Nicoll Family Blog

Birthday month

2012-01-26T09:43:00.001-06:00

January is birthday month at our house for four out of five of us... so the banner went up at the beginning of January (as soon as the Christmas stuff came down) and it will stay up until the very end of January.
June's birthday was first.

She had a baby-Dora-chicken nugget-themed birthday party. With a pink cake.

Alli turned eight this year. This is a milestone year because she was baptized! (That deserves its own post... soon!)

She had a delicious carrot cake shaped like an eight... but her little cousin got his paws on it (and the pan of brownies too).

My birthday was great. I did my traditional birthday pushups. I have been training for them since November... and I rocked 'em! The girls made breakfast in bed for me.
I found a heart drawn on the wall... made from a booger. Super special.
Andy's birthday is today. He did birthday pushups too (but he didn't even have to train for them... I guess he is still young enough).

It has been a fun month, but I am glad to wait a few more months until the next birthday.

Birthday ride...

2012-01-08T20:35:00.001-06:00

Our little Junebug turned 3 this week!

To celebrate her big day (and the gorgeous weather), we went for a ride around the block (actually, she was the only one riding. I was paparazzi.)

Did you know June dresses herself?

And puts her own shoes on. She likes to be independent.

Can you see the determination in her eyes? She rode around our entire block. By herself.

Except by the house with the dog out in the yard. I carried her and her trike and the camera past the waggly-tailed monster.

Saturday we took the show to the school playground.
Off into the sunset...

The rest of the crew.

PS- Ruby is learning to ride without training wheels... note the new holes in her pants.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T20:16:00.001-06:00

We don't really play up the Santa thing at our house. We talk about Santa as a fun tradition. Even with our lukewarm Santa atmosphere, the girls were really excited to see Santa at the annual gathering of my mom's family on Christmas Eve.

(Years from now June will regret ripping out the clip I put in her hair.)

(And that is my darling nephew Bruce photobombing everyone's Santa pictures.)

The gathering is so large it is held in the gym of the church. We set up tables and chairs for 100. They were filled. There was enough food for 200 people.

Grandma and Grandpa Ohio set up a giant bounce house for the kids. And an xBox. And a movie screen. And a craft table.
My cousin painted nails...

BEST PARTY EVER!

Fun was had by all...

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-28T20:02:00.001-06:00

We bought this lovely tree last year off of good ol' Craigslist. It is big and somewhat lifelike. It is somewhat pre-lit. (Last year it was more pre-lit.) This year a few strands of lights have lost their shine, so a few more strands were tucked into the branches.
We don't really have a theme to our tree... or maybe the theme is "stuff we like."

Our tree started out evenly decorated... the ornaments were spaced neatly around the tree.
And then the girls rearranged the ornaments...

By Christmas day, most ornaments were hung above the reach of Ruby and June... making our tree appear a bit top-heavy.
Oh well.
The ornaments are sort of magical.
My favorite childhood ornament...

From Andy's boyhood...

I made this from a map of the Chicago CTA.

And there are plenty of our kids' ornaments and antiques and fun momentos covering our tree.

Soon it will be time to take this tree down and tuck away all the little treasures until next year.
Without the tree around, I guess the kids will have to go back to getting into mischief with other stuff.

take a bow

2011-12-28T18:13:00.001-06:00

Have I told you that Alli is taking violin lessons? It's true.
She has learned a zillion variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
She had her first recital at the beginning of December. She played Twinkle wonderfully.
And now we are all looking forward to her working on other tunes.

Bread and Butter

2011-11-28T20:40:00.000-06:00

This afternoon, I heard the PPPSSSTT of the bus' brakes, and I stepped outside to meet Alli and Ruby as they came home from school. June sometimes comes outside with me. Not today. She was busy.

June was making something for Daddy all by herself.
When I came back inside, the bread was smothered in butter. Thick.

She knows how to butter up her Daddy.
June was so proud of herself. And I must say, she did a great job. She did it neat and pretty even. So I got the camera...
"Smile." Click.

And see the shirt she is wearing? It says "I (heart) Daddy!" It is her favorite shirt.

Alli and Ruby were interested in June's creation. June told them it was for her Daddy! They teased her, which didn't go over well, and I had to put the special slice of bread back on the counter where it couldn't be reached... and I was charged with keeping it safe until Daddy came home.

And, oh was June excited when Daddy came home!

Daddy shared his butter, and we spread it on ten slices of bread... and we had garlic bread with our dinner.

Happy Monday!

2011-11-21T12:32:00.001-06:00

Monday... gray skies... overdue books... mountain 'o laundry...Andy's car is in the shop... blah.

And so I need to think about the things I am thankful for...

I am thankful for music. Alli can play a song on the violin! She is one month into lessons, and she is a master of "Mary Had a Little Lamb!"
I am thankful that June's birthday is getting closer. June talks about her birthday every single day. She has serious plans. And I am glad she won't have to wait too much longer.
I am thankful for imagination. Ruby draws pictures everyday and presents them to me. Sometimes I find her art taped to the walls and windows. She is so creative and prolific!
I am thankful for talents. I didn't know all the talents Andy had when we got married (or maybe he didn't really have those talents just yet). Andy is finishing a room in our basement. He built the stud walls, wired the outlets and lights and switches, put up drywall... the man has skills.
I am thankful for my family, our kids, my parents and siblings, in-laws, grandparents... they are all good people and there is a lot of love... and many will be here for Thanksgiving in a few days!

Family Photos!

2011-11-16T13:07:00.001-06:00

To see our family pictures that I took, click here.

Weekend at Betsy's

2011-11-13T20:20:00.001-06:00

We went to the edge of Ohio last weekend to visit Andy's sister Betsy and her adorable family. There was a birthday party for this princess...

And there was much cooing and loving on this little guy...

Like his hat? I made it. I'm sure he will thank me later.

To see more pictures from our weekend adventure, click here.

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-02T07:02:00.000-05:00

Monday was the BIG night... trick or treating!

June was a baby duck.

Alli was a witch. This is the hurry-up-so-we-can-go photo...

(Aren't the wilted zinnia's spooky?!)

Ruby was going to be a ghost. I made her a costume... I know, big deal, a ghost costume. But Ruby changed her mind.

So she was a "Halloween Fairy" with a cat face...
and muddy boots.

Oh well.

Andy was a... uh... good sport.

I was a gypsy... but I neglected to get a picture of me in my getup, which I regret.

June found it easier to wear her treat bag around her neck. She is all about efficiency.

I love how she is hugging the bag!

We collected too much candy. Success!

Happy Halloween!

adventures in the sink

2011-10-20T20:47:00.001-05:00

The house was quiet (this is how many good stories start). Then Alli came to me in a panic and said, "June is doing something in the bathroom." "Something" is short for "something that is really naughty."
And so I sprang to my feet to assess the situation.
This is what I found...

Yes, June climbed into the bathroom sink, stopped the drain and had a little bubble bath.

Just her size.

That soap dispenser was full last week.

When she was done I wrapped her in a hand towel... okay, it was a little too small.

Word of the day: Perseverance

2011-10-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

Ruby had a helium balloon (always bad news). She let go of it in the office and it flew up to the one spot of vaulted ceiling in that room, so she couldn't reach the string. She came and asked me to get it. I was chopping tomatoes to freeze and my hands were icky... so I told her to wait. In a few minutes, I came to help, and I found that she had her balloon. Ruby saw my surprised look and said, "I used some perseverance and got the balloon by myself."
Of course.
I asked her if she knew what that meant.
"It's when you keep trying until you get it."

I was a proud mama.
Later, she took the balloon outside. Bad news. It will take a whole lot more perseverance (and an airplane, rocket ship, or the like) to get it now.

June

2011-10-09T20:50:00.001-05:00

Last week June offered a cashier at a store her sucker (from her mouth).
"You want some?" she asked him as she held it out in his direction.
"I'm good," he said.

June is a sweetie... usually willing to share, always concerned about boo-boos, always making us laugh. She will say "thank you" if you complement her. If you don't notice her fabulous outfit, she will ask you if you like it... and she will tell you that she loves it.
June is tiny for her age, but acts much older than her age. She can talk your ear off. Questions, questions, questions. All through the day she asks me what time it is... and when Daddy is coming home. June dresses herself (or chooses not to... see below).
She likes to eat her lunch from her lunch box, like her big sisters.

June takes great care of her favorite baby doll. He (she calls him "Boy Baby") is covered in bandages. Tough love.
June pretends to read. She tells some very imaginative stories... she told grandpa she rode a horse with her cousins this week. (false.) I asked her if it was real or pretend. "'Tend."
This little girl is a drop of summer everyday.

growing up

2011-10-05T14:56:00.001-05:00

Remember when Alli cut her own hair the day before school?

It's growing out... or should I say up?

I know a stud when I see one

2011-10-04T21:15:00.001-05:00

That's what I'm talkin' about.
Andy is working on our basement... finishing part of it.

The closet is framed out. The walls are up.

There is drywall! And outlets! And a switch!

And lights! Andy had to reroute some of the ductwork so there wouldn't be so many crazy soffets.

Here is the man at work...

The man has skills!

Weekend fun

2011-09-26T09:07:00.001-05:00

Last Friday there was no school... so I took the girls up to Grandma and Grandpa Ohio's house.
The girls couldn't wait to play in Grandma's playroom. Alli says the toys there are REALLY fun (not like our boring toys).
We visited my Grandma. We left with two bags of cookies. She says she's done making cookies... she's even giving away her cookie sheets. We'll see.

The girls made cupcakes with Grandma Ohio and took them to Grandpa's work.
I took photos of the teachers at Falcon Academy. And I did a family picture for my brother Dan's family.
We had a pasta party for my marathon-running brothers... it was also a birthday party for my Grandpa Edwin.

Grandpa Ed invited a bunch of friends to the party. What a collection of friends! The range in age and ethnicity and lifestyle was quite interesting. When we all sang "Happy Birthday," Ed got all shy and looked down and kept eating his dinner. He did blow out the candle at the end of the song.
My nephew Eldon couldn't get enough of the Jeep.

