Colorado Adventure!

Roxanne and Morgan

Charlie and Morgan

Morgan returned home last week after her trip to Estes Park, Colorado! She had a wonderful time, hanging out with friends and challenging herself! She loved the hiking, biking and the connections she had with friends. It was definitely a trip she will always remember!

Fathers Day

Notice the humming-bird drinking out of the feeders

No-bake cookies...delicious!

Lilly's from my Mom's flower garden..beautiful!

Troy looking good on the John Deere!

Me and my Dad....Love ya Dad!!

Corbin's Fruit Pizza!!

I think Troy had a great Fathers Day! We spent the morning going to church and went over to my parents for an afternoon of grilling steaks, eating fruit pizza (prepared by Corbin), potatoe salad, baked beans, no-bake cookies (Seble and Shelby) and rhubarb crisp. It was a great day!
We also had the bravest humming-birds I have ever seen on my parents deck, my dad was actually holding the humming-bird feeder and they came right up to it. Morgan is also standing about one foot from the feeder...it was the weirdest thing.

My dad also has a little field behind his house, the boys decided to bale hay for the deer...that was some entertainment!

It was also a day for us to remember what a great dad, my father-in-law Howard was! We miss him everyday, especially Fathers Day!

Strawberries.....

Today we went strawberry picking! It was fun, Syfah and I were berry partners, the deal was he talked constantly and when he wasn't talking he was eating the strawberries...he makes me laugh, our conversations ranged from where people live? Do we know those people you said hi to? Do you like strawberries? when is camp again? math and more....he likes to talk as much as I do! It was fun and actually a perfect day for picking! When we got home we got busy cleaning the berries! Tonight for supper we had pancakes, Dad made the batter, Seble made the pancakes with strawberries on top! Araya and I looked for a recipe on the Internet for something with Strawberries, we decided on a recipe for Strawberry muffins...I would post the recipe but.......they tasted like Strawberry chapstick..really a lot worse than that...but we had fun, that is what it was about today.

Today was U of M day for Araya, My Dad and Mom were able and thankfully very willing to bring him today to see Dr. H...it was a check-up, it has been 4 months-the longest we have ever gone between appointents since Araya joined us almost 2 years ago. My Dad picked him up at our house at 6:45 a.m., now that is service! Araya had a hard time cracking a smile at 6:45, not sure if it was because I made him change his clothes 3 times, or the fact that he didn't feel like chatting and I did. When I gave him a hug and said, "call me and tell me what the dr. said...I love you." He looked at me with a crooked smile...I then heard my Dad say, "don't you have anything to say?" Araya looked at me through the window and said, "I love ya!"

The appointment went fairly well, Dr. H called me at work 2 times while Araya was with her, she was a little concerned about some wheezing, which is new for him. Araya already takes 2 different allergy pills a day, so she added a steroid and albuterol. Dr. H Also wants us to have the ear that he had surgery on 1 1/2 years ago looked at by his ENT Dr., and we are already are seeing the Endocrinologist in July for thyroid...needless to say, seeing one Dr. usually means being referred to another...gets frustrating, but I know it is necessary.....Araya has grown 2 more inches!!! Yeah, we are starting to see some visible changes in height, which is what we were hoping for. Blood draw went well and we will get labs back next week. Hoping for great blood counts!

Since Dr. day usually means date day for us (him and I), he was able to have date day with Grandma and Grandpa! (remember, he gets to choose where to eat lunch) The choice of the day was...."Burger King."...of course it was chicken once again-Thanks Dad and Mom, I am positive that would have not been your 1st choice!

Thanks again Dad and Mom for spending the day at the Dr. office with Araya!

Colorado Adventure

Morgan, Roxanne and Charlie

Morgan and Roxanne

Our youth group from church had an option to go on an Adventure Hiking-Biking Trip in Estes Park Colorado! Morgan joined a few friends in this adventure and is hoping to get to know some others from church. They left today, and are driving to Nebraska, staying overnight and arriving in CO. tomorrow! They will then set up a base camp and will enjoy some strenuous hiking, a day of mountain biking in the mountains, a little shopping and hanging out in town for a day!

I am excited to hear all about it,...Morgan will be 17 years old on Wednesday, I hope she has a great birthday. I was able to send a little gift bag for her with her friend Roxanne...sudoku book, crossword puzzle, beef jerky and sunflower seeds..just something little..I think she has a few more surprises too ( I heard it through the grapevine). There is another young man who will be celebrating his 18th birthday too!

Praying for safety and fun on this trip for all!

Appointments...

Summer seems to be the time to get "appointments" in, with 6 kids it can seem a little overwhelming...Dr. appointments, ranging from dentists/ortho, eye, sports physicals, Araya at U appointments and who can forget the "Female Physical"....today was the day... How can I wake up in the morning and have that dreaded, "do I have to do this feeling?" and go to bed tonight feeling, "Yeah, best day, done for another year...relief feeling!" I also had to take a nap today in the middle of those two feelings, just because I don't sleep as well the night before the "appointment." I know it's crazy...but it is true. I have been seeing a specialist in Edina since January for my thyroid/hormone issues (more about that another time..maybe?) Well, I am all about one stop shopping and when I started to see him, I was thrilled to find out that he also has a nurse practitioner that works with him, she does the "girly stuff." So today I saw "Lyle," for the thyroid, "Veronica" for the girly stuff....it was actually the first time in years that I wasn't sweating, high blood-pressure (nerve-induced), feeling like I wanted to run out of the room/office feeling. It was good, the strangest thing is, I realized today while I was there that they have never weighed me....? I have never even seen a scale....weird..I liked it. Another thing off the to-do list..Yahoo! Araya to the U OF M next week, I will begin to prepare myself for the dreaded dentist next month.

Airsoft?

Byzz, Shelby and Jake

Byzz, Jack and Shelby

a few of The Group!

Byzz and Shelby....they actually look fashionable!

Airsoft: Is an activity used primarily for recreation where replica firearms shooting 6mm to 8mm plastic rounds are used for personal collection, gaming (similar to Paintball), or professional training purposes. A modern combat sport in which participants eliminate their opponents by hitting them with spherical non-metallic pellets launched from a compressed-air gun.

I had no idea what "Airsoft" was until recently. Many boys in Shelby, Seble and Corbins class do a lot of getting together on the weekends and having "airsoft parties." Last weekend a couple of the boys in their class had an end of year party...girls and boys. Well, I was wondering what these kids would do from 1:00-10:00 p.m....well, I was a little surprised when she showed me her pics....they look a little frightening. I confirmed tonight with Shelby, if someone actually showed her where the "safety" was on the gun...and showed her how to use it "yes, Mom," she said..I am feeling better now...hopefully you are too, Julie, after looking at the pictures of the guns pointed at your sons head. Seble and Corbin decided it was NOT something they wanted to try!

Summer...Summer...

We finished school last Friday! Yeah, summer has began, we have made it through day 2 with not one, "I'm bored." I realized my kids are "catching" on...you say your bored... you won't be the rest of the day, as I will find plenty for you to do. Seriously, jobs-chores-labor, how ever you look at it, it is part of the daily routine around here...it keeps me a) sane b) happy c)less-overwhelmed....it is all about me ya know! Just kidding!!! I do think it is important for kids to have some "responsibility" for helping out! My kids are really a great help at home and I am very thankful for that.....so far!
I work the month of June, I am off in July and return to work in August..I have a list of things I am "responsible" to get done in June at home, I am hoping to cross something off daily..I am procrastinating as I write..don't want to head to my bedroom, as my dresser drawers await me. It really is amazing how good you feel just by crossing something off the list!