My Crazy Kids

Lily Margaret

2010-10-20T09:22:00.003-05:00

Last night, we went to the mall for dinner. Joe's away on business and I just didn't feel like cooking, OK??? Just get off my back about it! Geesh! We were in line at Panda Express and as I'm paying, the man says to Lily, "I'll trade you that stuffed animal for a chocolate chip cookie." Her head turned to the side in thought and at that moment I realize that I am staring at the works of MY genetics in a little 5 year old girl. I would seriously consider taking him up on that offer. After a lengthy pause she shook her head 'no'.
*By they way, it was not one of her beloved puppies. If that were the case, there would not have been any hesitation.

Lily has also been learning about different countries in school and I have totally ripped her off by not teaching her that there is life outside of Iowa! It has rocked her world! Feeling very convicted about that one! For example, the day she ran up to me after school and said, "MOM! Did you know that not everyone speaks English?!?" (ouch.) It has provided some precious moment such as last night when I was tucking her in she asked all sleepily, "Mommy, have I ever been to the U.S.A.?" Yes, baby, you have. I thought I would just explain that one in the morning.

Trip to KC.

2010-10-18T09:47:00.003-05:00

Trip To The Apple Orchard!

2010-10-18T09:39:00.001-05:00

Marching Band!

2010-09-28T21:05:00.002-05:00

Last weekend the eighth graders got to march with the high school marching band. 450 kids on the field, it was pretty cool! They played "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. Ummm....yeah. We didn't get to play stuff like that when I was in marching band.

...and this is how Noah spends his time during HS football games. Yes...that would be him at the bottom.

1st Day Of School.

2010-08-19T09:19:00.004-05:00

My baby (sniff, sniff)....

She was ready to go!! She was very excited and went in just great. She was so cute when I was taking her pictures, she always made a concious effort to have her kitty lunch box facing the camera. Can't wait to hear how her day went. I did fine, too (just so you know). I didn't cry until Diana Frisbie came up to me and put her arm around me and said, "We'll take good care of her!" Waaaaa!!!!

This picture is worth a thousand words. One of these kids is excited...the other....not so much. Plus, he didn't want to have his picture taken, that's why there's only one of him. It was a morning of picking your battle. Once he got to school and got enveloped into his crowd of boys, he was fine.

And this guy got off on his bus this morning, bright and early. It's his first year taking the bus and I guess no matter how old they get I still always have this comfort thing of liking to see them actually walk into the building and knowing they're there. So, I had to get some reassurance by texting him to make sure he got on the bus and that it went Ok. After waiting patiently for a reply from him we asked if he was ignoring us and we got a "Yep!" reponse. So, all is well and normal on that end! Now, I need to figure out what to do in this quiet empty house.

Last Day of Minnesota Fun.

2010-08-10T14:41:00.004-05:00

Time for croquet.

2010-08-10T14:36:00.001-05:00

I have a confession to make.....

2010-08-10T14:20:00.002-05:00

....I let my boys play with guns. Evidently that's just what you do in Minnesota. Oh, C'mon...they're just BB guns. Guess what my boys want for Christmas this year?

Need For Speed.

2010-08-08T17:29:00.006-05:00

Lily was loving the go-carts this year for the first time. She was happy being a passenger in the bigger cars.
And then she tore it up in her little Skittles car. She was quite thrilled as that is her favorite candy. She took her job very seriously and was a little disappointed that the kiddie track was too narrow to pass other cars. I sensed a little bit of competitiveness there....I don't know where she gets that.

First, you should direct your attention to Noah's hair. That was some major wind turbulence. Secondly, notice they are giving each other a congratulatory high five. (Look who came in second!) I did happen to notice that each time they tried to get passed by "you-know-who", Papa's hand reached out to jerk the wheel at just the right time. They made a pretty good team.

...and here were the losers. I mean, the second place car.