I had to Photoshop him out of Dan's family picture...

We had to head home Friday night because I was taking bridal photos on Saturday.
Busy. Busy. Busy.
Andy got to go to the OSU game on Saturday. We don't own any OSU attire (which might be criminal in Columbus).
A red shirt from CVS had to do. (And now I have an idea for a Christmas present.)
As soon as Andy got back from the game I took off for a women's dinner and broadcast. The messages were inspiring and uplifting... and the company was wonderful!

My brothers Dan and Dave ran the Akron Marathon on Saturday. Dan beat his best time by a minute... but I forget what that time was. Dave came in 4th place... not his very best time, but his best finish at Akron. Go bros!

claimed

2011-09-21T15:44:00.001-05:00

Apparently Ruby has picked her pumpkin.
(These lovely pumpkins came from our garden!)

Back to School Pictures... finally

2011-09-12T09:12:00.001-05:00

I am behind on the blog.
The girls are back to school... they have been for a few weeks now. Anyhow, here is Alli's first day of school...

She is a little ray of sunshine on a very dark and wet morning.
She is obviously getting older and cooler...

She didn't even turn back to wave at me. Sniff. She did wave as the bus pulled away.

Ruby started kindergarten a few days after Alli started.

Alli was eager to show Ruby her school... where to go... what to do...
Can you feel the love?

Ruby is tough to wake up. Every morning is a battle... but I am the only one fighting. She is like a rag doll. Once she is out the door, she perks up and smiles all the way to the bus stop.

And she turns to smile at her mommy when she gets on the bus.

Both girls love school and adore their teachers. Hooray for the wonderful teachers at our school (and all schools)!

June is adjusting to having the house (and mommy) to herself all day.

She spends a lot of time taking care of babies. Can you tell which is her favorite?

The blue-eyed baby she calls Asena (named after her baby cousin). June loves her blue eyes and bandages (several more bandages have been added since this picture... I'll have to get another picture eventually). She also has some permanent marker drawings on her arms.

June and I are getting a lot done during the days. And having lots of fun. And reading lots of books.

Life is good. And when the girls come home, there is always more fun (though maybe less stuff getting done).

Jungle Jack's Landing

2011-09-02T12:13:00.001-05:00

We have never taken our kids to an amusement park... okay, that is not completely true, we took Alli to Disneyworld when she was almost 3. She doesn't really remember it.

This summer we took our kids to the zoo amusement park, which is small and only costs $5 after 5pm. It closes at 8pm, so three hours seemed like all we could handle anyhow. And since they have never been to an amusement park (except for Alli), this was the bees knees!

Whether watching or riding, we all had fun. Andy and I took turns taking the girls on the rides. Andy did scrambler duty, bless his heart.

Watch out for mama on the bumper cars!

Two cousins joined us for the evening. We had five girls with us. We got a lot of looks and "Are they ALL yours?!"
The screams from this thriller are still ringing in my ears!

We took the kids that were tall enough on the log ride. Our summer is complete now.

Afterwards we ate at Cinco de Mayo. Oh, yum!

self-inflicted haircut

2011-08-19T08:32:00.001-05:00

The conversation went something like this:

Oh, Alli!

What?

Who did this to your hair?

I did.

Go look in the mirror.

I like it.

Why did you do this!?!!!??

That piece of hair is always getting in my face. So I cut it off.

Well, it won't be in your face anymore.

I think we may be using some awesome hair accessories to draw attention away from the patch of vertical hair in the near future. Luckily we just got a package from some aunts with foresight. Check out the little people in Alli and Ruby's hair!

Here's a closer look at June's...

And they make great bracelets too!

Zoo!

2011-08-15T16:41:00.001-05:00

We didn't go to the zoo all summer. It was too hot. But today was heavenly. High seventies, mixed sun and clouds.

It took us forever to leave the house. Everyone is too summer-crazy to do things quickly around here. Getting into the car takes at least half an hour... and someone always neglects to bring shoes or something essential.
I stopped at Dominoes on the way to the zoo. $3.99 for a lunch pizza.
We started our zoo excursion on the west side of the zoo... opposite of our normal routine.
We had our pizza picnic right away.
We fed the lorikeets.

They drink liquid gold... at least that's what they charge you for. It looks like Country Time Lemonade.

But the experience was delightful. The birds come right up to you.

The girls wanted the birds to get every last drop. But I think they get so much that they refuse cups that aren't very full.

(Check out these adorable hair accessories the girls have. We got a fun package from some amazing aunts today!)

And in the kangaroo enclosure... "Smile!"

Nice.
This was right before she ducked under the fence to get a closer look. I grabbed her before a roo could snatch her up and tuck June in her pouch.
Whew.
I have never seen all of the Columbus Zoo in one trip. It is too big. We gave up after two and a half hours. We saw approximately 25% of the zoo.
So I guess we will have to go back.

an August day

2011-08-15T16:23:00.001-05:00

Last week I had a day that went something like this...

That is green food coloring.

June, say "sorry."

"Soooowwweeeeeeeeeee."

(But not really.)
Luckily this disaster happened outside. And now we have a patch of really green grass.
This is Ruby on time out.

This one can be fierce... when she isn't cute as a button. As summer winds down, she is spending more and more time on the pink chair. Teasing Alli is far too much fun at this point.

Alli somehow escaped time-out. See her gloat.

Then I found the brownies in this condition...

These brownies are laced with zucchini (it's August... that's what happens when you have a garden).
The culprit was easy to spot.

My nephew Spencer is too cute to get in trouble... besides that, we was eating his veggies. Speaking of veggies...
Here is a fresh-from-the-garden tomato. It was ripened to perfection on the vine.

And then its guts were smashed out violently on our counter.
Someone in our house doesn't like tomatoes.
And she isn't afraid to rough 'em up a little.
When I went to my dark chocolate stash for a little consolation, I found this...

Bites. I know baby teeth bites when I see them... and there are only two girls left in this house with baby teeth.

Sigh.

Andy came home and took the girls to the home improvement store to pick up some material for his latest project. (He is finishing part of the basement!) I took off for my favorite store hoping for some retail therapy. The store was closed. So I went to a boring store to get the last few back-to-school supplies.

Yes, I am looking forward to school starting soon. Things are getting a little wild around here.

The Ohio State Fair

2011-07-29T15:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we ventured out in the sweltering heat to check out the Ohio State Fair. We went with my sister, Janis and her two youngest girls. The first stop was at the Geico booth were we won gecko Pez dispensers and gecko fans. The fans were put to use immediately.
The midway was lined with food vendors selling deep-fried anything and everything. It smelled good.
We watched the shark show. The aquarium is on a truck trailer. I kept thinking about car crashes involving sharks... and I don't know if portable aquariums are a good idea. But the kids liked the show.

At the petting zoo tent we found all sorts of creatures common and otherwise.

Hot is not enough of a word to describe the inside of the tent. All the girls had rosy-pink cheeks with beads of sweat gathering on little noses and upper lips. The hair at the back of their necks was sopping wet.

I paid $1 for 1/3 of carrot slices. I know I shouldn't think about it like that. The kids got to feed the animals... and that was priceless.

June liked the animals, but was not interested in feeding them or touching them.

She likes to have her space (and all ten little fingers).

We took a stroll through the poultry pavilion. The noise was amazing. The hens and roosters were clucking and crowing... plus there were turkeys, ducks, and other fowl... all noisy. We found some interesting varieties of birds.

Check out this chicken...

She looks like a Muppet.

These ducks have interesting hairstyles. Love 'em!

There was a giant Smokey the Bear. It talked to the kids. And they were freaked out when he called them by name.

Huh? Did he just say my name?!
My (step) Grandpa was presented an award. He is an amazing artist and storyteller.

For more on my Grandpa Edwin George, click here.

The gecko fans were a big hit.

And very funny.

And then it was off to the pig races.

We cheered those piggies on.

We shared some cotton candy...

and some ice cream.

June is little, but she can defend her ice cream to the last spoonful.

Almost everyone liked the sheep.

Except for June.

We got to pet a pony.

And when it was time to go...

we were glad to go home.

traveling with three kids

2011-07-19T10:40:00.001-05:00

When we travel by air, I like to dress the girls alike. It is easier to keep track of them. I fear losing a child in an airport, and I figure if they are dressed alike, I can easily say, "She was wearing this... only smaller."

As soon as we board a plane, Alli and Ruby review the safety information card in the seat-back pocket.

And then they ask questions.
"Have you ever done THIS before?" "What is he doing?"
The explanations are fun... and always lead to more questions.

June is a nervous flyer. She did not like take-offs. Nor landings. As the engines fired up, she said, "What's going on?!" And when we got up into the clouds, she looked out the window and exclaimed, "We're falling out of the clouds!" And when there was turbulence, she had worried eyes. We took a few trips to the potty. That was stressful to her too. I must admit, I get a little freaked out when I flush an airplane potty.

Alli kept herself busy with a book. Ruby drew pictures. June sat on my lap and got into things.

We flew on Southwest Airlines. I like the family boarding and free checked bags.
The kids liked the airplane-shaped crackers.

Alli and Ruby battled over the window seats.

For good reason. The view just outside of Chicago was spectacular with hundreds of whirling white windmills. And the city dazzled at sunset. Unfortunately, we only had an hour in Chicago which meant we could only enjoy the airport.
Traveling is a treat, but there is something magical about coming home.

take a hike

2011-07-19T10:16:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things to do in Utah is hike in the mountains. So we went hiking a few times while we were there.
Donut Falls is an easy hike, and we can walk to the trail head from Andy's parents' house.

The stream glowing in the golden evening light...

Ruby loved sticking her feet in the freezing cold water.

We were going to hike to Secret Lake up Little Cottonwood Canyon, but the road past Alta was closed due to five feet of snow still covering it. The nice man at the post office recommended a hike to Lisa Falls. Which we did.

This was a great family hike. Slightly adventurous.

The stream split into a few runs. This one came down bare rocks...

which we climbed. The girls were freaked out by the little lizards darting from rock to rock.

The view across the canyon. It is crazy that there was still snow in this part of the canyon in July! And everything was still green and lush.

