Monday April 30

I came home from picking Elsie up from school and grocery shopping to find a truckload of sod.

I was excited about it.

It is about time we spruce up the front yard a bit :)

We decided to lay sod on the side yard.

We are still undecided on the spot right in the front.

The seed is coming up nicely in the back, so I think we might seed the front part too.

Anyway....

So for the rest of the day we laid sod.

I love grass.

I think it really made the place look like a home :)

There is still so much more to do, but I love when you can have the instant gratification of sod!

There are some spots the sod didn't quite extend to, but we think there is enough grass there to even out as time goes on.

Now that I think of it....I don't think I have ever posted a full picture of the house.

Well, here it is.

In all her glory.

The animal pasture is to the left in the picture, and the shop and our other field are on the right.

I finally used those rocks that I pulled form Maters doghouse area.

My goal is to get moss to grow in between the rocks.

I love the look of moss.

Some different shutters and maybe some kind of planter boxes would be fun to do for the front of the house.

*****

We took a break for some pizza and F.H.E. planned by Madi.

She did a great job talking about how we should treat others.

And how we need to be kind.

Great job Bell :)

Yep.

That's Captain America.

This boy is so into super hero's.

It is pretty funny.

Every day he is a different one.

Dad found this mask for cheap and had to get it.

Then the boy made the shield out of a garbage can lid.

Ingenious :)

*****

And look at those Lilacs!

I am so happy that these were planted here.

I need to learn how to transplant them and put them everywhere.....

I have always loved lilacs!

Sunday April 29

Madi has been working on making these little hats today.

Aren't they just the sweetest thing.

And with the little bow on the side.

She is making these little hats to donate to my sisters donation goal.

Check her Comforting Hearts blog if you would like to donate.

Sara has been putting together memory boxes and items to donate to the hospital for use when someone loses their baby by miscarriage or still birth.

Sara knows first hand how much something so small like a little hat or blanket can touch your heart and help you begin to heal.

Madi was excited to be able to help out.

I am very proud of my Madi.

She's got a good heart :)

The rest of the day was good.

Dad is finally home with us.

YAY!

And he got to come to church with us.....it has been quite a while since we have had that.

Love having him sit beside me :)

All the kids went to their classes, which is awesome.

Good day.

I think it is gonna be a way better week than it was last week!

Saturday April 28

So today was a better day.

More productive day.

The big kids spent some time playing with the Morgan girls....but then came home and helped me clean up the house.

It feels good to have it clean.....

I am thinking I am ready to do some big project inside the house.

Just to change things up.

Freshen things up.

Maybe even just paint some walls.

I guess I just get over whelmed when thinking of it all.....

Even to just paint the entry way and front room/kitchen area.

I would love to do a different texture too, but that just adds time and money.

I really want to replace the window in the front room with some french doors that would lead out onto a big deck (that is not there yet :).

That is what we plan to do.....but that is just another big money sucking project.

But it will for sure happen soon.

As of right now the window pane on one side is only a single layer of glass.

The other day with the wind blowing so hard, it was making a funny noise and I put my hand on it and I could feel it bowing in with the force of the wind.

I shut the curtain just in case it broke.....that would help contain the majority of the glass.

Anyway....nothing happened and we were safe.

But still, one of the next upcoming projects for sure.

The door part anyway....not sure when we will get to the deck part :)

ANYWAY.....

The point is....it was a better day.

So that is good.

After dinner the little ones and I went outside for a bit of fresh air.

They thought the dandelions were the coolest thing.

It took Port a few times to learn how to NOT blow the air out of his nose as well as his mouth.

Silly boy.

Gross.

Friday April 27

This girl cracks me up.

She spends quite awhile outside with the chicks each day after school.

She is such an animal lover.

I Love it...even though I am not an 'animal lover', I love that she is :)

 

We are so ready for this week to be over!

I feel like it was a failed week for me.

Not much got checked off my to-do list.

And all it did for Dad, was left him physically and emotional exhausted!!!!

But, I guess we can't complain about the over-time.

But we are happy he is done....for now.

Thursday April 26

Over the last week, Porter has taken on the chore of gathering the eggs.

He has to check for the first time after we get back from taking Elsie to school.

There are never any eggs at that time.

He checks again when we get back from picking Elsie up.

No eggs again.

He checks one last time just before the big girls come home from school....

And jackpot!

He is great to carry them in by himself....although after this picture, he did trip and break one.

But he did save the other two, so good job buddy :)

He grabs the stool and washes them at the sink and gets them put away in the fridge.

I am so happy I took these pictures today.........

