counting to 425..........

401.  Coleman coolers and sleeping bags
402.  scooter races
403.  rose bush bursting with blooms
404.  hugs just cause I thought you needed one.
405.  hair cuts
406.  big metallic smiles (braces)
407.  swim gear and happy smiles
408.  lime green swim bag in corner...not put away, but there all the same. :)
409.  free dish soap...yeah coupons !
410.  cereal for a dollar a box!
411.  shopping with Dad's Bud for camping gear
412.  stolen moments with hubby (quick errands)
413.  Words with Friends
414.  Granny's cries for God's saving grace
415.  God's answers are visible when we step back to see
416.  Promotions
417.  Summer ball games
418. Watching my boys excel, learn and grow beyond my dreams
419.  Seeing just what my boys can do
420.  Summer adventures
421.  Spontaneous hugs from VBS-ers
422.  Being reminded there is a whole lot of living going on, even when things are tough.
423.  Early morning drives with Little Princess
424.  Secret Ice Cream Lunches
425.  Singing with my children

Back to School Haircuts

Always on the look out for a deal, I couldn't pass up JCPenny's free hair cuts for back to school.

It involved rescheduling since we were sick during the week of our

original appointments.

Much to our delight, there were appointments still available.

Trip across town and we made an afternoon of it at the mall.

The Man hammed it up for the camera, as you can tell from the numerous pictures

I have of him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting by Bebe the Rhino

If you remember my post about Fun Girl winning a trip to meet Bebe the Rhino.

This is the super fun painting Bebe did with her lips.

We chose colors the day we visited and they did their best to make it work.

Super Fun!

 

Counting to 400.....

376.  Jelly Beans and the smiles they bring
377.  The Man helping his sister pick out "beautiful glasses"
378.  Lap snuggles while looking at a magazine
379.  Swim lessons and new skills being developed
380.  Newly mowed yards and  husbands and sons who do it joyfully.
381.  Auto mechanics put aside for sanity
382.  Caring nurses and doctors
383.  Good vision reports
384.  Good dentist reports
385.  Good news from the orthodontist
386.  Recommendation to take the less expensive and less invasive route for healthy teeth
387.  Chicken noodle soup and Cherry Limeades
388. Gymnastic classes just for boys
389.  Granny hugs
390.  Visiting with our nephew and his family
391.   Naps
392.  Inservice days to work on school with hubby
393.  Busted lips and tears but no stitches
394.  Time with cousins
395.  His mercies are new EVERY morning
396.  Children who enjoy talking to me...every so thankful even when I am tired.
397.  Watching a Grandpa play with an I touch while listening to Elvis.
398. Piles of clean laundry
399.  Purple and Yellow pansies
400.  Girls with dirt on their hands

Fruit Tales....

My oldest kiddos were raised on Veggie Tales. 

We loved the movies.  As Hockey Player grew up, he discovered Larry Boy and then Bible Man.  So naturally, the younger two boys grew up on Bible Man and eventually Star Wars....  My warriors.  Every once in a while, they get to watch Veggie Tales in the children's ministry at chuch. 

The years have passed and references to Veggie Tales will illicit some groans from my olders.  They are older and so much more mature and cool now.  So imagine my suprise, when I selected my produce at the grocery store and heard, "IT'S LARRY!!!!   IT'S LARRY!"

 

Once home, there was some embellishments. 

 

 

And then Bob's fans became hungry !

 

 

And a little violent!

 

 

 

Looking good Bob!

 

 

 

 

 

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Just Like Dad....

Shopping not too long ago with the kids, THE Man
finds a pair of shoes. 

He won't give up.

He has gotta have them.

I stop the hunt and say something like, but you won't wear them.

"Yes, I will."

and before I say yes or no

he says,

"I am getting shoes just like daddy, only daddy's are bigger!"

How could I say no?

 

Human passports, Bebe the Rhino, Sweet Sixteens

Back in the Spring...clear back in May

Dad's Bud was learning about Endangered Species for Cub Scouts.

Then I heard there was an Endangered Species event at the zoo.

So off we went. 

Since, I wing things. 

I don't always ask questions,

just kinda jump in with both feet...

we start exploring.

There's a table! 

Let's go check it out.

People have papers getting stamped...

We don't have a paper.

I don't really want to walk ALL the back to the front of the zoo.

I ask the person at the table about alternatives.

She offers to stamp the kids. :)

 

Yeah !

Next stop the Rhinos.

There Fun Girl who is trying to enjoy herself, signs up in a drawing.

We do the activities. 

I ask a few more questions.

Collect all the stamps and get a button with Bebe's picture

 

Kids are excited  

AND then we race to find the other exhibits cause the zoo closes in an hour.

 

THE Man becomes our passport.

Each exhibit station for Endangered Species, he gets stamped!

 

 

 

All is good till I want to get a picture of our Living Passport!

 

 

That's better

 

 

 

 

and some more!

 

 

 

 

In exchange for getting all our stamps we get a button with a picture of Bebe the Rhino

 

 

Then we go home.

Driving and the phone rings... but we don't answer in time.

It is the zoo.

An hour later, another call from the zoo.

Apparently, Fun Girl's name was drawn in the drawing.

She won a trip to the zoo to meet the Rhino.

She and 3 others.

Then they asked how many were in her family.

7

(Who would she pick? is running through her mind)

But before that was an issue, they graciously extended the offer to the whole family.

