brand name snob...that i am.

this post was started by shelly...at first, i didn't think i cared too much about brand names - but i've had a week to think about it, and yup - i care.

1. bread: MUST be "aunt millies 100% whole wheat" it is on sale most of the time. but, as was
the case this week - i paid full price for it. we have a saying at our house, "the whiter the
bread, the quicker you're dead"
2. salsa: garden fresh-wild for mild...if you don't wanna spend a week making your own, this is
the next best thing!
3. hot dogs: koegel's skinless frankfurters, to be exact. the only hot dog that doesn't give me
the creeps when i eat it.
4. creamer: coffeemate's sweet italian creme...oh, the sugar rush ;)
5. english muffins: thomas' whole wheat-lite
6. hairspray: bedhead masterpiece
7. tampons: tampax pearl
8. jeans: big stars
9. lotion: for everyday, olay quench...smells good to boot.
10. butter: yes, real is BEST...but pricey for how we go through it. gotta be "i cant believe its not butter - light.

ode to daddy...

i realize father's day was a week ago...but i had to post a few thoughts on doug.

here's my boys...dodge looks guilty - which is actually completely normal.

if you don't know doug...HE DOES NOT LIKE CHANGE. even when we dated, i remember him getting all frustrated when they quit making "his" deoderant...or they don't sell a certain brand jean at meijer anymore...the trauma this poor guy has gone through!!

yes, these are his favorite tennis shoes...we don't know how old they are, one can only guess. probably late '80's - early 90's? i've often thought about sending a story to Nike to try and get a new pair...maybe they would get the old mold out and send us a "special" pair! and doug wonders why he has a bad back...he has gotten a new pair of black tennies...after much begging on my part, but if he has a choice, he goes right to these babies!

a napkin holder. did you know this has been a source of tension in our marriage? that might be a little dramatic - but not much! for YEARS doug has wanted one...i hate anything that sits "out". stuff on table/counter = clutter. i finally broke down this past christmas & bought him this wood bowl to hold napkins. so, now i have something to move every time i set the table for supper. who am i kidding? official suppers don't happen a ton around here. and we eat on the deck all summer long...so, happy husband & happy wife.

doug loves honey. really loves it. he is always looking for ways to do something bigger & better. remember "tim the tool man"...cant remember the name of the show, but he always reminded me of doug. he will go through this big honey in a month - easy.




doug is a scavenger. it must be the dutch in him...the things he has come home with after dumpster-diving at work is funny...rollerblades, benches, baskets...perfectly good stuff. (see, theres that word again, i dont like stuff....especially other peoples stuff!) well, he has been wanting a malt maker forever...we've always made them in the food processor, i tried to tell him it takes more time, cuz now you have to do them ONE at a time. well, he picked this contraption up at LOVE inc. (2nd hand store) and we used it once...

well there you have it, some things that make doug who he is...but here are some other reasons we love him:

1. he's funny - his humor has a way of cutting through the worst of moods.

2. he loves to play with the kids...he is my biggest obstacle when i try to stick to a "bed time" he

just wants to keep playing - dirtbiking, basketball, board games, wrestling...

3. thursday nights...the boys look forward to their thursday nights with daddy (this should have

its own post...) watching "michigan out of doors" & "red green" are a HUGE tradition around

here, along with chips & cheese and malts!

4. he flies by the seat of his pants...complete opposite of mom - a good thing. he is a busy body,

always wanting to do something...life would be quite boring & predictible without him ;)

5. he always includes the kids...teaching them about shooting a b-b gun, fishing, snowmobiling...

if he cant see a way of including the kids in the long term...he probably wont get into it.

and doug, if i ever fall into a landslide of money...the first thing i'm gonna do is buy you a race sled & send you to the soo I-500. thats one of the things i love about ya...you ride a purple 2-up sled in circles in the field, cuz it makes the kids happy - which makes you happy.

i got myself a good one! happy father's day doug!




here i am with my dad on father's day...i love this man!

mother's day

digging through old pics, still playing catch up, ya know.... i HAD to say something about my mother's day!! they brought me breakfast in bed!! it was all dawson's idea...the night before he was all stressed out about me waking up too early...well, i did get up & have a cup of coffee. i was instructed to go to bed by the boys, though.

doug, i love ya....but i'm so glad i have the boys to do this "mushy-sensitive" stuff once in awhile!

beach day!!!

