Our 13th Wedding Anniversary

Al and I have been married 13 years today!! Wow!! Some days this feels like forever and other days it seems like yesterday...

This first picture, our photographer caught Al acting silly and of course it's one of my favs.

The birdseed picture is fun too!
It's been a great 13 so far! Thanks Al for all of the love and laughs!! I'm looking forward to more forever with you!!

Guess what we are doing??

Guess what we are doing? I put that title and then looked at this picture I picked of Casey. Huh? Well, HE is cutting duct tape..
And Grandpa is driving the skid loader...
But guess what WE are doing??



Our house is the old metat siding and has been in need of a paint job for many years. This last year was particularly bad with some spots being rubbed shiny and paintless. So we decided to paint this summer and then all of a sudden the crunch was on as Fall Harvest approaches. We just did it and started this weekend. Amazingly with one of those paint sprayer thingys, Al and I primered the entire house in a day! Trim and all! Now we just have to decide if it is staying white, or becoming a bold new color....what do you think? Keep in mind, this house has been white for well over 20 years...

First Day of School

The first day of school is always exciting yet a little sad for me. This year was no different. Casey is still home, but Emily headed out to 5th grade and Carter to 2nd a couple of days ago. We took our traditional first day of school pictures. Casey likes to be part of it even if he isn't going to school yet. I can't believe they are getting so big. Time is really flying. The thought of them being so big is scary and makes me a bit melancholy. I love my little babies! Neither Emily nor Carter let me stand by them this year. How sad for me. They were very excited and for that I am glad!! They love school so far as it should be! So the first day was a big success!!!

I didn't pay enough attention to the light here, but it's cute anyway!
I love it when they kiss on Casey! All is right in the world

So grown up
Emily got a different kind of bag this year. Style and all you know... Carter stuck with his traditional green. It was a good start to hopefully a great year!!

Butterflies and Rainbows

Something I always did growing up was to raise butterflies. I'd catch the caterpillar and feed it until it turned into its cocoon and then watch over it until it "hatched" into a butterfly. Almost always it was a monarch but I did raise tiger swallowtails too. My dad built me a special box/cage to keep them in, too. It is such a fun memory of mine, I've tried to always get a caterpillar or two for the kids each summer. I let the milkweeds take over near our house. Some years it looks really sloppy, but we get to raise caterpillars from it so I don't care.

We had 2 that we let go this year. Casey was really excited, but refused to touch the caterpillar or butterfly. He barely would pick the leaves, but he loved the process just the same. Both butterflies that we let go just happened to be ready early in the morning, so if we look a bit shell shocked that's why.

Don't you just love that you can see his tongue?
I just thought the wings looked cool with the light shining through here.

Finally, I thought I'd just include this pic of a rainbow I took the other night. Emily wanted me to come outside and see something. I was on the phone and not hurrying, but she finally dragged me out the door and this is what I saw!!! Such beauty everyday and I'm so glad my children notice.

I must tell you

I just can't help it. I must tell you. You all know my newest addiction: entering contests. Well, in June, I entered the Iowa State Fair. I of course waited until the last minute, and printed my pics at home and didn't mat them and sent them on the last day which was also the day before we left on vacation.

Anyway, Al and I drove to Des Moines yesterday to go to the reception in the photography salon at the State Fair and I got two of my four photos displayed!!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Not only that, but I received Third Place in one of the largest categories, Iowa County Courthouses!! Out of 5,000 entries I got 2 pictures in!!! And out of 1,500 photographers submitting!! Out of 91 awards given, I got one!!! I am soooo excited!!! My goal was to get in to the State Fair as they are quite competitive. I never dreamed I'd win an award!! Wow!! So I just had to tell you!!!

Flashback - Family Visit

Flashback for just a moment to the beginning of July! The summer was only partly started, the weather was nice, there were no worries....


Al's sister Amy and her kids came to visit. She lives out of state and doesn't get to come near often enough. So we packed as much as we could into the three or four days she was here. We played, hiked the creek, did crafts, played, camped over at grandma and grandpas, watched Carter play ball, went to library programs, ate good food, picnicked and floated!!!
The girlies...
All the cousins, well most all. We had a picnic lunch one afternoon out in grandma and grandpa's grove. Boys can sure be silly can't they?
Al and I took them all for a spur of the moment kayak float down the river!! It was a lot of fun!! We even saw a bald eagle! We really have a great time when cousins are home to play and we miss them when they are gone. Thanks for visiting and ....
thanks for enduring my little flashback...