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checkin’ off the summer list.

August 10, 2010

on our way to my parents, we stopped at the waterfall we love….it was on the summer list.
waffle was with us.
and this is how close he was to me the entire two hour drive.
dog breath….. gr-oss.

kansas is so beautiful.
i know i tell you that all the time….but i think it all the time.
i say it over and over.
my kids just look out the window and say “huh?”

the kids were way ahead…so excited….it had been 2 years since we’d been here.

that dog was L-O-V-I-N-G this place.
(oh and did you notice his freshly shaven (bald) body? he’s so much happier without his abominable snowman suit)

as i took this picture she had just said to craig “I LOVE this place!”

waffle wanted to be up with the kids really bad.
he couldn’t quite make it…..too slippery.

all the duerksen kids in one shot.
wow.

after all the play and all the kids in wet stinky pond water clothes….we headed to the car.
it was a smelly ride the rest of the way.
next time we will remember to put the kids in swim suits.

i was showing my parents these pictures and my dad said
“that’s like the picture of you and me with the crawdad”
and he went and found this photo. (i’ll give it back dad…next week)

1983?
not sure.
i am trying to tell by my hairstyle and what my school picture hairstyle was that year?

AND i went through the archives and found the last time we were here.

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crystal b - Oh I envy where you live — funny that I would say that being a So. Cal girl, huh. This place looks so magical. I loved the picture with you and your dad — you look so much like your daughters!!!

Dionna - Does look like a great spot! 🙂

Courtney Walsh - So my husband was reading my blog the other day and he clicked on my sidebar “Blogs I love to read” and landed at yours. When he read this post, he IM’d me and told me how cool it was that you posted this with the photo of you and your dad at the end. I haven’t been online much with our move, but now that I’ve read it I see why he felt the need to comment on it! What a cool thing to have.
Oh, and being from IL originally, I understand what you’re saying about beautiful Kansas. I LOVE the cornfields. The green. The flat. I’ve always found soo much beauty there! 🙂

Stacy Christy - Meg, thanks for the wonderful pics. Where in KS is the waterfall? I’m in Wichita and would love to visit this with my boys. Thanks!

Darcie L. - Wow! We were just in Kansas last weekend. Never been before, and we saw the same drive you did. Relaxing, and 2 hours of corn and crops on either side. So quiet! Of course, we didn’t have kids in our car at the time. 🙂

Rach - You do realize how much Talby looks like you right? 😉

Tara Schaubert - p.s. i’m just figuring out this typepad stuff, but i’m the taralee up there, too. =]

Candy - Meg, just curious as to where that might be, we live in Topeka, but are always looking for cool things to do in Kansas. My kids would love that waterfall!

Bron @ Baby Space - ‘Gorgeous’ that’s meant to say!

Bron @ Baby Space - I have just discovered you and ‘whatever’ and I am DELIGHTED! This is a delightful blog. Not just in the sense that you take goregous pictures but your blog is almost like a pictorial on ‘how to be a family’. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, I like it!

Toni :O) - You have such a beautiful family and your blog is absolutely one of my favorites to check in on.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Oh, how fun! You are so cute with your daddy!

Lorilee - Wow, I wish that was near my house!
Blessings,
Lorilee

Jess Mead - Looks like so much fun!!

Nicole Q. - Made me think of all our favorite spots in Utah!

julia - You have great adventures.
It’s too bad none of your kids look like you. hahaha.

never making it as mother of the year.... - you are such a good mother. I don’t haVe a list….but if i did…going to a waterfall would be on it.
errr…actually…hawaii should count as a waterfall.
hawaii should count as the whole freakin list if you ask me.
xo

Tara Balu - i just noticed you have a lot of fans named tara… =]

se7en - That is so cool to have a photo of way back when!!! Love it!!!

Taylor-Ann - Kansas is very pretty. I come from southern California with no green rolling hills. 🙂 I love driving in the midwest because teh sates are all so beautiful. If we could transplant the lush green grass and the CA beaches I would be in heaven.

taralee - hey! i saw this and thought of you. thanks for your color inspiration!
http://www.spearmintbaby.com/2010/07/rainbow-cupcakes.html
how in the world did you find the waterfall? i might have missed that explanation…
blessings,
tara lee

Holly - how fun! I am a little jealous that your kids are still enjoying summer break!

Juli - This brings back such memories! I grew up outside Wichita, Kansas, and we always used to play in the local creek and catch “crawdaddies.” Unsupervised. *Sigh.* Those were simpler times.

jaz - What a great memory you found there!! haha most of our pictures from childhood are butt shots – peoples bottoms as they’re bent over to give thankyou kisses at christmas time or birthdays haha classic Bailey photography there! That picture of you and your dad is absolutely beautiful and priceless!
PS Your husband has an evil twin in Australia, I swear it! They could be brothers!! Every time I see a pic of him I think how much he looks like my friend kevin! (who isn’t really evil, quite the opposite – he’s a bishop as church at the moment, so yeah, he’s pretty much the polar opposite of evil haha)
Anyways, Look at me dribbling on and on!

Tonya - We had a creek running through our backyard when I was growing up. Crawdad hunting with neighbor kids and sibs is a cherished childhood memory! I love Kansas too — think it and say it all the time. So far, my kids think it’s pretty great. But they’re still young and not yet “bored”.

tara pollard pakosta - I LOVE that pic of you and your dad!
sooooooooooo sweet!!!!! I think that your baby girl
looks like you as a child!
Your children are all BEautifuL!
tara

Alisha Mancinas - Did Lauren look a lot like the younger girls when she was little?

Sheryl - It’s amazing how much your kids have changed! A beautiful place….

AshleyAnn - Your dad looks really fun…and pretty thoughtful to have remembered that picture with his daughter….

Kristi - Awww.. great pics! I can tell from them that Kansas IS pretty!

Natalie (The Sweets Life) - You have SUCH a beautiful family–and I know it’s not just your photo magic that makes it look that way! Count your blessings, I know you do 🙂

Shelly - I am assuming this is the Chase Co. Lake. How fun! I live in Chase County and never think to go there. I think we will make a trip out there this weekend.

Hettie - I just love your blog 🙂

kristine - could your kids have more beautiful eyes?! big brown beautiful!
waffle looks like a totally different dog!
love your childhood pic. that’s awesome!

Lisa H - I would LOVE to go to the waterfall. Most of my family still live in and around Wichita and Newton (homestead) and we go back every couple of years for family reunions. Didn’t even know waterfalls existed in flat Kansas 😉 But seriously, from the geology it looks like eastern/northeastern Kansas? – Lisa

Jaime @ Mamarazzi - What a beautiful place…
Kansas is so pretty!
Love the picture of you and your dad!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Oh those are great. I love seeing Kansas through your eyes. I’ve driven through it many many times on our way from Illinois (where we grew up) to Colorado (to visit Honey’s sis). I’ve never once thought it beautiful. It was always just in the way. But when you post on it, it IS beautiful. So thank you for changing my view. I can’t believe how much your little girls look like you when you were their age. It’s just uncanny!

Niki - LOVE the group photo of all the kids! You even managed to get them all looking happy! What a fun experience!!
I’m totally in love with Kansas, too! There is room to breathe here! I find myself feeling claustrophobic if I’m somewhere that I can’t see for miles!

pam - Ahhh, Kansas. I forget I don’t live there anymore. I LOVE driving through the Flint Hills to get to my parents home. That’s a great waterfall. Every one of our road trips involves heart rocks for me and looking for waterfalls if we’re in a new state. Fun times….

Beth Ann - You are right, Kansas is beautiful. Where exactly is that waterfall? I would love to go check it out.