***WARNING: procceed at your own risk...way too many details in this post, most likely will be hard to maintain concentration. get a snack or a cup of coffee.

so, the mercury is supposed to hit 90 today....wow, we've been waiting for summer & it came with a BANG this week!! one thing i've always loved to do is go to the beach, but with little ones - it was quite a chore! now that the boys are older, i want to try to get out there more.

when i mentioned "beach" this morning, the kids were so excited!! let me tell ya, it was easier to pack for 5 & 7 year olds...so, we packed a cooler & a few other things, and we were off!

we arrive at 11:00...this is a little late for the family-beach bums...cuz you want a spot RIGHT on the water, so as to have easy access for the kiddos to play on the beach/water...easy for the mommas to keep an eye on them!

so, i park my sled (more on that later) in a nice 12x12 area. on one side,2 mommas who never ever quit talking, one of whom "freaked" out when dodge accidentally splashed her - i apologized, and i think she realized she was being a little silly - she was sitting 4 feet from lake michigan ;) and on my other side one momma with four kids - betweeen ages 1 and 6 - she looked all of 20. but i'm sure she was a little older. i dont know how she did it, but she stayed out half the day & she was pretty entertaining. on a side note, she forgot sunblock for her baby & she didn't have an umbrella...so i lent her mine.

if the above episode would have happened a few years ago, i probably would have been very envious of that "mom with 4 kids"....but happily, after watching her, i realized (again) that i rather like this stage - thank you very much!

so, the boys happily spend most of the day digging a hole...after awhile, dodge gets antsy and wants to walk the pier. so, we go. i have a funny feeling about leaving our "campsite" especially now that my mom friend of 4 is gone. so....we walk, my boys see more skin today than they have their whole lives. i realize that the world is made up of all shapes & sizes. we watch a bunch of crazy high schoolers jump of the pier. we come back to our "site". of course you know what happens....3 adults & 4 kids are camped out between my blanket and the lake. yes, i had 6 feet between my blanket and the lake...most of which was the previously mentioned hole.

ok, i had to take a pic (sorry if this is your family or friends) that guy & kids are sitting in the hole. thats our yellow shovel. i thought my boys were gonna bawl. that other guy is sitting in my chair....ok, kidding.


dodge...yes, we're digging another hole.


teamwork...my boys did not fight or argue all day....it was beautiful.

we went to the general store to look around...they have every kind of candy under the sun...and the very best ice cream - yum!

you always pick up on some good ideas going to the beach, here are some things i've learned. let me know if you have any to add!

must haves for the beach:

1. mode of transportation for all the STUFF. some of you beach mommas have those big wheeled carts - they rock. but they're also a little pricey! today i used a sled...ya know, the cheap plastic-type that you pull the kids around in winter. it goes pretty good on the sand. it doubles as a kiddie pool if you have little ones.

2. baby powder. you'll need this for going home - it removes all sand. awesome.

3. umbrella. shade for your cooler, little ones or your neighbors baby. also comes in handy when there are like 5,ooo people around you...you go to the bathroom, and you will be able to find your spot back!

4. rubber mallot. to pound your umbrella in - genius.

5. a plastic bag for your garbage. there are NO garbage cans at the beach, to keep those annoying seagulls at bay.

6. a sheet. sand doesn't stick to it.

i also observed a few things at the beach:

1. you must roll down your window 1-2 miles before you hit the beach. even if it is an oppressive 90 degrees, nothing smells as good as the beach ;)

2. be prepared to SHARE your stuff. the beach is full of moms that forget sunblock, kids that lose shovels, and yuppy families that want your hole. which brings me to my next point...

3. if you go to the beach to avoid your neighbors, you will surely pick up new neighbors.

4. to all the 18-22 year-old girls wearing bikinis & lookin' HOT. enjoy that bod while you got it, girl. pregnancy, c-sections, varicose veins, wrinkles, cellulite, and gravity WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN!!!!!

5. watching teenagers flirting with each other, barely dressed mind you, makes me queezy thinking that my boys will some day be that age.

6. a spur of the moment trip to the beach, eating ice cream for supper, forgetting about all the things "to-do" at home is sooooo much fun!

dirtbike mania

i might have mentioned earlier, that dodge can now ride the honda 50 all by himself now. it is so cute to watch...if you know him, he always wants to be "big" like everyone else...and if he "can't" do something, he takes it real personal...so, it is pretty cool.

we then realized, we need to keep our eye open for something a little bigger for dawson. we've always told the boys that they need to save their money for their first car, or maybe a "big" dirtbike...one night we sat and counted all of dawsons money - whether he came by it honest, or not ;) (you see, doug's coin jar mysteriously keeps getting emptier, instead of filling up ;))

anyway, doug came home with this honda 80 one night, dawson was so excited...for days after, he kept asking me how much daddy spent, so he could pay him back....he has such a good heart!

love at first sight

the boys all geared up!

dawson caught on real fast to using a clutch...this is where we practice - between blendon cemetary and the fire barn...

he looks so big on that bike!

doug teaching dawson the ropes...you are such a good dad, doug!! when i see moments like this, my heart melts!

