Sunday, May 31, 2015

NWI trip with the girls

Since Steve had four days of school longer than me,
I decided to take my first trip by myself with BOTH girls
on the drive to Northwest Iowa for a quick little trip.
We were there from Wednesday night through Saturday.
Unfortunately the girls (girl-Avery) did not travel the best
but the way back was better at least!

Wednesday night we went to Rock Valley to watch
Uncle Curt and Uncle Kyle play softball

Camryn, Aubrey and Gavin having fun at the park
 

BEAUTIFUL night for a game!

bedtime books with Grandpa 

bedtime books with Grandma

  Weston and Avery's breakfast date :)

  coloring in her jammies bright and early

  We learned a new game...QWIRKLE
(play the preschool way, not the adult way)

 Aubrey, Camryn and Gavin playing at the bottom
of Aunt Ashley's stairs

checking out the Red Angus at the Van Grouws 

taking a walk to the pasture in the CRAZY WIND!

break time

Aubrey in a little kid swing - no hands ;)

 Avery being blown away

Aubrey got to see a NEW BABY CALF that was just born

  supper out at Green Acres Drive-In

"Kiss the Cook!" 

  bath time beauties

playing the ipad together 

  making a beaded craft at Grandmas

Jen hanging out with Weston 

  coloring with the cousins

  the typical craziness with all the grandkids

one last game of QWIRKLE before we had to go 

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Chipmunk in the House!

(LONG STORY - sorry :))

I feel as this is a repeat of what happened a few months ago 
with the mouse in the house
but this time it was a CHIPMUNK 
and the story is even a bit more dramatic,
 since the chipmunk was alive and spunky, instead of half dead!

It was Sunday after lunch.
Actually it was somewhat of a bad lunch in the fact
that Avery did NOT want to eat anything and was throwing a fit
and Aubrey kept wanting to play pretend family 
and I was sick of it!
I told Steve to take the girls and play in the living room
while I cleaned up lunch.
For some reason I was just in a bad mood
and the girls were making matters worse,
so a little alone time cleaning up was much welcomed.
I was just sweeping up the mess of lunch that was still on the floor 
when Steve calmly walks in with both girls.

"Don't freak out but I just saw a chipmunk in our house."
WHAT?! 
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
WHAT? A chipmunk?!"
He says yah, or maybe a ground hog!
I immediately get ticked!
I already was in a bad mood and now I just
can't handle this!

So, what are we supposed to do - where did it go?
WHY IS IT INSIDE OUR HOUSE?!
So I wanted to just go run down stairs and hide
BUT Steve was yelling at me that I had to help.
I AM NOT GOING TO HELP!
Are you kidding me?!
I've got two crying girls and me makes 3
so I need to go hide.

That's when Steve got upset!
He raised his voice, "You NEED to help! So, I KNOW
he went behind the TV so STAND THERE and KEEP AN EYE ON IT!
And make sure you watch where it goes!"

That's why I lost it - are you serious?!
I am not going to keep guard of the rodent while he devises a maze
to corral him out the door! NO WAY!
I said NO...but I lost. He made me! 

So I got out a chair and stood on the chair in the dining room
(just barely keeping an eye on it)
holding Avery and yelling at Aubrey to get out of the way.
Aubrey was getting scared so I told her to stand and keep guard too.
This was ridiculous!
Why wasn't I making a trap and STEVE guarding it so he could 
whack it when it would come out!
What was I going to do?!
Run away and say HEY he's getting away?!

Meanwhile Steve is rearranging the WHOLE HOUSE
to try to trap it and guide it to the outside.
COME ON!
It had been several minutes when the nasty little critter
comes barreling out of the corner and crawls right under my chair.
I scream and make a bee line to the kitchen with Avery
and leave Aubrey in the dining room bawling!
I asked her if she saw it and she said 
in between sobs, YES - he's over there!
And now all 3 of us are on a chair in the kitchen practically crying!

Where is Steve...still devising a plan and frantically running around. OH. MY!

That's when Steve was smart and told us to go hide downstairs!
THANK YOU! FINALLY!
So, here were are again (just like the mouse incident last time)
hiding on the couch, under a blanket, reading books and
listening CAREFULLY to the banging going on upstairs!
YIKES!
Of course the book Avery chose to read was all about animals.
There were all sorts of critters and Aubrey cries,
"Is that what's upstairs?!" - a chinchilla...nope!
"Is THAT what's upstairs?!" - a guinea pig...nope!
Meanwhile I hear running and whacking and running
and then a door slam.
Aubrey makes the comment that "Daddy is sure brave.
Thank goodness we have a brave Daddy!"
I agree, Aubrey, Daddy IS brave.
We freeze...."I GOT HIM IN THE GARAGE!" yells Steve!
PRAISE THE LORD!
About 30 minutes from the first announcement that we have a runaway critter
we feel relieved....somewhat. We hope there was only one!