Three little monkeys hanging from a tree...

This run looked like a rainforest! There were berries and lush ferns and giant leaves growing by the stream.

We also hiked at Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail started out lovely, but turned to a slushy snow field. Only Andy and June made it to the lake at the top. The rest of us warmed our feet on a large boulder and had snacks while we waited for them.

pictures with Grandma Norma

2011-07-18T09:32:00.001-05:00

While in Utah, we got to visit Andy's Grandma Norma. She is getting up there (92!), so we like to get pictures of the kids with her whenever we get the chance.

I love this one of Alli and Norma.

June wasn't cooperating.
But let's get everyone...

Alli's smile is so painful. What a sport.

Just one more...

Good enough.

Hopefully these pictures will (somehow) bring back pleasant memories for the kids.

new eyes

2011-07-13T21:42:00.001-05:00

I can see clearly now...

without corrective lenses!

While on our trip to Utah, I had PRK (lasers!) done to my eyes. I was hoping for LASIK, but my cornea's are irregularly shaped, so Dr. Hoopes recommended PRK.
The procedure was quick... actually 15 seconds per eye.

If you would like to see the procedure, I have a DVD of my eyes getting fixed. (I haven't watched it yet.)

After the surgery I slept. All day long. I woke up to eat and pee and put drops in my eyes.

Andy flew in to Utah the next day. He had a ragin' case of pink eye. I kept my distance, and miraculously, I didn't get it!

I spent several days with dark sunglasses. Sometimes hats too. My eyes were thirsty for drops.

One week post surgery, my eyes were 20/30. Legal to drive.

My vision is still improving. It takes 4-6 weeks to see the full results from PRK.

For now I am just glad to wake up and see my alarm clock without glasses.

even better

2011-07-07T00:24:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we were walking to church (we can do that at Grandma's house) and it was hot.... like 90 degrees at 9am. The wind was blowing the hot breeze in our faces. It felt like a hair dryer.
Of course someone complained.

"It is sooooooooooo hot."
And I said, "Well, if you think it's hot now, just wait until after church. We'll be like..."

I paused here, trying to think of something good, like a melting popsicle in the hot sun, or an egg in a frying pan...
But June finished my sentence for me.

"Like JESUS!"

Surprise!

2011-06-27T07:52:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Andy took Ruby out on a daddy-daughter-date. And while they were gone, cousins and kin gathered at our house to celebrate Ruby's birthday.
As it came time for Ruby's return, the anticipation was palpable.

"Here they come!"

"Quick, HIDE!"

Alli hid in a cabinet.

The boys peeped over the stairs.

"SURPRISE!"

(giggles.)

We took this party out back for some BBQ, cake, presents, ice cream, s'mores...

One of the cousins gave Ruby a giant medal... it says "#1 silver medal for awesomest cousin."

Happy Birthday Ruby!

School's out for summer!

2011-06-10T17:24:00.001-05:00

Someone is excited for summer vacation!

(And I will be trying to find a new balance for the rest of the month. I'll be fine by July.)

Party at the Mars house!

2011-06-10T17:21:00.001-05:00

I am from a big family. And when we get together, it is an instant party.
Well, we got together last weekend for the blessing of my newest nephew David.
And after the church service, it was time for lunch in the pavilion at Mom and Dad's house.

It takes a lot of food to feed this crowd.

Especially when the teenagers are first in line.

And when everyone is this hungry...

Spencer stuffed this dog down in a most adorable way.

Dan and Leslie made their famous bread.

Cousins, cousins everywhere...

Eldon ate something blue.

The kids played on Grandma's playground.

Some kids played in the playroom.

Grandma has at least 50 pounds of Legos.

We found frogs in the grass. Teeny, tiny, miniature frogs. Everywhere.

Yes, that is a frog. And there were hundreds of them hopping through the grass. Everyone was stepping lightly through the lawn trying to avoid squishing the tiny toads.
The kids had a great time collecting as many as they could hold.

We were sure to release them after quick observation... though I a few were definitely worse for wear.
Uncle Chris was happy to take the kids on a tractor ride. Chris is a man-boy who still delights in driving his old red tractor around (it was a gift to him when he was 8 or 9). It is tough to say who is more giddy about tractor rides, Chris or the kids. (Probably Chris.)

All the grandkids used to fit in the trailer, but that was back when there were only a few and they were small.

There are a few kids in the trailer that you cannot see in this picture. And this is not even 1/3 of the grandkids!

Here I am on the hammock with Andy.

Nothing like a shady hammock on a warm day with my man!

All in all a lovely day with the people we love.

Hooray for long weekends!

2011-05-31T19:32:00.001-05:00

Saturday was Alli and Ruby's last soccer game of the season. Ruby kicked the ball during the game... which is a victory if you ask us.

On Sunday we went up to my parents' house for a visit. My friend Beth who lives a very exotic life in Hawaii was back in town... so I jumped at the chance to see her. I regret not taking any pictures of the two of us. Bummer. But we had a lovely BBQ dinner. My brother and his family came. They brought the most heavenly home-made sour dough bread. Alli, Ruby, and June had so much fun playing with cousins that they ended up having a sleepover with cousin Sam.

On Monday we slept in. (A great way to start any holiday.) My brother Dan invited us over for a pancake breakfast. Dan is hardcore. He has a commercial grill. I could lay on it. He built a giant griddle to go on top... and that is where the pancakes were cooked. Pancakes taste better outside. And they taste better drizzled with syrup that came from the trees that are shading you.
That's right.

Dan not only makes pancakes, he makes syrup too. And he used eggs from his very own chickens.
Hardcore.

Anyhow, my other brother Chris came too with his family. He has a new baby called David who is so fuzzy and cute... June was entranced with him. I took pictures of David and his family. You can see them here.

There are great swings hanging from the giant trees by Dan's house. The girls really liked these swings and spent a good chunk of the morning flying through the air or pushing each other. Even June took a turn as a pusher... though she is a much more effective swinger.
Perhaps the girls liked swinging so much because the mosquitoes couldn't catch them. With the monsoon rains we have had, the mosquitoes were out in full force. We are all dotted with itchy pink lumps.
We made it back to Columbus just in time for another BBQ. The girls couldn't get enough of the sandbox and the splash pool at our friends' house. Andy and I played cornhole. His smacktalk finally paid off after the third round or so. He might have been the winner... depending on how you score the game.
After a fun day, the girls needed a bath to get the sand out of their hair, sunscreen off their skin, and ice cream off their chins.

cousins, water, mischief, and fun

2011-05-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

Mischief.

Is that my daughter spitting water?!

We are having too much fun tonight.

the kids' garden

2011-05-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

In the corner of our yard, we made a garden for the kids. The soil is mounded with a stone path through the middle. There are blueberry bushes (small, but they have blossoms) and a bird feeder and a bird bath. We mulched the garden with cocoa shells. (This mulch smells like brownies when it is fresh!) The garden also has a gnome, cement frog, and other critters... they come and go... sometimes to neighbors' yards. We have planted all sorts of flower seeds and bulbs.
And now we have to wait for sunlight and water and growing magic in our garden.

in my garden

2011-05-20T21:06:00.001-05:00

Andy might tell you that I am a hoarder... of egg shells. When winter was teasing us with its last chills... before the torrential rains of April (and May)... I started saving our eggs shell to plant seeds in. I saved dozens. I filled each half shell with soil, and the girls helped tuck little seeds lovingly into the dirt.
Everyday we peeked at our egg pots... waiting for the first sprouts. And, oh, what excitement when the bright green seedlings broke through the black soil. And when the first leaves unfolded!
And a month later...

There are dozens of thriving little plants. Most have transitioned from their spots in the egg crates to summer homes in the garden. Most are quite happy there. The neat thing about starting seeds in egg shells is the entire shell can be put in the soil when the seedling gets planted. I just crushed up the shell a little to let the tender roots break through.

Thanks to my brother, we have stepping stones in our garden. Not only are they fun to step on, they help keep little feet away from delicate plants.

I have planted an antique copper boiler with salad greens. Ruby picked a variety of lettuce called "Ruby Lettuce." She likes the greens dipped in ranch dressing. I plant more seeds as we pick the lettuce leaves.

The herbs are planted around the patio for quick access. The girls love to rub the leaves of the lavender between their fingers and then sniff the scent. Alli likes to eat chives.
We are all excited for summer and the harvest of tomatoes, beans, corn, onions, broccoli, zucchini, squash, watermelon, beets, carrots, peas, cucumbers, pumpkins, collards... whatever survives.

Mom, can you help?

2011-05-16T12:45:00.001-05:00

Ruby quietly asked me to help her. She had sneaked into Grandma Utah's room and brushed her hair with Grandma's round brush. She turned the brush round and round until it was stuck nice and tight on the side of her head.
Ruby didn't want Grandma to find out.
I had to snap a picture of the brush tangled into Ruby's locks before helping.
We got that brush out and Ruby quickly returned it to Grandma's suitcase.

daring and darling

2011-05-11T21:24:00.000-05:00

The weather has been sensational this week! So we went to the playground at the school to celebrate and play!

Ruby is learning to ride without the training wheels. I love her determined face. Grandma got her workout trying to keep up with the little speedster.

Alli is an old pro on her bike. She zipped around the playground weaving around us all. She is fast and fearless.

Speaking of fearless... June. This tiny little thing can climb like a monkey! June has mastered every rock wall she has ever encountered (so far).

And she is fast on her feet.

Alli is getting so big. She can do the big kid stuff on the playground. That makes me feel old a little bit.

Ruby insisted on keeping her bike helmet on while playing. Safety first.

Grandma makes a formidable giant. Run June!

June learned to slow herself down towards the end of the slide... after flying off onto her tooshie the first time.

Ruby made a million wishes on the dandelion fluffs... hopefully the wind wasn't blowing towards our lawn.

Time for bed.

Happy Mothers Day!