Cause when Dad came home, he told us he had to take them to work to give to a guy there.

See, it is a big chore to introduce new chicks with full grown hens.

And because there is an actual 'pecking' order with chickens.....the chicks could end up getting pecked on bad....and could cause death.

And it is something we don't want to worry about.

So Dad found a good home for them along with the cute little hen house he made them.

The kids said their good byes....

I know this picture of Elsie Rose just breaks your heart.

It breaks my heart.

She was very sad to see the big chickens go.....

But this little face was also fueled by exhaustion.

So don't go thinking we are horrible parents for taking a girls chickens away.

Just look at those big brown eyes and that bottom lip :(

Cassi just loved these hens.

But she understands....and in completely in love with the little chicks.

So she is cool with it.

Port is gonna have to wait a little while before he can pick up his 'egg gathering' chore again.

But I can find plenty of other chores for him to do :)

Madi wasn't ever very fond of the chickens anyway.....she isn't as much of an animal lover as Cassi is.

She didn't NOT like them.....she just didn't want to crawl into the chicken pen with them the way Cassi did :)

BUT....Madi is a FANTASTIC chore girl.

Every morning, without me even reminding her, she heads out early to make sure the chickens and the chicks are fed and watered and that Mater has food and water.

She is pretty great.

She will continue to be great :)

******

There were some massive branches broken off and hanging by a limb (ha ha.....little pun there :).

So Dad got up on the ladder as high as he could to pull what he could down....so it didn't end up falling while the kids were swinging on the tire swing.

Port thought he needed to be up in the tree like Dad.

And then he kinda zoned out......silly boy :)
*****

The little kids had their dentist appointments today.

We have been prepping Elsie for this for a long time.

She kept saying she would do it....but when it came time.....she didn't want to have anything to do with it.

Port was awesome.....and wanted to make sure Elsie knew that it was fun and okay to try.

Finally after Port had his teeth cleaned and the dentist looked at his teeth, we convinced Elsie to let the dentist check in her mouth.

YAY!

And the best part...no cavities for either kid.

Awesome!!!

*****

This week has been quite a run-around kind of week.

I am not sure if it is just because Brent has been gone that it seems even worse.....but I swear I have only been home for like 30 min between picking up, dropping off, visiting teaching, taking kids to lessons and appointments.

Crazy week!

But tomorrow is totally empty, even no drive to Elsie's school, since she has no school on Fridays.

So I plan to take it easy.....from driving anyway.

I do, on the other hand, hope to get stuff done around the house.

It is always hard to start on a project or cleaning stuff when you know you are gonna be interrupted several times in between.....

So tomorrow, with no interruptions, I hope to have a successful day :)

We will see.

Wednesday April 25

I am really not liking this week.

I prefer to have Brent home with us more often :)

He came home pretty tired and sunburned today.

But he also came home with some video they took from the training today up at table rock.

The kids thought it was pretty cool.

The little ones spent some time cuddling with Daddy.

I love this picture.

Not only because of Elsie's huge smile with daddys arm wrapped around her.....

But also cause of Dads mini-me in the back.

Dad does the exact same thing with his hand up like that.

I love it.

So cute.

*****

And here is a cute picture of Mater.

He is such a good dog.

Tuesday April 24

Another beautiful day.

We waited a long time for Daddy to get home today.

I don't know how people do this every day schedule thing ;)

After dinner we followed dad outside to see whatever work he wanted to get done.

Had ourselves some ice cream and enjoyed the nice weather.

My Madi Bell has been a huge help over the last few days.

She has been great at keeping Port occupied when I needed her to.

She has been great to help me pick up the stuff around the house.

And she has been pretty happy about it, which I appreciate.

She is a great kid.

And boy is she growing up.

Not sure what I think about it.

I think she is gonna turn into a great young woman, but I not sure if I am ready for that to happen :(

*****

Port was crazy today.

He has started to cut his 3 hour naps down....I guess I knew it would happen sometime....just wish I had longer :)

He is so great in the mornings with just the two of us....but when the kids get home he just turns into a crazy boy.

I am learning each day new ways to deal with him or redirect him.

*****

Cassi and Elsie went on a BIG long nature walk this evening.

Cassi took Elsie around pretty much the whole perimeter of our land.

They sang songs and played 'I spy'.

Elsie had a great time and she is completely worn out!!!



Monday April 23

It was another beautiful day.

While we were waiting for the big girls to come home, the little ones and I went outside.

Elsie played with her doll, Alison while Porter bounced between putting his puzzles together and swinging on the tire swing.