Lorel - I guess dad and I think alike – I immediately thought of that picture too! I love Kansas – thanks for sharing the beauty so people don’t think it is a flat, treeless, fly-over place. Wish we could have seen you this weekend.

laura - that picture of you and your dad is awesome!

Willy - Love the picture of all your kids!

jack - Oh I love the photo of you and your dad!
You still look really like your ten year old self!

chasity - what a good time….
that’s what you do with no tv.
and i bet they weren’t even fussing with each other at the waterfall.
that’s a magical place.
and holy moly~ your girls look just like you when you were little.
adorable.

tara - i rocked the same hairstyle.
i was about 10 years old and watched CHiPS…
so I think 1983 is right on.
great post:)

Lisa - Wow Kansas is so beautiful. As are your children, Waffle and the waterfall. What a fantastic day.

Sophie - Looks like such a pretty place!
I love the picture of the five of them together… You’ve got some cute kids!
You look SO pleased in the first photo, Waffle being so close (loving his hair cut by the way)
And I’m pretty sure I’d like to move to Kansas this second please (:

Tasha Griffin - One of my very favorite pictures ever of my dad is of him holding a crawdad by a waterfall, making a goofy face while my sister and I stood nearby! Just switch the people, and it could seriously be the same picture!
That waterfall looks like a great place to visit…it looks like you guys had lots of fun!
: ) Tasha

emily - So fun. It looks gorgeous and summery and fresh {unlike the day we had here in seattle}. Your oldest daughter is so beautiful – will you tell her that for me? Maybe she’s having one of those days and needs to know that some 31 year old thinks she’s pretty. Random, I know, but thanks.

Gemma @ Musings of a gem - Hi Meg!
I can remember that post a few years back. It still looks just as fun. Haha I can feel for Waffle not being able to reach where the kids were!
Btw you looked adorable when you were young!
Gemma x

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my yard smells like menthol.

August 9, 2010

so….to be honest….it wasn't as fun as last year.

they weren't as surprised about it.
they wanted to fight right away…
last year they didn't throw it until after they had played in it.

and i was a little bit in my crazy mom mode screaming "don't get it in your eyes!!!"
"don't throw it in faces!!!"
"BE NICE!!!"

they won't remember any of that….i think.
they will remember just being covered in shaving cream and running all over the yard together.

i hope.

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Juicy Couture On Sale - Now that Tommy has extracted as much money as he can from Hollywood liberals and Wall Street, he’ll try to ‘run to the right’ – but he shouldn’t delude himself into thinking that his track record won’t follow him.

Tanya @ Life in 3D - You’re fun 🙂

Gemma @ Musings of a gem - So much fun!!

Katie4Life - Your brave!

Beth - OOps, part of my comment is missing. It’s supposed to say INSERT EVIL LAUGHTER HERE, before it says No, not really evil.!!!

Beth - We did the funnest thing in my water media class with shaving cream — put a blob of it on some aluminum foil, drip liquid water colors on it and then swirl them around with a toothpick or skewer. Then lay paper on top of it and press down, wipe off the shaving cream and it is cool marbleized colors. Very cool results! Looks like your kids had a great time!! (By the way, I want to visit with you about an idea I had , no not really evil — just self serving 🙂 Can we talk sometime???

Dana @ Bungalow'56 - I wouldn’t a call it crazy mode at all. The whole time I was looking at the pictures I was making sure I didn’t see any near their eyes.
Dana

Molly - This is AWESOME!! We do this in the bath tub, all year long, but outside? All OVER?? I’d never dreamed…
BTW, I wonder about that too, all the time … which part they’ll remember. Not ours to choose, so tough that!

Meg - really? could you be any cooler of a mom? I made your meatballs this weekend…they didn’t even look like yours. LOL. I tried.
You inspire me to be a better momma!

Melanie - Of course they will only remember the good stuff that we did and not the bad:)

Jeannette - We did this just last week and the kids LOVED it!!!! I was that mommy too yelling not to get it in their eyes and to be nice, as soon as they were done they wanted to do it all over again :o)

Jennifer - that absolutely rocks! great memories…

michele fry - Love your blog, been following for awhile!! We just did this last week, only we added the slip-n-slide and I let them paint with finger paint too. My two girls and 3 nephews thought I had lost my mind….so fun and so worth it!!!

Laura - We just did this with the cousins last week – thanks to you. 🙂 The BEST $3 spent this summer! It could have lasted all day long if it wasn’t for this miserable Kansas HEAT! You’re such a great Mom! <3

Tara - i so need to copy this and be the coolest mom on the street.
i can be such a dud when it comes to messes.
i’m doing it. this week. yay. i talked myself into while posting a comment.
another great idea from Meg….

Selina - They had fun! That’s the main thing. 😉

Pam - thanks to you..this is also on our summer list. we haven’t crossed it off yet…maybe tomorrow. scared. 🙂

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - good times;)

kristine - they’re so kind to leave waffle out of it!
still looks like they had fun!

Sophie - I’d really quite like to try this. So what if I’m 17 and there are no younger kids in my house… It looks fun!

Kristi - They sure look like they had fun! My daughter went to a pool party at the start of summer and they all brought a can and had a big fight at the end. And it smelled there too!

Marisa - Awesome. My kids would love this. But yes…whipped cream or shaving cream? Hmm. The cheaper can wins!

Ashley Stinson @ The Hillside Home - so fun. reminds me of when kate gosselin let her kids paint themselves in chocolate pudding. what great memories for your kids. <3.

shelly@familyblt - Love the pics! Looks like sooooo much fun! Sososo!

j - At Halloween a street near us does a shaving cream war – it gets over everything -cars, houses, people – just teenagers participate. Thankfully, my kids haven’t shown an interest yet.

Krista - I know this is an “oldie but a goodie” at your house! I like the suggestion in one of the earlier posts about wearing goggles, sounds like a good idea!

Jenny - Thanks for the reminder! I saw this before on your blog & thought I needed to do it with my kids. Now I can get it in before school starts! =) Have a fun last week of summer! (assuming they go back next week….)

Jaime @ Mamarazzi - lol…
Meg… It took a while for your blog to load for me today, and the whole time I was like “menthol?”…
I imagined a gang of kids hanging around your trampoline smoking cigarettes…
by the time that image left my mind, the page loaded..
Nifty idea… Looks like they had a blast.
Mine are in school today… Prolly not having near as much fun!

Talysa - Two words. Cool. Whip. Oh wait, that would be MY idea of a fun (yummy) day. 🙂

Jessica @ One Shiny Star - I’ve done this at camp before. 🙂 Lots of fun, and I’m sure they’ll remember things aside from crazy mom-mode. 🙂

Shar - I can’t believe the timing of this. I am going next week to help take care of my grandsons while my daughter has surgery and I am planning to do this with them. I was thinking about using swim goggles to keep the soap out of their eyes because I know there will be tears if the little one gets shave cream in his eyes. I am also thinking about doing the “slip and slide” from your vaca. Thanks!

Sally Mangham - At the beginning of the summer we tried the shaving cream and they loved it except my son had it in his eyes which brought the fun to an abrupt end. However, we decided to have a whip cream fight/fun instead and that went much better. It went in their mouths instead of their eyes 🙂

Holly - Love it! We let the kids at Kristens party “decorate” her like a cake with shaving cream and silly string. It turned into more of a shaving cream fight which I am sure the parents loved!

Jessica Kujawa - hi meg! i’ve been a follower for quite a while! looks like you guys are having a fun summer. i am adding this to my “fun list” for summer. the kids will love it! and i’m sure i will spend the entire time screaming the same things!
Jessica
alogcottagelife.blogspot

tara pollard pakosta - how FUN!!!!

