Cole's Name

Cole dictated this note to me the other night (it was the compromise we came up with when he couldn't have a zebra cake before bed). I asked him to sign his name, not expecting much, but I watched him create each letter, wherever he could find space on the paper, and couldn't believe it!

He later added some other lines and markings, so it's harder to see now, but I was so impressed! It's crazy how he picks up on things. And it's time like this that I'm glad we gave him an easy name to write. 👊🏻

Hope

Hope is becoming more and more vertical every day! Pulling up to her knees and sometimes to her feet, if she can find a platform short enough. 

I'm glad I happened to catch a picture of her with her tongue out. She's doing this all the time, lately! I think it may have something to do with her first tooth that finally came in just yesterday. Our baby girl is growing up!

10 months old yesterday!

Breaking Ground

Marc made some phone calls this week to confirm that they plan to get started digging our basement at the end of the week after Labor Day! It's happening! 

We were talking about it at supper yesterday and Marc asked Cole if he was ready to go dig the basement. "Me?" Cole said. And Marc said, "yeah, YOU!" He said he was. Marc was kidding, of course, but Cole didn't catch on. He was waiting on the porch after supper for Dad to go take him to start digging. Hilarious! 

And Marc, being the good dad he is, obliged. They loaded up with their shovels and headed over to the lot. 

"Ummm, Daddy, I think we need a big digger."

I guess you can say we've broken ground!

Target Popcorn & Toys

We took a lesson from Elsy (and Cindy) and got some popcorn at Targer during our shopping trip. We also enjoyed using the big kid cart. 

For some reason, Cole has been in the toy aisles of a department store less than five times in his life. Today seemed like it was the first time! He kept saying "wow, oh wow".

We had a conversation before I let him out of the cart (thank you seat belts!) that he was free to look but that we weren't taking anything home today. And he did great!! I was proud of him. 

Fist Bump

When Abby and Norma were visiting, we texted more than we normally do. They introduced me to the 👊🏻 (fist bump) - to indicate "ok" "got it" "sounds good". I LOVED IT!

Here's my first exposure, from Norma. 

 I told Abby that I was going to see if I could get the first bump to catch on out here. I'm working on it!

I think it's catching! I'm having fun trying. 👊🏻

Eden and Tirzah overnight + one

Eden and Tirzah stayed overnight on Saturday while their parents went to a wedding in Lawrence. Grandpa Marty was in town for disc golf tournament so he stayed too. 

We went to Culvers for supper.

You have to have ice cream!

Eden spotted a rainbow, that was even at our house when we got home. That was pretty amazing he thought to still be able to spot it.

Marty helped with the night time reading. He says he doesn't get to do that much when grandma is around.

It was a fun night!

Elsy shopping by Cindy

My friend Ping came to my house while Elsy was her, she insisted on giving her $20 because she was so cute. I took Elsy to target to buy toys for our house. She spent most of her time in the dollar aisle.

She made some wise choices with encouragement from me about costs.

She does love to shop...

Julie had suggested we look for birthday ideas.

Of course every aisle we wine down she wanted everything. She had me take pictures to send to her mom. Here is some things she liked.

She actually liked everything!!

We stopped for popcorn afterwards...I think that was the most expensive thing we bought!!

Daddy/Cole Time

It's been the custom the last few Saturdays, as Marc's season kind of starts slowing down, for Marc to invite Cole to go to work with him. And would you know, he enthusiastically accepts! Cole dons his wrangler jeans, cap, plaid shirt and boots and will tell you he's going to work and that he's "gotta go check Travis's fields". They have ended up at our farm most times too. Here are some pictures in the milo. 

It's also worked out the past few weeks for us to take our "taco Friday" supper out to Marc in the fields and Cole has often talked Marc into letting him stay and check with him the rest of the evening. Here are some pictures from one of those nights.

They picked me a flower.  Sitting on the four wheeler. 

And Cole gathering corn ears to take back to Grandpa for his squirrel feeder. 

We are all ready to have daddy home more but these times Cole spends with him are priceless. (And nice for me too - time with just Hope and often a bit of time to myself!!) Cole loves spending time with his daddy and his daddy loves spending time with him. 

Jogging Nap

Here's Hope Before our chilly jog last Saturday all bundled up in the stroller sack, still in her jammies. Cole went to work with Marc, so we had a girls morning. 

And here she is by the end...

Ha! Guess I went too close to nap time or else the bumpy, windy ride was just too cozy not to take advantage of a little nap. 

This has maybe never happened or at least not since she's been a tiny baby. Cute! But also left me clueless as to what to do. I just sat on the porch while she slept and read my book on my phone. 

Cousin Time

We made it to Olathe for the weekend! And it's started off with a bang - mom had supper and the house all ready for us (and Elsy, Watson, and Cindy) and then dad made his famous slow turned popcorn while we snuggled in for a viewing of Polar Express with the big kids after the babies were asleep. 

Nothing like cousin time!

Elsy at church! By Cindy

This week I took a step into getting to know more people at church. I signed up to help with the 3-5 year olds in a 3 night activity- sort of like VBS. Julie' friend Brittany was incharge so we knew her. She asked Charlotte and I to help serve and clean up the meal. That was a piece of cake!! I am helping in the Bible story room with the craft and snack. It is fun to see the little kids.

