whatever

i have had some time in my craft room with the kids’ gone.
there was lots of sports on this weekend…thank goodness…
no guilt for wanting to be scrapping.
craig is more than happy to watch sports.

i made a star wars page that i will share soon…it’s still drying.

i was looking through my albums and thought i’d share some of my favorite ones i’ve done this year.
(sorry for the page protector glare)

we obviously love U2.
we have been to 3 concerts.
this was in 2005…
my dad got the tickets at his ticket master then mailed them to us…he put “Bono” on the return address…it was worth saving…my funny dad.
i included the booklet that comes with the CD from the tour (atomic bomb)
on the black star paper i wrote in black pen titles of songs we like.
the journaling is on a tag behind our photo.
i love this page…so many good memories.
and that’s what it’s all about right?

i made this with the scraps from annie’s baby blanket her nana made.
the journaling is on the tag.
i love on annie’s little onsie in the picture it says peek-a-boo.
look at the sweet fat baby….ahhhh.

this picture of talby laying on my gigantic pregnant belly is precious.
she always wanted to cuddle after her nap for a long time…everyday.
we would sit out on the porch swing till daddy would come home from work.
i knew it would change after the baby…

i made the same page for the oldest 4 with all different combos.
talby and scott’s still don’t have the big picture done though.
(because now that i am digital i loathe the thought of going to that walmart photo counter ever again)

this page was lots of work but that’s why i like it.
i picked all the ribbon…lightly glued it down and then sewed it to the page.
sometimes it’s fun to just MAKE something!

like i’ve said before…many of these are “scrap-lifted”
but i use my choices of colors and papers…they aren’t exact copies
some are my own design…some are inspired by others.

click on the scrapbook layouts photo album for a few more too.

happy labor day!
my kids come home in 2 hours…it was too short.

and they are gone.
3 of kids went home with nana last night from burn’s.
the other 2 went home with grandma this morning.

we are all alone until monday afternoon.
no kids.
no fighting or whining or crying or potty training or hannah montana.
wooo-hooooo!
we will enjoy every second.
and they will too.
have fun grandmas.
put them to work or spoil them rotten…i don’t care.
thank you so much for the break.
we love you.

last night we met craig’s mom at burns cafe for dinner.
this is burns, kansas.

did you miss it?
here is a picture facing the other way.

burns, kansas
population: 268
this cafe is only open friday and saturday nights? i think maybe sunday noon too.
whatever it is…it’s very little.
they make a certain amount of food and when it’s gone it’s gone.
it’s just like the sign says “good country cookin'”
there is “country ambiance” too.

usually we are the youngest people there.
last night there were some college students with their parents.
it’s packed everytime.
it’s 25 minutes from our house…in the middle of nowhere.
the prettiest country drive to get there.

(the kids took all the inside pictures…it kept them entertained)
annie was like a monkey during this meal…climbing all over me.
our food was delicious…as always.
all the stuff that takes alot of work to make…done for you.
for $6.25.

i think this is my most favorite meal…not just at burns.
and then the pie….oh my.
if you get there early you get a choice of many many kinds.
again we are the youngest people there and we get there at normal dinner hours…the old folks are eating at 5:00…and they take whole pies home with them too…so our choices are always limited at 6:30.
but my butterscotch meringue was perfect.
annie’s chocolate pie….also perfect.
when it came she said loudly “OHHHHHH PIIIIIIIE!”

the 2 big kids were rebels and ordered floats instead of pie.
how dare they?

there is nothing fancy about burns (obviously)
but when we first moved back to kansas…
it was just everything that we’d missed.
small town (very) with big old homes…
community feel…
friendly…
the countryside…
and very good food…

the locals…we bought cinnamon rolls from their bake sale.

there is a tiny little hair salon next door and once after dinner craig got a haircut while we let the kids play on a dirt pile outside..that doesn’t sound hick does it?
ha ha ha
if you are local…you must go.
and call us to meet you there.

i don’t want the warm weather to end.
annie was completely entertaining herself…
soaking in the sun…
laughing like crazy.
i think she may like this quiet house more than i thought.

so far….
these girls are enjoying their time with mommy.
and i am too.
the house is pretty quiet in the mornings now.
i spend time on the computer…
do some laundry…
clean up a little (very little).
they watch the shows they want without being bugged by the boys.
play dress up…and babies
and right now talby is drawing on the bathroom wall.

this project is about half done.
i am still filling in their drawings…a few a day.
i will have to paint a few in to cover annie’s “contributions”.
talby wrote the abc’s today.
a few letters are backwards and i am going to leave it that way.
i made a mosaic mirror that is not grouted yet to hang in here.
i need a fun rug…towel hooks that are low enough for the kids…
and i want to paint the cabinet that is in there.
not too much right?
i’ll show pictures when i am finished (of course).

a self portrait at our park picnic outing yesterday.
so sunny and warm.
annie only ate the marshmallow pie and not any of the healthy things i packed.

i am frustrated.
yesterday sean’s new bike was stolen from the school bike rack.
last week…scott’s bike was stolen from our house.
this past christmas…my bike was stolen from our house.
this “small town” is very quickly losing its charm.
we did not have any of them locked up at the time.
that is stupidity on our part.
i take responsiblity for not forcing the lock thing.
i just never think it’s going to happen…
who does that?
yesterday when sean was just standing there where his bike was…
i thought “am i on candid camera? am i being punked?”
how could this be happening again!
so frustrating.
the police officer said “there’s just always going to be people who take.”
so true…
our bikes will now be in maximum security lock down at all times.
(and watch one more get stolen before we make it to the store to buy locks)

so a few happy things after that yucky stuff.

2 butterflies in the jar that talby caught and observed.

morning glories…all a mess.

my little white rabbit in the garden guarding this bike from being stolen.

my favorite window in the house as i peek through the zinnias

now…go lock up all your bikes!

preschool open house was last night.
the whole family went to make it special for annie.
she was so happy and ready to be there.
she didn’t want to go when it was over.
we stayed outside at the park an extra half hour.

*talby drew the design that is now the logo for new creation preschool!*
(more to come on another post)

their room is so colorful.
this preschool is such a loving environment.
it’s fun, energetic, creative, kind, safe, happy, full of life…
i love this place.

she is going to have a great year!
no doubt about it.

this is what potty training looks like at our house.
i don’t know how other people do it
(nor do i care how others do it)
i just let them be naked as much as possible.
it’s what works for me…5 times over.

we had a laid back weekend.
cleaned the house on saturday…
cleaned out my dresser and closet…
baked a cake…
craig got the groceries (less time for me in a grocery store is always good)
we invited some neighbors over for dinner…
very last minute.
talby and sophie are buddies.
i can see them having lots of fun growing up together.
they can be quite silly.

it was pure summer to eat dinner outside
talking with friends
listening to the cicadas
surrounded by flowers
eating watermelon and corn on the cob
swatting at mosquitos…..

this is the yummiest cake!
it was the cover of country living magazine 3 or 4 years ago.
pumpkin cake with pumpkin cream cheese frosting…yum.
it was gone in a day.
craig requested another one…maybe i will post the recipe.

then today there was more neighborhood fun
one of our neighbors has this!

usually the big kids are on here
but today the little kids were loving it!
talby was so sweet and helpful to annie.
annie was scared but talby convinced her to climb up and slide down together.
it was darling.

thanks thomas’ for sharing this with us.
it made for a great sunday afternoon.

and they were all in bed before 8:00.
they needed it…very cranky kiddos.