First Day Back to School!

Today was the big day, the day every little child waits for all of their 5 years... The first day of school! Caden was the happiest!

Today was Caden's first day of Kindergarten. Austin is now in 3rd, and Deklyn is in 4th. Austin and Deklyn were a little LESS enthused about school... though I think they were excited to sport their new shoes and book bags...

Here are the boys getting on the bus!


And here is my favorite picture from this morning, Caden saw the bus coming and ran to the end of the porch and back, so excited! BYE, MOM AND DAD!


I started off years ago homeschooling, but put them into public school when I was having trouble getting my oldest (possible ADHD?) to concentrate. I didn't want his education to suffer, so I put them in school. I loved being able to teach my own children, BUT the break that I am getting right now is allowing me to get SO MUCH done...

Including a successful day (so far) in potty training!

Have your children started school yet? DO you homeschool or do they attend public school (or other)? Were they excited? Were YOU excited?

Mini-Vacation Pics

I'm Back!!!

And busier than ever. You leave for 5 days, and have 3x's the chore when you get back. Everything waits for you! :)

But we had a good time with my husband's family, biking, swimming, fireworks, eating, birthdays, hayride, eating, campfires, did I mention eating??? ;)

Here are a few pics that I took during our mini-vacation:


Vacation isn't complete with out sugar overloads from grandma!



We went on a hayride, which was fun. Check out the driver in this pic:Here is me, Koen and Caden on the hayride.


Then some fireworks!!! Here's Deklyn:

Here is Caden and Austin:


Now back to the ol' homestead. The weeds popped up and grew like crazy, there were storms that blew off part of the roof of our barn and off part of our chicken coop. All bedding got so wet and is now breeding bugs, got some cleaned up yesterday, more to do today! Yard waited to be mowed. Lots to do, and a birthday party to prepare for on Friday!!! Lord- give me energy!

Lots happening- more to come soon!!! :)

Happy Birthday to My #2!

Today is my number #2's birthday. Austin is 8 years old today!

Austin has been a joy and NEVER fails to make us laugh. Even when he isn't trying! He is a clone look-a-like of his father. He loves baseball and anything that doesn't require any running or walking a great distance. :) He loves to read and is a GREAT speller!



His request for every birthday is to go to the zoo, so guess where we are today?

Happy Birthday Austin!!!!

Enjoying Spring...

I love Spring. I love when the trees turn green and the flowers start blooming. I love when my garden starts to get those little sprouts of green. I even love doing barn chores. Not that I HATED them before, but they are MUCH more enjoyable when its warm and you don't have to try to keep your fingers from freezing off...

Here are a few pictures from our homestead:

This is what a little boy looks like when he has been playing outside on the farm. Oh and this is what it looks like when that same little boy is ornery:



Here he is helping me with some dirt from the garden:


Now here is one I never would have believed a month ago. 12 pups. One mama. And NO skinny pups. They are all little fatty babies. I had to drop what I was doing and run to get my camera so I could get this picture or "Girl" and her pups:


Here Caden and I are trying to do a little "bonding" with our little male sheep "Jack". We have taken him from his mother, and he isn't too happy about that. SO we are trying to make friends.


Caden has already made friends with Max, our baby goat. Max is already telling Caden secrets:


In the goat world, when you surprise someone with sucking on the end of their nose, it's actually a sign that you love them. I'm glad that doesn't extend out of the goat world, don't look at me to suck on the end of your nose to show you I love you:


AND here is what we will be doing 4 days a week, for the next 2 months. Watching these poor little guys lose. They are a VERY young, first year team, and it just ain't gonna happen. Which is OK! I just like to see my boys have fun... Here is my boy Austin hitting the ball:


Well, it's garden planting day. So you all have a good day, and I will share more pics with you later!

Sick Computer + Sick Child = Crazy Mama

So, I have been away for a few days...

First, I had something keep popping up on my computer telling me they, an "anti-viral software", were scanning my computer. I tried to stop it, but it was finished. Then I kept getting these "less-than-nice" sites popping up in new screens... Oh, the horror....

I turned it off and immediately set-off to find someone to fix it! Well, I guess it is fixed now, and thankfully it didn't take long!

Yesterday morning, the school called me and said my son, Austin, had a small temp and a headache, and we should come and get him... His temp was 99 degrees, talk about small! So we have been "battling" a low grade fever for a day now. Is this the start of H1N1 in my household? I pray not! Austin keeps getting SO mad at me, I want him to stay in his room, you know, "just in case"... And he is HATING it! I let him go outside to play a little while ago, and his temp went back up to 101 degrees... Off to bed for him!

And also this afternoon, Koen (my baby) was M.I.A. for a while, which is not unusual, but also not good.... so I sent Caden to look for him. Then I hear screaming and a ruckus upstairs. I got running upstairs, and Caden told me that Koen was drinking out of Austin's (the sick one...) straw! Wonderful....

I just KNOW this is going to get better. Pray for my sanity...

The End of Soccer Season

Well, Sunday was end of our boy's soccer season. I love our soccer program because they don't keep score (I love when they let little kids JUST HAVE FUN!), because they play against kids from their own school, and because they let EVERYONE play the same amount!

