I'm Out Of Space

As I was posting the last two pictures on the next post, a box popped up saying, "I was out of space." I could either purchase more space or my pictures would be posted in a smaller size. I am opting for the smaller size for now. (I can't complain too much though as this is a free blog and I've been posting for four years!) If you click on the picture, it will pull up another page and show the picture in a really nice big size. So, that will have to do for now. I thought if I deleted a few pictures from the first year (I have the whole year published into a hard covered book, so it was alright if I didn't actually have them on here too.) that it would make more room. Not so. I should have researched that idea first. Anyway, for now the pictures will be smaller. Unless another box pops up saying they changed their minds and I need to pay up! I'll pay up. I love my blog and now that summer is over, things will slow down and I can get back into it. It's been a crazy summer. I am ready to slow things down a bit and just coast....for a bit. Just a bit.

Homecoming Parade

Once again, my camera has failed me. Actually, it's more like I can't wait for it to focus and therefore all my pictures are blurry. So out of 2,344 pictures, I only have a handful to share. Somehow the stars lined up and today I only had three little kids. (Landon and another would be here after school.) So, off to the parade we went!

 

Let's go!

Those are Menard's shopping bags. I love those bags. They are strong and thick and perfect for everything. I would trust those bags with a dozen bricks inside. Why can't all the other stores order their bags from Menard's bag company? It would make life so much easier!

 

 

Had to stop at Brett's and check out the pumpkins first!

 

 

Like all parades, this one didn't start on time either.

To kill a little time, we went shopping in the thrift store behind the kids here.

Bought a play dust buster and a new play dough toy for $2.00. Can't beat that!

Faith and Luca's mom joined us for the parade.

She's pregnant. Not fat. Thought she would want you all to know that.

hee hee...

 

 

Landon's fifth grade class!

One of the boy's dad is pulling the trailer.

What a nice guy.

Really. He is. I remember about 12 years ago, when I was working for Dawn and it was just a storming. I was wondering how I was going to get home, as the streets weren't plowed and it was getting deep. Well, this guy had a snow shovel thingy on the front of his truck and he went up and down main street for hours clearing out the road. Now that my friends, is a nice guy!!

 

This is Landon's class. Actually it's the boys and his teacher Mrs. Thiel. The girls were on another trailer, but I didn't know that and was too busy picking up candy to get the picture! Landon is the lucky #7 boy from the right, standing up.

As the parade wrapped up, little Nora said, "Well. That was a nice one." Yes it was Nora. Yes it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Kinfolk

Recently my cousin Debra, and my Aunt Darlene, shared with me some pictures of my family memebers from long ago. What a thrill it was to look at those pictures! I won't bore you with tons of pictures of people you don't know, but here are a couple of my favorites.

 

This is a picture of my Grandma Gladys.

She is feeding a baby goat in front of her house?

Not sure where the "pen" is...

I love the little cart on wheels that is being used for steps.

 

 

My Grandma is the second girl on the right in the white.

I love how the boys are peeking out the door.

 

 

My dad and all his sisters and brother.

He's the little one in the bib overalls.

I love how the dog is standing up in the picture too.

 

 

Grandma in their new car!

 

 

 

My Grandpa Frank and his 50 Chevy.

Wish I had that pickup!!!

 

 

Another Classic.

I think this is a Buick?

 

 

And this is the receipt!

I think...

 

 

And another receipt.

Not sure if this is for the first car pictured...

 

 

I know this one is for the Chevy pickup!!

 

 

 

I think this is the Buick....

Can you tell I don't know a thing about cars??

 

 

My Grandpa received this post card

during the depression to report to work.

 

 

Can you imagine???

 

 

 

And this is the sister I never told anyone about.

JUST KIDDING!!!
Well if I did have a sister, I would hope she

would be this cotton pickin' cute!!

 

 

 

 

This Is Why I Don't Bake

Today was what I call a "freak" day, where only a small number of dc kids show up. Today I only had four little ones, so I decided it was the perfect time to try out a new cookie recipe I had seen on Pinterest.The picture showed really yummy looking frosted sugar cookies and the name was Meltaways. They had me at the frosting. But, here's the thing. Other than a really good banana bar recipe that I have, if it doesn't say Betty Crocker on it, I don't bake. Here is why. Nothing ever looks like the picture or tastes even close to what it is suppose to taste like. I just don't have the touch and I am always dissapointed. So, even though I have 4,566 recipes, I rarely use any of then. Today when I pulled out the recipe, I realized I did not have the cornstarch or cream cheese needed to make the cookies. I don't keep these kind of items around, because I don't bake! (I really don't enjoy cooking either, but that's another post for another day.) So, I loaded up the kids in the stroller and we walked to the store in the 40 mile an hour wind. (I really wanted those cookies!)

