NNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

This is what was screaming inside my head when I found this:





Thanks Brad. That trick couldn't wait till Daddy gets home? Now what do I do??? Move the guest bedroom upstairs by myself, somehow block the stairs in case he tries this in the middle of the night??? Watch out world, there's no stopping him now.

I.T.D.M.Y.C.I.D.K.W.W.

In other words: If this doesn't make you cry, I don't know what will.

Emotionally, this has been a rough summer. Keith has been gone almost 4 months and the boys have been missing him like crazy. If ever there was a dream Daddy, it would be Keith. He's the greatest mixture of fun, crazy, stability, honesty, caring, mentoring, and patience. Since he's been gone, Keith has sent packages, presents, postcards. He calls daily and talks with the boys. Keith has tried to do everything in his powers to keep in touch with them. Reminding Cole and Brad of his love for his two little buds.




However, I think the best gift has been a book he wrote for the boys. It's affectionately known as "Daddy's Book" around here. With a little help from Shutterfly, Keith's book is full of pictures and stories of what he's been doing. He explains to their little hearts why he had to leave. He details his trip and captions the pictures highlighting all the important parts (read:BUGS).







We read it everyday. I wish you could hear how excited Cole and Brad get as we go through page after page. I wish you could see the devotion in their eyes looking at pictures of Keith. I wish their daddy was home... soon. Keith, on behalf of your kids, thank you for this book. You're a good daddy and we love you more than words.

Reality Check

Today was a reality check. Boise Botanical Gardens hosted a Mad Hatter's Tea Party. GREAT! That sounds like fun. Alice in Wonderland is a fun movie, the boys will like it. So we drive out to Boise, pay to get in, grab our tickets and head to the Mad Hat Making Tables. This set the tone for the rest of the day....

Reality Check - I have boys. Boys that are obsessed with getting dirty, boys that have the attention span of a fly, boys that can't sit to watch a movie unless strapped in a car seat, boys that don't like to sit and color or work on anything crafty. Ashley and I crafted.. the boys looked for bugs.







They amused me and my efforts to do different things and I love them with all my heart. I promise... next year I won't forget Bug Day.

Birds and the Bees

Cole told me that kissing on the lips for a long time means your pregnant.



ummm... I think I'm going to let him believe this to be true for a very very very long time. See, self teaching is the way to go!

Jumping Jacks

Is this cute or what? I love little kids doing things for the first time. I'm tempted to not teach him the correct way of doing jumping jacks. I could watch this all day.

Consumer Reports

Do you also know of my love for vacuuming? It's my favorite chore and do it almost every day. However, like a skilled surgeon.. you're only as sharp as your scalpel. I totally just made that up, but you get my point. I am not happy with the vacuum I have now. Currently I am the owner of a Eureka The Boss Smartvac. It's serving it's purpose, but there are several things I can't stand about it. Did you know this vacuum is rated #1 by Consumer Reports for a bag vacuum in price and preformance? Mind boggling, but that's another issue.

My heart and eye has been very curious with the Dyson vacuums. However, my brain kicks myself when it comes to the price. Do you know how many Coach purses you can get for that price?! WAIT.... I have to be sensible.... Or how much compounded interest that could generate in a college account for your young children? (if you go to a Coach outlet TWO purses!!)

Today I've conducted a very scientific study. I vacuumed my carpet with the Eureka Boss and then vacuumed my carpet with my friends Dyson. I think the pictures speak the results.

The Eureka Smartvac

Floor after vacuuming with Eureka Smartvac. Keep in mind the floor has been vacuumed 3 times in the past 4 days.

The Dyson with an empty container

The floor after vacuuming with the Dyson - the exact same areas. I did not try to be sneaky and move furniture to get more dirt.

I accidently dropped the container on my way to dump it, so the evidence is on the vacuum.

There is the excess of the container.

Verdict: The Dyson picked up dirt the Eureka missed for the past 4 days. I did not WANT to like the Dyson. I did not want the Dyson to pick up more. I don't need more of a reason to justify spending that much money on a vacuum. <<<owell>>> I guess I'm a material girl living in a ma ma terial, ma ma terial, ma ma terial world.

MOPS Kickoff

Have I ever told you how much I love MOPS? Yep, I'm kinda a nerd when it comes to this group. A total stranger knocked on my door when Cole was just a baby. It was late afternoon, I was still in my pj's, probably with spit up and food staining my shirt, and of course the house was a mess..... so it's totally a God thing I even opened the door. She handed me a brochure and invited me to MOPS. Cole was 10 months old and I had NEVER left him anywhere. Thinking of leaving him in the kids program almost kept me away. Again, a God thing that gave me courage to try it out. I went. I loved it. The impact MOPS had on my life as a new mom was a key part in leading me to Christ. I seriously would still be lost without it.

When we left Oklahoma saying goodbye to my MOPS friends was the hardest. Even harder was finding out there wasn't a group in North Carolina. That's when Gina became such a blessing in my life. I was pregnant, in a new town, and the first spouse meeting I went to... lovely Gina announces she wants to start up a MOPS group and is looking for help! We worked really hard trying to get it started, but ultimately it never got off the ground. I am still grateful for the experience because the trials we faced then prepared me for Idaho!

We got to Idaho and another new group was starting their very first year. Patty held a military MOPS on base, and I think she did an excellent job. Again, we faced many military hurdles so we decided to take the group to Calvary Chapel.

This morning was our first meeting at Calvary Chapel and it was such a success. God is truly amazing in how everything pulled together. I think the moms had a great time! (Gina, there is only 2 of us on steering and we had 25 moms with almost 40 kids!) So, today kicked off my 5th year with MOPS and I am pumped! I pray this group grows together and helps meet the needs of the moms attending... spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whew... I feel like I can relax today. Our next meeting is only 2 weeks away. I wish you all could join us! If not, please check out a MOPS group in your area. You won't regret it!