2011-05-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

There is much to catch up on. It has been a very busy week here. I will start with a list...
-Andy and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this week!
-We went to a quaint little bed and breakfast in Westerville.
- Andy broke his finger.
-Grandma Utah is in town.
-Ruby and June's room is PINK!
-I finished a painting.
-Alli and Ruby had a soccer game with sunshine!
-Alli, Ruby, and June have new dresses (made by Grandma Utah).
-I made something awesome for my mom.
-Andy and the girls made breakfast for me and Grandma Utah today.
-Alli and Ruby sang a special Mother's Day song at church.
-June got kicked out of nursery for pinching and pushing. A proud mommy moment for me.
-Andy made some delicious salmon for dinner.

I am probably leaving out some good stuff.
Here are a few pictures...

Sisterly love... or headlock.

Dresses made by Grandma Utah. Oh so cute.

Alli on the soccer field.

June on the sidelines.

Ruby the soccer warrior.

Grandma has patiently read one million books.

June can wash her hair in the sink.

Three giggling girls = Best Mother's Day ever!

freckle envy

2011-04-28T06:34:00.001-05:00

Recently we had a sunny spell (between the rain) and I told Alli it was time for some sunscreen. As I put it on her, I noticed that she was starting to get a few more freckles. I mentioned that to her, and almost instantly she turned to Ruby and said, "Ha ha! I have freckles like Je-en." (That's "Jen" stretched into two syllables.) Alli is excited to be getting a few freckles like her aunt.

Spring Broke

2011-04-08T21:07:00.001-05:00

That is the past tense of spring break. Right?
This week was our spring break! Quick as a wink, our break is coming to a close, but here is a recap of our week...

We kicked off the week with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Ohio's house! Cousin Eliza joined us for a weekend of fun. On our drive up to Grandma's house, Alli and Eliza made a "bucket list" of things to do at Grandma's house... things like baking cupcakes, having an Easter egg hunt, tractor rides, collecting chicken eggs at Uncle Dan's house, doing an art project, etc.
Making cupcakes was the first order of business.

At Dan's house, the girls took a tractor ride back to the chicken coop...

where there were lots of eggs waiting to be collected!

June was happy just following the "silly chickens" around.

Cousin Sam impressed the girls by balancing across the log to get to the island... which he claimed as his own kingdom.

Alli plans on venturing out to the island this summer. Watch out Sam.
Back at Grandma's house, we watched General Conference. I love hearing messages of faith and hope... especially from apostles and prophets. I came away wanting to try harder and be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, etc.
Grandma made up an Easter egg hunt for the kids.

I came back home on Monday with June and Eliza. Alli and Ruby got to spend a few extra days being spoiled by Grandma.
And it was so quiet at home.

Junie helped me mop the kitchen floor. And it stayed clean for more than 24 hours!
June ate her veggies.

She has a thing for broccoli. For real.
I even got a few projects done. I mulched the kids' garden in our back yard and planted a few more flowering bushes (not flowering yet, but just wait until summer!). I mended a shirt and recovered an iron-legged bench.

And most importantly, June is still potty trained.
I met my Mom at Grandpa's Cheese Barn to pick up the girls. They returned home with more toys than they left with. Plus snacks, candy, a stack of art supplies, etc. All in all a most excellent week.
And we have one more weekend before it's back to school time.

the latest on June

2011-04-01T20:17:00.001-05:00

Little June likes to be Miss Independent. Today she dressed herself. That is why she is wearing her "Daddy's Little Monkey" shirt (one of her top 3 favorites), leggings, and another shirt worn as a skirt.
As you can see, the back of June's hair has grown long... which is adorable when she lets me twist it into tiny braids. But normally, she prefers not to have her hair fussed over.
And so it was time for June to meet Bob.
June, Bob.
Bob, June.

I think it suits her.
In other June news, I haven't had to change poopy pants in over a week! (I grin as I type this!) June does all her business on the potty! She knows when to go, and takes off running when it is time. She loves washing her hands. She has been the easiest kid to potty train... by far.

a toast to friends...

2011-03-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

I have been busy in our blank-canvas-of-a-yard. We (and when I say we here, I mean Mars Irrigation and Landscape and I) put in a patio last November... just before the real cold came. It is lovely. The kids like to pretend it is a castle. Anyhow, I am now preparing flower beds around the patio, in the corner of our yard, and along the back of the house. A few days ago I was ripping up sod and the girls were playing in our yard with neighbor kids. They seemed happy, so I didn't pay much attention. Next thing I know, there is a crowd of kids on our patio... and more flocking to the patio. Alli was serving toasted bread with a thick topping of Nutella to all of the neighborhood kids! And this was the second tray she had made!
I try to teach our girls to be independent. Each can get her own glass of water. They can all reach the sink in the bathroom. They can all put their own shoes on. Alli can make toast by herself. And so she did. For everyone.

And she served it piled high on a petite silver tray. Classy.
By the time I grabbed the camera, the kids had run off with their toast.
All the neighborhood kids had dirty little faces for the rest of the afternoon... mine included.

PS- If you have never tried Nutella on toast, you really should try some. Or better yet, try it on freshly baked bread.

Party Animals!

2011-03-13T10:56:00.001-05:00

Saturday was cousin Eliza's birthday party... and it was a pet party.
Unfortunately, I had to miss the party, but Alli and Ruby were there basking in all the pet party glory. And my sister got these great pictures of the girls.

Have I told you that Ruby can whistle? It's true.
Check out Alli's new specs. Her old glasses had a rough couple of days. They were taped in two places when I took her in for her eye exam. She was excited to get a new pair.

Whoa! Ruby told me that she "actually" touched the snake!

Ruby brought home a business card from Petland. She has informed me that she wants a pet party for her birthday. And a pet too.
She told me all about the animals at the party... a snake, a chinchilla, a kitten, a friendly bird... she knew all sorts of interesting facts about each of the animals.
I was hoping the FurReal Friends (animated stuffed animals) would be enough pet for us.
(Sigh.)

From sap to syrup...

2011-03-07T13:19:00.001-06:00

This month started out busy... like a lion maybe? (I am hoping for the rest of the month to be lamb-like.)
The blog has been neglected, and so I am playing a bit of catch-up this morning while June and Ruby watch some PBS kids' shows. (Nice, huh?)

At the end of February, we went up to visit my parents for the weekend. Alli, Ruby, and June were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa Ohio! They were thoroughly spoiled. Grandma made homemade marshmallows with them. They had croissants for breakfast! They sat at the kids' table by the big window and watched all the birds come and go.

Grandma went with us to the winter market in Kent, where we visited with my step-grandpa Edwin George. I have always known him as "Grandpa Indian." He married my grandmother weeks before I was born, and he has always been grandpa to me. Anyhow, he had a little table set up with his artwork at the market. He loves to chat with people and tell them the stories behind the art.

He sells prints of his original paintings at the farmer's market. He is an example of his work...

I love his paintings! They are so bright and filled with images and symbols.
I needed to get a headshot of Grandpa...

so after that (and getting some bread and cheese and fudge) we went to my brother Dan's house to make maple syrup.

First, the sap from the maple tree is collected in buckets attached to the tree. Taps are hammered into the trees, and sap flows out in the spring... into the buckets.

Making syrup takes a while, and if it is not fast enough, you can do this...

Ruby liked licking sap straight from the tap. The sap tastes like lightly sweetened water.
Dan has a sugarhouse set up in his back yard with a boiler for the sap. It takes about ten gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. It takes about 5 hours to boil the sap down to syrup.

The sap has to be strained to get the bits of junk and ice out.

And while the sap is boiling away...

Chickens!

Snow!

There is much fun to be had at Dan's house.
I took off with the girls to go to my cousin Jessica's bridal shower! It is always fun to see cousins and aunts and Grandma at a shower!
The kids stayed with Andy at Dan's house. Andy took all the kids out for pizza.
After boiling and boiling for five hours, our syrup was not quite ready, so Dan gave us a quart from a batch made the week before. It was delicious! He gave us some eggs from his hens.
We had dinner with my Grandma Tompkins! Regretfully, I did not take any pictures... something got into my eye and I had to take out my contacts and wear my glasses which happen to be taped up right now. But we had a lovely time with Grandma... even though I was wearing broken glasses. No pictures though.
Sunday morning we had a delicious breakfast of pancakes with Dan's maple syrup and fresh eggs from the hens we fed the day before. Wholesome and yummy. I think I might want to have chickens some day. Maybe some big ol' maple trees too.
All in all, a very fun weekend... sweet in all sorts of ways.

Anyhow, after getting

sunbeams and bandages

2011-02-28T09:24:00.001-06:00

We had a fantastic visit to my parents' home in Kent this weekend. We saw Great-Grandpa Indian (he is native American) selling his prints at the winter market in Kent. We made maple syrup at my brother Dan's house. I went to my cousin's bridal shower. We had dinner with Great-Grandma. It was a lovely weekend. I did take lots of pictures, but today is a busy day, and so come back soon for a full report on our weekend adventures.
For now enjoy the picture of Ruby putting a bandage on a tiny boo-boo on June's foot.
More on June's dress coming too.

caption contest!

2011-02-16T21:35:00.000-06:00

What is this bunny thinking?

The winner will receive some sort of work of art made by none other than Ruby herself!

the power of TV and snacks combined!

2011-02-16T21:32:00.001-06:00

When Alli gets home from school, she needs a break. So I often turn on a PBS kids show. And then I make a little snack.
When the snack is ready, I call the girls to the kitchen... because that is where we eat. Not in the great room.
Well, my clever girls have figured out how to snack and continue watching "Martha Speaks." Bar stools and chairs are set up right at the edge of the kitchen, facing the TV.

Riveting.

Dear Mom...

2011-02-16T21:19:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the large jar of warm fuzzies (aka pom poms).

Where my heart is.

2011-02-13T15:12:00.001-06:00

Andy found some crazy program that took my blog and analyzed it to find the most common words I have used.

guess who

2011-02-11T20:42:00.001-06:00

Somebody got a haircut.
Somebody loves cars.
Somebody couldn't peel her eyes from the TV.

