We Interrupt This Blog...

for this wildlife moment.

I know this may not be the most engaging and entertaining blog post I've written, but I just had to share what's going on in our yard!

Here is a bird that we've not ever seen before.

Paul looked out the kitchen window on July 4th and asked if I knew what kind of it was.
We figured it was some type of woodpecker since it was, uh, pecking at wood. :)
I looked it up in our bird book and found that it is a Yellow-Shafted Flicker. The two we saw in our backyard that morning were hunting around at the base of the trees for ants.

Good for them! Eat all the ants you'd like!

What pretty markings!
Can you see the red patch on the back of his head?








And here's our little bunny.

Since Jack ran away early in the spring, we've seen a lot more wildlife in our yard...including bunnies...and snakes...but we we'll not talk about the snakes. Maybe if we don't talk about them, they'll go away.

Anyway, here is a bunny who has continued to live at our house even after his family has left. Last night Paul saw him hop across the front yard and land in the ground cover in front of the house. I guess he likes to dine on it.



Forgive me for the background music.
Dumb song.
Anytime I see a bunny, that song just escapes from my lips!
I figured, why fight it?
So, now I invite you into my Veggie Tale created "warpedness."



Isn't he sweet?



And while I'm on the subject of wildlife, I just have to tell you what Josh calls Lightning Bugs...

THUNDER BUGS!

He was trying to tell me that he saw some lightning bugs outside, and that was the association he made.

I love it. I think I may always refer to them as Thunder Bugs now.

Wordless Wednesday..."I Sure Admire Your Antenna!"

The Donut Chronicles

Paul works a lot of weekends, so it's always a treat when we find out that he doesn't have to work.

And would you believe that when he doesn't have to work, he usually makes breakfast for us?!

Well, O.K....so he doesn't really "make" it.
But he does take care of it for us.

There's nothing like Marsh donuts!

Hmmm....
Nothing left of Joshua's donut.
Where could it have gone?
Just a few clues to go by...around his mouth...




and on his fingers.



Matthew can't really decide what to do with a whole donut.
In the past, I've cut his into little pieces.
Go ahead, Matty, dig in!

He's a bit cautious...maybe just a little sprinkle to start with.



Ah...he's thinking about having some more.



Maybe one more sprinkle.



That's not at all how I eat my donuts.
Josh either.

Ketchup, though, is a different story.
But that's a story for another day.

For Uncle Brian...

Uncle Brian sent this this video to us via email because he knew that Josh would enjoy it. In fact, he said, "Show this to Joshie, he will laugh."

Uncle Brian, you were absolutely correct!




I wish that I would have had my camera going from the very beginning of the video. He giggled and giggled while watching. When the video was over, he asked to watch it again and even went to pause what he was watching on TV.

Now he is bugging me to death to go wake Carrie so that she can watch it with him and hovering at my elbow asking to watch "that bideo" again.

Since he can maneuver my blog pretty well,I thought that I would post it here so that he can watch it on his own.

And so that you can see what was so very funny!




The cutest thing is that he just said to me, "Isn't it cool that they can do that?"

I'm thinking that he is going to have some mighty high expectations for Matty.
I better keep a close eye on those two today.

Where There Are Kids...

You remember those first years of marriage...just you and the love your life.
I look back at those years as the beginning of our family.
Paul and I made some very special memories, and without even thinking about it, we were working with God to lay the foundation for our family.

Days of just spending time together...getting to know each other.
Days made for beginning our own traditions as a new family.

And remember those first holidays with a new baby?
What fun! It was like being a kid all over again!
And as long as there are children in the house (kids, grandkids, great-grandkids...), Paul and I get to be kids everyday.

Every holiday, especially, is so exciting and so much fun to plan for!

Fourth of July is one of those exciting, fun days!

Where there are kids, there is fun!

Little Boys' Camp

Last week, Paul, Carrie and William headed off to church camp.

Every summer, our 4th through 8th graders go about an hour and a half south of here to a wonderful ranch where the kids and adults have gobs of fun. Paul has been going as a camp counselor every year that the kids have been able to go, leaving me and the little boys to do our own thing.

This year, Joshua came up with a pretty good list of things that he wanted to do...go to Grandma's house, have 1/2 price slushies at Sonic, eat McDonald's, go to Walmart, and go to the park.

All of those are pretty do-able activities...except for the park.
Last week, we saw temperatures in the mid 90's.
Yuck!

Josh was really determined to go to the park, so after visiting Grandma and Grandpa, I suggested that we go to Menards to find a pool.
Does your Menards have a wonderful area set up in the garden center full of swings and slides and forts?
Ours does!
It had to be 15 degrees cooler in that little Menards park!

So, after some playing there, we grabbed our pool and $4 slip-and-slide and headed to McDonald's drive-thru.

I told Josh that we would take our McDonald's home and set up the pool in our family room so that we could have a picnic in the pool. I also told him that we would set up the pool and the slip-and-slide the first thing the next morning.

He forgot all about the park!

Here are some pictures of our at-home water park...










Once again, I am reminded at how simple pleasures are oftentimes the most special...and memorable.

Alive and Well

That's right!
Our little tadpole has grown into a funny frog!
I say funny, because he is so much fun to watch!
And because he has little black toes! How cute is that?!

Last Sunday we decided that it was time to move him into an aquarium. I am so thankful for the internet! We found some really good information on African Clawed Frogs and so were able to make some informed decisions about his environment.

Of course, I still worry about him. I have enjoyed having him around so much that I worry that something will happen to him...that I'll accidentally hurt him somehow. I worry that he will be hurt or sick and won't be able to tell me about it.

We've all become pretty attached to him. You should see how Matthew smiles and waves his arms when he sees the aquarium. And how Joshua gets his stool and stands there on it talking to him...and then says, "Mom, make the Zac boice (voice)." And how Carrie and William pass by and check in on him..."Hey, Zac!" I think that even Paul might say "Hi" when he passes by. :)

The past two days, he has been a little sluggish and has spent a lot of time hiding from us. He even swam up into the castle and hid. William and I couldn't find him for a little while! Then, when I saw his little foot hanging out of the castle, I was just sure that he was dead.

But I was wrong.
He's alive and well...as far as I can tell.

I pray for him each time I pass his little home in our kitchen.
I know that God doesn't want me to worry...and that He cares for even a little African Clawed Frog.

Simple Pleasures

It never ceases to amaze me.

Take two boys and a popsicle wrapper...



Cheap entertainment for an entire afternoon.

Wordless Wednesday..."Fun in the Sun!"

Oh the Drama

This is how I found Carrie.

"What on earth are you two doing?"



Left to play alone, this is what a thirteen- and a three-year old choose to play...



"Reckless, Disgruntled Driver Hits Careless Pedestrian"



I hope this pedestrian has learned her lesson.



I don't think this reckless, disgruntled driver has.

Welcome Home!

My camera is back home!



It's as if it never left!



So, if you'll excuse me, my camera and I are off to make up for lost time...

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!

June 26, 1993...

 

And 16 years and many shared moments later...

 

If you would have told me on my wedding day where I would be and what I would be doing 16 years later, I would have welcomed my future with open arms!

Thank you, Paul, for 16 very special years as your wife...with many more special years to come.

I love you...always.