Here

Do you ever let something slide because you think you're too busy, then the longer you're away from it, the more intimidating it seems to start again? No, that's just me?

Do you ever use too many commas? Or is that just me, as well?

But here I am. Nothing intimidating about typing! I have plenty of time here at work. I'm working a lot now, 3 nights a week at our tiny 911 dispatch center. I love the work, I love my officers, and I love the long quiet hours on Pinterest and trying to set Solitaire records. Matt is working a lot, too, although he quit his job in April and I imagined he would have more time at home working through the imaginary list I, well, imagined for him.

As always, the boys are also working around the clock. Bucket calves, kittens, chicks, the dog, the horse, and the cattle need tending. Holes need dug, flashlights need to be taken apart, Matt's tools need to be strewn around the shop as they work on various projects. Occasionally they spend a long weekend (or week) at Gramma & Grampa's house, where my sister documents the fun they have.

Like this recent putt-putt golfing adventure:

 and not-so-recent White Sox game adventure:

and not-at-all-recent picture of Tess & the boys just because I love it (and them) (and I stole all these pictures from her facebook albums):

And so here we are. This is a good season, full of satisfying work and peace and love and laughter. And there is much to tell, and here I am.

December slipped through my fingers even faster than usual this year, but that is no excuse to leave the merriment undocumented or deprive my firstborn of a mushy birthday post. Bear with me as I drag out the holiday cheer a little longer... Love you all!!

December

We kicked off December with a very festive bang when the boys and I went to my parents house while Matt and his friends terrorized the local deer and bobcats. Tessa, Kirk, Emily, and Dan joined us for a weekend of:

:: decorating ::

:: sewing ::

:: crafting ::

:: puzzling (?) ::

:: and sledding ::

Also cooking, eating, singing, church-going, birthday-celebrating, loving.

Four

My baby is four.
This baby:



Oh, have I used this picture here before? It is my most favorite photo ever in the whole entire world. This morning we sat on the couch and looked at these photos and talked about how delighted we all were when he was born. I thought telling his birth story would be nice, but then I remembered what an awful story it is. Worth it, I know. But not really what I want my boys to reference for the miracle of childbirth.

He wanted a 'birfday party wif friends' this time. He is FOUR, after all. A John Deere party, he decided, but then later changed it to 'corn party.' Little farmer boy. So we used green and yellow decorations and filled two tubs with corn for the kids to scoop, drive through, and dance in. By the end I was thinking we'd be living in a 'corn house' for the rest of our days but it actually cleaned up pretty easily. The whole thing was wild and wonderful, and I love my friends so much, and my family so much, and I can't believe it has been four years since our littlest boy was born and our little family made complete.

I love you, Evan. You are determined and stubborn and exuberant and brilliant and helpful and fearless. I still love sleeping next to your warm little body on those nights we're all just too tired to get you boys all the way upstairs. Your little self conforms against mine just the way you did all those months you were growing inside me and all those months (years) after when you could only be soothed by the warmth of your mama. Yesterday I was helping you with something and teased "Sometimes you just need your mama." "And sometimes I don't" you answered matter-of-factly. No you won't, darling boy, but I will be here when you do.

Halloween

One year Halloween was so snowy then-Mayor-of-Lincoln Mike Johanns canceled trick or treating. It was an outrage. Many, many years we had to wear so many layers around our costumes that the end result was much different than the original idea. This year my children enjoyed playing in the park and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows with the warm autumn sun shining down.

I love global warming.

And we love our friends.

And we love trick or treating. The kids were so gleeful and excited as they dashed from house to house. All the high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring they consumed was totally worth it.

Correction

I should have known that Tessa would have pictures of my baby watersking. She and our cousin Dan came to the Burwell Rodeo in July so we got to have some more fun at the lake.



Ta da!

Too fun.

Different, but not really

So these pictures might look just like the ones up yesterday, but they're not.

The sandy beaches and clear blue water here are at the river we tubed down with Matt's family over the 4th of July weekend.

It was great.

And if I had a thousand million pictures of that grin in the water, I would post each and every one.