For My Siblings

Sorry so many entries today, it was just a busy weekend!  This is really for all of my siblings---

there is just something about living in the old family house, everyone is attached to everything.  So here are the new beds out front, most of the bushes are gone, and baby bushes in their places.

Here is the only frontal view of the house before the change that I could find (after our April snow shower).

pulling out the bushes

15 tons of rock to fill the beds

I love the new rock, and it was cheap! 

(only $8 a ton)

The boys and I filled this bed by hand by filling bucket loads.  It took 4 hours and a lot of sore muscles.  When you live in town, you have to find creative ways to teach your children how to work.

 But, we were glad dad brought a tractor home the next day to finish the job!

Looks a little sparse now, but really nice in person!

Puppies For Sale

The puppies are almost all gone.  Two left, in fact.

It has been so fun sending them off to their new homes......my flower beds are glad for them leaving too.

The best part has been seeing them leave with families that are SO EXCITED to have a new puppy as a part of their family.  Here are some of the excited new puppy owners.  Puppies went all over the state---

Bellevue

Walla Walla

Spokane

Seattle

Naches

More fabric giveaways

I entered another drawing/giveaway.  Maybe one of these days I will get lucky.  More fun fabric and Quilt Market photos at "Lanie Jane".

Giveaway

I entered a giveaway.  Someone tell me.............why are giveaways such a craze on every blog!  I guess that people just love giving things away????  Or, are they getting a kickback for more traffic on their blog?  Or maybe, they are just super nice???  Regardless, it is VERY fun to win beautiful and neat things.  So, I'm not complaining, just entering.  

Head over and visit, Camille Roskelley. . .at her blog, Simplify.

The fabric above is from her new Moda fabric line, "Simple Abundance."  It is gorgeous.  If you like quilting, you will also love her pictures from the Pittsburgh quilt market of all the different Moda booths that were there.  They are amazing!

PS---I get three more entries in her drawing for putting this on my blog!

Remember to REMEMBER

Happy Memorial Day!

The hamburgers, salads, and chips were great!  The free time to work in the yard was fun.  Having a day with the kids is always enjoyable...........

But I was thinking, have we remembered to REMEMBER?

"What is Memorial Day for,"  Matthew asks.

Why are we getting up early and going around the town to post flags in people's yards at 7:00 am with the cub scouts?  Is it too hard?  Is it worth it?

It is.

Here are my two grandfathers.  Both of them served their country during World War II.  Neither gave their life during the war, but they were willing to.

Thanks Grandpa!  (both of you)

I am so glad to live in a free country.  I am so glad to be blessed with freedoms and liberties.

I am so thankful to those who did give their lives for us!  Don't forget to fly your flag next Memorial Day, and remember to REMEMBER!

We did go on a family bike ride today!  Everyone loved it, got hot, and jumped in the pool afterwards!

School to Pool

Soon we will trade our days of school,

for days by the pool!

Good thing we like swimming, because it sure seems like a lot of work to get the pool going!

Just heading out to finish vacuuming the pool, scraping up the scum from the winter cover, move around the flower pots, and sweep up all of the debris from winter!  I hope all of you will come swimming a lot this summer to make this worth it!!!!!!

Mark's first bike ride

My first blog movie.  You have to watch this.  It is totally funny, and 100% impromptu.  In fact, I wasn't even filming.  Andrew was.  This is Mark's 2nd time ever on a two-wheel bike without training wheels.  The first time was 2 minutes before filming.

TAG

Thanks Nichole   : >

I have a feeling that being tagged on a blog is a little like forwarding emails, which I never do, but I am feeling like a better sport today.  So for my first time in playing tag in the virtual world.......

Respond and rework: 

1. answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, 

add one more question of your own. 

