Around Here

I have another birthday post yet to come. But first--what have we been doing around here besides camping and celebrating birthdays? Like last summer, our boys once again built forts in the basement. The entire downstairs becomes one huge mess and I pretty much avoid going down there. That must be why I haven't watched TV since before July 4th. I miss my TV. But it will be there when my boys are back in school, right? Here are their forts:

Sometimes these forts provide lots of great play time. Other times...not so great. We had to tell them to quit shooting nerf guns at each other, since two were gaining up on one every time. There's that number three again, making things difficult!

While Braylen was at church camp for 3 days, the rest of us went to the demolition derby. This might shock you, but it was my first one! Aaron enjoyed explaining it all to me, and since the derby he's watched countless videos of demolition derbys on youtube. He's obsessed! :) I enjoyed my time with my boys, I really did. They wanted me to come along, so I figured I'd better say yes! I slipped while walking down the bleachers and landed hard on my right lower back--ouch!--and spent the next 4 days visiting my chiropractor. Of course life doesn't slow down when Mom gets hurt, and I needed to shop for birthday gifts and groceries while disabled. Thank goodness for shopping carts! I really wished I could sit in one and let my kids push me around. What a sight that would be. :)

We all had summer colds after our latest camping trip, and Aaron needed breathing treatments for a couple of days. Doesn't this sound like the beginning of our summer?

Braylen loved his time at church camp. This camp teaches incoming 6th graders about missions, and the kids spend a day serving through work projects at the camp. Braylen did lots of deck painting. The other two days are spent playing in the water--jumping off the docks, swimming, and swinging on a rope swing. How fun that must be to let go and fall into the lake! When I picked him up after camp, I discovered he had a bad fall from a deck the day after I fell down the bleachers. We compared battle stories and I was grateful we have more than one good ice pack. Braylen sampled all 5 types of salmon, caught in Alaska by the camp's owner. He also had Mexican sweet corn, grilled in the husk and smothered with mayo, hot sauce, and Parmesan cheese. He says he liked it! Braylen's always been my best eater. After sleeping in a tree house for several nights, (a very nice tree house, I must say) he was ready to come home.

Kaleb and Aaron built "boats" while Braylen was gone.

Our lovely piano teacher got married last Friday, and her wedding reception was beautiful! Look at the flag in the picture--no wind! The white twinkle lights, full moon, and music made for such a pretty night. I felt like I was near the coast. Must have been the fountain in the pond. :) We've unearthed the piano this week so Kaleb and Aaron can practice again. After 2 months off they're a little rusty.

Aaron skipped the wedding to attend a school friend's birthday party. He came home a Jedi, complete with his own homemade robe and light saber. This party reminded him of the fun he'll have with school friends pretty soon. :) Oh, and to explain the look on his face--he's been doing this to me all summer long. Just when I'm ready to take the picture, he makes a funny face. This time I decided to post the funny one instead of the "normal" one. I figured that this one is his normal one. :)

Last week I put up sweet corn for winter. (bad back and all!) Yes, I've lived here for 13 years now--I guess it's time I act like it. :) Some friends of ours have a huge garden and like to share their corn, potatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. When someone gives you all that produce, you don't want to waste it! Speaking of gardens, my little garden is doing so great this year! I picked 13 tomatoes and a bunch of green beans today. A fresh tomato from the garden is so yummy. I sliced one up and ate it for a snack. Oh my, I must be turning into a country girl! Remember those sunflower seeds Aaron planted in May? Look at them now!



They tower about 14 feet in the air! Dad, I hope they don't scare you! :) Their stalks are like tree trunks, and their leaves are like dinner plates. Aaron is so proud! And that's what's been going on around here. :)



Thirty-Five

It's much more fun to write about my son's birthday than it is to write about mine. 35. Hmm. I have to be real honest--today wasn't all sunshine and roses. Parts of it were hard. My kids woke up crabby. Feeding them didn't help. Neither did getting out of the house. They fought and bickered and whined...and I wanted none of that on my birthday. I wanted a special day. A day to feel appreciated and celebrated. I mean, a girl only gets one birthday a year, and I am the lady of the house and all! *sigh* When I had enough of my boys and their fighting, I fixed lunch for them at the table...and took my lunch to my room. Okay, so that sounds childish--but at the time it sounded like a great idea. I took my unopened birthday cards with me and enjoyed a few moments of peace. After lunch I sat down with each of my boys and we prayed for a "do-over." I desperately needed God to redeem this day. He is Faithful, and from 2:00 onward I had a great birthday. :)

I received lots of texts, emails, phone calls, and facebook messages from friends and family today. I loved each one, and feel blessed by them all. Derek took us out for supper and when we arrived, we discovered kids 12 and under eat free on Mondays after 5:00. Hooray for a cheap birthday supper! This evening I sat on my deck in my new chair, directed Aaron and Kaleb to their dad when they decided to bicker in my presence, and rejoiced in the ability to do so. I caught up on the newspapers and had a great phone chat with my brother. Here at the computer with a piece of blueberry pie, my version of birthday cake, I've decided turning 35 might not be so bad after all. :)

Twelve

Braylen turned 12 years old today. It blows me away if I think about it too much. How did 12 years go by that fast? One day at a time--but those days sure added up quickly.

