Summer Fun!

We set up the Elmo sprinkler for Kael to run through since it was so hot. He thought he should just drink it until I demonstrated how to run through it....thank goodness no one got a picture of that. It actually felt really good because it was so humid outside and with my MS, I just can't take the heat....more like, I just can't process the heat. My body doesn't know what to do when I get hot, so I just shut down. I guess more water and pool time is in store for Kael this summer!

Grandpa and Grandma Newman were in ND (from Kansas) because Terry's grandmother passed away. So, here I caught a picture of Grandpa helping Kael with a bubble machine they got him for his birthday. Took him a minute to get the hang of blowing, but he finally got it! And yes, he is just in undies and not shorts, because we are working on potty training!

Ladies Men

Here is Kael with his buddy Cayden, sporting their "Ladies Man" t-shirts. Aren't they adorable? Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog...

Oh, I love me a good coffee date and play date for the kids....the little boys aren't going to like us mom's some day for this!

Where in the World is Kael?

Looking out the back door of my sisters house onto her deck, I saw this:

Then I heard giggling and found this:

Kael, Aubrey, and Evan (cousins) all hanging out and drinking from their little cups. Kael thought this was a HUGE treat!

Took him home and the next morning I couldn't find him again....and found him doing this:

Yep, he got into his closet, pulled up his handy tool bench, reached for the "powder" and went to town. Oye...this boy is hard to keep up with!

Happy 60th!

We surprised my Dad with a little 60th birthday celebration. Not sure why I didn't take more pictures, but here are some with Papa, Nana, and all the grand kids.

Papa and his 3 grandsons. When you ask Kael how old he is, he says "two". When you ask Kael how old Papa is, he says "OLD"!

Kael trying to ride an old trike I rode when I was little. He can't peddle yet, so he is pushing with his tippy toes.

Aubrey (6), McKenzie (7), Mara (8), and Evan (5) all eating at Papa's surprise party!

It turned out to be a really good day. We played a couple games of Bocce ball, tricked my Dad really good, and even got him to play a game of Dominoes. The kids had fun running around and playing together, too!

Potty Training 101

We decided to start potty training Kael this week, since I stayed home the entire week and babysat my friends' 5 week old baby. I tried to do the "potty training in a day" theory where you are naked from the waist down and let it run down your leg gross feeling. It seems to be working. Here are pictures of me entertaining him in the kitchen where carpet wasn't involved in the clean up (if you catch my drift)!

Eating batter on the potty in the kitchen!

Putting together party favors for his upcoming birthday party.

Couldn't resist this one...having a treat of some sort with no undies!

My little baby looks SO BIG compared to Taylor (5 weeks old). Notice the "big boy undies"!?!

Praying for another successful week of potty training. Man, it is more work than I thought it would be!

That's Life!

This picture feels like MY life right now. He is pouring himself a bowl of Life cereal and poured a little more than he bargained for. We've had so much going on and been crazy busy, that I feel like my "bowl" is "overflowing"!

Yesterday we went to Kael's little friend's birthday party. The twins turned 3 and it was so fun to help with the John Deere cake. It took us many, many hours, but it was worth the look on Tanner and Hunter's faces when they saw their cake.

After the birthday party we went to my friend Laura's baby shower for little Taylor. Can't wait to babysit her all next week. Other than she is coming before 7:00am and I am not used to that! I am anxious to see what it will be like watching a newborn and a toddler. Yikes!

We are off to Bismarck today for Kael's 2 year old pictures and a family get together. Better run...loading up on Dunkin' Donuts coffee and a bowl of Life to keep me going!

Facebook and Viruses

I was so frustrated yesterday. I opened a facebook message from someone that I trusted and I got a nasty virus on my computer (come to find out, this person didn't actually send me the message). So, after my computer went crazy, I updated and installed new anti-virus protection and I am good to go. You would think that I would get off of facebook, right? But, I guess I am too addicted!

With the viruses on my computer, I thought I was going to lose all my pictures and videos. I was so sad about this, knowing I had videos of Kael from when he was a baby that I hadn't done anything with. I am ecstatic to tell you that they are not lost. Here is one that I LOVE from when he was 20 weeks old. He is so happy in this video, and this was after his colicky stage!

Buckets my Baby!

After Isabella died 3 years ago, Terry decided to cheer me up with a puppy. We decided to go with the miniature schnauzer breed since they are great with kids and don't shed! I had never had a house dog before and knew nothing about owning a pet. But, I instantly fell in love with him and he is totally my baby. Poor thing...I carried him around like a baby, dressed him up in onesies and every dog outfit I could find, and LOVED on him! The past couple days he had been acting lethargic and just not quite himself and then actually got sick. We took him to the vet and to make a very long story short...he will be fine. Now he is going to get a lot more TLC from me this week! Since I was scared of losing him, my mind went back to when he was a puppy and was so dang cute. I just had to share my baby Buckets!

This is my all time favorite picture of Kael and Buckets together. They absolutely are best friends and they both love each other so much. I thank God for both these babies in my life!

Happy 6th Anniversary!

Terry and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary last weekend. Honestly, it feels like WAY longer than that. We have actually been together for 10 years, but married for 6. We have been through SO much together that it is hard to believe we were once so young and naive. Happy 6th Anniversary Babe!

The day before our anniversary I had primed the back entry way of the house and had left the gallon of primer (now 1/2 empty) sitting back there. Well, the next day, Kael wanted to go outside at lunch time and decided to throw a HUGE fit and "throw" the can of primer down. I wish I would have taken a picture of all the destruction, but I was to busy getting it off our NEW kitchen floor, the dining room set, and the heater. I left the splashes on the wall, because I can paint over that. But here is the proof:

My parents and my sister, Lynelle, came down for the afternoon to help Terry and I put up the fence in our backyard. Terry and I already had all the holes dug and the posts put in, it was just the day to stretch the chain link. Lynelle watched Kael (thank goodness his aunt came to his rescue because I was still very mad at him) and the rest of us worked on the fence.

It is so nice to have the fence up and for Kael and Buckets to be able to go outside and play! Overall it was a good anniversary, though we didn't do anything special, it was nice to be together and work on our home projects.

Now I will leave you with this BEAUTIFUL picture of Isabella's tree. We planted it 3 years ago this month and it is blooming so amazingly. I can only imagine how beautiful and gorgeous the flowers and tress in Heaven must look to her. I can't wait to see her again!!!

Artsy Fartsy

I found this VERY UGLY picture at a rummage sale for $1.00. I wish I would have taken a picture of the whole thing before I painted over it, but here it is 1/2 primed. I remembered about half way through to grab my camera!

I painted the whole canvas the "Cincinnati Hotel Briggs Beige" that my living room is painted first. Then gave Kael the sage green paint from the kitchen and let him go to town.After the green dried, we went on to "Merlot" and then "chocolate chip brown". These are all colors in my house and I had the leftover paint. So, for only $1.00, a little mess, and a good time, I now have abstract art to hang up in my house. Maybe over my couch?

Not exactly what I envisioned it to turn out to be. But, it's pretty cool that Kael did this all on his own and it matches my house. What do you think?