Shake it out

Miles has a wide range of moves, he can tap in to The Beatles, Passion Pit, The Killers, to our discouragement Train and even breaks off some Carly Rae Jepsen. This is what happens...

 

Progress

Although it feels like our house will be in "the works" for a very long time, its nice to see some progress here and there. Broc and his dad have been hauling rear to finish the floors in the kitchen/dining/family room before Piper's 5th Birthday party. They did it! These photos were taken shortly after having been sanded, but they are now complete with varnish. I look forward to revealing before and after shots, but as you can see there is still much to be done. While this room remains fairly empty, the kids have enjoyed it as a personal gymnasium. It currently serves as a space for dancing, riding cars and bouncing balls.

Happy Fathers Day?

I decided to gift Broc some Tigers tickets for father's day. For the most part it was a fun experience, but my poor planning put us in direct sunlight on a 90 degree day. The kids and I spent a lot of time walking around the stadium and slurping cold beverages. Nevertheless I wanted to celebrate my husband for being such a wonderful father. Piper and Miles can't get enough Dad and it shows. He is loving, encouraging, hands on, and never short of a goofy, silly, tickle monster good time. I picked a good egg, that one.

 

garden

I felt a bit silly the other morning trying to banish bunnies from our garden, like Mr. McGregor stomping around in my slippers. With much help from the grandparents, we have a nice sized vegetable and herb Garden right outside our family room window. Anytime we go out to water and tend to our plants, Piper picks a few sprigs of mint and basil to munch on. She's a bit of a bunny herself now. Miles has little interest in vegetables (unless hidden in spaghetti and meat sauce), so he will quickly turn away from anything green I offer. I'm hopping some of Piper will rub off on him, but I think he'd prefer it if we raised cattle for slaughter. He's a meat loving man. After having Miles, I'm beginning to see the weight of nature over nurture. Many things cannot be taught, like his OBSESSION with automobiles or his outgoing personality. By Gods design he is so different from Piper and I am so blessed to have them both. It makes me wonder what's coming next. Our new little person will be here in 9 short weeks. In fact, our scheduled c-section is set for August 26th. Yikes! 

Brownies

Our kitchen is on it's way, but with chunks of missing drywall and the development of a new pantry, there's stuff everywhere. Piper and I haven't spent much time together in the kitchen these past several months, but we decided to make it happen today. We had everything on hand for a single batch of brownies, thank goodness. Miles doesn't do much baking yet, but you know he reaps the benefits because he rarely leaves the table without food in his hair.

jump

I know bed jumping is outlawed in most homes but we are of a different opinion. These are some action shots from today. We just love this beef cake!

Play Ball

Piper's a real ball player now. You can feel the intensity, can't you? T-ball is our new Saturday morning activity. While Broc, Miles and I watch from the bleachers, Piper waves excitedly at every opportunity. Our little girl is growing up so quickly. She is starting full time Kindergarten in early September. I will miss her as my little helper, but I'm very excited to see the impact that Kindergarten will have. After watching the news all morning and seeing the devastation in OK, I am heartbroken. Particularly for the parents who are missing children in the rubble or have already lost them. I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness for the safety and health of my family, while I know others do not have that same comfort.