A Piece of Heaven

We got an interesting phone call last Saturday morning.

Scarlet: Hey, do you guys have a swing set?

Me: No.

Scarlet: Do you want ours?

Me: (a little stunned) Sure.

And just like that...we own a swing set.


Scarlet and her family have been looking at a new one for their kids, so they thought they would find a family to which they could pass on their old one. I am so happy that they thought of us. We have been thinking for a while that we needed to get a swing set for the girls, but I can't tell you how thrilled I am to get one for free. I don't know if that was part of the motivation for Tyler to finish the patio (when he realized we didn't have to spend money on a swing set), but whatever the reasons, I am loving my backyard now.
We have the swing set, the finished patio, a garden in the corner and a family to fill the space. It is a little piece of heaven on earth. Last night we grilled hot dogs and ate outside. It was so pleasant (besides my constant allergies). Sometimes I don't have to look very far to see all my blessings.
Thanks again Bushman family. You have no idea what this means to us.

A Labor of Calculated Clay

They say a picture is worth a thousand words (maybe not my words) so this post is mainly pictures so that I can remember the details of this project.
Tyler and I have been planning to put in a patio for years now. At one point, we even hired some guy to pour a cement pad. He came and placed the outlying boards but on the day he was going to pour the cement, he upped his price by two hundred dollars. He claimed that he NEVER would have quoted us the original price that he did. So, we just didn't pour the cement. And so grass and weeds grew there, and we put down some weed cover and some pallets to keep things from getting totally out of hand. It was ugly my friends, very ugly. In fact, I think we avoided taking pictures of the area because it was unsightly. The only BEFORE pictures we could find were all Easter shots, oddly enough. So here is a flavor of the patio for the last few years.



Then here is the patio today.



Not bad, huh? Am I kidding? I am thrilled with it!!! I can't believe that Tyler did all this work himself. He came home Saturday afternoon from shooting with the Elders Quorum and he must have been feeling manly, because he took one look at the patio and then went at it. I hadn't even asked him (well, at least not recently).

First, he dug up a LOT of dirt and placed the retaining wall.



Next he poured in the gravel for the bottom layer (this picture was taken the next day, but it shows the gravel nicely).



So yes, the next day was Sunday and he pouted all day looking at the patio and wanting to work on it. I was very proud that he left that day to resting. Bright and early Monday morning (in the rain) he started the project again, but not before he bought himself a nice power tool— DeWalt Heavy-Duty XRP™ 18V Cordless Circular Saw (see Home Depot for Specs).

Apparently, you can't do any home-improvement project without buying some new tool to add to the arsenal. I don't mind this one bit, because I would buy them for him; however, I have no idea what to get. So whenever he buys one, I tell myself that I would have gotten him exactly the same thing, had I the opportunity.



This is quite impressive to me...he's so level headed.



Next he added sand...



Then he lay some brick and decided maybe he wanted a little more sand, so he took it all out and headed back to Lowe's. I'm really glad that Lowe's isn't too far away (he made several trips--it's exactly 2.4 miles according to him).



And once again, finished product!!



I had to do Satin Hands on him in the evening so he could feel his skin again. It was so covered in sand and brick dust. I am amazed and proud. When I walk on the patio all I can think is that MY man built it for me with his bare hands! Is there a luckier woman in the world? Oh, and now the grill has a home in the backyard again, so all you people that come to my front door wondering why we barbeque every night can stop wondering. No, no, that was just our home for the grill until we could find a good place for it. I am a little jealous actually. If I weren't eight months pregnant and allergic to the outdoors, I might make a home for myself on the patio too.

A Frog Says Ribte?

I should not be mean, but I might be anyway, so if you still consider me to have no vicious bones in my body, please stop reading now so you can maintain the illusion.

We took the girls over to the Vineyard Carnival that the school puts on. They did a really good job getting it organized and I was impressed with how many people turned out for the event. It was perfect for our girls. We bought them each two dollars in tickets and once those were gone, we called it a night. They used their tickets for fun, silly stuff like the fish pond and balloons. We bought popcorn and cotton candy and enjoyed getting all sticky. They even had face painting (which many of you know, I adore). Naturally I got all the girls in line and it was only two tickets.