My biggest joy is watching Elsy in there. She doesn't pay attention to the fact I am in there.

The first night she sat in the circle paying attention raising her hand to participate. She told a story how she went with her grandpa Ellis and he got a really big catfish!! Do you think she remembered the fish he caught or the one she feed.

It was fun to see how she is growing up. 

I didn't get any other pictures because I was so busy.

The Great Chicken Fiasco

Brad and I are house sitting for a family from our church for the next two weeks. We started on Saturday afternoon (July 30th) and we'll be here until August 16th. This family has 1 dog, 1 gecko, and 17 chickens. That's right, 17 chickens. In Prairie Village! Crazy right? Anyway, I was kind of excited about taking care of them but city boy Brad on the hand was a little bit nervous.

So this story begins Sunday afternoon. I was on lay way to the chicken coop/yard to gather eggs and to check their food and water. As I approached the chicken yard, I noticed one of the chickens was laying on it's side and had flies around it......aka it was dead! I was shocked and I had no idea how it happened! I ran back inside and woke Brad up from his nap and told him one of the chickens was dead and I needed his help. We went back out and accessed the situation. There was 1 dead chicken and 4 more chickens MIA. Brad ended up finding them behind the chicken coop door and sadly.....none of them had their heads. Brad was SUCH a champ and he scooped up all of the dead bodies and put them in a trash bag to get rid of them.

not bad for a city boy!!

We called up our friend who used to own chickens, Chad, and he came over to help us figure out the problem. We found there was a hole in the corner of the fenced yard by the chicken coop so we filled it with pieces of firewood and a couple of bricks. Chad also suggested that we lock up the chickens in the coop for the night. There was an injured chicken and Chad told us it would probably be dead in the morning :( 

So this morning, Brad went to let the chickens out (because I really did not want to see the poor dead one). Brad came back inside while I was cooking breakfast and he said, "Kath, I opened the door to the coop and all of the chickens were dead." I'll be honest, I cried a little bit. I couldn't believe it!! What had happened?? Somehow we had managed to have all 17 chickens die in the first 2 days that we were in charge of them?? We called Chad again and he came right over. He and Brad went back out to the chicken coop and shoveled up the bodies from the second mass murder and while they were out there they discovered ONE live chicken!! Somehow it had hidden in one of the nest boxes and survived the massacre! It was a miracle chicken!

After it got all cleaned up, Brad and I had plans with a few friends(Erin Boline and her new boyfriend!) to come over to the house for lunch. We of course told them the whole tale while we were eating and I was able to chuckle about it. Once we finished lunch, we took them out to the chicken coop to show them the miracle chicken! When we got out there, THE CHICKEN WAS DEAD! I'm not kidding folks, this is all a real story. I just could not believe it!! Here's a picture of the final death.

                                                  

As we were standing there getting ready to get rid of the final chicken, Erin saw something move and run into the chicken coop. It was a ferret!! How crazy right?? At least we finally knew who the murderer was. After some research, we learned that ferrets kill chickens for fun, how sad......

Needless to say, if you are ever looking for someone to take care of your chickens, don't call us. We have bad luck with keeping chickens alive. 

Mom and Dad Visit

It was so great to have my parents here. So great. They came for an extended time, which is always a treat. And they came during fair week, so we got to take in all the festivities!

Here they are when they first arrived. We were all so excited to see them! Cole was napping but Hope was awake!

They were a TON of help with the kids and around the house. So easygoing and up for anything. Willing to jump in and care for the kids while I flitted off to do this or that with the fair. 

We played a LOT of MagnaTiles. 

Dad and Cole went on a bike ride multiple times. One evening they even ended up over at the fairgrounds to take in the rodeo. Dad said they just laid down their bikes outside the gate, paid, and walked in! Here they are returning from their adventure. 

We went to see the animals at the fair one morning and showed up during the swine show. Even managed to make a fool of ourselves a bit and tip our hand that we were most definitely city slickers, but that's another story. 

One evening dad and Cole took Marc the tacos we had ordered, out to the fields while he worked. That left mom and me at home with a sleeping Hope and dinner in front of the tv watching Gilmore Girls. Glorious!

On Saturday morning Dad and I ran the fair race. The route was a loop you did twice and it took us by our house. We had a good cheering section both times we passed. Look at our numbers - 8 & 9 - not a large crowd!

And then, of course, we went to the parade Saturday too. Dad did his usual, greet-people-by-name thing but I think I deterred him when I said it's not the same in a small town. The people will really think they should know you. 

Mom and dad were good sports to play what Cole wanted to play - reenacting the movie Planes Fire and Rescue, often. Here they are flying their planes in the yard from the sandbox, bending down to reload water. Ha!

Dad took advantage of time with Hope. 

There were countless times that I left and mom got things ready for supper or got the kids ready for bed or ran to get Cole's prescription and fill our gas can, cut up the cabbage gifted to us, etc. 

What a sweet time. We love having you visit!!