Running with the Indians

On August 8th, my mom and I ran in a 5K together while my parents were visiting. We went to "Indian Country" here in Oklahoma because it was the only 5K we could find that day. It was a lot of fun running with Joe Huntinghorse and Clay Smokingdog. (I'm not kidding... one of those names is for real. Can you guess which one?)

Running has become so great for me, even though I used to HATE running. It lifts my mood, makes me feel like I've accomplished something, and helps burn a few calories. The days that I miss my run, I really feel like something is missing.

This was my second 5K (I ran one in early July), and I improved my time by 4 1/2 minutes. I was sooo happy!! I'm hoping to run another 5K in October. We'll see how that one goes!

Here I am about half-way through the race... I like how it's blurry and it looks like I'm going REALLY fast. Very deceiving, isn't it?

My mom and I after the race. She took 1st in her age division and I took 2nd in my division. We will not discuss how many people were in our divisions...
I have to say that my mom is super cool, though. She is 58 years old and she's running in a 5K!? That's amazing... and she walks quite a few half-marathons and at least 1 whole marathon each year.

Cutie Sarah posing after the race... she's really starting to grasp the "pose!"

It looks like there are some deep secrets being shared here!

Crazy little Andrew waiting curb-side during the race - ready to cheer us on!

I Did It!

I started my own etsy shop this week. Now, some of you are asking... "What on earth is etsy?" It is a website where people can buy and sell handmade and homemade items.

After being somewhat obsessed with hooded towels (I won't give my kids a bath without one in hand), I started making the towels for friends and family when they had a new baby. It's really fun for me, and I'm hoping people out there like them.


So, I've become an official Etsy junkie... this will be my new project! Check me out at www.SeaBabies.etsy.com.

Bumps & Bruises

You know the saying, "Snips and snails and puppy dog tails... that's what little boys are made of"? Well, I think that it should be "Bruises and bumps and cute little rumps... that's what little boys are made of." Or something like that - I'm not the best rhymer in the world.

Andrew is a rough and tumble little guy! He seems to constantly be getting scraped up, and as soon as one heals, he'll get another. Here's a little taste of his last few weeks. Minutes before leaving for Iowa, Andrew came in from playing outside with one side of his face covered in dirt. After trying to wash it all off, I realized that under the dirt he had scraped up his face pretty good. No crying or complaining about it, either!


Then, no sooner did the scrapes start healing before he fell down some wooden deck steps and got his first black eye! After about 30 seconds of hollering, he was fine to laugh and play the rest of the night.


We took this picture about an hour after the fall, but the black eye got worse for a few days (I didn't get any pictures to prove it) before it got better.

Then... today came along. We went to the park this morning, and within 10 minutes of getting there he fell and bumped his left eye just below the eyebrow.


I felt bad for the little guy, and then 45 minutes later he climbed up a picnic bench and fell off half onto sand and half onto concrete. This is the beautiful result of that fall.


Every time he gets hurt, he cries or gets mad for about 30 seconds and he's done. He's tough, rough, and made of good stuff...

I have a feeling we're going to see many, many more injuries with this guy.

Knee High by the Fourth of July

Every 4th of July, we try to make a trip to Iowa for two major reasons. First off, Dennis's family has a fun little reunion where we get to see most of his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandmother. Also... Iowa is absolutely gorgeous in the summertime! It is green trees, green fields, red barns, and white farm houses, more green fields, and blue sky. Growing up in a desert myself and now living in a pretty dry climate, I just love to see the beauty of Iowa in the summertime. Oh yeah... and it marks the 7th anniversary of the week Dennis and I met, which could be part of the charm I'm sure. ("Knee High by the Fourth of July" is actually something farmers used to say about the height of the corn crop at this time. The funny thing is that every year I've seen it, the corn is well over 6 feet tall at this point).

Some quality time on the farm - Dennis and his dad and brothers got one of the old tractors out (the 520 for you tractor experts) to take a few spins around the yard. Our kids loved it, and Sarah even drove (or steered, depending on your perspective).

Corey Ned & Andrew Ned on the tractor - these little boys are only 5 months apart and they both carry their grandpa's name. Best buds for life....

I couldn't pass up posting these pictures. It is such a funny power struggle between these two. Corey is older and weighs a lot more, but Andrew really wasn't intimidated. They were both laughing and having a great time through it all.

Emma enjoyed taking it easy whether it was blowing bubbles in the shade, dropping leaves in the creek, or riding the tractor with Daddy.

Just a little boy trying to take on the world...

