Ahhhhugust...

August in Kansas is supposed to be the hot month. But after two months of crazy heat, we're finally hanging out on our patio. It's getting late enough that we have to very carefully dodge flying acorns from the massive oak, but it's still beautiful!

I know it's been forever, so here's an update.

Wyatt: very much 2. very much boy. funny. silly. the other morning it was storming and he said, "Mommy, I want to turn on the light outside." Silly boy. and he loves to sing..."Zaccheaus was a mail man and a mail man was he!"

Ryder: 8 months. just got TWO teeth in TWO weeks. Fun fun. trying so hard to crawl and keep up with his big brother who doesn't always like that.

Be glad you didn't hear this rendition of Wyatt's outside voice!

Isn't he sweet!

My silly boys

What have we been up to this summer? Making stuff for an artwalk this week. Spending time with family and friends. And running after little boys.

40 birdhouses, folks. 40!

Okay, dinnertime and time to flee the squirrel's ammo.

Photo Shoot

I was going to take pictures of Ryder every month on his birthday. And then I missed month 5. Month 6 almost got away from me. But last week I stripped him down to a diaper and his cute little chest. Gave him his owl (which he lurrrvvvessss), and snapped away.

Big brother wanted to join the fun, but getting a good picture of a 27 month old is nigh unto im.poss.ible. So you get a few outtakes today.

Love love love this one!

As for the label I was going to have in each month's picture of Ryder...well, this one didn't quite make it.

Summer Fun!

We had a picnic yesterday with both Mimi and Papa's sides of the family. TWO papapas (great grandpas) and TWO mamamas (great grandmas) and tons of cousins including a FAVORITE visiting from Phoenix.

Saturday morning I found a lifejacket for Wyatt for $.75 at a garage sale. When I brought it home, he said, "Wear this." And then he refused to take it off for awhile. He was very excited when he got to put it on and go play in a lake - ahem! A pond, people. A muddy pond. And on this 100 degree evening I missed a good clean and clear Minnesota lake! But Wyatt didn't know any better and he had so very much fun!

Playing with cousins

Splashing Mimi!

Mud in a cup. A few minutes later that mud ended up on that sweet little cousin's head! Poor girl.

Ryd-Ryd slept through it all

And Wyatt made up for the fun during nap today!

Memorial Day or Labor Day?

Yesterday we played. We had two dear dear families over for dinner - one whom we haven't seen in five months (and it's sadly going to be even longer this time!) and one whom (thankfully) we still see multiple times a week.

Today we worked. Okay, Randy worked. I played (three projects complete!)

Before:

After:

Yes, this is the "after" until June 9th when new warm gas fireplace comes to its new home (professionally installed, thankfully). Then there will still be a hole in our wall until we tile the fireplace and complete the mantle and maybe a tv alcove. And when I say "we" I mean "Randy." He told me that this project ranks pretty high on the list of projects we started without knowing what we were doing. Ah, well, he'll figure it out. He always does. And he always does really well.

Friday Night Fights

Wyatt often greets Randy at the door with, "Wrestle Daddy!" I'm sure there are days when the last thing Daddy wants to do is wrestle. Like on Wednesday, for example. He left for work at 5:20 in the morning, and 12 hours later walked in to such a greeting from an energetic 2 year old.

Friday night that 2 year old got wrestled. He got wrestled good. And his 5 month and 1 week old brother even got to join in the fun!

I have videos, but they wouldn't upload properly. Well, one wouldn't. The other one looks like carefully supervised brother abuse, at least Little Brother was laughing and shrieking! He thought it was much more fun to participate than it was to watch from his play gym.

Get him, Ryd!

1,2,3, go!

Wrestle him, Wyatt!

Got him!

Oh no! Wyatt, Ryder is sitting on you!

Announcing...Shop 307

I did it. After more than a year of thinking it would be fun to open a shop on Etsy, yesterday I opened Shop 307. And I'm excited! As I've thought of it before, it has been either work from home for a shop I know I'll get paid for or have fun making something I might never sell. And even if I do sell it, it won't pay nearly as well as my real job. But I'm not working my real job from home nearly as much. I still work Mondays, but the boys' nap times are far more free.

So here's a little sample of what I have listed so far...

A gift set for your mom, your sister, your best friend....or you! It has a small wallet that fits credit cards and gift cards perfectly, a cell phone sleeve, and a coffee cozy.

A girly coffee cozy in not so girly colors.

A flower pin out of some of my favorite fabric.

And perhaps my favorite so far, a boy's gear pouch that can be used for a few diapers or toys in the car.

So stop by, tell your friends, find Shop 307 on Facebook, and enjoy!

Run, Kitties, Run!

April 26th Wyatt turned two years old. What a sweet helper he is, too. But while I have tons of pictures (that's why it's delayed), that's not what this post is all about.

First a little naked baby heinie. Isn't he cute!?!

And now a little love. Randy's aunt and uncle are so good to us, and we appreciate them so very much!! They're a wonderful example of a godly family, and they're one more reason we love where we live. Sunday for Mother's Day we went to their farm for lunch. Wyatt got to see pigs and cows and...
Baby kitties! Run, kitties, run!