Alexa Graduates from Preschool 2009

This entire year Alexa has been ready for Kindergarten, but we told her that she couldn't go to Kindergarten until she completed Preschool. Here are some photos from Graduation night. During the program each class sings songs with the actions and sometimes sign language too. Each child receives a folder with various writings, stories, pictures and crafts to commemorate the year. This is a nice tool for Mom's especially when deciding what to keep from year to year. Alexa is definately ready for Kindergarten to begin in August (goodness, less than two months away!).

Elementary Field Day 2009

Easter Party 2009

I am a Weanie!!

At least I can admit it!! Right before school was out I had returned from McCook and my Mom brought by our new addition to the family, BG (Baby Girl). I didn't pick the name, but she is 2 and I cannot train her to come to anything else!!! That's another story, but during the time that my Mom took BG to the clinic and returned to our home for coffee, I went out to plant my tomato plant. In my quest to multitask...I came around the south side of the garage and looked down next to the foundation where my plant was and saw a HUGE rattlesnake enjoying the cool location between a planter and the foundation. It wasn't bothered my presence, but I was shaking in my flip flops!!! So I told Haylee to go inside because there was a rattlesnake and she proceeded to lock all the doors! I got my shovel and turned the car around to kill it when it came down the drive way (I am not a weanie in a car). And all the kids came running out to sit in the safe car while we waited for the snake. It was pretty happy where it was and wasn't moving, so I called Derek (my hero) to rid the snake and told me to kill it and I said, "I haven't ever killed a rattlesnake with a shovel, so I am a weanie." He wouldn't be available for a while so I called my Mom to find out where she was...enroute to our home. I needed her snake killing experience to rid the snake. She willing came to the rescue (my other hero). With the shovel, my Mom moved the planters and killed the snake (YEA!!!). It had 6 buttons and was 2 1/2 feet long, at least. I keep the rattle on the kitchen window sill to remind me to always be looking and keep the shovel where it is handy for snake killing.

The next day, I was out watering the planters and other plants and our cat, Ink, pulled out a gardner snake from the same spot!!! Seriously, I don't need any more snakes. I did grow a little bit of confidence to kill that snake. All the snakes need to know that they are not welcome in my yard, after all I have three children.

Too Many Commitments, Too Little Time

For those of you that follow our blog or just check in from time to time, I sincerely apologize for the lack of posting any thing on this wonderful tool. I have decided that today I would catch all of you up on our "Crazy Life". A lot has happened since Easter and I need to share it with you. And I for the life of me cannot get any video to upload. I will work on that or maybe I should learn how to operation YouTube? Any constructive thougths there????

My life is seriously a crazy one, but if it weren't I wouldn't know what to do with my life. I love being busy and haven't learned how to say NO yet, I could use some coaching there too...

Flying Kites on Easter 2009

Just Foolin' Around...

I recently got a new digital camera because I lost the memory card to my old one behind my desk and it would take an act of congress to move it to retreive it. I know that you would tell me to go purchase another memory card...Well, I did try three different cards and no avail, so I broke down and bought a new one. So far I am getting used to it and like it. The best part is that my children haven't figured out how to run it yet so it is still intact!!

We were outside enjoying a nice, but windy, day with the swing set and new baby calf, Juliet.

Uploading Issues...

So it seems that I am having a technical difficulty when it comes to uploading the video of Haylee and Noah in the garage, I am still trying and hope that I can please everyone with the video soon. Keep checking back, it might be there...

Noah, Unlock the Door!

So, I ran into a friend at the local grocery story and she commented that she loved the story about Noah and the counter. I said thanks and that there were several other stories that I hadn't taken the time to share on our blog, but needed too. Then I rounded another aisle and yet another person asked if Derek had made it home? I was a little puzzled and couldn't for the life of me think of what she was referring too...
Here's how the story goes...
One Sunday after church we decided to grill steaks and enjoy the afternoon with the family, of course, I never know when the grill will run empty on propane (today was the day) and I sent Derek to town with Noah to exchange the tank because after all I couldn't watch him and get the rest of lunch ready when he is continually sneaking out the locked doors and into the steer pen. So off they go in Derek's pickup and it was taking at least 30 minutes or longer when the phone rang and it was Derek asking if I could please bring the extra set of keys in because Noah had locked the pickup doors as soon as Derek got out! And Derek kept coaching him to please hit the button on the door to unlock, but Noah could only lock it!! And with everyone enjoying the laugh Derek called for the keys. Only in a small town could so many enjoy the comedy at the local gas station!! As I am on my way to town, I met Derek coming home. So when I got back I asked how he was able to get back into the pickup? Just by chance, Noah hit the unlock button on the remote which was on the keychain with the keys in the ignition. And that is why several were concerned about Derek making it home since he was locked out of the pickup for 30 minutes in front of Crossroads and the staff there were still laughing about it two days later.

The preface to the story...
In January I volunteered to help take tickets at the theater and then the girls could watch the show Despereaux and Derek would take Noah since he can't sit or stay still for more than a minute. So off to the movie the girls and I go and while I am finishing up the tickets, Derek calls on his cell phone but I cannot hear him because there is something seriously wrong with his phone and I told him that he would just have to call me when he got home. About 10 minutes passes and he calls back while I'm getting refreshments at the concession stand and asks me if there is an extra set of keys to his pickup? And I answer of course, but why does he need them? He said that as soon as he put Noah in the pickup and shut the door that he locked all the doors before Derek could even get around the pickup! And to top it off he coached Noah for over 30 minutes hit the unlock button but no luck. So he was planning on taking the feed truck home to get the set of keys and return to unlock the doors when suddenly he hit the unlock on the remote! All is well and Noah was having a swell time playing inside the pickup, driving, turning etc. Daddy wasn't so pleased, but enjoyed the laugh!!

I think that we might have to invest in those spare key holders that you put under the carriage of the vehicle for easy rescue or it is time to enroll in OnStar!! You can all be the judge, but I think that Noah is pretty inovative and FAST!! It seems that he can't be trusted really any where, literally.

Silly Noah

I wanted to share some photos of Noah and his cute little antics. The first one here is a time when he painted himself with the glitter paint of stars and other shapes and colors. It took several baths to get all of it out. I think at least three days passed before it was all gone! Then he took a little tumble down the stairs because his sister were playing rock star concert in the dark and he couldn't find his footings coming down the tile stairs! I was so scared that we would have to violate my "NO ER" policy, but all turned out well. I just bank on a permanent bruise on his forehead. Then there are some photos of Noah goofing around and they always make me smile!!