Go-carting brings everyone together! Even those who get highly annoyed with each other! (See above.) Beckett loved the little carousel. This is the same little carousel that drained my coin purse 4 years ago, when Lily was having catastrophic meltdowns when her time on it ran out. She was a little more understanding this year! We also conquered the 6 man bicycle. These 2 got the front primo seats. Notice they have no pedals, they got to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I don't know why Lily is giving us the "stinker face" in all of these pics. It was an adventure that's for sure. Joe and I were in front for the first leg of our trip. Joe was driver and braker. I was next to him with a "fake wheel". I realized, after discovering the hand brake really didn't work all that well and faced with some decent highspeed downhills, that I apparently have some control issues as I continually tried to steer with my "fake" wheel. This was of course highly entertaining to my husband. The good news is I lived to tell about it and I did it all in a skirt, people!
And to top it all off, we had an excellent "bell ringer" He was very efficient at his job.

We caught 0 fish.

2010-08-08T17:19:00.001-05:00

Alex 2010.

2010-08-08T09:42:00.005-05:00

Ok. I'll be honest. Every summer, we contemplate an anual trip up to Alexandria, MN and we both kind of hem and haw and say, "What will we do up there? It's so far away, and what if we get bored? What if the kids get bored?" Then, we get up there and in about 10 minutes we realize why we continue to come up here year after year. Its called RELAXATION, folks. And we all don't do it enough.

Here is Lily having her 'Titanic Moment' at the front of the boat.

OK, I feel as though I need to explain this one. I know he's hot. I know you're all jealous. Just wanted to make sure you all know he was not wearing a basket on his head. He found it in the back of a closet at his Grandparent's house and I'm guessing it's from 197_? I started to protest when he put it on, then he said, "We're on vacation! Nobody knows us here." Ok. He's right. Let the man have his hat. I think this picture says so much, I will let it speak for itself. Think "parental guidance vs. teenage independence." There were Oreos on the boat. And crackers. And there was relaxation to be had, even for those with limitless energy. So, apparently the water was really cold. Joe jumped in first and came up screaming several octaves higher. Not to be outdone, the 14 year old went next and came up utterly stunned into speechlessness. Now THAT doesn't happen often. This boy loved it and didn't phase him a bit. Just gave him another excuse to scream. This little one didn't like it at first, but everyone else was doing it.
And wisdom apparently doesn't necessarily come with age. This guy did quite an impressive jump into the freezing waters below. I eased myself into the water and stayed in for a bit. I think the cold helped me in getting distraced enough not to think about what kinds of creatures were swimming in the 50 feet of water below me. Sorry....no pics of me in a swimsuit.

2010-08-03T11:42:00.004-05:00

Oh. My. Word. Last night was a long night. It began with Lily getting sick all over the bathroom floor right before bedtime. HUGE mess. She NEVER gets sick like that, so she was pretty freaked out. Her head was hurting really bad as well and it was a little scary. We got her to sleep soon afterwards. 2 a.m. came quickly with really bad thunderstorms. Lots of lightening and thunder which is something that terrifies her. She was crying, so I decided to take my pillow and blanket and camp out on her floor. I partly wanted to get a feel for how she was feeling, too. So, I finally got her settled down and closed my eyes and the following conversation occured...

Lily: Soooooo.......let's talk, Mom. (This is her big thing lately. Which I love....just not at 2 a.m.)

Me: I think we should go to sleep.

silence.....

Lily: What was your favorite thing thing that happenend today? Mine was buying school surprise. (translation= school supplies.)

Me: (pretending to be asleep).

Lily: When I throwed up, I felt like a dragon spitting fire.

Me: (snoring, trying to get the idea across that I'm sleeping.)

Lily: (giggle, giggle, giggle). Do you know what I'm thinking about, Mom?

(more snoring.)

I'm thinking about how silly I would look with a moustache!

I don't know if she was just happy to be feeling better or if she had a fever, but it was a LOOOONG night. Luckily, we all slept in this morning.

Fairy Princess.

2010-07-27T08:56:00.000-05:00

Boys in Chi-Town.

2010-07-26T16:14:00.001-05:00

Night At The Ballpark.

2010-06-26T14:25:00.002-05:00

Birthday Girl.

2010-06-26T14:11:00.003-05:00

Here's a bit of catch up. Lily had a birthday...and she wore her hat proudly.

Here's a pic of the hideous unicorn cake. Luckily, she liked it. The unicorn was slowly, ever so slowly, sinking...

