Looking out at the World

We were getting ready to go somewhere the other day and I looked out and saw all three of them sitting side by side on the porch. It was too cute to pass the opportunity for the pictures.

Then half of Sarah disappeared as she bent down for a leaf!

And no, I didn't do her hair that way intentionally. She just likes to pull out her piggy tails.

Misha

We got our dog Misha from the pound just before Christmas. We had promised the kids whenever it was that we moved, we'd get a dog. Well, the move came suddenly, and we were able to get a dog. Not a family to mull things over, we started looking before we even moved and found Misha at the pound. She was calm, but we thought it must have been because she had just been spayed the day before. I wanted a dog that would be good with the kids...and that is just what we got! She's calm, stays when she's told, and she let's Sarah do anything she wants. Perfect dog for a baby.

Here's Sarah feeding Misha dog food, one piece at a time, and Misha being patient enough to take it, one piece at a time. Notice all the little bits on the floor? Thanks, Sarah!

Happy Father's Day!

I forgot to post these earlier. The kids were so eager to give Daddy his present that they did it on Saturday night. We got him a new phone so he would be able to go wireless when that new law starts on July 1, but then we decided to fill a bag with things Daddy would like or needed. Caleb suggested beef jerky (because he likes it too) and Emma really wanted to get him flushable wipes (which they use) since he didn't have any...she sure cracked herself up as she gave those to him!

They sure do love their daddy...and he sure loves them back.

Here he loves them enough to let his girls do his hair. This used to be just something Emma liked to do, but last night Sarah came out with the brush (which she likes to chew on) and started helping out.

Mostly she was just smacking him in the head with it, but hey, the love was there all around!

Big Sis, Lil Sis

Thanks Aunt Christine for our beautiful new bows!!

Swimming

Now that summer's in full swing, we're enjoying lots of water time...sprinklers, water park, grandma's pool. The kids love it all! Well, the bigger two especially. Today we went to Soak City again, and Caleb got brave and went down one of those tube slides on an inner tube. Emma was so upset that she was too short to go that we almost had a little tantrum right there next to the sign that measures your height.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Grandma's pool and had a lot of fun. Sarah was a bit timid in the water, but man, Caleb was completely No Fear...and even though he can't really swim yet, he sure loves jumping in!

Chitty Chitty Bing Bing

Or is it Chitty Chitty Ding Dong?

That's the movie Emma wanted to watch this morning. Since they've been hooked on Annie for a couple of months now, Grandma Laurie thought they might like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They didn't have time to finish it at her house, so we brought it home, and now we've got the new Annie. I have to say it is a lot more pleasant to listen to these movies over Dora for the umpteenth time. I think we'll go buy Mary Poppins next...any other suggestions?

I still do love this movie! I remember watching it as a kid, where my sister could sing every song and say every line before the characters did! It all came back to me as we watched it over and over. One night Chase even joined us and it was family Annie night. I love the part where they meet with the president and discuss the New Deal...the things that I never got when I was little!

Friday all three of them were watching Annie again, and even Sarah had her little lips in an "o" shape and was "singing" when they did The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow. It was too cute!

Where did the week go?

What was I thinking when I thought I'd be able to sit down and post every day now that I didn't have to go to work? Summertime is here, and it is in full swing in our house! Now for all those of you who think that I don't have a real job since I get a nice amount of time off, well let me tell you, it's not really time off. True, I don't have to get up quite so early and I don't have to leave the house quite so soon, but with three kids excited to have me around, it's certainly not much of a break!!



Now don't misunderstand me and think I'm complaining; I'm not. We had a blast this week. It's just that there was very little downtime to consider it a "vacation."



So just what did we do? Well, we got season passes to Knott's Soak City, aka the Waterpark, and all the three kids and I had a great time there last Monday. Tuesday they learned a new vocabulary word: errand. And we topped it off at the library. Wednesday they got to spend some $$ at Toys R Us (that bought me a break for about an hour, during which I battled a sleepy 1-year-old who did not want to nap.) Thursday was back to the waterpark, this time without Sarah so we could have some "real fun." And Friday, lucky me, got to visit the dentist once again.

It was a busy week, and it left me asking myself, what do I really want to get out of this summer? I like not having structured lessons monopolozing all of our time, but I don't want to feel like I "wasted" my weeks. So I figured that what I really wanted was to
1) get closer with God. I really need to build myself a quiet time so that I can be more consistent and make this happen again.
2) I want to have some real dates with my husband.
3) I want to enjoy my kids.
4) I want to learn more about photography.
And 5) I want to use some time to work on my scrapbooks.

It sounds so simple, so that's what I want to make sure I do.

Oh, and here are some highlights of our week:
Posing before church.

