Halloween 2009

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I updated the blog! I think I got a little off track when I smashed my camera after zooming down the driveway and forgetting I had set it on the hood of the van. (I knew that was a really bad idea right when I did it, too.) And, our home laptop crashed, so now Shane has to bring his home from work when I want to check email until we can get a new one. But, I will try harder for you all that read this!
Life is so fun right now...sometimes challenging with 3 little ones, like while running errands, but still so fun. I am homeschooling Andie this year for Kindergarten and we joined a homeschooling co-op. This is all very new to us, so we'll see. She loves to draw and craft and makes me little pictures that say, "love Mommy" all the time. What could be better? Wyatt, 4, has started 2 day preschool and loves it. He is a bit active, and that has been a source of frustration for me when we are at group events, but we are working on it. And little Sawyer,20 months, has just gone potty in the potty chair for the first time-woohoo! I know it is a bit early for that, but I just decided to put the little chair in the bathroom to see...and I'm ecstatic!

Two cowboys and a 50s gal...that fits together, right? :) Shane took this pic and cut off their little boots and saddle shoes! Ugg! Oh, well, I did actually get the video camera out tonight, too.

apple pick'in

oh, glamorous me...

...as illustrated by my daughter Andie, who just turned 5. According to her, this is me standing by the sink in my robe blowing my nose (complete with a bow in my hair). I guess artists do draw what they see around them. Next time I'll have to ask her to give me some more notice before a portrait. :)

We have been having a terrific and busy summer packed with swim lessons, a few summer dance classes, music camp, birthdays...so I'll try to post some more pictures soon!

Chicken Coop Helpers

Building the chicken coop

The important job: Hold this corner.
Papa helping him grip it the best way.

Chicken Coop Helpers

Sissy's project...hammering!

Sawyer watching sissy for a second - no hammer for baby!

At Last!

I know you've all been waiting for the outcome of our chick project... I apologize for the delay! So, here they are - we hatched 27 out of 29 eggs! (We were only planning on about 8...hmmm.) I think we are going to give a few away and keep the rest. They are very cozy under a heat lamp in the basement for now, but only for another week or so. Then Shane will have to figure out the coop situation. I feel the need to replace their bedding and water every day because they poo all over and get wood chips in their water. I even propped the water up on a cake pan, but they still manage to get wood chips all over. I think I may be overdoing it with the sanitary conditions, but--eww! The water looks yellow due to a vitamin supplement added to it. Oh, boy-new territory for this city girl!

June 09

the pond

Shane taught the kids how to cast their little poles a few weeks ago. They picked up on it really quickly, and each caught a little bluegill.

Project Chicks

Okay, so Shane brings home this egg incubator thingy and all these eggs and says we are going to hatch our very own chickens!! We had talked about this, but since we have no chicken coop and know absolutely nothing about chickens I thought the actual project would be quite a ways down the road. Oh, boy. The eggs have to be turned 3 times a day and kept at a cozy 99.5 degrees and a decent humidity. After Wyatt dropped one while putting them into their little "egg house" (as we call the incubator) we decided to use the automatic egg turner option. Just plug it in and it gently turns the eggs around the clock. Shane and the kids made a long paper chain to pull off a link each day until hatch time. After several temperature mishaps, (they got a bit too hot - not sure how this happened) it is now about day 25 and still no hatching. (A few friends have suggested we make a trip to the feed store and just buy a few chicks to stick in there...) The picture is Wyatt playing little songs for the eggs on his recorder (HA!) and Andie likes to make them little crafts. It is cute!

bunny baskets

We made little Easter baskets this year. Andie and Wyatt were excited to leave them outside their door and see what the Easter bunny would bring. We considered various places to leave the baskets, (outside on the porch so the bunny could easily fill them...but then the cats might eat the candy, etc.) and finally agreed that they would be safest right outside their bedroom door. (I CAN'T WAIT to paint the rooms in the background. The family before us left a few half done projects. :)

She's got it!

Andie officially got the hang of her two wheeler today. She was so excited! After each good run, she would get off and jump up and down...telling us how she did it as if we weren't right there watching!

spring has sprung!

It was so nice out today - and Shane actually had the afternoon free - so we took the kids on the path by his folks' house (well, actually, Wyatt took off at the speed of lightning toward the path on his scooter, so I went after him with Sawyer...I didn't even have time to grab the stroller!) I knew there was a reason I got him those tennies with the flames on the sides. He is fast! So, anyway, we ended up taking a walk/bike ride/scooter ride on the path.

Daddy Date Night

Andie and Shane went to a Daddy date night at our church and it was the sweetest thing I have ever seen! She was SO excited, (and Daddy was so happy to take her, too) :) They had dinner and a little dance and made a craft together. They had the little dinner tables set up like "dinner for two" so each girl and daddy had their own table with a candle and place cards. When they were dancing, Andie wanted to be swung through Shane's legs and other fancy moves. Heehee! (Shane's secret dancing background might be exposed now).

who's bibs are these anyway?