Ivory was up first. I was a little surprised to see that they were using craft paint (which isn't the best for face painting) but I guess you work with what you can get. But then, as this girl began to paint Ive's face, I wondered where they found her? It must have been all volunteer, but people, don't volunteer if you can't paint basic shapes. Some of the other face painters had stencils to help, and others had natural artistic ability. The girl we sat down with apparently had neither. I almost asked if I could do the painting myself. I had to remind myself that the girls aren't going to care, and they would only notice if their mom raised a fuss. So I sat there and cringed as this girl tried to paint hearts (I've seen June draw better hearts!). I should not be so cruel...after all, this girl was volunteering her time and she could probably have been off playing with her friends (although I secretly wished she had chosen that option). I think it is the perfectionist in me. Ivory got a passable flower on her cheek, and June ended up with two blurry hearts. And then my lovely little Robyn requested something unique. I didn't hear the request, so I was watching with wonder as the girl starting painting this strange thing on Robyn's face. I didn't want to be rude (and I had held my tongue until now) but I finally asked, "What is that?"

"It's a frog." She said. "I've never painted a frog before." (or hearts apparently, I thought). At this point I am trying to morph my emotions from annoyed to amused as I watched her paint a brown streak on Robyn's cheek that was supposed to be the frog's tongue. Then to put icing on the cake, she looks at her handy work and decides to herself that people may not be able to tell it's a frog, so she says, "I'll just write ribbit on the side." And then in green paint, she writes "Ribte."

I wonder if anyone has actually died of laughter…

So her talents do not lie in art or spelling. I hope she is good at math or history. At the very least she was a very pretty girl who is probably much nicer than I am (although that wouldn't take much now would it?).
Anyway, I know you have been waiting anxiously for the pictures. They probably aren't even as bad as I made them seem and like I said, the girls didn't even notice. In fact when I was talking to Tyler about Ivory's 'funny' flower, June said, "I like her flower." This is a good sign. Hopefully June will turn out kinder than her mother as well...




This is your frog...This is your frog on drugs...Seriously a frog?

I Just Called To Say...I Love You??

Actually, I don't think that was exactly why I called. It was much more selfish than that, unfortunately.
DISCLAIMER: I should preface this post with the fact that I am not civil in the wee hours of the morning. If I stay up late, that is fine. But if you wake me up (and I don't want to be awake), I am less than cheery. I try to remain composed because usually when you are awakened in the middle of the night, it is for things like sick children and hungry babies—and they deserve more than a cranky mom. So I will get up, but if there is any way out of it, I am all about taking the coward's way out. For the record, I do get up and feed the baby; but beyond that, I wake Tyler up and let him take over if said child does not return to slumber rapidly. So what I am trying to say here, is that I am selfish and a half when it comes to sleeping.
So the other evening, Tyler went back to work and said that he would probably be late (meaning he would try to be home before breakfast the next morning). I am used to this, so I read a book and eventually drifted off; only to be awakened at 1:50 am to June. She came in and told me that she had thrown up. She didn't look very sick, and I really did not want to get out of bed. This is where I would normally roll over and tell Tyler that he should get up and help June, but he was vacant from the premises. And now we come to the really embarrassing part. Instead of getting up and helping June, I told her to crawl into bed with me, and then I called Tyler. Yep, I knew he was awake, so I called and told him to come home and see if June had really thrown up. How lazy is that?? (I hadn't even sat up at this point). But amazingly, he didn't even argue, he just said, "You're knight will be home soon."
I hung up the phone, relieved that I didn't have to stir and then Ivory started crying. Dang it. I guess you can only postpone the inevitable for so long. I figured it would be irresponsible to let her cry until Tyler got home, so I hoisted myself out of bed and went to check on her. June was already asleep so I left her in bed and willed myself to be patient as I went to check on the little one.
It was probably just a bad dream because I rubbed her back for a few minutes and she drifted back to sleep. I was already asleep myself by the time Tyler got home, so I didn't hear the puking verdict until the next morning. And the results are in...yes, she had thrown up. Actually, it was enough that Tyler took her sheets outside to hose them off (yuck), and yes I am the laziest person you know right now. It is definitely a good thing that I married such an understanding, kind man.
Normally I’m a reasonable, unselfish person during the day, so feel free to call if you need something, but after 10 pm, don’t call me…I’ll call you.

Graduation!!

It's a miracle...Not that June graduated, but that we actually remembered the camera this time.
The teachers and kids did such a good job putting the program together. They sang just a few songs and each child talked about something they did during the school year.



And then everyone walked across the stage in their cute caps and gowns and received a diploma of sorts. The best part of the whole thing was a personalized scrapbook that each child received from their 'buddy.' In a normal program, I can see trying to make 20 or so scrapbooks a daunting task for one or two teachers, but in this program, since each child had a specific person assigned to them, it was much more doable.

Miss Henrietta was a really good match for June.



