is this normal?

I am currently listening
to multiple children
screaming
"It's my turn!"
Loudly
~
It seems
there aren't enough vacuum cleaners
to go around.

the potty princess

complete with self-applied eye make-up

you go girl

post...or else

The family is about to disown me;
I haven't posted in a week
and that is clearly unacceptable.
I have been quite busy
but that doesn't seem to be
an adequate excuse for such a long absence.

we got to see the little momma
and her very loving, attentive hubby
three times this week!

Happy 22nd Birthday, T
I love you so much!
Which, of course, you already knew

what with the scrumptious cheesecake and all :-)

my precious doll baby

(we are wondering - will you keep these blue eyes?)

I love to peek in on snuggling sweeties.

Brandon,
thanks for being such a super Bub!!


You sure can light up a room, My Love
Happy Birthday!

The little boys made peanut butter cookies for Papa

(excellent job, Josiah!)

of course

Lily had to help.

That girl is such a servant!

Usually, when she helps make cookies

they tend to disappear off the cookie sheet.

not this time, though

look who can play with toys now

too big!

and tonight

for dinner

a picnic on the bridge

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed

I tend to get a little distracted when I'm on the phone.

(waiting while family rolls eyes)

Okay

real distracted.

I do dumb things

like

put diapers in the freezer instead of the trashcan

and throw paychecks away.

That sort of thing.
~

I was sewing

(turns out - I prefer stippling over straight-line quilting!)

and talking on the phone with Lana

when I noticed the house was awfully quiet

and I hadn't seen Lily in a few (many?) minutes.

So I went looking.

Being a tiny house

it didn't take long to find her.

I saw a jar of peanut butter outside the bathroom door.

I peeked in.

"Oh, she's cleaning herself up.

She helped herself to some peanut butter."

I said into the phone as I walked out.

A minute later I walked back to the bathroom

where Lily was happily continuing her very wet cleanup job.

And I realized.

She can't reach the sink

and

there is no water in the tub.

EEWWWW

it's official, I think

I think

that

after about 18 years

give or take

I am finally

a

real

seamstress

I regularly use the little thread-cutter.

Surely that makes it official?

~

Lest this new title go to my head

we are also

- the entire family -

officially

hicks.

We went to the

Spinach Festival.

It can't get much more hick than that.

~

and now

the littlest hick & I

are off to sew

because 11:30

is just way to early to go to bed.

What are we sewing?

'Stripes for Josiah'

a quilt

for the soon-to-be-four-year-old

who requested

- many times -

a quilt for his birthday.

A sewed one, not a bought one;

and

he can tell the difference!

big news - or not

Lily

went poop on the toilet!!

~

Lucky for you all

the guys took my camera with them

to the Skillet concert

so

no pictures...

brilliant

I hate to brag
but
I have come up with something brilliant
if I do say so myself

There is no wrong way

to wear this dress!

Isn't that so fun??

I tickle myself far too easily

~

for ridiculously detailed instructions for this dress, click here

I think

it would be a good idea

if

next year

the kids

stay at Gramma & Grampa's house

after Easter

for a day or so

my babies

sweet sisters

best buds

wanna play 'locate Lexi'?
my happy girl

~
The cute couple came to Church with us this morning
~
We had a wonderful Easter
full of
wonder
worship
gratitude
celebration
fun at Gramma & Grampa's
and
way too much sugar
~
HE is risen


He is risen indeed


Hallelujah

a little late-night chat

pure sweetness!

(she doesn't say much after the first minute,
but I don't know how to shorten the video)

got worms?

well

we do!

woohoo

once in a blue moon

Luke and Lana came and woke us up this morning
so we could celebrate Birkat Hachamah with them.

I knew they were coming
but it was a surprise for everyone else.
(well, I did sort of give Tyler a heads-up so he wouldn't
go roaming the house in the morning
in nothing but his skivvies - or less)

I was a little afraid they might try to wake us up with a shofar
but I suppose Lana forgot Paul has one;
otherwise, she would have surely borrowed it.

So, as the sun was just beginning to rise
my family was getting on the roof.
Except the roof was icy
(in April!)
so they quickly hopped in the Suburban
and headed to the cemetery
for a better view
(I stayed home with the girls)

I am so thankful that Lana made this happen for all of us.
When she told me about it,
I thought it was cool
and I love a reason to celebrate

especially a once every 28 year occasion!

But I just wasn't up for doing any planning;
my plate was already full...
~
Lana,
next time, your daughter and her hubby
can be in charge of Birkat Hachamah

every night

Does it ever get easier?

Every night

it's the same.

"I don't want to!"

"Oh, but you must!"

"But I am so tired."

"That's just too bad."

"I really don't want to."

"Enough already!"

"Oh, fine!

have it your way."

~

sigh

I can never win

when I argue with myself

this and that

Life has been moving at warp speed lately
and I haven’t managed to record much of it.
~
A few weeks ago the guys built a real bridge.
Tyler thinks it’s romantic;
I think it’s functional.
But I did agree that if one had time to just be for awhile
it might could be romantic.
‘Might could be’
I actually read that recently
so I am not the only one

who uses such an improper phrase.
~
Lily had a birthday last week;
she is the most amazing two-year old.
One of the things she loves to do is dance,
so for one of her gifts
the boys and I dyed playsilks (with koolaid) for her to dance with.
It didn’t take long at all and they turned out beautifully.
I’ve been trying to think of some other little girl

that would need some of these so we could make them again.
So fun.
~
Tyler and the boys tripled the size of our ‘orchard’ yesterday.
Oh
I can hardly wait for all the yummy fruit!
While out there
they pulled off all the itty bitty baby pears.
Over 341 - from one tree.
I’m glad I didn’t have to do it;
I got a lump in my throat just looking at the pile.
Tyler said that
after looking at all that fruit

on that tiny tree
it wasn’t really all that hard to destroy it.

'When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree,
regard its fruit as forbidden.
For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.'
Isn’t it amazing that God even gives agrarian advice?!
~
I finished the girls’ Easter dresses.
All three of them!
Lana and I were looking at fabric Thursday.
We were talking about the girls’ dresses
and I told her I was wanting to make a 5 minute skirt for myself, also.
She said, “Do I get one, too?”
“Of course. You little Stinker!”
I was going to surprise her.
I’m glad I didn’t though, ‘cause she really wanted a dress instead.
I told her I only had time for a skirt
so she’d have to help me if I was making a whole dress.
~
She came Friday to cut out the pattern and the dress.
TJ came by for a few hours, too.
And
for a little while
it felt just like old times;
Lana and I making a huge mess creating something
(with me stopping often to nurse a baby…)
TJ taking care of some vehicle thing
and everyone else working and playing all around.
Sometimes
I miss old times.

~
Things won’t be slowing down any this week;
we’ve got church every single night.
Being someone who does not thrive on busyness
- especially when that busyness requires leaving the house -
I’ve not been real thrilled.
I am choosing to change my attitude.
I hope I can remember that come mid-week...

come again?!

There is a downside to kissing owwies.

You'd think I would have discovered this by now.

~

Lily is diaperless;

she has a bit of a rash.

Since it's just the girls at home

she's airing out.

She didn't respond immediately when I told her

to put my camera back on the desk

so she got a little swat.

She frowned then said,

"My bottom hurts.

Kiss

my

bottom"