Snap or Clap?

Today was the first day of school for the boys. We had a really good night last night getting everyone ready. We got out back packs, laid out clothes for the next day and got everyone to bed early. The boys got up really well, especially MacGregor who is not a morning person. (He may look like his father but he gets his sleep genetics from his mother.) In all my searching the night before and the morning of - I could not find MacGregor's lunch box. I know we had used it during the summer but it was not in any of its normal places. I told him he would have to take his lunch in a bag today. I picked out two bags - a brown paper lunch sack and a small Bath and Body bag with handles. I asked him, "MacGregor, which bag do you want to take today - handles or no handles?" His reply, "If I snap I want handles and if I clap I want the brown bag." Ok - so I waited. And then he snapped. I don't know why kids say or do the things they do but I LOVE it! I have no idea what goes thru their little heads but I think it's so cute.

A Real Nice Affair

Last night we went to my sister Brinn and her new husband Kent's wedding reception/open house at my parents. It was a real nice affair. The food was wonderful. My parents had it catered by two women in their stake that are just starting their own catering company. I thought they did a fabulous job. Kent and Brinn both wore their wedding attire much to Brinn's dismay. Of course everyone there loved it. She said she felt a little awkward being in her wedding dress in the house and being the only one dressed up. I thought it was great cuz you knew who the bride was and she didn't blend in with the rest of the crowd. It was great to see so many family and friends we don't see too often. Quite a few people made the long drive from Dover, Delaware where we used to live. When I go to events like this or reunions in general I feel like "This is what heaven must be like". You get to see and visit with all the people that make your life special, people you rarely see often but people that helped shape your life and hold such a big place in your heart.

To see one of their best wedding pictures - click on Brinn and Kent under Links. I love that picture!!

2/3s Down 1/3 to Go

I have reached the 6 month mark and I feel pretty good. Ok that was until I went to church today looking like this. I thought I looked pretty normal for mid-pregnancy. Daniel tells me that a couple came up to him at church today and said, "Wow, your wife looks like she's ready to pop!" Daniel said, "Well, uhhh she still has 3 more months." I guess they will see what "ready to pop" looks like in mid-November. Not to mention that 2 weeks ago a sister in our ward who lives close by gave me her cell phone number and said, "call me in the middle of the night and I'll come stay with your kids - you are due on the 15th right?" Yes - she was talking about the 15th of August! ( I think she was confusing me with another girl who actually was due the 15th, but I don't she'd get confused if she didn't think I was looking ready) I think I just need to remind people that I am very short and that baby has no where to grow but out. I got out pictures recently of the day I delivered MacGregor. I know that it is going to get much worse before it gets better. (although I hope I won't get quite that big again). Speaking of Worse - my sister's new husband's sister (if you can follow that) had a baby yesterday. For those of you who remember the Mudowney family - this is Ryan's wife. The doctors were never real sure of her due date - they gave her several but just kept letting her go figuring she would have the baby when her body was ready. She finally ended up taking castor oil and had a 11 pound 9 ounce first baby with no drugs! Not a feat I would ever like to achieve.

The ones that didn't get away

I had some trouble getting these pictures to upload in the last post. Since Chase's big catch from last night got away, I decided to show you some big catches from last week. This is MacGregor's sunfish. Daniel said it was the biggest sunfish he had ever seen. He said it was the the size of MacGregor's head.








Chase has been wanting me to post this picture since we started our blog. This is his "big one" that didn't get away. This is the biggest catfish any of us have ever caught .( Daniel may have had one bigger but it never made it to the camera, catfish are fighters and they do what they can to get back in the water)
This fish went from Chase's shoulder nearly to his ankle. It was pretty big around too - look at it compared to the size of Chase's hand.

Friday Night Fishing

Last night we went fishing. We started out day fishing and ended up night fishing. Daniel became obsessed with fishing sometime this spring. He now fishes every chance he gets (at least 3-4 times a week). He goes before work, during his lunch hour and afterwork with the kids. The kids love it. He asked me recently if he thinks he can bring his fishing pole to Iraq. I told him a US soldier fishing the Tigris probably isn't the safest and the water is polluted so he shouldn't be near it (according to our Deployment Health Guide: Iraq). I think 3 months without fishing is going to be killer (some serious withdrawal is ahead). Not to mention when he gets back it will be winter and not alot of fish are biting then.

