Fun in the sun!

On Wednesday, Kendall's friend Adam came for a sleepover. They had been planning this thing for 6 months or so, and it was time for it to happen!

Kendall has been begging to go to the pool in London all summer, but it just isn't realistic to take both kids by myself. Noah definitely needs all of my attention, and Kendall would want to be in the big pool, commanding all of my attention as well....all the while with 100 kids running around everywhere. I wasn't taking that chance with yet another child along! I decided to suprise them with a little trip to the Dublin splash park...none of the kids had been there before, so they were VERY suprised! It was really fun! Best of all, kids (and parents) of all ages can play together in the SAME area....and that folks, is what sold me!

They about lost their minds when they saw the park! I thought Kendall and Adam just may very well pee their pants on the walk up there. It took Noah a few minutes to warm up and get the hang of things, but then he was a maniac! He kept sitting down on the fountains, and trying to grab the water from the vertical jets....it was hysterical! And the whole time he was squealing!

Kendall and Adam took off to play in the waterfall, and find some other kids to play with. After an hour or so, the kids needed a snack...so we headed to the towels and sat down for a rest. After that, they decided they were done playing in the water and a decision was unanimously made to go home and have ice cream. That decision got no resistance from me!

So here are a few pictures from our fun day for you to enjoy....don't you just remember how fun it was to play in the water all summer when you were a kid? AHHHHH....summer!

Mothers and Daughters

Here we are...my friend Heather and I, and our daughters Sophie and Kendall. Heather and her family came on Sunday for a cookout. We ate, the kids played, we fished, went canoeing...it was just plain fun. The kids had a ball...and these two little girls were like two peas in a pod. At one point, Heather and I giggled when we heard this little exchange:

"Sophie, I'm so glad you are my friend."

"Me too Kendall...but who's your BEST friend?"

"You are!"

"Yeah, you're mine too!"

Girls. They're so funny. And Heather and I were just sitting and smiling for a moment, grateful that our girls are as good of friends as we are.

TODAY'S THE DAY!

Yes, my friends, today is the day. The day that our place actually becomes some sort of farm. You see, last night after the kids were soundly in bed, Barry headed over to the neighbors' house to pick up our chickens. After we carefully put them to roost in the coop, we laid in bed talking about the best way to suprise Kendall and Noah in the morning. As it turned out, I actually had to tell Kendall so that she would get her little butt out of bed and we could let them out of the coop and feed them. Boy, did she fly out of her bed when I said it was time to get up and feed the chickens!

So we went out and pulled up the trap door, ever so slowly, so as not to freak them out. They were anxious for their feed, but had no interest in coming out of the coop. Finally, I convinced Kendall that if we went inside, they would come out on their own. They did, and now she is back out there, chasing them all over their pen. Poor chickens. If they're smart, they'll just warm up quick! Otherwise, these two will pester them to death! She is not going to leave them alone until she catches one.

Oh My Goodness, she JUST DID! As I sit here typing, she has caught one of the chickens!b

So now, we are in the process of naming them! Kendall has decided that one must be named Pixie, to which I replied that we must then name 2 others Dixie and Trixie. We have decided to name our rooster Elvis, since he WAS the King and all.... (more updates on names later!)

So Kendall and Noah chased those chickens for quite a while...and let me tell you, Noah is NOT afraid of them. In fact, he chases them as aggressively as Kendall! So here are a few pictures of this morning's foray into the chicken pen...Enjoy!

Thank you, Summer!

Today I was sitting on the front porch eating some yummy and refreshing Breyer's peach ice cream with the kids, and I was thinking...."What a beautiful day. What a perfect moment." And I realized, as I do more and more frequently as I get older, I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. And so tonight I am taking a moment to make a list and share all of the things that I love about summer. So sit back and enjoy...and maybe even close your eyes, smile a little, and think of the things YOU are thankful for this summer!

I LOVE...

Sunshine early in the morning AND late at night.

The kids' sunkissed cheeks and freckles on Kendall's nose.

Watching the kids run through the sprinkler and thinking "Maybe I'll go put on my suit and play too!"

The extremely loud (yes, LOUD) sounds of the country after the sun goes down. Some nights it's louder than it was in our old development! Crickets, bullfrogs, coyotes, birds, dogs...you name it, we hear it!

Barry's farmer tan...and sunburned neck.

Mowing the grass... and especially what it looks like when it's all finished.

All the bouquets of "flowers" that Kendall picks for me every day.

Random fireworks

The smells of summer...people grilling out, fresh cut grass, wildflowers, the fresh dew in the early morning, tomato plants, chlorine in the kids' hair, sunblock on their skin, and even (although I know it sounds yucky...) the smell of Barry after he's been outside working all day!

Lots of grilled foods!

Noah in his Spiderman swim diaper

Bonfires/campfires...and s'mores!

Vacations...enough said!

Floating on the lake on Mom & Joe's boat, having lunch or dinner at Sunnyside, and of course, pretzels and Farmer's cheese (that's all you, Sue!) for snacks.

