Hooray!

The plumber is here! I should have a fully functioning bathroom in a matter of hours. I can't wait to try out my new extra tall toilet that I had to pay an extra $80.00 for to get it in "bone"...where's my new "Better Homes and Garden"??? Sorry, maybe that was too much information.

Wordless Wednesday

Cute stuff

For those of you who know me, I know this will come as a big shock but just yesterday I went through Sam's kindergarten backpack. Since we left for vacation approximately two minutes after they got home from their last day of school, I put just stuck his backpack in the inner depths of the laundry room and didn't get around to it until today....lucky for me there were no moldy sandwiches or milk cartons in it! Anyhoo, I already knew Sam had the most wonderful teacher in the entire world but what I found in the backpack confirmed it. Mrs. Thomas made up these awesome binders for each kid complete with pictures, drawings, journaling, etc. I LOVE it! Here's just a smattering of what was in it...

Sam's self portrait (this one was done at the end of the year, there was also one done on the first day of school). Love the nose.

I'm pretty sure I've never seen a better picture of George Washington.

Green eggs and ham

Me and my guy on "Mother's tea day".

His teacher also included four pages of "Kindergarten Expressions for 2009-2010". She kept track of cute things her kids had said the past year. So fun to read! Here's a few of my favorites:

Mrs. Thomas, I always sometimes be good.

I have been waiting my whole life to take home my nametag! This is awesome!

Student: I am not getting married when I grow up because I'm going to be a scientist.

Mrs. Thomas: Scientists get married. You can do both.

Student: Forget it - I am not going to be a scientist anymore.

While we were painting our foot for our Christmas angels, one student said, "But Mrs. Thomas, my feet definitely do NOT smell like angels!"

When you turn 60 you start to lose your mind just like my grandma did.

And this one is me and Holly's personal favorite...

During reading centers, small groups were spelling out words.

I wrote, "moo"

Students answered, "moo"

I wrote, "mood"

One student said, "I know, moob!"

I said, "Not quite, look at the word again, is moob a word?"

The student answered, "Yah, it is a word!" Then with a big smile on his face he said, "It is a bump on a woman's chest. You can also call it a moobie!"

It almost makes me want to become a kindergarten teacher!

Post Point

Saturday was just way too beautiful to stay inside so the kids and I left Dad behind (someone has to get that bathroom finished) and took off to Bellingham. Our first stop was Post Point. Unfortunately the tide was in but the kiddos still managed to find some pretty cool sea creatures.

I still can't managed to pick these little guys up. The kids just grab them by their bodies but I am so afraid they are going to pinch me!

Holly found a sea star (commonly known as star fish however they are not fish). Until we moved here I thought they were only tan but really they are all kinds of neat colors, they are only tan when they are dead.

Sam had to take a turn holding her (yes, Holly checked) too!

Enjoying the sunshine - if you look closely at Katie's face you can also see she's enjoying a brownie.

After the beach we took a walk along the boardwalk and ended up in Fairhaven. We've been wanting to get fish and chips at this cool double-decker bus since we moved here. It was really, really good.

The ice cream was good too!

p.s. No sea life was injured today...unless of course you count the one we ate.

Flashback Friday

I'm thinking I haven't done a Flashback Friday in a long time. This precious photo goes back to August of 2005. We were moving to Washington and I swear John rented the smallest Uhaul known to mankind. I don't know what he was thinking. Okay, I do know what he was thinking. John prides himself on being an excellent packer (and he is) and I think it was some sort of proof of manhood that he could get our family of four's possessions into a teeny tiny truck. That's our friend Doyle and brother-in-law Mike helping him squeeze the mattress in so they could attempt to close the door. As my friend Susie said, "You couldn't fit a can of soap into that truck after they were done." I think back on that moving day with mixed feelings. It was an exciting time and we had such wonderful friends and family that spent the day helping us but I was so sad to leave them behind too. Oh and just so you know...not one thing was damaged or broken when we unpacked 2,000 miles and four days later.

A Samism...CAUTION...do not read if you think "fart" and "butt" are bad words

I just got back from tucking the two youngest kiddos in. When I walked into the room it stunk. I said, "Sam, it really stinks in here. Did you fart?" He said, "Yes, and if you think that's stinky then don't come near my butt cause you might die."

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

The aforementioned "countdown cousins".

Changing the sheets

Today was a beautiful day here in Washington so I decided to wash all the sheets and hang them outside to soak up some sunshine. Now either I haven't changed Sam's sheets in quite a while or he has one serious hoarding issue because when I pulled them off I not only got the sheets but also...
6 stuffed animals
4 matchbox cars
1 gun
2 containers of Play Dough
3 plastic dinosaurs
2 plastic horses
2 books
1 sock
and these... At first I didn't know what it was but then I figured out it must be a cousin count-down. He had asked me a couple nights ago at supper when Jonathan and Jessica were coming to his house and I just threw out a number since I was in the middle of a Katie meltdown (we're still de-programming from Gramma's house). I guess I should have taken the time to figure it out for him. He's such a sweet guy.