She is from Germany and is returning next month, but I am so glad that she could come and spend the school season here. I had some trouble understanding her accent at first, but June never seemed to mind. In fact, the first time she talked with Henrietta, June said, "I like your voice."
She made some good friends at school, which I was happy to see.



Taylen (such a sweetie) she knew already and we carpooled with her mom, but I was excited to see her become good friends with people she didn't know to begin with. June has always been a very friendly child. When we go on walks or to the park, she always tells me about the new friends she has made (sometimes with children she barely talks to more than a minute). Here is a picture of Hallie and June.



They became quite close at the end and every time I let June out of the car I would see her take Hallie's hand to walk inside. It was just so cute.
And finally, we got a shot of June with Miss Johnson.



Although she looks like another high school student, she is the lady in charge of the program. She is so nice and extremely kind to the children. If you have ever seen or read Matilda, she reminds me of Miss Honey.
Overall, I was so pleased with the experience June had this year in pre-school, and I look forward to Robyn attending next year. Robyn looks like she is ready for next year too.

Life in Fast Forward

I'm a bit behind on blogging so I will do some catching up here. Please forgive the short random headings, but this is for posterity, not for you. Whatever, I totally write for you (and your comments), but posterity might enjoy this later as well.

Third Time's the Charm

For the record I saw my third snake in the backyard today. Tyler wasn't around to catch it, which is just as well, because snake number two was a handful. They are all just garter snakes, but that last encounter actually involved striking (you know where the snake coils and then springs--you could see the little jaws open and strike Tyler's tennis shoe. I felt like I was watching a mini cobra). So the one today I just watched from a distance and told Ivory not to touch it (don't worry, she has no interest in rassling with a snake...she doesn't even like it when bugs land on the outside of her window; that is how girly she is). I do hope to see less snakes because I'm beginning to suspect a nest somewhere close by.

Please Serve Me...Some Food

We had our annual service auction in the ward and it was really a lot of fun. Since I just barely posted about finishing those crosstitched baby announcements, I did NOT offer that service again. Instead I thought of what I would like to have, and somehow chocolate covered strawberries popped into my head. So, there you go.



The girls and I had a lot of fun making them, and I bought extra of course so I could come home to a treat. Not that I really needed more food. Apparently I must have been hungry at the auction (although I ate before I went) because somehow I came home with four services that I purchased (with fake money mind you), and three of them were food: Homemade Pie, a batch of cookies, and a chocolate cake (all to be delivered at a later time...thank goodness). I did manage to get some free babysitting as well, which is good because I'm going to need someone to watch my kids so I can go to the gym.

Anatomically Accurate?

This just makes me laugh, so I had to post it. The girls were playing downstairs (very nicely I might add) and I came passing through. June was taking care of Robyn, who was playing the part of the horse. June had her caged in the corner (her corral, I guess) and was giving her instructions. Robyn came out to show off her horse attire. June patiently explained what everything was: Horses don't have skin (like we do) so she had covered Robyn's arms and legs with socks. She had a collar, much like a dog, but I can see how it might double as a bridle. But then my favorite was Robyn's pants stuffed with socks, because, as June says, horses have really big bottoms. I laughed all the way to the camera.



Knight in Shining Slime

Some of you may not know what a true hero looks like or the feats he can accomplish, but I can verify that I am married to one. Just this evening, some small piece of metal fell into the garbage disposal. I know from experience what happens if you leave a spoon in there and turn the disposal on, so I wasn't going to risk leaving the metal in there, but I surely didn't want to reach in and get it. I mentioned my predicament to Tyler and without even a blink, he went fishing for the object. I had been in the midst of cleaning the sink, so I won't go into details about what he stuck his hand into. It wasn't even my hand and just watching made me gag a bit. It turns out that the bottom side of the disposal does not stay as clean as the top and at one point his hand emerged with black slime on it (I almost left at that point). In the end, he was victorious (as all heroes are) and he just moved up several notches on my totem pole of marvelous.

Blanket Adventures

The weather has been phenomenal and almost too hot (yep, and it's only May. I keep reminding myself that I was complaining about snow two weeks ago). So, we have taken the opportunity to spend some time outdoors together, as I hope you are doing as well. A few nights ago we pulled out a blanket at bedtime and just read together on the lawn. Just good 'ole family bonding. Tyler took several pictures of me with the girls and I am putting one in against my better judgment.



But the best shot was of him reading to the little ladies.



Let's face it, I just take better pictures...or maybe he is just more photogenic?? Hmmmm, we'll stick with the first one because it makes me feel better.

Mophead

It seems that I am always putting her hair up right after a bath, so I don't even notice how long it is getting. Then Tyler let it dry the other night and took some pictures and it turns out I have a little mophead.