Georgia - I was just thinking ‘oooh i wouldnt want to get that in my eyes…’ lol

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$6 well spent

July 26, 2010

dave bought two tarps at costco and a bottle of tear-free baby shampoo.

he and craig taped the tarps together, turned on the hose and we had an instant homemade

SUPER SIZED slip n' slide!

everyone used the shampoo on their fronts to be more slippery….IT WAS AWESOME!

it came more natural to some of the kids.
and frustrating to others.

we finally had to bribe them….one dollar for any kid who can make it to the end.

it was really far.
but suddenly everyone was out on the hill and had won their dollar.

we called lauren outside.
i told her if she would do it…..then i would do it.
she said "if you do and i do….then jenny has to do it too"
and she added "NO PICTURES"
deal.

no pictures of lauren….i was fine with it.
and jenny is always fun.

dave took some video.
i adore it.
he is shouting "DOLLAR!!!" and everyone is so happy.

that night i uploaded my pictures from the day onto the laptop.
i started clicking through them and others joined me in looking through.
then we got to craig's pics of ME going for me first time.
everyone is looking and i started clicking faster trying to move them OFF of ME.

and i am not kidding….there were 38 pictures in a row.
he caught every split second of it.
i had it on action setting and he just held down the button.

i was screaming with hysterical laughter as i kept clicking and clicking trying to get to a cute kid
instead of ME in my MOM suit….RUNNING.
i kept yelling "NO! OH NO!!!"
we were watching a slow motion movie with way too much detail on full screen….yikes.
it was very very funny.

so last night i highlighted them all to delete them….and then i thought….
it WOULD be funny to make a movie of them.
i am over the embarrassment of it and just think it's funny now.

and now….without furthur ado….
6 seconds of embarrassment.

i was sore the next day.
it's not really meant for grown ups….but it really was fun.

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shelly@familyblt - I love everything about this post. Such a good idea for fun!

Melanie - Meg, you are so much fun! We just love you for it.

Amy Bogan Griffin - You are soooo AWESOME!!! Thanks for showing us!!!!

Quinn - I love, love, LOVE when bloggers post videos… it’s like seeing their photos come to life. Almost surreal, almost as if you guys are suddenly more real then I always thought you were. Anyways, looks like tons of fun. I think I might put this on my list to do this summer.. hm.
Hope you guys are doing well. 🙂

Lia - that is the COOLEST thing ever. i wanna do it!!!

Alisha Mancinas - YOU. ARE. AMAZING! I wanted to email you the other day, to show you some rainbow soap I came across on etsy or something, but my mac wouldn’t let me because I use gmail, and when I click on the e-mail me link on your blog, my comp wanted to use it’s email program. It was frustrating. 🙂

julia - these are mom suits???? I have three very similar to yours. why didn’t anyone tell me???

Chicago jen - Great post! Not enough pictures of Dave though. Lol about the pic of you!

heidi @ wonder woman wannabe - Oh-so-awesome! I love that everyone participated – your still shot video is such a hoot with the added soundtrack! What a good sport you are!

tami - thats fun!!!!

Joanna @ The Casa - Love the video! You are such a fun mom!

jennibell - Sorry. . .meant Craig. . .

jennibell - The video was so much fun. But really, your picture of Dave was the BEST. . .what great memories.

Garner6389 - The baby shampoo is a great idea.We have something in common.We get Migraines.Not sure if thats good or not!!!!!

Vera - Love it! I’m so crabby in the middle of the night – with a headache and all the kids somehow piled in MY bed – but your post made me laugh. Thanks!

Carey - You’re such a champ, Meg. I love your candor and authenticity. I love that you write about being crabby one day and then bounce back with this happy snapshot of your vacation on the next. I have four children that are 5 and under, so I’m well acquainted with “so crabby,” but I know your joy of being of mama, too. So glad to “know” you and your family through your blog.

Liz@HoosierHomemade - I loved seeing the pics. We made a slip n’ slide last year, and the boys loved it. We bought one this year because youngest son was having some friends over for his bday, it lasted 1 day…geez!
Looks like a great family time was had by all!
~Liz

Genn - THAT looks like some serious FUN!!I will have to remember this grand $6 idea.
Loved the videos too, made me feel like I was there. And you look so cute in your swimsuit! Very stylish.

jody - LOVE this! You are so real, so fun!! Thanks! xo

The Lady of the House - You GO Girl! I’m proud of ya! I would of had the gutts to do it!
This post made my heart = )
Stop by my blog and sign up for the giveaway!
Happy Week,
The Lady of the House

Staci Danford - There is nothing more fun than a real live smile… I wanted to go outside and make one myself to see if I could have that much fun.. LOVED it.. Thanks for the grin.
Staci

JustMommer - Wow! Annie made that look easy, hooray for the Moms for going for it!

DreamGirlLisa - Oh sooo great!! My kids made their own slip-n-slide on 4th of July, but I didn’t do it…lol, you are brave sista!!!! Fun to watch the video, I have a smile on my face now 🙂

Allyssa W. - ha! ha! ha!! That was too cute and so funny! Thanks for sharing!

Martina - wooow GREAT idea!

Ashli - You rock!!! Your kids will love looking back on that day and see you having such fun.

Jess Mead - Very creative! I LOVE IT!!!!!

Monica Huete - It looks like you all had a great time !!! Sooooo fun !!! … ^__^

DeeDee - Why is it that your slip and slide ends like this and my family slip and slide adventure ends with a 9 hour trip to the ER for a hubby with a dislocated shoulder?…Whatever!
I love your gusto!
Great Stuff!

Kimberlee J. - My first thoughts were…will she? Will she show the pictures of her going down the slippy slide? No she won’t. SHE WHAT? She posts a photo collage video? You rocked that so hard. Awesome.

Jessie - That was awesome Meg! Loved that you did it too!!

Rachel / cREaTe - love your lil’ video. 🙂 love that the camera was on that setting & you had that many photos! HILARE! and the kids! i’m dying laughing at the thought of all that. 🙂

Sandy - Great fun! That looks like a wonderful time…must tell my sister about it for her kids and the hill in her backyard!
Not to sound stalkerish but, if I were you, I’d totally have that picture of Craig in a frame next to my bed. You’ve got a looker there, girl! 🙂

tara pollard pakosta - so fuN!
and your kids will LOVE that video of you one day!
showing you were there and present and a FUN MOM!
tara

Jaime @ Mamarazzi - Meg… what a great post and a wonderful idea for the slip and slide. If only we had “hills” here! lol…
I guess with enough water, baby shampoo and plastic, one could fly eve if horizontal! 😀 Might need to try that!
Love the video! 😀 Too cute!!

Juli - more = my. Sorry, I’m tired, been teaching VBS all morning!

Lori - What an awesome idea! And your video is too because you are such a good sport to share it. So funny, you know how to make me laugh out loud at my computer almost every day!

Juli - Slip ‘n Slides were way more fun before we had boobs, weren’t they? My best friend & I “bought one for our kids” (that’s more story, stickin’ to it) when they were toddlers. We were SO sore the next day! I’m sure it didn’t help that we were still nursing!

traci in virginia - How fun was that!!!? Thanks for sharing! You are a great Mom and make me smile!!! I am a widow with two kids and I try to make sure my kids are having fun! Your blog is so helpul for that! Thanks so much for all you share!

angela - I loved this! Love the homemade slide. Love that Lauren said no pics….so typical. That’s what I like. You all are so typical. Love your family! Can you do that? Can you love a family you don’t know?

marie tere - I think looking at the videos makes that crabby face smile. And I am so quick to delete pictures of me. But then think, that’s who I am and that’s who my kids will remember in years to come. Love the idea, must look for hill 🙂

Staci - LOVE it!!!!!!!!!

jennifer - You guys have gotta be the coolest family in the history… of well, EVER! I love it! What a super fun day! (We’ve gotta try it!!!!!)