As you can see, he's been doing some dinosaur decorating in his room!

Other random things....

Last week we were invited to one of Holly's friend's home for dinner and a concert. I don't think I embarrassed her too much. We all had a lovely time. The concert was beautiful!

Sweet, sweet girls. John and I are so thankful that Holly has made such good friends here.

I had to take a picture of this too. It's Holly's first official payment for public performing. She played at a community gospel fest in my folk's town and she got an actual check. Very exciting.

And here's my bathroom. It's coming along! Yeah! The floors and shower are just about all done, it's painted, and the vanity's back in. We just need to get the new sinks, faucets and toilet hooked up, install closet organizers, finish grouting and sealing, paint and hang up the mirrors, and put on the new counter top. By the way, when I say "we" I mean that very loosely. I've basically done nothing.

Happy Tuesday!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm back!

Wow, what a wonderful vacation! The kids and I were gone for a month and did all kinds of fun stuff but the mostest wonderfulest part was just spending time with family and friends that I love and miss so much. At one point I told John I was ready to move back to the Midwest. The weather was hot and sticky (just the way I like it), the corn fields were beautiful, and I got spoiled rotten. John had to remind me that in six months it will be cold and the fields will be covered in snow and that if I lived there people wouldn't be so nice to me. I guess he's right.
I'm home now and real life has started again. I had to drop Sam off at basketball camp this morning, the electrician is here to work on my bathroom, and the laundry basket is overflowing.
I took 463 pictures in the last month (if you'd like to see them all, just let me know and I'll send you the link) but here's just a smattering - one for each day we were gone.

June 10 - left home at 1:40 p.m.
Taking a lunch break in Twin Falls, Idaho. This is Shosone Falls, it's called the Niagara of the West.

We made it to Omaha, Nebraska just in time to see Tricia and Alex walk down the aisle. Here's John with the beautiful bride.

In Des Moines, Iowa at the best pizza place in the world. And yes folks, I've had pizza in Italy. The taco was every bit as good as I remembered it!

Holly and Hannah kissing a toad.

Look! He turned into a handsome prince!

My family with the VerMeer gang in Pella, Iowa. Janet had snicker ice cream bars for us every night. I love that gal.

John and his dad making wiener schnitzel. I ate so much I thought I was going to burst. In my opinion I think in Heaven we will eat Dad's wiener schnitzel, Pagliai's taco pizza, and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

Dad made Sam this awesome barn for his birthday. Sam was pretty surprised, he kept asking me if he really got to take it home. Thanks Grampa!

We celebrated Sam's seventh birthday in Wisconsin.

Holly and her cousin Rebekah.

All packed up and ready to head to South Dakota. Along with all of our luggage we took along a bunch of wood John took off of the barn, a rather large Christmas present for Holly, and the big barn. My husband is an awesome packer.

The South Dakota sky. I love the mountains and oceans and all but the Midwest is sure beautiful too.

Katie loves her Grampa Brad!

Hannah and Holly at Dordt Discovery Days. She had a wonderful time - Holly promised me she'd do a guest blog spot all about it in the near future. Can you believe that someone recently asked me what I'd do if Holly decided not to got to Dordt? What a silly question.

Sam at his South Dakota birthday party. Cool Hulk cake Gramma!

Grampa keeping the boys cooled off.

Me and my good friends, the DeBoers. They live in Arizona but just so happened to be visiting family in Iowa. Linda made me that bowl. She makes beautiful pottery pieces and just so happened to have one along for me!

My nephew Chase keeping cool on the slip-and-slide. Him and Sam played so nice together the entire time we were there. He was definitely the toughest to say goodbye too. It was all I could do to not buckle him into the car and take him home with me!

Holly performing at a community gospel concert in my parent's town. She sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and their were many people wiping their eyes through the whole thing - including her mom.

Sammy petting the sheep at Kurt's (my sister's boyfriend) farm.

Windmills and soybeans near Pipestone, Minnesota.

Holly making friends at my Uncle Dick's farm.

All the ladies went out for a girls night out. We got pedicures and ate Mexican.

Me going down the infamous curly slide in my hometown of North Saint Paul, Minnesota. My sister and I would beg my dad to let us out to go down the slide whenever we drove past. He usually did. He did this time too.

Holly, Sam, and Chase riding in the motor home.

Yep, I can check "Staying overnight in a Walmart parking lot" off my bucket list!

Four generations

Great (and I do mean great) Aunt Jen taking the kids to Chuck E Cheese. They look forward to this outing all year.

My Gramma being silly.

Sorry Holly but it won't be too much longer before Chase is taller than you!

We stopped at Bear Country in Rapid City, South Dakota on the way home. Lots of fun!

July 11 - back home to Lynden at 4:50 p.m.