Home Improvements, Uncovering the Past

In our ongoing effort to update, improve, and over all get this house show-ready...

We are taking on many, many projects.

And while some projects might be little in size...

they are big in the nostalgia department.

Who knew we'd still be here 12 years after that?

Huh.

Well, I updated it, wrote something like...

DG + RG, 9/2014

STILL HERE!

HA!

For now.

Things could be worse.

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World Series of Mite Baseball

While we had a good summer of baseball, 

it turns out, this can be a pretty dangerous sport too...

Especially when your buddies toss balls nilly willy when everyone is hanging around, 

and you have to catch the ball with your face!

It was a rainy, rainy season...

Though I can't think of much that goes together like peanut butter and jelly, 

or little boys and mud...

We still had to move First Base from time to time...

I think the snacks were just as fun as the games themselves...

At least these ones were!

He worked hard, he played hard.

And in the end, after a few weather delays and cancellations...

They got their big World Series of Mite Baseball Fun Day, 

albeit the abbreviated version.

Not everyone made it for the opening ceremonies...

Here's the official team photo...

(note to self, figure out how to scan in the REAL team photo and 'professional' adorable pic of our boy)

The boys lined up for the big trophy hand outs...

How adorable are these young men?

Admiring (comparing!! HA!) their trophies...

It was a fun season.

A short, rainy, and often chilly one.

But a fun one none-the-less.

And a Project Me. Project You photo to boot!

Thanks H for taking this one!

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Baseball Outtakes

Fall is upon us, meaning fall sports...

Football, Basketball, Volleyball...leading into Hockey ~

But as I prepare for that stuff...

I find humor in my camera roll of summer baseball outtakes...

Some of those games get pretty long...huh boys?

I don't even know how this kiddo does this...

YEEOOUCH!!

Outfielders, waiting to outfield...

Ah...Next year, we'll up our game, right?

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The One That Got Away....

Last summer, our kids went fishing for the very first time ~
I'm not sure why we waited so long, except for the fact that we are NOT fisherpeople...

To say that our boy loves to go fishing is an understatement...
We went to visit grandma at her lake retreat this past weekend...

About 11 seconds after we parked the car - our boy was on the dock - spidey fishin' pole in hand.
5 seconds after that...
fish after fish after fish.

Catch.
Release.
Catch.
Release.
Catch.
Release.

Even the teenager got in on the action thanks to the loaner Barbie Fishing Rod! (Note to Santa & or Self; it's time to upgrade the fishing gear!!)

I'm not going to lie - when I'm the one taking the fish off the hook and releasing it each and every time - it was getting pretty old, pretty fast.

Man, those things are slimy...and some of those scales are SHARP!

After just a short time fishing - Derek starts hollering - 'Mom! It's bending my rod in half! I got a big one! I got a big one!' and sure enough - If I didn't see a big huge long Northern at the end of the Spiderman Fishing Rod!
I'm not sure who was yelling more - Derek or myself.

I was screaming because I was excited for our boy - but also because I was the one taking the fish off the hooks and releasing them back into the wild - how was I going to do that with this GREAT BIG GIANT LONG FISH! (AND take a pic of it with our boy as well!). Knowing how wiggly the small fish are...oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Well, it turns out I didn't need to worry, because the damn thing ate our Minne-O and took off. Is this how those fishing stories get going?

You should have SEEN the size of that fish! But...it got away!

Seriously, it was a pretty awesome Northern - and oh how we would have loved to been able to reel it in - not possible on the batman rod without a net - that's for sure...

We did have witnesses, so it's not like it was just Buddy and I telling the fish tales - but I can totally see how they get started!

Grandpa Tim thought it was about a 12 inch Northern - maybe a pound.
Pffffft.

Derek and I think it was at least a foot and a half long - and easily 5 pounds - bwaahahahahaha.

Oh well - So we didn't catch lunch -
We sure had fun catching lots of other Sunnies and 'Church Fish' - AKA - Perch! You know...
'Church Fish Mom!'

And some of them were pretty darn good sized!

Hard to believe this little man is so grown up already - 

In just a couple of weeks he'll be in kindy!

ACK!

He's all of a sudden soo grown up to me!

Showing Dad the ropes - how to bait & hook the Minne-O's.

See that little red bobber under his right hand? BWAHAHAHA!
 Good one honey!

It's hard to believe this summer has come and gone so quickly already.

I had huge plans to do so many fun things, spontaneous camping trips and the like - 

But sometimes, just hanging out and doing 'nothing' is best...

 Here's to enjoying every single second!

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Lean on Me ~

Once upon a time, there was a girl who had big dreams...

She chased those dreams to Texas and then to Chicago, but the whole time, her heart wasn't in them.

Shortly thereafter, she landed right back where she started.

Fargo, ND.

It was Spring of 1997 and for this 22 year old girl looking for something, not quite sure what....

there was no better gig than waiting tables...

A brand new restaurant was to be opening soon...

So the girl with the big dreams applied and soon began working there.

Those mornings and days and nights and nights that turned into mornings,

 turned out to be some of the best days of this girl's life. 

True Story.

15 years later ~ and some of the friends I made back then are some of my best friends still to this day.

Case in Point???

4 friends + 4 spouses. 

9 Children (ages 6 and under) and counting...

Spending a weekend under one cute & cozy roof ~ 

We spent the entire weekend with smiles on our faces and promises to do it again soon.

We don't see each other as often as we wish we did...but when we get together, whether it's been 2 weeks or 2 months or yes, sometimes, 2 years (hey, that happens sometimes!!) we pick up right where we left off...

