Happy Memorial Day

Thank you to those have given the ultimate sacrifice. We appreciate you always. God bless!

Clean-up, aisle 4

And the kitchen.
And the living room.
And the hallway.
Our girls have been keeping us in the cleaning mode lately. Between Ashley still mastering potting training, and now Natalie perfecting raspberry blowing WHILE eating, the cleaning cloths and carpet cleaner is never far from our reach.
I don't have any pictures of Ashley's messes, because who'd want to see that. But I do have pictures of her cleaning another type of poop - horse poop - at the barn with Lindsay. And here's a video (click here) of Natalie eating peas while blowing raspberries. It makes such a lovely splatter of green spots. Pay close attention at second 48 as she manages to get some real distance on those yummy strained peas.
I love my girls!

Spreading the shavings just right
I love the barn!
Leave me alone Mommy, I'm doing my chores
Baby sister and I hitching a ride
Working on my Elvis lip curl

Oh no!

WHAT?
Here Natalie is, not even 6 months old, and she's figuring out how to get up on her hands and knees to rock back and forth (a prelude to learning how to crawl). Just for comparison sake, Ashley wasn't even consistently rolling until closer to 7 months, and didn't attempt crawling until 10 months. I'm trying to not think about what life will be like with 2 mobile monsters...

(The pictures are poor quality since I tried to catch her in action with the camera on my celly)

1...2...3...HEAVE HO!
Why are you looking so upset Mommy?
I got it!

Cauliflower cutie

It didn't go bad. It didn't go good, either.

Hm let me think on this a bit...
...still thinking but I'm leaning towards NOPE...
...hold on, maybe it's not so bad...
...or wait. Yes it is. It's bad.
But I'm happy to announce that after a few more meals of cauliflower, Natty Kat warmed up to it. It's by no means her favorite, but she'll eat it if she must.

Perfect present

Why wouldn't want this precious gift?

Party boy in pictures

We were lucky enough to celebrate Jake's 30th with a big family BBQ. It's always fun to fill the house with our favorites: too much food, too many stories and not enough family (in no special order of course)!

30 looks good on me
I wonder if this truck runs any better then the real one (notice the stack in the bed!?)
They always gather in the kitchen!
Hey Aunt Katie, how do I look?
Yes he's supposed to look like that...I think...
There I am, waving to the camera
Hanging with Auntie A and Ray
Daddy's #1 fans
Can you handle all those candles, Jakey?
I'm just gonna take a taste...
Yaaaay! Balloons!!!
Watch out Uncle Shaun
Love love love
Cheeeeese!
Hanging with Grandpa

Dear Jake

Happy 30th birthday (if you want a reminder of what Jake looked like through the years, click here for last year's blog post)! I'm finding it hard to believe that we're nearing 9 years together, almost 6 years of marriage, 2 beautiful girls and your 30th birthday.
There isn't anything you wouldn't do for our family, and that's just one of the reasons that I love you so. You're my best friend, and even when I'm not being the best version of myself, you're still there for me. Ashley and Natalie love and admire you so and I get such a thrill watching the three of you together.

I'm so thankful for you and wish you a year filled with good things.

I love you and that's the beginning of everything!

Joy

Check out how happy Natalie is on the blanket Abby made for her
I just wanted to thank Abby again for all of the wonderful gifts she's made for our girls!

What they're doing

While Jake worked in what will very soon be our front lawn doing this
Ashley did this...
...this...
...and this
But took a break to hang out with Baby Sister
But all of the excitement was too much for Natty Kat
So we let her be because she was just too cute to disturb

Farm girl

A few weeks ago we had to make a stop at Aunt Sandi and Uncle John's house. Much to Ashley's delight they were just getting ready to feed their 'baby eep' and when Aunt Sandi asked her if she'd like to assist, she couldn't get to the barn quick enough. I have to admit, lambs are pretty cute. Too bad they grow into big 'ol ugly sheep! Ha ha!
After the lambs were fed, it was off to the chicken coup to see what kind of trouble Ashley could strum up there. She threw the flock a couple of handfuls of scratch and enjoyed watching them pick they're way around.
Ashley had such a great time and was thankful that Aunt Sandi and Uncle John let her help out. There isn't one 'city bone' in Ashley; she's a country girl through and through!

Der doo doe baby eep!
AKA There you go baby sheep!
Check out all of those chicks!
Here chick chick chick!
Sneaking them some more food
Ooh a swing! This must be my lucky day!
Thanks for all of the fun Aunt Sandi and Uncle John. Anytime you need help, just give me a call.

Swagger Wagon

I have to share this video with everyone (click here). If this doesn't make you laugh, then there is something truly wrong with you!
And for what it's worth.....I don't care how cool this video makes the minivan look, I'll still never drive one. Ever.

Yummy!

Now that Natalie is 5.5 months old, and is growing by leaps and bounds, she's decided that she'd like to have 2 solid-food meals a day. So just recently I added lunch to her daily menu and she couldn't be happier!
So far she's tasted and enjoyed rice cereal, sweet potatoes, green beans, red yams and will soon be introduced to cauliflower. She loves eating and so far is cleaner about it then Ashley ever was.
You can only begin to imagine how dinnertime has become quite the show at our house! Natalie in the highchair screeching for more, Ashley still working on perfecting the food-to-mouth-with-utensils thing, Jake eyeballing the ketchup bottle to make sure supplies don't run low, and me trying to make sure everyone is fed and accounted for. Sheesh! What a production!

First taste of green beans. Survey says...
DELISH!
I'm saving that bit for later
Red yams - two thumbs up in my book
Mm! Mm! Mm!
And just for pure entertainment we gave her a lemon slice to suck on. Ashley *loved* lemon slices when she was younger. I'm not so sure Natalie agrees...