May 27th - {green} thumb?

I always love to put out a garden.  I love watching the fruit come on, I love picking it, I love putting it up by freezing and I would love to learn to can.  I hope to have a bountiful harvest this year...tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers...I can't wait!!!

May 26th - {happy} day, daddy!!!

Today, we celebrated Jory's birthday...we won't say just how many he has had, but I can tell you next year will be a  BIG one!!!  Hee Hee!!!  We got him a new radio for the garage...I think he will enjoy it!  I put ribs in the crock pot all day and we had cheesy potatoes and rhubarb cobbler for dessert.  It was yummy!!!  I hope he had a nice evening!!!  Just wait til next year, honey....

May 25th - Continued...

This story deserved a post all it's own...not exactly sure how we will fit it all into the P365 scheme, but it's documented anyway!!!

Aiden lost a tooth tonight.  This always seems to happen when daddy is at work, so the tooth fairy has to wait a night to come.  Daddy just has to see the tooth and be here when she comes.  So Aiden lost his tooth after 9pm tonight...the girls were in bed....his gums were bleeding a little.tiny.bit!!!  He had 45 kleenexes out to blot the massive spouting of blood coming from his gums...he wanted to call daddy...so, we did.  (Can you tell his nursie nurse mother wasn't giving him much sympathy).  He is talking on the phone to daddy, when all I start hearing him talk about is feeling dizzy....I go check him out and the young man is pasty white, sweaty and on the verge of passing out.  Seriously....I can't hardly believe this....I take the phone from him and get him a cool rag and lay him down (we definitely don't need him falling and gashing his head open)...Jory is on the other end of the phone busting out laughing....Poor kid...no sympathy form this old ER "hag" and his "crusty" paramedic daddy!!!  HA HA!!!!  Really he came around OK after a few minutes and I did get him a some juice.   

May 25th - Meeting Ella Kate Belden

The kids and I got to meet Ella Kate today...she is a beauty!!!  Nothing better than a brand new baby to snuggle.  The kids loved holding her....you can go here for some more pictures  http://gallery.me.com/shellieb73#100074

May 24th - Lovin' this!!!

There is nothing better than spiffed up, sharply dressed kiddos just dying to have their picture taken.  Ok...that is a total pipe dream!!!  We gave it a good shot today, but there were quite a few more outtakes than great shots when it came to my kids today.  Alaina, on the other hand, was all about the camera...and the buggy!!!!

Today was a great day...we worked in the yard, planted the garden, ate push ups, sweated...  Oh, and we got a new niece today...Ella Kate finally arrived!!!  Pictures of her to come soon!!!!

May 23rd - Cousins...

Aiden is so fond of babies....he just can't get enough of them....especially little Alaina!!  She is so precious!!  Stay tuned for tomorrow....our photo shoot got rained out today.  You'll definitely want to see what we have going on tomorrow!!!

May 22nd - Field trip day....{times} two!!!

Could we just clone the mommy today?  Two field trips in one day...wow....but I must say...I am so glad that it worked out to go to both.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss these special days with my kiddos!!!  Get ready for a picture frenzy...these were just a few from the day!!!  :-)

Meghan's class went to Wesley Woods to ride horses and spend the morning.  She was thrilled to get to ride again!!!

This is Meg and her bestest friend Charlotte...

Meghan has spotted Curly...if you remember this was the horse she rode when we went to Wesley Woods back in March.  Oh, she missed him so, and was totally convinced that he remembered her!!!

Could she be any happier?

Nope!!!!!  The most difficult part was getting her off of Curly...she was not about to let another student ride him.  Mommy had to let Mrs. Maxwell work this one out.  Somehow they convinced her to let Charlotte ride him, so she got off willingly!!!

This was right before mommy had to leave to go meet up with Aiden's group!!!

Aiden and his buddies from 1st and 2nd grade went to Union Park on the Northeast side of Des Moines for a picnic, and then to their teacher's house in Norwalk for a visit.

They had fun playing on the rocket slide!!!