A couple months ago, my mom and I decided we were going to run a 5K together when my parents come to visit in August. I've always hated running, but now it's fun and I can honestly say I enjoy it. The 5K in August was supposed to be my first one ever. But... when we were in Iowa, one of the little towns around us had a 5K run and I thought it would be a good test. I called every one of my sisters-in-law to get someone to run with me. With all the guilt and peer pressure, I finally got one of them to cave. Thanks, Melanie!

Here we are about halfway through the race. This course was nuts - it was through all the neighborhoods of the town and it was very hilly. The coordinator of the race told us that "if you're not running uphill, you're running downhill!" Very funny. Hopefully my next 5K won't be this hilly!

This "Hurkey the Hawk" was outside the mall playground, and Emma just loved it. She kept giving it hugs and calling it Daddy bird, so I had to take a picture.

Emma, Caleb, Sarah, and Sammie. These two are Corey's older siblings and also Melanie's children. They sure love each other.

Things I've Learned As A Mother

Boys really like to get dirty.

Storytime is the best time.

Watermelon is a great summer treat.

No matter how cute I dress them and do their hair, at the end of the day, someone will look like a cute little orphan child.

Oh yeah... watermelon still tastes great on a hot day.

Thrift stores are the best toy stores.

Boys love their trucks!

And... I love my kids!

The Little Miss

Sometimes it seems like my blogs end up all about Sarah or Andrew. Sarah just has been involved with pre-school and dance and all the end of year stuff, and with Andrew being the baby I like to document his new accomplishments and happenings. With the being said, Emma can not and will not be forgotten! She is so fun and such a spit fire that it's impossible to forget about her.

Emma has a great personality and it shines through from the moment you meet her. She walks around and introduces herself to everyone. "Hi! I Emma."

She loves to talk and try to be a big girl. Yesterday we went to storytime at the library. They were reading books about fathers because of Father's Day, and Emma kept interrupting the reader telling them all about her Daddy. It was very sweet.

Emma has a bit of dramatic flair. When she gets her feelings hurt or gets into trouble, she runs away into her room and shuts herself in there. She won't come out until we go get her. But, the funny thing is that if we give her time to cool off, she's happy as can be. I walk in there, and she'll say, "Hi Mommy!"

It's very easy to get her to smile. Even if she's grumpy, if I make a grumpy face at her and then start laughing and smile... then she can't help but smile. It works like a charm. What a sweet girl.

Dennis and I were talking the other day and we think that Emma is our happiest child right now. Case in point? While I was sitting here typing this, she walked in and said, "Mommy, I wake up! I wake up!" Just happy to start her day and see her mommy.

A few other things about Emma:
She still loves to cuddle
She asks to read books at least 5 times a day - she even likes to sleep with a book or two
Emma is in love with Dora... in fact she can count in Spanish almost as well as she counts in English!
She's trying to break the habit of sucking her thumb. Sometimes when I catch her sucking it, she'll stop and then say, "I'm trying hard."

Enjoying some yummy cookie dough. Emma is always messy... no matter how hard I try to keep her clean.

She is a crack up! I asked her to stop sucking her thumb in the car, and she said: "I do this?"

Just waiting for some friends to come sit with her... our little social butterfly.

Just getting the hang of posing for the camera

It's so hard to keep those darn sunglasses on!

We love this girl!

With Grandma and Grandpa

We had such a great time while my parents came to visit. It was non-stop work, talking, chasing kids, playing, and tons of fun!

We kept my dad super busy fixing a few things around the house like siding, insulation, putting in a microwave, and a million other things. He and Dennis also made rocking chairs for Emma and Andrew. I felt bad having him working so hard, but he claims that he enjoyed his time anyway.

My mom and I got to play a lot, help a little, and go shopping in different stores while my Dad stayed in the car with the kids (thank you for that too, Dad!)

It was so nice to have them here, and as always, it was hard to see them go. We took a few pictures along the way...

My parents and I took the kids to the sprayground, and it was a hit as always.
Grandma helping Andrew test out the waters

Pretty little girls

It looks like Andrew is asking permission to get back into the action

"I wonder if this will spray me right in the face?"

Grandma and Emma playing a little game

What on earth are they licking off the counter...?

...Our Family Home Evening activity! Monster cookies, which take 12 eggs, 18 cups of oatmeal, 3 lbs. of peanut butter, and a few other really yummy things!

Did they taste good Emma? I think so!!

The three chairs for our three cuties. Sarah's was made for her first birthday, and now Emma and Andrew have their own too. I love that we can always tell them their Grandpa and Daddy made these chairs. They are the best!

Thanks for coming, Mom & Dad! It was the greatest time... Sarah still tells me almost every day that she wishes Grandma and Grandpa could come here and stay forever or that we could go visit their house.