Wall Project

This year we finally bit the bullet and decided to work on our backyard. It is coming along quite nicely! What Josh anticipated taking 8 tons of brick, has slowly moved to 16 tons. Below are pictures of the boys watching as the excavator came in and carved out the tiered area in our back yard!

Looks like Zachey doesn't it...nope Grayson!

Zachary was content watching from afar!

Happy birthday sis!!

Happy birthday to my awesome sister! Was so nice to be able to celebrate with her this year! Mom had us over for cake and ice cream. Zachey made her a card and I promised her a pedicure, my treat, when she has time!

This is what happens when I leave the camera out

More Lanie Pictures

I know I blogged about the most recent Skinner addition...no more babies...but we did get a puppy. She is so fun! Slow learning on the potty training, but we are less than consistent around here with all the people to open doors and watch her. She really does remind me to slow down and just love life. She is so happy to have a toy or a bug to chase.

This is Rylee's "what have you done" face :)

Daddy's Birthday

We took Daddy to Texas Roadhouse this year for his birthday. I had surprised him with tickets to a comedian that he liked in Ames. So the day of his birthday we all went and he had to sit on the saddle. I found it very funny - maybe him not so much LOL!

I also made him this sinful reeses peanut butter, chocolate, nutter butter cake...wow was it rich.

Since Josh and Mark have birthdays very close together we had a little celebration at Gona and Baca's. We brought the cake and the kids and enjoyed the amazing weather!

Grayson LOVES being outside at Gona and Baca's! He could ride on the tractor all day. Loves feeding horses, picking up sticks, pretty much anything at their place!

Happy birthday daddy! We love you so much. You are the most amazing husband and daddy in the whole world!! I told him we need to book a trip since its his 35th! We still have yet to do so...but we need to get it on the calendar!

BlastBall!

This summer we enrolled Zachary in 6 weeks of Blast Ball. It is a parks and req program that runs about 45 minutes every saturday. Supposed to help 4 year olds get ready for baseball, and just organized sports in general.

The first game was during Kenna's birthday party, so Gramma Rue took him. He was his typical cautious Zachey self and was scared. He sat on her lap the first bit and just said he was scared and didn't want to do it. After he tried it once he loved it (common theme with our middle child!) 

Throughout the season he really looked forward to going. Grayson and Kenna would play near us while he took turns hitting the ball and running to 1st base (which squeaked :) Not sure baseball is going to be his thing, but was good for him to learn how a coach and team works.

During one of the games he did spend a good deal of the game with his shirt over his head...guess that is the fun of having a giant shirt right? So funny my goofy boy!

RIP Don LaRue (aka Grampa Rue)

This is a terrible post to have to write, but one that definitely needs to written. We have been so happy having Gramma Rue live near us in Ankeny. She still spoke to Don regularly and they remained good friends. I got a chance to speak to him in late April on one of my long work drives and we got a chance to really talk about some great things. He and I were not always the closest, but I do feel that he just didn't know how to be the best stepfather. I don't blame him for that, and choose just to tell good stories to my kids about him. They will always know him as Grampa Rue.

In mid May we learned that he passed away, and my mom and sister flew to Kennewick to help make arrangements for his funeral and the house. My mom did an amazing job of notifying the family, making arrangements with his friends at the country club to have a wonderful remembrance there (they were like his second family.)

Both she and my sister spent a few weeks figuring out house improvements, working with contractors around cleanup of the basement that had been flooded months earlier, selling of assets and working without a will to try and help Tim get through everything. During this time they also made arrangements to transport his body to Idaho for a ceremony there. I was trying to figure out how to make it to the funeral. Josh was in Europe for three weeks. Josh's family was in Mexico, and I literally was by myself with three kids and a meeting that I was responsible for running in Omaha. Unfortunately I did not make it out, but did try and help just by talking to my family a lot, sending mom pictures she needed, and doing what I could from far away. Luckily Chelsey's professors were understanding and she took her tests after she got back. 

Later this summer they flew back out to put the house on the market and get rid of the rest of the items in the house. I am sure it was an emotional roller coaster for them both. I am very grateful for our last phonecall, and also grateful for the reality check that we have only a little time with our family and to cherish every minute!

Spy Party!

This year it was hard to follow the fun and planning of Zachary's superhero party! Kenna enjoyed it so much we really had to rack our brains to think of something creative and fun!

After some internet searching and theme debating we thought of a "spy party." The girls would come and decorate their spy notebooks with letters and cutout stamps. They each got a spy hat and mustache, and we took their pictures to create their spy badges :)

Kenna getting her picture taken for badge

Peyton all spy geared up

Look at these crazy girls!

After they were sufficiently trained on how to be a proper spy, Josh came up with a great list of spy missions where they had to earn points. The points would lead them to solve the mystery of who stole the treasure!

The games were everything from following clues, to playing the silent game, to crawling through "laser beams!"

Lazer Beam obstacle course, had bells on the string to let us know if someone hit one

In attendance were Sadie and Zoe Volmer, Chloe Andersen, Sydney and Keelin from school, Olivia, Sammy and Gracey Kirshbaum and Jill from the neighborhood.

After working very hard on their secret mission, they all ate sandwiches and mac and cheese...chosen by the birthday girl as the proper spy lunch. This is the first year that I purchased a store bought cake...I almost didn't want to photograph it as I was so appalled :) Kenna didn't care, and we got this really cute singing flower thing. Time just got away from me with all the travel this year!

Kenna really enjoyed her party. She really gets competitive and unlike some of her friends, enjoys being the center of attention! The best part about this day was seeing her giggle and squeal and run around solving the mysteries. 7 seems so much older than 6, just so proud of her and the young lady she is becoming!