Tiffany - We have also done this! FUN!!!….way to go for posting pics of yourself slipin’ & slidin’!

Lisa - You guys are too funny.

tara - the picture of your husband coming down the slide is priceless…you need to frame it.
the video was hilarious.

Ashley Stinson @ The Hillside Home - this looks like a BLAST. i dream about times like these with my kids someday. (right now i only have 1 little guy… but i dream about a house full like you.) great pics! and great idea for a cheap slip and slide. 🙂

AmyB - Ha ha. Awesome.
Looks like so much fun!!

sarah - SO fun!
I love that shot of Jenny, pure happiness.

Heather R. - L to the O to the V to the E…the super size slip and slide. AWESOME!!! You in the Batman pose on it. AWESOMER!!!
That is great. ~Heather R.

Tricia - Okay. SO much to say. The slip ‘n slide is awesome! My kids (and the neighbor kids) just watched your video and now they are outside plotting where we should put OUR giant slip ‘n slide. 😉
Secondly, you rock my socks! I’m so glad that you had a fantastic vaca. I’m also very glad that you shared the highlights with us.

Keri ~ Forever Folding Laundry - SO fun!!! Those are the types of slip-n-slides my dad made us as kids, but we never took it to the shampoo level of awesomeness. 🙂 Money SO well spent!!
And good for you for posting your video. Totally fun!!
~Keri

jill - OH MY GOSH! HOW HYSTERICALLY HAPPY I WAS TO GET YOUR COMMENT ON MY BLOG!!! I HAVE BEEN A HUGE FAN FOR SO LONG – LOVE THE PICS OF YOUR LIFE! WE HAVE TWO GOLDENDOODLES SO ALWAYS SHOW THE KIDS PICS OF WAFFLE. YES, I LOVE KASEY AND WE HAVE BECOME FRIENDS BECAUSE OF BLOGGING – HOW AWESOME IS THAT? US MIDWEST GIRLS MUST STICK TOGETHER, YA KNOW! SO….THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE VISIT, YOU MUST STOP BY AGAIN…NICE TO ‘MEET’ YA!
XO~JILL

Charity - So fabulous!! What an awesome way to spend an afternoon – thanks for the idea!

Krista - Love you and your mom suit, that was awesome!! Who knew 2 tarps and some shampoo could be so much fun? Love Scott’s “I’m awesome” at the end of his ride. Thanks for sharing. Gosh it looks like it was a lot of fun!

alamama - very cute! loved seeing this in the morning! glad to see a happy face on you!

Susan - I absolutely love this idea. How smart. The regular slip-n-slides are way to short anyway. Yours works well, but it looks like you have a little bit of a down slope. I bet it would be great for innertubing down in the snow too. Awesome idea. I’m heading to Home Depot.

Megan - This is so awesome, how fun! I think everyone got more than a dollar right? Great idea and love the price tag!

Nicole Q. - You are such a good sport . . . i think that’s one thing that makes you a great momma!!!
You had the perfect place to put that thing too — we used to do that for youth group events. Crazy fun!!

Sara @ It's Good to be Queen - that video is happy. 🙂

Dina - You make me laugh! Your blog and my coffee are the best two things of my morning:-)

Kelly - That is awesome! My parents have a huge hill at their house and we were trying to convince them to let us do this on their hill. So far it’s a no go but maybe if I show them this they’ll change their minds.

Elizabeth McDonald - Awesome….that is all I can say…AWESOME!

Niki - What a blast! You guys are such fun parents! And your swimsuit is a CUTE mom suit!

amy - I LOVE it, that’s awesome!

Kelly - I absolutely loved your post. What makes it so fun is your participation. It’s nice to see you in it once in a while! I love the yelling “Dollar, dollar! You’ve got a buck!” You guys are so much fun. Your kids are going to have the best memories and stories to tell later on!

Cate O'Malley - love the idea – even better that everyone can have a blast in their own backyard without spending a fortune – great memories!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Oh that looks like some good ole’ fashioned fun. You are so cute slidin’ down the tarp..4 seconds just wasn’t enough. I wanted to hear you talk:)

jess - you rock!!!!! how could you not go down that great slip-n slide!!!!!

Shann - Those are such good pictures Meg! It looks like you had such a good time with your best friends up here in Michigan. I remember doing a slip-in-slide a few years ago. You are right…it is a bit harder for us moms. 🙂 Your swim suit is really cute by the way! Have a good Monday! 🙂

jackie - Looks like you all had a great time. We had friends that had a gigantic piece of rubber that you make inner tubes from, and they did the same thing. They put it down, kept the sprinkler running over it, and baby shampooed, and baby oiled it up, and the kids had a Blast!! It is so hot here too. 100’s w/ the heat index everyday. What a way to stay cool, and I bet you were sore. Have a great week. Jackie

Barb - When you look up “good sport” in the dictionary, there’s a picture of you! 😉
Looks like it was a great time. What a fun person you are.

Meg B. - looks like fun, now to find a hill….

Gemma @ Musings of a gem - Great idea!! I bet your fronts were really sore after all that though.
Your family seem so fun : )
Gemma x

Michelle - Meg
When you started this blog, did you think you were going to change the world? Because that is what you are doing. God Bless you girl!! I live in Australia, I love your blog (I ‘met’ you through Cora’s Mum Jess) and I swear you make me a better Mum. I read your blog, I come up with ideas from what you write and my kids love them.
Thank you!

Nikki - should read… so much fun…. I should proof read my comments 🙂

Nikki - That looks like so much.
Thanks for sharing the video…. made me lol 😀

Tammy - That looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing the video of you!

Georgia - haha i love your video! its brilliant. The music made me crack up. You look lovely Meg, wouldnt even know you have had 5 kids!
YUou should post video’s of the family more often, its nice to see everyone in real time.
xx

Trish - how fun!!
and I love that you posted that video of you!

Tasha Griffin - Oh, how fun! We have had some good times on giant homemade slip and slides as well…baby shampoo is a MUCH better idea than baby oil like we used! Looks like you guys had a blast!

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - 4 seconds?! Hilarious!!! 🙂

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block party

July 5, 2010

my kids have been waiting all summer for this day.
they couldn't wait to put up the barricades and block off our street.
all the kids on our block rode their bikes in the street all day.
they love that freedom.

we partied on friday instead of the 4th and thank goodness we did.
it's been raining all day long here.

i have a ton of pictures…

russ and jennifer bring out the bonzai falls.
it's the kid's favorite part of the day.
they were on it for about four straight hours.

we call this the firecracker walk.
the kids go around the circle and when the music stops we draw a number
and if it's the number they are on they get to pick a prize from miss amy's bucket of kids firecrackers.

finally her number was called.
so funny.

water balloon toss.

the men of the block working the grills.
the one is red is quite handsome i must say….especially his hat.

we had PLENTY to eat.
i ate way too much.
it was all really good….rhonda's salsa was SO good…i need her to make me a huge bowl.

um……..gross.

the other miss amy made sidewalk chalk paint.
the street was so pretty.
i am going to make some more of that here too.

there was a weird app on russ's phone that makes you look fat…..whatever.

it was a great party.
annie wanted to go to bed before the big fireworks.
i went in and laid down with her…when i woke up she was asleep and the big fireworks were done.
i missed them too.

after we cleaned everything up in the dark at midnight we had our annual adult water balloon fight.
it's a tradition.
this year was very tame.
i think because russ and cory went in early.
next party….we are gunnin' for both of you…the cooler is getting dumped on them and not amy.

way to go neighbors.
our block party was super-great…..like we used to say in cheer.

