Recycling Lessons..

Delivering our flowers...

Paxson helping me with ribbon. Big Big Big help! :)

Lately when making "creations" we have been trying to recycle things. This week we used DANIMALS yogurt probiotic drink bottles. They boys colored them and I glued a little ribbon I couldn't resist making them a little feminine. After all they were going to be for Meme and Gigi. After coloring the bottles the boys stamped their hands and we glued them to skewers then placed them inside the vases. They turned out pretty cute. (I wanted to use tissue paper and hodge podge the on the vases but I didn't have any hodge podge and wasn't sure any of the big stores here in Henrietta carried it. :)

Watermelon Ready...

After passing the thumping test my first watermelon was ready.

What can you create?

Parker loves Legos! Gigi got him new sets during her visit. They put the water plane together while she was here. So we put the police car together today. He does really well looking at the directions and finding the pieces. Some are easier than others. just like everything else in life.

I didn't realize how expensive Legos were. Thank goodness I have a huge collection from when Uncle Jesse was a little boy.

Parker was a little under the weather so this was my attempt to keep him resting and slowing down for a bit.

Parker named him "Hot Tamale"

The final creation!

Coudn't keep him down all day...

Of course I couldn't keep him slowed down all day! Meme, Dandy, Uncle Brady & Krisi came over for dinner and a swim. We swam into the weee hours. Here are a few images from the night time Mark O Polo game.

"Whooping Stick"

After returning from an adventure with Dadaw Parker brought home a "whooping stick". As you can imagine he managed to get into all kinds of "fun" with the enormous stick at our house. We quickly found a very useful spot for the whooping stick. We originally hadplaced the bird feeder next to a flower bed Casey made but the birds kept landing on the branches of on of the Hibiscus plants causing them to eventually break. So we moved the bird feeder down and planted the whooping stick in the ground for the birds to use as a perch while they dine. It has worked perfectly! So if you ever come across a whopping stick I encourage you to grab it! During Parkers adventure with Dadaw we also learned how different types of bird food attract different birds. (Thanks Dadaw...we are learning.) So we have experimented with different bird foods attracting all kinds of birds. We eventually settled with a wild bird blend. A little more expensive but it hasn't created a weed problem and it attracts lots of Doves and Red Breasted Finches. We have counted up to 14 birds at a time on the perch and feeder. It has been a nice nature watch for us this summer. Enjoy your birds!

On another note....

We planted Lantana's early this spring. We knew they attracted butterflies and humming birds. It also has been exciting to watch them flutter about. Learning more and more each season.

This is just a happy picture of my Persaling and Texas Stars......(Our old neighbors Randy and Debra gave me lots of starters when we moved. They have all grown into beautiful plants. Many many thanks. We are taking good care of them!)

A Suprise visit...

Mom and dad stopped by for a spectacular surprise visit. We lounged, shopped (which I have not done in forever), ate , swam, and visited. It was a very very enjoyable visit. Thanks mom and dad for all the wonderfully thoughtful birthday gifts. Thanks dad for taking the boys so mom and I could get a little shopping done! Thanks for taking the time in between travels to visit. Parker is enjoying his new Legos and Pax is flying his super heroes around the house. Love you!

A Bird Boobie Trap...

When we went outside to swim Parker noticed a bird in the "bat cave". I looked and sure enough a little bird was flying around hitting nearly every window trying to get out. I opened the door and we waited a while. I thought if we gave the little birdie enough time he would eventually find his way out. Parker wasn't so keen on the waiting idea. He came up with the idea to put out bird food and possibly lure the bird out. So after a very persuasive conversation I crawled off my relaxing air mattress and got some bird food. He had found an old pair of goggles and thought it would be a good idea to use them to hold the bird food. We put them on the edge of the table near the door. Waited and still nothing happened. Just as I was about to lay back down on the air mattress Parker once again demonstrated his disliking of the waiting idea. I turned around and got back out of the pool and I told Parker to walk around the other side of the table and maybe the bird would fly the other direction. It took several attempts for Parker and Paxson to walk around the table. Paxson said "I'm scared, bird hurt me." I explained the bird would not hurt him. Eventually he proudly trotted right behind Parker and followed closely behind. They crept around the table nearing the chair where the bird was resting. The second they peeped around the corner the bird flew out the door and off for a new adventure! As the bird flew off Parker said "wow I set a good bird boobie trap!" I agreed!!! I have an oh so cute video capturing the entire event however for some reason I can not get it to upload. I will keep trying. Love you all and wishes for great adventures!

Cuties...

A few snip it's from this weekend...

Parker: Daddy will you hold my hand all night while we sleep.

Daddy: Well, I will try.

Parker: Dandy does! He holds my hand all night long.






Paxson: "Mine" pulling a postcard away from Parker.

