Because little is hard to keep....

My new favorite saying... because it's true.  They all seem so big now, but they are all little, and they are hard to keep that way.

I love these three more than l ever thought I could love.  More than life itself.  I am BLESSED beyond measure.

Screaming.

Screaming is soooo not my favorite thing.  Here is a list of things that causes screaming, escalates screaming, or instigates screaming in harmony.

• When Dad goes outside to mow the lawn, without any of his sons (like now.  right now.)
• When one brother has a snack, and the other doesn't.
• When someone has a chocolate milk, and the other doesn't.
• When Mom leaves.
• When mom comes home.
• When I offer chocolate pudding.
• When it's time to get out of the bathtub.
• When it's time to clean up
• When it's time for bed
• When they wake up.
• In the middle of the night, just because.
• When Mom says "no."
• When....

you get the point.  it's not EVERY time one of these things happens that there is screaming, but the potential is there.

Anyone have some earplugs I can borrow?  And a few pairs for the neighbors too?

Wyatt, oh Wyatt, let me count thy ways to love you.

Have I mentioned lately how absolutely in love with this little guy we are?  Everyone.  Not just me, not just Tyler, not just Wayne and Weston.  EVERYONE loves Wyatt! (maybe he can star in his own sitcom someday!)  

And let me also add... little Wyatt is coming out of his shell!  He is a huge explorer, and loves to investigate things.  He is pulling himself up on furniture, and even letting go and standing "hands-free."  One of these days, I think he's just going to take off WALKING and our lives will again, never be the same.  

 

And you might not have guessed, but Wyatt is also a HUGE eater.  He can out-eat both of us brothers, which is saying something!  For all of his easygoing nature though, there is one thing he will not budge on.  Drinking from a bottle.  He will not drink from a sippy cup, a cup, or a cup with a straw.  He will only drink from a bottle.  And only milk, and only warm milk.  Alas, if this is our biggest struggle in his lifespan of 14 months, I think I'll accept it. 

 Oh yeah, and he is a MESSY eater!

It was the last garage sale ever... :-)

I promise you, today was the longest day that I've had in a very, very long time.  We have lived here for over 9 years now, and have NEVER had a garage sale.  It's a prime location, with lots of traffic, good parking, and a nice long driveway to display our wares...  but alas we have not ever had a garage sale here.  That's because I think they are a lot of work.  So I've donated to the Beld garage sale, and allowed them the privilege of doing all the work.  :-)  But this year, both mom and us had so much stuff, we decided to do a big sale.  A really big sale.  I plead temporary insanity.  I'd rather volunteer an entire day in Wayne's preschool than relive today!

In all fairness, I have a really, really bad headcold/sinus infection.  

Anyway....  there was a LOT of STUFF!  Here it is, just as we finished prepping on Friday.  Our garage was full, with no less than 11 tables, plus all down the driveway, up to the sidewalk.

 

When Saturday morning rolled around, my trusty SIL Tanya was here to helpout wherever needed, but she mostly watched her adorable nephews.  Bless her!

Wayne was pretty excited for his very first "lemonade" (APPLE CIDER) stand.  When I asked him how much he should charge, he told me, "Two monies!  That's enough!"

 All in all, it was a very successful, but exhausting sale.  I learned that garage sales are a lot of work, our house is a PRIME location, and people will buy anything if it's a good deal!

It's GARAGE SALE day!

Saturday, September 25
8am until 2pm
Rain or Shine!

At our house!

We keep talking about having a sale.
We keep stashing stuff into the "sale pile"
We keep saying "next weekend"
... but now it really is time to have one big GIGANTIC garage sale!

We've got household decor, toys, bikes, stroller, candles, books, coffee tables, filing cabinets, and kiddie pool, flower urns, wicker chairs. The list goes on and on and on and on. You've gotta come check it out!

And it's Christmas in September, we've got more than 50 boxes of Christmas stuff!

Our husbands say everything must go, because they are not going to help us pack it up! Prices are low, there's tons of stuff, what more could you want in a garage sale? Can't wait to see what treasures you find!

Can't wait for the weekend.

Hello Blog Readers!

My how the weeks fly by!  Wayne has been in school a few weeks now, and he is LOVING his class.  He adores his teacher, is meeting new friends, and is learning a ton.  I was "teacher Tanya" on Wednesday this week, and I was amazed at how much they all did in 2 1/2 hours.  I am glad that I don't have to do that every day!  One day was fun, but....  That is like our home school preschool on steroids!  And teachers don't make enough money...

Where was I?  Oh yeah, giving an update! 

Weston - Weston knows the sounds that every letter of the alphabet makes.  He still can't really talk, but he knows his letters!  I wish I could say he learned them from me, but a DVD in the car was his teacher.  He is a sweet, sweet boy, and loves to snuggle, give me kisses, and when I ask him, "Who do you love?" he shouts "MA!" 

Wyatt is still unbelievably adorable.  He never fusses, loves to snuggle, and his personality is showing more and more each day.  He is a GOOF, and loves to dance to music.  He is still teeny tiny, and is in 12-18 month clothes, which are plenty big on him.  His shoe size is a 4 though!  Maybe there is hope for him yet...

