Jeff talked me into joining him and the boys on the golf course here in town. I didn't play but I drove the golf cart which, in my opinion, is more fun anyway. My brother Jeff and our friend Joe played also and Ethan took his clubs too. Since his daddy has a glove he wears while golfing, Ethan insisted on taking one of his blue gardening gloves that I got him at Target this spring for $1. I'm not sure if it improved his game or not, but he's got quite the swing!



Of course we had to have some rocks along for the ride!

Yesterday we drove to the Air Force Base and watched the air show. Ethan's favorite parts were "watching the helicopters, going in the big airplanes, on the big slide, and seeing the big airplane up in the sky".
It was really loud, Kamden got scared every time the jets would fly by and I didn't think to bring earplugs but thankfully a woman gave us some when she saw how scared Kamden was. He had fun though and kept yelling "Aiwpain!"
There were big bouncy slides for the kids and small private planes that you could look in and some you could sit in. Forklifts and trucks you could climb on and huge airplanes you could go inside. Ethan loved riding in the shuttle bus from the car to the air show and we had a picnic in the park on the way home.

So Long, Summer...

Here are some favorite moments from our summer, it's hard to believe it's nearly over. This morning it was so cold in our house I actually turned on the heater. On a side note-Kamden is officially off the bottle and it was really surprising how easy it was this time around. He must have just been ready because we'd tried several times before and he just wasn't going for it. Now, onto the next challenge of moving from the crib to the toddler bed...

'Twilight' Fans...

Ok, so people are more obsessed with this series than I am, which is a good thing because I thought I was pretty bad after reading all 4 books in less than 2 weeks. But I'm not about to form a band like the girls in Bella Cullen Project. I thought the songs were pretty funny but I think these girls are serious about their music, so don't laugh too hard while listening to the lyrics. Especially 'Charlie's Answering Machine' and 'Emily' and I love the line in 'Vampwolf' that goes "You smell like warewolfe tonight". I wonder if any of these songs are going to be on the soundtrack for the movie?

HaPpY BiRtHdAy DoMiNicK!

I miss you buddy, tell your mom and dad to bring you for a visit soon! I hope you have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Thanks for being such a great and fun friend!

"I love you to the mayonnaise"

When I was making sandwiches yesterday Ethan said "I love you, mommy."
I asked him how much he loved me and he stretched out his arms as far as he could and said "This much".
Then he spotted the jar of mayonaise on the counter a little farther than his reach and he said "I love you to the mayonnaise."

Jeff,

I finally found the last one.

Oh, and I found you a shooting star, too.

Tomatoes and Bell Peppers

I have a bunch of these left over from my salsa making adventure yesterday. If you want them please take them!

A Rock Obsession

Ethan and Kamden have really been into rocks lately and I've been finding them EVERYWHERE. Even our friends find them in their house after we've paid them a visit and are left wondering where the rocks are coming from. Some of the places these rocks like to hang out at:
On the carpet of the TV room...

In the trunk of my car...

On the porch...

On top of the table on the porch...

In various piles outside...

Keeping the Goldfish Crackers company...

Loaded up in the back of the dumptruck...

In Ethan's carseat...

On the floor of the car...

In my watering can...

I guess I should be thankful that none of them have made it to the dryer yet but the other night when we were backing out of the driveway we heard a terrible crunching noise and I was sure Jeff had backed up over a toy or the neighbor boy's scooter that often gets left at our house. I jumped out of the car but was baffled when I couldn't find anything under there. Jeff backed up a little more and I realized the noise was coming from one of the tires...the boys had put rocks underneath the hubcap!

Kalia posted this quote on her blog yesterday and I can't remember ever hearing it before but it put things into perspective, especially when I feel like I get too caught up in unimportant things and don't take the opportunity to serve those around me.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived. " Marjorie Pay Hinckley

NieNie Day

In the blogging world we have the opportunity to 'meet' people we wouldn't otherwise have the chance to and get a glimpse into their lives by reading about them on their blogs. I've never met Stephanie Nielson and just recently came across her blog and I instantly felt a connection with her. She is a mother of four adorable kids and her creativity and love for life shine through her beautiful photographs and words. Stephanie and her husband were in a plane crash earlier this month and are struggling to recover. Her sister writes more here and has information on what each of us can do to help. This Thursday has been officially declared 'NieNie Day' and silent auctions will be held on several different sites. If you click on the links under my Favorite Sites to Design Mom and A Room Somewhere they both have more information on that and if you want to donate any items to be put up for auction. My thoughts have been with this little family ever since I learned of the tragedy they are facing and I know they could really use everyone's prayers right now.

Home Canning

Callie and I spent the afternoon making salsa and canning it.

Our 3 kids decided not to take naps during the process.

I don't think I'll ever can anything again in my life.

Off He Goes...

Ethan loved his first day of Preschool and was so excited to tell me all of the fun things he got to do and about his new friends. When Kamden and I went to pick him up, he didn't want to leave but I told him he gets to go back tomorrow and that made him happy.

Daily Dose Of Random

First of all, where did August go? A week from tomorrow is Labor Day and I'm already looking forward to Fall when the leaves change, the air is crisp, and the holiday season begins. Does it mean I'm crazy that I'm already starting to think of Christmas? How can I help it when the stores are already busting out the holiday decor and winter coats? I'm restraining myself better this year though, I haven't purchased any gifts yet and, like I said, it's nearly September.:)

Tomorrow is Ethan's first day of Preschool and boy, is he excited. Last school year he would see the bus drop off the neighbor kids and he'd ask when he would get to ride the school bus. Whenever we would drive past the elementary schools he would want to know when he would be big enough to go, too. He still has two years left until he'll be old enough for Kindergarten so I can take some comfort in that, I'm already feeling emotional about dropping him off tomorrow. But he's ready, he enjoys being with other kids and plays really well in groups. I'm excited for him, I know he'll have a great time and it's only 3 hours a day, 4 days a week but I'm still having a bit of a complex about having a child old enough for preschool.

And this is totally random, but I was wondering the other day-they make kids' shampoo "tear-free" so why isn't all shampoo made that way? Just because we're older doesn't mean we enjoy the sting of shampoo in our eyes any more than we would have when we were kids.

I've decided that our goal for September is to have Kamden off the bottle. He'll be 2 in November and at his 1-year check-up was when our pediatrician suggested we stop because the longer he gets a bottle, the harder it's going to be. Well, that was a good 9 months ago so I guess I've just made it that much harder. Not that I haven't made honest attempts but sleep is important to me. So be forewarned-I might be grouchy until we have successfully phased out the bottle.

How crazy were the Olympics and can you believe it's already been 2 weeks and they're over? That was insane watching Micheal Phelps win his 8 gold medals, I kept thinking about how I was watcing history being made and that this was going to be remembered forever. I don't think another summer Olympics will ever take place that his name won't be mentioned or another athlete will be compared to him. Also, it drove me crazy how there were suspicions about the ages of some of the Chinese Olympians and the gymnastics scoring. I can't wait to see what happens with all of that speculation.

I am really missing LOST and The Office, I can't wait for them to start up again. I keep watcing my favorite scenes on YouTube for my fix.

Well, that's enough randomness for one evening. Hopefully I don't have a long bottle-less and sleepless night ahead of me!