Did anyone recognize them? I was helping Sandi clean out a trunk (after the sewer incident, you know) and these little pants surfaced. She said they were actually Uncle Greg's and that Shane also wore them. So, they have a little life left in them for Sawyer and maybe a little Grieme boy??
This is Andie pushing Sawyer in his little cart. He LOVES it! (And I do, too, because it buys me some time!) Sometimes he crawls in and just sits there yelling out - hoping someone will push him around. He is usually pretty happy to play for a while by himself, but he does like his mama! If he is at all crabby or if he can't keep up with the older two, then he wants to be held. I still can't believe he is 1! He is starting to imitate words! He holds the phone up to his head and says, " 'lo?" He will NOT sit in a high chair for more than 5 minutes, and sometimes I swear he says, "done?"
My Grandma and I. What an amazing woman! She is 92...and still living on her own. She just recovered from a broken hip and surgery and has the most spunky attitude though it all.

More snow!

The snow pile from plowing our drive makes for great play!

Happy Birthday Baby!

I can't believe my baby turned one! Gammie made him a little teddy bear cake. He was very particular about which little parts he picked off to eat - no smooshing here!
He loved the Very Hungry Caterpillar
My brother Jim and his new wife Mindy. She made the absolute BEST spring rolls for the party. Not even a crumb was left. Thank you Mindy!!!

Sawyer at the church nursery

Our main floor bathroom...yea!!!! (didn't Shane create the ultimate?)

"where a kid can be a kid" (grown ups, too!)

Shane's mom and Wyatt at air hockey

Uncle Clayton teaching Andie an advanced skee ball spin...

Aunt Chele and Wyatt concentrating on driving

Aunt Chele and Sawyer

Shane's dad, Wyatt and Shane

Thank you Gammie and Papa for the new clothes! (AND, Aunt Steph for the sweet new boots!) It was chilly, so Wyatt was keeping his hands in the sleeves - but it does fit perfect, and SO cute!

A Very Merry Christmas!

It was a really nice Christmas this year. We had my family's Christmas at our house (incentive to finish the main floor bathroom, hee hee!) My brother and all of his kids were able to come, as well as my Grandma who broke her hip just this winter. She is 92 and recovering magnificently!
Then we went to my in-laws house for another fun time with family, although it was in a shadow of sadness as Shane's Grandfather is fighting for his last days in the hospital. It was sad not having him there at Christmas to play Christmas carols on the organ, enjoy the grandkids and the "special" sugar cookie that Andie likes to make for everyone (that usually involves every kind of sprinkle).

Sawyer is a little blurry, but he was having a grand time pushing his new cart from Lake Gammie and Papa.

The Rist family photo!

This picture CRACKS me up - this Elmo doll is talking nonstop and Sawyer is just not sure... :)

Wyatt loving the classic stomp rocket

Andie and Daddy doing a new Fancy Nancy puzzle

My dad (Lake Papa) managing two wiggly boys!

National Lampoon's Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was one for the books. I don't even know where to begin...maybe with almost EVERY single person getting the stomach flu? Or, the guys getting stopped by the DNR for illegal 4 wheeling? Or maybe when the sewer backed up? Well, for complete details send a request for Sandi Sue's commentary on the day and you'll get the whole story. These were the pictures I managed to get before it all went haywire...

A brainstorming session on how to best market and launch Uncle Greg's new singing career.

My poor baby was so out of sorts. He just wanted to be held (by Aunt Sandy here).

Cousin Jason modeling his favorite leisure suit.

4th picture challenge

My friend Megan challenged everyone to open up the 4th folder of pictures you have stored on the computer and post the 4th picture from that folder explaining what it is and what it means to you. Well, apparently I'm not that organized to have all my pics in folders, but this was the 4th picture over... and it happens to be one of my all time favorites! This was Andie and Shane on a slip and slide at our good friends house - Wayne and Michelle. Andie is 2 years old and I just happened to catch the pure joy on their faces as they slid by. Thanks for the fun game, Meg!

trick or treat!

Andie and Wyatt had a terrific time on beggar's night this year! They were so excited and SO in their element with these costumes it wasn't even funny. Andie was a princess and did little ballet moves for her trick. Gammie Guely made her beautiful little dress and she loved it so much I could hardly get her to take it off. I can't count how many times she told me she loved her dress and her crown. And, Wyatt wore a vintage costume that Shane wore when he was little! (Sandi made it, too). Shane was a little older when he wore it, so it is a little big, but Wyatt just loved it. He ran around "flying" and punching the air and then would put his fists on his hips and say, "Sup-er-man! To save the day!"


The tough Superman stance and look. HA!
And little Sawyer was along for the ride - he wore the infamous bee costume that we got at a garage sale. Andie wore it, Wyatt wore it, and now the littlest bee. :) He isn't fully dressed here, I didn't have his black sweats on. But the weather was so nice on trick or treat night for a change, it was almost too hot for the sweatpants!