Here is Jackson and a dog. I use that term loosely. Ready for the pool!

Annual Birthday Donut.

2010-05-20T09:43:00.002-05:00

The Annual Birthday Donut picture is a little grumpy this year. We had just finished our debate on why we can't make a law requiring you to stay home from school on your birthday.

The Happy Birthday Song. (McCarragher-style.)

2010-05-20T09:22:00.003-05:00

The McCarragher family has a long standing tradition of calling you on your birthday and singing you the most ear splitting, off-key, obnoxiously loud version of "Happy Birthday" that they can muster. Papa, I think, wins the award this year....(I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.)

Mother's Day For Me.

2010-05-13T21:29:00.003-05:00

It's always fun to see what kind of cards I get for Mother's Day. They are always one of a kind and are a direct reflection of my kiddos. Here is Noah's picture of me serving him a bowl of ice cream. I have some funky earrings.
Jackson and the eloquent words of a 13 year old. Love him!

And here is a picture from Miss Lily of our entire family on the right holding hands with Jesus on the left. Be still my heart.

What was cool about Lily's card is that a super cool pair of binoculars were attached that you had to look through to read the card. Sweet!

I am definitely a happy Momma!

Blankie Girl.

2010-05-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

Easter Celebration!

2010-04-03T20:07:00.002-06:00

Though, it's not a perfect picture by any means, I love it because they are all looking at the camera at the same time. That NEVER happens.

Some of my favorite women...

I love this pic of Mommy and her big boy...

This is a classic example of the relationship of these two. They are buddies through and through. Noah performs some slapstick comedy and Max is his biggest fan.

I love this pic of Damon trying to hold off the pack of wild animals who are ready to go find eggs. Can you feel the anticipation? Max really got into the eggs this year. Every egg he found was just an amazing discovery. So cute! Sorry, Will! This is the only picture I have of you!
Miss Lily enjoyed every minute.

Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful family you've given me.

Egg Decorating.

2010-04-03T18:38:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, Lily found the kitty hat that I thought for sure I had hid in the back of her closet. I will see nonstop kittyhat for weeks to come now.

Mr. Dimples enjoyed some egg dyeing.

This picture made me sit back in amazement and realize how big these 3 have gotten.

"Dance Party".

2010-03-29T18:11:00.003-06:00

Ballerina Girl.

2010-03-27T09:37:00.002-06:00

Lily started her first dance class last week, which she calls her "dance party". She pretty much thinks she's big stuff. As if you can't tell that from these pictures.

Lily saw this last picture and said, "Mom, that's just innappropriate." I think the cuteness of blue cupcake underwear overshadows the inappropriateness. I think we might need to buy some white undies before the recital.

Freckles.

2010-03-13T10:08:00.000-06:00

2010-03-02T09:24:00.002-06:00

Here is a nice picture of Jackson for those of you that want one that is not so "close up". (See below.)

Surprise Visitor.

2010-03-02T09:19:00.002-06:00

I went to go answer the doorbell the other day, and this is what I saw! Isn't he precious?

Here is the little prankster.

Don't you just love the idea of having your very own little snowman to carry around with you? He was just a 'little guy'. I almost stuck him in the freezer next to the fishsticks.

2010-03-02T09:15:00.001-06:00

I was calling and calling and calling Lily to come down for dinner the other night. Finally had to go hunt her down. I found this...

and then I looked down and I found this....

I'm pretty sure this was pre-meditated.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

2010-02-17T10:13:00.002-06:00

Did I scare you?!?!?! My original goal was to show how much of a true Hawkeye fan my oldest is, but then I realized what a truly frightening picture this is. For me, the truly frightening part of this picture is the pre-teen facial hair. It is truly the bane of my existence. Truly. Hope no one wet their pants.

2010-02-17T10:07:00.002-06:00

This is the result of a daughter that hides under her covers and reads books until all hours of the night. She falls asleep after lunch, and then she can't go to sleep at her bedtime because she slept for 45 minutes during the day. Vicious cycle. Today we are going to the library during her sleepy time. Hopefully, she will go right to sleep tonight. I give her props for originality with the whole bridge to the coffee table/thing. Doesn't look too comfy, though.