(miss amy #1 ….blogged it here)
(miss amy #2 ….blogged it here)

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Denise - Your oldest son has the best smile! Looks like y’all had a great time.
Denise

Carol - Your block party looks absolutely amazing! Where I live, no one ever comes out of their homes. It must be nice to have an entire block participate in something. I’d like to know how to make the sidewalk chalk paint, too!!

Aaron Greenwood - I totally love your neighborhood.
can I join??
It looks AMAZING!!!
you lucky girl……

Amber - oh i used to have block parties but now that i am in a new home i don’t know the neighbors yet. 😉 p.s. lauren is so pretty! i love her style.

hattie - Looks like sooooo much fun! I want to live on y’all block!

Martina - WOW! Really great party! 🙂

Jessica @ One Shiny Star - I love your neighborhood! Neighborhoods like that don’t exist where I’m from… just really packed suburbia, or really empty rural areas. lol. Looks like fun!

Musings Of A Gem - Hey Meg!
I love your block parties…love the community you live in..seems so welcoming : )
Hope you all had a great 4th of July : )
Gemma X

Courtney - That looks like so much fun. Your kids will have memories they can tell their kids.

Rachel @ Pencil Shavings - Ooh, I must know what sidewalk chalk paint is!

Melanie - Looks like you had a great time. I love Annie’s face in that photo where her number was called. She always looks so happy!

Dana D@BoysMyJoys - The pic of Annie’s expression when she won is just priceless!
And, that Lauren- she just gets more and more beautiful!
I’m ready to move to your neighborhood now!
But, I don’t think I can convince my Superman to move 🙁

Jill - How fun! We’re very blessed to have great neighbors too, sure makes summer fun!

Kathryn Goertzen - What great fun! One question though . . . they let you close off First Street???

the inadvertent farmer - It is on the 4th of July that I miss living in a close knit neighborhood as opposed to a farm in the boonies!
Great post…Americana at its best! Kim

Dana@Bungalow'56 - We had a great Canada Day too. I couldn’t stop myself and posted way too many pictures. That water slide looks like the BEST! You live in such a wonderful community. Makes me a little jealous. But in a good way.
Dana

Juli - Oh man, that looks SO fun! I called my hubby into the room prefacing it with, “you know that family I’m always telling you about in Kansas?”
His response: “Yeah, I am pretty sure I know which you’re referring to since you talk about them near daily. I think I know all their kids names too!”
I showed him the photos and he said that this is what he’s been trying to tell me all along, that life is better in the Midwest. He grew up in a little town- Caledonia, IL.

amy j. - Great pictures! I love the one of Lawson and Annie on the Bonzai! Remind me to stay away from Russ and his phone. Or maybe I can pretend that you used that app on the pictures of me here? 🙂 That’s it. I’m not that fat in real life, am I?

Lisa - I enjoyed all the pictures from your block party…that looks so fun. I would love to live in your neighborhood, I think I’d fit right in…Although I love CA and my house here, I sometimes dream of moving to a Mid-Western or East Coast small town and living in a neighborhood filled w/ old homes.
p.s. Lauren is such a beautiful girl!

Margo - I am so jealous of your block parties! Some of my friends used to live on your block and they told me all about them – more neighborhoods need to have those parties!

Holly - That looks like a lot of fun!

Stefanie - Are there any houses for sale on your block?!?

Juli - Wonderful post! Found myself wishing there were more photos of your neighbors’ houses. They look so homey and inviting, and many of them seem to have a wonderful front porch. Would you take some photos of them, pretty please?

Lisa K - I can pretty much delete the rest of the blogs from the list in my sidebar. I just need my daily dose of your sweetness, your great pictures, your happy colorful life. I’m putting my house on the market and moving to Kansas now 🙂

Bec - The neighborhood I grew up in was shaped like a horseshoe and had a huge field behind it so our block parties were massive. Now there aren’t any kids left and the block parties have stopped. Hopefully someday my husband and I can find a neighborhood that’s willing to party 🙂

heidi @ wonder woman wannabe - F U N!!! can I come live in your ‘hood? 🙂

Jessica - i want to live on your block!

Michelle Whitlow - How fun!!! I love block parties. They seemed to be much more common when I lived in MI but I haven’t really seen anything like that here in GA. Maybe I need to start a new tradition down here!

Krista - Looks like it was a blast! Love the photo of airborne Annie coming down the water slide! Also, saw your patriotic plaid dress on Amy’s blog– love, love love it!

Sana - yes, i’m coming over, too. i’ll bring my famous tuna salad.

shelly @familyblt - Looks like sososo much fun! Your neighbors look like lots of fun!

tami - You guys looked like you had a ball! Summertime fun!

Monica - Please send directions to your neighborhood. I’m moving there immediately!!
How much fun! 🙂

mindi jo - Love your blog! This is my first time commenting, but I just had to when I saw on miss amy #1’s blog that we wore the same dress to celebrate the 4th! Great taste 🙂 Looks like a great time. I’ll have to get some of that sidewalk paint for my girls!

Jill Loy - That rocks! Thank you for sharing. We are going to have to make that chalk paint very soon!

Kimberlee J. - What fun! Both of my girls were asleep by 8:15!

Mansi - Food looked gr8..what did you cook?

Peggyrice@gmail.com - Looks like so much fun! Love the firecracker walk.

april - Did I see peanut butter pie?? lols…I won a raffle at our citys 4th of July carnival…won a fly pen and leap frog….your pics were great!! Block parties are the best!!!But where were you in all the pics??? lols

Heather Lea - looks like one fun neighborhood, makes me almost wish we knew our neighbors…..almost.

leslie - oh man that food looked so good…especially some strawberry layered stuff wrapped in plastic…

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Dude! That is awesome.
That’s it. I’m coming over. Then moving to Kansas.
Wait.. I mean, moving to Kansas, then coming over.
I’ll bring cake. Promise.
K? K. 🙂

amy d - how is it that the person who fills all the water balloons always gets the cooler dumped on them????
that picture of lawson and annie is HILARIOUS!!!!!!! craig and i laughed for ever about it!
miley and talby…umm, wow that was a super smooch!
I heart our awesome block!

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my happy place

June 29, 2010

while my sister was visiting me we headed out to my happy place.
is it weird that my happy place is someone else's house?
hopefully not.

carolyn's house is just happy.
even waffle is happy there.

we caught a toad.
everyone wanted a turn with it.

waffle had the best day he has ever had in his whole life.
he got to swim.
he got to play with max.
he was SO HAPPY.

she likes sunscreen.
ha.

a fish bit me.
and i was done.
enough water for me.

i love it out there.
love love love.

**************************************************************************************************************************

pillow winner announced tonight.

or in the morning.

we'll see.

🙂

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Miho - She is beautiful! I’ve been chiekcng every day to see if you’ve posted anything and this is so worth the wait. Jacob and Callie’s wedding is next weekend and we will be missing your special touch. Little Ms. June should have some beautiful pics during her life.

ymcmb hats - I really wish I hadn’t seen this as I really want one now!

Courtney Walsh - I laughed when you said the fish bit you and you were done in the water because the same thing happened to me when I was visiting my sister in Georgia! lol
I am not much of a fish person!

Carrie - So apparently your blog now falls under what my work considers a “social networking site” and it’s blocked… Just how do they expect me to get through my day?! 🙂

www.Kellyloves.wordpress.com - OMG. the toad pics rule!
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - I thought your happy place was Pizza Hut:) Looks like so much fun.

Melanie - Looks like fun!

amy d - what??? waffle likes something better than ME??? lol! hopefully he wasn’t writing down directions or he may just take his own road trip to carolyn’s!

