whatever

as far as our house goes…this is about as clean as it gets…without paying someone else to do it.
and it is this way because everyone pitched in.
the kids cleaned their rooms before bed.
we cleaned till late last night…it had to be done…it was just gross.

so this morning when i forced them to clean again they all went nuts.
(the kids..craig was at work)
there was lots of stomping, door slamming, crying….wailing…
give me a break.
i made them do it anyway.
i was also getting very crabby from them being this way.
i had just cleaned my kitchen and didn’t want them in there
so i shouted “whenever that room is clean we can have a picnic!”
“PICNIC? it’s raining”
“an inside picnic…so hurry up!”
it worked.
they were cleaning fast and actually did a good job.
then we had a picnic in the foyer.

it’s a proven fact…you can’t stay crabby at a picnic.

in the afternoon the family arrived!
always so good to see everyone.
i am glad they are here.

perfect activity for a rainy day…can you tell what he’s watching?

it’s a U2 concert of course…
a family favorite.
annie was eating her lunch but when she heard it she took off into the living to watch Bono.
don’t all 2 year olds love Bono?

we had 2 friends come over today at seperate times
trying to make the day go a little easier.
it went alright.
still a long rainy day.
they even crammed some swimming in…the 10 minutes it wasn’t raining.

annie made some nice art before dinner.

craig’s family starts to arrive tomorrow…all of them.
it is going to be a busy full week.
family reunion.
worlds of fun.
hotels.
hanging out.
playing games.
eating and eating and eating.
and ending with the 4th of july block party on our block.
i am going to be tired…and so is everyone else.

we were up early this morning.
making a meal for a new mommy at church.
i don’t think i have ever cooked chicken breasts at 8:30 in the morning.
i also made this incredibly yummy perfect banana bread and didn’t get to taste one bite!
jenny it’s your recipe…complete with the mashed potatoes. ha

it smelled so good.
we drove our meal out to her house which is out…way out…in the country.
it was so pretty just getting there.
in kansas they are harvesting the wheat so we saw combines everywhere.
annie kept shouting “TORN DROWIN”!!!” at every single corn field.
(corn growing)
there are alot of corn fields.
at her house there were baby kitties and frogs and a dog so my kids never even saw the baby.
BUT I DID.
ohhhh holding that tiny baby was too much.
i had an immediate internal reaction…i wanted one.
logically i know i don’t.
we have enough babies.
i don’t want to gain another 50 pounds again.
my brain can’t handle another baby.
but it is still in me…i wanted to take him home.
if we could…but we can’t…but if craig said “let’s have another one”…
HA HA HA HA HA HA
i would. i would. i would.
it won’t EVER happen though.

i cleaned up my yard this afternoon.
in the sprinkling rain.
all afternoon.
the kids played in the pool while it sprinkled.
i am in love with the pool.

lauren is at camp.
she is missed.
it’s very different without her here.
i hope she is getting filled with god’s word this week.
and having a blast!
and making new friends..being kind.
i hope.
and i don’t think she will be stinky at all when she comes home.
she will be all pretty and clean i am guessing.
the usual.

just some summer photos to share.

talby, scott and annie ate half a watermelon today.

who is the cutest girl on the t-ball team?
i’ll give you one guess.

it was so good.
the wedding and reception were so beautiful.
it started out hot…so sweaty! but the sun went down and it was the perfect night.
i saw so many high school friends i haven’t seen for many many years.
i laughed and laughed.
it felt so good.
i cracked up that all my memories of parties and things way back when contained many embarassing things about myself that i chose to forget i guess! lots of laughing over that. how many times did i hear “you don’t remember that?!” involving something so dumb that i did!
i just loved seeing everybody.
i love to see everyone grown up…and some married…with babies…
i am so happy that we aren’t the same people we were then…mostly. 🙂
i was so glad my sister was there too.
and our parents and their best friends too.
this reception was beautiful with such a classic style…white tent…lush green grass…sunset…delicious food.
amazing.
my husband had to drag my sister and i out at midnight.
i didn’t want that fun to end.
i wish adam and ashley all the best!
i will share more pictures when my sister and mom and mom’s friends email me some.
mine are not that good. of course now i totally regret not taking pictures of everyone.
for now i will just show a photo of my favorite shoes that i got to wear.

there is nothing more refreshing than to wake up to a upstairs bathroom floor covered in water and your dining room below…table included…also covered in toilet water. ahhhhh….so lovely. and with company here too. it just doesn’t get better than that right? the good stuff.
my sister came down at 7:45 AM and i was mopping my dining room in my pajamas. i said “the toilet overflowed upstairs…i am not just some crazy lady mopping at 7:45 in the morning!” i got the mess cleaned…went to walmart and came back to the same thing again!
then i realized it was the pipe outside the toilet leaking…so it was clean water at least…not sewer.
gotta be happy about that i guess.

we shut off the water and headed out to party!

my sister and i took the kids to the zoo summer concert. craig met us after work and my mom did too.

chubby carrier and the bayou swamp band plays louisana zydeco music that is just too much fun. he calls himself the father of fun!

it was a blast. we took blankets and snacks.
the kids starting dancing on the first song!
we had everyone on the “dance floor” except lauren and craig.
talby and my niece macy were loving every minute.

talby shouted “i like this music! i LIKE dancing!” and she danced almost all night.
annie liked it too. she went on the stage for Rockin’ Robin. see the little kids wearing the little washboards! so cute. she looks scared but she was loving it! she can dance.

it was hot and everyone was all sweaty but we didn’t care.
i convinced sean to dance halfway through.
he finally did! he loved dancing too.

what’s not to like? it feels too good.
we grew up listening to all kinds of music and going dancing alot.
i do think i was the only 10 year old going to blues bars with their dad till the middle of the night.
thanks for doing that mom and dad. seriously.
i can’t ever hear a marcia ball song without dancing (and singing). even if it’s just at my kitchen sink.
i love that memory.

lauren took the pictures of us dancing! so technically she stepped on the dance floor but there was no dancing on her part.
she’s missing out.

it’s official…i miss him.
he’s gone till friday afternoon. it’s been quiet here and that’s nice but i miss that voice and breathy loud laugh. i can’t wait to hear about everything! his first camp! so much fun stuff.

my mom was here for a short overnight visit.
so helpful. the kids were read more books in one evening than they heard all summer. thanks mom.
she also helped me clean a bunch.

in the spirit of keepin’ it real i thought i’d share a picture of what happens when i cook.
i don’t want you to think that since i shared my blueberry buckle recipe so pretty that i was anything like martha. this was my first batch of waffles for the evening. i mean…do i have to make such a mess on the first round? it was so crusted on by the end of the meal. i burn alot of food. i am so distracted. and i think i will remember things without setting a timer. why? i have never remembered!

my mom distracted my kids today with washing the truck while i got started on this!

i got the ground pretty level and we laid out the liner. my mom went to her friend’s house and i put annie down for a nap. talby, sean and i sat outside and put the entire pool together our selves. they were big helpers…honest. they got the pegs ready and handed them to me. they put the feet on the legs…ran the pipe through the top…helped me build the ladder…they cleaned up the trash.
craig was shocked when he came home.
he even said “let’s take a picture of you!”
he was not expecting me to even touch it let alone level the ground and BUILD IT.
it’s filling with water now.
once i started i saw it wasn’t difficult just takes time. it took me a good 6 hours…probably would have taken craig 3. 🙂

then my sister arrived with my 2 nieces for the rest of the weekend.
awesome.