Girl Stuff.

2010-02-15T21:27:00.001-06:00

Once, in a great while, something magical happens, and Lily gets to have a girl to play with. Girly things went on in that room. I got my own blow out and straightening. My hair has never looked better.

2010-02-15T21:24:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure if you knew this, or not, Jill, but you got some help blowing out your candles last night. I've got the proof.

Valentine Love.

2010-02-15T21:21:00.001-06:00

Here is Lily's favorite valentine from her good friend, Ryne. We'd like this to be replaced with a diamond in about 20 years.

2010-02-15T21:18:00.001-06:00

The era of bubble letters has begun! I seriously would still be writing my name in bubble letters if I could get away with it.

2010-01-28T09:30:00.001-06:00

Here's a great followup to the story of Amos Ivey coming home from Haiti!
http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Creating-us-is-what-were-doing-82718222.html

3rd Grade Fun.

2010-01-27T21:18:00.006-06:00

Tonight, was Noah's class' music program and multi-cultural potluck. Here is a pic of his class. It's a pretty good group of kids.

With all due respect, I don't know what that music teacher was thinking when she put these two yahoos next to each other and in addition had them share a xylophone. You can just see what happens in both of their faces when these two get together. Actually, they don't really get in trouble and are good friends to each other. They buckled down and got the job done.

Here is Noah's papier-mache sculpture on display. I gave him major creativity points for going vertical, when no one else had the nerve. Creativity takes courage.

Princess grouchypants was also in attendance....

Jackson's nostril was also in attendance...

Walk Down Memory Lane...

2010-01-27T21:15:00.000-06:00

My babies...

2010-01-27T21:00:00.002-06:00

I don't know what this girl does in the middle of the night, but this is what I found in the morning. Often times she's got completely different PJs on too. Really wild dreams?

Amos Story.

2010-01-18T12:48:00.002-06:00

Please watch this video by Aaron Ivey. My sister has the priveledge to sing and help lead worship with him on Sundays at her church. This is an amazing family who is in the process of their second adoption from Haiti. I cannot even imagine what they've been through. Amos is safe. I've been praying for this family whom I've only met once, yet still feel connected to them. If you haven't given your prayers and your money to Haiti relief, I ask you to really really really think about it. They need our help. We have SO MUCH.

Miss Lily- Looking Cute.

2010-01-10T21:25:00.002-06:00

Today was one of those days where Lily was just being cute and quite a character, so we did a little impromptu photo shoot. She was in the process of making a birthday card for her little best friend from preschool. She wanted it to be "just right". She worked very hard on it. This is the one of several birthday parties she's been to lately and she really thinks she's 'big stuff' and is realizing this birthday party thing is a pretty good gig. Tonight, as I was tucking her in, she asked me in a little voice, "Mommy, when I get to be 5, do you think I can have my very own birthday party?" I'm a sucker at bedtime. The lights are low and she's all cute and cuddly in her P.J.s and looks like this tiny little thing all tucked in her bed. She could probably ask me for the world at bedtime and I'd find a way to give it to her, but don't tell her that. We wouldn't want her to abuse those powers. Now, we have 6 months to plan and replan the perfect party. (We may have agreed too soon.)

Lily And Her Best Friend, Dora.

2010-01-06T12:24:00.000-06:00

Noah's First Roller Coaster Ride.

2010-01-02T21:55:00.000-06:00

Neither one of them look like they're having much fun!

Yahoos on Xmas.

2009-12-29T09:13:00.000-06:00

Classic.

2009-12-26T12:25:00.001-06:00

Well, it's the day after Christmas and the kids are watching a movie and playing with their favorite presents...the boxes that their presents came in. Notice the convenient door cut out for handy chocolate grabbing. Not sure how he gets it to the window where his mouth is.

And this one is pretty self explanatory...

Classic.

Cookie Making "09.

2009-12-26T12:08:00.003-06:00

This process gets easier and easier every year. They wanted to do it all. I basically helped minimally with the rolling and the taking in and out of the oven and they took care of the rest.

Max was not interested in getting his hands dirty. (He doesn't like that.) So, he basically sat and watched with this look on his face.

