So I have my typical gazzilion photos to share after a weekend of family memories…but alas, after years of xanga blogging it seems I have reached the limit to my storage space which I think means I have to buy lifetime or start using photobucket. At this moment I can’t be bothered to do either so I’ll just have to satisfy myself with the meager handful of photos that did load up this morning…………
Like little Sethers, wearing a lifejacket for the first time. He went in the pond to “swim”, choked on some water, and then willingly stayed out for the rest of the day. Seems like just yesterday I was posting little Caleb’s first pictures in the pond!
This was a fun, rare treat: we filled a cooler on the porch with usually forbidden sugar-laden beverages and let the kids have free reign. Yes, the drinks are all gone today. The diet Pepsi is Rich’s; the rest of us like sugar.
So we had little boys running around with stained mouths all weekend…stained red from the fruit punch. Surprisingly, Caleb could still nap with all the sugar coursing through his veins.
Grace picked out flowers from Agway and planted them herself.
And a milestone happened. Our two older boys became Mowers. People, useful people, who mow lawns. Rich taught them how to use a push-mower and they worked hard mowing up the trim work and areas that Rich can’t mow himself with the big mower. I am so proud of Jacob and Ethan.
Ethan:
And here is Jacob, using a weed-eater type of machine. I can’t remember what they were calling it. Grass and bits fly everywhere so he has to wear safety glasses.
The lawns look SO nice now! It makes me happy to be outside and see everything trimmed so neatly and nicely. I feel like a lady who employs landscapers, and the best thing is the boys acted like it was as fun as going to Chuck E Cheeses. They loved it!
And this is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend, Davy-do reading a good book.
I’ll have to save the pictures of Ethan’s guitar recital, the beautiful moth, and the miscellaneous pictures of turtles, jam, and hair cuts for another time. Bother! Besides…..I cannot keep Seth off me as I type, he’s like a climbing monkey and will not sit still on my lap (what little lap I have left, he literally slides right off under the desk) for anything. He wants badly to be a typer, like mama.
The pregnancy continues, and I am running on little sleep and raging hormones but we are all alive and well here at our home sweet home.
Blessings to each one of you on this fine day!
~Shanda
PS, Happy Birthday to my wonderful brother David! I love you, Dave!
Good to be Home 
Huzzah for more mowers in the family!! I am sure that will be a big help to Rich. That picture of Davy reading is just too precious and really does say it all about lazy days of summer (not that we’re quite there yet, but almost). Not that we get to be too lazy, but…well, you know what I mean. You’re in my prayers Shanda!
i thought the baby had come, soon i hope
What a fun post. Love the picture of your sleeping boy with the red mouth. 🙂 Your daughter’s flowers are very pretty. She did great picking them. So nice that your boys can do the yard work. Hopefully the “funfactor” will last throughout the summer.
Looks like you had a great weekend! Happy Birthday to your brother!
It’s so nice to have boys to mow, isn’t it? Frees up so much time for the dad! How fun to put a cooler of drinks out like that. I might do that sometime this summer. My kids would love it! Hope that baby comes soon. =)
My 12 year old was mowing this weekend too!:) I always enjoy your updates. I hpe you figure out your picture situation soon:) I enjoy all your pictures!
send those boys over here please… we could use some serious lawn help! :)Cute pix. 🙂
The weather must have been warm this weekend! We were having fog and chilly breezes, so often in May/June the weather just can’t decide. David was disappointed, he wanted to go surfing but it was soooo windy. Can’t believe little Seth is the next one to take the plunge into the pond. Is it still cold?I love love the one of Davy reading on the porch! I love you porch pictures. It must be nice when it is warm and you can use it again. Tell Grace those flowers look like her. Pretty pink! Sounds like a great outdoor weekend. Good guys getting the place all tidied up and mowing the lawn! Yay for Rich, J, and E. Hope you get the pic situation figured out…baby pics are a comin! Praying for you each day. Love and hugs, Jenny
Great pictures 🙂
Looks like a wonderful weekend and yes more wonderful family memories captured in time to cherrish over the years!
Great pictures, I love the ones that did load! I also loved your description of Sethy on your lap! I am so glad that you had a nice weekend! The boys are so mature and growing so fast to already be able to mow! WOW!!! And Gee to be planting flowers by herself!lots of love and hugs!
What a superb weekend!
I mowed our grass in the front a couple of weeks ago. That is hard work!!! I can’t wait until Sam can mow!!! Dave doesn’t have much time to mow our big yard, and we only have a push mower right now. So, we’re paying some guys to mow it this year. In Tulsa, I remember our neighbor’s boy was mowing–he couldn’t have been more than 8 years old! He was barely taller than the handle on the push mower!
Lovely view into your weekend. Keeping you in my prayers!!! The last days of a pregnancy are soooooo hard I know, stay strong, stay strong. Praying the Lord be your strength, as I know yours must be gone. Praying His Spirit comfort you… I can’t resist typing the one thing so many said to me at the end of each of my pregnancies when I felt I couldn’t go another day, “you only have a couple weeks left at the most…” Ugh! 🙂 You are such a trooper! Love the way you keep your eyes on the Lord. Blessings to you ~ Deborah
I (selfishly!) wish I could buy you lifetime on Xanga just because I love seeing your pictures so much! Adorable! All of them! I am counting down with you! May God give you strength and grace!
Ahhh! Getting to mow the yard for the first time! How well I remember wishing I was old enough to do it. But for me, that enthusiasm didn’t last. All too soon it became drudgery. Anyway, I hope your guys keep on loving it. It sure helps parents when the children get old enough to take over some jobs. Thanks for the pictures!
My favorite is that sweetly sleeping little boy with a red mouth….so peaceful….don’t you wish that EVERYONE would do that once a day, so you could, too???!! Thinking of you as you count the days until your new baby daughter makes her appearance. Then there won’t be much sleep for YOU….
You have the bestest weekends. 😉