Uncle Justin Comes for a visit

Uncle Justin chases after the gruesome twosome during Alex's ball game

The Master & His Apprentice

Uncle Justin teaches Alex the finer points of being a couch potato

These two became fast friends!

While others took awhile to warm up to him I still cant believe this is my "Little" brother!

Bye Bye Baby... Bye, Bye

Ethan had his first hair cut today...

say good bye to my Baby Boy

and hello to the new Little Man


I CANT stand it, I've been pouting all day... all those cute curls... gone.... he doesnt look like a baby anymore and I swear he's even acting more mature

In the span of 10 minutes they took him from Baby to Boy... but like Aunt Kiki pointed out

atleast he still has his Binky! He didnt like getting his hair cut, and started to fuss! But thats ok cause so did his Momma!

Sprinkler fun

What in the world is this thing???

I'm not sure but RUN>>>>>Leah found much delightin screaming and running away,

Ethan wasnt sure what was going on but figured if Leah was running he should probably run too!

He found alot more enjoyment in just splashing in the water and playing with the kitchen spoons

Pa-Paw comes for a visit

Here are the kids with my Dad.

Here's Ethan laying on the coach with Pa-Paw

My Dad, his wife Connie and her kids, Hannah & Justin came for a quuick visit over the memorial day weekend. Somehow I managed to take only 6 or 7 pictures the whole time they were here? The time went by really fast, we are still in the thick of our nasty colds and although the kids seems to be on the other side of it, Theo & I are just getting started. I'm afraid that my Dad and the rest of the crew will probably end up taking it home with them. Sorry Dad.

It is funny to hear that my Dad is still up to the same 'ol tricks and driving my step-brtoher & Sister crazy with all the same things that he use to drive ME crazy with. And he never seems to age.... he still look and acts like he did 20 years ago. How is that possible??? I just hope those genes were passed on to me and that I'll look this good when I'm knocking on 60's door!

Grandma Tierney's flower

My friend Danielle brought me over some flowers from her yard today, and while I think that, in and of it self, is great, even better was the memory of my Grandma that came to me when I smelled them. I believe these are called a Peony, and she had these bushes all around her back porch with tons of these flowers. I have alot of memories from her back porch... its where my sister and I would play, it's where I put my right hand through a glass door, (OK I didn't say they were always "Happy" memories) The flowers just made me think of my grandma. She's been gone almost 2 years, but suffered from Alzheimer's for 10 plus years, so I was afraid those memories of her in the nursing home would be what I would always think of, but today, I thought of everything except that.

My Grandma was not your typically smother you with hugs, baking cookies kind of grandma. but there were always soft oatmeal raisin cookies in the bread box, and frozen snickers in the freezer (If you've never had a frozen snicker you have to try one) She lost two husbands, her first died during WW2 and the last died of a heart attack when she was pregnant with her fifth child (ALL BOYS) she raised them in the middle of no-where on a farm in IL. She put herself thru nursing school, and worked at the same hospital her entire career! One of my favorite stories about my Grandma is about when her boys were young and they'd be driving in the car and acting like 5 BOYS in 1 car are bound to act.... geesh..... and she'd say "I'm gonna end it all, I'm just going to drive right into that tree" Which I think is hilarious... I guess because she never did, and I never would, but I can only imagine how easily it'd be to be on edge....5 boys..... 1 small little farm house....The woman is a saint!!!

So even though the name of these flowers is Peony, I'm voting to change them to Grandma T's flowers. And hope that when ever you see these flowers, you'll think of her, and her spirit will live on.... And seriously you HAVE to TRY a frozen snickers!!! She'd love that spirit even more!!!

Good Citizen

Alex was awarded Good Citizen of the Month!!!

101 things

I just borrowed this book from the library and it's called "101 things you should do before your kids leave home" by David Bordon & Tom Winters. All I can say is I LOVE it!

It's these little things that you should teach & experience with your kids.... besides the obvious... I recomend you borrow or buy this one!

Some things on the list....

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  #3 Teach your kids to write "thank you" notes


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  #13 Treat your kids to "only child" dates


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  #16 Conduct a laundry seminar


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  #32 HUG your kids until they let go....


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  #56 Ride a roller coaster side by side


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  #63 Stage a controlled food fight (we'll be doing this one this summer, Alex's been begging for one every year for his birthday)


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  #98 Organize a search for Teddy Bears in the dark

These are just a few of the ones I thought were so cute, but there are so many good ones! We are so busy with the Big life lessons & experiences that we "forget" the little ones that are often the most precious!!!