North to Canada

Over the weekend we went up to visit our good friends Maria and Jake. It was only about a mile from the Canadian border. Well, maybe it was more like 200 miles. That's some beautiful country up there. We went up there with the four-wheelers to ride on the trails around their house. We got up there about noon on Saturday, ate a lunch and headed out to the trails. Jake and Maria were leading, the kids were following, then I was riding with Brent and we were in the back. We rode for a little bit then we needed to head back to their house to get cleaned up for church. Since we were in the back, Alex said "Eat my dust", and we sure did. For some reason everyone was laughing at me during and after that ride. I guess nobody has ever seen me covered in dirt from head to toe. 

 

The cool little man sitting with me for the picture is Michael, Maria and Jake's son. Our 2 littlest didn't go with us, they stayed with Grandma Judy. Anna didn't have a choice, she had to go to Grandmas, because I still refuse to ride for more than 30 minutes in the car with her. Emma, she's not really a fan of off-roading so she decided she would have more fun visiting Grandma.

So anyway, we were able to get somewhat cleaned up and off to confessions and Mass on time. When we got there Maria decided to help her friend out with the music, so she went up in back and played the piano, and sang. She did a beautiful job. Strange thing though, she stopped playing right in the middle of the Lamb of God. Then moments later we hear a scream back there. There was a bat flying around church and got a little too close for comfort for Maria and her friend up in the choir loft. Then the bat flew up into the Sanctuary, made a couple circles, then flew out a side door. The priest quickly darted over to shut the door behind the winged visitor. Then all was well.

Back at Maria's some rain and lightning threatened us, but went around and left us alone instead.

  Elizabeth and Michael on the swing set. On Sunday as we were packing up to go home, Elizabeth came to me and said, "I think Michael is the first boy that I was able to get along and play nice with." She's so cute.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend. We had a wonderful time visiting and exploring the land. Well worth the drive up there! Thanks Maria and Jake for having us!

Tomorrow.... STAR WARS at the science museum!

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My Aching Heart

This post is intended for my kids, not to be pity post.

(I am going to be putting my whole blog into a book for my kids using Blurb. Pretty neat site to make your own books at. I tried it out by making a Jeep Book for Brent. Turned out really neat.) Anyway...

Last night in the middle of the night we had a little situation. Emma woke up vomiting! I woke up Brent to get her and help her. Sorry Brent, that's just our life situation. Emma was crying, "I want my Mommy!" over and over.

Off and on I get stressed and frustrated about my condition. I realize there is nothing that can be done about it, and I need to work on accepting it in all situations, but still, it stresses me out. There is so much that I can't do physically, or I have great difficulty with. You guys pretty much know those things I can't do because you need to be big kids and help me out all the time with them. And there are things Daddy has to help me with, or Grandma or C. (my home health aid). The absolute worst and hardest for me to accept is not being able to help you guys in the middle up the night when you are sick, or just need a hug and a bottle to get back to sleep. In the day time when I'm in my chair and you get hurt, at least someone can bring you to me. Or if you're sick I can somewhat help you get cleaned up and comfort you. Sure, at night if I was able to do it all myself, I would be gagging just like Daddy. I can't stand puke almost as much as Daddy can't. As it is, it would be a lot more work for Daddy to get me up, and he'd still have to help out with you. It just breaks my heart to have to lay in bed helpless listening to you crying and Daddy crabbing about having to deal with it all. I'm sure, just because it's in a mother's nature to be the comforter, I will never be able to accept that I can't be there for you in the night. Sure, you will grow out of the need for help in the night, but I think I will always carry that horrible feeling that I have of not being able to help you in the night with me to my grave.

Now, I need to list some of the things that I am thankful for that I can do with you, so that this is not a pity post. I am very thankful that I have the brains to be able to teach you and help you with you homework. I love enjoying the outdoors with you, like going around the block, watching you guys have fun on the four-wheelers, riding bike and all the other crazy things you do outside. I'm thankful that we can play board games and sometimes the Wii together. I'm most thankful for, and the best part of being you mom is being able to just talk and laugh and pray together.

Picture of us all when Anna was born in Feb, '07. We really need to get an updated family picture.

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Another Unsolved Mystery

Over the looooooong winter some one, or some creature was desperate for some gasoline. Both the push mower and the riding lawn mower suffered the wrath of something trying to get at the gas in them.

 

What in the world does this to gas caps?!?

Technorati Tags: unsolved mystery,gas snatcher,high flying squirrels,crazy rodents

Schools Out

School has been out for almost 2 weeks now. The kids' last day was June 2. That was a happy and sad day for Joseph. Every kid is happy for that last day of school, but this was Joseph's last day at St. Philip's. He is still unsure if he wants to go to the public middle school over there or be home schooled. Something to pray about I guess.

 

A great bunch of kids that just finished 5th grade!

 

Joseph with the principal, Mrs. McCarney, and his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Buschette.

The Three Stooges!

Joe, Dan and Sam

 

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I was keeping the kids busy with getting ready for the garage sale, and we did start to pack up stuff around the house. Now that the sale is done, I'm going to have to come up with ways to keep the kids busy to keep the fighting down to a minimum. I guess I could threaten them with more packing if they start to get too unruly.

Oh, a couple weeks ago I called Brent to ask him to pick up some boxes on his way home from work. This is what he came home with... 

 

After about four or five trips into the house carrying boxes, he tells me he had drove the Willys to work that day. He had fit all those boxes into this........

