A trip to the Greenhouse

Shaelyn got to visit a greenhouse today with her preschool class. They were showed a lot of different flowers that were growing. Laura - you would have loved it here. At one point, they used curtains to enclose a whole area in, which made it look like night time so the plants could "sleep". They were given a snapdragon to try to open its mouth. That was a little tricky. I remember Dad growing those in the garden. Cheri and I always tried to open them. Then he went on to show them the Fuschia's and daisies - much to some of the Mom's dismay. He showed them how to pluck the flower off and try to make it open up and the daisy petals could be pulled off to see if you were loved or not. Later, they got to plant their own flower to take home. Obviously, I am not a flower person because I cannot remember what kind of flower this is but we'll give it a shot to see if we can keep it living for a while. It brought memories back for me when I worked in the greenhouse but I think I would have preferred working at this one. At least these workers were allowed to talk!

Girls are happy

These are a couple of people Shaelyn made in preschool. It's a boy and a girl. You can notice that the girl with the curly hair has a big smile. When I looked at the boy, I noticed that he was frowning. I asked her what was wrong with the boy. "He's sad. It's better to be a girl" I'm not quite sure why but I guess if I was a boy, I would be sad too. Boys have no clue about all the fun girls have - sugar and spice and everything nice.

Grandpa and Me!

Grandpa came over today to cut back our grape vines. Shaelyn spotted him and thought she would have to go out and scare him. After that, they headed to the bench to have a little talk. I know the picture is a little fuzzy but I had to take it with the screen in the way. I didn't want them to know I was there. I love seeing the two of them together. As shocked as he was when he found out we were going to be getting a little girl from China, I don't think he can imagine life without her. These are the kind of pictures that you treasure forever.

A little quiet, please

Shaelyn was supposed to be picking up her things in the living room last night. I go upstairs and she says something to me. I couldn't really understand her and I look and she's got tape on her mouth. "What are you doing?" I ask her. She tells me she's got duct tape on her mouth. "Why?" Her answer was, "She would like it a little quiet in here while she's trying to pick up"Obviously she knows she is the main reason our house has noise issues.
Now this may look like something I do regularly to her but I am innocent. She came up with this idea all by herself.

Going to a party

Shaelyn got to go to her first birthday party yesterday. Lauren, a friend from preschool, who will be going to Kindergarten with her next year, invited her. After dropping her off at Lauren's house, they went to Build-a-Bear for the party. You can see the bear that she made. Her name is Brownie. Can you think of a more fitting name? One other girl named hers, Cutie-Bear. I thought that sounded like something Shaelyn would have picked too.They also got to pick out a shirt for their bears. Now she thinks we have to go back to get pants and shoes. When they finished at Build-a-Bear, they headed back to Lauren's for cake and ice-cream. She had a lot to talk about last night. She had a good time. I suppose next year, she'll be asking me to go there for her birthday!

Daddy's helper

Every time it rains (or the snow melts), we get this huge runoff from the hill up the road. With that, comes a bunch of gravel and stones that settle on the end of our driveway. Last night, Dave decided it was time to shovel it up again and then of course, Shaelyn has to help. First, she was thinking of getting the green broom. Dave had to remind her that that broom is not meant for driveways - it is meant for scrubbing cars when they get washed. "Which broom will you use then Dad, I'll take the big brown one." So here she is, helping him again. How did we ever get anything done before we went to China? I can only hope she keeps this helping attitude when she gets older!

Todd and Playworld

Well, here you all are. You asked for pictures of Todd at Playworld and this is what I've got. The first is when he is happy with Shaelyn in the balls. The next one, he was a little busy doing something else and didn't really want to be bothered by picture taking. Hope you like them.

The busyness of a Saturday

After a great night of scrapbooking, I slept in a bit this morning. Shaelyn woke me up wanting breakfast at 8:30 and I wasn't really ready to get up. Dave had to go to work with AMR this morning and the girls were at an overnight youth retreat from church. So Shaelyn, got some cereal out while I continued to lay in bed. The owner of Dave's shop called and wondered if he could come in this afternoon for a special project. When he came home at 3:00, he got dressed to go to that job. As we were talking, the girls came home. Their retreat was a mystery so I was interested in finding out where they went. They ended up at the Double JJ resort. They both had a really good time. They said the water slides were a lot of fun. They got to stay in the cabins which were nice. (as some of us can recall) They were given the double jj breakfast. What a deal - they only had to pay $25!! I think it was a pretty good weekend.

It's a scrapbooking night!

Yes, Friday is finally here. I'm heading out to the scrapbook store tonight with family to spend an evening at the tables! I know I have much to accomplish because I am still about 2 years behind. Hopefully, I will continue to make some much needed progress. I can also only pray that my sisters will be kind to me - they have this tendency to always pick on me and it makes for a long, sad night for me. Unfortunately, Katelyn can't make this one because she has a youth retreat this weekend. She's pretty bummed about it. So, I hope the store is ready for us. Now, I have to go and finish gathering pages before Cheri heads over this morning.

It's play time

I decided to take Shaelyn and Todd to Playworld yesterday. I figured this would be fun because we didn't have Micah so we could go out to do something and this could be the last chance for something like this. Shaelyn had a lot of fun. Todd had never been there so it was a little overwhelming for him. We couldn't get him to go down the slide but he liked the balls and cars. We went around 10:00. This was a great time to go because we were only the 2nd people there. It was so empty unlike the time we went in Feb. and couldn't find a seat. It was just a nice morning out.

It's car washing day everywhere

As you can see, every car owner was outside washing their vehicles today because the weather was so nice. After a long winter, it's time for the salt and grime to get cleaned off. Shaelyn was busy too, scrubbing and a washin'.

