Playing

The end of the school year is always busy.  This year is no exception as we wrap things up, add in summer activities, and try to keep up with the regular life stuff.  We have also added in some meat birds.  Thank goodness grandma is doing most of the work!   Evelyn absolutely loves them!   

It always amazes me how fast they go from cute, sweet little adorable balls of fluff to disgusting, big, smelly dinner makers!  

We haven’t been home much this week.  I can tell by the way Carlos glues himself to me whenever I am home!  

Not to steal Mallory’s work, but she took some spring pictures tonight and I love them so much!   So cute!  

Another one bites the dust

So I don’t live for the weekend. I do love my jobs, my kid’s activities and our life here.  However, I do absolutely love the weekend.  I enjoy the down time, family time, time to do projects, time to read or relax.  The weekends are my happy place. And they never, ever last long enough!  

We started out our weekend at the 4-H biscuit and  gravy breakfast.  We were lucky, and only had to work one shift.  We were not all happy though, because it was an early shift!   We worked the early shift so that Preston and Quincy could still get to their job on time.  It all went flawlessly!   The biscuit and gravy breakfast made quite a bit of money, nobody was late to work, and we still had the whole day for laundry and projects at home.  

After church today, we managed to get the house cleaned up, calendar updated and then had Sunday dinner. Andrew and Madison came over early and took the girls fishing.  It was nice to have a couple hours of quiet!  The upcoming week is a busy one (especially for Jim).  Wishing it was a 3 day weekend doesn’t seem to make it come to fruition.  

Finally Friday

Whew!  I wasn’t sure we were going to make it to the weekend!  It was a long, long week.  Much better than last week, but still long.  Andrew had a couple of overnight work trips this week and every morning was early for this girl.   She seemed to adapt to it ok.  One morning she did take a 3 hour nap though!   I love when she peeks over my desk and says “hewwo Grammy!”   It absolutely melts my heart!   

Bus drivers are in a group that are occasionally given random drug tests.  Except for me, I get called every. Single.  Time.   I got called again this quarter!   This is the 4th time this year.  I believe I was called 3 out of 4 times last year!   It is good that I don’t do use drugs!   While my bosses were at my office with the tester (because GG got called too, so they were nice and utilized my office for the testing), Evie told us that she is a bus driver.  My boss told her she is hired.  She took her new job seriously!   Although I think their desperation for drivers might be a little over the top!  Evie kept saying “my drive it!”   Maybe next year, or whenever you can actually reach the gas kid!  

Cameron was sworn in as the KSU student body Vice President.  He has a lot of responsibilities and also a few perks.  We are very proud of him!  

The last 21 days of school, Saige’s class has incubated some Rhode Island Red eggs.  They hatched this week.  Saige got to bring home 2 of the babies!  She named them March Madness and Gonzaga.   We will be getting a load of broilers for the freezer next week, so the timing works out great!   Because 2 little chicks  is not enough, we also ran to Orscheln’s and got 12 more little pullets!   I am very proud of the fact that we left there without the cute, sweet little baby ducks!   (Good job us!). We are borrowing grandma’s chicken house, something we appreciate!  Now let’s just hope it doesn’t get too cold!   

We picked up groceries.  Eighteen months ago, if you told me I would order groceries for pick up, I would have laughed and said never!   But honestly, it is the best time saver!   I think I save money as well!   Quincy mentioned that it is life saving- literally!  She said “when I think of all the time I have spent miserably stumbling around the store I feel sad for the time I’ll never get back!”   She’s hilarious.  

We have a few small things to do this weekend, but I’m super happy to have our errands done!  

Photo dumping

Sorry!  Three posts in one evening is a lot.  I just haven’t had a lot of spare time this week.  I like to use this blog as our family scrapbook, and I know if I don’t keep dumping photos here I will lose them, or forget what they represent or whatever.  I hardly ever  print photos anymore. I have never been a very organized person, and I would rather do about anything than sitting still and actually making scrapbooks.  This is my speed.  The blog program dates them and keeps them in chronological order. If the kids want a copy of something, they all have access to it, and if I need a picture I know exactly where to look.  It’s a win win for me.   

