First Day of School 2009

Audra 3rd Grade.....Gunnar 1st Grade

Summer personified!

there are so many "blog entries" going through my head in a days time that just never get written. Mostly because I am too tired at the end of the day and spend the last remaining minutes wiping kitchen counters before I plop into bed. This one....had to be written. This past weekend was our last "summer weekend" as school officially started yesterday. The kids were playing a rousing game of soccer with their dad in the backyard....Dane watching from the baby jogger (getting eaten by mosquitoes I later discovered). I was inside doing some housework, getting dinner ready and doing a little work on the computer when I heard the faint din of "organ music...playing maybe a Disney song"??? huh?? THE ICE CREAM TRUCK!! We have yet to see this spectacle in our new neighborhood but in less than 10 seconds I heard my children yell at the top of their lungs....IIICCCCEEEE CREAAAAAAAAAMMMM TRUCK!!!!!!!! No sooner did it register that they were aware of his passing by than doors were flung open. I walked out of the office door only to discover. Dane in the middle of the house in a baby jogger, back door open, front door open and NOBODY else around!! Were Dane and I "left behind?" Surely not....
Several minutes later Chris comes strolling in with the three stooges. They all proudly showed me their fake colored ice cream on a stick through the back door (as they were asked to eat it OUTSIDE!) Their eyes beaming with glee, their skin stained with the artificial colors and teeth a bright blue. We had actually only one other time in their little lives let them buy ice cream from this sketchy truck so I was a bit surprised by their purchase. It was only later that I learned that Chris had followed them up from the yard only to find this....(see picture). Anders running down driveway, then sidewalk holding his quite large (he asked for it for Christmas) breakable piggy bank!! In those few seconds he had made the connection that the only hope of his getting any ice cream would be to take his own stash of pennies to the truck. As it turns out....Audra and Gunnar also had grabbed their money and were asked to purchase Anders as he had less than the $3 required for this frivolous purchase. None the less......they were all thrilled to end their summer with a well deserved...." Ice cream on a stick!"
Now that's summer!

Happy 40 Jilly!!

Happy 40 Jilly!! I had to call my sister twice on Sunday because I couldn't believe she was really turning 40. I said "isn't this the black balloons, over the hill signs birthday?" She quickly corrected me..... "That's 50 she said...no and really 40 is the NEW 30!!!" And.....she really does look 30....so that works!! Happy Birthday JILL!!

End of summer

Today marks the first day of school (3rd and 1st grade) for my oldest two....this picture was last week at the Houston Childrens' museum. Aaahhhhh the end of summer. I would like to say that the brisk air of Fall hit us as we walked to school this morning but it was more like the drip drop of sweat rolling down my back with a heat index of 104 predicted for today!! Happy end of summer kids!

Happy 18th Birthday JOey

YOu may be an "adult" today Joey but you're still just a kid to your Aunts and Uncles!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

August 13th....15 years

August 13, 1994
August 13, 2009 ...... 15 years, four kids and a few wrinkles later.
Happy Anniversary Chris

Boys..boys...boys.....

Rascal and The Thinker
Rascal, thinker and Ninja?
boys...

Buddies.....

Boys by definition are active, playful, full of mischief and altogether full of fun. This summer my boys got to spend quality time with cousin Oskar who by mere observation ....didn't know what hit him!!!!

Back from New Mexico...

Colette and I made it back last night (with Mimi's help) from New Mexico. We drove last Saturday and had a wonderful time in Rio Doso..... more pictures to come