Here is Sam and the 4 cookies he frosted. When it was all over and done with he said, "Hey, I only did 4." But those 4 were wonderful.

Pretty cookie makers...

he's a licker...

This one decided to roll out of bed and grace us with his presence. He did his thing, then disappeared again.

Max turned out to be the resident sprinkle shaker expert. It was the only contribution that did not involve getting his hands messy (He doesn't like that.)

He also decided they tasted pretty good as long as his Mom held it for him so his hands didn't get messy (he doesn't like that.)

It takes a Mom with experience to know that even though she is smiling innocently, there is a cookie stuffed in there.

Abraham Lincoln.

2009-12-14T22:05:00.002-06:00

I've learned more facts about Abe Lincoln in the past week than ever. He sure is cute. He now wants to be the President when he grows up. Not sure I would wish that for him :)

My Husband's Handiwork

2009-12-14T14:30:00.001-06:00

Check this out.

Joe Jr.

2009-11-02T16:59:00.000-06:00

Brown Eyed Girl.

2009-11-02T15:08:00.002-06:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:43:00.001-06:00

scary alien.
lovely ladybug.

Pumpkin Fun.

2009-10-31T21:39:00.001-06:00

The Happiest PB&J There Ever Was.

2009-10-19T09:46:00.001-05:00

I was making Joe a sandwich the other day and looked down to see this smily guy. I don't know how Joe was even able to eat him, but I guess guys aren't sentimental about things like that. (He said it tasted the same.)

This Child Could Not Possibly Have Come From My Loins. (Try to ignore the fact that I just said the word "loins".)

2009-10-19T09:44:00.001-05:00

Crazy Soccer.

2009-10-12T18:24:00.001-05:00

Yes, they DID play soccer in this. I was at home in my jammies. Joe was the devoted soccer Dad this morning. (Noah is in the red striped pants.)

Preschool Fieldtrip!

2009-10-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

2009-10-06T20:59:00.001-05:00

This child has come home from school looking like this every day this week! He just looks at me, shrugs his shoulders, and says "Football." ('nuff said.)

Kiddos.

2009-10-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

One Of Many Reasons I love Our Morning Drive.

2009-09-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

Noah: MAN! I REALLY want to go to Heaven. Like, right now.
Me: You will someday. God must want you to do something here on Earth.
Noah: Like what?
Me: What do you think?
Noah: Probably, like, get married or something (huge eye roll).
Me: I hope so! Or maybe He wants you to grow up and get a job that helps people...
Noah: Yeah! That's probably it! Lets see....I think I'll help people with their taxes.

*His father will be so proud. (sniff, sniff.)

2009-09-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

"Look, Mommy! I'm a reindeer!"

Sweet Story.

2009-09-26T19:42:00.001-05:00

"Once upon a time there was a little boy named Beckett. One day, he went to a boy's house. His name was Max. They played and played together all day. They liked each other so much they decided to be brothers!"
-Lily's story

Favorite Colors.

2009-09-22T08:22:00.001-05:00

"My favorite colors are pink....purple.....and dark." -Lily Margaret

Pics From Kansas.

2009-09-16T20:15:00.001-05:00

Photo Shoot With Becks (and, oh yeah, his parents, too.)

2009-09-16T19:53:00.002-05:00

1st Day Of Preschool!

2009-09-09T13:16:00.001-05:00

Finally, the day has come! Miss Lily is a preschooler!

I Know It's Not Monday...but it's fabulous.

2009-09-04T14:07:00.002-05:00

My husband had a fabulous moment last night. I know it was a Thursday...but it was fabulous nonetheless. If you're not informed, my sister and her friends document Monday's Fabulous Moment because I guess something fabulous happens every Monday. Here's Joes. We've been laughing about it all day and exploring all the possibilites that could be applied. As I'm writing this I'm getting a sinking feeling this isn't fabulous at all and is just an example of our very wierd senses of humor here at the McC. household.
Anyhoo...

Joe stopped off at DeliMart last night to get a bevarage and a big burly guy followed Joe out of the store with this huge 24 pk of beer. You know, the big rectangular case of cans? Well, Joe's watching him walk towards this Harley and is wondering where this guy is going to put his beer. He climbs on and balances the beer crosswise in front of him. Joe's thinking 'no way'. Then the guy pulls his shirt up over. Yep. I'm assuming he rode the whole way home like that. Only in Iowa.

