One Year Ago

One year ago, Flynn danced at her recital... only Nana couldn't come watch.  Nana was recovering from her surgery & was facing a long road.  Other surgeries. Chemo. Radiation.  We were sad & it looked pretty gloom.

Now, look at Nana.  Her strength & bravery pushed her through the toughest year & now she's here with us for lots & lots of years.

My Baby & Kindergarten Testing

How, how, how could my BABY be going to Kindergarten?! Seriously!!!

So, we made it very official. I took 1/2 day off of work & picked him up at school promptly at 12:20 pm, just as I'd promised.

My date looked very handsome. His hair was 'piked. And he had on a polo.

He took me to my favorite [only] Mexican restaurant in town. We shared conversation...about Lucy.... and Sammy at school, and how close his new classroom will be to mine.
We saw a sewage truck go by & Gabe noted the size of the truck. Then insisted on knowing the truck's purpose.
All this over chips & salsa.

He made me tell the story again, about why we had his birth certificate with us & grinned while I told him that he'd need that when he goes to get his marriage license with his wife.

He proudly held my hand into my school building & greeted everyone as I directed him to. He aced the test with flying colors answers & was very confused when we got home
& I had to tell him
that school
doesn't start
for another
five
months.

New Years 2011

The whole family (minus Hannah) joined in for the festivities of ringing in' the New Year, 2011.

silly girls up & silly girls down there

played some Parcheesi & Scattergories...

Papa

A tuckered out Flynn (who I was able to wake up for the clock striking midnight)....and, of course, mayhem

2010 was not so bad... can't wait to see what 2011 holds!

Shave & a Haircut

MLK Day. Striped tights. Hairs cut.
My girl.

Random Trip to Lone Elk

MLK Day lent us the morning for errands & the afternoon ride home the chance to go where we wanted.
Included on that list was a first-ever (for the kids at least) trip to "Lone Elk Park".

Snuggie Twins

Flynn got her "Princess" snuggie from the Frosts for her birthday. Gabe won his at 'Rob Your Neighbor'.
These snuggies are an important ingredient (along w/ a movie & a toasty fire) for a perfect snowy afternoon.

Space Cowboy

This handsome wrangler strolled into my room to find me to tell me & tell me a very important announcement....

"Me the SPACE COWBOY."

Now either this kid has been listening to the Steve Miller Band. Or he has taken his love for Toy Story to the next level & combined Woody & Buzz.

Tricks & TREATS

She's a tricky one, that girl! And my buddy, he makes me want to kiss the cook!

So our Halloween was different this year than the years past. This year we started the tradition of trickin' & treatin' in our own subdivision.
KK joined us as 'Weekend Vampire' a rock band & we pounded the candy-giving pavement.

Tornado of Presentry

BEFORE

AFTER

Lemon-AID

My girl has been gun-ho for the lemonade business ever since she laid her eyes on a street-side stand. And I've put her off a lemonade season or two.

So, when our subdivision had a hood-wide sale, I figured it was time to explore her entrepreneural side.

Naturally, we asked her what 'cause' she'd like to raise for.

This was not easy for our girl whose heart gets easily tugged...and in several directions at that. With it being school supply season, we'd been talking a lot about those who couldn't afford them.

So, that was her cause of choice (although the whole time she was trying to talk me into also raising money for "food for people who can't afford food and who are hungry").

She made the above sign. Mixed her lemonade. And hired an assistant (sidekick: brother). They asked EVERY SINGLE person who walked up our drive. And sometimes Gabe followed potential customers into the garage. You could count on the fact that if a 'customer' didn't give, they were guilted by Dick the Bruiser Bubs.

Flynn raised over $30 & was able to buy a box chalked full of supplies for students in our building who started school without supplies.

God has allowed a planted seed in her heart to blossom into a pot of love & charity.

D' Peas

It was August. It was hot.
And so was my date....

Hot Hubs surprised me with concert tickets (for my birthday) for THE BLACK-EYED PEAS. The kiddos went to Nana's & HH & I took off for the city. First we went to Chevy's for din-din. Then we scooted down to the concert for some serious entertainment.

10 years since we laid eyes on each other. 9 years since we made that official. And our love... it's... still... CALIENTE. Muie, muie. (is that how you spell it?!)

