TODAY WAS THIS KIDDOS 9TH BIRTHDAY!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!

Because one of his cousins was going to be gone on Friday (his actual birthday), we celebrated on Thursday.  B does not like surprises, but he told us he wanted a surprise this birthday.  So, the cousins did it up good.  B woke up earlier than expected - they hoped to pull off their silly string surprise by waking him up.  However, that did not happen.  So, I found an excuse to send him downstairs.  As he came back up, he was ambushed by his cousins.  There was a couch close by, so he fell face first on the couch so his back got the most of the silly string.  Here is his backside after the ambush.

Here is the front side.  The younger two were still asleep and they were very upset they missed it (we had about a 10 minute window in which we could do the silly string given the crazy schedule of all the cousins coming and going.)  B loved it so much though, that we might have to make it a tradition - that the birthday person gets silly stringed sometime on their birthday.

For his birthday, we could not decide what to do, so kept it simple.  We called up one of his cousin's friends, who was the same age and invited him along (the kid in the middle).  We had lunch at DQ and then went bowling.  (JB went bowling, but when the picture was taken, he was throwing a fit.  Also missing from the picture was oldest cousin Kelsey.  She and I were talking trash about who would win.  We were neck and neck the whole game - actually she had a slight lead.  She threw one bad ball and it happened to be the last one, so I ended up on top by 4 pins.  We also had to play our game with bumpers, so the score probably would have tipped in her favor because I would have had a few last second gutter balls but the bumpers saved me.)

JB did many "yay" dances.

Jbird got to use the prized Sponge Bob Ball

Despite what it looks like, the birthday boy did not drop the ball on his foot.

I managed to get a group shot, without rabbit ears and antlers and with decent smiles!

We did an ice cream cake from DQ.  He got some books and drawing stuff, as well as Game Stop gift card and cash for his birthday.

Hard to believe he is half way through 'his time at home!' Who would have known 9 years ago that this kid would rock our world. He was speaking in full sentences at 2 and has not stopped since then. He has an amazing memory, whether he reads it, hears it or sees it. His laugh is hilarious (he recently went to see Monster University with 2 of his cousins and they got the biggest kick out of hearing him throughout the movie - get to laughing so hard that he can't stop). He gravitates towards the tech-y things and loves to read. He has a strong will about him that often can get him what he wants. (I think my all time favorite story of him - that I shared at some point on the blog - was when he had just recently turned three. He had asked me for something and I told him no. Well, he was not satisfied with that answer. So he decided to wait until his dad came up. I was upstairs working on the computer and I could hear the conversation down stairs. B wanted something and had asked his dad about it. After a few words, his dad said that I would need to be consulted. As B trailed JR up the stairs, I could hear B saying "okay, Dad, you need to go in there and say 'Hun, B wants....". He was totally coaching his dad on how to approach me about this issue.) He has a soft, compassionate side to him - helping with his brothers or friends. I love that he still wants me to lay down with him and that he still calls me 'Mommy'!

Praying for many more years...how exciting to see how God's plan for him will begin unfolding as he continues on this journey called life.

On Sunday evening we went to a concert in the park.  A local blue-grass musician.  A first for the boys.  Here are some pictures.
(The musician was Austin 'Walking Cane'...he played in the gazebo structure)

The kids all enjoyed a picnic

This is the house where they have had wedding receptions that I have helped with while in Ohio.

Fortunately, someone had the insight to have sidewalk chalk and bubbles for the kids.  As the night wore on, kids on scooters showed up, as well as some huge Frisbee looking toys.  They had so much fun playing and the adults enjoyed the music.

A random picture...we saw the weinermobile and had to stop and take a picture.

We recently hooked up with some friends. We met them at a local park that has some great biking/hiking. My boys were amazed at the turtles. I guess we have never really looked at turtles. (In this picture, my friend was holding a turtle and Jbird was marveling at it from underneath. Jbird is becoming the nature watcher. (It cracked me up all the wildlife around us where we live and yet they still marvel at a deer in the bushes.)

Their cousin Kenna holding the turtle.

One of the things I always enjoy about our road trips is getting away from the grind of being at home.  Even if there is not a lot going on at home, you still have all the upkeep and it seems that there is always something to do at home, a project to complete.  So it is nice to just be able to sit back and take in - to slow down long enough to enjoy some of those small moments with the boys.  To rediscover the wonder of things.

At the swimming pool, the excitement of JB when he finally jumped from the side of the pool into water that was 2 feet deep.  The loud 'yay' he exclaimed.  Or with Jbird, when he finally got brave and decided he could go under water in water that was over his head.  (He can swim but has always been scared to venture into water over his head without a life jacket on).  He would jump into 5 foot water and as his feet touched the bottom of the pool, he would thrust his hands up out of the water with a huge thumbs up.