And tolerated a group picture for us moms!!!

This was the group that I drove up!!  They are such hams!!!

Aiden and I before we left the park.  I know, I know...it won't be long and it will be totally.not.cool to pose for a picture with your mommy!!!  I'll take all I can right now!!!

This was the 1st and 2nd graders at Mrs. Melendez' home in Norwalk.  She is fighting cancer and has been too sick to come to school, so the kids paid her a visit.  It was wonderful to see her.  The kids definitely needed to be able to give her a hug and visit with her.  The love her dearly!!!!  They have had a great year!!!!

Last stop was the Corner Sundry in Indianola...ice cream cones for all, in honor of Gabe's birthday!!!  

May 21st - PreK graduation...

We went from a baseball game to a Pre Kindergarten graduation in 15 minutes tonight!!  We change clothes in the van more than in our own house...not really, but it seems like it!!!  The kids hang right in there and we made it on time to Meghan's graduation tonight!!!  She was so proud.  It amazes me what she has learned and how she has matured in the past year.  Now we officially have another kindergardener...and don't forget she's FIVE AND A HALF!!!  If you do, she will undoubtedly remind you.

May 20th - More {planting}...

We took Jory some supper tonight, but this lonely old wagon was just beckoning me to take its picture!!!  Now is where you ask yourself...."does she go anywhere without her camera?"  Answer:  not usually!!!!

May 19th - SAFE!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure if Aiden slid into first base or tripped over it...none the less, as you can see by the look on his face, he is quite proud to be there.  It has been a very busy baseball season with both Aiden and Meghan playing.  Unfortunately, I don't get as many pictures of Meg since I am helping to coach her team.  It just isn't quite right to coach with a camera around your neck.  I've given it some serious consideration though!!!

May 18th - still {small}

This is a photo from a couple of weeks ago when we all went on the fence fixing excursion in the timber.  This picture makes the kids seem small compared to the huge field behind them.  Can't they just stay small for a little longer!?!?!  

May 17th - "the girls"

This is one of Jory's favorite things in the spring.  Mama cows, aka "the girls", in the pasture with their calves.  They stare at me a lot when I am taking pictures of them.  I really wonder what they are thinking....

May 16th - Spring blooms!!!!

I love spring...everything about it.  I love planting flowers, going to the greenhouse, putting in my garden, the smells, the sounds, the color....I could go on and on.  This was the image that caught my eye today....my Japanese lilac bush in full bloom and oh so fragrant!!!!

May 15th - Dualing laptops!!!!!!

I got to scrap at my cousin's house today!!!  What a treat!!!  We love to blog, scrap, gab, eat Hot Tamales and just be silly!!!  I actually conned her into making some popcorn with her cool popcorn popper, too.  I'm not sure that we got too much done on this excursion, but it is still refreshing to get together!!!  

May 14th - My very preggo {BFF}!!!

These are some photos I took today of my BFF Amy!!! She was radiantly pregnant and on {bedrest}...don't tell her mom or her dr. or her hubby that I drug her through the alleys of Winterset to get some smokin' shots of her bump!!!!  She was fun to photograph and played along with the camera.  We had a fun day just hangin' out!!!  Schae Alexander will be here soon!!!!

May 13th - More {baseball}

Aiden has had a great baseball season!!!  He loves the sport and is improving with each game.  His favorite thing is to get into a {pickle} between third and home.  The look on his face is hilarious when he does this...it is a complete rush for him!!!

May 12 - Revisiting the {flip flops}!!!

This would be Meghan, and yes those are the previously spoken of flip flops that she wore to the farm the other day.  This kid has feet of steel.  She can walk on the gravel without even wincing...unbelievable.  She will be needing a pedicure before she is 7 to soften them up a bit!!!

May 11th - Gotta be quick!!!!

This is a picture from yesterday, but I just had to post it.  Beth wasn't wanting to be too cooperative with the camera, but I did catch a shot of her looking a the camera!!!  She will love her auntie Michelle when she gets older, I'm sure!!!!