We all had a good time. I really don't mind fishing if I don't have to pull the hooks out. If I had a good pair of gloves I think I could do it (and I have done it when it was absolutely necessary). Last night I lucked out and Chase was there to do all the unhooking.

Chase hooked a huge fish last night. His pole was bent almost completely in half. He was reeling and reeling and this fish was pulling out his drag just as quickly. He got it 6 inches from shore and the line snapped. Oh the one that got away! He got away with a hook still in him - that'll teach him. He should have let himself get caught and photographed and then we would have put him back with out a hook in his lips.

First Grade Project

On Thursday evening there was an open house for First Grade. MacGregor was able to go in and meet his teacher, pick out a desk, get to know his room etc... The teacher had sent a note to all the students asking them to bring in a homemade flower to help decorate the bulletin board. Here's the final result.


Of course we used fabric, my medium of choice. Anytime I can dip into that scrap pile and make something I do. MacGregor had a project last year as well that allowed us to use extra fabric. He had to decorate a turkey using anything he wanted. Here's that project.

Cooked Salad

Tonight for dinner we had grilled pork chops and steamed cabbage ( a family favorite). We haven't had steamed cabbage in a quite a while. I scooped a very small portion on Ainsley's plate and she squished up her nose and said "I don't want that." I said "I'd like you to try a little." As I scooped a large helping on the next plate she looked up and said, "But we don't cook salad!" Aaaahhhh - the perspectives of little ones.

Favorite Uncle

We had a declaration made this weekend as Ainsley enjoyed her play time with Aaron and Christine. I believe Jeremy's position has been usurped. Ainsley declared, "Christine, you are my favorite uncle." Sorry Jeremy - you now have to move over for Uncle Christine.

Weekend's pictures

I had a hard time adding these pictures to the last post. I am attempting to add them here.

Looks Like We've Made It!

We are going to give this a try. I can't say I really understand how to do any of this and I'm not a great writer but we are willing to give it a chance. I really enjoy reading all the other family blogs and I feel like we know each other better by seeing and hearing all the ongoings of each family.

I don't know if everyone has heard but the Army Reserves has called up Daniel to serve three months in Iraq with the 399th Combat Support Hospital. He leaves in just over 3 weeks (2 days before his birthday). He will return around the 20th of December. So yes - he will miss the birth of our baby due November 24th. I thought starting this blog might be nice for him to see what we are doing daily as well since I don't know how often we will be able to talk on the phone. I also hope that will give me motiviation to record our daily ongoings.

We had a nice visit with Aaron and Christine this past weekend. It was short since Daniel had to be in Pittsburgh Friday night and Saturday for a Soldier Readiness Program. The kids and I went with him and stayed in the hotel. We got to the hotel about 11pm. Around 4am the power went off (so did the airconditioning and any type of white noise we were using(static on the radio). It was very hot and you could hear everything from the hall which was mostly this random beeping coming from I don't know what. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep (I am not sleeping comfortably anyway these days.) The power returned around 7am. Daniel left early for his program where they injected him with a multitude of deadly diseases (immunizations), went over military finance things, created a will with a lawyer, fitted him for a kevlar helmet etc... The kids and I had a lazy morning, hit the grocery store for some lunchables and caught a 12:30 movie. By the time the movie was over Daniel was done. We left Pittsburgh at 3 and arrived in Lancaster at 7pm where we met Aaron and Christine at a restuarant for dinner. We celebrated our 11th anniversary with them and our children. We thank the military for taking our anniversary and Daniels birthday from us this year (not to mention #4's birthday). We enjoyed visiting Saturday night. On Sunday Aaron and Christine made us their "wonderful german pancakes in a muffin tin" recipe. It was delicious. We drove them around parts of Lancaster City and rural Amish country. We saw buggies - Sunday is a great day for that. For dinner we had Hawaiian Haystacks - a winner in everyone's book and dessert was ripe peaches with half and half. Yum. Monday morning we toured Daniels office, went out for Philly cheestakes and went to the Wilbur chocolate factory before they headed back to New York. We sure had a lot of fun. We hope to get together again while they are living on the East Coast.



I guess that's it for now. My kids start school in one week so I am sure this week will be a busy one.