Check out the picture of June. She is "reading" the insert from the Cars DVD... safe within the walls of a pillow fort built by Ruby. Love it.

the professional first grader

2011-01-29T11:32:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I worry that Alli is growing up too fast. Not because she is into tween stuff yet. It's not that.
A few days ago Alli lamented the fact that she doesn't have many adult friends here. In Chicago she considered many adults to be her friends. But here, she mostly has kid friends, and she wished that some of her adult friends from Chicago could move here.
The next morning I was brushing her hair while she ate her breakfast toast, and she asked for a ponytail. Normally she likes her hair brushed, but not really fussed over. Then she said, "I think hair pulled back looks more professional." And she pointed out that she was wearing a white turtleneck shirt... which is very professional.
I met with a PTA mom yesterday after school to discuss how I can help with teacher appreciation week. Instead of running off to play with the other kids, Alli sat right with us, interjecting her ideas into the conversation without the least hesitation. She had some good ideas... and plenty of strong opinions. She looked at a snapshot of the teachers' lounge and said, "Those chairs have got to go!" And, "Those curtains won't do." "How about some plants?"
I am not worried about Alli turning into a tween too early... but I worry about her asking for a briefcase or pant suit or portfolio for her resume.

Happy Birthday Andy!

2011-01-26T16:15:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Today is Andy's birthday.
Sometimes I get clothes for Andy for his birthday. And this year I got him a snappy pair of wool pants. They were a great deal, but they needed to be hemmed... which I can do. I even figured out how to make a cuff. The cuffs turned out great. I pressed them and hung them in the closet with a red bow stuck on them.
I was excited for Andy to find them this morning. And he did. He even tried them on.
But it turns out that the label had the wrong size... it was off by a few inches.
Oops.

Some people say it is the thought that counts. And I assure you I truly had the best intentions.
I am glad Andy laughed about it.
Happy Birthday to my Andy! I love you!

Team Blue Eyes.

if you give a girl a cookie...

2011-01-21T16:59:00.001-06:00

She'll ask for a glass of milk to go with it. And when she sees that you've set up the camera equipment to take pictures of Great-Grandpa's paintings, she'll want her picture taken too.

That's how it goes here.
I had a big project to do this week. My step-grandpa needed digital images of his paintings. So I set up the strobes and jumped into a highly technical photo shoot.
I set it all up in the great room... while the kids were watching a show. But I think they can sense the camera taking pictures, because before I knew it...

June made herself comfortable on a stool in front of the painting. I snapped a few pictures of her and scooted her away.
But she came back.

And she brought her sister...

"Mom, try this backdrop!"

"Mom, I'm up here!"

"Look at me now!"

"And over here!"

June got in on the photographing action...

Work it, baby.

Alli wanted a picture with her new book.

So studious!

Let's get everyone in the picture. Group hug!
(I think this might be our Valentine card this year.)

Two days later I got the photos of the paintings taken. Whew.
And I have all of these lovely shots.

pirate party!

2011-01-17T13:10:00.001-06:00

This morning was the party for Alli's birthday. Alli planned a pirate party long ago. She is a planner, and she always knows exactly what she wants.
Guests were invited...

... and they came dressed in their pirate best!
... or worst. Ruby looks like one tough mermaid-pirate. Don't mess with her.
A hearty (say it with the pirate ARRRR) breakfast was served.
Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the li'l pirate feeding frenzy. All hands were on deck flipping pancakes and serving sausages and pouring juice and rationing syrup and scrambling eggs and wiping up spills...

Pirate Caelan had the right idea... he stayed at the table until everyone else was gone, then he had the muffins all to himself!
There was a treasure hunt. And there pirate games with pirate prizes.

Prizes such as a walk down the plank!

We had a delicious cake. It didn't turn out pretty, but it was yummy. It had a chocolate ganache topping and a layer of mint chocolate chip ice cream. But it was ugly.

The cute toothpicks helped.
Pirate Dave did some pirate magic tricks.

And Cap'n Janis stole the show...

(I have the best siblings!)

There was a ship in the playroom. This picture is post-party... and it's not looking as sharp, but check out Ruby in the port-hole-thingy.

I dressed up too. I looked like a pirate deck hand... which was probably appropriate. :) I will be mopping the kitchen deck this afternoon.

The birthday girl was delighted with the whole event.

A few more pictures for good measure...

A special thanks to our pirate friends and pirate cousins! You ARRRRRRe all wonderful!

For more of the party details, click here!

seven years old

2011-01-13T22:04:00.001-06:00

There was a birthday on Wednesday.
My (oldest) baby is SEVEN YEARS OLD! Where did the time go?!

This is one of my favorite pictures from the day she was born. You can tell Andy was holding his little girl on his lap, admiring her. I love Alli's bright eyes. My hair is horrid and the focus is all wrong...

She started out so tiny. I looked forward to every milestone. I can't wait until she can sit up...

... and then we blinked...

Next thing we knew she was putting on makeup and hitting the town.

She was a city girl through and through...

Chicago was her playground...

And now she is a Buckeye...

Alli's big present is that she now has her own room!
Ruby and June are together, and Alli has a room to herself.
And that has taken up most of my time this week. Painting and decorating and sorting through three girls' clothes!

I will post pictures of the room when I catch my breath.
Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday to June!

2011-01-07T09:36:00.001-06:00

Two years ago...

this little ray of sunshine came into our family... a drop of summer in a cold January.

And suddenly she is two!

It is hard to believe, but it is true.

In some ways she seems too little...

June loves to climb into the cubby hole of this table. She is very petite. Most of her clothes are size 18 months. In the nursery at church, June is the tiniest kid.

In other ways she seems more grown up...

June is almost potty trained. She wears panties at home most of the time. She is so little that I had to take in the waist of smallest panties I could find.
June is a sweetheart. She is generous with hugs and kisses. She loves snuggling, drawing, running, jumping (she has been our best jumper), singing, talking on the phone, and reading books. June will do just about anything for a piece of chocolate (that is our potty training reward for her... and me). And we can't get enough of her happy smile and bright eyes!

So today we are celebrating June!
Happy Birthday Junebug!

Hooray!

2010-12-31T11:00:00.001-06:00

I have a new niece! Asena Ellene came early this morning. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7lb 6oz.
Congratulations Marissa and Tevita!

She is adorable! Click here for more pictures!

Christmas day...

2010-12-25T14:48:00.001-06:00

Last night we read the Christmas story in Luke 2. We talked about the birth of Christ and imagined what it was like. We said our family prayer and turned out the lights. I know it was hard for the girls to go to sleep. Ruby and June kept sneaking out of bed.

It was after 8am when they all woke up. Alli, Ruby and June were so excited as they waited on the steps for the go-ahead.

First we emptied our stockings. Santa brought new toothbrushes for everyone and a box of special band-aids for each girl. June found a boo-boo post haste and applied a Dora bandage.
Then came the presents under the tree!

Oh, the excitement!

Can you spot Alli's new dictionary (she asked for it), my new shoes (magenta sneakers!), a little plumber smile, and a homemade book Alli made for Andy and I.

June just knew this little trike was hers. She spent the entire morning cruising around our house and trying all kinds of tricks on her trike.

Ruby got the pillow pet she "wanted her WHOLE LIFE!" She was all smiles. Except for this one moment...

I think she was pouting because "Toy Story" is a "movie for boys!" Then she watched it and changed her mind.
We had a delicious breakfast... with toys by our side.

And now I breathe a sigh of relief. Sure, there are bit of wrapping paper in our great room, but the busy part of Christmas is done.
The kids are playing with their new things. Andy is in his shop making something awesome (I can't wait to show you!). Most of us are still in jammies at 3:30pm.
And that is why I am finally catching up on the blog.
Today I feel the peaceful part of Christmas.

I am thankful for Jesus Christ. I know the peace I feel is from HIM. I am thankful for all the little miracles and tender mercies and blessings in my life.

Christmas Eve with Santa...

2010-12-25T10:54:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Christmas Eve. We drove up to visit my parents. We had a big ol' get-together with my family. It was fun catching up with siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Of course, Santa came for a visit.

And Great-grandma T. made cookies and caramel corn!

And Ruby collected a pocket full of candy canes.

Merry Christmas to all!

2010-12-25T10:36:00.001-06:00

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-21T12:19:00.001-06:00

Here is our evergreen. Truly evergreen... because it is fake.

Our tree is decorated like this...
Kid-friendly and indestructible ornaments from the bottom to about 3 feet high.
Semi-breakable ornaments from 3 feet to 5 feet up.
Delicate ornaments and candy canes above 5 feet.

But still, there is only one candy cane left (out of 12 to start)... way up high. I can't even reach it.
Somehow Ruby got to these ones...

And there has been a steady stream of ornament repairs. There are five waiting to be glued/put back together right now. Not kidding.

I am glad to have a great big tree this year. Last year we used our skinny-Chicago-apartment-tree. It was adorable... but we have passed it along. And thanks to a Craigslist deal, we have a big ol' tree that will work for us for many, many years.

all I want for Christmas...

2010-12-12T20:19:00.001-06:00

nine front teeth.

thank goodness for digital

2010-12-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

Downloading the pictures from our pocket camera is always a treat. The kids like to swipe the camera and snap pictures of all sorts of things.

And sometimes it is very easy to tell who took the pictures.

Yes, Alli is missing five teeth!
The girls really get in on the action.

As you can see, there has been lots of excitement at our house. We put up a Christmas tree. We installed a patio with help from Mars Irrigation and Landscape (my brother). We have had grandparents and cousins and an aunt and uncle stay with us. We are counting down to Christmas...

But for some reason (see above) I have to keep refilling our advent calendar.

And now the camera memory card is downloaded and cleared and the battery is charging. Stay tuned for more exciting pictures from Alli, Ruby and June!

'tis the season

2010-12-09T09:30:00.001-06:00

... for Christmas concerts!

Alli and Ruby helped June set up her stage and piano. Then they called us down to the playroom for a special concert. June played the pink piano and sang songs.
I love the songbook on top of the piano.

I think we got it!