I ask Steve to retell what was happening while we were hiding! 
I was right, he was in the dining room 
and he went back and forth in those corners a bit
before trying to climb up the basement shutter doors.
Steve said the little guy was jumping up and trying to get downstairs.
OH MY! If he would've come downstairs, I WOULD HAVE DIED!
OR SOMEONE else may have ;)
Steve then whacked him off the door and it rounded the corner
and Steve whacked it a few more times and out the door it went!
HMMMPPHH!
What an ordeal! I guess his maze worked. He went right on out
with some force. 

Why do these ridiculous things always happen to us?!
The unsettling thing is we really don't know how it got in.
We had the screen door open and we know he lives under the deck
but still, not sure.
So, we had to google "chipmunk" to show Aubrey closely
what was really roaming around un-welcomed in our house.
THEN, of course I made Steve search the upper level
with a flash light to make sure there wasn't anymore in hiding.
There wasn't. 
THANK GOODNESS.

Then, we all took a nice long nap :)



Monday, May 18, 2015

Few things

Jen's school is out for the summer as of today!
We are planning to have a very full three months off with 
tutoring, library, parks, day field trips and mini vacations. 
Should be lots of fun.
And for a few pics....

Aubrey's first Sunday School year ended last week.
Sorry for the sideways pic.
Here is her sober picture attendance chart :)


Avery loves to walk around and play outside!


Avery's first official fat and bloody lip.
She was just walking and tripped and bit her lip.
She posed nicely to show me ;)

Sunday, May 17, 2015

New Niece

On Friday night after school we headed over to Pella
to meet our new niece, Hannah Grace Palmer
daughter of Steve's sister Andrea and Dan.
After that, we had a quick supper at Culver's and then made it back
just in time to drop Jen off for Osky Christian's 8th grade Graduation.

She is so little and seriously so sweet!

The girls had to wait in the lounge since kids aren't allowed in the rooms.

Avery snooping some fruit snacks...stinker! 

Mommy holding Hannah
(before I set off the security alarm since I took her too close to the door-oops!)
   

 Aubrey enjoying her ipad and juice

the girls have loved playing outside lately, too! 

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Mother's Day

We had a nice Mother's Day today as a family.
It started out with church, heading to the Palmers with a quick Papa Murphy's pizza lunch, 
then Steve, me, Andrea, Dan, and Mom K 
went to an I-Cubs game.
Even though it was a bit rainy and chilly, we still had fun.
 After the rain started coming we went back to the Palmers
for a yummy supper and playing. 


The girls posed nicely for a pic with mom before church


All the moms got a free mini manicure at the park

Outing without the girls thanks to G and G Betty watching the kids - thanks!


This is a picture of "Junior Lake" - Steve had a fun time heckling,
I mean cheering him on in left field :)


Mom K enjoyed a free massage at the park too

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Gardening


Since Aubrey got a smock from my aunt and seeds from the parade...
of course we had to do some "gardening." Lol.




And then we all went to Stam Greenhouse to pick out the nice
basket of flowers for Mother's Day :)




Friday, May 8, 2015

Tulip Time

Both Steve and I both took the afternoon off from school 
to head over to Pella for the Tulip Time festivities.
The weather was coolish around 65 and warmed up to lower 70s!
PERFECT weather, if you ask me!

checking out the dutch statues

you've got big shoes to fill there, girlie!

Aubrey loved the canal and bridges

oh, Avery was along for the ride, too!


few of the tulips still in decent bloom




relaxing before the parade started

she enjoyed sitting in her princess chair from her birthday

but so did she :)

"hi, Dad!"


Jen's school was marching with all the area Christian schools

our school was in the white uniforms 


the flag girls...Aubrey's favorite part!

OMS also marched in the parade

Aubrey got to play in the park...



...while Avery napped in the stroller

Aubrey had FUN sliding down that inflatable

enjoying a goldfish snack in the cool grass



poffertjes...Aubrey woofed them before Daddy could get his share



Aubrey CRASHED in the car
No nap until 7 p.m.
(please don't report for bad carseat wear...)
the van is in the shop for the AC and this is in Daddys car
with the booster...and SO SLEEPY! ;)