Not only that, but she also won a painting to be done by the Rhino.

When could we do this?

Hmmm, were they available on say Monday morning?

(This was late Saturday)

Cause what would be cooler than Fun Girl getting to feed and meet a Rhino on her 16th birthday!?!

Not every girl gets to do this.

 

So Daddy O makes some arrangements to be off work and

 

 

two golf carts met us at the entrance!!

 

 

 

Meet the Rhino we do !

 

 

Happy Birthday Fun Girl

(I happen to think this is quite the FUN event for a Fun Girl)

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I did feed the Rhino

But this was me taking the picture...

I am up and close...

but I have the camera...

so there is no pictures of me...

We didn't think of it, till later.

Oops!

 

 

Super Sweet Memory

 

Her first cake she ever decorated.

July 2011

 

 

Counting to 350.....

332.  Successful first days back to school
333. A family that bonds together over sickness
334.  Antibiotics
335.  Knowledgeable doctors
336.  Bug spray
337.  Hockey Player's healing
338.  A husband who works hard even when sick.
339.  A husband who takes care of us even when we are sick.
340.  Awana leaders
341.  More volunteers
342.  YNAB and how it helps hubby and I communicate better about the budget
343.  Aunts and Uncles
344.  Unexpected Birthday Cards when Little Princess misses out cause she is sick on her birthday
345.  Listening to THE Man compete with Big O Daddy O to see who says I love you first each day.
346.  A Hubby who helps get kiddos back on track after with school after a week of illness
347.  Enough Dillon's fundraising money to pay this year's hockey fees.
348.  Long weekends, time to get projects done...time for memory making....time for rest....
349.  Rain, sweet rain, its been hot and dry
350.  The beauty of changing leaves

Counting to 525......

481.  The Man's great big smile
482.  Waitresses that dote on us.
483.  All you can eat buffets for Hockey Player
484.  and Fun Girl
485.  Weddings
486.  Friends to laugh with
487.  Trucks and their hauling capabilities
488.  Mail man's timely arrival
489.  Fuel points and gas for 1.47
490.  Super awesome coaches
491.  Water bottles
492. First pay checks
493.  First checking account
494.  Air conditioning
495.  Understanding counselors...
496.  and how they help kids and the parents
497.  Hubby that folds laundry while watching the game
498.  sunglasses
499.  Cracks of the bat
500.  CHeers of happy boys
501.  "I love you" from the sweet lips of my boys
502   Early morning snuggles with Dad's Bud
503.  Knowing
504.  Healthy children
505.  Trampoline campouts
506.  Cool evenings
507. Swimming pools
508.  Grills to cook on
509.  watermelon
510.  cherries
511.  peaches
512.  cantelope!
513  sun streaked blonde hair
514.  good nursing homes
515.  antibiotics for Granny
516.  Friends who come to visit
517.  The Man's laughter
518.  Trash bags
519.  New ID bracelets for Peanut Allergy
520.  Watermelon toes by Fun GIrl
521.  Silly dog that tries to protect me from the sprinklers
522.  New lap top
523.  Hubby who shops for the laptop
524. Clean dishes
525.  Clean laundry

Post sickness cleaning

We recently had the worst bug on earth.

At least it seemed that way.

105 degree fevers, that would not come down.

Trips to ER for dehydration.

Fun Girl has a tendency to sleep too much.  Since she sleeping,

she isn't drinking.  Then she gets dehydrated.

This is the second time it has happened.

So we must be the annoying parents that won't let her sleep when she is sick.

Much cheaper than paying for ER trips and IV fluids.

It all started with THE Man.

Then starting at 2 in the morning and in shifts, children woke with

headaches,

fevers,

coughs,

body aches

and all sorts of misery.

Then mom woke with it.

Big O Daddy O came home and took care of his 4 sick children and wife.

Yep, only Dad's Bud didn't have it.

But that wasn't for long....

2 days into it, Dad's Bud joined our club.

I slept for 2 days straight.

Just as we were all starting to mend, Big O Daddy O got a milder case.

A much milder case, one that we were thankful for.

He was able to work in spite of the headache.

Work he did, since he had Guard Drill weekend.

As soon as I started feeling able

I set about disinfecting.

Bleach

Vinegar

Lysol Wipes

all became my best friend.

Since THE Man was feeling better, he was assigned door knobs and light switches.

This means he takes the Lysol wipes and wipes down:

all door knobs

all light switches

all remotes

all cell phones

refrigerator handles

dishwasher handles

All the surfaces we so casually touch in our homes.

 

I started laundry.

I originally was going to throw away all of our pillows.

We had fevered, drooled in our sleep, snotted and coughed in bed.

The thought of keeping the petri dish pillows made me cringed.

But that is a lot of pillows in a family of 7

 

Then I remembered my dad's washing machine.

 

 

oh yeah!

Not only can I do twice the laundry if I go to my dad's house.

It has this beautiful tub with no agitator.

Pillows in a washing tub with agitator come out lumpy and distorted.

Pillows in this beauty, come out just like they came from the store! 

 

 

Oh Yeah! 

Add some bleach and gone are the yellow stains!

Hello bleach and clean smell!

A couple of the pillows went bye bye.

But I was excited for the bug God planted in my head to try my Dad's washer.

I can replace pillows at a much more gradual pace than all at once!