2010-11-30T17:40:00.001-06:00

Last night it rained. Poured! I was worried because this morning we were taking a family picture.
The kids woke up grumpy and uncooperative. I had to offer a bribe breakfast... hot oatmeal with a scoop of ice cream. That helped to get them moving. I picked out clothes for the girls, and Alli put on sweatpants and a t-shirt (that I
did not pick)... Grandma helped convince her to change. She put
together a cute ensemble. I was worried that no one would smile.
We were blessed with great lighting and no rain, though the ground was quite soft. Andy's sister Betsy is in town, and she is a very talented photographer. She was kind enough to snap a few pictures of us this morning before Andy had to dash off to work... and before she left to drive back to New York.
We had to set up quickly, the kids were very interested in the swollen stream just a few feet away. Everything was more interesting than getting pictures taken. 100 clicks of the camera later, and we were done. It didn't take longer than 10 minutes.
And that was that.
Betsy left the files for me to play with...

Ta da!
I love Alli's toothless grin (5 teeth are missing!). Ruby's legs are crossed in every picture. Sweet June gave us her best. All eyes are open. Everyone is smiling. This one is golden!

And now, I've got to make the Christmas card!

four little pumpkins sitting on a bench...

2010-11-14T15:08:00.001-06:00

Um, I know this is late. Embarrassingly late.
But here are our Jack o' lanterns!

The Veteran's Day concert

2010-11-14T15:06:00.001-06:00

Alli's performed in a school concert on Veteran's Day. The show was great, but I barely saw Alli. I had to lean way over on the kind Veteran seated next to me to get this picture.

The weekend from...

2010-11-02T11:43:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week, Andy was showing me some funny YouTube videos. He
showed me one of this girl riding a roller coaster and throwing up (it
is one of the most viewed videos). Normally I wouldn't laugh at such a
thing, but she was like a fountain and it just kept coming out. (And I
was really tired. Lots of things are extra funny if you are tired.) We laughed and laughed at that.

Bad karma.

Saturday night was horrible. Andy had to go in to work all day Saturday. I put the kids to bed after a long day of Halloween festivities.
Alli and Ruby had just been tucked into their beds for the night, when suddenly I heard the sound that every parent fears...

BARF.

x2

Both girls threw up in their beds... all over their beds. Poor things.
Usually I have an iron stomach and I can clean up disasters like that without any trouble. But Halloween party vomit is especially heinous. Neon-frosted cupcakes should be outlawed.
I was having great difficulty dealing with the mess, when Andy walked in the door! Normally he is the one who gags over dirty diapers. But there was some sort of miracle, and he took the soiled bedding outside and hosed it all off. I didn't even hear him gag once.
I put clean sheets and blankets on the beds, and then they barfed again. On the beds.
By the third round, they were hitting the bucket/toilet... if you are a parent you know what a huge milestone it is when a kid can make it to the toilet!
We finally got the girls settled down with buckets next to their pillows. We put June to bed. I was feeling queasy, so we went to bed, but not for long.

I barfed like that girl on the roller coaster. It just kept coming like a foul fountain. Andy was in bed, but he could hear everything... and I could hear him. And I heard a giggle. Heave. Laughter. Double heave. More laughter. And I kept on heaving. Finally an "Are you okay?" came from Andy. Heave.

Andy felt bad for laughing. I wasn't at all mad at him. I know how it is. The same night when Andy showed me the barf video, he also shared the double rainbow video. And the double rainbow autotune video. And then the sprinkler rainbow conspiracy video. We laughed and laughed at that. Then the next afternoon there was a rainbow. Almost a double rainbow. I called Andy; I was laughing so hard I was almost in tears. We had another good laugh. Back to the Nicoll barf night, sometimes you just have to laugh at life... and so Andy laughed. I would have laughed too if I wasn't barfing so hard.

June got sick around 2am. I spent the night on her floor. I took her to the potty every time she started to heave.
There was continual puke through the night. My empty stomach churned angrily. I don't think I slept at all.

And Sunday (Halloween!) morning there was peace. And much tiredness. And mountains of nasty laundry. We stayed home from church. We watched movies all day. The kids bounced back to nearly normal by afternoon. I was still wiped out, and Andy started his sick. Everyone took naps.

As you can see, June was well enough for some candy. Andy and I weren't well enough to fight it.

Monday, I was better. Not 100%, but much improved. Andy stayed home from work. I did laundry all day. Seriously, ALL DAY. The house is a mess. But we are nearly well again.

PS- All of our Halloween celebrations were before Halloween, so our illness didn't keep us from any of it... trick-or-treating, school parties, church party, the Celebrity Ghost 5k (where I got my best time ever 23:17!)

SPOOKY!

2010-10-30T19:44:00.001-05:00

Alli is at the age of losing teeth... often. Her first grad class keeps track of how many teeth are lost each month. There were ten lost in October so far.
On Wednesday, Alli came home from school like this...

I will spare you the close-up, but take my word for it, the tooth is backwards!!!!

Wiggly teeth gross me out... especially when the loose tooth is hanging all crooked and backwards. I told her to yank it out. She didn't want to. She wanted to wait until school the next day. If you lose a tooth at school you get a special necklace. And she wanted that necklace.

Half an hour later, the tooth fell out. Bummer.

Alli is managing fine without the front teeth. She can munch on Halloween candy without difficulty.
And that is the important thing right now.

leaves!

2010-10-27T08:45:00.001-05:00

On Monday we went back to the apple orchard. We finished off the 20 pounds of apples we picked a few weeks ago, and we needed more!
My sister Janis and her two youngest daughters met us at the orchard. It didn't take long to fill our bags with apples... but the kids didn't want to go.

Then they spotted a giant pile of leaves.

Oh what fun!
The girls built a fort and pathways.

June has never played in leaves before. The girls nearly buried her in the crisp leaves.

June had the best time grabbing bunches of leaves and tossing them in the air. And swishing and kicking at the crunchy leaves.

It was all lovely and fun until it really was time to go...

Alli lamented the fact that we don't have leaves in our yard. Our trees are too scrawny this year.

So sad.

Christmas card reject...

2010-10-19T13:33:00.001-05:00

You WILL look at the camera.

apple picking!

2010-10-11T15:38:00.001-05:00

Andy and I took the girls to an apple orchard on Saturday. The weather was perfect and sunny. June got to ride in the wagon back to the orchard. Alli and Ruby carried bags of sunshine.

Okay, they were just empty grocery sacks, but they caught the sunlight in this picture.

The trees were dwarf trees, so the kids could reach plenty of apples.

So we put them to work!

Even the little one had to pick!

Ruby loved finding the prettiest ones.

We sampled all the varieties of apples...

Big ones and small ones...

(Yes, Alli has Jack-o-lantern teeth right now.)
June even did double-sampling.

We picked almost 20 pounds of apples!

And now, let the baking begin!

10.10.10

2010-10-10T22:21:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the tenth day of the tenth month of the tenth year...

Here are ten things that made me smile this weekend...

1. Cousin Eliza came over for a sleepover. Besides bringing the regular sleepover gear, she also brought accessories... which June borrowed. I have a feeling that ten years from now, I will be posting a very similar story.

2. I finished another backdrop painting! I like painting backdrops. For a few hours I dripped paint and added layers. Ruby and her friend helped out a little. When the backdrop dried, Ruby was a sport and let me use her as a model... smiles cost extra apparently.

3. We are growing a watermelon in our front yard flower bed. It is about the size of an average canteloupe now. I have never successfully grown a melon before. This is new, exciting territory. Anyone know how to tell if it is ready to be picked?

4. I made a bunch of pumpkin throw pillows. The kids play pumpkin patch with them. I put them on the couch and chairs to be festive. I love them. The girls love them.

Andy doesn't love pillows. (But I still love him!)

5. We are all enchanted with Andy's new toy. Today Alli sighed and told me, "Dad's phone can do anything!" It is true... or maybe it's more like Andy can do anything with his phone. Have I mentioned that he is brilliant?

6. Andy fixed my favorite camera lens. He took it apart and bent the thing-a-ma-jiggy back into place and put it all back together... and it works again!

(And this is the spider Andy saved Ruby from... she was picking apples and not paying attention and almost stuck her face into the web! Someone squealed... possibly Ruby... maybe not. Compare the spider to the apple leaf in its web!)

7. Kids soccer! Alli and Ruby are on a soccer team with their cousin Eldon! The games are action-packed... there are kid's dancing and picking grass and waving to parents. It is fun to watch the kids.

And everyone is a winner.

8. We picked apples this weekend! All kinds of apples! We made an apple crisp today. And we ate several plain apples. At the rate we are going, we will need to pick another 20 pounds next week.

9. There was an incident today. I was putting something away in the basement and I heard a crash above me and then the sound of marbles rolling across the floor in every direction. By the time I got upstairs, Andy was on the scene. And he was a little upset. June had gotten into the pantry with a stool and pulled down and 3.5 pound bag of peanut M&Ms. The bag wasn't zipped shut (for easy snack access), so about 3 pounds of M&Ms spilled in the pantry. June was stuffing those things into her mouth as fast as she could go. Ruby came to "help" too. We cleaned most of them up, but there are several loose M&Ms that we will be finding for a long, long time.

Ruby got to keep these ones.

10. Because of #9, Andy installed a child-proof lock on the pantry. Did I mention that Peanut M&Ms are his favorite? Yup.

Look closely, Andy is in the background drilling into the pantry door. He had to rig up the locking device because it wasn't quite long enough.
Have I ever told you that Andy is brilliant?
(And the apples are lovely!)

Marathon memories and a ghost 5k

2010-10-07T15:49:00.001-05:00

It took months to get in shape for the marathon... and only two weeks to feel like weak sauce.
The week after the marathon I did not run. That's not totally true. One day I set out to run three miles. Seven minutes into it I was ready to head home. Does that even count? I didn't try running again until this week. My knees needed the break.
This week I ran 6+ with my sister Janis. And I felt great.
Today I started physical therapy for my sad knees. When my PT did the strength test on my hips, I was embarrassed. Weak. I can run 26.2 miles, but I can't do a one-legged squat without wobbling all over. My physical therapist has given me an exercise regimen to strengthen my core, hips, and knees. My weak hips are making each step wobbly, and that makes my knees wiggle, so they get irritated and swollen and downright angry. So stronger hips = happy knees. (Maybe a firmer behind too.)

