Father's Day

On Father's Day my dear husband didn't get breakfast in bed. Actually, he left while we were all in bed for church meetings, but he did get a feast later in the day and a homemade, made from scratch razzle dazzle pie was the dessert. The berries were fresh and everything was scrumptous. Add a little homemade whipped cream and heaven!

Ashton with his mischievous smile.

Here's all the boys. They have a wonderful dad and he is the perfect parent blend for me:

He comes home and spends time with them instead of unwinding in front of the tele.

He's patient when I'm irritated

He's energetic when I'm tired

He's hard when I'm feeling soft

He listens when I'm distracted

but most of all they know he loves them and

I hope they are just like him.

The Lemonade Stand

Ever since we stopped at some kids' lemonade stand, Devin has been wanting to do his own. When I asked him how much we should charge, he said, "$10". I thought that might be a little high, so we priced them at .$50/cup.

He stayed outside for an hour or so and poured lemonade to the masses. Unfortunately, most of those masses were me buying cup after cup of lemonade. All in all, he made $14 (it helped that one man didn't have any change and gave him a ten in the name of free market). Good work, Devin!

The Race Results

After months of training, my friend, Kelley, and I completed the Indy 500 half marathon for a second time. Although it was a cold and very windy day there were still over 35,000 participants. If I'd taken an hour off my time I would have won, but I'm still happy at a 9 min. improvement at 2:01. Here I'm sporting my medal and am definitely more warm and showered than in the picture above. I'm glad it's over and now can focus on a sprint triathalon this summer. That will be a lot more fun and less stressful. Thanks to my family for all the extra help they gave so I could take my long runs and to my great husband who made breakfast for the boys and did the soccer game rounds for eight Saturdays in a row. I couldn't have done it (nor lost 23 lbs) without your support!

Active Boys

While in St. Louis over Spring Break visiting our cousins, Ashton found the basketball hoop at the neighbors' house across the road. He's obsessed with basketball and will try shooting for hours. Not bad for two years old! If we couldn't find him we just had to look across the street and there he'd be.Devin learned to ride his bike recently without training wheels. While riding he took a fall and broke his arm. The catch is we didn't know it was broken for a week. He's so mellow and tough he didn't really complain and it wasn't swollen so we thought it was healed. Then during a soccer game a kid bumped his arm gently and he started crying. I thought we should probably take him to the doctor and they said it was fractured, but healing straight. They mostly put a cast on to protect his arm from another fall.

Springtime!

I love my yard in springtime. My clematis grow like crazy and look gorgeous. My irises and peonies are in full bloom and everything looks so lush and green here. I don't even have to
water :)

Hidden Talents

Lucas is now over 9 months and has become very proficient with a bottle. He loves and wants nothing to do with me anymore. Wonderful!

Taylor and Devin loved running around in a thunderstorm and sliding down the "water slide". Hey, as long as they don't get hit too hard with lightning, go for it.
Ashton has the most amazing talent of all. He can fold his ears in on themselves. He's always played with his ears, but sometimes when he folds them they stay just like Yoda. I guess being Yoda for Halloween was a foreshadowing of things to come.
Hello, Yoda!

All in a week's work

Apparently, my children have been at it again this week. The following are only some of their escapades (some I was too distraught to think about getting the camera out. Like when Ashton threw my last glass plate from our wedding off the table and broke it. Or some I had to act immediately and couldn't take the picture. The gallon of spilled milk, or windshield wiper fluid, etc.) Ashton showing me his handi work. He also cut his chin open with scissors and tried to light a candle with the lighter all before 8 am this morning.

Devin was being hilarious with the chocolate fountain auger. Ongaurd!

Devin somehow flipped off the chair and broke one of the legs; he looks very contrite, doesn't he?

Child proof caps did not stop Ashton from getting into the baby ibuprofen while looking for a bandaid for his bleeding chin. The red dye stained the countertop. This is why the house were planning to build will be indestructible.