Jen - It’s so cool how your sister’s daughter looks exactly like her and Talby looks just like you!

Gemma - Fun in the sun…perfect!!
Gemma X

linda@LimeintheCoconut - Happy time indeed! Perfect summer stuff. Well except for the toad. I wouldn’t want to hold the toad. Nope.

mel - What a fun day! It is totally okay to have your happy place be someone else’s house! (Target is my happy place…ha!)

shelly @familyblt - When I was a kid, we had frogs in our pool. I like those little guys–kinda like toads! Looks like fun!

Erin Leigh - I wanna turn with the toad. so fun.

Traci - As long as you have a happy place Meg…that’s all that matters. Looks like a fun day…your sis hasn’t aged a year since the last time I can remember seeing her (at least 15 years ago)…maybe I should try more sunscreen:)

AshleyAnn - The frog pictures ruined it for me. Not a happy place at all…I hate frogs…just the sight of those pictures make me cringe.
Reminded me of when you used to have that frog picture on your blog banner. I had a difficult time reading your blog those days. Thanks for taking that down 🙂

Flower Patch Farmgirl - What a fun honor to have your home be someone else’s happy place. I’ll bet she loves it!

Lisa - Your daughter looks like your sister! I can see why that is your happy place. waffle is looking as fetching as usual.
What a fish bit you??? Weird.

sarah - If it’s weird, then I’m weird, cause my happy place if I were closer would be your house and Carolyn’s house 😉
LOVE the toad pictures.

Donna - I LOVE the frog pictures, esp the first one! And Waffle is the cutest!

betsy - Tons of fun!
Was Waffle in a doggy coma when you got home? Whenever my Minnie plays that hard, she’s so exhausted, she can hardly walk up the stairs to get to bed.

Jaime A. - Is it weird to admit that I think I have a dog-crush on Waffle?! He is just sooo darn cute. I just want to squeeze him!
Looks like it was a fun day!

Juli - Oh, now this is interesting. I’d say your house is my dream home. We live in a 1932 ‘charmer’ but it is a plain jane colonial. When I play with my house, I pretend it’s yours.
Soooo, if your happy place is someone else’s house, is it because you prefer her home over yours in some way location, etc…) or is it because of your friend, herself?

Micah - Are you kidding?!?! That peanut butter baby came back and won??? NO WAY!!! I can’t believe it! She did something serious to come back from that far behind. Bummer. Your picture was so awesome too. I’m bummed for you. Enjoy your happy place.

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yesterday

June 18, 2010

as we left swimming lessons i saw this car parked in front of my big truck.

i said "oh….that is pretty….ohhhhh…..i like that car"
sean looked at it and said "but mom, there are only two seats!"
and talby said "exactly. one for her and one for dad."
i smiled.
annie didn't miss a beat "WELL…i'm gonna need 2 CAMPER CARS when i have my 12 kids!"

we went to the zoo for a short visit.
it was hot.
very hot.

the zoo had the misters everywhere to cool the kids off.
sean's hair was so funny.

all the animals were loving the kids.

we gave him some ice.
he liked it.

we were alone by the lions.
all three were asleep.
sean gave this very realistic roar a few times….woke up the daddy.
that got them very excited.
he got up and walked right up to the glass and started pawing at the glass and showing his teeth.
if there was no glass….he would have killed us.
he was not playing with us.
the zoo keeper came over and stood there till we left…..kind of to get us to leave.

the tigers were asleep too.
until we sat down next to them.
then they were wide eyed.
the were convinced that talby & annie's yellow shirts were the cause of the animals liking them today.

snow cone break.

we saw these in the gift shop and we were inspired for craft thursday.
which will be craft friday again this week.

then to the car.
hot drive home.
quiet drive home.

oh how i love the dvd player and wireless headphones.

we came home and every child went somewhere seperate….by choice.
they each played quietly….for hours.
it was like there were no children here!
crazy.
i took a book to my lawn chair in my swimsuit and vegged for an hour.

i needed that.
it rocked.

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Vannessa Gabbett - Wow! The car is definitely pretty, but I guess, your kids didn’t appreciate the beauty of the car, but instead, they noticed how many seats the car has. It only shows that they do want to come along with you every time you have a date with your husband. Heheh. I’m just kidding. Your kids did have a great time in the zoo. I can see it all over their faces. 🙂

Tyra Shortino - You have such lovely kids. It’s kind of funny how they noticed that the car has only two seats, one for you and for your husband. Heheh. You need to buy two of those so that your 3 kids can ride with you. 🙂 But the car is definitely pretty. Though I wonder how it would accelerate in an open highway.

ana from australia - just saw these, the animal pics are FANTASTIC…. thank god for thick glass hey?

Musings Of A Gem - That Lion looked crazy!!!
Gemma X

Trina McNeilly - sounds like a fun day and the perfect ending.. some quiet alone time! I can’t believe the how close you are to the hippo & how the cats were so animated – wow …..sooooo coool!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - I’m thinking a trip to the zoo is in order. Those were great pics. That lion looked a little pissed;)

Jenn - Isn’t it crazy that kids don’t get freaked out by lions getting mad at them?! I took my daughter to the Denver Aquarium last summer and they have tigers there. She wasn’t even two and was just standing there at the glass and a tiger totally charged at her. Everyone else took an involuntary step back and she just stood there all happy just to see the tiger! Can’t wait until we can {finally} get some nice weather to go to the zoo. Glad you had such a fun day!

Lauren - Such a fun zoo day! Glad to see that you guys are fellow QT supporters…love their great fountain drink deals!! It’s the little things in life, right? 🙂

jen - Separate by choice and quiet for hours? Was there Benadryl in that QT cup?

heidi @ wonder woman wannabe - looks like an amazingly awesome day for all – EVEN you!! Love that. Can I order up one of the same for me???

Jessica - That lion looks too scary… even behind that wall… No thanks.. i think i would have ran! 🙂 The hippo is my fav!

Melanie - Sounds like you had a great day and I just love what Talby said about you and Craig:)

tara pollard pakosta - what a nice day!!!
we need a Zoo day!
my girls will often do that after
a full day out, just find somewhere, alone
in their room or wherever and just read a book,
draw, go on their laptops etc. they need alone time!!
great pix as always!

Sixty Fifth Aveune - Amazing pictures, as usual! We visit the zoo all the time and we would be lucky to get one cool animal shot. What a great day!

Lori - Awww. Summertime is great, isn’t it? I love the tiger picture and the snow cone.

shelly - That lion picture looks fake, which is good, because knowing it is real-is a little freaky to me. What a fun day though!

heike - how funny! may i show you which picture i posted just today?
i had to laugh a lot when i realized this coincidence… ;o)
it’s all about hippos…
http://koelnformat.blogspot.com/2010/06/ein-tag-im-zoo-macht-froh.html

www.Kellyloves.wordpress.com - lions, tigers and hippos — what a fun day!!!
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com

jennifer - We went to the zoo yesterday too! SO hot!
And the lawn chair in the backyard with a book by myself… my favorite!

Staci - We’ve had VBS all week….I’m looking forward to veggin’ ALOT next week myself 🙂

Kelly - great day! Kelly

jack - Oh! Wireless headphones! I didn’t know they even existed. I’m off to investigate…..

Sara @ It's Good to be Queen - those are some serious teeth on that tiger. looking forward to taking our kids to the zoo…it’s a big trip for us, an hour and a half each way. wish we could just pop over for the morning like that. glad you got a quiet afternoon. 🙂

Stacia - Oh my gosh I love QT pops in the summer! I live in Colorado and we don’t have QT 🙁

Debbie S. - My husband and I always talk about when all four kids are grown, we are going to reward outselves for surviving parenthood with a two-seater car and a white couch!!

