Paula's wedding

These pictures are long over due.

Paula and Jerry were married in May.

Sadly, I think this is the only picture I got of them.

We had all the children along plus Quintin was an usher so

I didn't wander very far without dragging a 1 yr old and a 7 month old along

which does not lend itself to any kind of decent picture taking.

Anyway, ( I just left to dig some paper out of Preston's mouth)

It was a beautiful , fun country western wedding.

In the morning we went to Cloister for some picture taking.

My girls watching the big girls.

Good old family photo

Madilyn loves pretty dresses and getting all gussied up.

Olivia just likes being in on the action.

Glendon and Quintin

The two ushers.

Can you tell they are brothers?

Somebody's hungry

Poor Glendon. It looks like dad and big brother are on either side

grilling him about something.

About time!

When you gonna bring around that girl?

We are not that bad. Are we?

One last picture of Paula and Jerry

This was actually taken at the rehearsal.

She looks so excited while he looks like he's on the fence about the whole thing.

"I should have left my boots at home and put on my running shoes."

Look at his friend

"Hey, partner, I got you covered. The horse is out back, saddled and ready to run."

Seriously though we are happy for you two.

Quintin and I are so glad ya'll finally tied that knot and are living up our way.

How is that for an easy babysitter?

Father's Day

He hates pictures and mushy stuff so for his sake I will keep this to a bare minimum.

He is a great father, could ask for no better. The kids love to see him when he comes in the door.

How is that for short and sweet.

We had hot dogs, pop (soda, for us who live in the east) popcorn, and chips.

I love this sign.

Pop, you put the fizz in my life! 

You put the pop in our corn!

Our odd banner

HOT DOG!!! POPS YOU'RE GREAT!!

Yep! He is quite thrilled with all the attention.

He is waiting for the moment he can bolt out the back door.

I do like to torture the poor fellow.

Our little man.

Get this thing off my face.

You should have seen the faces he made!

Later we met Glenden at Blue Marsh to go fishing.

We don't get see this little munchkin enough.

We see enough of him though,

Just kidding, Uncle Glendon.

Sneak peak

into our

Father's Day weekend

more to come later...

Just a swingin'

Oh, this thing moves!

If. I . can. get. my. fingers around. those. ropes!

Oh, yeah, I'm just like the bigger kids!

Watch me! I can suck my thumb and swing!

What is that creeping up behind me?

Oh no, it's touching me and my swing.

And there is another one.

The redheads are all over the place.

Maybe if I don't look at them they'll go away.

They're gone.

Back to swinging!

Good thing you're so cute

cause you're so naughty!

This picture was so shaky because I was in such a hurry cause Quintin's not so fond of the picture taking when there is paint dripping all over the place.

Come to think of it he is never real happy to see the camera. 

So funny.

In all the chaos she still managed to hang onto her precious "cuppy."

School is out!

Well, it's been out since last Wednesday but I only got around to these pictures.

Honestly I half dreaded and looked forward to it.

 Really though I have been enjoying it so far.

I'm sure Preston and Abbi are thrilled to have the entertainment around.

Here they are waiting for the bus to come

for the last this year.

Picking out lollypops from their bus driver.

Wow!

Can you guess who loves her big sisters and can't keep her eyes off them?

On any of the pictures?

Like, on everyone she is watching them.

The picture below is from this post.

How right I was when I said that I don't know what the next 9 months will bring!

Now I'm getting all sentimental and weepy.

I can't believe Abby was not walking yet and

know she climbs and jumps and says a few words.

Preston was not even born yet and now he's

seven months old!

Most of all my two little black haired kids are gone.

I have been thinking and praying for them alot lately.

I am seriously missing those two lately.

My outside decorations changed too I noticed. No surprise there.

I can not stay committed to anything for long.

Anyway, no use staying in the past.

I put a little end of school basket together for the girls.

I got the idea  here.

They were tickled pink and could not wait to see what I got.

There was

water shoes

flip flops

pencils

activity books

flashlights

marshmallow sticks

small princesses with rubber dresses

toy story book with characters and play mat

beach balls

noodles

shirts that change colors in the sun

my Caddie Woodlawn book from when I was a kid

I have been reading it aloud to them

cosmic brownies, their favorite dessert

toy for Preston

We talked about the items and how much fun we'd have this summer using them.

Then Quintin and I went over the summer rules with them.

We wanted to hit the ground running with a schedule.

I have had these rules up for awhile now but we went over them.

Then on to the chore charts

(say this with a whine in your voice to get the right effect)

Oh, the weeping and nashing of teeth

and how it wasn't far

and that nobody at school has to work all summer

and how they got to play last summer

(which is not true)

and on and on and on.

                                         

just noticed the last one says no tattling unless it's seriously.

Seriously what?

Bleeding?

They're going to jail?

I probably meant serious.

So anyway to end everything on a good note

their schedule has gone very smoothly.

They are actually coming to me asking if it's time for Abby to go down for her nap

so they can have school time.

I think they enjoy that one on one time with me.

Also the chores are not that bad.

They seem to be getting the idea that the quicker they do their chores the quicker they have free time.

I have tweeked it here or there but over all I'm so glad we are doing it.

Tomorrow we are going shopping most of the day

so they have most of the day off.

And when I say shopping for the day I just mean stopping in two or three stores

including the grocery store.

With four kids that will take all day   :-)

Cows and Kids

This is the sight that greats me most summer mornings.

If you ignore the big fat suburban in our driveway and

the tractor trailers barreling past it is a very relaxing scene.

To me anyway. I love watching the cows contently chew their cud,

 the white rail fence, and the green of the grass.

If you're really quiet you can even hear them chew

and early in the morning when there is hardly any traffic
you can start a stampee just by blowing your nose.
Not really but you might startle a few.

And yes, I know they're heifers.

But peaking of stampeeds.

Look who came to our house.

Avery and Mia

Glendon came for the evening.

It was so hard getting a picture of that boy.

Mia is such a doll.

She is so lively.

I love to watch these too together.

They are 5 weeks apart.

She is so curious and full of energy and needs to see everything that is going on

and wants what is just out of her reach and knows how to get it. 

Preston on the other hand just likes to sit back and

watch what is going on and if nothing is happening,

well, hey is that a new freckle on my hand well,

lets examine that for awhile.

 

Who knows, though next year they could be totally opposite.

That's what keeps life interesting.

That and watching the cows across the road.