Like no time has passed since we were trading Expo Shifts for Section #9 and playing poker and........

I cannot tell you how much joy the picture above gives me. Never mind the fact that we set the automatic timer and it only took one take! 

(We took a 2nd for good measure - but hey!! Great Job Mike!)

This pic was posted on Facebook and some comments were made that a few years ago, the significant others and children would've been replaced by drunken co-workers and beer cans! 

(By those former drunken coworkers with beer cans!! HAHA!)

Isn't that the truth?

That's the thought I had when I had taken this photograph below - 

Once upon a time all of the water and sand toys, life jackets, inner tubes, 

sunscreen cans and water bottles, 

would have been much different 'weekend remnants' ~

I love my life and how full circle it has come.

I love that I have some of the best girlfriends in the entire world.

While we aren't close enough geographically to do Happy Hour every week - I know that I could call any one of these women if I needed them and there would be no hesitation.

That, my friends, is what true friendship are all about.

4 Great Friends & Our Kiddos. Heaven help us ~ Mini Me's!! 

Mothers & Daughters 

I have a ton more pictures to share from this fabulous weekend with friends - of course I do!

But right now, I'm feeling a little sappy.

A little nostalgic.

I'm feeling pretty grateful and a whole lot blessed.

 

Shutterfly’s Long Live Summer Photo Contest!

It's summer - and if you are anything like me...that means even MORE ample opportunity than usual to take pictures!

Between trips to the beach and BBQs, baseball games and butterfly hunting, photographs are a great way to capture summer memories. 

Shutterfly’s Long Live Summer Photo Contest on Facebook has launched ~

Simply CLICK HERE to be taken to the entry page.

Long Live Summer – Facebook Photo Contest details - 7/9 – 8/12
Multi-week summer themed photo sweepstakes with instant win prizes

You could win a trip for four to The Bahamas and a professional photo shoot so you’ll remember your vacation forever!! How great would that be???

***** All you need to do is upload your favorite photo and caption based on the theme of the week. Get a gift from Shutterfly just for entering! You can enter at any point during the 5-week sweepstakes period.


PHOTO THEMES
• Week 1(7/9): Americana
• Week 2 (7/16): Great Outdoors
• Week 3 (7/23): Water Fun
• Week 4 (7/30): Sports & Activities
• Week 5 (8/6): Parties & Celebrations


PRIZES
• Instant win prizes just for submitting a photo!
• Weekly prizes (contestants can enter one time/week)
• Weekly featured photos: up to 5 weekly entries will be selected from the gallery and featured on the Facebook fan page and awarded a $500 gift card on Shutterfly and a copy of the new Lonely Planet travel photography book.

• Grand prize: trip for 4 to Bahamas, 4 nights, family photo shoot

• Shutterfly Sweepstakes - Official Rules

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Camp Streefland - First timers...

So, where were we?

Ah, yes, Summer.

Summer Camp.

So, we registered for Summer Camp with good friends.

We had never been to camp before - so we excitedly attended an open house -

Would it live up to our expectations???

Being new at this, it was important for our family to make sure that our kiddos had a buddy.  Having each other is awesome, having 2 friends they know well, along for the ride, is beyond awesome.  

It takes out (most of) the fear of the unknown.

Sure, the girls are heading off to First Grade in the Fall - 

But the boys - well, ours at least, all he's ever known is home daycare and family outings.

He's never done ANYTHING like this before.

Ever.

They start them out at camp at age 4...

Extra nice to have a buddy when you are the younger crowd.

I really didn't need to worry...

They had a blast.

What's not to love?

Ourdoors.

All day.

Every day.

I couldn't believe it when I saw the forecasts for this week - 

having signed up for camp back in February - who knows what we are going to get when June rolls around?

Late Sunday night we had quite the Boomer of a Storm...but...

Someone was watching out for us ~ they had beautiful weather every day.

The kids were noticeably tired at the end of each day, but had so much to say and do and share and talk about, that we didn't get us any earlier of a bed time.

Maybe next week it hits?

Their week was spent making craft projects.

Swimming. 

Frog Catching.

Having Cookouts.

Fishing.

Canoeing.

Kayaking.

Sing-a-Longs.

(Including Sing-a-Longs on the bus rides TO camp!!!

Hello!! what a GREAT way to start the day!!)

Making Forts.

Swinging.

Zip Lining.

Sand Castle Building.

Turtle Hunting.

Playing in the GaGa Pit.

Making Tie Dye Shirts.

Archery.

 

That is some fort! WOW!

This one was still under construction - it needed more camo (so they tell me!)

The Black Hole!

I cannot get over the NO FEAR that BOTH of our children have for this thing!

I mean honestly, sitting on a plastic sled and heading into the dark that is the black hole?

Him? 

Of course not.

He loves adventures in every way, shape and form.

But this one?

Our somewhat shy, quiet, reserved first born?

If you could hear the screams of joy as she barrels through this tunnel...

  

A good friend pointed out that she hasn't seen our girl this happy, this excited, this...

CAREFREE...

in a very long time!

Thank you Camp Streefland!

Shooting 25 feet out into the open!

Whether she is just having that. much. fun...

Or if it's because she is spending her days with her Bestie...

Shakin' it at the Assembly on Family Night.

A Camp Counselor Tunnel when the evening was coming to a close...

Tell me a job that would be more fun than this?

Yes, Camp Streefland.
We know we made the right choice.

The only tears we saw this week were the ones that came after five days...
upon being told they have to wait three weeks to come back.

This, this right here signifies summer and what it should be.

I am beyond thrilled with how our summer is shaping up.

We are loving this chapter of the Best Seller that is our lives!