My goal was to make today fun and special for Braylen. I love the fact that school hasn't started yet, and that means I could enjoy him all day. He really is a pretty cool kid. I mean, young man. :)

12 things we did on Braylen's 12th birthday:

1. Woke up early to hear his birthday announcement on the radio. Thanks to Aunt Pam and family for a really nice birthday tribute!
2. Made french toast for breakfast. Braylen's favorite. (and mine!)
3. Took Braylen shopping for new school shoes...he LOVES his new shoes. He's had his eye on Adidas Climacool shoes since last spring. Now he has his own pair! While we were at the mall, I found new shoes for Kaleb and Aaron too. I've never seen a group of boys so excited to buy new shoes!
4. Came home for lunch in time for Braylen to see his dad. Truly a highlight of his day. He also opened his gifts from my parents. The rest of the presents will come later.
5. Took Braylen, his friend Matthew, Kaleb, and Aaron to Dairy Queen for afternoon treats. We sat in a booth and had a nice little talk about the upcoming NFL and college seasons. I know so much more about football now than I did before our outing!
6. Stopped at a friend's house for paper route instructions. Braylen and Kaleb will share a paper route for a couple of days while these friends of ours are on vacation. They're excited. :)
7. Enjoyed a short visit with Braylen's cousins and aunt. They made him some really sweet cards.
8. Braylen had plenty of time on the wii with Matthew and his brothers.
9. When Derek came home, Braylen opened the rest of his presents! Concert tickets, wall decals, a headlamp, and more.
10. Braylen picked the menu for supper: sausage and egg casserole, cinnamon rolls, grapes, and orange juice. YUM!
11. Since the weather is so nice this week, we took a family bike ride with the dog. We all thought the sunset was especially pretty for Braylen's birthday.
12. Sang "Happy Birthday" to our 12 year old son, watched him try to blow out 12 candles on a plate of cupcakes...and thought about all the blessings we have wrapped up in Braylen.

Yes, today was fun and special--for Braylen and for the rest of us. Mission accomplished! I feel very, very blessed. Happy Birthday, Buddy. I know you're 12 and all, but you're still my sunshine. :)

Camping with Friends

Like I said earlier, we had one more trip to take this summer. Some friends of ours recently bought a camper, so plans were made to camp together! Squeezing this trip in so close to our time at the lake was a bit stressful...but I kept telling myself it will be worth it when we get there. It was so worth it. :)

Aaron's ready for some fun on the 4-wheeler!

I took one supper and Rebekah took the other. Tostadas one night and pan-fried chicken the next!

The weather was beautiful, the humidity was low, and we were blessed with a sweet time together. The guys (including the little guys) did lots of 4-wheeling. That was the main event--as far as they were concerned. The ladies (including little Miss Ashly) stayed behind at the campsite and did plenty of visiting. It was so great.

We purchased helmets for all of our boys--aren't you proud of us Mom and Dad?!

Braylen rode solo on his own 4-wheeler, while Kaleb and Aaron rode with Derek. Kaleb drove the blue 4-wheeler by himself around our campsite, and he also drove it to and from the trails. It's a manual, not an automatic, so he needs to get a better feel for shifting before Derek allows him to drive it by himself on the trails. Derek had a first aid kit strapped to the front of his 4-wheeler, and I'm happy to say he never needed to use it. :)

The scenery was beautiful

Besides 4-wheeling, we all enjoyed our times together at the campsite. Aaron did lots of digging in the sand, Rebekah and I prepared meals and caught up on life, and Derek and Shawn tinkered with the 4-wheelers and Shawn's camper. Aaron even caught a toad. :) Braylen carried my camera around and took lots of pictures. Kaleb kept driving that 4-wheeler around and around his own little track. Our boys were the dirtiest they've ever been, which means they had lots of fun being boys!

only Aaron can dig in the sand while posed as a human pretzel

shucking corn from Rebekah's garden

I used the 4-wheeler for a seat!

Ginger came along of course.

We took several walks with Ginger. During one of those walks, Aaron brought along the walkie-talkie so he could talk with his brothers back at the campsite. They did more loud noises and sound effects than talking, but am I really surprised? No. :)

Here's Aaron on the walkie-talkie.

We ended our camping trip with a campfire on our last night. I lost count of how many marshmallows the kids ate. Kaleb especially loves s'mores.

We're thankful for good friends to camp with. For the time off work. For the camper, of course. For the 4-wheelers. For the safety. And when we got home, I announced that I was thankful to be HOME! :)

We made it home just in time for the demolition derby...and for Braylen to go to a 3 day church camp...and for me to prepare for our son to turn 12!!! But all of that is for next time!