I think it is SO important to not force kids to be competitive. Baseball was that way for our oldest son this year. He liked it but he never got to play because he just wanted to go and have fun. But they ended up making him dread his games, scared that when he FINALLY got to bat, the he was going to mess up. Talk about an unhappy mama!

But this soccer program is different, and I know, some people like to push their kids a little more, and give them a competitive edge... And that's OK. But I love when a kid can be a kid and have some fun. They have YEARS before they need pressures of performing "the best".

So here are some pictures of my boys, and their 'metal' that they got for playing this year:

Now I have to tell you about Caden... This was his first sport, and his very first "twophy"... HE was SO proud... You can see how happy he was to display this around his little neck:

Dang it, they are cute! Sorry... proud mama! =)

Things I Love Thursday- Back-to-School!

Thursday! I am so glad you stuck with me through our 2 week camping trip! And I am grateful you are here on this wonderful day.

It's Thursday, the day we all share what we love! Today, the thing that I love is Back-to-school! I not only love the quietness in the house, and the attention I am able to give my little one, but I love that we live in an awesome country where things like education are free (or relatively free, I guess). I love that our school teaches a Bible class, right along side gym and music! I am thankful for my boy's teachers this year, and am excited to see how much my boys bloom and grow!

Speaking of, here are my precious school boys this morning on their first day:

Caden had his first day of preschool, he is going 2x's a week. Austin is in 2nd grade and Deklyn is in 3rd grade. *sniff, sniff*

So, it is YOUR turn! What do YOU love today??? Please share with us by linking directly to you blog entry for today on what you love!!! Can't wait to read them all!

Happy Birthday Austin!

7 years ago today, we had our boy #2, Austin. And right out of the womb, he wanted to eat.

Little has changed today, as Austin is always having to confirm with us when the next meal will be arriving, and what it will be. Even though, we have NEVER let him starve, he still has to make sure!

Austin is very loving, VERY smart, and very naive. He loves animals, he loves to spell, and loves to eat. He likes baseball and soccer.

Today, we celebrated Austin's birthday by taking him to the zoo. Hubby had to work so I, my boys, my mother, and 2 sisters and 1 nephew went. We had fun, although the temps got up to 92 degrees! And it was HOT. Then I discovered when I got in our truck after the zoo, that our A/C doesn't work in the truck. Nice day for THAT to surface!

But it was a nice day. Here are some pics:

So, Happy Birthday, Boss (Austin)!

Lovin' Spring!

Spring is here! And we have been enjoying the sunshine. Now, if it will only stick around for a while!

Here is Deklyn, with a turtle he found in our pond:

Here is Caden with a Salamander he found:

Here is Austin with a Tadpole he got from our pond:

Boys on a Budget

Let me start off by saying, I am a frugal mom. I don't want to spend any money that doesn't make sense, ON anything that isn't going to LAST, and isn't going to improve our lives in one way or another. I live in the country, in Indiana, and my boy's school is a small one. So, thankfully there are no "I HAVE TO HAVE THIS!!!" or whatever. They of course come to me with their requests and we talk about how bad they want something. Do they have money for something that we(mom & dad) aren't willing to shell out the money for? If they don't, then we discuss why we (mom & dad) will not be buying them their desire of the day. They have never walked away upset with our decision.

So, the first thing that I think every boy at age 4 or older should have is LEGOS. My boys play with their Legos, literally every day! We have bought them multiple sets, and they have received lots as gifts. And I don't think there is a Lego that has been wasted!

Don't want all of those tiny pieces all over your house??? I only allow Legos in certain parts of our house. Their rooms, and our basement which is basically their run & play area. They have a basket that they keep all of their Legos in, and they do a pretty good job of keeping them in the basket. They know if they don't, that I will take the pieces I find and throw them out. Actually, between us, I haven't thrown any pieces out, but I have actually taken them away, and they thought I threw them out. This has only happened enough times to count on one hand. But, they know they want to keep their pieces and they take good care of them!

This year, my boys (with my help) built 3D projects for their Learning Fair at school with their Legos.

Here is Deklyn with his TIV (tornado intercept vehicle, for those of you who don't watch the Discovery Channel!):

And here is Austin's Rocket, it's the red thing just above his shoulder:

Legos not only are fun for them, but they can really learn how things work! Like Deklyn learned that there has to be a "base" to build his TIV on. I told him that was called a Chassis. So them we had to figure out how each piece fit together, and how to support different things like the wheels, etc. With Austin, I think his favorite part was building a "control panel" inside. Oh, and putting a coffee cup in there so the Astronaut could drink (that's my Aus).

Plus, they have gotten some big imaginations building boats, cars, trucks, buildings, etc.

So, I would say Legos were one of my top picks for great investments for toys you would buy a boy. You can go HERE to request catalogs and a free Lego Magazine.

Our next Legos? Probably Indiana Jones...

Do your boys play with Legos? What do you think about them???

