~School's Out, Look How Much We Changed In A Year~

Well, here we are on the last day of school! The boys are so excited for summer to begin. Now schools out, so bring on the warm weather. We are sick of jackets. I took this picture on the very last day of school, and thought it would be fun to see how much they have changed in one school year.







This is all the boys outside of West Elementary School and the first day of school Sept 2007. Below is a picture of the "school boys" out in front of our house just before going to school. They were so nervous to start at a brand new school, and though there was some adjusting, they all did very well!

Kindergarten Graduation!!

Way to go Caleb!!

Caleb's Kindergarten Graduation was today. I can't believe it! I have three kids graduated from kindergarten now. He was so stinkin' cute. I told him he had to wear a shirt and tie, and he insisted that he wear shorts and flip-flops with it. He did look quite studly though. He loves his principal

"Bobby" the kids all call him. He is the best principal ever, he knows all my kids names, and that's hard to remember when they look so much alike.

Caleb loved his teacher Mrs.Moats as well. He wrote her a letter that said "Good Buy" She was a "good buy" we were so thankful forher, she really helped Caleb's transition so She just loves the kids and you can totally tell. She fell a few week ago in the hall at school and tore her muscle that holds the foot to the bone, so she spent the last weeks of school in a wheel-chair. We are so proud of you Caleb. Good work this year. We think it is awesome what a good student you are and the good example that you are to the others in your class.

Caleb got the Overall Best Student award! His teacher just told us he is reading on a 2nd grade level, and is totally ready for 1st grade! Way to go Caleb!

On wednesday I helped deliver a baby at the birth center, and got home at about 8:00 pm. Then I spent last night helping to deliver a baby. I went at 10:00p.m. and got home at 3:30a.m. Emma woke up at 4:00a.m. and I finally got to sleep at about 4:30 a.m. I learned so much though, I am loving it. I have been very lucky, I haven't had to take the kids to the babysitter for any of the 5 deliveries, and Ryan hasn't had to miss work, it has all worked out so smoothly. I know it won't always be easy, but I will enjoy it when it happens. 5 down, 75 to go :)I got the kids up at 7:00a.m, but even though we were ready, we missed the bus. The first time ever. So I drove the kids to school. Then went back for Caleb's graduation. We are going to go the park today when the older boys are out. No one is more excited that school is out than me!

Like Sophie?

I had to go into Caleb's class to help with their "picnic". We were supposed to go outside in the courtyard to blow giant bubbles , eat lunch and play in the teepees. The weather didn't cooperate, of course, so we stayed in the class to eat, and made starburst buck teeth. The kids had a great time. As we were getting ready to go I got out the curling iron to curl Mara's hair and she said "you do my hair, like Sophie's?" It has been a good month since she has played with her cousin Sophie, so I thought it quite hillarious that she remembered

that Sophie's hair was curly. I wish it was like Sophie's and it naturally curled without me having to stand and do it. It turned out pretty curly this time, but often I am not so lucky, and of course as soon as she has a nap it doesn't look very good. When we were done she looked in the mirror and said "I look like Sophie." It is so fun when you realize that they are little people who are aware of the world surrounding them.

*Of "Ant Butts" and Other Such*

Okay, let me preface this video by saying that when I was a senior in high school, we went on a pioneer trek and I was the "Ma". One of the leaders told us that if we ever had to survive off the land, we could eat the butts of ants, and they are really sugary, so we could get some energy. He told us though, to be carefull because the heads will pinch you, so what you do is grab them by the head, squeeze it, and bite off the butt. Me being the daredevil that I am tried it. They actually do really taste quite sweet. I have told my kids this story and last night we were out letting the goats graze in the front, so they could eat all the dandelions, and we saw a bunch of ants. Caleb said he wanted to eat one so I said "go ahead, be my guest." this video is what he thought about it. Normally I don't let my kids say this word, I think it's crude, so whenever I hear them say it I just say "please say bum." This is an exception to that rule, because it was so funny. I am sorry that I am talking, my voice is annoying, but listen to Caleb "stinkin" cute voice.

~Perfect Summer Night~

Ryan's 20 year class reunion is this summer! Yikes! How old does that make me feel? I still feel like I should be in high school, but here I am with six kids and a 5th grader. Wow! When did I get so old?















We tended the Crane's kids tonight. Ashlyn, Brandon and Jace. The kids had such a fun time playing hide and go seek, riding bikes, chasing goats, jumping on the trampoline and getting in the mud. The flower in the middle of my head was put there by Ashlyn. She insisted that I wear it and that she take a picture of me with it in my hair. She could only make it stick in right in the middle of my head.








I made Sam hold some of the chicks so that you could see how big they were getting. They have very little down left, and they are kinda creepy looking with half feathers and half down. Just as I was taking the pictures, the one on the right peed on him! That's why he has such a funny face. I laughed that the chick would pick just that moment to pee on Sam!

