Going to the zoo!

...and then my car broke down.

Yankee McDoodle

Amidst all the craziness this week, my best friend from Scotland, Joanna, is here for a visit. Boy, have we been preparing for her visit. It's a lot of work to have someone from Scotland come to stay, since all they eat is haggis and whiskey. And because they wear kilts all the time, we figured we better make some too so that Joanna felt like she fit in here in America. Also, her favorite flower is the thistle so I just had to find some of those for the bedside table. And we couldn't forget the weather. It took us a long time to make sure it would rain every. single. day. this week - just like in Edinburgh.

It's been three years since we've seen each other - at my wedding. Which means that she got to meet the boys for the first time on Sunday. Sharks calls her 'Joanna McMeal' (not exactly her name, but it does sound like a tasty new option at McDonald's).

Anyhoo, you gotta love those friends who know you so well that time apart doesn't matter. Friends that love you even when life seems out of control. (Even though we know that life is never in our control.)

We love you, Grandma

My grandmother passed away yesterday. Even though she has been unwell for quite some time, I am still stunned.

One of my favorite memories of her is of the first time she met Harkins, the weekend of his baptism. She was thrilled everytime he fell asleep in her arms. Even though she never got to meet Cedar (except in my belly), I know she was thrilled to become a great-grandma twice.

Please pray for my family, especially my mom.

Road Trip to Graduation

I went to my brother's college graduation this weekend with my parents and sister.

It went something like this:

We left in 2 cars at 8am. Chet went to work and a friend watched the boys.

Around 11, this guy who likes coffee, cycling, and Hebrew accidentally put unleaded gas in the diesel pickup we borrowed.

The truck broke down when we had 2 hours still to drive. Thankfully we were able to get it towed, and since we all fit into the other car we were still able to make it to the dinner with Nate at his college.

After dinner we checked into our hotel, where I received a call from Chet saying that Sharks' arm had popped when he was being taken inside. Sharks had been crying and holding his elbow and not using it ever since. Awesome. I called the doctor who said it was 'nursemaid's elbow' and that we should take him to the ER to get it fixed. Our neighbor came over to watch Deedo and Chet took Sharks to the car. As Chet buckled him in though, Sharks started using it again. I guess the jostling popped it back in place. So Chet ended up not taking the trip to the ER after all.

Graduation itself went great, other than the fact that it started at 10, and by 11:45 the graduates had still not walked. LOOOOOoooong gradumawation. My little brother is a college grad!

Then, on the way home, my mom received a call that my grandmother has had another stroke and is unresponsive. Still not sure what that really means, since my grandma's health has been declining for some time.

We made it home in good time and I hopped out of the car, excited to run up and give Sharks a hug, and what do you know, he rushes right past me into my sister's arms. He loves his Aunt 'Dach' and I must be old news since he sees me everyday. Ha!

Sharks' Outdoor Adventure

Sharks enjoying the creek with 'Pops.'

As we crossed this bridge, Sharks plopped down to look through the rails at the water, then asked Chet to sit with him.

Around the site

Camping '09

We have been looking forward to our family camping trip for quite some time. And our expectations were sadly squashed.

First, we couldn't figure out how to put up the tent we borrowed. How lame is that. (We did - eventually - get it set up.)

Second, we forgot matches. Yes, really.

Third, even though it was hot during the day, it got insanely cold during the night, and the kids kept waking up. Maybe 3 or 4 times. And I realized how selfish I was when I didn't even want to reach my arm out of my warm-ish sleeping bag to pat Cedar's back. Eventually, I pulled him into the sleeping bag with me.

Fourth, we didn't bring a new tank of gas for our cook stove but didn't realize it until breakfast, so that hot coffee and oatmeal we had been thinking about ALL night during Freeze-and-Cry Fest 2009 turned out to be, literally, just a dream. (Chet did manage to heat some water up on the coals and made me a cup of coffee.)

Needless to say, we came home a day sooner than expected.
All those friends who thought we were crazy to attempt this: YOU WERE RIGHT.

However, there were some wonderful aspects of our trip too.

We had a great time walking up and down the creek, which was freezing. Sharks didn't mind. We loved seeing the glee on his face when he got splashed!

We ate hotdogs - (unfortunately) a favorite of mine. And of course we had s'mores.

We went on a 4 mile hike in the morning, with the kids on our backs. It was beautiful; wonderful to be outside together as a family. Sharks loved pointing out the trail markers to us - EVERY time we passed one, we'd hear, "Dere's a-nodda wed one." (Translation: "There's another red one.")

