Random stuff

A few pictures (courtesy of Jodi) from a few of our weekend activities.

Ashlee and Ella

Silas and Justin

Grandpa and Silas

Sarah, Allysa, Si, Mason and Ella








Zoe had a visitor call on her this week - some dog from the hood. We also had some rabid poodle run into our house on the 4th - maybe Zoe is sending out eVites or something

something about this picture makes me think Ella will be a Harley babe when she grows up

We had some weird sidewalk chalk drawings going on over the holiday weekend...
this is Mason and Si's outlines

and Ella's

You've heard when life gives you lemons, make lemonade? Well, our version is when life gives you 10 billion radishes...make radish butter. We have about 72 pounds of radishes (we let the kids shove radish seeds pretty much everywhere in the garden) - so I've done some radish recipe digging! Chopped up radishes, mixed with butter and fresh garden herbs - served on thick, crusty bread. It's really quite good! Really yummy if you have a nice dry Rose with it :)

You've seen many pictures of Silas and his sharp, gap-tooth teeth - this is what he does to a drinkable yogurt when he gets one. No need to pull the top off. Scares me to think that I nursed this boy until he was almost a year old.

We had such a nice visit with Justin's family, especially Mam-moo and Trent - we only get to see them about every other year since we've shot up to a family of 5 and airline tickets are so expensive.
I'm bumming that the 4th is over...summer always goes so fast from here. We have a lot of fun stuff going on still (a couples' weekend away and a family beach house trip topping the list) but part of me is already gearing up for school and fall and football season. I wish there was a Slow Motion button for life!

Mason's birthday gags

I had emailed the family to bring Mason a gag gift for his birthday. The first was his birthday cake... though I'm still not sure if that was intentional or not.


The 2nd was from Uncle Tim - Mason's been talking for months about wanting a Blackberry. Well, he got one...kinda. Watch the video for more details.



He also got a very cute love monkey - she makes smoochie noises and everything.





Ella loves the monkey (she named her Lily) and did a little match making with Bob, the monkey she got for Christmas a couple years ago.

Mason was a good sport - especially about the blackberry :)

Happy 4th of July!

A few pictures from our local fireworks tonight. We came very close to canceling our family cookout this afternoon because the weather has been so cruddy. I'm so glad we didn't! The weather cleared up enough that we were able to cookout, hangout and have a great time. We took the kids into the park area of the neighborhood and watched the fireworks.


Mason also got to have his ice cream cake and celebrate his birthday with family


Thanks to William (our NV Bennett-Youngers) and all our military families for their dedication and commitment to our freedom!

Just because he's 13...

doesn't mean he's any more coordinated! Mason wiped out on his RipStick this evening, and he and I spent a few hours down at Children's ER - missing out on his birthday dinner (bbq ribs) and ice cream cake.

He's got a broken bone in the forearm area (the radius I now know) and is in a full arm cast. He'll have a cast for 6-8 weeks. He got really razzed by the ER nurses and docs about being there on his birthday. Thanks to Dr. Bull and Nurse Jodi, our neighborhood medical team. I seriously don't think I would have taken him for the x-ray if they hadn't strongly suggested that I should get it checked out...though he was in quite a bit of pain.

He felt good when we got home so we ate leftovers and then he opened one of his presents...cake was postponed until tomorrow!



I knew he'd figure out a way to get out of mowing the lawn this summer!!

Happy Birthday Mason!

7/3/1995

I tucked you in as a newborn babe - close to my heart

And to God I prayed

I’d do no harm and help you grow strong

In the blink of an eye – the first year was gone.

I tucked you in, a stubborn two - “I do it mommy!”

My prayers to God grew

I’d do no harm, Lord help me be strong

In the blink of an eye – the terrible two’s were gone.

I tucked you in - three, four and five

With God’s grace, help us to strive

We’d do no harm, make our family grow strong.

In the blink of an eye – three, four, five were gone.

I tucked you in - six, seven, eight, nine

Each night thanking God that you’re mine

We’d do no harm, Lord help us be strong

In the blink of an eye – six, seven, eight, nine…gone.

I tucked you in - ten, eleven and twelve

Praying to God, you’d find yourself

- Kind and true, confidence built strong

In the blink of an eye – ten, eleven, twelve were gone.

I tucked you in - on the eve of thirteen

Thanking the Lord for the glimpse that I’ve seen

Of the man you’re becoming with character strong

In the blink of an eye – the little boy gone.

___________________

I did tuck Mason in last night, wondering how thirteen years have gone so fast. How Mason was just Si's age, how I was just walking him to school like I'll do with Ella this fall. And looking at him, I see such a kind, funny kid - growing into a warm, caring young man. I can't ask for more.
Justin and I were talking last night - how young and naive we were when we had Mason. He broke us into parenthood gently. A fun, easy going, beautiful child that left us craving to be parents again (and again - but probably not again).
We didn't have a name picked out when we went into labor. A baby popped out and we decided he looked like a Mason. The old English definition of Mason is "to make" - he made us a family and he has made me and Justin better people by being his parents.

We love you Mason Paul!

We're Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo..

how about you, you, you....

Our $19.99 group picture...suckers!

Ella - Trent - Si



We spent a lot of time watching the gorillas



And they enjoyed watching us - I love the one holding his head.



Ella was brave and petted Maury, the 17 year old snake that is blind because of cataracts - but she wouldn't touch 300 pound Fluffy.

Si and Daddy

Ran into a peacock on our way out

As we were leaving the gorilla area, Justin told me to hurry and take a picture - I had my big zoom lens on and didn't realize until I zoomed WAY in that...

This guy is made of wood...

Sushi anyone??

I have a friend of a friend who has a gorgeous house in a hip part of town. It was in a recent Home and Garden Tour....and they had a sushi girl....Justin wants to know why we don't hang out with the likes of these folks and get invited to their parties.



This girl, honest to goodness, laid on this table (covered in sushi) while people were touring through the house. (The rest of the house is gorgeous by the way!)

Who can say Clorox Wipes??

As for comments - please remember this is a family blog :)