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Our Summer has been a busy one and for that I am thankful. I have made it a point to be on the road visiting family this Summer or at the pool/museum. The boys will be 5 next Summer and if they do T-ball or something else we won't be able to go as often. The boys played soccer for the first time and every Tue in June if it didn't rain we had a game. I have never laughed so hard in my life! Watching four yr olds play soccer is the best entertainment. They did good and Tehl decided he is not a sports person...at least with soccer. He thinks it's stupid to run up and down the field. Kaiden loved it and hung right in there running the entire game. Next year we hope he figures out which way to run! Everett tried to focus on the game, but let too many opposing goals happen while trying to watch airplanes. Fun times!
We started May out with a trip to Brodie's graduation in Sublette KS. We had a great time and were glad to get to see him, the last time we saw him was at our wedding and he has grown into a super cute kid...OK guy. The next week we took a trip to the eastern end of KS to Bryant's graduation and the kids loved staying in the borrowed camper. Now every time they see a camper they scream and yell that we need it! It would be fun to have someday. While there Bryant acquired a baby coon that still had it's eyes closed and needed bottle fed along with a giant snapping turtle. The kids enjoyed the coon and think that when you graduate high school you get a baby coon and a turtle. I think they are in for a surprise! They loved the big mud puddles the most and I was never so happy to leave puddles! On the way home we stayed in Omaha to go to the Henry Doorley Zoo and continued the great time. The kids loved the zoo and can't wait to go back.
The first week of June my sister Rosanne and her family came to visit. It was nice to see her family and let the kids hang out together. She has an awesome family and I hope my kids are as wonderful as hers at that age, they are around 17,16, and 14. The boys did a week of VBS without me this year and loved it, Aubrey loved the individual time with Momma. We ventured to the Loup City pool, Arnold pool, and Callaway pool meeting up with friends. We were headed to the square one Thursday and as we were walking out the door, Aubrey remembers she needs her boppy. I tell the kids, stand by the door I will do a quick search and we'll go. I walk through the upstairs and don't see it so I head downstairs. I get to the bottom of the steps and hear laughter...not good laughter. So I head back up to find them in Justin's bathroom. They had taken all the magazines off the back of the toilet, the lid off the back of the toilet, and dumped Tater's dog food in the back of the toilet. Then decided to flush it, well it was funny to watch the dog food swim around while the flushing happened...till Momma showed up. I was so flabbergasted! I said WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS??? WHAT.... I didn't know what to say or do because it took be maybe a minute to walk around upstairs. They were not left alone for five minutes! Then Everett says "Aubwee dus did it Mom" (Aubrey just did it Mom). We got it cleaned up and did not go to the square, I still have no idea what possessed them to do such a thing.
July 3rd we took in the Merna parade with Gramma Anna while Justin went to a roping in North East NE. The kids really figured out the candy picking up and we came home with more than we knew what to do with! We had a great day and as we walked out of the community building to leave we were exhausted. All of a sudden Anna turns around and goes a block back to the building, I thought what are you doing? Then I did a double take and I forgot one of the boys! Poor Everett got lost in the shuffle as we left the bathroom to go to the front door and was in the crowd crying trying to figure out where we went. It's a good thing Anna counted kids because I wouldn't have realized he was missing till we got to the car to get buckles on. Finally making it home we got some supper, went to bed, and got up to do it all again in Comstock. The kids and I left a little late and as we are driving there I tell them "We may not make it in time to see the parade, but we can still play with everyone." Everett pipes up from the back and says "Use your fast peddle Momma!". I about wrecked from laughing! We met up with Debbie and her family to take in the July 4th parade and we arrived just as the National Anthem was playing. Whew! All four kids used their "sacks" from Papa Jim that he gives them with quarters in it to put their candy in. I had more people look at me like I had a serious problem and it finally dawned on me...it might not look so good to let them use Crown Royal bags to collect parade candy! Oh well, we had a great day and made it home with all kids in tow.
Later in July three of my brothers came to help my sister do some excavation at her place in Comstock. It was fun to let all the kids get together and play and watch my brothers work. They are still kids at heart when big tractors are involved! They did a great job and no injuries were acquired...till the next day. My one year old nephew was trying to ride Aubrey's bike and he fell off in the driveway. The xray showed a broken arm! Darn it, poor little guy. The kids and I loaded up and followed Gramma Neen home to Norfolk for the week. We had a good time and it was nice to be there. The kids road their bikes with Grampa Welsh, helped him wash the cars, and loved the bomb pops he bought them. I took the kids to the house I grew up in and I gave blood. I was so ecstatic to give blood! Now, I have 21 more times to donate to equal the number of transfusions the boys had in the NICU. Of course, I hope to never stop because there are so many others that need the donation. We played at a few parks and then went to stay a night with Aunt Serena and Uncle Josh. Grampa Welsh brought some fire works up and Josh light them off after supper. They were awesome to see and the kids liked to watch them but didn't want to hear them. It was funny because they wanted to be close, but not be there either! Our last day was spent at the Norfolk Airport watching Serena and Josh skydive. They did great and the instructor said they are truly ment for each other, one puked in the air and one puked on the ground! Someday I hope to do the same...skydive not puke!
When we came home Justin said he wanted to take his Dad's boat out to Sherman Reservoir and wanted to know if the kids should go. I thought, ummm probably not on the maiden voyage. So Gramma Anna took the kids for the day and Justin and I headed for the lake. We finally figured everything out, and after replacing spark plugs headed to the middle of the lake. And that is as far as we got. The boat died and wouldn't re-start! I of course didn't mind, I didn't have any kids, I had a big ice tea, my husband to myself, and full sun. Justin however, was a little ticked to say the least and after waiting 45 min for a tow into the docks was feeling a little better. The guy that towed us in did some work on our house and we were thankful for a small world! The kids ended up staying the night at Gramma's so Justin and I enjoyed a supper at Huck's.
Sunday after church we picked up the kids and came home. I had just kicked my shoes off when I heard a loud crack and shrill scream. I find Kaiden in the hall holding his head and bleeding. He had tripped over Aubrey and collided with the corner of the wall. Darn it, I hauled him into the ER and three stitches later he is together again.
We have had a great Summer thus far and are headed to Uncle Jimmie's and Papa Jim's for the weekend. Hopefully to come home all in one piece!