Dinner for................. four?

We went out for dinner with the boys! Shocking, I know. Maybe some of you eat out with your kids often, or maybe even sometimes, but we DO NOT. Wayne was 1 when we went for lunch at the Olive Garden. We went out when we were on the road trip, and that's IT. So, tonight we went to the Lynden park, then to visit Tyler's mom (she is doing REALLY well, the best we've seen her since surgery!) Then... we went for dinner at El Ranchito. The boys were very good, Wayne ate and entire basket of chips, and 3 quasadillas (dipped in sour cream, guacamole, and salsa of course.) All in all, it was delightful, and I am, dare I say, *proud* that we were able to do it. Okay, now it's baths and bed time around these parts... then a fire on the patio for Tyler and I!

scrapbooking can be depressing..

Ain't that the truth? Oh my. I was just starting to feel like I was on a roll. I am two weeks into July, and have 8 pages complete, with 2 more for this week to maintain my quota. But, I finished Wayne's book, and need to switch back to doing our family book. And here's where it all went downhill. I just spent an hour organizing pages and matching pictures to paper. Then I counted how many pages I have to do to get caught up from January through May of this year.... 33! Please keep in mind that Weston was born, so that attributes to a large part of it (cute baby pictures, brother pictures, dedication, etc.) My current time allotment means that I will be caught up through May on the family album by...... the middle of September. And Weston's book will need to be started which will be at least as many pages, pushing me out until November... then I will need to catch all three books up from May to November... Do you see why this is depressing? The only thing more depressing would be if I was even further behind... does that even make sense? Who knows. And yes, I'd like some cheese with my whine.... Gotta go now, I have a quota to fulfill!

Pictures of the fence.

And just because I'm a total freak... I took a picture of the empty 5 gallon bucket so that in the future I'd know what I bought when we need to redo things, or stain the swing set!

Some Serious Cuteness!

Tanya and I went to the church on Thursday afternoon to finish things up. The main thing on our agenda was to place the vinyl's that we'd ordered. I ordered blank sheets from Walmart, and then I put them into the Cricut machine that I use for scrapbooking to cut out animal sounds and circles. Tanya put them up on the walls, and I cut and helped her place them. She's a pro at all things like that (I lack some serious patience!) ANYhoo... Here are the completed walls that we did! The crazy thing is that in only cost $25 for this impact, and it sure cutesie-ups the rooms. Yippee, we're done!

*painting is a lot like parenting*

Well, staining is really what I mean. I have done a lot of it over the past few days, as has many of you, so I hear! Yesterday we stained the backyard fence. My mom, aunt, and cousins came to help and watch the boys. We had it done by 1:30, for which I am thrilled! I'd show you pictures, but I'm too tired to get off this desk chair and get my camera. Today I stained all the post caps, and touched up all the black areas of the fence facing the driveway. Anyhoo... back to my painting and parenting thoughts (apparently the stain has fumes... I can't smell, and therefore am oblivious to them... hence the thought process more than likely!)

1. No matter how much you agonize over the color of stain, how it will look, how easy it will be to work with, etc. once you have it, your stuck with it. You learn to adjust.
2. Just because one method works on one board, doesn't mean the same method will work on another board.
3. Some boards don't soak up the stain well, others can suck you dry!
4. Just when you think you are going to run out of stain... there is always just a little more left in your bucket.
5. It makes you sore all over, and you find muscles you didn't know you had.
6. Time flies when you are holding a brush.
7. It's easier to do with a lot of people, instead of all on your own.
8. When you are all done, you take a step back and think, this is truly amazing, all that hard work paid off, and the results are stunning.

"Cheers" to Seven Years!

Yesterday was our 7th anniversary. Hard to believe that it has been that long. So much has changed in that period of time. Here's the highlights as I can recall them:

Year 1: Newlyweds, figuring things out, new job, school, learning to cook,
Year 2: New job for Tyler, getting really busy with my job, cooking, learning to cook well (yes, there's a difference between this and just plain cooking!) new car and a new truck,
Year 3: The year of the remodel, changing churches, LOTS of hours working for me, trying to get pregnant.
Year 4: projects wrapping up around the house, being pregnant, really loving and being comfortable with life as it is. It seems like we were at the edge of a cliff, and everything was about to change.
Year 5: IT ALL CHANGED! :-) I quit working for 8 months of that year, was on bedrest, had a baby, took 3 months to recover from the C-section, did I mention WE HAD A BABY!?!? We were so anxious and excited for Wayne to arrive, and now I don't really remember what life was like without him.
Year 6: Baby Wayne kept growing and growing, I worked part time, we decided to build a garage, more house projects, and pregnant again. We had Weston, and he is just a delightful boy... So fun and full of life (and a little spit and vinegar too!)
Year 7: What will be in store for us this year? More house projects... yes. More pregnancies/kids.... No! Yes, eventually, but the plan is not for this year! We want to enjoy our boys for awhile longer before increasing the flock. Our focus this year is to not work so hard, to take time to have "Family Fun" days, and to continue making helping others a priority in our lives. I know Wayne is only 2, but they can learn very young how to help.

I am happy to say that I am FAR more in love with my husband today than I was 7 years ago. I didn't know it back then, I thought that I loved him as much as I possibly could. Not true. God has allowed my heart to continue growing, so that I can love him more and more. And, as I've been told, love is not a feeling, it is an act of your will. As many of you know, I am quite willful! He is truly one of a kind, and one of my 3 favorite blessings! Love ya honey, Happy 'Versaries!

Fun 4th Photos

Wayne likes strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar
Grandpa and Weston are quite the buds. Weston thinks he's funny (looking?! :-)
Weston Robert, 5 1/2 months old
Wayne was sharing his treats with Weston, who wanted to hold the bag
Almost sitting up... where did the time go?

Family of Four, on the 4th!
Wayne was playing with the ball... Auntie Tara sticks it under his shirt, and he thinks it is HILARIOUS!
the brother's were playing
Wayne, eating again! He is BOTTOMLESS lately. This time it's chips and salsa (he loves salsa!)
Stomping on pop-it's, what could be more fun?

The fam
A good 'ol game of crochet!
Sparklers are fun! (I was in the house feeding Weston, otherwise I would have been FREAKING out right now!)
That sparkler is bigger then Wayne!
A love of fire.... he takes after Uncle Todd!