Tyler and I have been busy wrapping up projects.  A few outside things - like adding drainage rock to our downspouts, and pruning and trimming every bush in the yard, cutting back hasta, and tearing out the garden have been done.  I also tackled the house, doing a "spring cleaning" in the fall - cleaning everything, organizing every drawer.  Fun times!  :-)  Next up is a HUGE garage sale this weekend.  We are prepping tomorrow, and then the sale is Saturday from 8am until 2pm.  Come on buy if you want to check it out and help us get rid of our stuff!  There are 5 different families contributing, so it will be HUGE!

Okay, I'm coming down with a cold, so I'm heading to bed early.  Night!

Introducing Aaron and Kelsey Tolsma

Last weekend, my cousin Kelsey married the love of her life (and a very sweet guy) Aaron.  I have been preparing for this wedding for months, helping out with different things here and there, and I was sooo excited that the BIG EVENT was finally here!  Wayne was pretty excited too.  He counted down the sleeps from 7 to 1, until he finally got to be a bell ringer on the big day.  His only two "demands" for his services were to have a flower for his pocket, and food to eat.  He never got his flower, but was okay substituting it for a weed.  Easy to please!  Some of their outdoor pictures were taken at a friends' house on the Pangborn, and it was a STUNNING location, with moody clouds and everything!

 

Katie and Kolby...  two other bell ringers.

 

These are all the bell ringers.... all twelve of them!

 

Three beautiful Beld girls.

 

Here are two of my favorite ladies...  

My mother and my "other" mother!  :-)  My aunt and I are so alike, it's a little ridiculous!  I can't tell you the joy in my heart this day...  That she was healthy and vibrant, and drop dead gorgeous, and HERE.  With all of her girls.  Over 12 years ago, when I was a junior in high school, Auntie Shelly went straight from a doctor's appointment in Lynden, to Seattle to be treated for leukemia.  All five of the girls came and stayed with us, while she fought the cancer.  God healed her, and to see her share this day with her girls...  Words can't describe my hearts' gratefulness.  Did I mention she looked ridiculously gorgeous? 

All of Kelsey's sisters sang, "How Beautiful" during the ceremony.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  A real tear jerker, that's for sure!!! 

Kelsey with her wedding boy.

 

Their reception was at the rotary building, and the highlight was a program put on by Kelsey's aunt and her dad's cousin.  Hilarious, doesn't begin to describe what they all pulled off.  There was a skit where they showed how to be a good dutchman by cutting up your Sunday shirt, just so, so that you could make a washcloth, diaper, hankie, etc, and then put your jacket on and still wear the shirt to church.  The skit was a little funny in itself, but then the guy asked for any other member's of their "secret" society who liked to pinch pennies to stand up.  My grandpa stood up, and I could see my Aunt Shelly telling him to sit down.  We all thought he didn't hear right, and was standing up because he thought all the dutch people were supposed to stand.   

And then he took his jacket off, and the look on Auntie Shelly's face was PRICELESS.  The entire room roared with laughter.  It was a family highlight, for sure!Truly one of the most beautiful wedding I've seen.  Stunning.  My mom is one amazing lady!Rather than have cake, Kelsey had an old hay wagon full of candy and goody bags, and then had homemade bars, cookies and small cheesecakes served.  What a creative idea!After the bride and groom's first dance, the music cut out, and all the bridesmaids and a lot of their friends and cousins made their way to the dance floor, and did the Miley Cyrus Hoe Down song. 

What a fabulous evening, and a start of a wonderful marriage.  Congrats guys!

I'll call it a Chair Pod

I've got a brilliant invention.  It would like like one of those "Green Egg" BBQ/smoker things.  But it would have soft rubber feet, and be in your kitchen or dining room.  Then, when you push a button, the lid would retract to reveal a high chair.  Place your kid in the chair, feed them all the messy food you want (spaghetti, top ramen, ice cream, pancakes with syrup).  To clean up, simply removed your child, close the lid, and push the "clean" button.  The Pod would automatically flush all the grime and sticky grossness away, leaving a sparkling Pod, ready for the next meal!!!  There are some details to iron out with the plumbing of it all, and one MAJOR food grinder, but I think it's a million dollar idea.  What mom wouldn't want that?

I can't make you all happy...

Some of you hate when I post scrapbook pictures....

 

and some of you love it when I post scrapbook pages....

 

And I can't make you both happy!

Page, Again!

Page! Page! Page!

I've been cranking through a few pages... determined that I will NOT fall more than one year behind!  I can't remember when the last time I posted was, but here are some recent pages.  What do you think?

I love Fall Sundays.

I have been looking forward to this day for at least two weeks now.  Tyler is off, Kelsey's wedding is over, the Seahawks are playing....  Can it get any better?

Oh yes, it can!