Parker: "Paxson this is actually my postcard because Kasi (my sister is working at a camp in Vermont all summer so she sends letters from time to time.) put my name on it and told me to tell you hi. So it is mine but I will share with you."
Me: Ok Parker that can be yours but when we get a postcard from Gigi then that will actually be Paxon's but he will share it with you. (Gigi is traveling with Papa in the "big truck" across the country. So they also send postcards.)
***** A day or so later*****
Me: Paxson you got mail.
Parker: "What"
Me: He got Gigi's postcard but remember he will "share" it with you.
Parker: He looked at the new postcard and said " actually mommy I think we should just share them both. This shouldn't be just Paxsons." (This postcard featured Superman flying across the beautiful city landscape.)
Me: okay if you think that is the best thing to do!









Paxson: "Pizza cook" and he pointed at the microwave
Me: okay where is the pizza
Paxson: "In here" (as he pointed to the refrigerator). He opened it and got out the baggy with a slice of pizza.
Me: Paxson I will be right back. (Parker yelled at me to help with something.)
As I walked back into the kitchen he is pushing a chair to the microwave. He gets to the refrigerator door.
Paxson: "Excuse me door" "excuse me door"
and pushes through the door to get to the microwave.
Paxson: "I cook."


Now to the average person these moments may not seem that cute. Yet to anyone that really knows and loves the boys how could you possibly say they were anything less than cute?

All in a week...

A bit of a busy week for us. We had vacation bible school, Uncle Brady's birthday and a play date. A very fun week and the boys enjoyed every minute of VBS. I was the craft leader again this year for the 4 & 5 year olds. It seemed to me that we had a great attendance. We had 60+ in the the 4 & 5 year old section then a kinder- 2nd and a 3rd and above section. I believe Parker's highlight of the week was shooting a rocket. :) Paxson did exceptionally well. He and another little girl stayed with a sweet, engertic, and tentative young girl. I was so proud he just walked right in said "by mommy" and went to playing. That is a huge accomplishment for Paxson. (A little sad for mommy...but mostly proud and thrilled to see him enjoying himself.)

Every year they close the week with a singing program and pizza party with the families.

Paxson enjoying his pizza.

Parker and one of his good buddies Tate. Tate and Hudson will be leaving for kindergarten next year so we will being seeing less of them. But I am sure we will be able to schedule in a few play dates.


.......slightly irrelevant picture but I had to share a pic of my yummy salsa made with my different peppers from the garden. Banana, jalapeno,bell and Tabasco peppers along with a little mango, pineapple, black olives, and onions). It was good!

We celebrated Uncle Brady's birthday at our house on Wednesday.

yummy hamburgers and yummy yummy cake....makes a perfect party

Then on Friday Ella, Sara, and her mommy came over for a swimming play date. We had a great time and the kids really enjoyed themselves. I also enjoyed some great conversation with a wonderful friend. Isn't it just so enjoyable having time visit with a friend while enjoying the kiddos playing together. One great week!

Critter Capturing

When I noticed what the boys were up to I thought it was to cute not to video. Love creative moments! They had a bug caught in the window. Parker tied a belt to his fire extinguisher and tried spraying it out. Then he decided that would not work. Then he tried a few other creative attempts. Then decided it was to big of a job when there were "double bugs".

Critter Capturing part 2...

Critter Capturing part 3

Happy Birthday Gammer!!!

Wishing you a very happy birthday! Love you!

July 4th....

a peak into our July 4th desserts..... I couldn't resist

Believe me they were yummy... they went really well with Gigi's homemade ice cream.

A little frustrating at first for Paxson. He couldn't hold the entire cupcake and take a bite. After a few bites he decided that he could take it apart and eat it himself.

dessert before dinner is always better....

The city allows you to shoot fireworks at one of the parks in town. It was a really great place to admire fireworks. The fire department keeps a truck parked for safety which I thought was a wonderful idea! Everyone "oohed and awed" and took turns lighting their fireworks. We went the evening of the 3rd as well as the 4th. however the evening of the 4th we were literally attacked by gnats. You would have thought the smells and smoke would have detoured them. It was awful. I have never seen anything like it. Pure crazy!

Parker assisting with a roman candle. It's so hard they simply do not understand why they can't light them all. From the morning of the 3rd (We waited to buy fireworks because we knew how tempting they would be.) Parker pretty much asked every minute if we could go shoot some. Good thing we bought plenty and bought a lot that we could do during the day.

Meme throwing a glow stick to Parker

Dandy bought glow sticks for our night swimming adventures. The pictures aren't the greatest. Flash or no flash....

After swimming we continued the tradition of cooking out (again). Had a post swim meal and headed into the house around 11:00.

Thank you to so many who have devoted their lives to keeping our country free. God Bless you and your families!

A Great Saturday...

Waiting on the sun to come out a little.

Enjoying a little pre-fireworks

pretty exciting to these little guys

The new boat...

A little cloudy but still having a great 4th of July Weekend

Uhhh the rain joined us...

Paxson immediately jumped out and couldn't understand why daddy and Parker were still swimming. Eventually he did join them. Then the lightening started so everyone had to get out!

More to come for the 4th...