 

Got the cornstarch!

 

And the cream cheese.

 

 

Then we mixed them all up, rolled them,

flattened them and baked them.

 

 

After we frosted them, we had a pretty darn good lookin' cookie!

Until we tried to eat them.

I couldn't wait until nap time was over, so while the kids

were sleeping, I grabbed a cookie. The first bite I took

was actually pretty good. I thought to myself that maybe I

now had two good recipes. Then I took the second bite and

all of a sudden it was like I had 6,777 saltine crackers in my mouth!

I couldn't chew, I couldn't swallow and after all that work,

I certainly wasn't going to spit it out! So, I grabbed a glass of milk

and washed it down. I had to drink about 6,099 gallons of milk

to finish the one cookie. When the kids woke up from their naps,

I placed two cookies in front of each child, and waited.

The first child, ate one bite.

The second child ate one bite and licked the frosting off.

The third child ate half and threw the rest on the floor.

(He's only one, so I let him get away with that one.

I would have done the same thing.)

The forth child actually ate one,

but said he really only wanted one and not two after all.

 Bless his heart for trying so hard not to hurt my feelings!

Then Landon came home. He has a sweet tooth like me and

I couldn't wait to see what he would do. Normally, with a normal

cookie, he could scarf down a half a dozen with no problem.

He grabbed the whole container and a huge glass of milk.

(I am sure he was wondering why I was letting him get away with

grabbing all of them, but wasn't about to question it.)

He ate about two bites and then took a big swig of his milk.

Another bite, another big swig.

Then he said,

 "Mom! What did you do to these cookies? I can't breathe!"

I had a good laugh and told him they were just weird cookies.

I think they are going to have to go out with the trash.

Can't throw them out to the birds.

Would hate to wake up to a bunch of suffocated

birds laying all over the lawn.

Bless their hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yikes!

Lord, give me strength!!! No sooner had I posted the caterpillar picture, (It's the next post) than Landon and his cousin Jack came running in the house with a bucket. "Look! Look! Look what we found!!!" Yes, they are baby mice. Yes, they are alive! I made them scrub up to their ears and Tim is now taking the babies to the country to be released in the wild woods. When I asked where they found them, they said in the garage. Tim's garage. Whew....I felt o.k. until they said the momma mouse ran away....towards my garage.

 

 

Happy Fall Ya'll!

With the cooler weather now approaching us, It once again felt safe to put my hands inside Landon's pockets on laundry day. I found 4 frogs in his pockets to be exact this summer and I preformed 4 Indian dances that almost produced wicked rain! So, today when I stuck my hand in Landon's pocket and wrapped my fingers around what I thought was a bunch of yarn or string, it was yet again Indian dancin' time!



 Yes. It's a caterpillar. Yes, it's alive! When I showed Landon and asked him not to do that anymore he agreed. I was once again hopeful and feeling safe from all God's creatures great and small. Until he said.... "Mmm....I wonder what happened to the other two?"

Back To School!!

 

My sweet baby boy is now a handsome young man!

5th grade!!

Even when he is 164, he will still be my sweet baby boy.

 

 



One Last Road Trip

 

 

Landon and I decided we needed one last little road trip before school starts.

We were lucky enough to find this Holiday Inn in Detroit Lakes.

It was on a private lake and allowed fishing from the docks!

The best part (for me) was it was also just right down the road

from the best little flea market ever!!!

Landon and I were thrilled.

Tim was o.k., but went along for the ride anyway.

 

We had most of the beach to ourselves as there were two weddings

going on at the same time! One on each end of the hotel.

I felt so sorry for the brides, as the wind was just wicked.

Here they are taking pictures of wedding #1.

They took down part of the playground to

accomodate the second wedding party's tents.

Landon did not think that was cool at all!

Happy, happy fisherboy!

1st catch of the day.

Seaweed!

