4000 lbs of Rubber, Cement, and Backyard O Fun

This spring we have focused on our backyard FINALLY trying to get it into shape since we extended our property line over 2 years ago. Yea for the tax relief credit so we could make some big improvements!

So, we started with 4200 lbs of rubber playground mulch:



Let me tell you how fun that was---3 gigantic sacks of thousands of pounds of
rubber!!! It is much much better than the slivery woodchips that we had before. The kids love it now sliding into it and bouncing around in it.

Then, we went for covering the weedfest in the corner with a cement patio/basketball court:



Oh, we had some fun experiences learning that you don't pay the contractor until they are COMPLETELY finished, but in the end it turned out OK. The kids like their new chalk drawing, basketball playing, riding bikes play area.

And so in the end becomes our "Backyard O Fun"! We absolutely love it! The only problem now is that the house INSIDE has become pretty messy due to our lack of attention while we all hang out outside.

Macey's 6 Month Pictures

So, we thought we could schedule a good time to take Macey's 6 month pictures. We thought--not too soon after her shots, and early enough in the morning that she wouldn't be tired or sad, but gee, this girl must take a lot after her sister!

After screaming all morning we take her to the picture place and are hoping for some happiness. She wasn't crying, but I guess she is just very slow to smile like Jewelia. We had 3 of us dancing around the studio trying to get a smile. It took a while, but we managed some cute ones in the end.



She was just so serious in most of the shots, and can you notice my hand? We got 3 in the end--the top one, the fifth one, and Caleb's favorite down below:

Jewelia's 3 Year Old Pictures

Well, we have succeeded this year!!! For the last 2 years, Jewelia has freaked out every time we even entered the picture studio to take ANYONE's picture, so we have not had any good professional pictures taken of her since she was a baby. So, for the last couple months we have been building her up for the oh so wonderful "Princess Picture Day" where she'll get to sit in a princess chair and have a princess picture taken and then we can all get icecream afterward.

So, we went to take her birthday pictures yesterday and she actually cooperated! Of course it took a good 20 minutes before she would allow herself to smile, let alone talk to the photographers, but I think we did alright. What do you think?

We usually just get 2 8 by 10's, one to go up our stairs and one over the couch, so we chose the first one and the 3rd one. I do like this last artistic one, but then I guess I'd rather see her smiling face.

DEATH

Soooo, life around here has pretty much sucked lately. Well, not really, but just everyone has been SICK SICK SICK! I swear Troy has had this sinus infection FOREVER and then one by one, each of the kids got sick and I've been cleaning up throw up every other day all day long depending on whichever kid it was.

I supposed I was pretty lucky since I wasn't sick and how could I be? I had to do all the throwup duty since Troy about dies just at the sight or mention of it.

Anyway, all was finally well........we were starting to think no one was going to be sick anymore, when I get sick. And this was BAD. I have never been so sick in my entire life! I thought I was going to die. I threw up like 70 times!! I'm not kidding! I lost 7 pounds in 5 hours. By the next day I thought Troy was going to have to call an ambulance to come and carry me out of the house because I thought I was going to die and never wake up.

Well, luckily my good husband saved me and carried me out to the hospital where thank goodness for wonderful drugs and doctors and IVs that can save you from dying of poisoning and sickness and dehydration, I was saved from my upcoming death.

Thanks to all you family and neighbors that helped watch our kids and came to our house so I could be saved. All is well now, I don't know what it was. I think food poison or some terrible sickness, but I am glad to be home, alive, happy and NOT throwing up!

Playing and Singing.......

Well, yes, here we are again.....Caleb wanted to show you his new song he is practicing "The Entertainer":


And here is Jewelia singing what she calls the "Jewelia girl on the computer song". (She thinks she is Shirley Temple. I've shown her some clips on utube. Also known as "On the Good Ship Lollipop".)



Oh, and Caleb tells you "next I will play March the new version". If you want to see him play that, you can click on our other blog website on the side that's parentingthegiftedchild.blogspot.com.

Happy Mother's Day!

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Today is Mother's Day and the kids made me all kinds of fun presents! Micah made me a beautiful butterfly necklace and some cards. Caleb drew some nice pictures of grass and flowers, and made me some flower cookies with gumdrops on top that mysteriously got bites taken out of them. Jewelia had a pretty picture from the nursery, and I got a pretty rose from church.

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At church in primary, Micah and Caleb made me cards that said "My mom is the best ______ in the whole wide world! Micah wrote cleaner, and Caleb wrote cook. Well, then, they have both got it made pretty good to have a maid and chef as their mom!

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Anyway, Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEWELIA!

Jewelia is 3 years old today!!!

At first, the day started pretty bad--all 3 of the boys woke up SICK! Caleb felt better right away, Micah struggled until after 5, and Daddy was miserable most of the day. To top it off, Macey wouldn't take a nap the whole day and was really not happy about it, but luckily all survived to make it to the party!

Playing with cousins:

The presents:

The cake:

Jewelia had such a great day! She absolutely loved all of her presents,

and

announcing Princess Jewelia:

Macey wanted a turn too:

And the boys were very good sports about the whole girly girl party. What good big brothers they are:

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEWELIA!!!

We love you!!!

The Preparations

Well, it's really really late, or actually early early in the morning.......and I'm just finishing up everything to get ready for Jewelia's birthday. The presents are wrapped and on the table, the balloons are tied onto the "Princess Birthday Girl Chair", the cupcakes are waiting...

And just look at my oh so beautiful cake:

None of those Princess Barbie cakes yet......Jewelia is only turning 3, so much similar to the princess baby doll cake I made last year (she asked for it again), I have made another one.

Of course I rather like this one better.....I think I am becoming quite skilled in the art of making baby doll princess cakes.

So......all is ready and awaiting the birthday girl! Jewelia is sooo excited. She keeps telling me that "Princess girls" are coming to her party. Of course I'm not sure what she means. I thought she just meant they would be on her balloons and wrapping paper, but after wrapping her presents yesterday and talking to her, I think she actually might think they are coming to our house---like they're going to show up at the door. Hmmmmm..................

Macey has been pretty good today during all of the preparations..........I even got to do my hair today--I've learned she likes the sink:

The sink is my friend.........











Mmmmm.............nummy toothbrush! (Don't worry, we got her her own toothbrush!)

The Good Things Are......

When Caleb is still hungry and this time he's not bugging me for sweets, but he's actually eating all the rest of the GREEN BEANS?

When Micah is helping me out and learning to feed Macey while I try to get dinner ready.

When Jewelia puts up 3 fingers and tells me, "I'm going to be free year old!"

Planting a new tree!

Planting flowers!!! You know we have lived here for over 6 years and we have never planted even 1 flower! We never could afford it before!

And when Macey is HAPPY!