Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

our morels
our backyard

The day was so much fun, these two had to have a nap!

Goobie got her face painted.

At the carnival, they got to pick out prizes after each game, mostly candy.

she's holding a spoon balancing a cotton ball, I think it was supposed to be a challenge, but didn't really seem so to her

these two, on the other hand, REALLY like cotton candy

she's smiling, but she DID NOT like cotton candy. I guess the texture wasn't what she was expecting. See, she doesn't even know what to do with it......


So to start off, I had a beautiful tile sign with vinyl lettering on my front porch that read, "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World" Thank you Amy Lynne! I have gotten tons of comments over the past year and often see people stopping to admire our porch and read the sign. Okay, long story short, somebody stole it. I guess their point for me was that they are trying to be a thief I guess, and so they are just trying to be the change they wish to see in the world. Anyways, none too happy about it. And it's not the first thing that has been stolen off my porch, but I DIDN'T think anyone would stoop to stealing my sign. Frustration! My neighbor suggested I make a new sign that says, "Thou shalt not steal."

To sum up the past couple of weeks, last weekend was Sweet Boy's end-of-year carnival at his school and so we went and supported that. I am posting several pictures from that. Also, we got a rare opportunity to ride the Union Pacific Safety Train. It was pretty cool althought most of the fun was in the anticipation of it and getting on it. Once we were on it and riding Twinkle Toes just kept saying she was bored. She was not into the scenery! Finally, our Memorial weekend was low key. The weather here has been less than desirable and so we didn't do a whole lot this weekend. The kids played outside and jumped on the trampoline. I guess we shouldn't worry too much about not having all the safety netting around our tramp. Heck, Sweet Boy runs full speed ahead today and busts his lip open running into the thing. I think he inherited my accident-prone gene. We "thought" about planting our garden, but that is about as far as we went with it. The Hubby went fishing one day, we grilled out a lot, and on our last day aside from major tidying up of the yard we went morel hunting in the woods and scored a few 'shrooms. I have never had these so we'll try them out tomorrow for dinner.......they're expensive, so that means they have got to be good, right?

Workity, Workity

Twinkle Toes pruned out masses of rhubarb
our raspberries are leafing out

the beginnings of our compost pile

our umbrella clothesline

Goobie did a fair amount of jumping today, yeah, we got our trampoline repaired this week, the first day we got it back Daddy had to take a spin on it and sprung a spring loose already! Adults are now banned from the trampoline.

Today was one of those WORK days for us! We stayed outside the whole day working in the yard, and as Southerners say, my dogs are barking. I can barely stand up and it's only 5 o'clock. Pregnancy definitely adds to my tiredness. The hubby dug a gigantic hole and we buried a concrete support for our new clothesline that our neighbor gave us. Twinkle Toes and I planted some lettuce and cilantro and flowers and we weeded the raspberry patch. Then Daddy hauled some dirt around the yard and we are trying to create a compost pile, which we have been saying for a couple of years now we would get started. Our neighbor bought us some grape vines but we have yet to get them planted and the other chore we didn't get to was figuring out all the irrigation hoses and getting everything hooked up for summer watering. Our plum tree, apple trees, and peach trees are all blooming so we got some fertilizer stakes and are going to try and urge them on to producing lots of fruit!

A little story about Gracie Goo.....after she came home from the hospital I made her a blurb book with pictures documenting everything she went through in the hope that one day when she was much older I would be able to give it to her and explain what happened. Well, smart as a whip goobie britches already found the book and she knows it is all about her and she is OBSESSED with it. She looks at it all the time. The other day she got it down and she was looking at it and she said, "Look Mommy, I was wrapped in a pink and blue blanket and you were sad." Then she will point to her "line" (her scar on her belly) and tell me how the "dockors" had to cut into her. So much for the book being a big surprise in later years. She already knows the whole story and she is only 2 years old!

Grace is now fully potty trained. She hasn't had an accident for over a week, so I think it's official. Man, she was easy. She is now to the point when she has to "go" she WANTS to go in the potty. Woo Hoo!

Sweet Boy's Spring Program

this is Sweet Boy's preschool teacher, she is awesome!
the theme was "Rock n Roll"

we went for the "sophisticated" rocker look, hence the tie!

Seven

Seven years ago I became a mother on Mother's Day!


those are Pokemon cards, my kids love em.












that's a total pose of blowing the candles out.

Anne and Luis, our neighbors, celebrated with us

Luis lighting the candles

dressed for church

my pitiful little cake (I am NOT a cake decorator) I'm glad my cousin gave me this beautiful cake stand for my wedding, it is the ONLY redeemable part of the cake! but it was good-tasting.

"M" for Mackenzie or as Lee calls her Mackie!

Mackie and I got to go hear the United States Army Field Band a week or so ago, they came to La Grande, and it was a real treat! They are really fabulous, and the concert was free. We were so lucky to get to go.

This past Saturday we celebrated Mackie's birthday. It was a full day. The Hubby and Sweet Boy went to a service project at a park and they worked all morning spreading bark dust and pulling weeds. Then Mackie went to someone else's birthday party and I was proud of her. She was happy for her friend and not a bit jealous that it wasn't her party. It helped it was a bounce house so she had a blast. She did keep asking me all day, "I do get at least ONE present for my birthday, right?" Oh, we'll see I would say :). Then after the birthday party we took all our kids swimming and then out to dinner for a treat to celebrate her birthday and Mother's Day. We get to do it up together!

The Hubby has been spoiling me all weekend - waffles Saturday morning, an omelet Sunday morning, dark chocolate truffles, and a massage gift certificate (woo hoo my favorite!)

Then, Sunday was our official celebration of Mackie's birthday with cake and presents and our neighbors Luis and Anne came over to celebrate. For her birthday she got a Jack and Annie chapter book, a "I am Loved" God's Little Princess Book, a fairy barbie doll, some Pokemon cards, some socks, suckers, a balloon, and some playing cards and headbands from Luis and Anne. Oh, and just to update on the pregnancy. I went to the doctor this week and heard the baby's heartbeat. Everything is checking out good. I am feeling good and everything feels like a VERY normal pregnancy. yay! We are officially 4 months along.