And Sarah likes to "push" the recliner down and "pull" it back up.

And who can resist checking out what's under that chair?

Dads

What does it take to be a good Dad? Patience and a good sense of humor. Love. Fun. A little bit of discipline. A lot of faith. And that's just the beginning. I see it every day.

Chase, thank you for being just the right daddy for my our babies. I watched Emma climbing all over you today, and I could see the love that was right there. And when Sarah needs something, she marches right over to "dad-doo" and grunts until you figure out just what it is she's trying to tell you. And you're never one to turn down a game of catch with Caleb.

You've inspired that boy to love baseball beyond what I could have ever imagined. And when he talks too much, you still listen.

I love you. I love watching you with the kids, throwing them around, tickling, wrestling (yes, even with the girls, even though it usually leads to someone crying!) letting Emma comb your hair, letting Sarah wake you up by a smack in the face (What she meant was Happy Father's Day, you know.)

Thank you for doing whatever it takes to take care of this family...jobs, school, never knowing what's coming next. We love you! I love you, Chase.

And there's another Dad I know who had many of those same qualities. Dad,

thanks for working so hard at home to give us so much. Thank you for watching all of those dance recitals, even when we were only on the stage for a combined total of 10 minutes! Thanks for making sure we had been to so many campgrounds in California! Because of you, I know how to tie a knot on a fishing line (it may not be right, but it'll get the job done), how to check the oil in my car, how build a toybox and use a table saw, and how knock out a wall (good to know, just in case!)

Thank you Dad, for always putting us first, even still. I know that whenever I call, you will be right there, eager to help. I love you, Dad.

The school year ends

Last week was full of so many things going on...

It seemed like summer had already begun as the kids were playing outside until 7:45 three days! We were riding bikes, playing catch, playing hide and seek, playing cards, chatting with neighbors...this is really a great neighborhood we've come to. Every day I'm thankful for this house to live in, especially as I drive over the big hill coming home from work. The view is just awesome, and every time I see it it just makes me say a little prayer. Thank you, God, for this beautiful earth we live on, and especialy for giving us this special little area.

Emma graduated from preschool. Caleb finished kindergarten. Where has the time gone? Sarah's walking all over the place? My baby days are quickly coming to an end!

Here's a look at Emma graduating from preschool.

She's just getting so beautiful. I love the little sprinkling of freckles. And she's so ready for kindergarten. Already sounding out words (just from watching her brother.)

Ice cream social at the preschool.

Front yard Fun

Caleb has been so excited about this new dirt bike. I hear him going out into the garage early in the morning, just to sit on it! He's even got Emma out there with him sitting on her "new" dirt bike. One day he even convinced Emma to put on the riding pants that our former neighbor passed on to her. She claimed she would never put them on, but she proudly sported the pants and Caleb's blue helmet throughout the house (no shirt).

Here's Caleb practicing on the new bike out front. He was so proud to show what he could do to his friend Aaron who had just come over to see if he could play.

Man, that little boy certainly is getting big!

I think Daddy likes the new bike, too. (I know, he should have a helmet on!)

And the little cheerleader who's always in the midst of the action.

Dirt Bikes

We've reached another milestone: Caleb has moved up to a bigger dirt bike. Way back when he was 2 1/2, Grandpa promised him a dirt bike when he turned 5. Well, he never forgot and shortly after his fifth birthday, Caleb, along with Grandpa and Daddy, became a dirt bike rider.



And he's outgrown his first bike. He proudly went with Daddy and Grandpa yesterday to pick up the new bike, which has a real clutch in it, and practiced a couple of circles in the street out front.



Emma, who at first wanted nothing to do with all of this, is now the proud recipient of the old bike. And as soon as the training wheels are straightened out (the result of a crash), and she gets her gear, she says she's ready to ride! We'll see how long this lasts.



And let's not forget Sarah. Though she doesn't care for the swings (I think they're too high), and doesn't like to be tossed in the air, there's still a little bit of daredevil inside of her, as she proves with her brother!

Oreos

For some time now, Sarah has been raiding the pantry. She loves to stand at that cover and find something she can bring to me and "eh, eh, uh" until I give her something to eat. No big deal, except that it's never ending! I think the girl would eat all afternoon!

So Thursday afternoon, Chase and I were sitting on the couch and she comes marching out with an Oreo in each hand! I really wish I had gotten that picture, but I was cracking up too hard. She just looked so proud of herself! And I've never fed her Oreos, but she sure seemed to know what they must taste like, because when I told her to give one to Daddy (I thought I'd indulge her and give her one) she shook her head emphatically "no!" and clutched them across her chest!

Well, I guess if you fight that hard for something, you deserve it. So here's Sarah with her prize!

(That's the new smile I get every time she sees the camera.)