In honor of the first day of physical therapy for my knee, here are a few marathon pictures from my Dad. Great running faces...

Andy kept track of our girls, plus a couple of cousins... they did the fun run together.

Almost at the end! I was so glad to see Andy! I got high fives from the family... and that gave me a little extra energy! We had a large cheering section, and it was great to see them as I ran to the end.

Oh yeah!

Me, Janis, Casey and Jenny (running/training friends) after the race. Janis and I trained with Casey.

The after-party at Spaghetti Warehouse. This is mostly family. We had our own room. Can you find Andy and me? I'm in a red jacket. It was so wonderful to eat something besides GU!

I have been asked about next year. It is too soon to commit. We'll see how physical therapy goes. For now, I'm not supposed to run more than 4 miles at a time.

I will do a Celebrity Ghost 5k this month though. Who should I dress up as?

independent woman

2010-10-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

Yes, June can help herself.
She has figured out how to get to the candy on the high shelf.
And she can do it very quietly.

as promised...

2010-10-04T20:24:00.001-05:00

...a few more pictures of Chicago!
Riding the El is a treat!

Andy enjoys one of the last few days with his old phone. (He just upgraded to a Droid! No more texting with number keys for him!)

Oz Park is just as fun as we remember it... especially with friends!

Chicago still spends way too much on flowers downtown... but it is lovely.

We had breakfast with the Kings on Saturday. There were six little giggly, chatty girls at our table! Alli was delighted to see her pal Annaliese.
(You will have to imagine this... I forgot to bring the camera along).
We took a tour of the Lincoln Park Conservatory, and the tour guide was a friend of ours from church! Hyrum taught us all about plants. Did you know that bananas will stay green for a long time until they are put near a ripe yellow one? Then they ripen. That's how they get them to ripen at the store.

We ordered food from Simply It. Still amazingly delicious. And the owner is adorable!
Alli got to play with Elijah. His guitar skills have vastly improved. He can actually play real songs!

He even did a duet with his mom on a coffee table stage complete with rockstar lighting and his "headset" (the headband, feather and string). Elijah made a friendship bracelet for Alli.
We attended our old congregation on Sunday. There are so many people there we love and miss so much. It was a happy reunion with our friends.

Woohoo! For real!

2010-09-25T19:44:00.001-05:00

I did it!
I ran a marathon this morning! It was a good experience... kind of in the same way that childbirth is a good experience. I'm not in a hurry to run another marathon, but I'm glad I did it. And yes, it hurt. Still sore actually.
My goal was to finish in 4:30... and I finished in 4:27! I trained with my sister Janis. We ran together for about 24 miles. She beat 4:30 too. Our brother David ran too. He finished 7th overall with a time of 2:29:58. He was thrilled to be under 2:30. Our brother Dan ran too. He sort of skipped the training part. Janis and I passed him around mile 19. We were all glad that he finished. My cousin Dawn ran the half marathon. She finished under two hours.
I am super-duper tired tonight, so that is all for now. I'll post pictures later (but not tonight).

WOOHOO! The marathon is over!

Chicago!

2010-09-20T09:05:00.001-05:00

We hit the road this weekend... and we found ourselves back in Chicago!
We spent much of Friday visiting Andy's old work. Yes, the WHOLE family! The kids had so much fun! There was a department lunch in a conference room...with Chicago-style pizza!
Andy worked with a great group at Jenner. Everyone welcomed us back. There were lots of stories and laughter, good eats, some sleeping (June), races (you should see Melissa run in heels!), a little bit of fighting (Alli and Ruby)... but mostly just fun.

The white board wall was a big hit!

And the typewriter was too much fun!

Of course, being chased was the best!

Check back for more on our Chicago weekend coming soon!

she has a thing for bugs

2010-09-15T22:20:00.001-05:00

Ruby is our bug-finder. She has a special talent for discovering interesting insects. And she isn't afraid of them at all. This giant, fuzzy moth was found in our backyard. It had a damaged wing, so it couldn't get away from Ruby's love... and curiosity. Ruby got to show this one off to the kids in the neighborhood. What a treat!

June says...

2010-09-15T22:15:00.001-05:00

"I need a tookie!" (and soon after, "More tookie... PEEEEEZ!")
"Call Pa-pa!"
"I want b'eakfast... right... NOW."
"I love you too."
June is using more and more words... everyday she has something new and wonderful to say.

June pretends to be a monster. She growls and roars.

I don't know where that came from.

the lost tooth

2010-09-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

Last week as Alli tried to pry open the straw on her water bottle, her tooth popped out! The trouble was, she didn't know where it went. We searched the floor and the area around her, but no tooth. Then I checked inside the straw. There it was!
Alli took her tooth upstairs to clean it up and get it ready for the tooth fairy.
As she brushed it, the tooth slipped between her fingers and went down the drain.
Let's just say there was wailing at our house.
When Andy came home from work, Alli was still upset. Her cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes were puffy.
Andy took the elbow joint off of the pipe under the sink, and there it was! (Whew.)
Once again, the tooth was cleaned (and sanitized) very carefully.

Alli took her tooth to her cousin's house and to school, but she still hasn't cashed in on it yet... the tooth fairy is waiting.

Labor Day Weekend Recap

2010-09-07T22:00:00.001-05:00

A three-day weekend is a lovely thing. Alli and Ruby kicked off the long weekend with a sleepover at Emma and Eliza's house. They set up a tent and camped in the backyard. Andy and I went out on a date.
Saturday was relaxed (except for my long run with my sis). It was a good family day.
Sunday after church we headed up to my brother's house in Rootstown where we camped out in Dan's yard.

Monday morning came early. Dan has a rooster, and it crowed when the sun came up... and several other times. June really liked the chickens, they were about her size.
The best part of camping is camp food!

Sizzlin'.

Frying.
Yes, our eggs were fried in bacon fat.

The girls liked breakfast. (Does June's hairstyle remind you of anyone?) The smell attracted a few cousins too.

Sam and Kat like bacon.
Dan brought out the big toy... and he pulled out a big ol' bush from his yard. The kids got to ride in the cab of the backhoe.

And in the bucket.

And they took turns driving it.

Ruby looks like a natural.
Andy got a ride too.

How could a day get any better than this?

Well, we went to Grandpa and Grandma's house...

Where the fun never ends...

And cookies are plentiful...

Labor Day is special at grandma and grandpa's house... it is fish fry day! Uncle Mike and his fishing buddies share the bounty from their Alaskan fishing trip... beer-battered and deep-fried.

We got to see many friends and relatives. We played and ate and played and ate all day.

And this is how Alli rode home.

For more pictures of the Labor Day party, click here.

another great use for a mustache

2010-09-07T21:30:00.001-05:00

double mustache and other fun things

2010-08-31T16:38:00.001-05:00

Ruby is rockin' the double mustache today. One 'stache is Nutella. The other reminds me of my husband's boss in Chicago.

Ruby started preschool today. She says she has the "first bestest teacher in the whole world!" Ruby wore her magic shirt to school. There is a secret button on the shirt that makes a magic-wand sound when pressed. Ruby has a fan club at her school. Everyone knows her by name... and they all love to say goodbye when she leaves because she smiles her magic smile and waves like royalty.

June is sporting a 5 o'clock shadow today.

I wiped it off by 5:15.

Cousins came today. I made homemade bread and served it up with Nutella and banana granola for an after-school snack.

Mustaches for all! (Except Emma... she eats like a girl.)

We picked flowers from our garden.

Next year I will plant more flowers... so we can pick more!

1st day for our 1st grader!

2010-08-25T07:09:00.001-05:00

Alli actually got up right away when her alarm went off this morning. It is the first day of school. She got dressed in the outfit she laid out the night before. She had a hearty breakfast.
She was anxious to get out to the bus stop early.
The bus stop was a party this morning. Parents with coffee and cameras surrounded the excited kids.
I wiped the toast crumbs off of Alli's face and reminded her which bus to ride home. I don't know if she was paying attention. She was watching and listening for the bus.

When the big yellow bus rolled into the neighborhood, the kids could hardly wait to get on! They made a line... kindergartners first. When the bus finally pulled up, they climbed up the giant steps and waved goodbye.

A few eyes got teary... not the kids... the moms.

I am so excited for Alli to start this adventure!

Woohoo! But Not for Real.

2010-08-24T20:39:00.001-05:00

Today in the car, Alli told me that when she grows up, she want's to write a book called:

Woohoo!
But Not for Real.

That is how she described it... a big "woohoo" and "but not for real" underneath in smaller type.

And then she explained the premise of the book. It will be about a girl who does things with her friends and she says "Woohoo!" but then she thinks, "But not for real."

Alli made up scenarios for the book... some girls ask the main character to go shopping. She says, "Woohoo!" But she does not really want to go. The main character gets a gift from her friend that she doesn't really like... Woohoo! But not for real.

Based on the title alone, I think she has a best seller.

Alli starts first grade tomorrow. Woohoo! For real.

Photo by Alli... time to clean those glasses!

road trip

2010-08-24T20:23:00.000-05:00

Last week I went on a road trip with my sister Janis and her daughter Margaret. Margaret is starting at Brigham Young University... my alma mater!
The drive from Columbus to Provo is long. We broke it up into two long days. We talked a lot. I reminisced about my college days and got all excited for Margaret. (She is going to have so much fun!) We listened to a book on CD (Slumdog Millionaire... not for the kiddies, but overall well-written and an inspiring story). We ate a lot of snacks.
We stopped at Arches National Park for sight-seeing and hiking. I love Arches! The terrain is breathtaking! Like being in another world. We only had a few hours there before we hit the road again...

We spent the night in Price, Utah. On our run in the morning, Janis and
I saw graffiti on a bridge that said, "Cops are awesome!" It was
written in pink chalk, the writing was cutesy, and there was a big heart
drawn next to it. The message seemed sincere. No permanent damage done.
When we arrived in Provo, we stopped by Margaret's new place.

Her apartment has a dishwasher! And a washer/dryer in the unit! Deluxe!

