More garden...

Melon and squash patch. You can see the butternuts
Cucumber patch. There are also peppers and eggplants in there. The cukes are going crazy.

Ryan has been canning a lot of pickles. I think 20 jars so far...

Purple beans are really good and harvest after green and yellow beans.

Second harvest of green beans is on its way.

Garden update

White pumpkin

peach (they tripled in size in less than a week)
Cauliflower

grapes (duh)

Blackberries are just starting to ripen


I've been talking about updating garden pictures and finally am getting around to it. I took these photos yesterday.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. We went to her grave and put up new flowers (blue, mom's favorite color). Madeline picked out a birthday ribbon and tied a red balloon to the flower vase.

Madeline lost her second tooth yesterday afternoon at kids club. She was chewing on a towel and yanked. I don't think she intended it to come out but was very happy. She said it didn't hurt at all!

Today Madeline was complaining about a stomach ache. Unfortunately around 3pm she threw up and is now laying around watching television. Otherwise everyone is doing well.

Another day

I am not exactly sure what I want to write about but I feel a compelling urge to write. I will just start to recap my week: Ryan went to Las Vegas this week. Thankfully both Mary and Michelle helped me out. Annie just finished her fourth day with a fever and home from school. I believe she'll be going back tomorrow morning. I've moved into my new office and today hired a new employee; Michelle. She's from Modesto California. I am eager for her to start. Madeline wished that she was the Michelle from Papillion, but that wasn't an option. Work is ferociously busy. Today was a day full of meetings regarding a potential minor league stadium in the county. That will be an interesting venture. Tomorrow we're all having dinner with Joyce and Steve down in the old market.

Yesterday I was feeling very sad and missing my mom quite a bit. It's not like I don't miss my dad, but it's different with mothers. So many times in the past few months I've yearned to dial her number and call her on the phone. I spent a lot of time last night thinking about her house, the rooms, how it looked after we prepared it for sale. I tried to push out the desire to think about the last time we spent time alone together before she went into the nursing home. All of this was probably brought on by the fact that I temporarily lost my necklace from them. When I received my bachelor's degree my mom and dad presented me with a diamond necklace in a bevel setting on a gold snake chain. The diamond is the stone that my dad gave to my mom upon proposal. It's a cherished piece for me and one that often brings me peace in stressful situations. I used it for many years to think of my dad, but now it represents them both. I found it yesterday under my chest of drawers. I asked on Sunday that it come back to me and three short days later it did. It had been missing for a couple of weeks. I believe the nostalgia was brought on by the discovery of the necklace but regardless of the reason a low painfull sadness aches in my heart.

Misc. Pics from recent

Swimming lessonsAt the 4th of July parade (Ron, Michelle, Madeline, Me and Annalise)

Ron with the girls

Annie at the zoo on the Fifth of July

The train engineer let Madeline and Annie sit on the engine. He also taught Madeline how to use all of the different buttons and ropes
Storm last week

Storm from a couple of weeks ago

Not sure what's going on here

Annie just being cute

Birthday - Annie style

More party pictures

Before the party

Decorating aprons/hats

Decorating cakes

The group after gift opening

Jumping away...

Par-tay

The cake

The table before guests arrived

The mini cakes and favor bags

Happy Birthday song

Sponge Bob

Madeline had her SIXTH birthday party today. It was by far the easiest party I've ever thrown. Everything went beautifully. Our friends Scott and Marcie helped a lot (thank you!). All but one invitee RSVP'd to come but three were unable to attend last minute. The group was perfect. They were all EXTREMELY well behaved and had a great time.

After everyone arrived they decorated their aprons and chef hats. Then they decorated their cakes. After decorating cakes Madeline opened her gifts (everyone was very generous and she loves everything) then we ate the princess castle cake. We finished right on time and everyone was able to go outside for a few minutes and jump on the trampoline (everyone all at the same time). Unfortunately we did have one injury as Ethan hurt his knee during a jump. It was an excellent birthday and has renewed my faith in birthday parties at home!

SIX!!!

The night before, sleeping with her present

Bright and early, opening that present (clothes, which she wore that day)

Getting ready to rip into the gifts

She loved her gifts

Blowing out the candles with Grandma, Grandpa and us

Yahoo, the wait is over. Madeline is SIX years old. She opened her presents, blew out her candles, ate her cake and ice cream and celebrated with us, grandma and grandpa. She was a little overstimulated at times, but overall did just fine.

Six years ago...

Madeline was born and we became parents. I informed Madeline that she had just 1/3 of a day before her birthday and she was very excited. Her birthday is tomorrow and Saturday is her party. So far Lissa, Andi, Sydney, Kara, Emily, Ethan, and Annie are coming. I ordered 11 "smash" cakes and a LARGE castle cake from Hy Vee. Grandma and Grandpa are coming over tomorrow with ice cream. Not sure what I am doing about cake tomorrow.

The kids will decorate aprons and chef hats then commence decorating their individual cakes. I don't really have a plan set for Sat. I probably need to figure out some type of game or something besides the cake decorating. It's hard to think about things like that this week between her birthday, swimming lessons, night planning commission, and night board of adjustment. Perhaps tomorrow I will think about that. Anyway may feel free to provide suggestions!

Happy Fourth of July!

While the rest of the United States celebrates the fourth of july, I mulled around my house feeling sorry for myself. Earlier today I left my purse in a cart at Target. I cannot even tell you how irritated I am at myself, having lost not just my credit cards and checks but more importantly my keys to both vehicles, to my house and work. All my pictures of my girls in my wallet plus my cell phone and PDA. Gone. GONE. I wish I had the pictures back. The baby shots of Madeline and Annalise. I suppose I have copies somewhere...somewhere. Anyway, think positive thoughts that I may get it back, even if it's without the cell phone and pda.

Ok, the positive thoughts worked. Ryan put his two new suits on top of my purse and when he moved them to put them into the closet, viola! There was my purse, full of its copious contents. Yay! Unfortunately every account known to man has been shut down and I will, yet again, get a new set of credit cards and checks. They know us pretty well by now... "yeah, you're the people who always lose your crap!". Yep, that's us! :) But the good thing is that we always seem to find it! :)