Our lilacs are starting to bloom....and they smell SO GOOD!!!!

Dad was gone all day teaching a class.

Elsie thought it would be pretty great to have some flowers waiting for Dad when he got home.

So we cut a bunch and put them in a jar.

Now the house is very smelly :)

Good smelly!

Sunday April 22

Today was a pretty good day.

I didn't have the added stress of remembering everything for a lesson cause I have a team teacher now!

And it was her week :)

Yay!!!

Anyway....

Church went good.

Elsie didn't go to class.

She hasn't been sleeping good.

No one, but Madi, has been sleeping good.

Cassi has gotten up at least 3 times, sometimes 4, over the last few nights.

But she is just sleep walking.

She is a crazy sleep walker.

The other night I put her back in bed and she asked where Madi was.

I told her that Madi was in bed.

She got crazy eyes....(even more so than her normal sleep walking crazy eye)....and said,

"Why is she one Dad???"

Silly girl.

Anyway....she goes right back to sleep.

But I don;t like the idea of her wandering around.

She usually goes straight downstairs and to my side of the bed and I turn her around and put her right back.

But the last few nights we can hear her wandering around inside the kitchen and living room area.

I told her I might have to lock her in her room so she doesn't start wandering outside to play with the chickens or something :)

Anyway......so Elsie hasn't slept well either.

I just kept her with me, cause I didn't have to teach, so it wasn't a big deal.

But big boy Port went to class.

He earned some cheap little dinosaurs for it.

I am sure just a couple more weeks of bribery and he will be great with going to class :)

After church, Port took a nap with his new dinosaurs.

*****

The girls hung around, mostly outside.

Madi spent a lot of time in the back trying to keep the birds off the grass seed!

Dumb birds.

Who knows how much got eaten while we were at church!!!

She enjoyed her time with Mater.

I am kinda surprised she likes that dog so much.

She is my 'least' animal lover.

But she does enjoy Mater....so that is good.

*****

I finally got the capo for Cassi's guitar.

Her teacher has been wanting me to get one for her, but I kept forgetting.

Anyway....I finally gave it to her today.

She had fun practicing the songs that she was having troubles doing.

She is excited about it.

*****

And when Port woke up, he and Cassi headed outside to play with his dinosaurs inside the tree.

*****

Sure hope everyone sleeps good tonight.

I could use some good sleep :)

Saturday April 21

The girls had some neighbor girls over this afternoon.

It was so nice outside.

And the perfect temperature in the shade :)

It was SO HOT in the house!

We are trying not to use the air conitioner until we get the vents cleaned out......

So it was 85 degrees in the house today at about 5:00.

Kinda hot!

But like I said....it was nice outside in the shade.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter than today was.

That might be miserable!

BUT....downstairs stay surprisingly cool.

So we will just hang out down there while we aren't at church :)

The girls had fun playing 'Ninja attack'.

And several other games.

Elsie LOVES this dog.

It cracks me up and makes me smile.

He is really good with her and is pretty gentle.

He does have a habit of side swiping her when she is running around.

I have not yet decided if he is doing it on purpose to be playful, or if he just runs so close to her, she startles and looses her balance.

Not sure.

But usually, it isn't a big deal and she gets back up.

But we are trying to teach him that it's not a good thing for him to do.

This afternoon she sat by him and pet him over and over while singing to him "Mater is the best dog ever, Mater is the best dog ever...." over and over.

It was pretty cute.

Wish I would have though to get the video camera.

Maybe next time :)

Port got a good nap.

Luckily his room is downstairs and stays cool.

When he woke up he was good, well, pretty good about playing with the girls.

He thinks it is pretty cool to push Elsie on the swing.

Madi taught him to run around in circles to the rope twists up then he can hang on it and it will spin out.

Makes me sick to watch.

But hey.....it makes him happy.

And occupied :)

And he hasn't thrown up from it yet.

It is good preperation for future roller coasters I guess.

Friday April 20

The Young Family came over this evening for a little BBQ.

Man, it was a hot day today!

The kids had fun playing outside.

After we ate, but before S'mores, the kids took some time to shoot the BB gun.

Cassi was taking her job as Aubree's 'Teacher' pretty seriously.

It was funny to hear her talk to Aubree.....

She was saying pretty much word for word what Dad said to her when he taught her to shoot.

We had some yummy S'mores and hung out as long as we could before the little ones got too tired.

Elsie bug was WORN OUT!!!!!

Hope she sleeps good.

Thanks to the Young's for having a fun evening with us :)

Neither of the girls wanted Port to pull them....it didn't last for long.