Leaving on a jet plane

...tomorrow!  Packing, cleaning and letting kids watch way too much TV today so I can accomplish #s 1 and 2 are in progress.  A few pictures remaining to post so that once we get back there will just be gorgeous photos from Seattle and the Alaskan coast!!  Cruise ship, here we come!   

Imbibing

Big man, shirtless, with his bottle of 'root beard' for a treat on a hot day.  Made me laugh :)  And the pictures make me think, again, 'Sheesh, we need a new couch!'

Speaking of drinking, I was telling someone a story from high school the other day, and they didn't really laugh.  Maybe it's not funny or maybe they didn't get it (or maybe they weren't listening).  I can't remember who it was...hope it wasn't a blog reader!  The story was about when I gave an oral biographical report on an author in senior year British literature.  I chose Charlotte Bronte.  Toward the end of the report, I explained that she died of alcoholism (which seemed a bit surprising to me, but hey, that's what the book said).  My teacher was so shocked and asked me where I'd read that, and that she had never heard that.  To which I replied, "It was in such and such book...it said that she died of consumption."  Hee hee :)

(She laughed and explained to me that consumption is a synonym for tuberculosis, in case you also didn't know :)

Random snapshots

Opened up the downstairs bathroom doorway to put in a pocket door.  Crazy extra work, but it will be so worth it (yes, I pushed for this and Reuel will thank me later :). I continuously thank him now, of course.

Handsome DIY hubby!

 

Boys at breakfast

 Strawberry picking!  Sign on the way into field:  You're on the honor system.  99% of what you pick should be in your basket.  Asher's shirt on the way out of field:  indicting dripping red goo receptacle.  (Sorry guys, 2 year olds can't read.)

Owen was VERY strict about what berries were allowed in the baskets.  Only perfection!!  Daddo would have been proud.

Dad's Day

Fun Daddy-celebrating weekend of strawberry picking, bathroom project, playing with the kids, church, lots of food, and a bundle of gifts to tell Reuel how fantastic he is for loving and taking care of us so generously and sacrificially.  I think I did my job in calorie-saturating him.  Let's see.  Started with a 9x13 of peach cobbler on Friday night, then fresh-picked strawberries galore and grilled steak and shrimp dinner Saturday, strawberry and whipped cream waffles on Sunday morning, Chipotle burritos for lunch after church, rhubarb cake for the afternoon, and then Reuel cried uncle.  In contrast to Mother's Day where I got the day off, for Father's Day, Reuel took the day off of his projects and just played with the boys ALL day.  What a guy!  Nothing says we love you Dad like a power washer, an ultrasonic toothbrush, an LED headlamp and a 24 pack of coke, right??  We love him so much, we just couldn't stop adding to his pile :)  Thanks for all you are and do, Dad!

Gym Show

On Saturday morning, we attended the big culmination of Owen's gymnastics lessons...the 2011 GYM SHOW!!!! [insert excited shrieking]  This was a BIG DEAL.  There has been a lot of practicing, 3 weeks of curtains over the windows at class so the parents cannot see what is going on!  There is a special t-shirt and regulation attire for show day!  Owen was just a leeeetle excited.  For the delight of probably grandparents only, I have included the entirety of what we taped of the show (sorry to those who didn't need quite such a big dose), and without further ado...THE GYM SHOW!!!

http://www.vimeo.com/25011211

(Note:  the child received a trophy, as did all the kids, at the end of the show, and this trophy has been cradled in arms, carried from room to room, shown off to the Bedford cousins with vigor, and talked about ad nauseum.  Who knew...a trophy is the thing!)

Boys love shoes too

Owen needed a pair of shoes...his feet sprouted recently and I've been cramming his toes into smallish ones a few times too many.  So, before an attempt to meet Reuel for lunch today, we stopped by the mall.  Owen knows (and loves) the drill.  He stripped off shoes and socks and happily got his feet measured.  What I didn't expect was just how eager Asher would be to join in.  He was absolutely hilarious!  As the clerk went back to retrieve a pair to try on, Owen and Asher both crawled up on the bench, Asher took his shoes off, dangled his feet over the edge and waited, silently, and very still (very unusual behavior for this child!!).  While the clerk put the shoes on Owen's feet, Asher just watched and waited for his turn, totally solemn-faced and ready.  I had been debating a pair for Asher, but wasn't committed, but since he was so eager and the clerk could hardly restrain herself, we went ahead and measured his feet.  As he saw the measuring board coming to him, he stuck his little foot out to get ready.  Then, waited totally calmly for HIS shoes to arrive.  When the box came, he stuck both feet out straight ahead and waited.  Once shod, he slid down to the floor, bent over to look at his dandy feet, belly-giggled, then ran 5 laps around the store.  Those shoes were not coming off!  He wore them home, and I caught him looking at his feet over and over on the drive home and saying 'Doos!'.  His performance would give any little girl's vanity a run for the money!!