It's important to get it clean, inside and out. Here she is when it was all completed - look how shiny it is. She will feel proud driving that car around. If anyone needs a ride, there might be room in the passenger seat. What an honor to ride in that beauty!

On the hunt

Yesterday was another exciting day for me. I'm standing in kitchen putting dishes away after breakfast and I take a look by the door to the garage. And what to my amazement and horror do I see but a little grey mouse running past. Missy is frantically going after her. I'm trying to scream, "Mouse, Mouse" but the words just couldn't get out fast enough. Chelsea is like, "What's the problem?" It manages to run behind the couch. Then I see it take off behind the piano. I go to grab a flashlight to look by the piano and can't see anything. Shaelyn is sitting on the floor in front of the windows eating her breakfast. I'm telling her to pick it up in case the stupid rodent goes flying by her. (Now I say stupid because what kind of dumb animal would come into a house with 3 cats and 1 dog still inside it?) Well the girls get ready to leave for school and they tell me it's my turn to pray. I mutter some prayer about me being left home with a mouse and out the door they go. I'm still on the prowl for it when Kelly comes to drop Todd off. When I tell her my exciting news, she decides to put his bag on the kitchen table instead of the floor and she too deserts me with this creature. I decide to move the couch a little again and the little bugger goes scurrying back out and behind the piano again. Who knows when he made his last move to the couch. Meanwhile, I'm looking for any of the cats who might be of some help to me and they are nowhere to be found. We finally find Missy lounging on Shaelyn's bed. She grabs her and points her behind the piano. As soon as I move the piano a little bit though, she takes off. Once again, I am on my own. Shaelyn was holding the flashlight and I'm telling her to keep an eye out in case he darts into the kitchen area when I'm moving the piano. I was trying to move it far enough for me to fit back there - yes I had to move it quite a distance and plus it's extremely heavy. Shaelyn says that she thinks she sees it there. So I continue to push the piano farther out. Finally, I think I spot it too and I can fit back there with my flashlight. Yup, there the stupid little critter was. Now this will really explain how demented that bugger was. He ended up getting rolled over by my piano. There was his squashed and bloody little head laying there, contaminating my carpet!! Who knows why he didn't move when I rolled the piano but I figured at least he was dead. I knew Ken was coming to drop off Micah so I figured he could do the rest for me otherwise Grandpa would have received a call from me to take care of that problem. So Ken comes and I tell him he has to pick up my dead mouse. What I didn't know is that he really doesn't like mice, himself. Apparently, if he was home, he probably would have made Gail do it. But I figure he's a male so he can do it. So into a lunch bag he goes. I had him check to make sure it was a mouse because the night before, Chelsea's hamster had died and was put in the garage. It just wouldn't have been cool if it was the hamster making his was back in and then getting a death sentence again. But it had a tail so we were safe. I felt much better knowing the problem was gone. The other scary part was that I had slept on the couch the night before because Dave was making too much racket sleeping so who knows what was barreling all over me for the night. The thought of that thing snuggling next to me is appalling or that a cat could have killed it and I would come wandering through and step on it laying there! Oooh, I just hate those things.

My solo debut

I got a call from a friend from church on Saturday. "Terri, can you please do my a HUGE favor?"
She was sick from a sinus infection and she is the leader for the cherub choir. (kids who are 2-5 years old) The kids were supposed to have a practice between the 2 services and she knew she wouldn't feel good enough. So she wanted me to take over. That wasn't a problem but they also had to sing at night for the congregation. "Are you going to be able to make it at night?" I asked. No she knew she wouldn't. Great, now I get to lead the kids at night in front of everybody. What can you say but that you'd do it. So I'm going over the songs with them. We haven't had practice for about a month. They were originally scheduled to sing when we had that blizzard and it got cancelled. So they weren't really remembering too much of the songs. I'm telling them they have to sing loud for their mom's and dad's. Yup, they could do it. So the time comes and I finally lead them to the front of church. First, one of the little boys shoes fall off on the way down there. So I get them all situated and get ready to sing. There isn't a tape or anything for them to go with - it's all accapella. I get them started and of course have to keep singing - "Sing, shout, clap your hands" Meanwhile, I can hear my voice carrying throughout all of the church. Well I know if I sing less, so will they. The next song is "Oh be careful little eyes, ears and mouth" Lot's of times, I'll hold my hands to my ears to symbolize singing louder but you can't really do that it you're doing motions about your eyes and mouth! I'm kind of telling them between verses, "Louder, Louder!!!!" It would work for the first sentence but then kind of dwindle off. We finish singing and everybody claps. Tammy, the leader asks if we would like the parents to stand. Yes I say, so she proceeds to pick up the microphone that was sitting on the pew next to where I was singing. No wonder my voice was carrying everywhere! Now I'm just a little concerned that they have heard my hidden talent, they are going to want me to be joining the praise teams too. I just feel I'm busy enough but I just don't know how to say "no" It is just a problem being so talented!!

Katelyn's back

Katelyn got back home Sunday morning around 1:00. She had a great time. In this picture, you can see her. She went parasailing. They had to talk her into it but she said it was fun if she would let herself relax enough to enjoy it. They had nice weather every day but Thursday, when it rained. She collected a ton of seashells. You know Katelyn and her collecting!! She saw a jellyfish in a tide pool. She's got a ton of pictures she has to develop now. A scrapbooking night would be good for her except she's busy when we're going. It was a chance of a lifetime for her and I'm glad she was able to have a great time!

Welcome home

Katelyn is supposed to return home tomorrow. I really don't have any idea what time, it just might depend on the weather. Won't she just love returning home to this?
An update on Dave's job. So far, he's still there and is planning on heading back on Monday. There has been a rumor that they did get a job or two but nothing official yet. I think he'll be checking out any available jobs at the hospital though that he might be able to get something steady at. Time will tell!