The look of amazement when I showed JB how to suck honeysuckle.
The wonder of seeing the small lights below the airplane once it got dark.
Teaching B how to read road signs.  Teaching him that the odd Interstates run north and south and the even roads run east and west.  The lower odd numbers start in the south and the lower even numbers start in the west.  Seeing his interest in looking at maps now and trying to find us on the map.

We were recently able to make a quick trip to Texas.  The boys have been wanting to fly, so they were excited to get on an airplane.  To kill some time, we took a ride on the skylink 19 minute 'train' tour of the airport.

The boys did really well on the flight.  (It seems that I have the camera out so much, I have a hard time getting a serious picture.)  Few more pictures from the plane.

This is JB's favorite pose right now...reminds me of Popeye...

I love to watch him with gadgets...even though he can't read, he can navigate them so well.

A few more pictures....

This little guy is learning to swim without a life jacket (he is also learning to ride a bike without training wheels).  All indications are that he will succeed with both before he turns 4!

Jbird helping and keeping a close eye on JB.

B up on the knee board

Messy little s'more eater!

We have hit the pool a few times already. My goals for the boys....for B to learn how to do a proper dive and dive off the board, for Jbird to go off the board (which will require passing the deep water swim test because he is not tall enough) and for JB to learn how to swim.

JB and Jbird have a great time in the smaller kid area. I was afraid it might be too deep for JB, but it only comes up to about mid torso.

Here is JB as he comes out of the slide area.  For some reason my boys have taken to wearing swim shirts.  Look at that long hair.


JB, still sporting his ear band because his ear drum is not fully healed.


B doing a crazy jump off the board (his cousin Kenna is behind him). 


Another jump....


B has gone off the high dive twice, but would not for the camera.  The first time he jumped, he said he saw his life flash before his eyes.  I took this of cousin Kenna.


He also went down the speed slide, but would only go down the twisty slide when I had the camera out.

It has been a busy week.

Last Sunday was the Baccalaureate service (similar to a church service) for all the graduating seniors.  Kristine read some scripture and it was neat to hear her boyfriend give a Senior Reflection.  Then on Monday was graduation!  I was finally able to give her the quilt I had made from all of her t-shirts.

A picture of Kristine, my brother and I

A picture of her reading

Her t-shirt quilt

My Steiner and I

Graduation



This past Tuesday we all headed to Cedar Point - a huge amusement park on a peninsula of Lake Erie.  The weather was just about perfect.  The lines were not too long.  B was finally tall enough to ride a 'real', adult roller coaster.  Jbird was a little more hesitant.  JB would have ridden anything but his height prevented him.  I found out, yet again, that I am not suited for many rides.  Rode a few roller coasters but anything with sudden jerking movement was almost too much for me.  At one point, one of the boys was MIA.  I was not too concerned because I knew it was a controlled environment and I also had the faith that they would know what to do.  I did end up getting a hold of the park lost and found and gave them a description.  A short time later I received a phone call from the park police that they had my son.  After finally reconnecting with him, I got the whole story.  He had misunderstood what he was suppose to do and he took off after his other cousins to try to ride a ride with them.  When he got to the ride, he realized they were not there.  So, he found a park employee and told them he was lost.  He did exactly what he was suppose to do.  We were at the park for almost 12 hours!  Every one slept well that night!

Then on Wednesday the boys and I headed to Dayton to spend 2 nights with some friends who use to live in Montana.  We did nothing!  So nice just to hang out and catch up.

Then on Friday we drove to Columbus to watch my niece Kristine in the semi-finals of the state track meet.  She runs the 4x200 relay - which means the team of 4 each run half way around the track - or 200 meters.  Kristine runs the 3rd leg of the race.  Despite a great meet, they did not qualify for the finals, but a great season of track.  (She will be attending Xavier University in the fall and will 'walk on' in track.)

The last two weekends I have had the opportunity to work with my sister.  They set-up, serve and tear down for parties - weddings being their biggest venue.  Last Saturday was a wedding for 150.  It required lots of clearing of nice dishes - carrying heavy trays.  It was an 8 hour day.  When I got home at 1:30am, I noticed one ankle was very swollen and I had a terrible rash on the lower leg.  The next morning I got up and the rash was slowly spreading up the leg and to the other leg.  It did not hurt, just warm to the touch and very taut skin.  Decided to get it checked out.  Being a Sunday, I walked into one of the CVS clinics.  The nurses on duty where perplexed, so sent me to Urgent Care.  Once there, the Doctor said it was petechiae, which is where the capillaries burst below the skin.  This can sometimes be a part of a more serious health issue, so blood work was done.  It all came back negative or normal.  Not sure what caused it - maybe all the running around at the wedding - but it totally cleared up in a couple of days.  However, yesterday I worked another event and about 9:00 that night, checked my legs and it had come back.  So left to come home and put my feet up.  It is more wide spread the second time, but not as dark and red.  Will be watching it the next couple of weeks to see if it flares up again.  All I can figure is being on my feet for long periods of time.

Some other random pictures so far from our trip....

I have never really noticed his defined chin and dimples before....