Wonderland day!

There is a day in our home that we look foward to every year. It is a day when parents and children come together in harmony. It is a day when brother and sister are as one. A day that the struggles we have faced just don't matter anymore. Cause we're going to WONDERLAND!

We always start with the Frog-Hopper. It is a classic and a great warm-up for the big rides. It will be a sad day when my kids' legs start draggin' the ground in the Frog-Hopper.


Next we always go for the Helicopters. You can't beat being able to control the flight path of your own ferocious war-machine!


And of course we love the cars. The round and round ride that lasts oh, about 20 minutes. But you can really feel the wind blowing through your hair on this one.



It's just too scary to watch!


Oh, nevermind. It's just peekaboo.


Somehow, the magic of the day turns my daughter into a gangster.


This is the entrance to the first water ride of the day. THE LOG RIDE! (Always my favorite as a child.)


Wait for it...


Wait for it...


There it is!


And it's good!!!!


I'll have more to share in a future blog.

Beauty in produce

Some updated pics on garden stuff. We have had an unusually cool and wet July so things are ripening slowly. Maybe we will have a huge harvest in September!

Tiny, hairy baby cantaloupe


Tiny, hairy baby watermelon. We planted these VERY late!


Oh baby! Can't wait!


Lettuce going to seed. I thought this was beautiful.


Purple sage all through my brain!


And I found this growing wild in the yard.

A little announcement...

No I am not pregnant. Geez! Can't a girl make an announcement without people jumping to baby conclusions? Anyhow, most of you know that we are not homeschooling this year. Now before everyone exchanges bet money, this may or may not be a permanent decision. We really still believe in homeschooling. We loved so many things about it. It just became apparent towards the end of the year that I was not thriving in the environment. And that means that our kiddos just weren't getting enough schooling (by my standards.) I was very worn out and wasn't motivated to teach anymore. We took a lot of "off" days.

Now, they did learn. Asher is a reader! Jolie made progress on her math. We did lots of neat stuff. I evaluated them based on our state standards and they both did great. I just had very high hopes for my role as teacher. I feel like I failed. It was a bad year for me to enter into this daunting journey. Schooling two kids, (one who had to learn to read) entertaining a 4-year-old, and caring for a baby made for some long days! I know it's possible. Lots of moms do it. I just decided to take a year off, let my baby grow a little and give my kids the desire of their hearts and let them go to school. (I give em a few weeks before they are begging for sleeping in and school in their jammies.)

So I am excited for the new year and have already bought school supplies! I love school supplies. I know that the public school schedule will wear on us all. I know we will miss being together. We will miss having freedom. We might even miss mom being the teacher. I am praying for a growing year. I am praying that God shows us, as a family, what He would have us do next year. We believe in having control over our babies learning and want to have as much time with these little guys as we can. So we will see what next year brings.

Garden Update!!!!

I have not updated on my garden in awhile. We just have so much to share that the garden goes on the back burner. But it's all about her today. She is producing and flowering all over the place. It's the part of gardening I love the most. The fruits of all of that labor come pouring into my kitchen. See...(I apologize in advance to all of my family and friends for the massive amount of squash you will be receiving this year.)



This is a beautiful and perfect tomato blossom.


The garden scene!


Patty-pan squash. Amazing and cute.


Green bean blossoms.


Loaded jalapeno plant!


Clusters of tomato blossoms.


My niece Emma is shorter than my tomato plants!


Cantaloupe blossom. Oh I pray these make fruit. It is such a taste of summer to me.


Basil, I love you. I really do. I hope we can be friends for a long long time. You, me, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil and garlic will be there. We'll invite crusty bread too. He's a good guy. I'm going to stop having deep conversations with my food now, thank you.


Finally, our growing chicks are more like small chickens now.

It's my favorite. It just is.

Oh Fourth of July, you are my favorite day of the summer. I love the family, the parades, the food, the kids excitement, the colors and the fire! I love seeing the flag walking down the street and hearing the cheers of the people. One nation, under God. I love seeing the honor we give our vets and the sparkle in the eyes of my son as he shakes a soldier's hand. I see nostalgia and future all in one! Here are some pictures of our day.

Oh my girls! I love them. (My daughter Jolie and my niece Ava Grace)


My sister's babies with my kiddos.


We got our faces painted! (Well, the kids did. Heather and I just got a burrito and a giant pretzel.)


Matt and the kids got distracted by the dunk tank.


Then Asher had to try it. He actually got the guy once! You can see the determination on his face.


Liv baby. I just love your M&M eyes!


Classic. "When is the parade going to start?"


"When is the parade going to start?"


"When is the parade going to start Aunt Chelle?"


"I think I see it!"


"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"


The best seat in the house.


Our precious town square with Old Glory flying free.


God, you are the one who gives freedom. I pray that we never forget the sacrifices made in your name. We believe in your ultimate authority over our nation and pray that you would turn the hearts of your people to you.

Levi's Big 1st birthday and dedication

This has to be the starting picture because it's about the cutest thing I have ever seen. This was Levi's 1st birthday outfit. What a little man.



We had such a wonderful weekend full of food, family and fun. This was our plan B after our outdoor meal plans got rained out. (I think Matt might be telling a story.)


Here are a few of the cousins that were around for the festivities.






This was Levi's first glimpse of his cake.


I think it was a hit!



Levi decided he could share a little cake with the kids.



We have been fortunate that each of our boys have been dedicated to the Lord, in our church, on their first birthdays. We have been able to have a big party with a lot of the family. Levi's party and dedication were such a blessing to us. We felt very loved as we were surrounded by our wonderful family.


Our feeling of blessing continues by the love shown to us by our church family as well.



We praise God for this child and ask that all that was prayed over him today would remain. Is there a more glorious way to honor our Father than with an offering of our child's life to His service? We pray that He finds pleasure in this boy and that Levi will be a man after His own heart. Thank you Yeshua.