This Weekend's Pine Box Derby

This Saturday, my boys and their Boyscout troop participated in the annual Pine box Derby. They were given a small block of wood, everyone got the same wheels, and same axles. They had to cut out a car shape and paint it.

The boys worked hard on it, and they thought THEY were going to win.

Here they are before the race:

Deklyn will forever have goofy smiles on his face... He won't give "nice" smiles... He always has to be funny. But they are SOooo proud of their cars and their paint jobs...

The race started, and we quickly realized that our cars were a little slower then the others (ok, a lot slower)... There were 4 different heats and each one we lost. There were 2 that Austin didn't get last in, but each one Deklyn got last.

Well, in the end, Deklyn got last place (20 out of 20). Austin got 16 out of 20. Deklyn actually got a trophy for being the slowest!

An Austin was a little sad that his car did better then Deklyn's but HE didn't get a trophy.

But, in the end we learned that the way we "weighted" the car was the wrong way, and that we need to do it completely different next year! The boys had fun though, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF US, PINE BOX DERBY!!!

Guess that Vacation #2!

Back by popular demand (well, no one has really said they DON'T like it...), guess that vacation!



I figured I'd go a little easier on my family, since they stunk it up in the last game... =) The next installment though... it's anybody's ball game (hint, hint).


Today, is another picture of my adorable boys, three of them this time, and myself. Here it is:

I will tell you it is NOT that ginormous bridge in like Japan or wherever. It is in the United States. And yes, I DO believe that my boys are possibly the cutest things on the face of the Earth...

So, you got any guesses???

Answer coming tomorrow!

Guess that Vacation!

Ok, I know I am a day late... the story of my life! I wanted to get my groceries done yesterday, though, because of a major snow storm that is supposed to hit here. My hubby didn't want me out on the roads today.

So- ON WITH THE SHOW!

Here is my first picture:

This picture has Deklyn on his 2nd Birthday, Austin 9 months old (same as Koen is now!) and myself.

This will be easy for my family, but it can be easy for the rest of you also, IF you look closely at the clues in the picture...

Where are we??? This can also be in 2 parts. Where are we, and where are we at exactly...

Here's a little close-up on those cute little boys: (Can you spot any clues???)

Answer will come tomorrow!!!

Pictures

Today- I'm takin it easy... It's my birthday and I can be lazy if I want to! So I am going to post some pictures we took over the weekend...

Because of the OUTRAGEOUS prices of school pictures, I decided to take my own pictures and get the pictures made myself... Here are the pictures we decided on for Deklyn & Austin....

Here's Deklyn:

And here's Austin:

Here is a fun picture of all of my boys and a little of me... They all love being goofy!

Here are Deklyn and Austin with their BRAND NEW Cub Scout apparel:

Train Your Children

The Bible clearly states, "Train your children on the way they should go, and they will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6)

Yes, today we had one of those moments.

Children also learn by doing what their parents do.

Today, Austin brought me home a surprise. Here it is:

A COUPON!!!

Here it is again. He got it from a magazine in school today. Check out the expiration date on it. (6/30/91)

He's my boy alright. He also picked me those dandelions.

Hobby Farmin'

OK, so we have a small farm. And none of our animals are too smart. But, darn it, for the most part, they sure can be fun. I love when our half-bald (molting?) hens come running up to our house from the barn. They run and it makes me smile.... no offence ladies. Yeah, I also call them my ladies. If you don't know the current run down of our animal population, here goes: We have 3 dogs (one maltese mutt named Sophi, one german shephard mutt named Girl Dog, creative I know, and one full breed Brittney Spaniel named Josh. We also have 4 rabbits: One old Cabby one named Ruby, one named Shepherd, one name Minnie, and one still un-named (after 3 months). We have 4 pigeons. I'll tell you about the pigeons another time, ones name is Pigee (as is pigeon, and we have 3 new ones (as of yet- un-named). We have 2 cats, one tigger cat named Goggly-eyes, and one yellow named Hopscotch-policeman. Yes we are into crazy names (if they ever get a name!). Our dearly-loved cat, Cougar, dies the spring, when he got hit by a car. The boys were all very sad, I even got a little teary. But we all found relief in knowing that he was in Heaven with Great-Grandma Leffel, and Great-Grandpa & Grandma Hostetler. And that we will get to see him someday. We also may be getting a new kitty in a few weeks. My parents cat has had kittens, and the boys LOVE cats because they love to cuddle! And last but not least, our chickens, I should say our hens and one Ginny. We started off with 5 ginnys, I'm sad to say, but through natural selection, now we only have 1. And we have, I believe 22 hens. These, like I said before, are so much fun to watch! I LOVE to watch then run! Only 2 of these have names.... keep in mind they are all FEMALE and also that our boys have named them: one's name is CHEETO, and the other is LARRY. Don't ask, I have no clue why. :) They all truly bring joy to my life!

So, there it is. Our Hobby Farm. We hope to add to it someday soon, maybe a rooster (to straighten out that Pesky Sophi!), maybe a duck or two, maybe a cow, or some goats. Here are some pictures of Austin feeding the chickens. He was feeding them peach peels, and they loved 'em!