So now we are home, exhausted, mostly glad we went, but are definitely not planning on doing this again until both boys are walking.
(Pictures to follow.)

Paint something, why don't ya!

Sharks loves art time. Except he calls it "hart."

Tree Hugger

Family time

These past few days have been filled with lots of family time.

First, Chet and I went out together to a local Italian restaurant. A date! With just the two of us! Loved it. We walked there, and I ate so much pasta that Chet had to roll me home.

My mom watched the kids while we were out, and when we came home, Sharks was so excited to see us that he simply couldn't fall asleep - until 10:30. (And that's what happens when you let your kids sleep in until 10, folks.)

On Wednesday, we went to the zoo. It's free here and 10 minutes from our house, so we go often. But we've never been with Chet before. Chet's mom gave us some money to take Sharks on the carousel, which he loved. (He cried when we took him off. The guy who worked there thought it was great, and called the hysterical Sharks a "satisfied customer." Not exactly what I would call it. I usually call that kind of thing a tantrum.) Anyway, we found out that during the first hour the zoo is open the carousel is free. So I took him back yesterday for 40 minutes of riding the animals, and then Chet took him back AGAIN today for yet another dose of carousel love.

(The late nights must be catching up with him.)

(And I'd be willing to bet $20 that Chet's dad would ask if we comb Sharks' hair with a wagon wheel.)

Tonight, I'm making this (I had all the ingredients...weird, I know), we're going for a walk, the kids will (hopefully) go to bed on time, and then Chet and I get to hang out. Maybe play Scrabble. And yes, I'm going to kick Chet's tail. Not that we're competitive or anything. No siree.

I LOVE having my husband home.

We made it!!

After 4 exams that count for his whole grade for the semester (um, no pressure), Chet finished up today.

That's one year of law school completed! I can't believe it's over. I am so proud of my wonderful husband.

And I am looking forward to 2 weeks of seeing him ALL day, everyday, before he has to start his internship(s).

Including going on a family camping trip...first time with both boys.

(This picture is old...almost exactly 3 years old, in fact. Taken at my friend's wedding, one month before we got married! I can't find my camera, so I'm digging up all the old ones. Little did we know that 3 years from then we'd have 2 kids and be in law school!!)

Signs you live in a Catholic neighborhood

While on a walk yesterday, I saw that some kids had scribbled all over the sidewalk with chalk. I had a happy moment as I remembered childhood and the freedom of a piece of chalk and a huge sidewalk canvas.

These kids had drawn all the usual - hopscotch, drawings of flowers, houses, and then they wrote:

NO LUTHER.

Free Food @ KFC

Ok, so I don't think I've eaten at KFC in my life, but since Oprah is giving away free meals, I figure I might give it a try.

Follow this link to print off your own coupons. I think you can only print them off until tomorrow, but you have 2 weeks to use them after that.

Comely Bank Avenue

I was just looking at some old pictures from back in the day and I found these of the street we lived on in Edinburgh.

Some of the hardest years of my life, but boy, those pictures make me want to move back there again.

Our new favorite activity

First we load pillows and blankets and stuffed animals into an empty storage bin.

Then I push and pull them all around the house.

They think it's a game.

I know it's really my daily exercise.

Conversations with Sharks, Part [I lost count]

We have been listening to some cds a friend gave us of the Cono Christian School choir. Sharks really likes to sing along.

One of his favorites is a song called 'Witness.'

Pretty much daily, he asks, "Mommy, I a witness for my Lord?"

And I tell him yes. Then he moves on: "Mommy, you a witness? Pops a witness? Deedo a witness?" until he has made it through the whole family, grandparents, aunts, uncles and all, asking if they are all witnesses for the Lord.

I am so blessed to be able to tell him that yes, they are all witnesses for our Lord. Such a cause for rejoicing!

I know he doesn't really know what it means yet, but he will learn.

Choo choo!!

We got Sharks these trains for his birthday, but without any tracks. They are battery powered, and we figured he could just turn them on and let them race or something. But he was not into it. I think he thought the trains were alive and too much like little bugs crawling towards him. (Not a big fan of bugs, our little Hutch).

So I finally got him some tracks. The whole rest of the day he just sat there and watched them go around and around the tracks. He loved them. In fact, he actually said, "I wuv Percy! I wuv Wennie!" (His trains are the Percy and Rheneas ones.)

Vewwy cute. Though now I need to teach him what love really means. ;)