The boys are going down for naps, and I have nothing to do except scrapbook!  :-)

Life has been BUSY lately.  It's always busy, but we are moving away from the "all I did all day was take care of three kids" to "I took care of three kids and ____________."  Things like me working (I am now working Tuesdays and Thursdays) taking Wayne to and from preschool, running errands, tackling cleaning projects, sorting through kids clothes... all these things take time!  We had a few hours yesterday after Tyler got home from fishing the Fraser and we tackled the yard.  We've had a lot of plants that God intended to be bigger than what our yard can handle.  I called Ryan and Tara, and Ryan was here 15 minutes later to collect the "donation."  I dig 'em, you get 'em outta here!!!  We filled his truck bed, and then moved a few other plants around.  I think it's improving out there!  And the rain today is great, since we've been patching grass seed here and there too.  Bring on fall!

Wayne has been to preschool twice, and he loves it.  He talks NONSTOP about Teacher Pam, snacktime, and all that he is learning.  Poor Weston is really lost without him at home, and just wanders from room to room until it's time to go pick him up.  Wyatt is still the most amazing baby known to man.  We have three kids, but honestly it still feels like just the work of two!  :-)  Wyatt has learned patty cake/how to clap his hands, can gives kisses, and is the most adorable "bye-bye" waver that you've ever seen. 

Oh shoot!  I know what I forgot to tell you!  WESTON IS DONE WITH HIS BINKY!!!!  Can you believe it?  I was talking with my friend, who told me she was buying her last box of diapers and that was IT, her daughter would just have to figure out the potty training thing.  I was so inspired by her resolve...  I gathered all Wesotn's binky's and hid them.  It was last weekend, and Tyler was working, so when he got home and we were getting the boys ready for bed, and he asked where Weston's binky was...  I told him it was gone.  Finished.  Done.  Weston is big boy now!  The look on his face was UTTER shock.  I still don't know what got into me, but we did it!  Weston asked for it a few times, and cried for no more than 5 minutes each time when he went to bed for the first few days, but that was it.  It was the easiest thing ever, so very different from breaking Wayne of the binky habit, that is for sure!  Wayne cried for days, weeks...  It was traumatic!  But not Weston, he is one tough kid!

Okay folks, I'm off to enjoy a 30 minute nap before I start scrapping!

Quotes from the Oldest but nut necessarily the Wisest

1.  Said just before I started Tyler's truck, which Wayne and I were taking to Kelsey's wedding pictures:

              "Do you even know how to drive this thing?"

2.  Said while waiting for surprise company to arrive:

              "Is it a girl?  It is?  I will make 

our house look BEAUTIFUL first!"

3.  Said while walking across the parking lot to preschool:

              "I don't need to hold your hand Mom, 

I'm in preschool."

While I'm thinking of it...

Yesterday I was in a continuing professional education class at work for 8 hours, and my mind wandered a few times... to my birthday list!  So for anyone interested....(Hint-hint!  :-)



Brown Leather Bible
External Hard drive - 1 terabyte
Wireless 4 or 8 gig SD card
Scrap Orchard gift certificate
New Bible study - a Beth Moore one?
Car wash certificate
New watch



Hmm... How that list has changed over the years!!!!  I remember asking for saddle soap and horse blanket one year, for a bike, for a day without changing diapers, for decorating stuff for the house, for smelly candles...  So here's this years list!!!!


And as an FYI:  I turned our heat on this morning.  67 degrees was not cutting it around here!  Wyatt's little hands were FREEZING!

Happy Wedding Day Kelsey and Aaron!

My cousin Kelsey is getting hitched today... Wayne is a bell ringer in their wedding, so we're in for a busy and fun filled day!  Can't wait to celebrate with all those crazy Beld's!  :-)

Wayne's First Day of Preschool

We had a great morning, getting ready for the big day.  Wayne was so excited...  he wanted pop tarts for breakfast, and he was excited to put on his shirt.  After playing with trains for a little while, it was time for a round of pictures before we left.  He dutifully indulged me!

Tyler's all time favorite movies are the "Rocky" series...  Wayne LOVES his Rocky shirt, and had to give me "the pose."  I can practically hear Tyler moaning, "Yo Adri!"

Isn't he precious?

We loaded all the kids, and drove him to school together.  This is me gripping Tyler's hand like my life depended on it on the way there....

And here's Wayne, going into the door of his very first school.  He said he didn't need me to hold his hand, he was a preschooler now!!!

Wayne went right in to class, washed his hands, and started playing.  He was sooo excited!  When I told him that I was going to go (I didn't want to hang around and create a problem) he said to wait, he had to give me a big kiss.  Then, he made sure there would be a snack, and that his Dad would come and get him, and then told me, "Okay, mom, I love you!" 

And I love you too Wayne!



Poor Weston was lost without his big brother for the morning.  Tyler said he roamed the house for 2 1/2 hours, not knowing what to do.  Before we left to bring Wayne, Weston had to stick his favorite bear in his own "pack-pack" and pose for his "First day of Wayne's Preschool" picture. 

P.S.  Weston, don't get any crazy ideas about going to school anytime.  You are still TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL!