It's daddy's birthday!

It's daddy's birthday! We have a lot of birthday-ing going on around here!

We are grilling burgers and have an ice cream cake to celebrate. Then, it will be business as usual as we have gymnastics and Mama needs to work tonight for the graduation ceremony. Busy busy!

This picture is from our weekend hike at Cuivre river state park. It was in the upper 80's and daddy carried Gemma for close to 3 miles. What a trooper! William and Amelia also get some recognition- they hiked the whole thing as well. I was impressed by the lack of complaining from our oldest child until I realized he was getting happier and happier to be in the woods. The more his sister complained, the sunnier his disposition became.

Happy birthday John!

Behind, behind

We have been running around like crazy.

The weekend before Memorial Day, we traveled to Des Moines to attend John's niece's confirmation.

The next weekend we drove to Minnesota to visit my parents and help them pack for their move across town.

The weekend after Memorial Day was Amelia's Big Dance Show.  She was amazing and wonderful!  But, a busy weekend with rehearsals, show times and a bonus soccer team pool party.

This last weekend we attended Boy Scout family camp with William's Boy Scout Group.  We camped out Friday-Sunday and had a wonderful time.

In between, we squeezed in the last day of school for the kids and have been attending outdoor concerts in the park, eating from food trucks and composing summer wish lists.  It's been busy and it's been fun.


The laundry is finally getting caught up and it looks like we are going to be home this weekend.  All this to say, I know if has been quiet around here and I am hoping to change that up soon.

The birthday girl

Will not cooperate. Of course not.

Happy 3rd Birthday Gemma!

Gemma, the Bean, is 3!   It is just a little unbelievable that she is THREE!

Gemma was the first one up today and informed me "Get up!  It my burpday (birthday)!"

Yes, it was.  So I got up.

She requested a pint (pink) birthday cake, so we made one for her last night.  She received many, many generous presents from family and friends.

She heard many, many rounds of "happy birthday" from her siblings, parents, grandparents and one plucky great grandma.

All in all, it was a very fun day to be Gemma and we were so lucky to spend it with her.

Funny things

1.  We went to see my parents a few weekends ago.  We left later than planned and ended up picking up dinner on the road instead of eating with my parents.

When we pulled up, the aroma of grilling filled the air.

We walked into the house and my parents were in the middle of eating.

Amelia popped herself up onto a stool next to my dad.

Amelia: That smells sooooooooooo good!  Especially the french fries!!  They smell sooooooo good!

Grandpa: Didn't you already eat?

Amelia: Ohh.  Yes. I already ate.

Amelia: But, you should still share with me.

Grandpa: I should?  You think so?

Amelia: Yes.  Yes you should.  You should share with me because I am so funny!

Grandpa: (snort and gives a half laugh) Because you are funny?

Amelia: See? I just made you laugh.  Share with me.


and then grandpa handed off the french fries.

______


2.  Keeping summer hours with the kids has been fun.  Gemma still needs to sleep early as she has dropped her nap, but the big kids can stay up a little later as they don't have school in the morning.  Tonight, the kids picked to have a scavenger hunt.  John and I wrote clues for 2 separate scavenger hunts and hid the clues.

On William's clue I wrote the following in my best handwriting:

A picture of Mom and Dad before they got married.

Then I put it on the picture of us from when we got engaged.

William looked and looked before coming to us for help.

Turns out, he was looking for a picture of John and I before we were maimed.


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3. At breakfast, William and Amelia were fighting.  Fighting and fighting and fighting.  Fighting the only the way brothers and sisters will.  Despite my best efforts, there was no distracting or dissuading them from their endless fight.  Soon, Gemma started trying to get them to stop.  In the end, three kids were yelling at each other across the table at each other and no one could hear the other.  It was absolutely a picture of domestic bliss.

Finally a lull in the fight occurred and I loving told my gorgeous children the next one of them to talk, scream or peep would be losing their privileges.  Gemma wasn't done yet.

She stood up in her chair, spoon in hand and pointed her spoon at William.

"You not listening!"

Spoon pointed to Amelia.

"You not listening!"

Both hands pointed back at herself.

"I not listening either!!!"

You leave a toddler alone...

For just 1 minute........

Last day of school

It is the last day of school! Unlike most other years, it is a brisk 50 degrees outside instead of 90+ degrees!

William is completing 2nd grade and Amelia is completing 1st grade!

Gemma is just silly!