Did you think it was fabulous? I did.

2009-09-02T08:44:00.003-05:00

My new favorite time of the day is the time in the car with the kids in the morning. I thought I would REALLY hate all the driving I would be doing to and from school. Jackson's school is a good 15 - 20 minute drive with morning traffic. I prayed about wether we should be doing bussing for him. He would be on the bus for 40 minutes each way. Can't say I was too excited about that. Noah is then another 15 minutes back plus another 5. Starting next week, I will then take Lily to her preschool on MWF which is another 10 minutes in the other direction. Turns out, it has been such a blessing. The craziness of the morning gets put aside and I get a chance to talk to the kids about their day, sing some 80's tunes, give them a little encouragement and send them off on a good note instead of rushing them out the door, usually with me on my last ounce of patience. Noah actually gets his 20 minutes of required reading a day (which is hard for him) done while in the car. It's awesome. One of our highlights of the morning is coming across our running buddy. He runs the same route each morning and we usually stumble across him. He is a big burly scary looking man. Someone who you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, if you know what I mean. Every day he wears the same outfit. Black pants and a big white shirt that says HUG ME in pink letters. I wonder what he would think if he knew he inspired such interesting conversation and laughter every morning.

Three Kids In A Box.

2009-08-31T21:24:00.000-05:00

13!!!!

2009-08-31T21:14:00.003-05:00

I don't know what this child did to his birthday cake, but one second they were lit and the next there was this large cloud of smoke. I've never seen anything like it. We were all highly impressed. Sorry about the blurry pic, but had to show you the cloud.

This was a present we bought for our son that was "for him". Nevermind, that I am now a seasoned drummer and my husband turns into another person when he gets a microphone in his hand. I WILL say he dedicates every song he sings to his wife. Awww...(you should probably listen to his singing first before you decide that's an honor)

Handsome birthday boy...

The best SMILING picture I've gotten from him in a long time... Love you Jackson. Yes, I know you're a teenager now...you can stop reminding me.

For those of you who thought it wasn't possible...

2009-08-23T16:03:00.001-05:00

...it IS possible to fit it on the back of a t-shirt.

2009-08-23T15:59:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a little girl that rode in her car....

she drove to the park and parked in the parking lot and went down the slide.

The end.

2009-08-23T15:55:00.001-05:00

While the boys are away at school...the girls build clubhouses.

2009-08-20T12:15:00.002-05:00

For all of you who are spending your entire day today thinking about what Jackson might be going through in junior high (not ME...I just know there's lots of you out there... *snort*), here is an e-mail Jackson sent during typing class (I thought it was kind of cute)-

"hello! im in typing class right now. jr. high is going well. a little crowded in the halways though..
-Jackson "

Apparently typing class is not like it was for me in 7th grade...WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD TO USE TYPEWRITERS.

...And They're Off!

2009-08-20T08:57:00.002-05:00

The kids are off to school today! There were plenty of nerves to go around. Jackson is off to JH and Noah is starting 3rd. After the boys got to school, I said to Lily "Lily, it's just the girls today! What should we do?" Lily jumps up and down and yells, "Lets go to preschool!" Unfortunately, she doesn't realize that it doesn't start for two weeks...

This Just Struck Me Funny.

2009-08-13T18:52:00.001-05:00

Apparently, my husband ran out of watermelon and needs more.

2009-08-13T18:49:00.001-05:00

Some women prefer chocolate. Others prefer flowers. My hubby knows what I like...narcotics. Thanks, babe.

2009-08-08T09:47:00.002-05:00

I had what I THOUGHT was going to be a deep and meaningful conversation with Noah last night. Just the two of us went to the grocery store together and when I get him alone, I usually get something crazy out of him. The conversation started out with, "You remember Grandpa Bill, right?" Yes. "Well, I kind of think he looks like Obi Wan-Kenobi. Not the young Obi Wan. But the older one. With the beard." wow.