2nd catch of the day.

More seaweed!

He did catch four sunfish, but

had to throw them back.

No fish allowed in mom's car!

Digging for stinky shells.

Found some!

As a guest of the hotel, we could have rode these

bikes free for two hours. (We also could have used

the paddle boats and other fun lake stuff) But, the wind

would not allow for any of that. Landon was lucky he didn't

get blown into the lake while he was fishing!

(He wouldn't have cared. lol)

After the wedding pictures, these boys had two hours to kill

before the wedding. Since no one was watching them,

they decided to climb this tree. Two hours might as well

be two days to little boys!!

Wish this wasn't so blurry. One little boy made it

half way up, before he decided to back down.

Since no one was still not paying any attention to them,

they decided to go throw tons of rocks into the water.

When they started walking in the water, (up to their knees!)

I got up to go get them, and they saw me and ran

back onto the sandy part of the beach. 

 

 

 

 

They then came over to tell me all about the water and rocks.

I then took them back up to their parents.

 

 

But, this little got got away again.

This time dad got a hold of him and drug him back.

Grandma was getting really fed up!

The little boy in the white, reminded me of Landon at that

age. He was super cute and funny, but could not sit still.

Not for a minute. It was, Go! Go! Go!

Classic ADHD. Classic. All signs point to GO!

I did get the mom's email address, as I told her about the

pictures and wanted to send them to her. She was so stressed.

(She had been looking for the boys at the other wedding, and dad

was hanging out with the big boys. Not much help.)

She made the comment to me that she was going to just tie

him to the tree until the wedding started, and I could tell

she wished she really could. I remember those feelings so well,

and still occasionally feel them. I didn't say anything to her

about our family, but I do plan on sharing through an email,

 our experience and how there is indeed a silver lining in it all.

I only wish someone would have reached out to us when Landon

was little. I think of the wasted years spent chasing him and trying

to get him to sit still....anyway...getting off track here. I just hope

she will keep an open mind and hopefully get him the help he needs

at an early age, so they can all enjoy his childhood.

End of that story!

 

 

They had a bubble gum blowing contest for kids

in the restaurant, while we were waiting for our supper.

 

 

Landon almost won!

They had a contest for adults after that too, but our

food came and I wasn't leaving my baby rack ribs for nothing!

Otherwise, I would have been all over that!

I would have won too! Now I can blow some big bubbles, oh, yes I can!

I can also blow a triple bubble. Can you?

 

 

Making friends in the hot tub.

Landon has finally come out of his shell, and

will strike up a conversation with other kids, anywhere.

I am so proud of him!

He was talking about fishing here. The other boys

weren't that interested, but when he told them about

the seaweed, then they were all ears!

How can any boy resist a green and slimy story?

 

 

He can almost touch in the deeper end!

Landon is just a head shorter than me now.

Makes me a little sad.

 

 

 

When we found the hotel on line, it said there weren't any vacancies.

(We later found out they were booked solid because of the two weddings.)

That didn't stop us though! We weren't giving up!

I called the hotel and asked if they had any cancellations,

 and low and behold they had just gotten one!

It was the king $ize $uite though with a hot tub,

bar and a balcony overlooking the lake.

I booked it anyway. It was totally worth it!

 

 

There was a fire throwing show going on, on the beach.

We had a prime spot watching it from our balcony.

Now that was cool!

 

 

We couldn't check into our room until 3:00,

so we hit the Flea Market first. I am so glad

we went there on Saturday. It was really packed,

but on Sunday....Oh man...on Sunday,

we drove by it on the way home and the cars were

parked all up and down the highway!!!

I am so glad we went on Saturday.

I had to check out Patina White's place first.

I love her little white shed! If she ever retires

or gives up her spot, I am taking over!!!

 

 

I love junk!!

 

 

This hand painted old bed was beautiful.

The pictures don't do it justice.

It was only $100 for the whole thing, but I had

no way to get it home and I had no use for it.

It was only a full size, and I couldn't imagine taking it

apart to make something out of it. All that work.

It needed to stay a bed. I hope someone bought it

and will give it the loving home it deserves.

 

 

Oh, be still my heart.

I wanted to buy them all and throw them in the

rock bed in front of my house. Sadly, I didn't get any of them.

(The owner thought they were made of gold or something!)

The search for a few sweet cream cans continues....