The people who owned our house before us planted a lot of stuff.  Not all of it has survived the goats, the bus needing more space in our driveway forced us to rip out some, and the fact that we are terrible gardeners took care of some.  But what is left out there is absolutely beautiful, and Saige took a lot of pretty pictures.  

I am in the middle of a very large project at work currently.  It is preliminary engineering and paperwork which is bogging down a lot of my time.  Evelyn is an absolute angel.  She loves to sit and play Barbies or color.  Perhaps when you are 2, and have been sitting quietly for 45 minutes, Grammy should look up a little more often!   She absolutely covered her arms, legs, hands and feet in pen.   Such artistic promise.  I said “Evie what did you do?”  She responded “Evie colors!”   Yes you do kid.  Haha.  We also had one day where we had to run out and fuel up the bus.  Since we were coming right back, I didn’t clean the office.  When we came back, I asked her “Evie, who made such a mess?” She responded with “damnit Evie!”    For the record I have never said that to her!   I blame her dad.  ;) 

I love spending my days with her.  She keeps me laughing. 

Saturday evening, Colin and Andrew decided to cook some steaks on the grill and then go fishing.  We enjoyed sitting around the yard, music going, grill smoking, shooting the breeze, catching a couple basketball games,  and   watching the dogs and kids  play.  It was an awesome evening!   Colin, Andrew, Evelyn and Saige also went fishing. I do not think any fish were caught!  

Evelyn was excited to get to feed GG’s baby calf.  She loves animals.  I think Lauren also enjoys the bottle feeding (thanks for feeding the goats this evening!).  

I can’t claim credit for all of these photos, but I’m not proud, I will save them anyway! 

Easter!

We had a truly great Easter!   We got up early and attended mass as a family. Preston was the reader.  He does a fantastic job.  It was a great mass, and I am so thankful that this Easter is not like last year.   I missed going to church on Easter Sunday morning and having all the kids home. 

We all headed to grandma’s for an outside picnic day.  It was the first time we have all been together since Christmas 2019.  It was much needed and amazing. I am so thankful that we could do this.  I am especially thankful  that all of my kids and their significant others were able to come from everywhere to celebrate Easter with us.  It was just what my soul needed.  I feel like this week will be a huge improvement over last week and things are going to be awesome.  

Grandma has been buying the kids kites for Easter for as long as I can remember. She has also managed to keep them hunting for eggs, even into their adulthoods because of a contest to find a money egg.   Saige may have cheated (although that was never proven) and she was the golden egg winner.  Since there was a loud discussion over whether she cheated, a second golden egg was hidden. Harper was the second golden egg winner, and was very happy to beat Cameron and Garrett who have been known to throw down people who got on their way when searching for golden eggs.  So much fun and amazing family traditions.   I am thankful and blessed.  

Holy Week was a kick in the pants

Last weekend, as I was finishing my weekly bunch of junk to be ready for the week ahead, I was worried that the week was going to be a crazy mess.   Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe how the last week was for us.  We had games, extra bus duties, holy days, Jim was gone, and then regular work and school stuff as well. Crazy isn’t a bold enough word.  Last week was garbage.  I started out thinking we would muster through.  By Wednesday I wasn’t so sure.  Quincy got in some trouble at school.  She ended up with a 5 day “vacation” and disappointed parents.  We love her, but she messed up.  It wasn’t what we needed in this week.  We still managed to survive.  By the time we got to Good Friday, I was done.   I was happy the weekend finally got here!  

 We went to Good Friday mass, and then came home to wait for Colin and Spencer to arrive.  They got here just in time to help us dye eggs.  

Spencer brought Carlos a new dog toy.  This cracks me up.  Carlos loves it. 

We stayed up really late visiting.  It was nice to get caught up and feel a little bit of relaxation.  I am thankful they were able to spend the weekend here.  

Saige asked for an ant farm a few weeks ago.  She has been dutifully checking the mail waiting for her ants to arrive.  It was awesome she was off school Friday when they arrived.  We have had an ant farm before, but this time was different.  They arrived in a vial with a chunk of carrot.  The carrot must have rolled around inside the vial, and several are missing legs or were killed in shipping.  Saige wasn’t real happy about that!  We have been enjoying the ones who lived through the transport, so interesting!