The kids were all playing so well, totally entertaining themselves when Ashlyn came to tell me that Max had pt mud on Jace's head. I went out to the back, and they were all muddy. I said "Ashlyn, your mom is going to kill me because you all got so muddy." She looked at me and in a very serious matter-of -fact voice said "My mom doesn't like it when I get my new clothes muddy, and these are new clothes. You should have been out here watching us closer." Boy was she right! I guess I failed as a baby-sitter. But I gave them popsicles, so maybe that made up for it.

The sky was gorgeous tonight, and the weather was perfect. Those are the windmills up on the hill, that white line, and that is our chicken coop, the tan building with the red trim.

This was such a great night. Perfect weather, kids playing hard! At 9:00 p.m. It was still really light outside and all the kids were still playing, and Sam said "Mom, it's 9:00 and we are still all outside! This is great." It doesn't get dark here until 10:00 and the sun is up at 5:00 I love it!

Baby Girl!

Baby Emma! I can't believe that she is already 3 and 1/2 months old. She is growing so fast and has the most kissable fat cheeks ever. She reminds me so much of Sam that it is scary sometimes. She looks just like him when he was this age. I realize that I don't take near enough pictures of her, so today I decided to get some of her. She is certainly the best baby. She loves me to sing to her, and she will "sing" along with me. I love it! She laughs and coos and is so easy to make smile!






Max is always wanting me to take a picture of him holding Emma, I lost my SD card, and it's been a while since I have been able to take pictures, so we got him with her today.

This is my favorite picture of Emma on her blessing day! March 30, 2008. She was adorable.

Sam always wants to take pictures with the camera, so every once in a while I will get the camera and there will be these random pictures on it. I always know that it was him. So today I had him take a picture of Emma and me.

bt

There's too many kids in this tub!



There's too many elbows to scrub!

I just washed a behind that I'm sure wasn't mine!

There's too many kids in this tub!

This post is dedicated to my future brother-in-law, Garrett! Who thinks that I am obsessed with naked babies. I am not obsessed. They are just so cute and naked bathtub pictures are the cutest! Do I lie? My kids love bath time, and everyone loves it when Emma gets in the bath with them. Even Emma loves, loves, loves the bath.

My Favorite Things.....

Little girls in Pigtails!!!



Little boys who bring you
in a whole bunch of dandelions
because they think you deserve
them for being the best
mom that they have ever had
(funny, that you just happen to be the only
mom they have ever had!)













Sleeping babies who are angels when they are
asleep as well as when they are awake!







When one of your kids notices that one of the
others is sad, or sick, and they feel empathy
for them....

and try to kiss all their ills better. That is priceless,
and makes you feel like maybe they may turn out alright in the end.

Got Em!! Goats!!!

Mara with Nanny
Max with Mango!

Caleb trying to hold Molly!(Left) Happy Mothers Day to me!!!

So I guess we are finally the owners of four goats. A mom and her three kids. They are so adorable! I love them. I have wanted goats for so long! finally we have them. The littlest brown one Ryan named Mango. She is my favorite! She is a runt because the other two hog the milk from the mom, so she is half the size, but by far the cutest. The black one is Molly and the White one is Nanny. The mom was already named Bambi, so even though Ryan thinks it's a stupid name, we'll probably keep it. Besides, it's pretty cute how Mara says " 'mhere bambiiiii"

The kids were quite tramatized though, the old goat farmer who we bought them from, dehorned them when he got here and the little baby goats were crying and it sounded just like a human baby. I looked at Noah and he looked like he was about to cry. He and Caleb finally left, they couldn't stand it. I felt like leaving as well. It was errie how much it sounded like a human baby. They are fine now, and really I think that it was more tramatic that they were caught and not with their mom that they were crying, not so much that it hurt that bad.

Caleb is the goat wrestler! He gets in that pen and can catch the little ones! It's so funny. They are so fun, and they eat all our dandelions! a bonus for Ryan (since I tell him he can't spray them)

I can't wait until they are used to us and will let us play with them more. We just got them Saturday. In a matter of a week we have turned into quite the petting zoo, or as Ryan's mom says Old Mackoudas' Farm!

Mud Buds!

Saturday we were working in our yard all morning, and the boys must have gotten tired of me ordering them around because they disappeared and the next thing that I knew, I heard laughing and giggling and saw them all covered in mud and spraying each other. It's a good thing that they like each other since there is no one else to play with around here. I am glad there are four of them.

It was all fun and games until it was time to get cleaned off and then Ryan went out with the hose and squirted them all off. They didn't like that so much(actually they pretended not to like it, and screamed like little girls, but they really were having a great time, Ryan had the most fun) The water comes from a freezing cold well clear down in the earth. I came out after Ryan had already squirted off Noah and Max, and only caught him getting Caleb. I was laughing pretty hard, so the movie is kinda shakey. Good times!

Iwas looking out the window and saw a garbage can out by the sprinkler, and thought it was odd that Ryan didn't move the can before turning the water on. The sprinkler past the garbage can and all of a sudden I see the can lift up and legs peeking out from under it and walk around, then the sprinkler came around again and the legs disappeared again. It was really funny. Sam was under there trying to keep from getting wet.