Jocelyn Stott - What a great day and oh my goodness, that lion!!!! Super cool but also slightly creepy. It is humbling how magnificent those animals are.

Dana@Bungalow'56 - What a wonderful day. I LOVE misters. We don’t get heat for very long, but when it comes it is HOT. At our local street performer festival they attach the misters to the hydrants. I wish I had one in our backyard. (It would go nicely with the pool : ) Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your quiet time, its hard work keeping us up to date. But I for one really appreciate it.
Dana

Gekakel - Beautiful pictures of your family to the zoo!

beth - Gosh it has been ages since I went to the Atlanta Zoo…what fun you all had…loved all the pics and can’t wait to see your craft Friday from the inspiration pic.
Ahh the sound of silence when kids are with you…nothing but a great gift from them…peace and love among them all.
Oh yeah I see that car and I will raise you on it…oops sorry have nothing to raise on it..lol
Loving your blog as always Meg! Have a great weekend and can’t wait to be back on Monday…I so look forward to your piece of life each day!

Kacey - I want to go to the zoo! Sadly, I think we would melt right now. No zoo in the triple-digits for this girl!
You always have so much fun with everything! Love your outlook on life.
Kacey
P.S. A whole HOUR by yourself with a book with kids at home? Fantastic!

Kimberlee J. - We’re hitting the zoo tomorrow for Ella’s birthday. Did I hear it right? 100 degrees!!!! I hope they have the misters on for us, too! Love ya!

Heather - what i wouldn’t give for an hour with a book. ahhhh. sounds heavenly.

Julie - Oh, and when we do go to the zoo, we will wear yellow to test your kids’ theory 🙂

Julie - Those zoo pictures are unreal! It always seems like the animals are hiding or sleeping when we are there. The zoo is on our summer to-do list… now I’m pumped. I want the zookeeper to come stare us down because the lions are aggitated and threatening us. Haha! Not really–that would put me way out of my comfort zone.
We were able to squeeze in Craft Thursday yesterday… letter mosaics. I found the idea through a link on your blog. The kids each made one for themselves and I made one for baby on the way and then the boys decorated D-A-D with items from the toolbox… for dad for Father’s Day. So much fun and way less messy than I thought it would be. Yay for that!

Georgia - WOW how big are them Tigers teeth!!!!! I went to our local zoo a week ago and was really close to a tiger and i couldnt believe how BIG their paws were…. !!! huge.
The Lion pic’s funny. Looks like hes making goofy faces on the glass…
🙂

Sophie - Looks like such a fun day!
Darn, I want to go to the zoo now! 😀
Sophie
x

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lightning bugs

June 17, 2010

they only come out in june.
they only come out for about 30 minutes each night…when the sun is just about set.
and they are so easy to catch.

i hadn't even seen one this year but i told annie at lunch time "i think tonight we'll catch lightening bugs"
because it just felt like it was time.

and sure enough there they were.
and annie heard cicadas and said to talby "what is that noise that is so loud?!"
it is definitely summer.

this activity was on the summer list…..check!

annie was so excited and yelling "i got one!" every other minute.
talby got as many as she could at once before coming back to the jar.
sean was so into it last year but this year he just kept swimming….
growing up i guess.

it was time for bed.
i think they caught every one in our yard.

and then it was time to let them go.

so we could catch them all again tomorrow night.

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Supra Shoes For Girl - The authors concluded that “although BCT produced slightly higher response rates and longer median progression-free survival than CVD alone, this was not associated with either improved overall survival or durable responses. Considering the extra toxicity and complexity, this concurrent BCT regimen cannot be recommended for patients with metastatic melanoma.”
. While he hasn’t been able tasdfo develop phonetic reading skills yet, he is becoming quite adept at what is known as “sight” reading where he memorizes and recalls whole words, and he sure knows his planets!

Juicy Couture Bags - “I love San Juan Capistrano, our lifestyle, the people, the city’s small town atmosphere. Both my wife Chris and I are active in our community every day.”

Supra Skytop - EO EO EO EO …..DON’T WANNA IT THAT WAY…..YEAH-EN-YEAH…..

Rockwall Christmas Lights - Really enjoyed this. I can remember watching them in amazement with my little girl as what seemed to be thousamds of them would light up the entire campsite. She’s all grown up now, but we still enjoy our lightning bug hunts.

Heather Warren - I loved reading about this. I have two boys. Clayton who is 14 and B aka Bryce who is 9. We are in Heltersberg, Germany and just spent our first time outside looking for fireflies. I was told by one of my German friends that she has never seen them here before but saw them for the first time a few days ago. We saw them tonight and caught one. It was an amazing feeling to share this moment with my boys. 🙂

MommyTopics.com - I’m a Southern California Girl and I’ve never, NEVER, seen lightning bugs. NEVER! I have a dream.
You just brought me a little closer today.
Thank you.
I knew they were really out there and that little kids really do collect them in jars. I just knew it!
I’m linking to this post on Monday in my gratitude post. You’ll be able to find it at MommyTopics.com, Monday morning, June 28, 2010.
Blessings
Rachymommy – MommyTopics.com

crystal b - I’ve never seen a lighting bug. I’m so glad you posted pictures of one up close so I could see how it lights up. I read about a really fun lightening bug party just yesterday — I think it was in Family Fun, the July issue. You should check it out — it looks like something you would love. They also had a fun robot craft made of tin cans.
P.S. Loved that dragon craft.

Rach - Oh how I miss lightening bugs and long summer walks. I wish we had them out here. 🙁

Stephanie - I enjoy your blog and amazing photos! My sons were having fun last night when they noticed the lightning bugs, so I grabbed my camera…but my pics do not even come close to yours!! You are so creative! Please share with me how you got such great photos of the bugs lighting up, I am trying to learn new things with my camera…maybe I need to put it on the correct setting?!?!

Aimee @ In THIS Life - Oh, wow! I’m jealous. We moved back to the West Coast last year, and fireflies are one of the things I miss!

Meredith - Oh Meg, If you don’t have Faith Hill’s song “Fireflies”stop what you’re doing and download it right now!! 🙂

Diana - wow, come to our neighborhood, we have always had the lightning bugs since mid-may and they’re with us all evening and all night (maybe ’cause we’re near the creek?)… when the grandkids come over in the summer, there have been times we camped in the backyard and watched them in the wee hours of the night… when i can’t sleep, i sit in the backyard and watch them, so cool to see them all over the yard and in the sky in the dark of the night 🙂

Carol - I remember catching fireflies when I was a kid. It was such sweet, innocent fun. And those lions, they would have freaked me out! Glad you had fun!!

Melanie - I love those bugs. When we lived in Georgia, we had a lot of them. Now that we are in Cincy, I don’t see them so much.

Kendra - We’re in Wichita and our lightning bugs stay for hours!

Sarah - This is the first year my kids were old enough to enjoy catching lightning bugs, but enjoy it we have! The other night we ran around the yard shreaking and laughing while we caught them. Such fun!

jimaiemarie - This is SO fun, I’ve never seen one in real life and I just know my kids would get such a kick out of them!! I so wish we had them here in California, very cool!!

Mica - never ever have I seen a real one… My husband saw his first ones last year when he was in Philadelphia…. Someday maybe…Looks like your kiddos had an awesome time out with them…Mica/The Child’s Paper

Bluebell - Thank you for this post! It was a wonderful trip down memory lane…from my childhood in Indiana. I know live in Idaho and there aren’t any lightning bugs in my area…so this was a wonderful way to relive a great time in my life!

Jeanne - Everytime I read your posts I just want to move next door to you and we are BFF:-)

Jenny - Nothing says summer to me like fireflies! These pics are great!