 

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The kids have a couple friends over from school today, and they were all jumping on the trampoline. I just happened to look out the back door when I saw Emma fall head over heels down the steps that go to the trampoline. As my eyes were bugging out of my head, I hear her yell, "Guys! Did you see that?!? I did a force flip down the steps!!"   

We've got STAR WARS on the brain!

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Living Simply

Garage sale is done and over with. We did quite nicely with the sale. We now have enough money to take the kids to see the Star Wars Exhibit at the Minnesota Science Museum. (We are going next Wednesday, the 25th. Count down has begun!) Everyone is very excited about going. Emma does NOT want to see Darth Vader though.

Anyway, we got rid of a ton of possessions that were starting to possess us. It really is a good feeling to not be crowded out by stuff! Seems to be a lot easier to keep the house picked up too. Bonus!  

Garage sales attract all kinds of people. Some are frugal, some are greedy ("you have $5 on this, will you take 50 cents?"), some people that come I think are just lonely and like to have a chance to talk to other people, (or maybe I have a sign on my head that says "Need someone to talk to? I'm here for ya!"), some just simply enjoy life! One lady found a piece of bubble wrap in the freebie box, (I have no idea where it came from) and asked if she could have it. "Sure," I said. Then she tells us that she just loves to sit at home and pop all those little bubbles. I want to be able to find that much joy in the simple things of life!

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Minnesota's Other Season

Yes, as winter is slowly fading, our other season is ushering in. That would be the Mosquito season.

Over Memorial weekend we got to enjoy the presence of a cousin spending the night. The kids thought it would be a good idea to camp out outside. So they set up camp right on the deck. Wouldn't want to be too far from the door. (Baby steps) (BTW, we were informed we have werewolves in our backyard. Can you say... too much Scooby Do?!?!) Well, it only took like 834 trips in and out of the house to get all set up and whatever else they could think of just to go in and out of the house. One of those time of opening the screen door let in the new season. It was a giant mosquito, the size of my hand. Oh, I guess it was the size of Anna's hand. It was huge! Alex got a picture of it just before it met it's demise.

Ok, now here's the real one just so you know it was for real. Although there is nothing in the picture to compare it's size to, it really was huge.

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The cousin got to go out four-wheeling with Brent and the kids. She says she had a great time. She wants her own four-wheeler now. (lol sorry Brian, it's catchy)

Isn't she cute?

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Anna loves the outdoors so much, she has figured out that if she puts a box by the door, she can reach the handle! She probably would have gotten the door open and fallen on her face had she been given the chance. She can get the sliding screen door to the deck open though. We need to make sure that door stays locked when we want her to stay inside! She's so smart. What can I say, she takes after her mom!

 

 

 

 

 

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A New Gift From God

LOL, no it's not us this time. Silly people!

While we were stuck in the belly of the whale we got news from the outside world that our new nephew/cousin arrived. He was born May 16th.

Welcome to the world Elijah!

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In The Belly of the Whale

I think I know what Jonah felt like when he was swallowed by a whale. Since we put our house on the market we have been going through things, and getting rid of everything we don't need or want to move. Which is a huge part of our house. The worst so far was going through the toys. I think we spent about three months on sorting all the toys that contain 1,362 pieces each.

 

OK, so maybe it was only like 6 days. Surely it would have been longer if our realtor hadn't called and said, "Can we show your house tonight?" That was Wednesday of this week. That was a stressful day, but I am thankful we have people at least interested in the house, and it was a great motivator to get that daunting task done. No thanks to the kids, I might add. Their theme song through this whole ordeal has been "We are the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"

 

Now we have a new rule for our household. No toys are allowed to enter that contain 1,362 pieces. Those toys that only have 2 pieces.... we MAY consider those. Depending on the mood of the day.

Back to the belly we will go, and onward we will trudge until we've got the whole belly house cleaned out.

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Only A 3 Year Old

This is what she did tonight after going to bed. At least the blankets are nice and neat on my lampshade this time. And... yes, that is a pair of tights on her head. She is such a creative little girl.

Edited:

Today when asked why she put the tights on her head, she said, "To keep my hair out of my eyes." Well shoot, how could I have not known that??

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My Rabbit

Elizabeth (1st Grade) brought this paper home that she did a couple weeks ago.

In case it's not readable, it says:

My Rabbit

      My rabbit's name is Julia. We like to eat chocolate carrots. We dug a hole in Grant's yard. Grant filled it up. We dug it again.

    by Elizabeth

 

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Speaking of rabbits.... we are raising the Energizer Bunny. Emma has been banned from going to sleep in her own room with the other 2 girls, because she just talk to her sisters and plays with things.... for hours. The other 2 can both go right to sleep when Emma is not in there. So, now she has to lay down on our bed until she goes to sleep, then Brent puts her into her own bed.

Here is a sample of what she does after she is in bed. She redecorated my plain and boring lamp shade. She made me a much more colorful and interesting bedspread, and she tried on a bunch of Anna's clothes. Here she has on a lovely ensemble consisting of her own favorite Dora nightgown, Anna's pretty white tights, and an adorable little yellow baby hat.

 

 

 

 

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Now.... are you sitting down???

 

 

Look at this.... we have a whole room done!!!!

Yes, this is the "pool table" room. The same room that just a week ago you could not even walk into the doorway. It was filled front to back almost to the ceiling with all our treasures. Now all that's left is a couple empty boxes, some things that we really do need to store, and some sheet rock. Now we will need to get that room barricaded, so that the rest of our treasures can't just escape into there without us going through them. Yep, our things move about our house all by themselves, because our kids always keep things put away in their proper places.

Now, back to work I go.

Technorati Tags: 1st grade writing story,energizer bunny,spring cleaning