Our little piggy bank!

Its been a while since I've had time to sit down and blog but I have to back up a few weeks and include a story about our little piggy bank!

Two weeks ago I was getting ready for an interview when Collin comes to me saying he has something in his mouth. Well I look thinking its a piece of hair or something but don't see anything, I told him he was fine and told him to go play. He continues to tell me something is in his mouth but won't tell me what, I couldn't see anything so I just left him alone for a while. He then lays on the floor with his blankie and I thought this isn't like him, something really must be wrong. Finally I hear him mummble "I can't get daddy's monies out". That's when I start putting it all together, he had money earlier and I bet he put it in his mouth! When I tell him I have to call the doctor and he starts crying "no, I don't have daddy's monies". Okay so did he or didn't he put money in his mouth. I call the doctors office and of course they want me to bring him in, although I was concerned about my child I'm also thinking really, does this have to happen today, I have an interview! We get him to the clinic and get an x-ray and sure enough he swallowed a coin. After waiting a week for the coin to come out I call the clinic again to say we haven't seen anything. Another x-ray was done and it was gone so it's still a mystery what he actually swallowed (quarter, dime, nickel or penny?) The good new is I still made it to my interview and got the job (teaching 3rd grade math).

Fishing with the Rau's

For the kids birthday Uncle Dane and Aunt Melonie bought the kids fishing poles and took them fishing for the first time. It was fun to watch their excitement as they caught several fish.

Collin, Bryce and Addison with their fishing poles

Addison holding her big catch  

Dane and Addison fishing

Bryce with his big catch

Dane and Bryce fishing

Collin with his big catch

Collin and Daddy reeling in a big one

Riding on the gator with Nate

3 year check ups

We took the kids for their 3 year check ups Friday and they are all healthy and well. Their stats are below:
Addison:
weighed 27 1/2 lbs.
36 1/2 in. tall
she was in the 30th %tile for weight
and the 40th %tile for height
Dr. Draehn said she will be 5'3-5'4
Bryce:
weighed 33lbs.
39 in. tall
he was in the 80th %tile for weight
and the 75th %tile for height
Dr. Draehn said he will be 6ft. tall
Collin:
weighed 26 1/2lbs.
37 in. tall
he was in the 20th %tile for weight
and the 40th %tile for height
Dr. Draehn said he will be 5'9-5'10

Backyard project #2

It only took a few days to clear the backyard but it took us about 4 months to figure out what kind of fence we wanted and what kind of patio to do. Then we put in a sprinkler system before we could get grass.

While the guys worked on the patio three heads watched out the window.

We then waited outside watching them so we could put our hand prints in the concrete.

After a couple of weeks of rain we were finally able to get our grass delivered, a whole eighteen wheeler truck load!

The kids were excited to watch the grass be taken off the truck

We had eighteen pallets delivered to the backyard

It was great to have a lot of help from family and friends!

Lane helping carry the grass for the guys

Mark helping fill in the gaps

Kyle, Dalton, Jason, Steven, Dane, Ryan and Lane admiring their hard work

Watching these two play in the yard and the sprinklers made it all worth it

Our back yard looks so big now (this is only about 3/4ths of the yard)

Backyard project

This has been our biggest and longest project thus far! We started back in March clearing the yard. I regret that I didn't get a good before picture but the backyard was very over grown and looked really small. We removed rocks, bricks, railroad ties, chain link fence, vines, over grown plants, a lot of shrubs, some very large wild peach trees, and two large trees.

This is the back fence when we started

We halled off several trailer loads of shrubs and tree limbs

The kids loved watching the tractors work in the yard

Steven worked hard to make our backyard look good

Ryan worked hard helping us remove stumps in the yard

Addison eating her snack on the tractor

The boys had fun watching the tractors

Collin spent a lot of time on this tractor

and loved every bit of it

Driving the tractor around the block (I'm sure our neighbors loved us)

This is how our yard looked for about 4 months while we did one step at a time

Addison's first haircut

Yes, she is 3 and just getting her first haircut (if I can really call it that)! We only snipped off the frizzy ends that have been driving me crazy every time I fix her hair so it was nothing drastic. Addison was so excited to get her first hair cut. She has watched Mommy, Daddy, Bryce and Collin get several haircuts but this was her turn and she made sure they knew it! For the first two years of her life she barely had hair so I wanted to let it grow out a little before we got her first haircut. Now I'm hoping her hair will start to grow more.

This is how little hair Addison had at 1 yr. and 2 yrs. old

Addison before her hair cut

She sat in the chair so well and did everything Valerie asked her to do

Can you see the excitement on her face

Snipping of the ends

Valerie and Addison with her new haircut

3 three year olds can be challenging!

Everyday is a challenge around our house and last week proved to be a big challenge! One evening, I heard water running in the bathroom. I went to the bathroom to tell the kids to turn the water off and I noticed hair on the floor. I stood for a minute with a confused look on my face, where did that come from? Then I hear "Mommy look, I wash my hair" as I look up I notice Collin with Steven's razor in his hand rubbing his head with it, hence the hair on the floor. Fortunately he only cut his hair and didn't hurt himself with the razor!

One mischieveious little boy with the funny haircut!

Daddy's tools have become another obsession with the kids. They would argue with me and say "I working Mommy"! They just couldn't understand why I wouldn't let them "work" with real hammers, screw drivers, wrenches and even exacto knives! How we don't have more injuries in this house is beyond me.

Another day I got a phone call from a friend and snuck off to the other room so I could actually have a conversation. A short time later in walks Bryce saying "Mommy look my hair all wet". All three decided they wanted to play in the rain and where soaked from head to toe! What could a little rain hurt so I let them play in it for a while until I heard thunder and we all decided the fun was over.