2009-08-08T09:44:00.002-05:00

Lily Margaret just woke up the entire house by "cock-a-doodle-doo"-ing at the top of her lungs like a rooster. I guess it is 9:00. Her brother could be heard yelling from his room "Stop cock-a-doodle-dooing! I'm trying to get some sleep around here!"

Lily Margaret.

2009-08-02T21:57:00.001-05:00

Lily Margaret...she's getting so big. She's at such a fun age. Imagination is running wild. Happy-go-lucky. Not a care in the world. That's how life should be at 4!

Last Day Of Colorado.

2009-08-02T21:46:00.003-05:00

On our last day of our trip, we fulfilled Joe's lifelong dream of taking a tour of the Coors Brewery. He's a man's man. Don't give him fancy beer. This man likes his Coors. Cold as the Rockies...

There were free samples to partake in...so he partook....

We then did what any smart responsible adult would do after having free samples of beer, we drove some fast-moving vehicles down the side of a mountain...that's Noah and Jackson in front of me. The entire way down Noah screamed, "GO FASTER, JACKSON!" and the whole way down, Jackson screamed, "SLOW DOWN! YOU'RE GOING TO HIT ME!" And the whole way down, I drove my sled and took pictures...don't ask. We got smarter the next round and sent Noah down first...

She Has An Endearing Moment About, Oh, Once Every 6 Months.

2009-07-29T16:50:00.001-05:00

A Lily For Lily.

2009-07-27T21:27:00.002-05:00

The other day we stopped by my Mom's and Grandpa Don cut a lily out of his garden, gave it to Lily and said, "This Lily is almost as pretty as you!" It made her day. So sweet. She's very proud of it.

Day 5 of Colorado trip.

2009-07-27T09:01:00.015-05:00

Here, Noah is doing a demonstration of how cold mountain streams are...
We found a spot, thanks to friends, where we could feed these guys right out of our hands. It was WAY cool and definitely one of our kids highlights of the trip. Noah at one point was laying on his back with one eating off his belly

Jackson had a record 12 eating from his hand at one time. He also had one run up his arm and jump off his shoulder. That's kind of creepy, actually...

Lily talked to them in a very high-pitched baby voice. All we could decipher was, "Hi, there, little guy!"

We went on a train ride through the mountains. This guy was our ticket puncher. Cool job, if you ask me...

This is the highest we went. The air was quite thin...lots of heavy breathing going on! Very beautiful.

Here's Noah in his daily meditation...just kidding. He's our clown. He pulls out this pose whenever the urge comes over him...the grocery store...the bottom of the swimming pool... Noah also fell off the mountainside...just kidding again. Here's s little tiny snowman we came across. He was cute.

Proof We Are Destroying Our Children One 80's Song At A Time...

2009-07-20T16:41:00.002-05:00

2009-07-18T12:49:00.002-05:00

I just witnessed the 3rd...YES, 3rd, time this week that Noah has just fallen out of his chair. No one is by him, he's just sitting at the table painting by himself and I hear a loud crash and he's flat on the floor. How does this happen to this child??? I'm starting to wonder if he has an imbalance of some sort. He said he was trying to lean on his elbow in a 'different way'. Why? These are the questions a mother asks.

Day 4 (The Royal Gorge.)

2009-07-18T08:58:00.005-05:00

Did you know there are huge amounts of hummingbirds at the bottom of the Gorge? They swooped at me.

Much needed ice cream...it was HOT.

I had forgotten how much it swayed and moved. Especially when a car drives past you. I actually had a WWIJD moment (What would Indiana Jones Do?).

Really?!?

This was the very steep tram we took to the bottom. This is Lily's life altering "Rocky, the pony" moment. She now wants her very own pony, has dreams about ponies, etc. If you ask her about her vacation, this is what she will tell you about. Rocky is giving us a major stink-eye in this pic. Here is a picture of the nauseating crack between the floorboards.Here is a shout out to Aunt Emily...Here is a shout out to all our Iowa Hawkeyes! ...and here is a very unsportsman-like shout out from a very annoying brother....you traitors!Lets end on a good note. Ahhh...beautiful!

Day 3. (Museum, big fat cupcakes,sweet friends, and a beautiful sunset.)