Fresh lemonade... especially with a little Bacardi Limon and frozen strawberries!

Frozen grapes (that's just for you Sheri...you're going to turn into one big grape sometime soon!)

Lush, full, colorful landscaping

Evening walks

Cookouts with friends

Chirping crickets

My porch swing and rockers....ahhhh!

Having dinner out...and being able to eat outside

Shorts, strappy tanks, and flipflops

Thank God for sunblock!

My summer "do"

Going to the zoo

Hanging clothes on the line...there is really nothing like that smell, especially on your sheets!

Having a little color on my so-very-fair skin

Fishing in our pond....it's the best!

Ice cold beer

All of the fresh veggies from our garden...tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, beans...yum!

Sitting on the porch with Barry, not needing to say a word.

Outdoor concerts with friends

Seeing people cruise around in their convertibles and on their motorcycles

The kids' dirty little feet and sweaty little bodies, tired from playing in the sun...needing, yes, NEEDING, popsicles!

Biking, if we ever get a cool enough evening again!

Finding the perfect skipping stone

Fireflies! They are amazing out here. You really must see it to believe it!

And the number one thing I love about summer.....yep, you guessed it...

ICE CREAM!!!!!!

A Bit of Randomness

Just a couple of random thoughts and pictures for today...

This first picture is of yet another of Kendall's captures. Have you ever seen a dragonfly? Those things are quick! I don't know how she does it, but she catches them like crazy! She has caught quite a few different colored ones, and many different sizes, but this is one of the biggest...and boy, was she proud of it! After she studies them for a bit, she lets them go...and I'm betting they are pretty happy about that.



This next picture was taken during the final steps of finishing the chicken coop. Kendall suited up and got out there to help her Daddy paint. We picked red with white trim, just like a little barn. (I did the trim!) The painting didn't last long for Kendall...it just wasn't exciting enough, I guess. But her intentions were good, and sometimes that's all you can ask for!





Picture #3 comes to us courtesy of out favorite babysitter Susanna. She and Kendall are always busy doing some kind of art or craft. When I came home Thursday, this was what I came home to. They decided to make a bunny costume for Kendall...just in case she might decide to be a bunny for halloween. I won't hold my breath. I'm sure she'll change her mind a million times before then! But didn't they do a great job anyway? Susanna is awesome, and quite the artist. And she has really awakened the creative side of Kendall this summer... We will really miss her when she heads off to college this fall!









And last, but not least...

This is one thing that everyone should get to see at least once every summer. There are few things as peaceful as a hot air balloon gliding effortlessly in the sky. This one floated right over our house. Things are pretty open around us, so we sat outside and watched it for quite a long time. It was so relaxing! Kendall is all geeked up to ride a hot air balloon now...I think that will become one of her major conquests! and why not? I'd like to go too!

Not much more to report really. We've just been hanging around the house getting things done and keeping busy with swimming and gymnastics. Oh yeah, Vacation Bible School is this week too. Kendall LOVES that! Their theme this year is "FIESTA! Where kids are fired up about God". And I'm tellin' you what.... when I get there to pick her up in the evening, they are having a big party! Music, singing, dancing, maracas, sombreros....you name it, they've got it! It looks like so much fun...I hope that my schedule permits me to help with it next year!

Noah is up to all the same capers as usual. He has two more teeth, and is chewing on his hands incessantly, so I think we may have a few more coming. He also chases bugs, just like his older sister. Except he eats the bugs when he catches them, so I have to watch him like crazy! He is so quick, he has caught a few wasps (which freaks me out beyond words...) He is obsessed with the dishwasher, and has figured out how to open it, even when it is latched. And believe me, he doesn't just open it once! That little stinker. If he weren't so cute....

BUT HE IS!

Awww, Man!

Check out these cute shoes!

Yes, they could only have come from Amy Wood! She sent them when Noah was born, and of course, thy've been too big until just recently. So last weekend, I was anxious to bust them out! I put him in a cute little outfit that would go with them, and went to put them on...

And they wouldn't fit!

His little piggies are just too chubby! Those kissable little toes wouldn't fit under the plastic toe of the shoe....

We were bummed, of course....but hey - that just means we get to keep looking at those wonderful, pudgy, kissalicious feet!

Heeere Chicky-Chicky-Chicky!

For those of you who don't already know, we are getting chickens soon. Our neighbors got them last year, and Kendall has loved going over to play with the chickens and hunt the eggs. So when they told us they had hens sitting and asked if we would want some chickens this summer, of course we said yes! The prospect of having our own fresh eggs was too much to pass up!

So, Barry has been busy building our chicken coop, and Kendall has been keeping an eye on those newly hatched chicks. They are so cute! But I'm telling you what...they don't stay little for long! Within a week or two, they don't even look like chicks anymore!

So here are a few pictures that Susanna, our neighbor girl and favorite babysitter, snapped this week. Kendall is planning on naming each and every chicken (we'll have about a dozen). Hope those chicks know what they're in for!

Ta Daaaa!