Puddle Jumpers

It was a very rainy May. VERY rainy.
What better to do when the sky opens up?
Put on your boots & do some puddle-jumping.

These boots are nearly the same size.

A special (muddy) rock that Flynn found (& was quite proud of too, by the way).

It's funny how Flynn seems to have springs in her feet. Of course, when you have on rain boots, everything is magical.

Out of the Mouths...

Gabe & Jeff were enjoying a little field trip to Bee Tree Park when they found themselves at the fountain, spending a coin to make a wish.

They tossed their coin, with eyes closed to make their wish even more effective.

Gabe opened his eyes, looked around with purpose & quizzically said,
"WHERE ME PIDAMAN CAKE?????!!"

Poor little soul thought the wish was going to show up when that coin hit the water's surface.

Dance

This little beauty is about to perform in another recital. She absolutely loves her routines, songs, costumes, & the chance to wear lip gloss & blush.
This is before pictures waiting to go back into the studio. She's in 2 dances with her regular class, and another, specialty dance (invitation only, a'hem).
Her specialty dance is one where each little girl is teamed up with a "big" girl (a teen/tween). They're performing to "Everybody Loves My Baby" & it's one of the cutest things I've seen. Flynn's partner is Renee & she thinks she's the cat's meow. Which she is. And Flynn is the kitten's meow.

It's Like Riding a Bike

I sadly admit that the good majority of my kiddos' lives they did not play outside, driveway or otherwise, on the wheel variety.

Our driveway was dangerously steep, as was our street. And we had no sidewalks. Therefore, most of their road-rage took place at one of the grandparents.

Since we moved in w/ Grammy & Peepaw, the kids have had their freedom on the great sidewalks & level driveway.

Last Saturday, Flynn & Gabe joined Nana & Papa on a bike riding field trip to a park called ROUTE 66 PARK in the old Times Beach close to Eureka.

While Papa was working on Flynn's bike, trying to make it more comfy, Nana suggested taking off the training wheels.

And Flynn hasn't looked back

T'Ree-ific

The other night we took the kids to a near-by park called BEE TREE PARK. It over looks the river & has a fun playground. My favorite was a nearby field (part of which was unfortunately recently cut).
I saw this tree, the perfect girth to hide my skinny-mini's torsos. I invited them to stand & lean. Do you think Bubs would oblige? Goodness no. But my girl, she's always game for a good photo session.

I asked her to hold the tree & lean. That one ended up a little fuzzy, so she did this instead.

and then this...
then came up with this....

so I snapped away & laughed all the while as how we can never do anything ordinary.

8

8 years...

love that's grown

spirits that have been renewed

life that's been created

almost a decade

that you've known my heart

altho it seems like forever

i love you jeff...

thank you for all you've taught me

and helped me learn

happy anniversary

Fall Handsomeness

I can't get enough of my cuties. And going back full time to work has made me appreciate them that much more. Altho I certainly do miss those moments together, like the thousands of them we used to spend together, however we wanted.

But new chapters make our books complete. They make our books interesting & unique & a variety.

Look at my boy, he won't look at the camera. He'll smile, he'll lift up his head, but he will not look at the camera. Sweet, but silly.

He's on a roll right now. "I Yuv you Momma", "I Yuv you Daddy", "I yuv You Finn". And hugs follow.

And Flynn, she uses words like RECOGNIZE, & ACTUALLY. On the way to church, she piped up from the back seat, "What's ANTI-FUNGAL mean?" And she can read with best of them.

I'll never stop saying how lucky I am. We are so blessed.

Trunk or Treat

Another fun event of our Halloween season, was a TRICK or TRUNK at BFF Madelyn's school.

Madelyn, Matthew, Flynn & Gabe along with a few Bartosch school pals.

Gabe couldn't keep up again this year... maybe next year he'll be leading the pack!
Our own little after party at Burger King. Love that place, there's never a soul in sight!
Bubby & Daddy with Daddy's matching shirt!

School Party #1

Not only survived.... success!

Flynn & her good pal Carter
Mummy game, Flynn wrapped up by Carter

Now doing the wrapping

Casting a spell, the cute way, no pixie dust necessary

Daddy got to enjoy this party with Flynn...and make sure she stayed safe.

She's one lucky girl.