2. Tag other un-tagged people. 

Here are the Questions:
When was the last time you went on vacation?  March, Oregon Coast
Who was the last person you hugged?  Eliza
What’s your favorite dinner? Poppyseed Chicken over pasta (for today)
What was the last thing you bought? hmmmmm.....hardwood floor attachment for my central vac
What is your favorite weather?  70s, and sunny
What's in your bathroom cabinet?  All kinds of fun things!
Say something about the person/s who tagged you.  She is such a dear friend.  We have been girls together, gone on double dates together, and now we get to be moms together (So fun!)
What is your favorite flavor gum?  Winterfresh
What did you want to become as a child? A mom
What do you miss? My sisters
What's your favorite brand of jeans?  Boot cut, and fitting nicely
What's your favorite dessert?  Ice Cream
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?  Hawaii
When was your first kiss?  16
What is your most challenging goal right now?  Waking up every morning at 5:00
What’s your 5 year plan?  5 more kids...........ha ha, just kidding!  (maybe 6 more!)
If you could live anywhere, even if it was for 1 year where would it be?  Right Here
Why is today special?  Because it is sunny and soon to be in the 70s
What is your favorite sport to watch?  the ones my kids are playing in
What is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own? Wedding ring...
How did you meet your spouse?  Church Singles Dance on New Year's Eve
What's one thing about you that you would change?  I have always wanted thick beautiful hair, but I'm over it!

What is something about you that no one would know?  I still wet the bed occasionally while in elementary school  (not at school!!!).  I was mortified that anyone might ever find that out.  I thought it would ruin my life.  At the time, I didn't think there was anyone else in the world having that problem  : >  Now I am a mom, and know better!

What would you do with a free hour?   Read..........a good book.
Well, that's it. Feel free to plaly along. I tag Rebecca, Marcie, Anna, Brittney, and Nicole

Piano Recital

Spring Piano Recital

Nathan played, "Ode to Joy" and "From a Wigwam"

Miriam loved the piano music!

Matthew played "Raiders of the Lost Ark Theme," and "Musette."

The boys did fabulous!  They also played a duet together.  I have been trying to upload the video of that, but to no success yet!  That may appear later.

Mets Baseball

And the METS take 2nd!

My GREAT friend Tricia and I have been coaching a fast pitch baseball team this season for Little League.  Basically, we had to coach because half of the team are our own children!

I did play varsity softball, and we both know how to cheer for our kids, so we figured we could do it!  Nine teams in the league, and we took 2nd place today!  HOOOOOORAY!!!!!!!

We are very excited about how AWESOME the team did!  We love these kids!  It has been a crazy 8 weeks, but we did it!  Today was the final tournament of the top four teams.

I am just glad to have that pitching machine, catcher's gear, bucket of balls, and bat bag (plus the double stroller!) out of the back of my car!!!!!!!!

Grandpa with the champions!

Mom with the champions!

These two were champions for surviving the 5 hours of baseball today!  

Thanks Grandma!

The winning teams in first, second, third, and fourth place

That's my catcher!

That's my bat boy!

Awesome day!

 

Time for Finishing!

Time for FINISHING!

My theme for the next few weeks is finishing things!  I like to take on projects, tons of them, and then nothing gets finished.  So I finished the quilt, I finished the mural, and more finishing will be happening soon...........

No more new projects, Melissa!  That is the rule until more are finished!  

MURAL FINISHED!

Super Friends Finished!

I have always wanted to paint a mural.  I watched murals go up around town, looked at murals in other cities, have seen murals online and in magazines, etc. etc.  I wanted to try it and see if I could do it.  Smaller scale was good for the first try, bedroom wall size (not building size!).  I let my kids choose their themes or picture, bought paint, made plans, and then jumped right into it.  Don't forget that these pictures weren't all taken today, but over time!  The first picture is from today, the final finished product!  Now the boys can sleep in their own room ALL NIGHT LONG---because the super friends will protect them!

First, we chose the picture (you see it taped to the wall?)

I take that back, FIRST I painted the wall a new color that would be them primary color of the mural background.  Then I penciled on the figures.  Then I added stripes with a little painter's tape.

Painted in the stripes with a little help from the bedroom owners.  I used interior latex paint for the wall main color, and interior latex paint for the stripes.  But now the rest of the mural was paint with craft acrylics (you know the ones in the little bottles at Wal-Mart?).  I did order mine online though from an art supply store.  But very inexpensive.  They are water-based for easy clean-up, and then permanent when dried.

Here comes Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern.  I was really surprised how little paint it took to paint on top of the slick wall surface.  Much less than when painting a wood craft or something like that with the same paint.

Wonderwoman barely made the cut of being in this mural.  She is pretty modest in this version!

 

So today, I finished it.

How do you like it, Andrew?

It's good....

That is his only response for his dear mother who just spent hours painting his wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But then he did like posing with it for pictures!