While we were at my Mom & Joe's over the 4th, Kendall was wild in the pool! She did not want to get out for anything....and was constantly busy persuading someone to get in with her. That is, until Papa Joe dunked her....then she didn't want him in the pool for a while!

After she got over that, she and Papa had a great time goofing off in the water, and I had fun just
snapping pictures. When it was all said and done, Kendall ended up with her first case of green hair...and I do mean GREEN. The ends were as green as her swimsuit! She freaked out a little initially, but now she's ok with it.
So, what you see to the left here is just one of her many death-defying acts! Next year we're selling tickets for sure!

And check out those spindly legs in the last picture....geesh! Wish I could say she got those from me, but alas, no. Those are a definite KUCK trait!




TA DAAAAA!

A Few Pics of the Weekend

Finally! I have found the time to post some pictures of the holiday weekend! We had a little bit of everything going on, so this is just a few images for ya!

On Friday evening, Chad and Riley came for a visit. Beth was coming in on Saturday morning to meet up with them for an overnight stay in Columbus, and they decided to stop at our house on Friday to let the girls get in some fun time. Those girls were having a BLAST! They played dress-up, and put on a show for us. The picture above is from the show. It was about Cinderella and Wanda the Witch. Very good show, I must say. And Kendall even played a little "banjo" for us...(yes, Chad, I know you are cracking up right now!) Then, as you see in the pictures, I donned Kendall's Surgeon gear to take care of all Chad's ailments...(I seriously don't know what I was thinking there..... ;-)

Then on Saturday morning after I was done working, we headed to my Aunt Penny and Uncle Rick's for a cookout. My uncle Greg was in from New York City, so everyone was there to visit.

Once the kids were all hot, sweaty, and tired out, we headed to Mom's to get them bathed and into bed. EXCEPT....Kendall saw Mom and Joe's little pool set up out back and she just had to have a swim before her bath. So that is exactly what she did. Then, of course, not wanting to miss out on a visit with the kids, Papa Joe came home and jumped in the pool with her. And that was basically how the whole next afternoon went...Jessie, Joe, Kendall and Noah in the pool. I was more than content to just sit in the sun and read a magazine, and Barry actually got to take a nap! Noah had NOT slept well the night before, so we were all a bit tired!

Then on Saturday night, we were off to Gary and Luanne's for a cookout. The kids played like crazy, and it was really nice to visit with everyone. Since Noah had not slept well (at all!) the night before, we decided to just go back home instead of to Mom & Joe's. We rushed out of there just in time to miss a storm rivaling the one in the Wizard of Oz...and made it home to put the tired kiddos to bed.

The rest of the weekend we just ran errands, worked around the house and RESTED. It was so nice to lay around and be lazy for once! We let Kendall do some sparklers and poppers for the 4th....and of course, she thought that was totally cool! And then to wrap it all up, Barry and I sat down and watched Deuce Bigalow:European Gigolo for some laughs before we had to go back to work on Wednesday.

And that's it folks! Although I do have another set of pics to share for next time I post! Until then... CIAO!

Just A Tiny Little Thing

Is that the tiniest little frog you've ever seen, or what? Kendall found that little frog today while we were out working on the chicken coop. I swear, that girl can find ANYTHING. She is amazing...and not afraid of much! If it moves and catches her eye, she is after it...and won't stop chasing until she gets it!

This little tree frog is sitting on her thumb in this picture, so you can only imagine how small he actually is. Thank goodness she didn't have a problem letting him go...it was almost bedtime, and we thought she may have a meltdown when we told her he needed to go home to his family. But no, she was cool with that....and so off he went, only to be found again another day!

So Happy 4th of July everyone...and here's hoping that you all find a small treasure today, just like Kendall!

You're Kidding....RIGHT?

Last night when we got home from my Mom's, Barry and I sat down to go through the mail and the paper. I was flipping through the many ads, and picked up this little circular called Hometown Values (it's kind of like a Dollar Saver). As I was flipping through, I saw an ad that had a headline reading "Our Featured Recipe". So I, being the perpetual new-recipe-seeker, decided to take a look...and that's when I couldn't believe what I was reading!

The "Featured Recipe" was...
(are you ready for this? I can barely even type it without rolling my eyes)

DEEP FRIED OREOS!

YUCK! And let me just share the "recipe" with you here...

1 (20 oz) package Oreos (YES, because we need ALL 52 cookies!)
2 cups Bisquick
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tsp oil
Vegetable Oil (enough to deep-fry in)

And here's the kicker...in small print at the bottom of the ad, it says...

"If you want to try a lighter version, use lowfat milk, canola oil, and reduced fat Oreos."

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME????????

A lighter version of ANYTHING does NOT include the word DEEP FRY in it! Or OREO, for that matter!

Geeze Louise...and we wonder why 73% of America is fat! Let's just see how bad we can possibly make an already completely unhealthy food. What could we do? Hmmmm....yeah, that's it! We could DEEP FRY it!

Great. Wonderful. Peachy.

People just amaze me sometimes. I am left scratching my head....

What on earth will they deep-fry next????