Anya - Wow, we don’t get anything like around my place! Love them, so amazing. So cool.

the road less traveled - it’s officially summer to me the first night i see the fireflies.
love your romper 🙂

DreamGirlLisa - What a marvel Mother Nature is, those are so cool! I wish we had them here in CA.

tara pollard pakosta - My girls have been wanting to do this the past few nights, but then forgot as night came around….I need to get a few jars, the last one we had outside broke in a storm!
awesome pix!
tara

Krista - Love the one with the bug lighting up as Annie is holding it, your pics are awesome!

jennifer - Lightning bugs remind of when I was little and we lived in Chicago. We left when I was seven and I always missed the lightning bugs!

Ruth - i just saw my very first fireflies in uganda last month! a leeeeetle bit overexcited…

Sharon - So much fun!

Kirsten - Oh the memories…we visited my great-grandma when I was little in Garden City, Kansas, and they were so magical. I wish I had pictures. I barely remember…and the noisy cicadas.

Robyn - that is AMAZING!
the photo of her holding the bug all lit up is perfect!

Lora - One of my favorite childhood memories! I like how you captured their lit up be-hinds :O)

Christy - I have been in Phx for over 20 years & we don’t have them hear. 🙁 I so miss that about summer. Catching the bugs & “wearing” them were one of my all time favorite childhood memories, the best spot to collect them was my granparents farm.

Ellen - We did the same thing last night! And it was also on our summer list (stolen from you, of course) 🙂 Is it weird that it makes my day that you and I thought alike? Ha!

Kimberlee J. - I looked out my kitchen window last night and my entire front yard was full of them. Yep, it’s totally summer. And I’m loving it.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Oh, I love those bugs!!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - One of my favorite memories of summer. Thanks for that:)

Naomi - DEF miss lightnin’ bugs!

jaz - Look at their cute little bums!

Katie - I am from your area, too, and these little glowing guys are everywhere. I bet if you go to the edge of town at dusk, you would seen many. My little friend, Rylee, and I caught lots the other night in Elbing 🙂

Sandy - I’ve always lived in Ohio so I’ve grown up and grown “old” with them. After reading the comments I realize I’ve taken them for granted! I didn’t realize so many areas don’t have them. Great memories of catching them in the jars…now I watch my dog jump through the yard catching them. They are awesome!

Heather - so cool! i wish we had those in az. love the photo of annie holding one while lit up.

Jaime - Oh my goodness… I so miss living anywhere but Arizona. I miss the lightning bugs and cicadas (kinda). Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you and Annie!

Sara @ It's Good to be Queen - i love summer. great photos!

Kat - I love your photos, Meg…these are GREAT! 🙂 We’ve been catching lightning bugs around here too…but seeing these photos are magical :). Thanks!

Julie - Seeing a lightning bug is on my list of things to do before I die. I’m almost 30 and I have yet to see one! They know better than to come to LA…

Heidi - Thank you, thank you, thank you! I miss seeing lightening bugs and was just thinking about it last week. I immigrated to Holland many years ago and they are not here. You gave me a little piece of my childhood again reading this and seeing the photos. Thanks so much for that!
Hugs from Holland ~
Heidi

Julie - Man do I miss catching lightening bugs. Kinda hate that my kids don’t get to do this. Really nice to see your kids enjoying their summer ~ looks like fun!

Tracy - I miss these days both for me and my children. My kids (like your Lauren) are all too grown up (so they think) to do these kinds of things anymore. However, even though I am a grown-up – I wish I could be carefree all summer long catching lightning bugs instead of making the commute to NYC for work every day! LOL Glad you got something else checked off your summer list. Have a great day hun! xoxoxo :o)

Liz - Meg! Catch them again tonight, take the jar inside and let the girls fall asleep with them as nightlights in their dark rooms! It’s so much fun. After a while you can take them back outside and let them go.

Nicole Q. - I didn’t grow up with lightening bugs so i think this is so cool. last year we let the kids keep their jar in their room while falling asleep, it’s like a night light. So cool.

Sixty Fifth Aveune - You got some really awesome pictures Meg! This is on our list too, how fun!

Art Cant Hurt - my birthday is june 20th and growing up i knew it was almost time for my birthday when the first lightning bugs came out….now my kids see them and say “momma, it’s almost your day!” and it makes my heart smile!
thanks for sharing megan!

Liz - Love your pictures! Looks like they had a great time. We too are busy crossing fun activities off our list!

Amanda - Great photos!!! Looks fun!

Dana@Bungalow'56 - I’ve often read about lightning bugs or seen cartoon versions of them on some Disney cartoons (I can’t remember which ones right now), but I had no idea they lit up like that? That was very cool to see. I’m going to show my kids.
Thanks

Natasha Burns - Wow, these are amazing! Are they the same thing as fireflies? We don’t have these in Autralia, wish we did!

Jessica Hoffman - I miss lightning bugs…i use to catch them when i was little living in Texas… they are magical.

Megan - You can never be too old for lightning bugs!

Melissa - Ooooh how fun I remember doing this as a child!

Sophie - This is going to sound so dumb, but I didn’t know they even existed! I’m from London, so we don’t have any bugs like that here. Just the boring ones. 😛

www.Kellyloves.wordpress.com - I grew up with lightning bugs and it breaks my heart that it’s too hot in Florida for them. But we do have love bugs and my son and I catch those each spring.
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com

Dina - We did the SAME thing the other night. I kept trying to get pics of their “light bulb tushies”… that’s what my kids call them;-)… but I just wasn’t fast enough…. and I think my son left them in the jar a little too long. They were pretty slow moving when we finally released — but no casualties:-)

Tam - I want to do this with the boys, I was hoping to do it Saturday night! 🙂 Photos are great, thanks for sharing!

`Kelly - We had those fun little creatures where I grew up in the midwest. Now living on the West Coast with my own family, I miss them. I wish my boys could grow up with those same childhood memories I had.

Lora - Awesome pics! you guys are so fun!

melissa*320 sycamore - meg~this is our first summer we have ever had lightning bugs! I didn’t know they were so short lived~we’ll have to plan a catching party pronto. such great pics.

Nancy - When we visit arkansas every summer, the girls look forward to that. We just don’t have those here in our concrete jungle known as Southern California. 🙁

Jen CD - thank you for this post. We miss cicadas and fireflies so much.

Sarah - There is a field near our house in Manhattan that was loaded with lightening bugs, like someone laid a net of Christmas lights over the field, only better. My husband drove through it one night coming home late from work and insisted on taking the kids to see it. He was right. My two year old kept saying “it’s amazing”. They are magical little bugs.

Lisa K - We don’t have lightning bugs where I live, but I have some really warm memories of a summer vacation over the fourth of July one year – I was elementary school age and we stayed with friends in a big homey house in some rolling hills in TN. We caught lightning bugs and watched a parade and fireworks. It was like a dream. 🙂 Thanks, Megan, for reminding me.

kristine - awesome. great pics of them lighting up!!

candace - i love being out in the country where it looks like it is raining little lights out in the fields! and amen to that comment just above. 🙂

Vanessa {Bloom Right Here!} - Isn’t God amazing? Every time I see a lightning bug I am just in awe. What a creative God we have….He created a bug whose rearend actually lights up! Love ’em!

Elisa - love fireflies!! I was watching them on my bedroom porch door last night 🙂

Nikki - I love this post… we don’t have these bugs in Australia. Our kids have a three week winter break… I need to write a list of fun things to do.
xx

Gemma - I so wish we had them here in the UK..they look magical!! Very unusual!
Gemma X
http://musings-of-a-gem.blogspot.com/

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