While in Provo I got to visit family and friends. My little bro-in-law has five couches at his apartment! All of them are "college chic"... or something like that. I shared a delicious lunch with Kris Tina. I saw Coby on campus at a booth for his company Readeo. I met up with Grandma Utah and had lunch at Brick Oven. Provo is full of friends.
By the light of the moon, Janis and I hiked to the Y on the mountain. The view was fantastic.

Yes, it is way up there. I used to love running/hiking up there because everything looks so small from that altitude.
Janis and I ran our long run up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls and back... 18 miles. The toughest part was the cold wind coming down the canyon. Half of our run was uphill and into a stiff wind... the other half wasn't so bad.
We left Utah Friday evening and drove to Boulder, Colorado where we stayed with Andy's sister Jen and had breakfast with the lovely Aunt Anne! What a treat! And then we drove all day long. At every pit stop, we got out of the car like the Tin Man before he was oiled. Long runs and car trips don't go well together.
We rolled into town Sunday evening. It was a great trip, but I am glad to be home! I missed Andy and the girls so much.
And there is not a moment to rest... school starts this week!

summing up summer

2010-08-23T21:10:00.001-05:00

Summer is quickly slipping away. I spent today filling out forms for school. It has been a wonderful summer. We have done so many fun things! And for that reason, I am behind on the blog.
Here are a few of our summer highlights...
Mars Cousins Camp was a treat! We spent a few days at Hocking Hills. Almost all of the Mars kids were there (Ben is on a mission in Connecticut, so he wasn't there). With all the spouses and children, there were about 45 of us! I enjoyed running on the trails with David, Emily, Janis, Dan, Tevita, Sarah and Joe. Hocking Hills has some amazing terrain! To see lots more Cousins Camp photos, click here.

We've been to the beach. Okay... not the real beach. But the sand by the reservoir was lovely. And there were seagulls.

The girls have had lots of quality cousin time this summer!

We have taken lots of pictures.

Alli is a budding photographer too.

She takes some very interesting pictures.
I have kept up my marathon training all summer... my long run this week will be 20 miles. Four weeks to go until the marathon! Almost there!
Summer has been good, but we are all excited for school to start... and more adventures to come. Alli will be in 1st grade! Ruby has another year of preschool. June will still be my sidekick at home.
Hooray for changing seasons! Hooray for exciting things to come!

Escape Artist

2010-08-06T14:17:00.001-05:00

On my way to my brother's house today, June was throwing a fit. Screaming angrily. I am pretty good at tuning out crying... but then Ruby tattled, "June is not buckled!"
I know I buckled June into her car seat.
I glanced into the rear view mirror... and there she was, sitting in her seat, slouching over, unrestrained!
I freaked out silently in my heart. I was on a ramp from one highway to another. No place to pull over. Luckily, the next exit was ours. I stopped and examined June's seat. She had somehow pushed the button to unlatch the lower buckle, then slipped the chest buckle over her head (it was still latched)!
I tightened all the straps and double checked the buckles...

... and I am still freaking out a little bit.

pickles for breakfast and other fun things

2010-07-30T13:08:00.001-05:00

The move to Ohio has turned me back into a country mouse... a little bit.
I have the urge to plant things. Make a garden. Harvest stuff. While our yard is still in progress, I am blessed to have family and friends nearby who are not only excellent gardeners, but generous as well. Two weeks ago we picked blackberries* at a friend's berry patch and I canned one jar of jam. One excellent, beautiful jar.

This week I got a bunch of cucumbers from my sister-in-law. So I decided to make pickles.

I love the green pickles in the antique blue jars!
Canning has always intimidated me a little. But now that I actually have tried it, it is not so bad. (Special thanks to Sarah for answering my many, many questions as I went along!)
Alli and Ruby couldn't wait to taste the homemade pickles. They popped open a jar this morning... for breakfast. The girls had pickles for breakfast. I had granola. I also had zucchini bread. So did the girls... only they had theirs with pickles on top. Alli insisted that it was delicious. So I tried it. Honestly, it was alright. The flavor of the pickle was loudest. Very salty with sweet undertones from the zucchini bread.

If there are any chefs reading this, you may want to experiment with those ingredients together. Maybe call your creation the "Alli Special" or something like that.

*So I mentioned the blackberries earlier. A funny thing happened at the berry patch. When we arrived, June was asleep. June has a talent for sleeping anywhere and through (almost) anything. So I put her in a wagon on top of a thick quilt and I pulled her back to the berry patch and parked her under a shady berry bush. We picked berries for a while... maybe an hour or so. We filled our bucket. Then Alli and Ruby wanted to walk back to get a look at the apple orchard. So I set the bucket in the wagon next to June, and we walked to the orchard about 100 feet away. We checked out the apples... so tempting, but not ripe. And when we came back to June, she was awake, lying in the wagon, luxuriously munching on berries in the shade. Her face and tiny fingers were crimson with berry juice. Life is good for the Little One.

post edit-
After 24 hours, we have been through 1 pint jar of pickles! These are not going to last long!

Kids vs. Pinata

2010-07-15T10:24:00.001-05:00

Check out these fierce warriors...

... doing battle with a pinata.

Oh no! The pinata got Joe!

Attack!

Parties are always exciting at Grandma and Grandpa Ohio's house.

relatively quiet

2010-07-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

It was a quiet day at our house. No wrestling matches between Ruby and Lucas. No hollering from June to protect her precious babies from cousin Lily. Quiet.
Relatively quiet.

We miss you Lucas and Lily... enjoy New York!

ps- We don't mind life being relatively loud... because of relatives, of course.

The cousins are in town...

2010-07-08T13:49:00.000-05:00

Things have been busy here. And the blog has been neglected a little. Cousins are in town for a visit... we are glad to be a stop on the Epic Road Trip of 2010 (more on this later).
We are having fun (except for when we aren't). And we are keeping our cool (except for when sparks fly). We are sharing (if it's convenient). Naps optional.
Summer is treating us well, our girls look sun-kissed and golden-haired despite the ample sunscreen. I am doing lots of really dirty laundry... it's a summer thing.

Check out the pictures I took yesterday.
Life is busy, but good. Summer is sizzling by so quickly.

PS- June is suddenly very good at saying "MINE!" Maybe it's because Lily is only two months older and she really loves June's stuff.

Ruby is FOUR!

2010-07-08T13:37:00.000-05:00

Holy smokes! How the time flies! Ruby is four!

We celebrated with a rainbow-themed birthday party. All the kids made their own rainbow trail mix (Skittles, Fruit Loops, pretzels, rainbow Goldfish, rainbow mini-marshmallows, etc). Grandma Utah painted faces... always a big hit. Aunt Betsy led a game of sharks and minnows. It was a hot, hot afternoon, and the rainbow cake was refreshing with layers of cake and sherbet (thanks for the inspiration Heather!). Aunt Jen flew in from Colorado. It was a real treat to have aunts and cousins and grandparents and lots of friends at the party.
She was glowing with delight... at least that is what it looks like in this picture.

Happy Birthday Ruby! We love you!

2010-06-23T08:37:00.001-05:00

Alli has reached a new milestone...

Alli can tie her shoelaces!

Ruby is still silly. Ruby will be turning four this weekend!

June has become quite attached to this baby doll. Don't even think about taking it from her. She takes good care of "Baby"... she feeds her and wraps her up for a nap and makes her clap her hands.
So cute.

The girls have a favorite spot to walk to... Ruby takes her cat on a leash. June has Baby. And the bowls? Those are for the blackberries we are about to pick. Our neighborhood has a pond with ducks, geese and lots of frogs... and there are berries growing near the pond. The girls love berry-picking and frog-spotting. They bring bowls, but I don't know if they have ever put any berries in them... they tend to go straight into their mouths.

This week, we let the girls stay up until the stars came out. Then we laid on a blanket in the yard and starred at the stars. What a treat to see stars from our own yard! This is something that we couldn't do in Chicago.

I spent three days last week at Youth Conference. I took lots of pictures and put together a slide show. Being with the youth was so much fun! And a little bit exhausting.

rain + sunshine = MAGIC!

2010-06-15T22:28:00.001-05:00

Something magic happened the other night. After a steamy gray day, the golden sunshine peeked through the drizzling clouds.
That, of course, is a recipe for a...

RAINBOW! It was the biggest, most brilliant rainbow I have ever seen.
Rainbows are a favorite at our house... right up there with hearts,
unicorns, princesses, glitter, etc. Alli and Ruby were overjoyed at the sight of a REAL rainbow! There were lots of gasps and sighs and "It's so colorful!" and "I've never ever ever EVER seen a rainbow like this before!" They ran out to the driveway to dance under the rainbow. Ruby saw a little bird fly through the rainbow, and she was couldn't believe her eyes!

The rainbow hung over our neighborhood for twenty minutes or so... until the sun dipped down past the trees.
Just in time for bed.

fearless

2010-06-07T22:10:00.001-05:00

June's new thing is jumping. From a standing position, she can get both feet off the ground with a jump... usually it takes a few warm up jumps before she clears the carpet.
But a little elevation makes it more fun.
She climbs up on a stair or stool or box and says, "Get down!"

And then she jumps off.
She sticks the landing most of the time.

S'more, please.

2010-06-07T22:02:00.001-05:00

After the preschool performance tonight, we enjoyed a few s'mores by the
campfire. Mmmm.... gooey good.

imagination

2010-06-01T10:35:00.000-05:00

When Ruby is working on a project, she gets really focused.

Only after much coaxing/pestering will she look up for a quick picture.

She is meticulous. Tenacious. Imaginative.
When she is finally done, the artist is happy to show her work.

This is a world that Ruby created with colorful houses all around.

Monday

2010-06-01T10:27:00.001-05:00

My parents came down to Columbus yesterday with my Grandma for my niece's graduation party.
It was such a treat to see Grandma... Mom and Dad too.
My niece is going away to BYU in the fall. I remember when she was born. When she was little. Suddenly she is going off to school... and it scares me a little. Not Margaret going off on her own, but how fast time zips by. Next thing I know we will be throwing a graduation party for Allison.