2009-07-15T17:59:00.006-05:00

Day 2. (Swimming, Zoo, and Casa Bonita...world's worst food, but highly entertaining.)

2009-07-15T17:43:00.005-05:00

Vacation Day 1. (12 Hours in the car...enough said.)

2009-07-15T17:22:00.007-05:00

Marshmallows and Fireworks.

2009-07-04T10:16:00.004-05:00

Grandma is looking a little nervous about the fireworks...
The boys contemplating life...

This is the universal sign for "good marshmallow"...

Speaking of good marshmallows...(actually, he kind of looks like he's going to hurl) Sticky fingers... admiring his handiwork...
Good buddies (& cousins.)

There is nothing sexier than a man strapped with explosives... Max was happy to sit back and watch all the action...
Lily did lots of cheering for the fireworks.... ...and Noah did an amazingly realistic imitation of someone getting hit in the eye with a firework. After the first 3 heart attacks, I learned to ignore him... The End.

Scenes From Around The Dinner Table.

2009-07-04T10:05:00.003-05:00

2/3.

2009-07-04T10:02:00.000-05:00

The third one is hard to pin down these days for a picture...

I thought of you, Emily and Mom!

2009-06-27T15:21:00.002-05:00

Noah's New Trick.

2009-06-26T19:43:00.002-05:00

Our Dinner Conversation.

2009-06-24T18:58:00.002-05:00

Lily: Noah, I love you and I'm going to chase you and kiss you.
Noah: No you're not.
Lily: Yes, I am.
Noah: If you try to kiss me, I'll have to pin you down.
Lily: No you won't.
Noah: Yes, I will.
Lily: I'll have Jackson deal with you and he bigger.
Noah: Oh, man!

2009-06-11T22:05:00.002-05:00

Noah and Lily had their physicals today. After last years break dancing extravaganza for the benefit of all the nurses, I was pretty tense waiting for what was in store for me today. But, it went well. My favorite part was when the doctor asked Noah if he did a good job eating the dinners I make and if he liked what I make. He hemmed and hawed and then said, "Well, she makes a really horrible green bean casserole, but everything else is pretty good." Lily got a finger prick and 4 shots. She was not happy. Her nose was out of joint most of the afternoon. Poor baby girl.

Hike With The Kiddos.

2009-06-11T11:46:00.003-05:00

There always has to be one crazy one of the bunch that needs to take a crazy picture (99.5% of the time it's Noah).

Diffuser comparison.

2009-06-11T11:35:00.002-05:00

This is a diffuser. This is a NORMAL diffuser. A NORMAL diffuser that NORMAL people leading NORMAL lives use to dry and style their NORMAL hair.

This is an ABNORMAL diffuser. ABNORMAL people use this ABNORMAL diffuser to dry and style their ABNORMAL hair. Using this ABNORMAL diffuser leads to ABNORMAL behavior, ABNORMAL faces, and ABNORMAL picture-taking.

(Jill is taking orders for copies of this picture. I think it would make a nice Christmas card. This picture will continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.)

Lily's 4th Birthday.

2009-06-09T22:20:00.003-05:00

Getting cozy in the cozy coupe...
The birthday girl. (Whose mom was too busy to make her hair look decent.)

A princess cake for a princess. Below is the kind of shenanigans that happen when a grandma is involved. Would she have let her own children do this 30 years ago??? NOOOO-OO!

Blowing out the candles...

cheesy grin...I don't know where she gets it. Probably her brother. opening presents... horns... trying to make Barbie ride her bike....she kept at it like this for a whole block! Happy Birthday, sweet girl. You are getting so big!

Noah's Soccer Goal (WOO-HOO!!).

2009-06-09T02:58:00.003-05:00

The Most Bizarre/Entertaining 30 Seconds.

2009-06-09T02:48:00.002-05:00

Noah put on quite a display of excitement upon opening his Nintendo DS for his birthday. Not sure how to even describe it since there is no video, but I think I speak for all who witnessed it...our lives were changed that day. It was perhaps the most bizarre, entertaining, testosterone filled 30 seconds I have ever witnessed. Here is a picture sequence, but once again it pales in comparison to the real deal...