one thing i have to mention, too. we have been so blessed with all the dirtbike gear. the clothes, helmets, boots and protective stuff is NOT cheap!! we've come across some real generous people that have either given us a really good deal on it, or just plain GIVEN it to us! i am very grateful for that!!

joy

this past week, my aunt jane babysat dodge. when i went to pick him up, we were almost ready to go, when he said, "wait mom, i'll be right back." minutes later, he came running from the backyard with the tiniest flower...proud as a peacock. "do you like it, mom?"

i love it, buddy.

neighbors

we have two neighbor boys the same age as ours...and when they get together, you just don't know what will happen! i couldn't resist snapping a picture or two, but getting them to hold still is impossible!

here is dodge, jake, ryan and dawson...i said something like, "ok boys, hold still cuz the mosquitos are eating me up" jake (the boy with the bat) then replied, "hey...can i get 'em off ya with this?" well, jake, i'm glad thats a plastic bat ;)

they thought it would be a good idea if the catcher wore a helmet...

goose bumps.

ok, i realize this is a strange picture...but i wanted to post this to remind myself days like this happen...if few and far between!

yesterday, i had the most lovely hour or two to MYSELF!! there are certain things that need to fall into place...or, rather, that made it that much more enjoyable:

1. for the most part, my powerwashing days are done, and i finished staining the deck

2. we finished the landscape in the front yard

3. dawson was playing at the farm with levi

4. doug & dodge went to grandpa les' on the 3-wheeler

5. did you read the last two!? ALL 3 BOYS ARE GONE...AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES!!

6. the weather was beautiful...jeans & t-shirt weather

7. not one mosquito

8. it was so quiet outside, all i heard were birds singing

9. me, a really good book, and a cup of coffee

so, you see... i know i can steal a moment like this more often...but being at home, knowing all my guys are off playing and having fun...it gave me the most relaxed, and happy feeling i really did get goosebumps...i think i even giggled a couple of times ;)

a verse i've been memorizing this week:

"a heart full of peace gives life to the body, buy envy rots the bones" proverbs 14:30

day trip

we very last minute decided to head up to the cottage this past sunday...the boys were so excited! my parents were already there....we threw some food in the cooler, and headed north!

dodge went paddle boating with grandma and brought back...surprise....some FLOWERS!!! they have "cottage" written all over them ;)

next, dawson took grandma on a boat ride to turtle bay....he did the driving- he is big stuff now. and they caught a turtle...named charlie. i am glad they caught him cuz he was a BIG source of entertainment for much of the day...they got the kiddie pool out and made him a little home...this is dawson counting how old he is....12.

charlie, dawson and dodge standing in front of the tree, which was anihalated (sp) by a woodpecker

dawson telling a story (with grandpa wood's hat on). dawson's stories can go on FOREVER. it's kind of funny, cuz he is not a big talker....but when he has a story - LOOK OUT....or should i say, sit back & relax cuz it will be a while!

this was just way too funny....after a very busy weekend, the boys pooped out half-way home...i kept propping dodge back up, and he kept falling over...wow, thats some tired boys!!

no more pencils, no more books...

the last day of school!!! grade school brings back so many fun memories...can't you just remember cleaning out your desk, taking all your art work off the walls, saying good-bye to your friends & teachers....

miss wallin had the idea for her class to have a picnic outside - what perfect weather...upper 70's and sunny - we had hot dogs, watermelon, chips & drinks....it was a perfect ending to the school year.

when i look at these pictures, i try to remind myself NEVER to take any of my life for granted...healthy, bubbly kiddos high on sunshine! these days go by too quick.

elise, quinn, dawson and schyler

carter, cole, victoria, mia, olivia

maddie, alex, andy, ethan, nathanial and kellen

...justin and payton on the end.

all the kids got tangled up in a knot and had to un-do themselves

don't worry, ya'll....dodge found something to do ;)

carlina and giana...the bender girls

dodge and his lunch...to be joined by "the girls" momentarily....nice shades.

poetry coffeehouse

nearing the end of the year, the first graders have been anticipating their poetry coffeehouse. they worked hard on two poems...the room was all decorated...tablecloths on the tables, a stage with twinkly-lights, and of course coffee with yummy flavored creamers ;)

dawson was sooooo excited, he made me a cup of coffee - nice & sweet - and all the parents sat down for an hour of entertainment....it was pretty cool!

this is dawson reading his poems:

MY BROTHER

my brother fills my heart, because he makes people laugh

he's like a clown, making people laugh...a lot

that's why i like my brother....a lot!

MOM AND DAD

mom and dad, always helpful

mom and dad, always heal me and my brother

mom and dad, always teaching us

and that's how i like my mom and dad

me and my poet

thanks for those special words, buddy! you are so thoughtful and caring...always just what i need!