I see that pic so I thought I'd put it up there for a bit!

Second, there used to be a button on my the top of my sidebar for blog.lines. They stink, so it's gone. At first it was so awesome, and then for two days I got no updates. I thought, man, blogland is sure slow - and I have a lot of blogs I subscribe too. Well, I started to look up some that I know post on a regular basis, and wouldn't you know, they've updated, and bloglines didn't tell me about it! Ugggghhh! Anyway, I've moved over to Google Reader, and so far so good!

I think that's about it! Happy Blogging! :D

Call me what you want, but I love my stinkin' family!!!

I cleaned out my hall closet yesterday. While doing so, I found a tripod for my camcorder that was still in the box. We had gotten it free when we bought our camcorder - 6 years ago!! I broke that sucker out of the box, and was thrilled that my camera fit on the tripod. I told everyone to get by the fireplace, cause we were taking a family picture, and this is what we came up with...

I think this has CHRISTMAS CARD written ALL OVER IT!!! Just kidding - it would be kind of funny though! Chloe is pretending that she's a bunny, Owen's pulling a "silly face", suprisingly Brett is sitting perfect, Ryan's holding a stinking PINK umbrella for.crying.out.loud, while I'm laying on the ground like I'm the stuff! (If only that hair wasn't stuck to my lipgloss!!!);)


Next, I tell the kids that I was going to do one of just them - again, this is what they came up with...


Man, I love this family!!! Oh, and I am fully aware that we are DORKS!!:D

At the races!

Saturday night, Ryan and I took the kids to watch my niece and nephew race their BMX bikes. It was loads of fun to watch. My brother Paul was really into this when he was younger, so it's a lot of fun for him to watch his kids do it too! :D

They did really good, and we had a great time! Great job Cameron and Leah!

Towards the end, my niece, Leah was dancing. She claims to say that she knew I was videotaping her, but I really don't think she did. ;) She's got some good Michael Jackson moves going on...

Try to paint a mental picture...

So yesterday, my mom came out to spend some time with me and Melanie and the two sets of younger boys. We went to Kohl's which turned out to be a semi-disaster. The boys have a hard time sitting in a stroller for so long. All three of us were trying on clothes and looking at EVERY.SINGLE sale rack, and they had had enough. I did manage to find myself a nice new pair of jeans, so that made it all worth it for me!

Anyway, we get all four boys in Mel's van (she's got a t.v. in her van, and I want one REALLY BAD) and we start to discuss where we are going to go for lunch. I was on my mom's side of the van when I notice a huge long hair on her chin. Now, for those of you that know us, Mel and I are in charge of keeping all of my mom's hair on her chin tamed (Oh man, my mom is going to kill me for writing all of this). I immediately announce that I need the "plucker." Mel gets out a pair of tweezers, and there I sit plucking all of her chin hairs. I was definitely "plucking the mother!"

**Side story - My aunt Jerri (who just recently passed away and also my mom's sister) used to have her granddaughter, Dawn, pluck her chin. I don't know, it must run in the family. Anyway, last summer, up at the lake, Dawn was plucking my aunt's chin, and my aunt called Dawn a "mother plucker!" Since then, it's just been a running joke in my family.:D

Brett must have a magnet in his body that attracts all things froggy, wormy, slimey....

He's done it again. I was walking out the door to go pick up Chloe from school, and Brett is running around the van telling me he found a frog. I'm telling you - he's either really super good with spotting them with his eyes, or he has a magnet in his body that attracts them to him! :)

He spent so much time trying to catch that thing I thought we were going to be late picking up Chloe. Watch the video to see if he caught it!:)




The frog spent the night in the jar - along with a cricket that Chloe caught the day before and put in the jar - and then dad said we had to let it go. Yeah, that didn't go too well.

I love you my Brett boy - even with all of your frogs and worms! :)